EP 21 – Knights Without Borders (9)
The morning sun shone through the window. The sun was warm and not warm. Summer seems to be coming to an end.
so my eyes opened
“… … hamm.”
With a small yawn, I crawled out of bed, pounding on my poker feet, getting ready to go to work.
“… … 🥺”
It was the start of an ordinary day.
* * *
Something.
Everyday life is a bit empty
Maybe it’s because of the disappearance of the idiots who made accidents and raising blood pressure from time to time, or Yeo Do-yeon who brought a cold can of beer to the back of her neck when she entered every corner.
Or maybe it’s because of the disappearance of the delicious or savory Pichaewon, or friendly foreign guests, that he sometimes called.
Really these days. Something.
okay.
a little bit
But no matter how I felt, the power I held required that much responsibility.
It was such a day to get the respect and fear of others with a smile that was not inside, and to check the news while desperately feeling the weight of one dojo.
at that time.
I heard the news that our kids did something in Europe.
“Hey, sir… … !”
Even patriotism is poking news. It felt like I was being ripped apart while the approval ratings were falling metallurgically because I was confused both inside and outside the country. It was even more pleasant to see that the increase in the approval rating that cannot be ignored was confirmed by statistics.
Most of all, I’m glad that everyone is safe.
great. I have to have a meeting after a long time.
As I was smiling like that, Yoo Jae-young, an intern in the parliamentary office, passed me in front of me with a pile of papers stacked taller than my height.
I called her up.
“Hey, Jae-young!”
“Yes, yes!”
Yoo Jae-young froze. I smiled softly and tilted my head.
“I am going to have a dinner tonight. Can you ask the members of the House of Representatives if you want to go?”
“Ah yes! Finish-“
Whoops!
Yoo Jae-young, who was about to say something, became a hapjuk. I chased her to see what was going on.
“What is it?”
“Ah yes! yes! Okay, what is that… … .”
Yoo Jae-young hesitated for a moment, then confessed in a crawling voice.
“Oh, it was a dinner party today… … .”
* * *
“Hey, Ilho. Where are you? Ahh. okay. I went to a restaurant with Hojeong. uhm. okay. Uh, no big deal, no big deal… … . okay. I get it. Have a good time. uh, uh cut off.”
“hello? Oh, reporter Gam! haha. Yes. It’s nothing. It’s no different than having a drink tonight, ah. Yes. A family dinner? No, no, that’s fine. Have a good time.”
“… … hello? Oh my gosh, Prime Minister Yu. You are working hard. ah yes Anyway, how about a drink in the evening? Oh, yes. meeting? Yes. All right.”
“… … Yes, Commander Doosik Kim. How have you been- Oh, you’re inspecting the power lines? Yes. It was nothing. Yes. Yes. I’ll hang up. Do your best.”
“… … Yes. hello? Oh yes, Mr. Chen. What’s going on? Do you have time for dinner? uh A meeting with the deputy ministers, yes. little. Yes. sorry. Dinner later… … .”
“… … Are you Jiyoon? Ji Yoon-ah! Uncle will buy you something delicious, ah, that’s right. It was a family dinner. okay. Rest well. Yes.”
Touk-!
The phone hung up, and I put my phone in.
“… … .”
My aides are having a dinner party today. I just sent the card in a cool way.
okay. Cool.
Sending a card to a dinner party that the boss secretly planned. You can’t be so merciful. To be honest, if I were you, I would probably be an A-class boss.
It’s cool though.
I’m a cool person, so I bought a can of Chu-Hi at a convenience store. He even signed autographs for the clerk.
It was far from being lonely or having such a menopause mindset because I was never drinking alone.
I am a cool and chic 28 year old. Even though he is doing a great job at the age when he enters a new age in society, youth is still youth.
Of course, I’m a little bit older. He ate the elixir he had given him in Europe and his condition was neatly restored. Liver levels also went down.
Thanks to this, I can drink alcohol by myself in a cool way. In the bleak living room of a large house, I squatted wearing nothing but thin Nanning shoes. Watching soup entertainment shows on TV.
Usually, around the evening of every Friday, Pichaewon came with a plate of pineapple pizza I like, but today the doorbell doesn’t ring.
Oh right. I went to Europe.
“… … great.”
I had a runny nose because I slept with the air conditioner turned on.
As it was crawling like a snake to the place where the toilet paper was placed, I felt a little nervous, but I didn’t show it because I’m a cool person.
That was then.
“Hey, how are you?”
-Uh, Seungmoon. do you have time?
I smiled broadly and picked up Yang Pan-seok’s phone.
“Ugh. I have a little schedule, but that’s all I need!”
– A diplomat came from America.
* * *
The US request was diverse and complex.
Customs tariffs, economic cooperation, support for the 7th Fleet, extension and revision of the ROK-US Mutual Defense Treaty, regulations on the scope of wartime operational control, reinforcement of USFK, and proposals for the Manseok project. etc.
