Nikolai Sergeevich Petrov.
His father was a genius nuclear physicist who spearheaded the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons development against the United States during the Cold War.
Like father, like son, Professor Petrov also followed the path of a nuclear physicist, but his work was entirely different. The Cold War was now over, and the Soviet Union had collapsed. There was no longer a need to spend money developing nuclear weapons that wouldn't even be used. However, in the energy sector, nuclear power remained useful.
Aside from the issues of radiation and nuclear waste, nuclear power generation is cheaper and more efficient compared to other forms of power generation.
Professor Mohan said, sipping his beer.
"Professor Petrov is developing a Traveling Wave Reactor. You could call him a pioneer in that field."
I had just seen it through my precognition, but I feigned surprise as if I didn't know.
"Ah, a Traveling Wave Reactor… I see."
"Do you know what that is?"
"I have a liberal arts background, so I don't know the details, but I have a general idea."
I remembered seeing it in some recent papers and articles.
Any technology evolves over time. Nuclear reactors, first built in the 1950s, have undergone several evolutions over more than half a century.
The Traveling Wave Reactor (TWR) is a next-generation nuclear technology that dramatically improves upon the problems of current reactors.
Conventional reactors require periodic refueling and constant management of cooling systems to prevent meltdowns.
Mistakes in this process can lead to horrific accidents. Most nuclear accidents to date have been caused by human error, not natural disasters.
However, a Traveling Wave Reactor, once fueled, can operate continuously for over 50 years without interruption.
Since human intervention is minimized, the chance of error is significantly reduced. Because it uses liquid metal for cooling instead of water, the reactor pressure is over 100 times lower, making explosions or core meltdowns highly unlikely.
It burns over 99 percent of the fuel bundle, reducing radioactive waste and preventing the use of spent fuel for nuclear weapons.
If Professor Petrov succeeds in his TWR experiment, as my precognition indicated, it will open the path to creating safer and more efficient nuclear power plants.
Just how much value does this technology hold?
Beyond the money, it might drastically improve the energy problem until new technologies like nuclear fusion are developed.
In any case, to move things forward, I need to meet Professor Petrov.
I casually asked.
"What's the occasion for your meeting?"
"It's a meeting between friends. Professor Petrov visited Caltech a few times before. We've kept in touch since then, but we've both been busy, so it's been a while since we saw each other. Since Professor Petrov mentioned he has some free time now, I thought I'd take this opportunity to meet him."
A nuclear physicist developing reactor technology and a geologist studying earthquakes.
One might wonder what connection they have, but they are actually closely related. Safety is paramount in nuclear technology. After the Fukushima nuclear accident, awareness of nuclear power risks increased, leading to stricter seismic design standards.
What would people think if I suddenly contacted a Russian nuclear physicist I have no connection with and offered to invest?
They'd obviously find it suspicious. But with Professor Mohan in the middle, it's a different story. It allows for a very natural meeting.
"Could I come along too?"
Professor Mohan looked surprised at my words.
"You too?"
"I've been a bit interested in that area lately."
"In reactors, you mean?"
As if sensing the situation without me saying anything, Taek-gyu patted my shoulder and said,
"Of course. We've been paying close attention to the energy business lately. Let's take this chance to visit Russia too."
After thinking for a moment, Professor Mohan nodded.
"Well, it's a personal meeting anyway, so it probably doesn't matter. I'll have to mention it to Professor Petrov first, though."
"Please do. I'd appreciate that."
Ellie, who had been talking with Yuri elsewhere, returned to our table. She must have had a bit to drink, as her face was flushed red and her eyes were slightly unfocused.
"Where are you guys going?"
"Russia."
"What for?"
I briefly explained the situation.
Ellie then said, pouting slightly,
"What? I wanted to go to Russia too."
"Want to come with us?"
"Can I really?"
"Of course."
Ellie quickly ran over to the table where Hyun-joo noona was. A moment later, she returned, her shoulders slumped.
"Hmph, Jessica said not to even dream of it."
"…"
She must be really busy these days.
As I was comforting her, Ellie narrowed her eyes.
"You're not going just to check out Russian beauties, are you?"
"Gasp!"
Ellie's expression instantly turned angry.
