Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 884

884. Generational Shift (15)

The tires wrapped in *Chikle* [a type of natural rubber] and the cloud carts were just the beginning.

Following that, various items made of *Chikle* appeared, and the ministers and officials’ eyes gleamed with interest.

Among those items, Jang Hang-sun and the Minister of National Defense were particularly interested in certain things.

What they coveted were the recoil pads attached to the back of the rifle stocks, the raincoats, and the military boots.

Examining the rifle recoil pad, Jang Hang-sun turned to the Minister of National Defense.

“Do you remember the method of identifying cowards that’s been used since the Battle of Liaodong and continues to this day?”

The Minister of National Defense nodded at Jang Hang-sun’s question.

“I know it well. It’s the method of taking off their jackets after the battle and examining their shoulders.”

The bullets used by the Imperial Army’s long rifles had a power somewhere between 7.62mm NATO and .30-06 Springfield rounds [common rifle ammunition calibers].

In the northern regions, the Mongolian border area, and the vast plains and deserts west of Lake Baikal, where exploration was still ongoing, bullets capable of striking at long distances were essential. Also, in Shinji, powerful bullets were needed to deal with large beasts and natives ambushing from the jungle.

Therefore, the Imperial Army’s bullets had to be powerful.

Naturally, the recoil was considerable, and after the battle, the soldiers’ shoulders, where they had placed the rifle stock, would be bruised and red.

And, using this, a custom arose among the soldiers to identify cowards who couldn’t even shoot properly, their shoulders remaining unmarked.

Hyang, who was listening to Jang Hang-sun and the Minister of National Defense, muttered inwardly.

‘There were similar scenes in the movies I saw back in the 21st century.’

There was a similar scene in a war movie about the Spanish Civil War. Similar things happened among the Republican soldiers after a battle, and a soldier with an unblemished shoulder was ostracized.

Meanwhile, one of the ministers listening to Jang Hang-sun and the Minister of National Defense pretended to be knowledgeable.

“But, if that *Chikle* pad reduces the impact, wouldn’t it be a disadvantage in close combat?”

Both Jang Hang-sun and the Minister of National Defense looked at him with incredulity.

“Why would we engage in close combat?”

“Why should we engage in close combat? One of the Imperial Army’s core doctrines is ‘Avoid close combat whenever possible.’ The Imperial Army already lacks manpower, so why would we risk close combat? Why else do we have artillery?”

“Ah… but there’s always a chance….”

“Avoiding that chance is the duty of the commander.”

“…I misspoke.”

“Tsk!”

“Tsk!”

Jang Hang-sun and the Minister of National Defense, who had been clicking their tongues with uncomfortable expressions, suddenly turned pale.

‘Who did we just click our tongues at!’

The person who could be said to be the originator of ‘tongue-clicking’ along with Sejong [a revered Korean king known for his wisdom] was standing right in front of them.

However, Hyang didn’t show any particular reaction, and the two men let out a small sigh of relief.

The raincoats, modeled after the 21st-century combat engineer’s raincoat and the officer’s raincoat, were also well-received.

“The Type A raincoat looks easy to move in and seems like it will keep the arms and legs dry, so it would be good during combat or work.”

“I agree. The Type B raincoat looks like the Imperial Army’s greatcoat – a trench coat – so it could be used as a dress uniform.”

However, the most praised item was the military boots with rubber heels and soles.

“Even if we ignore everything else, I think these should be adopted unconditionally first!”

“That’s right!”

Jang Hang-sun and the Minister of National Defense, upon seeing the military boots, shouted, ‘Unconditional adoption!’

Marching was one of the things that the Imperial Army, especially the Imperial Army’s infantry, hated the most.

Regardless of history or country, no soldiers liked marching. Not even the Roman soldiers, who were nicknamed ‘Marius’ Mules’ [Roman legionaries known for carrying heavy loads].

The Imperial Army infantry’s boots also contributed to their dislike of marching.

The soles of the Imperial Army’s leather boots were made by layering several of the toughest parts of cowhide.

The problem was what came next.

To ensure adhesion and durability, the boot artisans hammered an enormous number of tacks into the soles.

The problem was that these tacks didn’t help the soldiers’ feet when they went on marches. So, some soldiers would add thick straw shoes over their boots before marching.

However, the boots that Hyang made minimized the use of tacks by using rubber soles. The thick soles with treads were much more comfortable than leather soles packed with tacks.

‘Even so, boots are boots, and no soldier likes marching.’

Hyeon, who had been observing Jang Hang-sun and the Minister of National Defense’s reactions, made a decision immediately.

“Let’s adopt the military-related items that have been presented so far immediately.”

Han Myung-hoi stepped forward to acknowledge Hyeon’s decision.

“That is a truly appropriate decision.”

* * *

After a short break, Hyang’s presentation resumed.

Lim Soon-wook, with a slightly dissatisfied expression, asked Hyang.

“Among the things that have been presented so far, it seems that the only things that the people would be interested in are the wheels and the cloud carts. Is there anything else?”

“Huh? I thought the raincoats and boots were good?”

Lim Soon-wook pointed out the problem in response to Hyang’s question.

“They are good. However, because they are tailored to the military’s needs, there are aspects that do not fully meet the needs of the people. The Type A raincoat looks good, but the rest are a bit….”

