After the Divorce, I Found a Thousand Bitcoins - Chapter 188

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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 188

Boca Chica, Texas, Astra’s Primary Test Center.

Sharp friction sounds continuously burst from beyond the soundproof door.

Hissss-!

The precision welder of the Orbis work robot spewed blue flames.

The lead engineers from Sentinel Dynamics, called from Virginia to Texas overnight, had dazed expressions.

“What the hell kind of crazy thing is this.”

David, an engineer from Sentinel, took off his hard hat and let out a hollow laugh.

Before his eyes, the lower section of a massive Falcon 9 launch vehicle was interlocked with Astra’s plasma engine.

“What we developed is a reactor control board for Ohio-class nuclear submarines. And you want to attach it to the middle of a space rocket engine?”

“The specifications have already been matched by Nereid’s main server.”

Michael, Astra’s lead engineer, flipped through his tablet and replied indifferently.

“It will fit perfectly without any incompatibility. All you need to do is set up that control board to fully handle the excess output from the engine.”

“Easy to say, but this is a completely different field…”

“Chairman Choi spent 9 billion dollars to acquire your entire company.”

Michael firmly cut off David’s words.

“It’s the cost paid to accelerate the schedule for going to space. We didn’t call you here to listen to your petty pride. Prove it with results.”

It was the overwhelming weight of capital.

David swallowed dryly and closed his mouth.

Just two days ago, he had been an ordinary employee at an American defense contractor.

But the company had been devoured by Korean capital in just 48 hours, and he was standing before an engine that looked like alien technology he’d never seen before.

“Hurry up. We need to finish the hardware integration by midnight tonight.”

Michael clapped his hands to encourage the researchers.

Time was money.

To prove that enormous value, they had to succeed at this crude patching job no matter what.

Whirr, clunk.

The robot arm assisting with module integration made heavy sounds as it pushed in the control board.

The interface between Astra’s plasma engine and SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

Sentinel’s military-grade control board fit perfectly like a wedge into that narrow gap.

The next morning.

The air in the test center’s control room was suffocatingly heavy.

Not only Astra’s researchers, but also Marcus, SpaceX’s system director, stood with arms crossed, glaring at the large monitor.

“8th integration simulation, beginning.”

Data analyst Sara struck the enter key hard.

Whooom-!

A subtle vibration resonated through the control room floor.

Virtual ignition data from the plasma engine poured down the large monitor like a waterfall.

The calculation speed was incomparably faster than previous tests.

“Engine ignition successful. Assuming entry to 100-kilometer altitude.”

Sara’s voice trembled slightly.

Michael and Marcus’s gazes fixed on the red output graph in the center of the screen.

[Warning. Output threshold reached.]

Along with the mechanical sound, the graph began to rise steeply.

This was exactly the critical section that had caused all seven previous tests to shut down.

15 percent excess output rushed toward Falcon 9’s mainboard like a tsunami.

“Here it comes.”

Michael clenched his fist.

A skeptical smile was already hanging on Marcus’s lips.

The very idea of blocking software conflicts with different hardware was comedy.

SpaceX’s mainboard would never allow that overload.

That was the moment.

Whoosh-!

A blue defensive line spread across the middle of the graph.

Sentinel’s control board wedged between the engine and mainboard had begun operating.

“Excess output entering distribution to Sentinel board!”

Sara approached the monitor as if to press her nose against it.

The military-grade hardware that had controlled a reactor’s extreme heat heavily absorbed the 15 percent surplus output.

Like a massive dam blocking a torrential downpour, the system load instantly regained calm.

The soaring red graph stretched out in a stable straight line.

“Falcon 9 mainboard transmission data, normal!”

Sara whipped her head around and shouted.

“No shutdown! Perfect orbital entry simulation passed at 115 percent output!”

“…My God.”

The pen dropped from Marcus’s hand.

Everyone in the control room held their breath in unison as if by agreement.

It was a clear physical limitation.

The wall that engineers’ coding could never break through had been blocked with brutally solid external hardware.

“How on earth did you do it.”

Marcus turned to Michael with a dazed face.

His pupils, colored with shock, were trembling slightly.

“Since we couldn’t change the output specifications, we bought intermediate components that could handle that output.”

Michael exhaled a sigh of relief and loosened his tie.

“A 9-billion-dollar company, bought whole.”

“…Insane.”

Marcus swallowed empty air.

SpaceX was also an innovative company that poured massive capital toward space.

But the partner before his eyes was on a different level.

Monsters who would pay trillions of won in just two days to solve a simple technical flaw.

Marcus struggled to suppress the thrill running up his spine.

Before that overwhelming capital, it seemed no physical variable would be a problem anymore.

[KH Group Shockingly Acquires Sentinel Dynamics, Key Pentagon Supplier!]

CNBC’s breaking news was being transmitted worldwide.

The anchor’s expression on screen was clearly bewildered.

[Wall Street has been turned upside down. KH Group’s investment corporation swept up Sentinel’s liquid shares with massive premiums right after opening.]

