Chemistry - Chapter 91

12. Dust Defenders(9)

Beijing Chaoyang District, Jianwai.

Jeong-woo arrived at the Jinma Distribution headquarters building at 4PM. The area, filled with tall buildings, had an atmosphere that seemed like a magnified version of Jongno Street.

『This way.』

Following Mei’s voice, Jun Chai followed, and Jeong-woo and Kim Tae-san also entered the lobby. Since only key personnel were attending the presentation, the KG Chemical team consisted of only four people.

“Jeong-woo.”

While waiting in front of the elevator, Kim Tae-san spoke up.

“I thought being a company with six buildings, even including a department store, was impressive, but in China, they treat that as a small business?”

“I’m not sure about that…”

As Jeong-woo turned his head while admiring the interior, he noticed an advertisement for Jinma Department Store on the outer wall of the corridor.

‘Huh?’

It was an advertisement for a perfume bottle with a very familiar design. Since all the writing was in Chinese characters, Jeong-woo turned to Jun Chai and asked.

『What does it say there?』

『Exclusive launch of Audrey Perfume.』

Jeong-woo smiled at this answer. It reminded him of the bald man who pleaded with Michèle for the exclusive sales rights of Audrey Perfume in China. The chairman who went as far as to pay for the suit.

‘What was his name again…’

Jinma Building Underground Parking Lot.

『You heard that KG Chemical left a deep impression?』

Sun Hui, sitting in the driver’s seat of a large sedan, expressed disbelief as he made a phone call, learning about the news from the bidding competition meeting.

-Mr. Lungyun was particularly impressed.

『About the 5th stage? We just added a customized device. If you look closely, the performance difference between their system and ours isn’t that significant.』

-There’s talk that, in terms of performance based on the price, Dusf still has the upper hand.

『Take it easy, take it easy. Got it. Keep me updated until the announcement starts.』

After ending the call, Sun Hui immediately called Chairman Wang’s secretary.

『Mr. Sun Hui from Dusf. Yes, I’ll be waiting in the reception room. He’s looking forward to it? I’ll give him a clear answer.』

Jinma Group Chairman Wang Liming.

When he, with a hobby of collecting antiques, started seeking advice from chemists for the maintenance of fine art, Sun Hui did not miss the opportunity and had already solved several issues.

A painting covered in mold, a stone statue starting to decompose as moisture disappeared, and books plagued by pests.

A few days ago, the special display rack containing oxygen-absorbing agents as a gift had greatly pleased Chairman Wang.

Exiting the car, Sun Hui took out an equipment bag from the trunk.

『Deep impression?』

Sun Hui chuckled.

How much investment had been made for this. A company with a market capitalization far below Dusf daring to compete in their backyard.

『This is Lungyun.』

Wang Liming looked at the managing director who had entered with a puzzled expression.

『How did you know I was here?』

『I got a call from your secretary.』

『Taking a day off today, and she’s telling everyone. Maybe I should just rest.』

Wang Liming, not dressed formally since it wasn’t an official workday, blamed his meticulous secretary unnecessarily as he sat on the sofa.

『What brings you here?』

『The air purification system bidding we discussed before. Today is the day of the decision.』

When Lungyun placed documents containing evaluations of participating companies on the table, Wang Liming seemed uninterested.

『Why do you bother me with this? I hired you to handle these things well.』

『What? I thought you came here for this today.』

Wang Liming looked with wide eyes at Lungyun.

『Do you want to see me die from overworking? I came today because of my hobby. Go away.』

『Sorry.』

As the executive was about to take the documents away, Wang Liming glanced at the list of companies at the top and raised his hand, stopping him.

『KG Chemical is here too?』

『Do you know that company?』

『I don’t know about the others. Well, Burke and Sumimoto. Are they competent chemical companies too?』

『All the companies that passed the first round of documents have a good reputation.』

After contemplating for a moment, Wang Liming spoke.

『Can I briefly meet the representatives of these three companies in the reception room? This is a personal matter for me. Make that clear.』

Lungyun nodded in acknowledgment.

In the conference room, Jeong-woo sat awkwardly among about twenty representatives from other companies.

‘Seems like those from Germany and Japan have a resigned look, don’t they?’

This sentiment was shared by Mei, the team leader guiding KG Chemical.

If this bid failed, Mei was contemplating handing over the sensor patent to Jun Chai and resigning. The project she had developed, hoping for children growing up in a clean environment without the stifling air she had studied in, would lose its meaning if the results went to Dusf after a failed bid.

‘But it doesn’t seem like she’s going to join Dusf.’

With unwavering beliefs, Mei, a chemist immersed in her own research, hoped that the project she had developed in an environment with stale air could contribute positively.

At this point, Jeong-woo was deeply impressed. Perhaps because of this, he couldn’t help but recall Noh Jong-seon’s words about Mei becoming the next center manager of the Chinese branch after this project.

