Empire of the Ring

Now, President Nazarbayev, who was feeling sorry to leave the wasteland to Youngho, was instructing related ministers to review whether the autonomous state could get tax benefits.

“Mr. Lee here used his personal wealth to turn Arirang State into a place where people can live and brought residents to live there. Also, he bought two battleships this time. Our government should pay him back for his sacrifice and commitment. Ministers in each department, use your brains to figure out how to support him. He’ll be paying a tremendous amount of money to build the medical school and general hospital opening this fall too. Our government is only taking advantage of him and the state.”

“Sir. We’ve been working on a number of options. I’ll give you a report soon.”

“You should. Always keep in mind how many foreign companies have invested in Kazakhstan, thanks to Lee. If he decided to leave Kazakhstan, we’re the only ones to be sorry.”

“Mr. President, I’m a Kazakh now. Where do you think I’ll be fleeing to?”

“I know your heart, Lee. It’s because some of our ministers don’t know what you mean to us.”

“Thank you, sir. Why don’t you come to our state and have medical checkup since you’re here?

“I’m a very healthy person. Your body will be prone to more sickness when you visit the hospital too often.”

The president soon got up and left the room as Youngho asked him to come to the hospital. It seemed that he was frightened by the sound of a general checkup.

As the president got up to leave for Astana’s presidential palace, the meeting ended quicker than it would have been. It was all thanks to Youngho’s proposal. Most of the officials who were intimidated by the president’s commands looked better after his departure. Some of them felt sorry for Youngho who would accompany the president to Atyrau Airport. However, Youngho welcomed it because he was officially a stand-alone member of the president.

Many conversations were exchanged between Youngho and the president during the ten-minute car ride to the airport.

“Your Excellency, the U.S. drone company said it would share some of its original technology to the state.”

“The autonomous state will now have the technological capability too.”

“I’m telling you this because it’s going to take the power of the drones to the next level.”

“Oh, is it? I didn’t know drones can be that powerful.”

“Our borders are so vast that effective vigilance is difficult. This can be done by drones. Even if a person doesn’t patrol, the perimeter of a soldier extends to tens of kilometers. It’s something that can dramatically improve our military capabilities.”

“Can you bring it to the Presidential Palace later and demonstrate it?”

“If you call me, I’ll be there any time.”

“I’m such a lucky president to have you, Lee. Did I surprised you when I mentioned the land development earlier?”

The president confessed that his intention was not to give Youngho a burden but to warn the other ministers and officials by saying it publicly. No one there would attempt to develop the wilderness except for someone like Youngho, so by letting Youngho handle the issue was an alarming moment for the cabinet members who had only been filling their stomachs.

“Because of you, Lee, the future of Kazakhstan looks bright. I appreciate your commitment. If you have anything to ask me, let me know. I’ll grant you anything you ask if I can.”

“There’s nothing special I can ask of you. I’m not worried about the land you gave me since there’s river next to it. I have a way to make the land rich.”

“How would you? In Korea, the newly developed fields are usually planted with soybeans. It’s good to build the fertility of the soil. It’s scientifically proven as well. Now, part of the wheat field has gone through that process, and the yield has increased because of that.”

“I don’t know if our agricultural bureau knows about it.”

“I’m sure people already know it, but it’ll be hard to force farmers to work on it since they’re busy working toward wheat harvests now. It should be enforced with force. And then it won’t be so long before the farmland turns into an abundant land one day.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll carry you around. I don’t know where to start, but I’m glad to hear that.

I’ll tell them to try it right from next year.”

“That’s why you have to live long and healthy to see the great changes in Kazakhstan. I will send you the state’s doctors.”

“I am fine. Don’t bother.”

***

Park Young-sun and Kim Chun who were glad to hear about the expansion of the autonomous state, especially since the land that covered a tributary of the Ural River was being given.

“Boss, our territory will double in size. We would’ve made our new villages there if it was given to us earlier. It’s a shame.”

“Mr. Lee. Look at this map. There is a small stream that follows the tributary. I think that part is going to be ours too.”

Park Young-sun was excited to find that out. The boundaries were visible where he was pointing. He hurried out of the office to go there on a light airplane to look around the area.

“Boss, did the president say anything else?”

“He asked me to bring the drones to the presidential palace and give them a demonstration.”

“No, not that. If he gave us the land, he ought to give us people to live in it. How are we going to finish developing it with a limited number of people?”

“Hahaha… don’t worry about that. The president said that I can take as much time as I want to develop the land. It doesn’t even have to be a farmland. There’s no pressure.”

“Huh. I see. That’s awesome and we deserve that. Who’s going to bring in two of those expensive battleships if it weren’t for us? The Navy’s power is doubled because of us.”

