We Do Business In Full Auto [EN]: Chapter 235

235

Food Supply (1)

Lee Seulgi arrived in the limousine.

As I got out of the car, she greeted me cheerfully.

“It’s been a while, Chairman!”

“Secretary Lee, I trust you’ve been well?”

“I’ve been busy delegating my work to various androids lately.”

“Any progress on that?”

“Yes! It’s all done!” she declared confidently.

The Four Heavenly Kings [elite android assistants] might be more skilled than Lee Seulgi in certain areas.

But with proper training and delegation, I could rest assured.

Lee Seulgi glanced at Kainer.

“And who might this be…?”

“Ah, allow me to introduce you. This is Marquis Kainer of the Crystal Empire. He holds the position of Vice Military Advisor.”

“My lady, I am Marquis Kainer,” he announced.

Thanks to the translation spell I cast, the words flowed smoothly.

However, Kainer’s etiquette was completely out of sync with this era.

He even kissed her hand, which visibly shocked Lee Seulgi.

“Gasp! What are you doing?”

“Kissing a lady’s hand is the ultimate sign of respect, a humbling gesture…”

“Ahem, Kainer. Here, a handshake will suffice.”

“Huhu. I understand you hold an important position, but is such informality truly acceptable?”

“Ugh. He’s like someone who stepped straight out of medieval England.”

“Well, you’re not entirely wrong. You’ll probably have to get used to it. When we visit the Karen Continent, everyone will behave similarly.”

“Suddenly, I’m having second thoughts about going.”

“Secretary Lee, you don’t have a choice anymore.”

Lee Seulgi was destined to become the Prime Minister of the Crystal Empire.

The position had already been deliberately left vacant for her.

“Well, let’s get going then.”

“Alright. Where shall I take you?”

“The Blue House [the South Korean presidential residence].”

On the way to the Blue House, Marquis Kainer gazed around, unable to conceal his astonishment.

“A horseless carriage. Moreover, I feel no vibration whatsoever.”

“We call it a car.”

“A car, you say…”

“You could say it’s a car that runs on oil. Though, these days, many are electric, so the ‘oil’ part isn’t always accurate.”

“It moves without anything pulling it?”

“Think of it as being propelled by a power beyond your current comprehension.”

“It is simply…mysterious.”

Lee Seulgi glanced at Kainer and shook her head.

Kainer wasn’t the priority at the moment.

“So, you’re going to the Blue House because of food?”

“You could say that.”

“Hmm. Wouldn’t it be simpler to just buy food?”

“Buy? By the time we purchase food here and transport it there, countless people will have already died of starvation.”

“Is the situation truly that dire?”

“People are dying of starvation everywhere.”

Lee Seulgi nodded grimly.

A day on Earth equates to seven days on the Karen Continent.

So, if we leisurely bought food here and transported it, the starvation toll would be unmanageable.

The quickest solution was to acquire government-held rice.

“Didn’t you already take all the three-year-old rice from the government last time?”

“We need to take the two-and-a-half-year-old rice as well.”

“That doesn’t seem like enough. People in ancient times consume more rice than modern people.”

Their higher activity levels naturally demanded more sustenance.

Korean cuisine would likely be insufficient. And the government would probably hesitate to release recently harvested rice.

That meant we needed to procure rice from overseas.

“So, the plan is to quickly purchase government rice by, in essence, raiding the warehouses of various countries.”

“That’s likely feasible.”

“It seems we could simply purchase a large quantity of wheat from the United States.”

The United States was a major food exporting nation.

The abundance of American flour stemmed from their massive grain production.

Systematized farming and advanced engineering allowed a single person to cultivate vast expanses of land.

If we secured food from a few countries, we could feed the entire population of the Karen Continent with leftovers. Of course, after initially satiating their hunger, we’d need to provide grain as wages and put them to work, rebuilding the entire empire.

As we discussed these matters, we arrived at the Blue House.

President Lee Han-jin was there to greet us.

“Welcome, Chairman!”

“It’s been a while, Your Excellency.”

“Hahaha! You’ve been through so much. The entire world is focused on Korea because of its crude oil production.”

“I see.”

They had been paying attention from the beginning.

The Soo Group’s relentless acquisitions meant that the world’s economy practically revolved around it, with Korea as the primary beneficiary.

Upon arriving at the President’s office, I explained the purpose of my visit.

“Your Excellency, we require more food.”

“Food? I understand you already acquired all of our three-year-old rice.”

“Starvation deaths are rampant on the Karen Continent.”

“Heo [an exclamation of surprise].”

“And the people of ancient times eat a great deal. I believe Your Excellency is aware of this.”

“Indeed. In ancient times, with fewer snacks and side dishes, staple foods were their primary source of sustenance. Coupled with their high activity levels, they naturally required a significant amount of food.”

“Precisely.”

“I understand. But giving away all of our old rice poses a problem.”