‘I want to avoid her resigning. If that’s the case…’

After realizing that the chairman here was Wang Liming, whom he had encountered before, Jeong-woo considered making a call to Michèle. However, the thought felt like playing on the same level as Dusf, leaving him with a somewhat uncomfortable feeling.

At that moment, as tensions rose, the door opened, and a company representative entered.

With 50 minutes left until the announcement, everyone’s attention turned towards the entrance, curious about what was happening.

『The chairman would like to meet with the respective heads of each company. Please come to the VIP reception room.』

People murmured in excitement.

The heads of Burke and Sumimoto Chemistry stood up, and Mei followed suit.

『Team Leader Yu.』

Jeong-woo called her.

『I’ll go with you, I know Chairman Wang.』

Let’s have a fair competition. Jeong-woo followed Mei, thinking that using the glow of Michèle wouldn’t hurt.

In the VIP reception room, Sun Hui, who was waiting, squinted his eyes as he saw Mei walking in.

『Why are you here?』

『The chairman called for me.』

『What kind of place is this? A personal meeting?』

As Michael and Kuroki followed her in, Sun Hui became even more confused about what was happening.

In the midst of this, when he saw Jeong-woo standing by the door, he shot him a glance that seemed to say, ‘What are you up to again?’ before abruptly standing up as the secretary of Chairman Wang appeared.

『What’s going on?』

『The chairman’s orders.』

『Orders?』

Without answering, the secretary politely stepped aside. Wang Liming entered.

『Chairman Wang.』

Sun Hui approached to greet him, but Wang Liming, without paying him any attention, swiftly turned his back, leaving Sun Hui in a momentary daze.

『Han Jeong-woo!』

Wang Liming, looking surprised, turned towards the young man by the door and asked.

『What brings you here?』

『I came for company business. I have something to discuss.』

『Haha. Never expected to see you here. It’s perfect.』

『What? Is it good? What’s going on?』

『Let’s sit first. Bring some tea!』

Sun Hui couldn’t close his wide-open mouth due to Wang Liming’s attitude and even the courtesy shown.

Led by Chairman Wang to his seat, Jeong-woo found himself unable to bring up any discussion about the bidding. He had to sip his tea quietly.

‘The chairman doesn’t wear a suit, a real super old man vibe.’

Chairman Wang, with a friendly appearance, called his secretary.

The secretary placed a box on the table.

Clay figures resembling ancient Chinese warriors emerged one by one from the box, taking dynamic combat poses as they were placed on the table.

Watching the clay soldiers in action, except for Sun Hui, everyone else had faces that expressed confusion as they didn’t understand the significance.

After the arrangement was completed, Chairman Wang smiled at everyone.

『This sculpture was difficult to obtain at the Shanghai auction. Its individual value is one million yuan, and a set of five is ten million.』

Jeong-woo, calculating the exchange rate, couldn’t help but be astonished. Those five pieces were worth almost 1.6 billion won.

Chairman Wang then began explaining the reason for this gathering.

『It was buried in damp soil, so the preservation condition is not ideal, especially with this uneven color. I’d like to hear proposals on how to preserve it without causing further damage.』

Seeing Chairman Wang unexpectedly inquire about an issue related to antiques, Michael expressed a face of incomprehension.

『We’re not art experts.』

『Yes, you are outstanding chemists. We will provide enough cases for consideration. Could you please review this in detail?』

『Is this also part of the bidding evaluation?』

『This is entirely my personal request.』

Michael, pondering the meaning of the client company chairman’s personal request, raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. Right next to her, Kuroki also had a face of not understanding what Chairman Wang was talking about.

『Chairman Wang.』

Sun Hui intervened and said.

『Not all chemists have expertise in art. Although there are those in the field of archaeology, they are a minority. These people focus on air purification; they won’t be of help with that sculpture.』

Chairman Wang’s expression turned to ‘Is that so?’ and then looked at Jeong-woo.

『This friend knows much more than a Korean archaeology professor, right?』

『Who? Him?』

Sun Hui’s gaze also shifted towards Jeong-woo.

‘What is the chairman talking about?’

Jeong-woo swallowed a groan. Typically, archaeologists were much more specialized. Chairman Wang, who had observed work with a professor in the past due to an art forgery issue, seemed to have a strong misunderstanding.

Sun Hui shot a glance at Jeong-woo.

『The chairman knows well. So, can you understand what the problem with that sculpture is?』

『Well…』

Jeong-woo glanced at the clay soldiers. Then, his gaze lingered on Sun Hui, who stood there as if mocking him.

While working with Mei, he might shout humility, but there was no need to do that to this person.

