Chapter 84

Bear Stew is Now My Turn 84

084 The Desert is Free / Sucking Out to the Bone

"Die! Die!"

A face that was hard to guess when it was last washed.

Dirt and oil clumped together, making his hair a mess.

His clothes were so tattered that even African refugees would shake their heads.

A group of flower swallows.

In North Korea, they were called this.

Five flower swallows were stomping on a child.

The child, with a piece of bread in his mouth, lay on the ground, and his thin ribs looked as if they might break at any moment.

He couldn't just stand there and watch.

As Nikolai got out of the car, dozens of bodyguards and Russian special forces soldiers from the trucks behind and in front followed him out.

The flower swallows, who had been stomping, quickly retreated at the sudden situation.

"Where is the village hall?"

Sasha, looking at the map, answered his question.

"Just a little further and it will be there."

"First, give them some food and tell them to come to the village hall. Call an interpreter."

"Sure."

Following his instructions, the interpreter spoke and distributed the food.

The flower swallows, who had been starving and became ruthless, carefully received the food, lifted the fallen child, and started to head towards the village hall.

When faced with the threat of death from hunger, they had become cruel, but as the situation improved, a bit of human reason returned.

"What did the chairman do to let the country become like this? Tsk tsk."

Seeing the group of flower swallows, Chairman Jung clicked his tongue.

"We'll arrive at the first destination soon, so let's take a short break there."

"Agreed."

About 20 minutes later, Nikolai's group unloaded a truck at the village hall.

Since instructions had already been given to each region, the responsible person began distributing the prepared items to the lined-up people.

There was an order that if the responsible persons embezzled the items, they would be executed on the spot, so they would have to risk their lives to touch the items.

"Thank you. I will take responsibility for distributing the items, so don't worry."

From there, the trucks scattered across North Korea.

Nikolai moved to Pyongyang with 30 trucks.

He did this to deliver to the village halls along the way.

It was almost sunset when Nikolai's group finally arrived in Pyongyang.

Nikolai let the others rest at the hotel and went to the presidential palace with Sasha.

* * *

Chairman Kim had been receiving continuous reports on Nikolai's movements.

"They will arrive soon."

"Really?"

"Yes. It took a long time because they were distributing the items directly."

"Zahar's grandson, and at such a young age, an economic advisor... I heard that the person who saved South Korea was Nikolai."

"That's correct. According to the informants in South Korea, before coming here, he acquired a large number of bankrupt South Korean companies."

"Hmm. He's definitely not an ordinary person..."

After a moment of thought, Chairman Kim asked the man.

"Did you make it clear that anyone who touches the items will be executed on the spot?"

"I've said it several times."

The reason he was so concerned was because of President Zahar.

If he offended Zahar even slightly, it could be the end of North Korea.

'China has completely closed its borders, so now Russia is the only option.'

However, the fact that he had to take orders from someone made him frown.

"Hey. Is Russia really trying to get 11 billion dollars?"

"They know our situation well, so they wouldn't do that."

"Then why is Nikolai coming here?"

"Perhaps there's another reason?"

"What reason?"

"I couldn't figure that out."

"Hmm. Let's hear what he has to say. You stay here too."

As they talked about Russia, Nikolai entered the designated place with the guide.

* * *

Chairman Kim had never seen such a person.

He was clearly a white person, yet how could he speak so well?

Even though he had received reports, hearing Nikolai speak directly made him sound completely like a South Korean.

"This is what the president sent."

It was a document explaining the reason for the visit.

Chairman Kim, after briefly looking at it, passed it to the man beside him.

"We don't deny that we borrowed 11 billion dollars from the Soviet Union. I remember it too."

If he denied it, it would mean the end with Russia, the last lifeline.

He decided to acknowledge it and look for another way.

"But we don't have the money to pay. As you saw on the way, the country is in such a state, how could we have any money?"

"We are well aware of that."

"Then why did you come here?"

If they became debtors, even the chairman of North Korea would be in a subordinate position.

Like Chairman Jiang Zemin of China.

He had never felt this way before, so his face was stiff.

"If you have the will to pay, there is a way."

"...Let's hear what that way is."

If he had denied it, he would have applied strong pressure, but since he acknowledged it, he moved to the next step.