But if I had to pick the point, this was it.
The dollar key currency.
So.
Spend 1 dollar instead of 1,000 won in Korea – Well, it’s not like that. When doing international trade, it was a voice asking them to exchange money for dollars and then trade.
In fact, it was normal until the gate burst. The dollar was the world’s reserve currency.
Isn’t it usually said that exports reached tens of thousands of dollars? That’s because when you trade, you calculate your money in dollars.
However, after the gate burst, things are a little more subtle.
Just looking at Korea’s 2nd New Southern Policy (import of gemstones in Southeast Asia), it was a structure in which KRW was paid to receive magic stones. To be exact, he asked for half a dollar and half a won.
This was not because we challenged the economic authority of the United States, but because we favored the won in Southeast Asia.
In other words, it was said that Southeast Asia began to trust the won more than the dollar, and that South Korea’s trust had fallen short of that of the United States. At least in Southeast Asia.
“Write… … .”
The value of money indicates trust in the country. It wasn’t just an economic issue. Besides, it’s a very odd timing, isn’t it?
USA. Europe. uk. gate. money. trust. superhuman federation. plot. etc. Right away, several keywords were running around in my head, allowing various guesses.
But.
My head was just foggy like a mist. Economics was not my area of expertise.
“That’s why we came to the experts.”
“Hmm… … is that so… … ?”
Cheon Geum-soon’s office was located at the end of the first floor of the GS Group headquarters.
He said that the reason he wasn’t on the top floor was his aspiration to work under the employees, but if he really did, he wouldn’t have hidden the entrance to the underground bunker behind a bookshelf.
Anyway.
“The US wants the dollar as its reserve currency. What do you think?”
“First… … . If you take a quick glance at what you can see, it seems like you are trying to secure the credibility of the dollar.”
Cheon Geum-soon, wearing a slightly scruffy outfit, seems to be suffering from overwork today, brought a Monami ballpoint pen and began to draw on the back paper.
With her frizzy hair behind her ears, she wrote each word in two circles.
credibility and trade deficits.
“There are two conditions for a key currency. reliability. And a huge trade deficit. So… … . It has to be something everyone can trust and use, and it has to be loose enough that everyone can spend it.”
“It’s something only America can do.”
“Okay. Credibility has to do with either holding a gold nugget or pouring thousands of dollars into the national defense budget. Also, even if they give their money to the whole world, the country has to run smoothly.”
But she scribbled out a circle with the word ‘reliability’ on it. Next to him, he even drew cute doodles that were roughly assumed to be monsters.
“… … hmm. Let me give you one example. When Vietnam trades with us, it is received in Korean Won, but when the Second Korean War breaks out, it will all be scraps of tissue paper, right?”
“yes.”
“So I was told to put it out as a daughter, but now it’s the other way around. The central United States was smashed, tens of millions of zombies infested, and seven nuclear power plants exploded. What do you believe in using dollars… … ?”
“Hmm… … .”
“by the way. Let’s say we pay in dollars when we trade with foreign countries.”
“The confidence in the dollar will increase.”
“That was America’s first goal. In the end, the more people spend money or stock, the more the value goes up. If we use dollars, the value of dollars will increase. Wouldn’t that also make the economy stable?”
the first aim.
“Then what about the second?”
* * *
“Actually, there are probably too many to count on my fingers.”
Prime Minister Yoo Jae-kyung, who is responsible for the economy of the Republic of Korea, continued to explain to me while pressing down on the wrinkled forehead.
“Inflation stability, restoration of national trust, diplomatic friendliness, etc. It’s not that bad if you think of devaluing the dollar. … .”
Yoo Jae-kyung’s eyes twinkled.
“The most important thing is this. America’s credibility is being shaken from the ground up.”
He told me some history. The reason the dollar became the reserve currency is because the US had so much gold back in the day or something. It is said that it was the most reliable country under the gold standard system. In modern times, it was maintaining its credibility through national defense and economy.
“… … So. America’s credibility is ultimately secured by gold, its economy, its military and diplomatic power. By the way, does America now have the same status as it used to be?”
“No.”
“Actually, the economic hegemony of the United States stems from the dollar index. One dollar buys dozens of bananas in Africa. Well, that kind of thing. Money has power.”
“… … .”
“But now, it’s not the gold standard, it’s the magic stone standard, isn’t it? The era of the dollar is over. The numbers and statistics prove it.”
Anyway, I understood the sound of the US economy being f**ked. So they need our help.
As he kept his mouth shut to hide his shallow knowledge, Yoo Jae-kyung, who was obsessed with his words, made a few guesses.
“… … In fact, let’s add a little bit of flesh here. It seems that the United States is trying to establish some kind of economic system.”
“The economic system?”
“Isn’t there something like the Eurozone? Coins are related to each other just by using the same thing. Isn’t there such a thing as an exchange rate?”
he was sure
“If we use dollars. The value of the won also soars. Of course, the value of the dollar will also skyrocket. This is a political issue, not an economic issue. Because America will do that.”
