After the Divorce, I Found a Thousand Bitcoins - Chapter 178

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Got Divorced and Found a Thousand Bitcoins Episode 178

Swoosh.

His vision shifted as if a transparent membrane was being lifted from his retina.

A complex cross-section diagram of a black and white engine.

To ordinary eyes, it was merely a vast maze of geometric lines and numbers.

But to Kang Hyeon’s eyes, it was different.

A vivid, intense red light bloomed across it.

It wasn’t simply meaningless light coloring the entire blueprint.

The light flowed rapidly through the fuel pipes like living, breathing blood.

Kang Hyeon’s cold eyes persistently tracked the light’s trajectory.

The light passed through the turbo pump and entered the main combustion chamber.

Up to that point, there was no obstruction. A very smooth and perfect flow.

But at the very minute junction where the light met the plasma ignition core.

It was the moment of passing through that narrow throat where tens of thousands of parts meshed together.

Flash—!

The fiercely flowing red light writhed bizarrely, then scattered in all directions and vanished.

A clear signal of error.

His ability had pinpointed the location of a physical defect that even supercomputers had missed, in the most intuitive form.

‘Found it.’

Kang Hyeon picked up the headset he had set down on one side of the desk.

When he pressed the microphone switch, the communication network connected.

“Nathan.”

-Yes, Boss. Have you reviewed the blueprints?

“Bottom of the main combustion chamber. Look at injector valve number 3 that connects directly to the plasma core.”

Kang Hyeon pointed at the coordinates on the screen with his finger and spoke dryly.

The sound of mouse clicks came through the receiver.

-Injector number 3? That’s the most perfectly designed section from a fluid dynamics perspective. We’ve verified the data hundreds of times with supercomputers.

Nathan’s voice carried deep bewilderment and fatigue.

-It’s a perfect parallel structure with absolutely no reason for fuel pressure to disperse or drop.

“That may be true for theoretical design values.”

Kang Hyeon scrolled the mouse wheel to enlarge that section to fill the monitor.

“But in the instant moment when ultra-high temperature plasma ignites and expands. If fuel residue backflows through the minute gaps of that valve causing a bottleneck.”

-…Backflow?

“It’s not a software or numerical problem, but a physical expansion resistance issue.”

Kang Hyeon continued.

“The valve’s pressure resistance value can’t withstand the momentary plasma back-pressure and cuts off the flow. That minute delay eats away at the entire output.”

It wasn’t the analysis of a professional aerospace engineer.

He had simply described the flow disruption shown by his intuition as it was, like pinpointing a blocked blood vessel.

But that simple observation was met with heavy silence from the receiver.

-…Wait a moment. Just give me one minute.

Clatter clatter clatter—!

The sound of frantically pounding the keyboard struck the communication network hard.

It was the sound of Nathan forcibly modifying the physical resistance values and angles of injector valve number 3 that Kang Hyeon had pointed out to run a simulation.

Kang Hyeon crossed his arms and silently stared at the monitor.

-Starting simulation. Plasma core ignition… throttle maximum open!

Nathan’s tense muttering.

And soon after, the result values produced by Nereid Research Institute’s main server synchronized and appeared on Kang Hyeon’s screen as well.

Beep.

The output drop error window that had been flashing red with warning sounds until now.

That persistent error message disappeared cleanly as if by magic.

The graph’s curve drew a stable upward trend without a hint of wavering, maintaining perfect output values.

-This is, this is insane…

Nathan muttered in a dazed voice.

-The output isn’t dropping! Just by adjusting the valve angle by a mere 2 degrees and increasing the physical resistance value, the backflow phenomenon inside the combustion chamber completely disappeared!

His excited voice rang out as if it would tear through the headset.

-Boss! How on earth did you know this? It’s a bottleneck that even Orbis’s lead engineers couldn’t find after staying up for days!

“…”

-Did you secretly earn a doctorate in aerospace engineering? Spotting such minute fluid dynamic errors just by looking at scan data is impossible for the human brain!

