Chapter 107: That Time I Handed Out Investment Money in South America

TL: Skye

[Today is a historic day! The 2026 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF first-round qualifier, San Marcos versus Montserrat, is about to kick off!]

The State Broadcasting announcer had a tremble in his voice.

[Both squads are coming out onto the pitch at Raymond Stadium in Anguilla!]

The stadium on the screen was small.

A ground with seating for a mere three thousand or so.

And even half of that was empty.

But several hundred San Marcos supporters, packed together in one section of the stands, were making enough noise for the whole stadium.

The flag of San Marcos snapped in the wind.

"San! Mar! Cos!"

"San! Mar! Cos!"

They were supporters who had crossed to Anguilla by boat with government backing.

This country had only had a national football team for a few years, but when it came to sheer passion, its supporters took a back seat to no one.

Tweeee-

[And we're underway! San Marcos lining up in a 4-3-3 again today! Rafael leading the line! Rafael is the very man who scored the winner in the last full international against Anguilla!]

[Kick-off! The 2030 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF first-round qualifiers have begun!]

[Fifteen minutes into the first half! San Marcos press forward! Rafael receives it in the middle... ah, the Montserrat defence snuffs it out!]

[San Marcos press forward! Rafael receives it in the middle... ah, the Montserrat defence snuffs it out!]

Montserrat had gone all-in on defence from the opening whistle.

All eleven men dropped into their own half and built a wall.

Parking the bus, as they say.

There was no space.

Every time Rafael tried to dribble, he ran straight into a wall of bodies.

[Fifteen minutes into the first half! Rafael swings in a cross from the flank! Ah... off a defender's head and out of play!]

[Twenty-eight minutes! Corner for San Marcos! Ah, the goalkeeper punches it clear!]

[Thirty-eight minutes! San Marcos on the attack again! One-two through the middle! Rafael takes it and shoots! Oh, no, it hits a defender!]

[That's the end of the first half! Nil-nil! San Marcos have controlled the game but haven't been able to break down Montserrat's iron wall!]

The players walked to the dressing room with their heads down.

Fifteen minutes of rest later, whatever it was that had happened inside that dressing room, the look on the players' faces had changed.

Where a moment ago they had looked impatient, now they were past impatience and brimming with desperation.

[The second half is underway! The San Marcos manager has changed his tactics! He's pulled the wide attackers back and packed the middle of the park!]

The idea was to carve them open in tight spaces with quick one-twos.

[Fifty-five minutes! Rafael collects it centrally! One-two! Back to Rafael! He shoots... ah!! Off the post and out!!]

[Fifty-eight minutes! San Marcos keep coming! But the Montserrat keeper stands tall! He keeps that one out too!]

[Rafael has won a free kick! Just outside the penalty area, a beautiful position! Captain and midfielder Rio Pereira stands over the ball!]

The stadium fell quiet.

Even the travelling supporters held their breath.

Rio, a defender, set the ball down and paced back a few steps.

Then he ran.

Left foot.

The ball rose over the wall and bent in.

The keeper stretched out a hand but never got near it, and the ball flew on and rippled the net.

[Goooooooooal!!! Rio!!! A free-kick goal from Rio Pereira!!! Sixty-two minutes! San Marcos 1, Montserrat 0!!!]

The announcer was screaming.

The away end exploded.

"San Marcos! San Marcos!"

Flags waved like mad.

[Seventy-five minutes! Montserrat are starting to push forward! But the San Marcos defence is holding firm!]

[Eighty-five minutes! San Marcos are running down the clock, keeping the ball moving! Very savvy game management!]

[Three minutes of stoppage time! One last attack for Montserrat! They launch it long! A defender heads it away! And...!]

Tweeeeeeeeeet.

[That's full time!!! San Marcos 1, Montserrat 0!!! San Marcos take the win in their opening match of the 2030 FIFA World Cup first-round qualifiers!!!]

[The travelling supporters are on their feet, singing! It wasn't pretty, but they won! San Marcos have their first victory in World Cup qualifying!]

Beep-

Yu-jin, who had been watching the match, picked up the remote and switched off the TV.

"Well played."

"Under Coach Kim Hang-seo's guidance, they seem to be improving quickly."

"I'll have to say a few encouraging words to them once they're back."

Yu-jin muttered as he rose from his chair.

Football's over. Time to work.

"Are the preparations for the Cabinet meeting finished?"

"They've already gathered in the main conference room. They were watching the qualifier."

"Then let's go straight in."

The Cabinet room of the Presidential Palace.

The Senior Secretaries were seated along both sides of a long rectangular table.

Isabella took her place at Yu-jin's right, while the Senior Secretaries of each ministry waited with their documents spread out in front of them.

Yu-jin lifted the ceremonial sword and pointed it at the screen at the front of the room.

"There's only one item on the agenda today."

[Six-Year Economic Development Plan — Third Phase Implementation Proposal]

Every eye in the room fixed on the screen.

"First, let's review what we've achieved so far. Chief of Staff?"

At Yu-jin's prompt, Isabella rose from her seat.