‘Don’t you know about military fashion? Come to think of it… well, military fashion is close to the realm of fandom.’

Hyang nodded and opened his mouth.

“That’s a good point. So, I have a few other things prepared. Eunuch.”

“Yes.”

“From now on, they are all small boxes, so open them all at once.”

“Yes.”

At Hyang’s gesture, the eunuch began to open the remaining boxes.

As new items began to emerge from the opened boxes, the ministers’ eyes began to shine even more.

In particular, Lim Soon-wook and the Minister of Finance even brought out a calculating device and began to do various calculations.

Lim Soon-wook and the Minister of Finance paid the most attention to the *Chikle* shoes – rubber shoes – and the *Chikle* pipes – rubber hoses.

“They are more durable than straw shoes and don’t get wet, so if the price is right, they will sell well.”

“If we use a divide-and-conquer strategy where wealthy people go for expensive leather shoes and others go for *Chikle* shoes, we can have a lot of fun.”

Lim Soon-wook, who was excitedly talking, asked Hyang with a very eager face.

“What is the annual production volume? And what is the expected price?”

“The production volume should be adjusted according to sales volume, and the price is expected to be around 5 to 8 *dong* [currency].”

Lim Soon-wook frowned slightly at Hyang’s words.

“That’s a bit of an ambiguous price. No, to be honest, it feels a bit expensive. If it’s not a little cheaper, the people will still wear straw shoes.”

Hyang shook his head at Lim Soon-wook’s words.

“It’s impossible to make it any cheaper due to various circumstances. If I were to explain what those circumstances are….”

Hyang’s explanation can be summarized as follows:

-*Chikle* hardens quickly when left outside. Therefore, it is sealed immediately after being put into a bottle, but it is impossible to transport it over long distances.

-Therefore, all related facilities had to be built in the *Chikle* production area. Since the railway has not been fully laid yet, it had to be transported by ship.

-The produced products also have to be shipped back by ship to the north and then transported to Choshi by rail.

“…Therefore, it is impossible to lower the price for the time being. It may be a little cheaper once the railway connection is completed, but….”

Lim Soon-wook did not give up even after Hyang’s explanation.

“Is it impossible to transport it from the Meshika area to the north?”

“The loss rate is too high.”

“Then is it impossible to transport it even near the port built in the Meshika area?”

“It is possible up to there, but it is impossible due to other problems.”

“If you would tell me what the other problems are….”

“What do you think is the fastest way to make the natives of the Meshika region into imperial citizens?”

Lim Soon-wook, who was thinking for a moment at Hyang’s question, suddenly looked like he had been struck by an epiphany.

“Don’t tell me… is it the taste of money?”

“That’s right.”

Hyang smiled at Lim Soon-wook’s question. However, Hyang’s smile was tinged with bitterness.

“Hmm… then I’ll have to find another way.”

Lim Soon-wook, having heard Hyang’s answer, began to consider other plans instead of giving up on the pricing policy. After much deliberation, Lim Soon-wook soon came to a conclusion and stepped forward to bow to Hyeon and opened his mouth.

“First of all, we must aim for low-margin sales. Also, the country should monopolize the wholesale and production rights. *Chikle* shoes and *Chikle* pipes have so many advantages that if word-of-mouth spreads well, we will be able to secure a certain amount of sales.”

Hyeon nodded at Lim Soon-wook’s words and came to a conclusion.

“I already know your talent well, so I will trust you and leave it to you.”

“I will bet everything I have to make it a success.”

In this way, the production and sale of *Chikle*-related items that Hyang brought were permitted.

And all information and policies related to this were re-organized into documents and delivered to Wan.

Before departing for Shinji, Wan, who was checking for the last time, received the documents and sighed.

“Haa~. I don’t even have enough time to research the flying machine… my workload is only increasing.”

Wan, who was constantly sighing, began to examine the documents. Before long, Wan straightened his posture and began to examine the documents with a serious face. Not only that, but Wan, who had already taken a writing brush in his hand, began to classify and write down what he would check and promote first upon arrival on the paper.

“As the Supreme Emperor said, the fastest way to make natives into imperial citizens is the ‘taste of money.'”

This was a method derived from the experience gained in the process of integrating the natives living in the areas absorbed into the Empire’s territory into imperial citizens.

The natives who came into contact with the Empire’s amazing and useful items were seized by an intense desire to own those items.

“You want this? Then bring money.”

“Money? What is money?”

After hearing the explanation about money, the next question was how to get money. The natives who learned even that method immediately took action.

The beginning was to obtain and exchange what the Empire’s merchants wanted – furs, herbs, resources, etc. Over time, when mines and various production facilities were established, the natives found jobs there, became workers, and began to live by paying taxes. That was how they became citizens of the Empire.

Of course, this method was possible because the Empire had powerful military force and the ability to project it. If that were not the case, the natives would have chosen looting instead of trade. That was the easiest and most familiar method.

* * *

As time passed, the Imperial Court, having secured sufficient inventory, began to release products such as *Chikle* shoes and *Chikle* pipes to the market.

“What is this? *Chikle*?”

“It’s neither leather nor cloth, it’s amazing?”

“But the price is a bit….”

Among those who hesitated because of the price, people began to buy them one by one. And before long, word-of-mouth began to spread, and soon it began to gain explosive popularity.