It was an outcry heavily mixed with shock and awe.

But Kang Hyeon’s expression remained calm without the slightest change.

“Whether it’s the flow of machines or the flow of money, the pattern of getting blocked at narrow passages is obvious.”

Kang Hyeon deflected matter-of-factly.

“The more complex the entanglement, the more accidents tend to happen where things look most perfect. I was just lucky.”

It was an absurd excuse.

But Nathan didn’t argue further with that illogical answer.

Because the perfect output data displayed on the monitor before his eyes proved everything.

“So, if we solve just this problem, commercialization becomes possible?”

Kang Hyeon turned the topic to the main point.

-Of course! Once we clear this bottleneck, Astra’s next-generation plasma engine will be complete.

Nathan’s haggard eyes sparkled as he raised his voice.

-Fuel efficiency and performance will jump over 40 percent compared to existing chemical fuel rockets. I’ll send the revised blueprints and manufacturing data to the Texas launch site tomorrow!

“Good work. Don’t delay and move straight to mass production.”

-Understood, Boss! I’ll wake up all the researchers and start work immediately!

Click.

Kang Hyeon ended the communication and set the headset down on the desk.

Silence descended again on the office as the noisy sounds disappeared.

He quietly gazed at the completed engine blueprint displayed on the monitor.

‘It’s resolved.’

The greatest spear that would pierce through America’s skies and extend into the infinite space of the universe.

He had perfectly refined the fatal flaw at the tip of that spear with his own hands.

Kang Hyeon slowly rose from his seat and looked down through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

From India’s massive smart city to Taiwan’s logistics network, and America’s space launch site.

Everything was proceeding smoothly.

A few days later.

The highest-grade reception room on the top floor of Seoul KH Group headquarters.

Liu Wei, the Chinese State Council counselor who had visited Kang Hyeon at the Mount Baekdu site, appeared again.

This time it wasn’t a dusty tent in the mountains.

He had come to pay respects to the head of Korea’s giant corporation in his capacity as an official diplomatic envoy.

“Chairman. It’s an honor to meet you again.”

Liu Wei bowed politely in greeting.

An attendant standing behind him held up a red document envelope embossed with a golden dragon with both hands.

Kang Hyeon lightly nodded while sitting on the sofa.

“At Mount Baekdu, our schedule was tight so we couldn’t have a deep conversation.”

Liu Wei received the red envelope from his attendant and carefully pushed it across the table.

“This is an official invitation from Chairman Zhao Qian.”

“As I mentioned last time, I am a businessman.”

Kang Hyeon stared at the envelope and answered dryly.

“I have no intention of getting involved in political rhetoric.”

“This isn’t simple political pleasantries. Chairman Zhao Qian seriously wants to discuss what role the Chinese government can play in the future that KH Group envisions.”

Liu Wei’s eyes sank with gravity.

“The message is that Beijing’s Zhongnanhai will keep its doors open and wait. Please consider this positively.”

The office and residence of China’s supreme leader.

Inviting a foreign private entrepreneur there was a tremendous departure from protocol that went far beyond simple courtesy.

Kang Hyeon looked down at the red envelope quietly and fell into brief silence.

“I’ll check my schedule.”

“Thank you. I’ll await your definitive answer.”

Even at Kang Hyeon’s ambiguous response, Liu Wei didn’t press further.

He left a respectful bow and exited the reception room.

Returning to his office, Kang Hyeon took off his coat and hung it on the chair.

He picked up the red invitation placed on the table.

The texture of the thick paper touching his fingertips felt cold.

‘Zhao Qian.’

Kang Hyeon rested his chin on his hand and gazed at the urban area outside the window.

China’s supreme leader, Chairman Zhao Qian.

Between him and KH Group lay a deep, blood-reeking bitter feud that could never be taken lightly.

In the past, the Nereid Data Center attack incident.

