Empire of the Ring

Youngho flew to Baku the next day and brought Fatima and Leon back to Arirang Farm.

The second generation immigrants could not wait to meet the Archduchess and her little son. It was great timing for the person who held everyone together, to finally show up. Without her existence, the immigrants would not have left their houses and homeland.

Although they were provided great houses and jobs, they were fearful of the future’s uncertainty and having to live in a new country. They were relieved to see the bright faces of the first generation immigrants but they needed to witness the evidence of their old kingdom.

As the Archduchess showed herself before their eyes, they were comforted as if rain came down in the desert. When Fatima had set her foot down at the runway of the farm from a little airplane, everyone welcomed her with loud cheers. It touched Youngho’s heart. To Youngho and Fatima, it felt like a scene in a movie.

If someone had recorded the scene as Fatima and Leon were welcomed by the Serbian descents, it would have been a huge issue in the world since no politician or dictator could receive such genuine welcome from the crowd. It was indeed fantastic since even some aged immigrants cried.

Youngho worried about Leon but he was screaming back at people against the noise of the crowd. He was surprisingly not frightened at all.

Everyone seemed to be carried away by the joy, hope, and excitement of the moment. Only Youngho followed the crowd casually.

Conventionally, leaders would have to make a little speech before the public, but Fatima’s smile and waving hand was enough to satisfy the people. Fatima and Leon either shook people’s hands or gave their lower ends of clothes for people to touch, and they began to tour around the new housing area surrounded by the people.

With a weird smile on his face, Jongil approached Youngho who was now forgotten by the people.

“I know, so don’t even start it Jongil.”

“Man, you haven’t even heard me yet. This is a great sight but seriously, I’m worried about your life to come.”

“I said don’t even say it, dude! You’re giving me a headache.”

“Well, soon, this will be on the global news. The modern version of the queen and her prince consort. The two had hypnotized the whole group of innocent Serbian immigrants who had been living in mountains… blah blah…”

“Is it time for your spanking yet? Come on!”

Jongil ran away to a far distance. Youngho sighed since he knew that his dear friend would tease him when the third migration happens in twenty days.

***

Including the third generation immigrants, the farm’s residents would be 803 families which were about 4,350 people. In the meantime, there had been new lives on the farm.

There were more than 700 houses completed since last year, and since more houses would be built by then, everything seemed to be going alright. When the autumn’s cultivation was over and the fourth migration of 200 families would move into the farm, there would not be any more large-scale migrations.

So, the edited goal was to complete 1,200 houses until next spring. It was because too many funds were being spent on the housing.

The armory units would have to be fixed, so they were not visible to the public’s eye and the warehouse units irregularly built would also have to be moved behind the town in the north. As Youngho was calculating the budget, he wished for a cigarette badly since they would cost him a lot.

He had already paid more than thirty million dollars for housing construction. It meant all of the profits he made last year from the offshore oilfield, other shares, direct stores, hotels, and wine business were used for the housing construction of Arirang Farm.

Although he still had fifty million dollars and two tons of gold bars, the should be left untouched in case he needed unexpected money.

He had been investing aggressively on buying freighters and other things but they were part of a long-term plan. It was time for him to take a break. Any housing funds or new investments should be done under the profits that he would make from now on. That was why he needed to make the wheat farming and drone factory successful no matter what. In that way, he would be able to stop shoveling sand against the tide.

In order to achieve that, there was one person that he had to press. It was Michael the chief of the CIA’s European chapter. Since Youngho mentioned giving some of the factory’s share earlier, he planned to make him a great-looking certificate.

***

At Michael’s office of the European chapter, vivid tulips were brightening the room’s atmosphere.

“You should’ve had something like this a long time ago, chief. Your room was so gloomy before.”

“Everything must look bright now that you’re rich. I scolded my secretary for bringing such a thing to my office.”

Michael’s words seemed to be implicit. Not missing the timing, Youngho asked a question.

“Chief, would you like to see this?”

The document envelope that Youngho handed to Michael was a thick piece of high-quality kent paper that was decorated with a fancy pattern on its four corners.

It was a certificate of a share of the drone factory.

Although nothing was processed yet except for verbal promise, Youngho had already made a certificate of the factory’s share.

“Man, this man is determined to draw me it. You haven’t forgotten the proverb from your country, drinking kimchi soup first when someone had not, even meant to give you rice cake?”