"I'll be really mad if you do."
I burst out laughing.
"Hey, there's no way I'd do that. Don't worry, I won't look at other women."
"Really? You won't turn your head even if a gorgeous Russian woman walks right by?"
"Of course not."
It's human nature to want to do something more when told not to. Now that I've promised not to look, I suddenly really want to.
They say there are so many beautiful women in Russia.
As I thought that, I felt Ellie's cold gaze fixed on me.
"I'm going to ask Taek-gyu all about it later."
"…"
I'll have to pretend not to look as much as possible while sneaking glances. Or maybe I should tell Oh Taek-gyu to keep his mouth shut.
Taek-gyu spoke up confidently beside me.
"Hmph, this is why guys with girlfriends are no good. I'm going to stare openly to my heart's content."
I said casually, as if in passing,
"I'll tell Min Ha-young, Yang Ha-na, and Princess Anneke."
"…Huh?"
***
The company dinner ended, and I returned home.
Ellie must have been drunk; she fell asleep without even washing up. Meanwhile, I went out to the living room and talked quietly with Taek-gyu.
"So that Russian professor succeeds with his Traveling Wave Reactor experiment?"
"Yeah."
The spread of electric vehicles is inevitably linked to the energy problem. If this issue isn't resolved, fully replacing internal combustion engine cars with EVs might be impossible. (That's why there was talk for a while that hydrogen cars would become the mainstream.)
Nikola's founder, Allen Eberhardt, invested in a solar power company called SolarLand to tackle this problem, later merging it with Nikola.
SolarLand's main product was the solar roof—installable solar panels for house roofs, intended to secure energy for EV charging and household needs.
It has limitations for apartments rather than single-family homes, but it's clearly a good idea.
I looked up some more information.
Nuclear technology isn't just about energy; it's directly linked to nuclear weapons. Therefore, any country with a reactor can potentially develop nuclear weapons if it chooses to.
To prevent such proliferation, there are international regulations like the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty), and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) monitors vigilantly.
However, the permanent members of the UN Security Council, who already possess nuclear weapons, are effectively exempt.
Metaphorically, it's like heavily armed mega-organizations restricting firearms to stop neighborhood thugs from shooting around.
Debating whether this is right or wrong is meaningless. International order, then and now, operates on the logic of power. And it's also true that this approach is more conducive to maintaining world order than everyone developing nuclear weapons.
Anyway, unlike many heavily regulated countries, the US, China, and Russia have more freedom regarding nuclear testing. Consequently, research into nuclear technology has been actively pursued in these countries.
The US is arguably the leader in this field. TerraPower's reactor, for instance, reached the experimental stage for commercialization.
While the US isn't particularly restricted by international bodies regarding nuclear tests, it faces stringent domestic regulations. Americans share the fear of radiation, so conducting tests within the country would likely face public opposition.
Therefore, TerraPower planned to collaborate with a Chinese company to conduct reactor experiments in China. But a problem arose just before the experiments were set to begin.
"What problem?"
"The US-China trade war broke out."
Nuclear technology is classified at the highest security level in any country. If joint experiments were conducted in China, there would be no guarantee that Chinese companies wouldn't copy the technology.
Ronald, citing national security concerns, halted the joint development with the Chinese company and the reactor experiments in China entirely.
"What? So it was because of you?"
"Well… I suppose I'm not entirely unrelated."
They had already received approval from the Chinese government. If the trade war had started just one month later, the experiments would have begun.
While the US and China were pursuing TWR development, Russia wasn't idle either.
It's unclear how they compare to the US, but Russia's nuclear technology is also world-class. For one, they have a long history of technological development. They've been developing nuclear capabilities since the Soviet era and were pioneers in the commercialization and operation of nuclear power plants.
Their TWR development is also known to be quite advanced. With the US and Chinese experiments halted, it was a prime opportunity for Russian researchers to pull ahead of their competitors. However, Russia's research also stalled.
"Why?"
"This is also due to 'adult circumstances'."
Russia's current economic situation is difficult, to put it mildly. The biggest problem is the drop in oil prices. Although prices rose due to events like the 'Big One' and damage to North Sea oil fields, it's nothing compared to the era of high oil prices.
