Chapter 132: Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete
Ahsung Group Executive Meeting.
“In the first round of the NCC bidding process conducted by the Ministry of Defense, our Ahsung Construction received the highest score.”
Despite the report from Joo Eun-cheon, CEO of Ahsung Construction, Chairman Cheon Ho-tae’s expression remained stern.
“How about Dojin?”
“Dojin Construction… no, Dojin Frontier has also passed the first round of reviews.”
“So, once again, we’ll have to face off against those Dojin bastards in the technical review.”
Joo Eun-cheon nodded.
“We’re working closely with Ahsung Defense and preparing thoroughly, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
At the completely unconcerned response, Chairman Cheon Ho-tae’s eyes sharpened.
“During the Qatar International Financial District bidding, you said the same thing, and in the end, Dojin took the contract, didn’t they?”
“Back then, I was careless, but this time, I’ve prepared thoroughly…”
Kim Seong-jae, the director sitting beside him, interrupted.
“CEO Joo, why don’t we do this?”
“…How so?”
“Use steel fiber reinforced concrete for the test bunker construction.”
Joo Eun-cheon’s expression instantly hardened.
“That… not only deviates from the bidding criteria, but it’s a material that absolutely cannot be used in actual NCC facility construction.”
Joo Eun-cheon added with a troubled expression.
“Resin concrete is extremely resistant to sudden impacts and high temperatures, but its long-term durability is extremely poor. Especially underground, moisture and salt penetration are severe, so it absolutely cannot be applied to actual command and control center construction. It also costs more than 15 times that of regular concrete, and its electromagnetic shielding performance is very weak.”
“I’m not saying to apply it to the actual facility. If we only use it for the test bunker construction, there won’t be any problems.”
Joo Eun-cheon opened his mouth to rebut again.
At that moment, Chairman Cheon Ho-tae clicked his tongue and said coldly,
“In a situation where you should be clinging to the supervisor’s pants to secure the contract, you’re making excuses?”
Joo Eun-cheon was momentarily speechless.
“Hey, Eun-cheon!”
“…Yes, Chairman.”
Cheon Ho-tae’s rebuke froze the atmosphere in the conference room.
“If the same thing happens this time as in Qatar, you’ll be held fully responsible.”
Director Kim Seong-jae cautiously spoke again.
“CEO Joo. I’ve already taken care of the supervisor, so there won’t be any issues.”
Pressed by the two, Joo Eun-cheon had no choice but to bow his head.
“…Understood. I’ll proceed as you say.”
Dojin Frontier Test Bunker Construction Site.
“Crane, is the precast panel ready to move?”
Park Cheol-jin’s voice, leading the site, rang out powerfully.
“Ready!”
When I replied, the worker below sent a signal.
Following the signal, I began moving the crane, relocating the pre-fabricated ultra-high-strength concrete panels to their designated positions.
“Wow, is there really anything the CEO can’t do?”
Hong Chung-ki, the senior executive watching from below the crane, exclaimed in admiration.
Seong-hwan smiled.
“I pride myself on knowing Tae-joon better than anyone. That guy… there’s just no end to him.”
“That’s why he’s built a company like this at his age.”
At just over thirty, he was directly confronting Ahsung, South Korea’s top conglomerate, and consistently winning every competition.
Neither the name Dojin nor this position would have been possible without Kang Tae-joon.
Though the scale difference with Ahsung was still significant, I was confident that in a few years, Dojin would surpass them.
“Executive Hong, Director Seong-hwan, please step back from there.”
Park Cheol-jin’s voice rang out from below the crane.
It was a rebuke aimed at those who were only getting in the way at the site without helping.
“…Next is panel 3-5. Make sure it’s securely fastened—don’t drop it.”
After moving the people back, Park Cheol-jin continued to direct the site.
Only after all the panels were safely relocated did I descend from the crane.
“Thanks to the CEO, the exterior wall structure assembly has been smoothly completed. With a thickness of 2 meters and an average compressive strength of 145 MPa, it far exceeds the design criteria.”
I nodded and surveyed the site.
“How’s the EMP shielding layer work going?”
“The exterior wall rebar mesh and special shielding concrete layer were just completed. Next, we’ll proceed with installing the standalone Faraday Cage.”
“What about the NBC protection system?”
“We’re installing a German-made air purification system with the latest HEPA and activated carbon filters, along with biochemical detection sensors. We’ll proceed with the cage installation first, followed by the system.”
Director Cha Dong-hyuk added,
“The ultra-high-strength concrete we used this time has a more finely adjusted micro-composite fiber mix, maximizing crack suppression performance from explosive impacts. The test results also showed far greater durability than expected.”
