Chapter 151: New Testing Ground (6)

President Nam Yoon-kyung leaned her body toward the microphone with a neat posture.

On her deep purple suit, a silver brooch sparkled as it caught the light.

Her expression was tinged with a bit of tension, but her voice was as steady as could be.

"I am Nam Yoon-kyung of Daehan Group."

After a short greeting, she continued speaking while slowly flipping through the materials she had prepared.

"The cooperation in the semiconductor and manufacturing fields discussed earlier was very impressive. However, the industrial ecosystem is not completed by technology alone. The energy, data, and financial infrastructure that will operate that technology must be supported together."

Her gaze turned toward the front.

"Daehan Group currently possesses the capability to build the energy supply chain and data communication network within the US together. If we combine the refining and transportation network centered on Daehan Oil, the communication network and cloud services of Daehan Telecom, and the project financing capabilities of Daehan Finance, we can connect the supply chains of the advanced industries promoted by both countries into one."

Joanne Madison looked at her with an interested gaze.

Nam Yoon-kyung felt that gaze and continued speaking in a more resolute tone.

"For example, our Daehan Oil is reviewing an investment in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility near a port in the Southern US. This place is not a simple energy supply base, but will become a strategic stronghold that can guarantee a stable power supply to future semiconductor factories and aerospace industry complexes."

She continued speaking as she turned to the next page.

"In addition, Daehan Telecom plans to utilize a satellite-based communication network to build an ultra-low latency data network connecting the US and Asia. This network can contribute to increasing the stability of real-time quality control in semiconductor processes or data transmission in defense systems."

The inside of the conference room became quiet.

Nam Yoon-kyung took that silence as an opportunity and pulled out her last card.

"And the financial resources for all these projects can be prepared through a Korea-US joint fund led by Daehan Finance. We hope to be not just simple investors, but partners who can move technology, energy, and capital together."

Conviction was loaded into her voice.

Behind that conviction, a single thought was situated.

In this visit to the US, I must surpass Nam Jae-min no matter what.

Joanne nodded her head and spoke.

"It is an impressive proposal. The point where you connected energy, data, and finance into one frame is very interesting."

Director Leonard also wore a smile.

"Yes, that is right."

He thought for a moment and then continued speaking.

"I have something I am curious about... to realize this project, a considerable amount of funds will be required. What scale of investment is Daehan planning?"

In an instant, the gazes in the conference room turned toward Nam Yoon-kyung all at once.

She spoke resolutely as if she were prepared.

"We plan to inject an initial scale of about 4 billion dollars. As a complex project integrating energy infrastructure, communication networks, and data centers, Daehan Finance plans to lead and operate it directly. In addition, we are reviewing the possibility of expanding the total investment scale up to 6 billion dollars by forming a joint investment fund with local US financial companies. We are already communicating with Ashford Holdings and several other places."

In an instant, Joanne's eyebrows shot up.

She seemed surprised by the substantial amount.

"If it is 6 billion dollars, that is quite an aggressive scale."

"I want to say that my will is that firm."

Nam Yoon-kyung showed confidence and wore a smile.

"Daehan Group has already successfully completed large-scale infrastructure projects several times. This investment is an extension of that. We intend to secure a stable profit structure through strategic partnerships within the US as well."

Her voice was full of confidence, but among the people who heard those words, I, Lim Hyunjun, alone was having a different thought.

Although I showed no change on the outside, my gaze gradually became sharp.

'6 billion dollars.... Did Daehan Finance have the capacity to roll that much cash right now?'

I calculated and organized it in my head.

Even combining domestic and foreign liquid assets, it was just around 13 trillion won.

Since more than half of that was already tied up in long-term bonds and asset management funds, the funds capable of being turned into cash were about 3 trillion won.

At most, the level of 4 trillion won.

As such, what Nam Yoon-kyung said was no different from an unreasonable move.

I slowly exhaled.

Although I did not show any sign on the outside, a distinct wariness brushed through my gaze.

Nam Yoon-kyung was not just bluffing; she had practically burned her bridges.

Joanne looked at her with an expression that still seemed interested.

"If it becomes a reality, it will be a quite attractive partnership for us as well. However, a verification process will be needed to see if that much capital can actually be executed."

Nam Yoon-kyung nodded her head while wearing a smile.

"Of course. Daehan Finance has already started the internal resolution process. As soon as this US visit schedule ends, we plan to hold an investment review committee and move to the full-scale execution stage."

There was not a single hint of wavering in her voice.

Rather, those words full of conviction made the other party persuaded.

However, a different picture was being drawn in my head.

'Review committee... eventually, a power struggle with the Nam Jae-min line will unfold.'

This was perhaps not a simple external project.

She had, in effect, burst the internal war happening within the group onto the stage of the US.

The air in the conference room became still again, but it was like the silence before a storm.

Director Leonard spoke with a soft expression at the end.

"Good. Let's form a separate working-level group to concretize the agenda discussed today."

