Chapter 233: Surrender
[KTalk Feed] - @Kang Tae-joon | Followers: 172,187,213
Leviathan Flight Two Announcement
Re-launch scheduled in two days as promised
Payload of 100 tons to LEO
#Leviathan #LEO100t #7Days
As soon as the feed went up.
Countless comments and the stock price began to surge again.
【DJFT: $25.62 ▲+1.8%】
【Call Option Interest +210% / GEX Upward Maintenance】
└Whoooooooa, the stock price just keeps climbing endlessly.
└Longs all rescued!
└LOL if they pull off the re-launch here, shorts are gonna get rekt.
└If I were a short seller, I’d be clinging to Kang Tae-joon’s pant legs begging for mercy.
└But a 100-ton payload means carrying 100,000kg to LEO in one go - is that even possible?
└Spade Z’s Merlin could only do 68 tons max.
└That’s them, Leviathan’s different - Kang Tae-joon said it would work, so it will. Don’t doubt it!
└……
＊＊＊
Goheung Space Center.
The Leviathan assembly building never went dark, operating 24/7.
For the second launch, the turbo pump seals were replaced, the nozzle’s internal heat coating was reapplied, and the upper stage tank pressure valves were recalibrated in sequence.
The Sky Ripper robot arm’s capture algorithm also received an update.
Incorporating previous recovery data into the training set made the approach speed, angle, and yaw adjustments more precise.
It calculated the recovery position over 20% faster than before.
[D-3] WDR (Wet Dress Rehearsal) Complete
[D-2] Static Fire 7 seconds. Vibration spectrum normal
[D-1] Fuel & oxidizer loading initiated, tank pre-chill underway
And then… ‘D-Day’.
…
…
The morning air was cold and clear as glass.
Director Kim Se-bin clutched her clipboard, reviewing the checklist one last time.
[Final Readiness]
-
Propulsion, Navigation, Structure: GREEN
-
Software, Recovery Systems: GREEN
-
RANGE, Weather: GREEN (upper winds within limits)
-
FTS Link Test: No issues
Inside the payload fairing, 33 Luna Link satellites, each weighing 3 tons, were aligned on the dispenser rack.
These were no ordinary communication devices.
Each satellite had a Ka-band transceiver for high-speed data transmission with ground stations and a laser interlink system for direct satellite-to-satellite connections.
Some also carried SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) auxiliary packages.
This enabled precise surface scanning and autonomous navigation data collection even in bad weather or at night.
“The satellites need to be precisely deployed at 540km altitude, 53-degree inclination. Make sure there are no issues.”
“We’ve verified it multiple times already - there won’t be any orbital deviations.”
Kim Se-bin nodded at Ivan Petrovich’s response.
With the final checks complete, the launch countdown began.
T-00:00:10
“Main engine ignition prep.”
“Main valves - open.”
“Chamber free-flow - stable.”
“Ignition sequence loaded.”
“3……”
“2……”
“1……”
“Liftoff!”
A massive pillar of flame engulfed the launch pad.
The metallic giant’s body slowly but surely pushed off the ground and soared upward.
Through the control room headsets came the sound of someone swallowing hard.
Then, moments later:
“Liftoff. Leviathan Flight Two, nominal ascent.”
The launch was successful.
The subsequent procedures were largely the same as Flight One.
[T+00:21]
“Acceleration normal, TVC response good.”
[T+00:49]
“Max-Q passed, structure green.”
As the aerodynamic loads peaked,
the vibration readings on the dashboard dropped a level, and the rocket seemed to pick up speed, now lighter.
[T+02:58]
“MECO, first stage engine cutoff.”
[T+03:26]
“Stage separation. Second stage ignition complete.”
The first stage booster adjusted its orientation for return,
while the second stage made fine pitch and yaw adjustments, climbing steadily toward the target orbit.
[T+03:26]
“Fairing separation.”
The moment it cleared Earth’s atmosphere,
the protective shell that had shielded the rocket in the air dispersed into the dawn light of space.
I stood up and shouted:
“Prepare for first stage recovery!”
The separated first stage deployed grid fins to adjust orientation and entered the recovery trajectory.
“Relative velocity 0.7… 0.5… 0.4 m/s.”
“Yaw offset adjusted from 0.5° to 0.3°.”
“Approaching… contact… clamp locked.”
The vibration damping quickly dropped from 12% → 8% → 4%.
“Recovery successful.”
Applause erupted in the control room.
The second recovery was also perfect.
But the real highlight of this mission was yet to come.
“Ivan, check the recovery post and prepare for the next window.”
“Understood.”
All eyes turned to the second stage and the dispenser rack.
[T+13:21]
“Target altitude 538km, inclination 52.9°, velocity stabilization complete.”