The screen switched to show a Pentagon spokesperson’s regular briefing.

[The Pentagon is extremely concerned about the overseas leakage of core military technology.]

[We are closely monitoring Sentinel Dynamics’ technology transfer process, and will take strong legal action if it threatens national security, but…]

The Defense Department spokesperson tried to maintain a stern tone, but couldn’t hide his troubled expression.

Institutional investors on Wall Street had already transferred shares through legitimate market transactions.

America, the spearhead of capitalism, had been beaten by the perfect rules of capitalism in reverse.

The U.S. government had weak justification to forcibly reverse another nation’s lawful disposal of private property.

-Wait, why is KH suddenly buying American defense contractors?

-Built Nova Smart City and now expanding into military industry? Really trying to conquer the world.

-Dropped 9 billion dollars in cash. Even American institutional investors have no loyalty when money’s involved.

-The U.S. government’s head must be spinning right now lol. Core component company went to Korea.

The world poured out all kinds of speculation about KH Group’s next move.

Defense industry expansion, all-out war with American political circles, or development of new weapons.

But no one knew that this massive acquisition had been carried out just to fix a single rocket engine shutdown error.

Seoul, South Korea, KH Group Headquarters.

Kang Hyeon sat on his office sofa, indifferently watching the economic news displayed on the wall.

“The bottleneck has finally been cleared.”

Ha-ryul entered the office with an excited expression and reported.

“SpaceX has also officially approved the safety of the coupling module. They said there wasn’t even 1 percent damage to Falcon 9’s mainboard.”

“It was worth the money.”

Kang Hyeon briefly replied while lifting his teacup.

Despite the massive expenditure of 9 billion dollars, he felt no regret whatsoever.

Rather, it was an overwhelming profit in terms of buying time.

Ding-

At that moment, the secure communication network screen on the desk lit up.

It was a video call request from Elon Musk.

“Connect it.”

At Kang Hyeon’s instruction, Ha-ryul immediately switched the screen to the large monitor.

Elon Musk’s characteristically cheerful face appeared on the screen.

-Hahaha! Mister Choi! I just received the final report from Marcus.

Musk laughed heartily as he greeted him.

-You said you wouldn’t touch our SpaceX mainboard specifications, but I never dreamed you’d buy out an entire nuclear submarine parts company. You really showed what capitalism is all about.

“It’s faster to buy an entire company than to make compromises with engineers.”

Kang Hyeon responded in a calm voice.

“After all, both SpaceX and KH have the same goal, don’t we? There’s no reason to waste time on unnecessary things. Efficiency is what matters most.”

-Exactly. However, the atmosphere in Washington seems quite unsettled.

Musk put down his champagne glass on the table and furrowed his brow.

-The Pentagon generals are throwing a fit because their prized defense contractor was completely taken over by Asian capital. Congress will probably hold hearings using security as an excuse or persistently pursue technology transfer issues. Won’t that become troublesome?

“There’s no room for the U.S. Government to intervene. It was a legal Wall Street acquisition.”

Kang Hyeon picked up a pen and lightly tapped the desk.

“Even if they persist, we just need to throw them a bone.”

-A bone?

“I’m thinking of delegating the priority review rights for U.S. defense contractors waiting to move into Nova Smart City to the US Department of Defense.”

-…Haha. This is crazy.

A hollow laugh burst from Musk’s mouth.

Swallowing a defense contractor to clear the path to space, then resolving the aftermath by using India’s Smart City infrastructure as leverage.

Musk was genuinely amazed by Kang Hyeon’s skill in manipulating the entire Earth like a giant chessboard.

-Hardware integration and political risks are both perfectly resolved. Now all that’s left is to actually shoot it into the sky.

“What’s the schedule?”

-Second week of next month, Wednesday. Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

A clear date and location were given.

-Carrying Astra’s first operational engine and Orbis’s space robot, Falcon 9 will be launched toward low Earth orbit. The world’s media attention will be focused on Florida.

“Of course, I’ll attend that event in person as well.”

-Excellent. Let’s prepare to raise a toast in Florida. I’ll keep the VVIP control room at Kennedy Space Center reserved.

Click.

The call ended cleanly.

Kang Hyeon leaned back deeply in his chair, staring at the monitor that had turned black.

“Ha-ryul Manager.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Clear the entire Florida schedule for next month. Set up the private jet in advance as well.”

“Understood. I’ll immediately begin preparing the local stay schedule and protocol arrangements.”

Ha-ryul bowed his head and took notes.

Kang Hyeon’s gaze turned toward the large glass window of his office.

Above the brilliant lights of the urban area, the endlessly dark night sky stretched out infinitely.

‘Going to plant the first flag.’

A faint smile curved at the corner of his mouth.

The capital struggle on Earth had already become boring.

All physical and capital preparations were perfectly complete.

Now the vast monopoly market that no one had stepped foot in, space, was waiting for him.

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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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