89. Hands changed hands.
“You sure about the security, Henry?”
“Yes, boss. I double-checked it after your call, and it’s all good. It’s not commercially available equipment, and I got it covertly through my military connections, so even if the National Security Agency (NSA) came knocking, it would be hard to overhear or eavesdrop.”
I double-checked with Aegis Company’s Henry, who was out at the company’s headquarters for a check before we started the video conference.
“What about Seoul?”
“General Lee has installed the same equipment we sent over there. You can rest assured.”
“Good work.”
That’s enough reassurance for me.
As I gave the order to begin, familiar faces appeared on the screen in front of me.
President Nam Jung-won, Jae-ha, and Vice President Min Myung-ki, as well as Attorney Park Hong-ryul from the Purification Foundation and Karma Security’s Lee Sang-chul, Ki-dong and Sang-ho.
Chairman Jang Young-dong and my father told me not to invite them.
They didn’t think it would be appropriate for such a heavy topic.
Lawyer Park Hong-ryul was enough for legal advice.
“Good morning, everyone.”
“Yes, Mr. Chairman.”
“It’s been a while.”
“Good to see you!”
Other greetings poured in, following my connection.
“hahahahaha! It’s great to see you all here together.”
“This is a shame. Even when Chairman Kang comes to Korea, he doesn’t see us much?”
“Oh, Mr. Flyer, what’s wrong?”
“hehehehe! Just kidding, just kidding. I’m just having a hard time seeing your face.”
“hahahahaha!”
“hehehehe!”
After a round of laughter at his joke, Mr. Lee cut to the chase.
“The reason I’ve called you all here is because I have something to discuss. In fact, I met with President Trump yesterday.”
“Trump?”
“Yes, Mr. Nam, and what happened is—.”
I proceeded to explain my earlier encounter with Trump.
Except for the Powerball story, of course.
“—this is what happened.”
And the response was just as furious.
“I mean, the president of the United States makes threats?”
“He’s a mugger, isn’t he?”
“He’s a f*cking twat!”
“He’s a f*cking lunatic, isn’t he?”
“So you’re telling me to squeeze more support for America.”
Yeah, right.
This is not the case, no matter how urgent.
“Well, here’s what happened. The U.S. was our first priority anyway, so let’s think of it as a little early. Like I said, do you think you can afford to take out some more quarantine supplies, Mr. Nam?”
“VP Min and President Lee Jae-ha and I have been racking our brains all day, and we’ve decided to take a little bit here and a little bit there, encourage production, and allocate an additional 40% to the US.”
“Well, you guys did a good job. I think that should be enough. The problem is the vaccine, and I’ll be hearing from the pharmaceutical company recommended by the U.S. in the next few days. When you hear from them, please do what you can, but don’t show your displeasure.”
“I understand, Mr. Chairman. I will discuss it with the government.”
The export of quarantine supplies and vaccines must be coordinated with the government.
They were practically strategic materials, and now they were embargoed by every country in the world.
“The government wouldn’t say anything if it was the United States.”
“Because it’s the United States—.”
Yeah, because it’s America.
It’s a really f*cked up thing to do, but it’s America.
“Tell the government to be as pissed off as possible. We’re not Jesus, we don’t have to let the right hand know what the left hand is doing, do we?”
“Excuse me, Mr. President—.”
“What?”
“Your hand has changed.”
“What? You switched hands?”
“The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.”
“Fuhahahahaha!”
“hahahaha!”
“Poohhhhh!”
Aww, what about the left hand and what about the right hand?
I should have gotten it.
“Mr. Nam, you’re being a little sneaky, aren’t you?”
“I apologize.”
“Hum, anyway, Trump is going to make a big fuss to boost his election ratings, and if you jump on board, it’ll be effortless publicity.”
“I’ll do that, by the way, Mr. President.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“What about pricing?”
“I made a deal with Mr. Trump that we don’t have to mark it up too much. Just mark it up appropriately. It’s not like America doesn’t have money.”
“I see.”
“Oh, but if you export outside the U.S., make sure it’s controlled by us, and your profit margins are limited. You can’t give us a dog for nothing, can you? Well, America isn’t a dog, but—.”
“hahahaha, of course, we can’t have you buying them cheap from us and selling them to others at a premium, so that’s what we’ll do.”
“Hmmm, then there’s only one thing left.”
The question is what to ask the US.
It’s a great opportunity that might come around again, and I can’t let it pass me by.
“What do you think we should ask the US for?”
“I don’t know, that’s a tough one. We have to have something.”
“So here’s what I’m saying. You don’t have anything to complain about economically or business-wise, do you?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, let’s broaden the scope a little bit and think about what we can do to help our country. What do you think? Everybody say something.”
“Can’t we say something like trade regulations? Why did Trump go on a rant about FTAs last time?”
Mr. Park spoke up as if he’d just remembered.
