George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 231

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“So that’s why the former president was so extreme?”

I still vividly remembered what former President Kim Ji-hoon had said. I could understand recording and studying even the smallest habits and words of George W. Bush.

However, the obsession in his eyes and the madness in his tone made me question, ‘Is this really the former president handing over to the current president?’

And today, I realized it. Where that obsession and madness came from.

“This guy’s a maniac, isn’t he?”

The diplomatic document stated that he would visit Korea in a few hours. It was closer to a unilateral notice. Of course, Korea could refuse, but there was no reason to.

‘Even if it’s a war that doesn’t feel like a war, he’s thinking of visiting a country in the middle of it?’

In fact, describing his actions as crazy or insane was not enough. It would be more accurate to call him a moving disaster. But since he was stepping up to resolve a disaster that seemed imminent, from Korea’s perspective, he was more like a horn of salvation than a disaster.

It’s just that the horn was about to burst our eardrums.

It was such a simple solution, but it was so absurd that I couldn’t even imagine it, let alone put it into words.

“He’s coming to end everything?”

At least he wasn’t coming to get a piece of the pie. In fact, the board itself was a picture drawn by the former president with materials made by the United States, and then re-colored by the former president. The current president, Hyun Won-seop, was in charge of refining and preserving it neatly.

But that task was not as easy as I thought. To be precise, it became difficult after Kim Jong-il died. Before that, everything was going peacefully and smoothly in all directions. There was a lot of work to do, but it was just a lot of work, not dangerous or urgent.

‘Still, if he comes to settle things completely, we welcome it.’

Still, based on the investigation report, I could be sure. He wants peace. Whether it’s for the sake of the global economy or for something dirtier, he’s at least outwardly a very conscientious and moral person.

Thanks to his clean image and the success of various policies, his approval rating was overwhelmingly high, but apart from that, his decisive and reckless handling of affairs captivated people. Some people disliked this, but a hardworking and successful president couldn’t be unpopular.

Of course, President Hyun Won-seop was not the only one embarrassed by this fact.

“W-What is this?”

The Minister of National Defense was the most openly showing his embarrassment. Hyun Won-seop was just as embarrassed, but he wanted to say it was a good thing. So he decided to say it.

“Since the President of the United States is coming, even those who are holed up in the parliament will be forced to show their faces. If they don’t come out to negotiate, then we can just use force. The method itself is something anyone could think of···.”

‘It’s not realistic.’ He swallowed the words. Think about it. No matter what, is it even possible for a leader of a third country to personally visit the country at war to mediate?

‘But that’s actually happening. I feel like I’m dreaming.’

I’ve lived a long life and seen a lot. I can’t believe this crazy thing is happening in reality. They say tragedy is a comedy for those who watch. That’s exactly what it is now. The public will cover this interesting event, and the people will be relieved to hear the news. The overseas investment that had flowed out will come back, and the economy will improve.

But the people who have to make it happen are in pain.

‘I see. Right. He can’t be coming just to mediate. We need to figure out his true intentions based on the reports we’ve investigated.’

He had to do his job. It was a bit unusual, but he had to do it anyway.

‘I am the President of the Republic of Korea.’

* * *

The president is the leader of a country. A national leader does not pursue personal gain and must always promote national interests. If something happens to the country, this is the position where you have to do whatever it takes, even if it means literally ‘burning yourself in gasoline.’

Thinking that far, Bush muttered to himself in Air Force One.

“I am the President.”

If the Chief of Staff had been next to him, he would have surely replied, ‘Please stop acting crazy unless you want to see me go insane and do somersaults in place.’ But Bush felt that in order to proudly say, ‘I am the President,’ at least this much was necessary. It’s a position where you have to burn yourself for the sake of national interests.

‘Even if I die, the United States won’t collapse.’

Even if it did collapse, the United States had the potential to rise again. It might not be the form Bush wanted, but it was still a fact that the country itself would not perish. In fact, although it hasn’t been long, the United States has faltered in history, but it has never truly reached a catastrophe, has it?

‘Please, just not the red button. Please, don’t press that button.’

It’s just that if Bush were to die, he would lose his mind and press it like an arcade joystick button. And not just pressing it, but gleefully mashing it like a child who has cornered an enemy for the first time.

“Hmm, is that flying around because of the war?”