What Michael was implying was the proverb that was equivalent to the western proverb ‘count one’s chickens before they are hatched.’

“This is not what I’m giving, it’s the Serbian people’s heart for wanting new jobs. Another paper is the Arirang Autonomous Region’s honorary residential card.”

“Hahaha…”

Michael knew that the documents could not be more meaningless but the mischievous event made him laugh.

“I’ve spent quite a long time to make them, so don’t treat them wrong.”

Michael laughed hard one more time.

Having tea time, the two caught up with each other and Michael finally made a suggestion.

“The field agents you recruited seem to have outstanding talents. Why don’t we send them to the states for a year so they can receive intelligence education?”

“If you can write recommendations for them, I’d be more than thankful. It’s not like we’re short of staffs. If I need a hand, I can use the North Korean defector friend who already knows about us.”

“Okay. Then, it’s decided. Those guys will come handy in the future.”

“Thank you for looking out after them.”

As Youngho politely thanked him, Michael waved him off.

“Why are you acting formally between us? Just don’t make any trouble and stay close with the Kazakh government. The high-rankers in the headquarters were excited to hear about your job in Kazakhstan.”

The Kazakh president Nazarbayev had recently begun to divide his authority properly and to make visible democratization policies.

“He’s only in power since there’s no great successor yet but he’s an open-minded person.”

“I know that already. I was only frustrated since there was no hotline to him. Luckily, you started a ridiculous business lately and made a connection to him.”

As it seemed to be the right timing, Youngho began to get down to the point.

“When would D Drones send their technicians and assembly line? The warehouse that would be used as the factory is all prepared. Also, I’m building a small hotel for dispatched technicians to stay.”

“Since they said they’ll send a group of people, they’ll contact you soon.”

“I’ve brought some machine tools when the first immigrants came to the farm. Could you tell them subtly so that the production of the bodies would be done locally? If a hundred percent of the factory was only used for assembly, the Kazakh government might be disappointed since there would be no transfer of technique at all.”

Although Youngho was giving the Kazakh government an excuse, he said it because he wanted to gain the technique for propeller and hard case production so that if D Drones stepped out with a ridiculous reason, the factory would be able to make its own products with parts imported from Europe.

“Is there a machining facility to produce drone bodies?”

“I’m not sure if it would be successful but the people have the ability to make regular machine tools to make weapons, so I’m positive about that.”

“Is that so? Okay, it’s nothing special. I’ll make a request.”

***

Youngho had ordered Kim Chun to establish a social welfare foundation and gave the solar panel company’s share as a donation.

He had twenty percent from the Kazakh factory and ten percent from the Azerbaijani factory. To make a social welfare foundation in Azerbaijan too, he decided to give away the solar panel company Azerbaijani factory’s share too. The name of the foundation would be, of course, the Arirang Foundation since it would have to promote the Arirang Farm in Kazakhstan and related businesses that Youngho owned.

The two countries were deeply related to Youngho now anyway and establishing a foundation would improve the corporation’s image and the relationship with both governments. The profits he made from the solar panel business only existed because of the local people’s demand, so giving away that was a way to contribute back to the people.

Although giving away what was his own was not an easy decision, he decided to let it go to help out people of both countries and to look further. If people were impressed by his deed, people would trust the Zeynep Corporation and Arirang Farm even more that it would help to establish the new Serbian Kingdom in the future.

Also, if he could help out Koryoins as well through the foundation, he would feel less guilty about not being able to help Koryoins. Youngho was sorry when he met the third generation Koryoin Navy captain at the edge of the Ural River. Youngho was drawn to them not only because they were from Korea but also they were a diligent and kind group of people who needed help.

This is a story about Raffaello Sanzio who was drawing a ceiling painting in Roman Vatican Palace. The pope, Julius II, who was watching Raffaello painting, saw the ladder move and ordered the premier next to him to hold Raffaello’s ladder.

The premier complained not understanding why he needed to take care of a mere painter. Then the pope said.

“If he falls and breaks his neck, there won’t be another person who can paint like him but there are countless people who could take the premier’s job when you break your neck.”

The pope cared for people with extraordinary talent regardless of their class. This could also be applied to the Arirang Foundation. If the foundation could find a handful of young people with talents by supporting them, it would be a success. It would also be meaningful to help out families at the brink of a precipice.

Recently, Youngho had been thinking a lot. If Jongil had heard it, he would have said that his friend was giving too many meanings for establishing a sloppy foundation.