“… … .”
“In the original case, it would have a negative impact on exports. In the yard where the competing currency has become a piece of tissue paper, you can buy a bag of rice for 1,000 won… … .”
I asked him.
“… … Is it getting that bad?”
“Because America is going to do that. It will probably become a piece of paper, except for the currency of some countries. In fact, it still is. Now it will be cheaper than toilet paper.”
Yoo Jae-kyung frowned slightly and began to wipe her glasses.
“Aren’t we still benefiting from it? Thanks to the exchange rate, you are buying gemstones from Southeast Asia at low prices. Jet fuel is cheaper.”
In fact, it is a place that does not have the technology to turn mana stones into energy. It’s purely for strengthening the stamina of the hunters, so from the point of view of the superiors, it would be advantageous to sell them abroad.
Of course, if they really care about the people, they sell the country, but when did a politician ever think about the people? Even in cultures where tribal gangs are common.
Yoo Jae-kyung made a calm prediction, checking to see if there was dust on the shiny glasses.
“It’s kind of an economic ‘kick the ladder’ after all.”
“… … .”
“If we grant America’s economic dominance. America will put us in a new establishment. And in the future, no one will be able to enter it. The problem is, there are a few countries that can challenge this establishment. We are the most powerful among them. At least for now.”
“… … .”
“What? In fact, the Korean won is strong enough to challenge the dollar. But do you really need to jump on it? Isn’t it possible to become a hegemonic state?”
“… … .”
“Hmm. What. If you would like to hear your opinion as Prime Minister. My position is conditional ‘Yes’. It wouldn’t be too bad if you put a few safety devices on it. We are in a situation where we have no choice but to rely too much on China, so I don’t think it would be a bad idea to have insurance… … .”
“… … .”
“More than anything-“
* * *
Isn’t the US the most annoying country when it’s still the enemy?
“He said-”
“Hmm… … .”
Yang Pan-seok groaned and drooled.
“but. The chief economist said the same thing. It is the idea of gathering established countries and building a fence with the exchange rate.”
he asked me
“So what do you think?”
“I do not know. From a national point of view, it is helpful to the national interest. From a political point of view, it’s a bit absurd.”
He smiled as if waiting.
“Okay, okay… … let me recite it once We need to hear the opinions of the experts here.”
“haha… … .”
I decided to come up with my own reasoning. I am also a person who knows how to tap a calculator.
“… … If that’s the case. The economies of Korea, the United States, China and the EU are closely interconnected.”
“okay.”
“Let’s say Europe is ruined.”
“What?”
“Ah, let’s just say that!”
Of course, tapping the calculator does not mean that the results are logical. First of all, I am far from numbers.
“If the. Ah-ju if. Europe has either collapsed or suffered a great blow. But there is only one country that can predict that.”
but.
“… … Which country would benefit the most?”
Politics was the study of reading desires, not numbers.
“The exchange rate fluctuates because of the gate. If you know where the gate will open. Isn’t that what dominates the world economy?”
* * *
The first thing Pi Chae-won saw as soon as they arrived in England was a huge welcoming crowd who greeted them through the window.
Just as he was getting ready to leave the plane, Daniel passed by and approached Pi Chae-won.
He warned me softly with gleaming eyes.
“I didn’t bring you here because I trust you.”
Yeo Do-yeon, who was sitting next to Pi Chae-won, tilted her head.
“What is he saying?”
“You didn’t bring us because you trusted us.”
“What, in England?”
“I do not know. Last time you saw us, they said we were spies.”
“… … her?”
Daniel muttered without hesitation.
“Thank you for help, but don’t do shit.”
After Daniel left those words and walked away, Yeo Do-yeon shook her head again.
“What do you mean?”
“Thank you for coming, but please don’t do anything strange.”
“What a strange thing.”
“Ugh. Is it an assassination or a spy?”
“Hey… … This little horse is pretty.”
From the perspective of the spy who listened, there was a bit of a prick. The first purpose of Pi Chae-won was to rob the British Prime Minister’s brain.
anyway.
Pi Chae-won smiled happily and added an explanation to Yeo Do-yeon. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand how it felt anyway, so I wasn’t too angry. It was a heaven created by ability.
“Well, Europe is a situation where you have to be suspicious like this.”
“It’s like that, people have to wear basic cheap things to be treated like a human being.”
“… … It must have been something that hurt you.”
When Pi Chae-won smiled bitterly, Yeo Do-yeon laughed as if she couldn’t win.
“Anyway, the kid is really good.”
“haha… … .”
Pi Chae-won smiled shyly, and Yeo Do-yeon muttered as if she was still dissatisfied.
“If you still doubt it, then why did you bring it? what the. Did you just show me three of them and bring them?”
“… … I do not know.”
Pi Chae-won kept quiet.
The fact that he was moved by how he risked his life to catch a monster from another country was a thought that was hard to come out of Daniel’s mouth.