“Of course, I’m not asking for all of it. I’ll purchase all of the two-and-a-half-year-old government rice. The remainder will be purchased from the government stockpiles of developed nations like the United States and Russia.”

“So…”

“Please assist me in persuading them by arranging a video call. They won’t refuse a request to speak with the leaders of each country.”

“Hahaha! I understand.”

The Soo Group’s dominance over the world economy meant that I could financially cripple any nation if I so desired.

Furthermore, the Soo Group produced more oil than the world could consume and possessed an unmatched military force, leaving countries with no choice but to comply.

Soon, a video conference was arranged.

The leaders of the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] countries appeared on the monitor, though not all were connected, and they requested a call with the leaders of ten key nations.

They greeted me politely.

-Nice to meet you. It’s been a while.

“How have you been?”

I greeted John Carter, whom I already knew.

I also knew the Russian president and had met and spoken with some others in person.

They were well aware of my power.

Therefore, they wouldn’t reject my offer.

“The matter at hand is that I would like to purchase the surplus, older food that your countries possess.”

-Old food?

“Rice or wheat will suffice. I will buy all food that is approximately three years old.”

-But why would you want food that is nearing its expiration…?”

“I have a specific use for it. You could say it’s for research purposes.”

-Hahaha.

The presidents of each country were trying to discern my intentions.

They were pondering why I needed such a vast quantity of old food.

But it wasn’t a strategic weapon, just aging food, so there was no need for excessive speculation.

Besides, Korea also maintained substantial food reserves.

The era of wielding power through food had ended centuries ago.

“If you agree to sell me the food, I will reduce the price of the next generation of androids by 5%.”

-I’ll sell it!

-I’ll sell it all!

A 5% reduction in the price of androids.

Of course, the next generation of androids would be more expensive overall.

It was merely a 5% discount compared to other countries, but it still represented a significant advantage.

Nevertheless, each country was competitively offering their food.

If I cast a preservation spell on the food pouring in from ten countries, the entire Karen Continent could be fed for over five years.

That’s how much food each country had stockpiled.

“Then I’ll visit you right away.”

-We’ll be waiting!

Fortunately, everyone reacted positively, and the negotiations concluded successfully.

After the video call ended, Lee Han-jin spoke.

“Do you need food for the Karen Continent?”

“Yes. The conquest of the Karen Continent is nearing completion.”

“…!”

Lee Han-jin couldn’t hide his shock.

He hadn’t anticipated such rapid progress on the continent.

“And I’ve discovered numerous underground resources.”

“Underground resources?”

“Open-pit gold mines, silver mines, and gem mines, among others.”

“Heo!”

“A vast amount of gold and jewels will be generated. It’s up to the President to decide how to utilize it.”

“The Republic of Korea will soon be reborn as a true hegemonic power.”

“Yes. It will definitely be so.”

Lee Han-jin was resolute.

He was determined to establish the Republic of Korea as a hegemonic power before his presidential term concluded.

The White House, USA.

President John Carter summoned Katherine, the former CIA director who had been nominated for a cabinet post.

She had stepped down from her position as director but still wielded considerable influence within the CIA. She was also renowned for her analytical skills.

“You summoned me?”

“I apologize for disturbing you during the ministerial inauguration preparations.”

“It’s no trouble. I have a duty to respond to the call of the country.”

“Chairman Lee Yoo-sung requested food this time.”

“Food?”

“Yes. He asked to purchase all of our soon-to-be-discarded food.”

“Hmm.”

“What are your thoughts?”

“What is he offering in return?”

“He stated that he would reduce the price of the next generation of androids by 5%.”

“Then it’s unconditionally the right decision. 5% is a substantial amount.”

“What do you believe his intentions are?”

Katherine tilted her head to the left.

She couldn’t decipher his motives, no matter how much she pondered.

However, she had a hypothesis.

“Could it be for the development of new energy sources?”

“New energy?”

“He might be developing energy based on food. Otherwise, there’s no logical reason for him to require such a massive quantity of food.”

“Haha. I suspected as much.”

“Were you also guessing, Mr. President?”

“I was speculating, but I never imagined he would genuinely need food to develop energy.”

“Ah, I’m merely guessing as well.”

“The development of energy… Is he preparing for the next generation of energy?”

Chairman Lee Yoo-sung’s capabilities are beyond comprehension.

I would believe it even if he extracted natural energy from food. That’s how many bizarre inventions Chairman Lee Yoo-sung has created.

Looking back, the Soo Group developed the groundbreaking android weapon and amassed a fortune.

Technology for producing energy from food already existed, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he refined it and developed something revolutionary.

Katherine elaborated on this point.

“If it were for war, food wouldn’t be the primary concern. We’d rather import weapons. This doesn’t seem like a threat at all.”

“So, you’re suggesting we can secure practical benefits simultaneously?”

“Precisely.”

The conclusion was reached.

There was no risk in providing food to Chairman Lee Yoo-sung.

Then, a call came from the secretary’s office.

“Mr. President! The chairman of the Soo Group has arrived!”