Nam Yoon-kyung bowed her head and wore a smile as if she were very satisfied.

"Thank you. Director."

Perhaps the tension had finally eased, as Nam Yoon-kyung's fingertips trembled minutely.

My gaze quietly brushed past her.

At that time, the moderator grabbed the microphone again.

"Thank you, President Nam Yoon-kyung. Next, President Nam Jae-min of Daehan Group will give his opinion."

The gazes inside the conference room moved once more.

Nam Jae-min, dressed in a neat black suit, slowly pulled his body toward the microphone and sat.

Unlike his older sister Nam Yoon-kyung, he spoke with a calm and restrained expression.

"I am Nam Jae-min, serving as the president of Daehan Construction and the representative of Daehan Culture & Media."

It was a short and concise greeting.

He continued speaking calmly without even looking at the documents.

"The plan presented by President Nam Yoon-kyung earlier was very impressive. I would like to suggest a way for Daehan Construction and Daehan Culture & Media to support that plan so that it can operate within a more realistic framework."

He slowly looked at the US officials sitting in the conference room.

Soon, they were flipping through the documents and looking at the bird's-eye view of a large-scale complex in the West Coast of the US.

"We are currently promoting a cultural industry complex construction project in the outskirts of LA. This will be led by Daehan Construction and will proceed in a form where Daehan Culture & Media designs the regional content industry and cultural exchange space together."

Director Leonard asked as if interested.

"A cultural industry..."

Nam Jae-min nodded his head softly.

"We intend to create a shared infrastructure where personnel from both countries can work and live together, sharing technology and culture simultaneously, rather than a simple factory. We plan to attract some component lines for semiconductor and defense companies here and at the same time establish an education center for local talent."

There was persuasiveness in Nam Jae-min's voice as he continued speaking calmly.

"I believe we can connect a cooperation model between Korean and US companies through the two axes of culture and industry, as well as job creation within the US. We have already finished preliminary consultations with the local county government. Furthermore, a private investment consortium in the US has also expressed its intention to participate."

The mention of preliminary consultations was not just a simple formal greeting.

It meant that actual working-level consultations had taken place between a local administrative agency that handles urban planning and industrial licensing under a state government, such as the LA County government.

Since the relevant site was designated as an industrial redevelopment zone, the county side expressed its intention to simplify the land use licensing process and even review tax reductions and employment incentives.

It was because of the judgment that this project could contribute to regional job creation and tax revenue expansion.

In that series of processes, Nam Jae-min had personally looked around the local area with the Daehan Construction working-level staff and had even secured environmental impact assessments for a portion of the site.

In other words, the words he spoke were not just at a conceptual stage but were close to a level of practical consultation where administrative parts and institutional foundations were already prepared.

Director Leonard briefly looked through the documents, and his gaze stopped.

He lifted his head with a somewhat surprised look in his eyes.

"What is the scale of the investment, President Nam?"

"The primary investment amount is about 800 million dollars. Half of that will be directly borne by Daehan Construction, and the rest is planned to be raised through local partners and an Americas investment fund."

He caught his breath for a moment and then continued speaking.

"We view this project as a place for sustainable exchange rather than short-term profit. We are structuring it so that companies and personnel from both countries can participate together from the design stage so that the two areas, infrastructure and culture, can grow simultaneously."

The air in the conference room became much softer.

Joanne nodded her head and spoke.

"It is a very realistic approach. This kind of step-by-step investment has a high probability of success."

Director Leonard smiled and chimed in.

"That is right. If you are at the stage where consultations with the actual local government are finished, you can proceed as is. A method of expanding step-by-step is much more stable than an unreasonable injection of funds."

Nam Jae-min gave a short greeting.

"Thank you. This project prioritizes completeness over scale. I believe that is what eventually gives trust to both countries."

Confidence was dwelled in his voice.

As those words resonated through the translator, the sight of people nodding their heads slightly was seen in various places within the conference room.

Watching that sight quietly, I muttered to myself.

'As expected, Nam Jae-min pulled it off.'

My gaze turned toward Nam Yoon-kyung for a moment.

Not a single expression changed on her, but in the silence, it seemed as if some complicated emotions were crossing.

I slowly lowered my eyes and added to myself.

This was the way to give a sense of trust rather than words that sound good but are hollow.

Suddenly, a scene from the past brushed through my mind.

If Nam Jae-heon had been sitting in this seat, the story would have been completely different.

He would have pushed a battery factory expansion plan in the US and confidently shouted about a 3 billion dollar investment along with the creation of 3,000 jobs.

Because in those days, Daehan used to reveal its presence through capital power.

Furthermore, Nam Jae-heon had an aggressive side more than anyone else.

However, things are different now.

Nam Jae-min moved by judging realistically.

He did his best within the range of what he could do and focused on the possibility of execution rather than scale.

On the other hand, Nam Yoon-kyung had made the board too big compared to the company's situation.

A faint smile spread across my mouth.

It was because I became curious about how the results would flow.

In any case, the person who wins in this game will become the victor.