Everyone held their breath, watching the deployment sequence on the monitors.
“Dispenser rack, release sequence initiated.”
“Satellites 2 and 22 deployment started.”
“Plane 3 release pending…”
“Satellites 22-33 deployment sequence ready.”
Despite the flood of reports across multiple channels, Director Kim Se-bin calmly directed the operation.
“Plane 3, deploy.”
“Satellite separation confirmed, positioning normal.”
“All Luna Link satellites, orbital deployment complete.”
Moments later, the control room lights dimmed.
On screen, orbital data for all 34 satellites, including the first one launched earlier, appeared as individual dots.
Those dots interconnected through communication links, forming a vast space data network like a spiderweb.
“Laser interlinks, initial synchronization successful.”
“Ka-band transceivers, ground station responses received.”
“SAR auxiliary packages on 7 satellites all functioning.”
All launches were complete, with no issues detected.
Once again, all eyes turned to me.
Seeing them waiting for final confirmation, I smiled and called out loudly:
“Leviathan Flight Two successful!”
“Whoooooooooa!”
Everyone in the control room pumped their fists, cheering.
While fewer than the first launch, over 20 million viewers were still watching live, congratulating the success in the comments.
└The stock price is going crazy!
└Kang Tae-joon delivers again, just as expected.
└A private company doing what even NASA couldn’t.
└What can’t Dojin do?
└Nothing.
└100-ton payload… for real?
└Technically 99 tons - 33 satellites at 3 tons each, right?
└The missing ton was filled with miscellaneous cargo, I heard?
└Wait, so they actually carried 100 tons to LEO in one go?
└Yep. That’s why the stock keeps climbing.
The stock price, which had been rising since the first successful Leviathan launch, surged again with this second success.
To sell the shares held by DJ Capital and others to the short sellers at a higher price,
a new post went up on the feed.
[KTalk Feed] - @Kang Tae-joon | Followers: 173,872,991
Leviathan Second Launch Successful
All 33 Luna Link satellites in orbit
New world record: 100-ton single launch payload
Planning to bid on NASA’s $3 billion lunar probe project
#LunaLink #HugeSuccess #LunarProbe #$3Billion
＊＊＊
[Sir, thanks to your feed post, the stock price broke $30.]
Grant pulled up the live stock price on the shared screen.
【DJFT: $30.51 ▲+11.2%】
【Option Volume +330%, Call Skew Inversion Continues / Negative Gamma Zone Maintained】
“The price rose because of the news about bidding on the lunar probe project. Since we haven’t actually won the bid yet, the rally won’t last long.”
The stock had already risen too much.
From the mid-$7s just a week ago, it had surged past $30.
With such a sharp rally, profit-taking selling could hit at any moment.
“So, do you plan to respond now to the emails from the short sellers?”
At Executive Vice President Oh Seong-hak’s question, I tapped the monitor lightly.
“Like I said before, we’ll accept their counterparty, but we’ll set the terms in our reply.”
I drafted the response email on the spot:
【To: GoldenEdge PB】
-
From: Trinity Holdings Strategic Equity Execution Desk
-
Subject: DJFT Block Trade (Wall-Cross)
-
Body
· NDA required before wall-cross, response deadline 2 hours
· Price guidance: $35.00 fixed
· Terms: No collar / No tape, T+1 cash settlement
· Size: Up to 142 million shares, minimum 100 million fill
· Allocation: 2 primes + 1 swap + 1 maker distributed
· Special terms: Do-not-lend pre/post trade, 10-minute strip cross
With minor adjustments, the email I wrote was sent simultaneously to the short sellers under different fund names: Golden Edge, Sigma Capital, Delaware Partners, and QuantBridge.
As expected, the responses were quick.
Within an hour of sending, replies poured in.
【GoldenEdge PB】
“Wall-cross OK. Counter at $34.25, T+1 settlement.”
【Sigma Capital】
“Full take at $35. T+1 cash. No tape.”
【Delaware Partners】
“Wall-cross accepted. 110 million shares indicative at $35.”
【QuantBridge】
“Need 60 million shares for TRS unwind cover at $35. T+1.”
EVP Oh shook his head after reading the replies.
“Golden Edge is asking for a discount.”
I answered shortly, as if it were obvious:
“Reject it. We’re not negotiating below $35.”
The reply email was drafted immediately:
【Reply – GoldenEdge PB】
“Our guidance is a fixed $35. Please confirm in this window if you wish to participate. No response within 10 minutes means we’ll trade with other partners.”
Facing the firm response, Golden Edge eventually backed down.
【GoldenEdge PB】
“Understood. Confirming $35. Maintaining wall-cross.”