“But, CEO…”
Park Cheol-jin cautiously called me.
“Yes?”
“Are you really planning to stay on-site until the test bunker is completed?”
“I told you I would.”
That way, my Midas abilities would be fully reflected.
“Tae-joon’s hands are magical—when he builds something himself, the performance is different.”
“No… that’s ridiculous.”
I wanted to say it was nonsense.
But having seen it firsthand in Qatar, Park Cheol-jin couldn’t completely deny it.
“Anyway, I’ll stay until the test bunker work is finished. You focus on your tasks, don’t worry about me.”
“…Understood.”
“By the way, has there been any unusual movement from Ahsung?”
With the combination of ultra-high-strength concrete and Midas abilities,
I didn’t think we could lose the review.
But since Ahsung was surely preparing something, I couldn’t let my guard down completely.
At that moment, Executive Hong Chung-ki, who had been scolded by Park Cheol-jin and moved away, approached.
“CEO, just in case, I’ll look into Ahsung’s situation.”
“Especially keep an eye on the supervisor’s movements. Something seems suspicious.”
“Understood.”
Executive Hong Chung-ki left the site.
I picked up the walkie-talkie and resumed work.
“Let the material truck through Gate 3, and proceed with the concrete mixing immediately.”
I directly instructed the entire process of moving the exterior wall panels and erecting them like a fortress.
Sometimes even participating in the work myself, I rapidly progressed the bunker construction.
As the massive bunker took shape,
confidence filled the faces of Dojin Frontier’s researchers and engineers that we could win.
“CEO, have some coffee.”
I downed the iced Americano Park Cheol-jin offered in one go.
“Ah, that’s refreshing.”
“You’ve been working since dawn. If it wasn’t refreshing, that would be strange.”
Park Cheol-jin gave me an odd look up and down.
“What’s with that look?”
“…For a CEO, you look too much like a laborer.”
I had to admit it was true.
Among the day laborers who didn’t know me, I was known as ‘Kang.’
“Still, thanks to the CEO’s hard work, the exterior panels are almost done.”
“So, is it time to install the internal reinforcement frame?”
“Yes, we plan to focus on impact absorption and crack prevention during the work.”
Director Cha Dong-hyuk added,
“The internal frame incorporates a special seismic design with a micro-composite fiber reinforcement system, ensuring structural stability against any external impact.”
Once this work is complete, the final structure for NCC evaluation will be finished.
I gave the managers a final reminder.
“There must be no mistakes until the end. Stay focused and don’t let your guard down.”
“Understood, CEO.”
After about a week of additional work, the test bunker construction was finally completed.
And the day before the test, Executive Hong Chung-ki, who had conducted a site inspection, came to find me.
.
.
.
“CEO, some suspicious points were found in Ahsung’s bunker.”
“Tell me.”
Before explaining, Executive Hong took out his laptop and showed photos of the site and internal blueprints.
“On-site, they clearly said they were using standard high-strength concrete, but in some of the actual cast specimens, a significant amount of steel fiber material was detected.”
“Steel fiber… you mean resin concrete?”
Director Cha Dong-hyuk exclaimed in shock.
“Applying resin concrete to the test bunker makes it nearly invincible to explosive impacts or high temperatures.”
Executive Hong Chung-ki added,
“In its current state, Ahsung’s bunker is likely to outperform in the impact test.”
I carefully examined the cross-section of the specimen on the laptop screen.
High reflectivity and uniformly distributed metal pieces.
It was definitely resin concrete.
“While this material is impact-resistant, it absolutely cannot be used in the actual NCC command and control center.”
“Because of the cost and moisture issues?”
Park Cheol-jin nodded.
“It costs more than 15 times that of regular concrete, and in underground environments, exposure to moisture or salt will rapidly degrade its properties, with a high likelihood of metal fiber corrosion.”
“So, the supervisor saw this and did nothing?”
Executive Hong Chung-ki replied to my question.
“Upon verification, the assigned supervisor has ties to Director Kim Seong-jae. Though affiliated with the Ministry of Defense’s Facilities Management Headquarters, they’re essentially part of Kim Seong-jae’s line.”
I leaned back in my chair, resting my chin on one hand.
“They must have also falsified the blueprints and material records.”
“Yes, they registered it as high-strength concrete on the surface but actually cast a resin composite.”
“False reporting and test manipulation…”
“Should we inform the press?”
I shook my head at Park Cheol-jin’s suggestion.
“No, if we bring it up first, we might end up looking like we’re smearing them. We also lack evidence.”
“Then… what do you plan to do?”
“On the test day, we’ll expose them. Let’s prepare thoroughly and overwhelm them head-on.”