Empire of the Ring

Youngho wanted to fly to Volgograd and meet Yaniv, but he could not move recklessly since he was already known to the public as a behind-the-scenes coordinator for the revolution. The world’s media was paying attention to his every day move now.

When Youngho called Yaniv, his voice was filled with joy as if he was waiting for Youngho’s call.

“I should treat you with respect now, but I’m afraid I’m not really good at such things. Please understand my ignorant behavior.”

“I’ve never heard of anyone who’s treated differently in his family just because he’s become a great figure.”

“In that case, I’ll speak at ease. There’s no one to blame since it’s a private conversation.”

Although he said he was ignorant in his own words, he went through all sorts of rough things as a mob boss. He was now an experienced businessman. He was quite a smart person, even though he was not educated in an institute.

“I’m calling for a favor. I should’ve visited you, but I can’t even go anywhere being unnoticed anymore. Please understand.”

“I would’ve stopped you even if you said you’d come here. You are the man leading the revolutionary government, and that makes you not as free as you used to be. I’d be careful if I were in your shoes too.”

The call with Yaniv lasted about an hour.

He was thrilled to take the role of a special envoy as a mafia boss.

It was burdensome since the relationship between Kazakhstan and Russia depended on their role, but he was confident that his personal ties with Putin would be useful.

“If Putin asks too much, the relationship between the two countries will only worsen. Four million Russians living in Kazakhstan will also turn their backs on Putin.”

“I know what you’re talking about. I’ll bring a better deal out of Russia than what the U.S. is giving you.”

“Please don’t overdo it. I’m afraid that your relationship with President Putin will be sabotaged by this. For now, I’m satisfied by the fact that Russia is supporting the revolutionary government.”

“If he wants to turn your back on me, I’m not afraid. That way, Putin will lose Volgograd and the Caspian Sea.”

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t know that yet? Volgograd is a place where it used to be the Golden Horde. Unlike western Russia, it was originally ruled by Mongolia. We are proud to be descendants of nomads, too. We’re part of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It would be a lot of fun if Putin treated such a place badly.”

“Wow. That makes me want to have some piece of Volgograd, the land of nomads.”

“Hahaha… I’ll tell Putin that. I’ll have to tell him that if he doesn’t listen to you, he’ll see nomadic cavalrymen coming for him.”

Yaniv firmly believed that Putin would decline his request if he was reminded that people living near Volgograd and the Caspian Sea were descendants of nomadic people.

Youngho thought they looked a little Asian, but it never occurred to him that they could be the descendants of nomads. Although their Mongolian blood was mixed with Slavic people’s blood, it was the Mongolian spirit that dominated people’s mindset.

Whether it was true or not, Youngho was relieved that Yaniv was willing to work as a special envoy. Leaving the work of the nation to the private sector was an adventure in a way, but it was the best option for now.

It would be embarrassing to get rejected by Russia after sending a special envoy openly. In order to deal with a socialist country that liked clandestine backdoor dealings, the normal method could be a hindrance. To survive between the two big powers that advocated socialism, it seemed like Youngho would have to get used to backdoor deals in the future.

President Nazarbayev was good at taking advantage of China and Russia. It was a shame that someone of such talent had to be too greedy for himself.

***

Eriksson did not go back to Sweden but stayed in Astana to give advice to Youngho.

The revolutionary government, composed of only soldiers, had many trials and errors although it had prepared a lot. Youngho, who was always asking for advice from Eriksson, was comfortable but also burdened.

“It’s convenient for me to have you around Eriksson, but is it okay to be away from your company this long?”

“I think I should be here for a while. May I?”

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to ask you. Of course, you can stay longer.”

“It’s because of you, duke. So, take responsibility.”

“Do you want me to pay you with gold bars or jewels?”

“Haha… In Sweden, when you get double pay, we pay a lot of taxes.”

“That’s why I’ll give it to you in items, not in cash. I’d like to thank Mr. Basten separately too.”

“We are trying to make a profit in our own way by helping you. Please don’t worry about it.”

“Well, then. I’m very happy to work with you.”

There were also many talents in the Arirang Autonomous State. Even though the geology doctor Park Young-sun and the head doctor Kim Dong-sung were quite intelligent people, they were only good at certain fields. They could not help with political tasks of using various tricks and negotiation skills to make a good deal with another political entity.

Managing a nation was an overwhelming task for Youngho even though he had been managing the autonomous state. He was looking for someone who could help him in this area, and Eriksson was the perfect person. Since he joined the revolutionary government, he resolved many issues once and for all.

Eriksson’s company, Information Agency, was almost as big as the world-wide global consulting firm, McKinsey. It was an elite group that delved into and diagnosed companies and countries. Eriksson’s advice, who gained long experience in such a company, was like long-waited rain for the revolutionary government.

He was appointed as a special advisor to the revolutionary government for policy and anything that was announced or implemented officially went through his hands. It was because the government was trying to show clean work as much as possible, unlike the past government. If there was even a small mistake, Kazakh people would see it the same way as the previous administration.