Since the state’s missile ships were used to patrol around the Caspian coast, they were naturally considered the addition to Kazakhstan’s military force although they belonged to the state. Youngho did not care about such an idea since the state and Kazakhstan had an inseparable partnership now. If Kazakhstan went down, the state’s existence would be at stake too. That was why Youngho suggested the idea of deploying drones at the border areas. It would maximize military power and effectively guard the areas.

As the size of the state’s territory was widened, Cho Chul-hwan, the head of the Countryside Force, had concerns. Saying that the state would not be able to guard the extended area, he suggested replacing noncombatant force with women soldiers.

“They’ll receive basic training and work only indoors. It’s not against the sentiment here because they’ll only let them wear military uniforms in case of emergency. Who would point fingers at women soldiers who volunteered to protect their land?”

“A noncombatant force… ”

“It’s possible for women soldiers to monitor drone activities and do administrative work. It’s a real waste of manpower to get a special-trained member to do that.”

“Is there any volunteer?”

“You know, I’ve got positive opinions when I did polls.”

“The women’s issue is important for the two of us to decide. Let’s take this to the leadership meeting.”

“Okay, I’m going to convince the group.”

The next day, Youngho called the follower couple who would be the perfect fit for this kind of job. They got along pretty well with young men and women in the state.

“Boss. Would women soldiers get the same pay as men?”

“It would be a little different since they’d be non-combatant soldiers, but they’ll have salary increases with experience.”

“What if they’re willing to be combatants?”

“If they’re capable, why not? But for now, I’m looking for the ones who’d work indoors.”

“I’m afraid that there will be too many volunteers. Would you accept high school seniors or students in a specialized school if they want to quit their studies?”

“They’ll have to have a high school diploma. I’ll take the ones who go to a specialized school.”

“Phew, again we’re in charge of an important job.”

Youngho asked the couple to be careful when recruiting the new soldiers.

When the security forces said they would accept the women, the reaction was quite explosive. Even married women who wanted to apply for the job.

As many applied for the job, Chief Niksic and Old Kim Sung-chan frequently visited the office and asked if they were true. Everyone seemed to take it positively, and they did not seem to need voting from the leadership group. It was because girls in their late teens on early 20s were eager to join the army, too.

***

“The maritime police got missile ships now, what about the freighter we ordered from Russia?”

“The boat was almost complete before it was canceled, it will probably be ready by the beginning of next year. I asked Mr. Yaniv to make it as quick as possible.”

There were many abandoned vessels in Russian shipyards that were in the middle of making before they were stopped. Most of them were sold as scrap metal or intact to China, and Youngho had asked one of the vessels from Yaniv previously. He requested a modification to make it look like a merchant ship. It was the one that the Russian Navy tried to use, meaning that it would be at least about 1,000 tons. However, he never heard back from Yaniv for quite a long time about the vessel.

“I don’t trust the technology of the Russian shipyard very much. If it’s possible, we’ll have to work on it in our shipyard again.”

“Man, if the Caspian Sea was connected to a huge ocean as the Black Sea, I’ll try to build a big ship, but it’s not so easy.”

“But we can make about a vessel in the 500-ton-class.”

“That’s not as nearly as big as the one I’m talking about.”

“Our ships will be invincible in the Caspian Sea even though they’re small. Just wait and see. When the 100-ton class is complete, we’ll gradually make bigger ones until we make one in 500 tons.”

“You’re trying to put the laser guns you’re trying to make, aren’t you?”

“Of course. It turns out both the U.S. and Russia already have those on their military vessels. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll steal the technology.”

“Dude, you dream big.”

“All you need to do is start practicing on how to pick a safe.”

“You’re determined to turn me into a thief.”

“Come on. Have we done it once or twice? You know we can do it with our eyes closed.”

“Oh, man. That doesn’t mean we have to keep doing it.”

Park Jong-il scolded Youngho now, but he would be the one to move faster than Youngho when the situation was given. If Youngho left him out in the job, he would be upset for quite a while.

“I’m trying to put the laser guns on all of the ships of Arirang Shipping. You’re still not interested?”

“Is there going to be a war soon? Our freighters are fine with security guards on board.”

“Don’t you wonder what will be in their safe when you rob the office?”

“I’m going to live moral life these days, so you’ll have to do it alone.”

“If you don’t cooperate, I’ll blow up your past.”

“This son of a b*tch is coming out really cheap.”

“Hahaha…”

Youngho said it as a joke, but he could do industrial espionage without hesitation if the state could have advanced technology. Although promised, it was not yet clear how far the U.S. company D Drones would share its technology.

Special welding technology was important, but the purpose was to make laser guns.

Youngho wondered if Eriksson’s Information Agency could help him buy this kind of technology too. The thought of asking him flashed across his mind. If it was an organization that bought and sold information, wasn’t technology information too? He said that anything that made money was treated by the organization. If the price was not high, maybe Youngho could buy it too.