After the Divorce, I Found a Thousand Bitcoins - Chapter 94
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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 094
After a full day of rest, Kang Hyeon woke up refreshed in the morning.
“Haah…”
Though he was still half asleep, he roughly finished washing his face and changed into workout clothes.
Then he left his room to go to the training room.
Since it was a suite room, there was a separate living room, where Cha Hyeon-woo, a bodyguard from the security team, was sitting.
“Are you awake? Chairman.”
“Oh? You’re already up?”
“I’m in charge of morning security, so I was up early. Are you going to work out?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I’ll guide you.”
Bodyguard Cha Hyeon-woo began walking ahead.
Though he was flustered by his first experience with security, he soon followed behind him.
‘I’ll have to get used to this too.’
It might be uncomfortable at first, but he thought he would get used to it in the future.
The training room he arrived at with Cha Hyeon-woo had a more comfortable environment than expected.
Naturally, the hotel where Kang Hyeon was staying was the most expensive hotel in India.
It was only natural that the internal facilities were good.
“Oh my?”
Then he heard a familiar voice from somewhere.
When he turned his head, Eva was standing there in leggings that revealed her figure.
“I never thought we’d meet here by such coincidence.”
Watching her approach with a bright smile, Cha Hyeon-woo asked.
“Chairman, do you know this person?”
“We’re acquainted, but she’s not someone I want to get close to.”
Since they were close by, her face contorted after hearing Kang Hyeon’s words.
“Isn’t that too harsh? Even if you’re not interested, to say you don’t want to get close right to my face…!”
“Isn’t it natural? In Dubai it was coincidence, but this is our second meeting in India, and in the same hotel’s training room at that. Can you call that a coincidence without purpose?”
Thinking about it logically, it didn’t make sense.
She clicked her tongue regretfully and nodded her head.
“You’re right. I came to meet you, Chairman, because I have a purpose.”
At the mention of purpose, Cha Hyeon-woo stepped between her and Kang Hyeon.
From behind Cha Hyeon-woo’s shoulder, Kang Hyeon asked.
“I don’t know what purpose you have, but please make an appointment.”
“It’s about Nereid.”
At the mention of Nereid, Kang Hyeon’s steps stopped.
“How about it? Are you interested now?”
“I’ll spare some time this evening. This is my secretary’s contact information.”
“Good. Then I’ll see you in the evening.”
She turned around and left the training room.
Cha Hyeon-woo, who had been watching her intently, quietly said to Kang Hyeon.
“That woman seems to have been trained.”
“Trained?”
“Yes. Her gait and movements are very different from ordinary people.”
“So she’s a dangerous person.”
“Yes. Even if you meet her separately, it would be better to bring a bodyguard rather than meeting alone.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
He had no intention of meeting her alone anyway.
The black light still emanating from her body was telling him it was ominous.
* * *
Kang Hyeon had a lunch meeting with Prime Minister Lao Xing at the appointed time.
“Tomorrow is finally the groundbreaking ceremony.”
“Yes, Prime Minister. Thanks to your interest, Project Navadaya is proceeding well.”
“The name Navadaya, no matter how many times I hear it, I think it was very well chosen.”
Prime Minister Lao Xing was very satisfied that the project name was chosen in Hindi rather than English or Korean.
Although it was a project centered on foreign companies, it gave the feeling that India was leading the project.
“I think the same.”
“By the way, I want to express my gratitude for the large participation of Korean global companies in this project.”
“Not at all. Thanks to your consideration, Prime Minister, we were able to negotiate with Korean companies under good conditions.”
“No. No matter how good the conditions were, the fact that such large companies could participate so quickly was thanks to your good coordination.”
At the continued praise, Kang Hyeon smiled.
When the other party was praising him, continuing to say no would not be modesty but just being servile.
“The Indian people are paying great attention to this construction. I will give you full support, so create a perfect city.”
“Yes, Prime Minister.”
It became an occasion to confirm the Prime Minister’s full support once again.
* * *
After finishing lunch with the Prime Minister, Kang Hyeon met Eva again in the evening.
For security reasons, he rented out one of the hotel’s restaurants entirely.
Eva, whom he met this way, sat across from him in comfortable clothes rather than formal attire like a dress.
“Since my identity was already discovered, it wouldn’t have made a difference if I came in a dress, right?”
“Yes, it wouldn’t have made a difference.”
“Ha! Right. There’s no need to get more worked up.”
Eva was hurt in her pride that her honey trap didn’t work, but that wasn’t her purpose today.
“I’ll speak directly. Please supply us with Nereid’s immersion cooling technology too.”
“When you say ‘us’, where are you referring to?”
“Oh my, are you really asking because you don’t know?”
Kang Hyeon didn’t answer that question.
He had some idea, but he wanted to be certain.
“I belong to a company called Nine Heavens. We’re building a new data center. We need Nereid’s immersion cooling technology for it.”
China’s AI industry had a very unique structure.
Algorithms were censored and models operated privately.
Moreover, data security laws maintained security at the level of espionage charges, and hardware supply was also forced to use only things manufactured within China.