"The first phase was basic infrastructure. Roads, ports, power. The work of building the country's skeleton, and it has now entered its final stage. In the case of power in particular, once the two nuclear reactors slated for construction are complete, we will have enough to export to other nations."

The Senior Secretaries nodded, looking pleased with themselves.

"The second phase was the growth of heavy industry. The International Steel mill is on the verge of completion, the oil refining plant is running smoothly, and thanks to the new city project, our construction capacity is climbing vertically. As a result, Tortilla Construction's building capacity now more than covers domestic demand."

Up to that point, it was all ground already covered.

Yu-jin switched the display and raised the ceremonial sword to point.

"The third phase."

[Private-Sector-Led Industrial Growth]

"At present, the economic structure of San Marcos could be described as a kind of pyramid."

Yu-jin switched the screen.

The bottom of the triangle had nothing written in it at all.

The middle held the Korean companies that had moved into San Marcos, Taeyang Apparel among them.

At the apex were the names of the major conglomerates, Tortilla Corporation and Hyunhwa and International among them.

"Doesn't something about that strike you as strange?"

"I'm not sure what you mean by strange..."

Yu-jin pressed the remote and the Korean companies' names vanished.

Leaving Tortilla Corporation alone on the pyramid.

"Korean firms occupy most of this pyramid, and the only San Marcan company on it is Tortilla Corporation. Steel, refining, construction, agriculture, fisheries, logistics. Tortilla does all of it."

Yu-jin pointed at the base of the triangle.

"A pyramid is only stable if the base is broad. If the top is sharp and there's nothing underneath it, it collapses. Which is to say, if the bottom isn't holding it up, the economy of San Marcos can collapse right along with it."

The room was silent.

"We've only just finished putting up the skeleton. The first phase laid the infrastructure, the second built the heavy-industry base. Now, in the third phase, it's time to put flesh on the bones."

Ricardo, the Senior Secretary for Finance, raised a hand.

"Your Excellency, can we really leave this to the private sector? Frankly, this country has almost no citizens with any business experience. And no capital either."

"That's precisely why the state will support them."

Yu-jin switched the display.

Low-interest startup loans

Five-year tax reductions

Incentives for companies with export results

Priority tenancy in industrial complexes

Integration with technical training programmes

A whole array of support measures appeared.

"These are examples only. Each ministry is to draw up the detailed support measures itself. And don't forget that the objective is to give the private economy the push it needs to take off."

Aman, the Senior Secretary for Industry, asked a question.

"Which sectors specifically are you planning to cultivate?"

"For now, I have textiles and food in mind, along with tooling and assembly, and tourism. Consider them chosen to fit our circumstances."

Industries suited to a San Marcos that still lacked technical capability.

"First, on textiles, I'd like to see us cultivate OEM factories. Our labour costs are competitive, so the odds are good."

"Second, food. San Marcos's food supply currently depends entirely on Tortilla Farm and Tortilla Seafood. So by encouraging corporate-scale agriculture and fisheries, we improve the food situation and take aim at overseas exports at the same time."

"Third, tooling and assembly. Finished goods are still beyond us. But simple parts assembly is within reach. If we take subcontracts from foreign firms and build up experience, I believe the chance for domestic production will come eventually."

"Last, tourism. This country sits in the Caribbean. We have beaches, we have good weather, our security situation is stable. And we have a new city being built for tourism as we speak."

"But hotels would require enormous amounts of capital..."

"Not every traveller stays in a hotel. Some stay in cheap lodgings, or campsites, or guest houses. That's an area the private sector can handle perfectly well. Ah, and travel agencies would be another business the private sector could take on."

"......"

Yu-jin looked around at his Senior Secretaries.

"The target is three hundred new private companies founded within one year."

Ricardo, the Senior Secretary for Finance, widened his eyes.

"Three hundred?"

"Yes, three hundred. One-man operations, ten-man operations, it makes no difference. Give me as many enterprises as you possibly can that register a business, make a product, and hire people."

Yu-jin lowered his voice.

"Until now, the state has driven this country's economy. Tortilla has done everything. But that was a method we had no choice but to adopt in the early stages."

Yu-jin spoke clearly.

"The state cannot do everything. No country has ever succeeded that way, and even if one did, the wealth simply concentrates at the centre and the people see none of the benefit."

The room went quiet.

The Senior Secretaries glanced at one another.

The truth was that, viewed a certain way, this country's economic structure was closer to socialism.

Tortilla, which was a state enterprise in all but name, had a grip on nearly every industry.

But that had never been Yu-jin's goal from the outset.

The state had done it because the private sector couldn't; it had never meant that the state would do it forever.

Yu-jin raised the ceremonial sword and pointed once more at the triangle on the screen.

"It's time to give this country's economy back into the hands of its people."

After a brief silence, Isabella spoke.

"We will now put it to a vote. Those in favour, please raise your hands."

Unanimous.

Yu-jin nodded.

"Good. Each ministry is to draw up an implementation plan. I'll expect your reports within two weeks."

One by one, the Senior Secretaries rose from their seats and filed out of the conference room.

*****

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