『Well, honestly, it’s not easy.』

『Ha! Chairman, do you see this guy withdrawing already?』

『Ah, I wasn’t talking about myself. I already found it.』

Sun Hui’s face stiffened at Jeong-woo’s response.

『Already found it?』

『Yes.』

『Without equipment? Someone can’t answer that just with words. What’s the problem?』

『It’s not a problem you should be asking, but rather, Chairman Wang, your opinion is needed. Chairman, shall I explain it right away?』

Chairman Wang nodded with keen interest.

Jeong-woo examined the skin of the clay soldier at the molecular level, expanding it to the world of molecules, and said.

『You mentioned coloring? The structure of this natural lacquer is in a state of moisture saturation. The dye polymer to fix the color won’t penetrate.』

『What about removing that natural lacquer? I’ve used the latest preservatives several times.』

『It won’t be easy to peel off because it doesn’t dissolve in water or organic solvents. Unless you carefully remove it with a specially designed compound, the surface may be slightly damaged.』

Jeong-woo, who had been focusing on the molecular world, suddenly thought about something he could use to wash away that natural lacquer.

Chairman Wang nodded approvingly at Jeong-woo.

『Indeed. The answer is crystal clear. I understand why Michèle was so impressed. Now, what about the preservation after removing it?』

『Just a moment!』

In the meantime, Sun Hui, who had finished the analysis to some extent, spoke confidently.

『Chairman, there’s no need to listen to him. I understand the preservation method for this sculpture very well. I’ve already received related materials from the research team at the University of Munich, who managed the Terracotta Army found in Xian.』

『The Terracotta Army?』

Sun Hui successfully diverted Chairman Wang’s attention, and he smiled with a triumphant expression.

『Using a plastic composition based on hydroxyethyl methacrylate, employing ion polymerization…』

Thunk. Thud—

Jeong-woo, who had been lost in thought, pulled something out of his pocket and tore it apart. While about half of the audience, including Chairman Wang, was listening to Sun Hui’s complicated story, their gazes involuntarily turned to Jeong-woo.

『…so, using the radiation braking reflection effect in the polymerization process…』

Crunch―!

At this moment, Jeong-woo was similar to a ‘scene-stealer.’ The main actor appears on the screen, but the extra next to them is so peculiar that all attention is focused on them.

『So, the radiation braking reflection…』

Seeing that everyone was not paying attention to her words and all focused on Jeong-woo, Sun Hui stopped talking.

『What are you doing?』

『Ah, did I disturb you? Please continue. If it’s about the radiation braking reflection, you’re planning to enhance the preservation effect by killing microorganisms and fungi, right?』

Rather, as Jeong-woo alone showed interest, Sun Hui, with her pride hurt, asked with irritation.

『What’s that? A diaper?』

Jeong-woo removed the wings of the sanitary napkin he had brought, flipped it over to reveal the superabsorbent polymer, and snapped it shut.

『Excuse me.』

Jeong-woo, standing up, asked Chairman Wang.

『May I wipe that?』

Chairman Wang, who trusted Jeong-woo infinitely due to Michèle, nodded.

Jeong-woo wiped the polymer of the sanitary napkin he held in his hand on the cheek of the clay soldier. Swiftly, the naturally colored light emerged beyond the wiped-off dark brown lacquer.

『Chairman, earlier you mentioned finding the original color. I think this is it.』

『What?!』

Chairman Wang, jumping up, rushed to Jeong-woo’s side. Pushing Sun Hui, who was holding measuring equipment, far away, he stood in front of the clay soldier.

『This is it. It was this color.』

Chairman Wang, who closely observed the wiped clay soldier’s skin, exclaimed in admiration and pointed to the object in Jeong-woo’s hand.

『What is that thing, exactly?』

Jeong-woo couldn’t answer that it was a cut sanitary napkin, so he thought about an appropriate answer and said.

『It’s a special absorbent. It doesn’t have a name yet because it’s still under development at KG Chemicals.』

『Sell that to me right now! It’s an incredible discovery.』

『There’s only one left now. I’ll just give it to you.』

『Can’t you make more?』

『Uh… I’ll look into it a bit later.』

Sun Hui, holding an infrared spectrometer worth a hundred thousand euros in one hand and a research result document worth several tens of thousands of euros in the other, looked blankly at the back of Jeong-woo’s head.

For this research, he invested a tremendous amount, but he came here now with just a diaper, holding Wang’s heart captive. How could such a thing happen…

When Lungyun stood at the podium, the conference room fell silent.

Jeong-woo, awaiting the results, looked at Sun Hui with an anxious expression.

The leverage with Chairman Wang Liming, which he had aimed for, turned out to be of little significance.

‘Who would have thought he wouldn’t even care about the bidding.’

If they were going to lobby, it should have been directed towards the CEO.

Jun Chai sighed deeply and asked Mei.