Due to this closed nature, how the AI industry within China operated was not properly known to the outside world.
‘I don’t know what kind of company Nine Heavens is, but if they want Nereid’s immersion cooling to that extent, it must be a place touched by the Chinese government.’
In other words, the Chinese government was making a proposal wanting Nereid’s technology.
The conditions were also very exceptional.
“I’m not just asking for it. In exchange for providing immersion cooling, we’ll pay 2 billion yuan.”
2 billion yuan.
It was an astronomical amount exceeding 200 million dollars.
The amount spent when purchasing Nereid’s bonds was 150 million dollars, so it was almost double that amount.
And that was not for handing over the company, but just for a contract to supply immersion cooling.
However.
“I’m sorry, but due to contractual obligations, additional supply of immersion cooling is difficult for the time being.”
The answer was already decided.
The immersion cooling technology had an exclusive contract with Saseng.
Of course, it wasn’t permanent exclusivity but exclusivity based on a time period, but anyway, providing it to other places in the short term was impossible.
Eva’s eyes contorted at the sight of Kang Hyeon rejecting a 200 million dollar scale deal without batting an eye.
“Is it because the money isn’t enough? If so…”
“No.”
At her attitude of trying to renegotiate, Kang Hyeon spoke firmly.
“It’s not because we lack money. I’m telling you it’s impossible because contracts are already in progress.”
“Fine. Then just let us use the liquid cooling technology. If you do that, I’ll give you 2 billion yuan. You can’t sell that technology within China anyway, right?”
“Do you understand what those words mean right now?”
Liquid cooling technology was going to become the standard for the AI industry in the future.
And she was asking him to hand it over for 2 billion yuan.
It was absurd.
“I’m not demanding global usage rights. I’m just asking for usage rights within China.”
Usage rights within China.
For foreign companies, there were many restrictions when doing business in China.
Especially in the AI industry, it was impossible for foreign technology to enter China.
“It’s an opportunity to make 2 billion yuan profit in a market that won’t open, isn’t it?”
In other words, a demand to hand over the technology in exchange for valuing it in a market where it couldn’t be sold.
In some ways, one might think of it as an opportunity.
“I refuse.”
Kang Hyeon spoke firmly.
And he stood up from his seat.
“If that was your business, then there’s nothing more to discuss. I’ll be leaving first.”
Kang Hyeon walked out of the restaurant with steps that showed no hesitation whatsoever.
Seeing this, Eva and Lin Zao-yi’s faces crumpled.
Her superior’s voice reached her ears.
-You failed.
“He won’t have any dialogue at all. What should we do?”
-Return for now.
Two failures.
With this, her reputation falling to rock bottom was confirmed.
* * *
Getting into the elevator, Kang Hyeon recalled Eva’s proposal.
‘If it’s 2 billion yuan, I should consider that the Chinese government moved, not a company.’
If they had planned to bring foreign technology into the originally closed AI industry, Chinese government permission would have been necessary.
So it was normal to consider that the one making the proposal to him was the Chinese government, not a company called Nine Heavens.
‘2 billion yuan…’
It was over 200 million dollars.
As a condition for handing over technology to a market where it originally couldn’t be released, it could be considered not bad terms.
The problem was that China couldn’t be trusted.
‘The moment I supply the technology, they’ll reverse engineer it and make it themselves. In other words, it’s the cost of handing over the technology itself.’
If they distributed it overseas instead of just keeping it in China’s domestic market, Nereid would have a tremendous competitor.
‘Because we can’t win in a chicken game with China.’
In a volume war with China moving on a national scale, there was no match.
Knowing they would definitely continue bleeding competition until they dominated the market, he had no intention of making the deal at all.
Then suddenly, it bothered him that they had retreated too easily.
‘The Chinese government approached too straightforwardly.’
Looking at cases so far, it was rare for the Chinese government to legitimately request a deal like this.
Since China was known to commit illegal acts when they wanted something, he became even more anxious.
‘If they try to secure the technology indirectly, where would they target?’
The answer came immediately.
“Nereid.”
“Yes?”
Kim Chul-jin, who was riding the elevator together, asked back.
Instead of answering that question, Kang Hyeon turned the question back to him.
“Team Manager Kim, do you happen to know any security companies in the United States or acquaintances working in security?”
“Ah, yes. A friend I became close with when I was active in special forces is currently running a private security company in the United States.”
“Could you make a request immediately?”
Seeing Kang Hyeon, who had been pondering something until just now but suddenly became urgent, Kim Chul-jin thought that something had happened.
“I’ll contact them and arrange it. Who are the subjects that need protection?”
“Nereid’s CEO Hamilton, Dr. Nathan, and Sophia Marlon and Lea Curie.”
“Understood.”
“And additionally, please request that they handle Nereid’s security as well.”
“Yes.”
Confirming that Kim Chul-jin immediately took out his smartphone and contacted someone, Kang Hyeon also took out his phone.
‘I need to inform Nathan of this fact at least.’
His anxiety grew as much as the lengthening dial tone.
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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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