“It didn’t end so badly. Steel was the main item on the agenda, but the quotas were exempted due to a shortage of steel in the U.S. The other thing was an extension of the elimination of tariffs on pickup trucks from 2021 to 2040, which is something Trump will never concede.”
“Why pickup trucks?”
“Extending the tariffs on pickup trucks, which virtually don’t have a business card in the U.S. market, is a way to win support from workers in the Rust Belt, which is Trump’s base. As long as votes are involved, there’s no way Trump is going to make concessions.”
“Oh, I see.”
Mr. Park shrugged slightly at Mr. Nam’s answer.
“The rest is the US pharmaceutical industry’s trade retaliation claim, which won’t stand a chance given the way things have turned out, and always have.”
“Well, you can’t talk about it because it involves votes, so what are you asking for?”
sh*t, if I were in China or Japan, I’d have a mountain of things to ask for, but in America, I had nothing.
What the hell do I ask for?
“Well, economically, I don’t think I have anything to ask for, but how about this?”
“Ah, Mr. Flyer. What do you mean?”
“Well, if you take advantage of the economic situation, it’s going to come back to bite you in the ass later.”
“That’s why I’m torn.”
“Then let’s do something good for the country now.”
“What? Something good for the country?”
“There are two things I want to do about our national defense. The first is the U.S.-South Korea missile guidelines.”
“Ah—.”
There it was.
“Trump has already lifted it on two occasions, so it will be talked about.”
“Where are we now? I mean, the restrictions.”
“In the third revision in 2017, the old 800 kilometer range and 500 kilogram warhead weight was changed to unlimited warhead weight and the range was still 800 kilometers.”
“I see.”
“That was changed a few months ago to only allow ‘military solid-state rockets’ to go beyond 800 kilometers, which is officially a minor change, so civilian use is unrestricted.”
“So, they’re pretty much off the hook, then?”
“Yeah, so that should be easy for Trump to hear, because if he’s gotten this far, the range restrictions were going to be lifted within a couple years.”
“Okay, so what’s the other one?”
“This one, I honestly don’t see much hope for either, but—.”
Mr. Lee hesitated a moment, not sure what he was going to say.
“Feel free to say it. If it doesn’t work, that’s it.”
“Well, what else is there? A nuclear-powered submarine.”
“One, nuclear?”
“Is that even possible?”
“Aren’t you going too far?”
I could feel it getting noisier by the second, but I didn’t care.
A nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN).
As a Navy brat, they’re a dream come true.
A submarine that can plow through the ocean with near-infinite power.
“Is that possible?”
“Why would it be impossible? I don’t need the IAEA, I don’t need anybody. I just need the United States to approve it. All we have to do is amend the damn nuclear agreement.”
“What’s the status of the agreement now?”
“It was revised in 2015 after 40 years to allow for low enrichment below 20%, and frankly, we don’t even need an agreement. If the president of the United States approves it, that’s it.”
“What’s our government’s position?”
“What’s the point, it was a campaign promise of the current administration?”
“Even if we allow it, the U.S. won’t sell us the reactor or the technology. Is it still possible to develop it?”
“I’m a former admiral in the Korean navy. Not your field, but I know a lot. I can do it, as long as the U.S. approves it. Besides, you could help me out a bit.”
“——.”
When I say a little help, I’m talking money, of course.
I’m willing to put up a trillion dollars or a few trillion dollars if you say so.
If I pay you, you’ll give me a ride, right?
“Nuclear-powered submarines are not out of the question. I was just telling you about our navy’s dream.”
“Hmmm, no, that’s my dream too, and I’m a Navy man, aren’t I, even though I’ve heard the Navy sirens?”
“Heh, heh, heh, that’s right, you’re in the Navy too!”
“Okay, well, you’ve got to start somewhere, so let’s go for it.”
“Oooh, please!”
“Just don’t get your hopes up.”
“Of course I’m expecting it! hahahaha!”
“——.”
In the U.S., there was a Korean frenzy.
Trump announced that he’d gotten quarantine supplies from South Korea’s Karma Group, thanks to some dogged negotiation using all of his connections.
But there was another highlight.
The vaccine.
Trump announced that South Korea was developing the vaccine the fastest in the world, and that he would use his political muscle to get it to the U.S. first, along with South Korea.
This news sent the US into a frenzy.
They saw hope from hell.
“Wow! Korea is the best!”
“The Eternal Bloodline!”
“Land of the Bulletproof Assault Team!”
“Worthy!”
Damn, I could have gone first—.
In any case, I didn’t feel bad about the Korean craze in the US.
After all, I’m a permanent resident of the United States.
On the other hand, the Karma headquarters and the government in South Korea had to suffer a lot because the whole world was demanding that we get the vaccine.
President Nam Jung-won said she stopped going to work altogether.
Also, Trump’s approval rating jumped by a whopping 7 percent, much to the delight of Mr. Twat.
“Kahahahahaha!”
Oh, shut up.
What is it with Trump and his laugh?
Now I’m in the White House again.
To state my demands.