Chapter 159: Morning in Philadelphia (3)

Even after lunch was finished, the meeting did not stop.

Laptops and documents were spread out on the table again.

Instead of the smell of steak, the scent of coffee was filling the room.

While the meeting was in full swing, Secretary Cho checked something on her phone and then cautiously opened her mouth.

“Representative, a contact came from the FMS side.”

I lifted my head.

“What did they say?”

“They say that because today's meeting is running long, it will be difficult to come all the way here. They want to set the meeting again for tomorrow morning.”

A short silence flowed.

Everyone's gaze turned toward me.

I checked the watch on my wrist.

It was soon to be three o'clock.

“How long does it take by car from here to Philadelphia?”

Cho Hana replied quickly.

“Considering the traffic situation, I think we will arrive in a little over three hours.”

My eyes sparkled after I thought for a moment.

“Then let’s go there ourselves.”

Hong Jang-gun spoke while wearing a somewhat surprised expression.

“Now? The snow hasn't even completely melted yet, so we don't know how long it will take.”

I smiled quietly.

However, my eyes were not smiling at all.

I muttered in a low voice.

“The meeting is running long, huh....”

I looked calm on the outside, but the end of those words was steeped in the sharpness unique to a person who had sensed something.

In an instant, the air in the conference room strangely froze.

A brief silence flowed.

Choi Seo-jun cautiously opened his mouth.

“Representative, hasn't some problem occurred?”

I slowly lifted my head.

My gaze was directed toward Choi Seo-jun.

Next, I scanned each and every employee sitting around the table.

All of them held their breath and waited for the next words.

“If FMS had been truly sincere about this business, they would not have moved like this.”

My voice was firm.

“No matter how long the meeting runs, one does not easily postpone an appointment. Especially if it is the first meeting with an international partner like us. To them, the first meeting is the starting point for building trust. To handle it so loosely means....”

I trailed off.

The air on the table changed markedly.

President Yu Hyeon-seok narrowed his brows and asked.

“Then, does it mean some internal circumstance has arisen?”

I nodded slowly.

“Probably. Rather than a problem with the schedule, some variable we didn't expect has intervened. If the reason they are trying to avoid us is simply due to the schedule, that is actually even stranger. It would be normal to coordinate the meeting time or send someone else first instead.”

I moved my gaze out the window.

The faint winter sunlight reflected and sparkled.

While watching that sparkling, I thought about what I should do.

“We will find out if we go there directly.”

Like a hunter who discovered the traces of prey, sharpness flashed in my eyes.

Choi Seo-jun asked with a still concerned expression.

“But Representative, even if we leave now, it will be close to six o'clock. If you want to go to Philadelphia and return within the day....”

I answered firmly.

“It is fine. I must go today and see them personally. If we miss the timing, it might cause more disruptions to the schedule.”

At those words, Choi Seo-jun nodded.

“Yes, then we should hurry.”

I stood up from my seat.

The chair made a small sound as it was pushed back.

I turned my head toward Secretary Cho Hana while picking up my jacket.

“Secretary Cho, please prepare the vehicle. If we leave now, it will probably take about three hours. And also send word to the FMS side. That I plan to visit today.”

“Yes, Representative. I will prepare immediately.”

Cho Hana quickly organized her laptop and stood up from her seat.

It was not just her.

The hands of everyone in the conference room moved busily.

I also packed my tablet and documents in my bag.

After that, I put on my coat and headed with Hong Jang-gun first to the place where the vehicle was waiting.

One word still lingered in my head.

‘FMS....’

I pretended as if nothing were wrong on the outside, but I actually thought of dozens of scenarios internally.

Why would they postpone the appointment?

If it were simply because of an internal meeting, they would have at least sent a polite message of apology.

However, according to what Secretary Cho conveyed, the answer was excessively brief.

It was close to a formal notification.

My intuition whispered.

‘There is something!’

Secretary Cho Hana, Director Choi Seo-jun, Advisor Baek Yu-jin, and President Yu Hyeon-seok, who followed out, boarded the car.

General Manager Han Seung-woo decided to remain here just in case.

The luxurious-looking limousine slowly exited onto the road.

Several days had passed since the heavy snowfall, but once exiting the city center, the snow next to the road remained frozen without melting.

Outside the car window, street trees with white snow continued for a long time under a gray sky.

The day was quite cold, causing white steam to frost the car window.

It was very quiet inside the car.

The people were lost in their respective thoughts.

I stared out the window and lightly tapped the armrest with my finger.

Seeing that it was a regular yet fast rhythm, everyone knew that I was lost in thought.

A moment later, Choi Seo-jun, who was looking at a tablet, asked.

“Representative, do you have a reason for setting a business meeting with FMS?”

I answered while looking out the window.

“FMS is a marine network company with its headquarters located in the Philadelphia port district.”

President Yu Hyeon-seok nodded.

“I heard they are famous for the LNG vessel side.”