Back then, special forces from China’s Ministry of State Security under Zhao Qian’s orders had infiltrated the United States.

Their purpose was singular.

To kidnap Nathan, Nereid’s core, and steal the revolutionary immersion cooling technology in its entirety.

‘A man who tramples other nations’ sovereignty and corporate private property like insects for his country’s benefit.’

Kang Hyeon’s eyes grew coldly distant.

At that time, Kang Hyeon had mobilized American private mercenaries to drown them and retaliated with overwhelming force.

Though it was an incident quietly covered up on the surface, it was clearly a wartime situation where both sides had aimed for each other’s throats.

The bitter feud didn’t end there.

Zhao Qian had thrown the vicious gamble of invading Taiwan to solidify his political position and seize Pacific hegemony.

A terrible war that caused countless casualties and triggered a chain collapse of the global economy.

Of course, Kang Hyeon had penetrated that hellish chaos to sweep up Taiwan’s logistics network at bargain prices for massive profit.

‘He’s not a madman. He’s just a massive predator wielding thoroughly calculated violence.’

Kang Hyeon picked up his fountain pen and spun it lightly between his fingers.

Moral condemnation or personal grudges didn’t exist in Kang Hyeon’s mind.

In the world of business, emotions were nothing but the most inefficient garbage.

What mattered was his massive size and practical value.

‘Global hegemony cannot be seized while excluding China, that massive factory and market.’

Kang Hyeon put down his pen and displayed a world map on his monitor.

America’s space launch sites and large-scale robot factories.

The massive smart city targeting India’s 1.4 billion domestic market.

The integrated Asian logistics network based in Taiwan.

To operate this massive game KH had spread out without error required an unimaginable supply chain of raw materials and components.

And on Earth, the only country that could produce that overwhelming volume most cheaply and quickly was still China alone.

Just because he had bought off the US administration with money didn’t mean making enemies with China was anything but amateur work.

True control meant holding both their leashes and using the tension between them to maximize KH’s profits.

“Zhao Qian.”

Kang Hyeon muttered.

The dagger thrust under China’s throat through the Mount Baekdu incident was still sharp.

Zhao Qian too must clearly recognize that Kang Hyeon was no longer just the owner of a single company.

The fact that he had bowed his head first and sent an invitation was tantamount to a surrender document acknowledging that KH’s capital power had escaped China’s control.

Zing.

Kang Hyeon pressed the intercom button.

“Manager Ha-ryul. Please come in.”

After the brief instruction, the office door immediately opened and Ha-ryul entered.

“You called for me, Chairman.”

“Schedule a visit to China.”

Kang Hyeon lightly pushed the red invitation on the table toward Ha-ryul.

“Contact Counselor Liu Wei to fix a schedule for a private meeting with Chairman Zhao Qian.”

“You’re going directly into Zhongnanhai?”

Ha-ryul’s eyes widened slightly.

She too knew the full details of the past Nereid attack incident better than anyone.

It was like walking into a tiger’s mouth with his own feet.

“Won’t there be risk factors? Mainland China is their thoroughly controlled territory.”

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

Kang Hyeon answered, leaning back against the sofa.

“Unless Zhao Qian is a fool, he won’t pull any tricks against me when the world’s attention is focused on me.”

Rather, the moment Kang Hyeon set foot on Chinese soil, the person who would have to take the most thorough responsibility for his safety would be Zhao Qian himself.

If even the slightest problem occurred with Kang Hyeon’s safety, it was obvious what kind of economic retaliation the US administration led by Edwin and Silicon Valley’s big tech companies would unleash on China.

“Understood. I’ll immediately coordinate the highest level of protocol and schedule through diplomatic channels.”

Ha-ryul picked up the invitation and bowed her head.

After she left the office, Kang Hyeon turned his gaze toward the window again.

Following Edwin, it was time to face Zhao Qian, another massive axis of the world economy.

‘Money has no borders.’

His gaze turned toward the window.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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