An F-15, not a U.S. military escort plane, caught my eye through the window. It looked like a dot in the distance, but I could be sure of it with its faint shape. Originally, approaching close enough to be seen with the naked eye could be a diplomatic discourtesy, but now it was wartime. Even if it was just a war in name only, there was a justification to protect the foreign president at all costs.

If Bush were to die here, Korea would be the one to take the blame. Korea could never let that happen, not even almost happen. Bush hoped they wouldn’t collide.

I had already guessed to some extent, but if I went a little further, I would be surrounded by layers of formations launched from the U.S. Forces in Korea.

The escort plane for Air Force One had been replaced with an F-22. It was supposed to be deployed at the end of 2005 in the original history, but thanks to Bush’s nagging and the already overflowing budget being increased even more, deployment finally began recently. The number of units produced also did not reach a maximum of 200, but the current ‘estimated production number’ reached 300.

And the first deployment was naturally Air Force One. This was because of the Raptor’s performance, but in fact, there was a political judgment more than performance. The U.S. Congress was focused on cutting the defense budget rather than increasing it, so Bush, who led the effort to increase the F-22’s budget in Congress, had to show how great the F-22 was in order to justify it.

‘At least I shouldn’t let it be called a white elephant.’

That’s not to say that we should go to war to let the world know about the F-22’s performance, but anyway, while I was folding my arms, the Republic of Korea’s F-15 was gradually moving away and becoming a dot. It was because the U.S. Air Force in Korea had arrived.

This may not be visible from the ground, but if you were to see it even with a telescope, you would be shocked. It was like a large-scale migration of migratory birds. It would be somewhat correct in the sense that it is a bird made of iron, not the original meaning of migratory bird.

A huge formation was created around Bush’s Air Force One. It was like forming a line in ancient or medieval times. And the purpose was not much different. They were willing to block it with their bodies to protect Air Force One.

“Arrival, huh? It’s simpler than I thought.”

I didn’t expect resistance, but I thought there would be some diplomatic backlash. For example, the Republic of Korea might feel burdened and tell me not to come, or those stuck in the parliament might raise their voices.

As Bush had predicted, the blockade was magically lifted as soon as Bush arrived. It was like ‘Open, Sesame!’ from Arabian Nights [a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales]. Of course, it was a secret that Bush actually muttered ‘Open, Sesame’ when he saw that.

Cadillac One, the presidential car, was made sturdy, but it was not a vehicle made for wartime. The security team in this vehicle looked more nervous than ever. In contrast, Bush had a very indifferent expression.

However, most of the roads were blocked due to the war, so I had to change to a helicopter in the middle. I chose the safer Cadillac One over the helicopter, thinking, ‘Even though there’s a war, they wouldn’t have cleared the road for a visit, would they?’ But at this rate, it was a break-even.

“Well, we’ve finally arrived.”

It was a solemn sight.

‘Oh, I see some familiar faces.’

I had only seen them in documents in my office, but I was so sick of seeing them that I recognized them. How could the CIA know the situation in North Korea so thoroughly? Of course, it was possible because there were several informants.

Their expressions were stiff, but their shoulders were naturally lowered. They were relieved inside, but they couldn’t express it outwardly. At least they were thinking about how to protect their assets and how to enjoy wealth and glory in the future, thinking they had avoided the worst. They realized that the United States would protect them to some extent, if not completely.

And that was not wrong. In fact, Bush had decided to save them as much as possible. Of course, he’s saving them now, but it’s a completely different matter if they later do something stupid and get hated by the Korean government and have their assets confiscated.

Not long after Bush arrived, the President of the Republic of Korea and the talented people selected by the administration arrived. It was to end this situation. This was all possible because there was George W. Bush, the craziest U.S. President in history.

Imagine. Even though it’s a war that’s almost over, would the president of a third country think of intervening and going to the enemy’s capital?

That was it. Nothing that reporters or gossips would like happened. For example, they didn’t deploy the army that had been hidden for the purpose of thorough resistance, or a patriotic communist party member didn’t pull out a Baekdu Mountain pistol [a legendary pistol associated with Korean resistance movements] and fire it, saying that politics should be done on a grand scale.

It was named a negotiation site, but in reality, it was closer to a peace venue to confirm unification, and it was more accurate to say that it was a place to discuss their treatment after unification and post-war treatment of the civil war.

“Okay, let’s begin.”