“That is correct.”

I explained carefully.

“As a company founded in 1983, it is an energy and logistics maritime network company that extends from the US East Coast to the Gulf of Mexico. At its core, it mainly operates LNG carriers and multi-purpose cargo ships. Having a history of nearly 30 years, it is a fairly solid mid-sized company in the US navy industry.”

Hong Jang-gun asked as if it were interesting.

“Then is it also related to the MRO business Secretary Cho mentioned?”

“There is no direct connection, but the structure is similar.”

I continued the explanation calmly.

“FMS does not operate a shipyard directly. Instead, they partner with domestic shipyards to produce vessels and then proceed with certification and modification within the US. The part we will take on is precisely that production stage: supplying LNG-powered ships and dual-fuel container ships.”

Choi Seo-jun's brows narrowed.

“It is truly strange for such a company to suddenly postpone an appointment. Especially if it is the first meeting with an international partner.”

My gaze turned sharp.

“That's why it's more suspicious. Especially if you know what kind of person the representative, William Brady, is.”

“What about the representative?”

“He is from the former US Maritime Administration (MARAD).”

I cleared my voice and then continued speaking again.

“He is a practical-minded manager. He is the type who acknowledges South Korean technological power but only trusts it after verifying it with his own hands. For such a person to postpone an appointment means... some variable has occurred.”

President Yu Hyeon-seok narrowed his brows and asked cautiously.

“Could it be that another competitor intervened? From Japan or the European side.”

“The possibility is high. Right now, FMS is in a situation where they must secure six LNG ships. It is an urgent project that must be fully delivered by next year in line with the US government's green ship subsidy policy. Negotiating with European shipyards will not be easy due to delivery issues, and Japan due to price issues. I saw that the eco-friendly dual-fuel engine and the 7% fuel efficiency improvement design we proposed could break that deadlock.”

I stopped speaking for a moment and narrowed my eyes.

“To suddenly postpone the schedule at such a point? That could be a signal that someone has visited with a new proposal. If not that....”

Choi Seo-jun asked in a tense voice.

“If not that?”

“If not that, a fatal problem might have been discovered in our proposal.”

In my words, it became quiet inside the car for a while.

At that time, Cho Hana spoke cautiously while looking at her tablet.

“Representative, the technical lead of FMS has been confirmed as a person named Richard Brannan. He has an MIT PhD in mechanical engineering and is said to be an expert in cryogenic storage systems and dual-fuel engine integrated design. He has also published several papers.”

“Richard Brannan....”

I repeated in a low voice and then continued.

“He is also an engineer with decades of experience. He is a person who has a quite conservative view regarding South Korean technology. No, rather than conservative... the expression thorough would be correct. While acknowledging the development speed of the South Korean shipbuilding industry, he is a figure who has pointed out several times that safety verification is not sufficient. The reason the meeting was postponed until tomorrow might be due to that person's side.”

Choi Seo-jun asked with a worried expression.

“Then, did he judge that there is a problem with our design plan?”

I shook my head and answered.

“We don't know yet. However, there is a possibility. A person like Brannan doesn't just let even one figure pass. If he discovered something suspicious in the design plan proposed by our side, he would have requested a postponement of the meeting and a re-examination.”

I lifted my head and looked forward.

There were still a little over two hours left until Philadelphia.

Outside the car window, snow-covered roads continued endlessly.

The sky became darker and darker.

The vehicles on the road began to turn on their headlights one by one.

“Secretary Cho, what exactly is the address of the headquarters?”

Cho Hana opened her mouth after checking quickly with her tablet.

“It is 428 Sherman Street, Philadelphia port district. Nearby, there are also the US Navy Logistics Command and the DOE Department of Energy cooperation complex. It is said to be an area where security is quite thorough.”

I nodded briefly.

“I see.”

Choi Seo-jun spoke while unfolding his laptop again.

“Representative, is there any additional material to prepare before arriving?”

“Let’s check the original design blueprints and fuel test data once more. Especially the cryogenic fuel tank part. Because that's the part Brannan will look at most sensitively.”

“I understand.”

The car they rode in slowly traveled the snow-covered road.

When two and a half hours passed, the Philadelphia port cranes in the distance began to gradually reveal their appearance.

Giant steel structures towered as if to pierce the sky, and below them, containers were densely stacked.

I stared out the window and thought.

‘I hope it is nothing serious....’

The car gradually slowed down.

The entrance to the port district was approaching.

Now, whether my anxiety was right would soon be revealed.

Before it became six o'clock, the car they rode in stopped in front of the FMS headquarters.

A building built of gray brick with five stories.

It looked like an ordinary place on the outside, but a huge warehouse and dock facilities were connected to the side of the building.

The words ‘Philadelphia Marine Systems, Inc.’ were clearly engraved on the signboard.

I got out of the car first.

A cold wind brushed past my face.

The salty smell and oil smell unique to a port were mixed and stung my nose.