The revolutionary army dealt harshly with cases of unlawful activities.

It was common for any organization to close their eyes or reduce the level of punishment for talented employees, but it was not the case in the revolutionary army. Youngho wanted to overlook people’s mistakes, but he had to be as strict as possible in order to justify the revolutionary movement.

“Duke, this is a man of talent. Of course, he made a mistake, but his dismissal is too harsh.”

“We have to set strict standards for ourselves. If you’re stuck with compassion, you can’t move forward with the reformation. Of course, it’s too much of disciplinary action, but I can’t help it for the sake of the whole.”

“Phew, I told him to be so careful… I’m sorry this has happened.”

“It’s a shame to cut off a talented soldier, but we have to set an example.”

The revolutionary government had not yet taken any action for the existing bureaucracy, but it had been using a strict moral standard for the revolutionary forces. The impact of it was great. Corruption in government officials and police organizations was reduced. Those involved in the massive corruption scandal, which was subject to eradication, left the organization on their own.

Youngho did not punish the officials who stepped down on their own. They would be investigated in the future.

***

Fatima and the children left Baku and entered Astana. When they left Baku, they were spotlighted by the media, and it was the same in Astana.

When they arrived at the airport, there was a long stretch of domestic and foreign reporters and broadcasting officials. This was because media broadcasted Fatima’s story of how the descendants of the last Archduke of the Serbian kingdom had to settle in Kazakhstan, day after day. The documentary which was a plausible real-time adaptation of the settling process of Serbians from the Balkans in the remote area of Kazakhstan was enough to sway the minds of Kazakh people.

The fact that the Serbians cleared up the wilderness and helped the needy Kazakhs impressed Kazakh people. In their eyes, Fatima and Youngho seemed like people who popped out of a legend.

“It’s so cheesy that I can’t watch it anymore.”

“What are you talking about? It’s so touching to make a documentary video and interviews like that. We’ve had a hard time clearing the wilderness. I’m almost teary to watch it. You’re saying this was Eriksson’s idea?”

“Yeah, he said we have to seize Kazakh people’s minds from now on if we want to start the constitutional monarchy.”

“Well, it’s a cheesy trick, but it’s true that we worked hard to establish the autonomous state. I mean, all of us ate tons of sand.”

In fact, the video was quite moving. He thought that only Fatima would be featured in the documentary, but his effort to attract foreign investments were also featured. It made him seem like a hero.

The entrance of the hotel in Astana, where Fatima and the children were staying, was crowded with local people and reporters who flocked to see Fatima.

Youngho was surprised to see them cheering for Fatima. Although the Arirang state was quite popular in Kazakhstan, it was only a state made by immigrants with a population of fewer than 20,000 people. It was only famous for its relationship to the Danish royal family.

Nevertheless, the explosive reaction shown to Fatima was the power of broadcasting.

Eriksson’s diagnosis that the best way to dig into people who were still naïve was by broadcasting. The people who gathered in front of the hotel were proof.

“Oh! Are they all here to see me?”

“Yes. It’s because of the documentary on TV. How about going out on the balcony for a moment and waving to the people?”

“It’s been a ruckus at Baku Airport, so I thought something was going on. You’re the one who made this up, aren’t you?”

“Well, it’s not me. It was Eriksson’s idea. Also, it’s not what I made up. The documentary only told the truth.”

“Oh, don’t try too hard to make it sound good. I can see it in your face!”

“What? I’m a good actor. I can hide anything.”

“I don’t know if other people are fooled by your poker face, but I can figure it out in a minute.”

“I’ll have to take good care of my facial expressions from now on.”

Fatima looked bright as if the situation was exciting for her.

She had been over-loved by the residents of the autonomous state so far, so she was not startled by the popularity.

When Youngho called Fatima that he would be revolutionizing Kazakhstan, she did not look surprised at all. In fact, she comforted him for deciding to step up. Fatima was quite bold these days, sometimes even bolder than Youngho.

“I have to go out for a while. While I’m gone, why don’t you think of a way to appeal to the reporters and the Kazakh people? I mean if you want to be a crowned queen in the future.”

“Do you think the people are excited for a constitutional monarchy?”

“Well, they must be half-curious and half-hopeful. From now on, depending on what we look like, a new country will be born. So far, it’s going as we intended, but it’s going to be a bit noisy if any opposition group shows up.”

“I think I’ll make sure the opposition group doesn’t even think about showing up. Should I make a move?”

“How?”

“I’m thinking of going straight to the street. I’m going to do volunteer work at the kitchen soup or do chores at hospitals. I’m sure people have never seen upper class doing such work before.”

“If you do that only for once or twice, people will get quite upset.”

“I’m not doing it to show off. I hadn’t been involved in outside activities because I thought I might be a burden to you. I would do that kind of volunteer work every day.”

“You make me a weirdo. I never asked you to stay at home.”

“Haha… but he never told me to go outside and work.”

“If anyone heard that, he would think I’m a psychopath.”

“I’ll be outside from today, just be aware of it.”