『There’s no hope, right?』

『Why do you think there’s none?』

『Sun Hui told me everything. About the email you received.』

Mei chuckled and pointed at Jeong-woo, who was sitting in the front row.

『Thanks to the assistant team leader, our chances are high.』

『Because of the bypass?』

『No, just because of him.』

Jun Chai, who didn’t know about what happened in the VIP reception room, could only look puzzled.

“Please, please.”

Kim Tae-san muttered as if telepathically urging Lungyun to mention KG Chemical’s name.

Finally, Lungyun tapped the microphone and spoke.

『Before I announce the results, I would like to thank all the participants in the bidding. The level of the systems was high across the board. Even Sumimoto Chemical, which received the lowest score in performance evaluation, was deemed capable of producing good air.』

The heads of the Japanese representatives drooped at the mention of the last place.

『The common opinion of the evaluators was that no matter which system is chosen, we can breathe high-quality air. Therefore, in selecting a company, performance did not play a significant role.』

The heads of the Japanese representatives lifted again.

Sun Hui also relaxed her slightly frowned expression. The possibility of choosing their system, the most competitive in terms of price, had increased.

Kim Tae-san clicked his tongue.

“So, in the end, they are you just looking at cost-effectiveness?”

Lungyun scanned the people in the conference room.

『The company that moved my criteria as the final decision-maker acted with a heart prioritizing those who breathe the air. They seemed genuinely concerned about the breath of our Jinma Group employees. I will choose your air purification system, KG Chemical.』

As Lungyun finished her announcement in a calm tone, the conference room fell into a brief silence.

“We won?”

Kim Tae-san rejoiced as if he were about to jump. Jun Chai looked at the bewildered Sun Hui, then pinched his cheek in disbelief.

And then, with teary eyes, Mei, who had been looking at the podium, stood up.

『Mr. Kim.』

At her call, Kim Tae-san turned with a wide smile.

『Start developing the catalytic filter devised by the assistant team leader. Make it connectable to the central system.』

『What? Why?』

『Beijing’s air pollution is worse than you think. Level 10 is not safe. We will find new advantages and challenge public institution bids.』

Kim Tae-san chuckled at her words.

『The KG Chemical responsible person, please come with the relevant documents.』

At Lungyun’s call, Mei stood up with a bag containing the contract. Kim Tae-san watched her walk out and muttered.

“Adding one more level to make it 11? Seriously. By the time the research is done, they’ll probably say, ‘Let’s go for 100 levels’. Still, it’s fortunate that they didn’t mention playing around after assigning me the team leader position.”

Jeong-woo, who was approaching, heard this and laughed.

“Will the gossip continue until the end of the project?”

“It’s stifling on days like this. Ah, work, work. Let’s grab some duck, Jeong-woo. Where should we go?”

“Assistant Ha said he made a reservation.”

“Ah, right. Let’s go where he booked.”

『Mr. Han. The chairman is looking for you.』

At the sound of the secretary’s voice from afar, Jung-woo said to Kim Tae-san,

“Just a moment. I’ll be back soon.”

As the two suddenly disappeared, Kim Tae-san turned his gaze to Jun Chai. As the senior researcher of the Filter Team, he hadn’t even exchanged a word with the core researcher of the Sensor Team.

『Jun Chai.』

『Yes, Mr. Kim.』

『That… about the Sensor Team.』

Kim Tae-san cleared his throat and nonchalantly said.

『It seems like the big office is too spacious. Starting tomorrow, just take a few of our guys. And Mingji from the Sensor Team? He seems interested in the filters. Send him to us.』

A small exchange between team members of the joint Korean-Chinese project began two months after the project started. Smiling brightly at Kim Tae-san’s request, Jun Chai nodded in response.

Due to a morning mistake, Song Boyeong, who was anxiously awaiting news of a business trip to China, was suddenly startled by a phone call.

“Jeong-woo?”

-Oh, senior. Is it a good time to talk?

Although it wasn’t a video call, Song Boyeong lowered her head toward her phone.

“I’m sorry! I accidentally packed the wrong box in a hurry.”

-Because it’s urgent, save the apology for later. Jun Chai and I will accept beef as compensation. About that material… um, yes. High-absorption polymer development product. How much of it is in stock?

“What? Why do you ask?”

-The chairman here ordered about a thousand of that… Wait a moment. Yes, sir. No? A thousand boxes?

Song Boyeong raised her head with a smile at the voice on the other end of the phone.

-He ordered a thousand boxes of that. Wow, that’s a huge order. Until when can you produce it? The unit price will be set at the industry’s highest.

“What, what did you say?”

code: Molecular Formulation

case: Tailored Catalyst for Air Purification Filters

research: Developed during a business trip to China, where the air was filled with fine dust, this research resulted in a highly efficient filter capable of purifying pollutants at the level of toxic gases with a 99.99% purification rate.