The US continued to enthusiastically extract shale oil and gas, selling it worldwide and driving down oil prices.
Adding to this was the 2014 Crimean conflict. When Russia annexed Crimea, Ukrainian territory, the West imposed strong economic sanctions.
As a result, the ruble plummeted, and the economy suffered greatly. Furthermore, the Crimean situation, which seemed to be settling down, spread to eastern Ukraine, leading to frequent military clashes.
Given these circumstances, the uncertain and costly reactor experiments were pushed down the priority list.
"They might have also suspected that the US and China halted their experiments due to technical difficulties."
Thanks to that, a good opportunity arose for us.
Taek-gyu nodded.
"It's about time we did something with our Russian bear buddies."
***
Professor Mohan canceled his originally booked flight tickets, deciding instead to travel with us on our private jet after his schedule in Korea finished. After picking up Professor Mohan and Carrie, we flew directly to Russia.
Carrie was thrilled.
"A private jet! Can I take pictures and show off to my friends?"
"Of course. Take as many as you like, and brag all you want."
Although the weather in Korea was starting to warm up, Russia was still in the dead of winter. So, we packed plenty of winter clothes.
The flight time to Moscow was roughly nine hours.
During the flight, I skimmed through a Russian phrasebook. Unlike languages derived from Latin, such as English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, Russian belongs to the Slavic language group and uses the Cyrillic alphabet.
The language system is completely different, making reading and pronunciation exceptionally difficult. In the end, I memorized a few greetings and closed the book.
Beside me, Taek-gyu pointlessly mumbled 'Spasibo'.
Upon arriving at the airport, an interpreter and bodyguards were waiting. Golden Gate, the global financial firm, also operates in Russia and had dispatched an employee fluent in both English and Russian.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kang. I'm Angelina Rudakova."
She was a Slavic beauty—tall, with pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes.
Taek-gyu put his hand on my shoulder and said,
"I'm telling Ellie."
"…Already?"
I haven't even properly looked yet!
We immediately got into the prepared car and headed for Moscow State University.
Moscow State University, which I was seeing for the first time, was vast and beautiful.
Taek-gyu exclaimed in admiration,
"I can feel the spirit of the Generalissimo of Steel. Oooh! Comrade Stalin!"
"…"
He wasn't wrong. Buildings like this are actually called 'Stalinist style,' and there are said to be seven of them in Moscow.
Professor Petrov was waiting outside the university building to meet us. He and Professor Mohan greeted each other warmly, reuniting after a long time.
I thought he had a large build from his photo, but seeing him in person, he was even more imposing. Over 190 centimeters tall, with blonde hair, a rugged beard, broad shoulders, and steel-like forearms, he looked like he could wrestle a bear barehanded.
Taek-gyu asked in a low voice,
"Do you need muscles like that to be a nuclear physicist?"
"…Of course not."
It's not like he's running around carrying fuel rods himself.
Fortunately, Professor Petrov could speak English.
"I heard you would be coming along. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Nikolai Petrov."
"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Kang Jin-hoo."
We exchanged a brief handshake.
"Let's head inside first."
***
The news that Kang Jin-hoo had gone to Russia with Professor Mohan spread quickly. It was his first trip to Russia.
Not only the CEO of OTK Company but also the Vice CEO traveled together. Naturally, attention focused on the purpose of their visit.
The Kremlin, where the Russian President's office is located, closely monitored Kang Jin-hoo's movements. President Vysotsky received frequent updates.
"He is currently en route to Moscow State University. Expected to arrive in 30 minutes and meet with Professor Petrov."
What exactly is his purpose for coming here? Is he using the trip with Professor Mohan as an excuse to survey the situation in Russia?
He is universally acknowledged as the world's richest man. Beyond mere wealth, he owns companies with technology capable of moving the global economy.
Russia's time as the leader of the communist federation is long past. Now, wealthy capitalists are welcomed with open arms.
Amidst heightened tensions with NATO allies and groaning under Western sanctions, an investment in Russia by OTK Company could provide crucial breathing room for the economy.
President Vysotsky issued an order.
"We don't know how this will turn out, so cancel everything except the most important appointments."