"Give us the mining rights to North Korea's underground resources."

"Mining rights?"

"Yes."

The chairman looked at the man beside him for a moment and then said,

"Will the debt be settled with just that?"

"Also, give us fishing rights."

"Fishing rights too?"

Surprised by his question, Nikolai replied as if it was not enough.

"Do you really think these two things are worth 11 billion dollars?"

"Ahem... Is there anything else?"

"Allow us to connect gas and oil pipelines from the East Sea to the south. Also, allow the Trans-Siberian Railway to pass through North Korea."

"Wow, really."

Chairman Kim was already amazed by these, but Nikolai continued.

"And we need labor."

"What do you mean by that?"

Despite the chairman's raised voice, Nikolai calmly replied.

"We have a new project that requires a huge amount of labor. We want North Korea to provide that labor."

"How many?"

"At least 50,000 initially. We plan to increase it gradually."

"What kind of project requires 50,000 people from the start?"

"A project to make deserts habitable."

Leasing China's deserts for 100 years.

This was one of the conditions he demanded from Chairman Jiang Zemin in exchange for a loan.

Formally, it was for 100 years, but Nikolai planned to make it Russian territory within a few years.

"What about deserts...?"

"That will become clear when you see Russia's progress. More importantly, will you accept the terms I mentioned earlier?"

"Mining rights, fishing rights, gas and oil pipelines, and the Trans-Siberian Railway, and 50,000 people?"

"Yes."

"Hmm..."

After a moment of silence, the chairman spoke in a heavy voice.

"It's getting dark today, so why don't we rest and talk tomorrow?"

Nikolai didn't expect an immediate answer.

"Alright. I'll see you again tomorrow."

After bowing and leaving, Nikolai was watched by Chairman Kim with a strange expression.

* * *

Chairman Kim, who had been trying to calm his frustration in the car, put down his teacup with a bewildered look.

"Hey."

"Yes."

"What do you mean by asking for 50,000 people?"

"...Didn't he say he wants to make deserts habitable?"

"Yes."

"It seems he has plans to utilize the deserts."

"Do I not know that? I'm asking how he plans to utilize the deserts."

"I don't know that well..."

He was a truly mysterious person.

Although they didn't have a long conversation, Chairman Kim felt a strange aura from Nikolai.

What should he call it?

'I didn't even feel this from Chairman Jiang Zemin...'

Nikolai had a strange power to draw people in and make them follow his words.

Even after ruling North Korea for decades, he didn't have this mysterious aura.

"How does he plan to use the deserts...?"

"...Chairman."

"What?"

"Nikolai brought a lot of vodka."

"Like cognac?"

"All Russian vodka."

"Really? He knows his manners. Bring a few bottles."

"Sure. And what about the bugging device in the hotel next door?"

"Forget it. If we make a mistake, how will we take responsibility? Withdraw all of them."

"Yes."

Meanwhile, Nikolai and Sasha entered the hotel, took a shower, and sat down.

"Did you check?"

"I checked several times, but there was nothing."

Since it was a common practice in North Korea, Nikolai had asked Sasha to buy a device to detect bugging devices.

While Nikolai was showering, Sasha thoroughly checked with a German-made device, but it didn't react.

"But what did you mean earlier?"

"What?"

"What project in the desert?"

Nikolai, drying his hair with a towel, started to explain to Sasha.

"Russia has a lot of land, but very little of it can be used for agriculture. You know that, right?"

"Yes."

"When Chairman Jiang Zemin came before, he included a condition to lease China's deserts for 100 years. He plans to turn those deserts into green land."

"Grow crops in the desert?"

Despite Sasha's surprised expression, Nikolai drank a Russian beverage as if it was nothing.

"Is that so surprising?"

"Well, if you want to grow crops, you could just borrow or buy land from other countries. Why the desert?"

"Didn't you see how North Korean people live?"

"...?"

"If we leave them as they are, they will all die soon. Probably millions within a few years."

In real history, millions died during the 'Arduous March.'

Most deaths were due to hunger, including those from various diseases.

Nikolai couldn't let the money go to Chairman Kim, so he chose this method.

He would accept North Korean people as labor, feed them properly, and make them work.

He would repeat this cycle, accepting more weak people.

This way, he would save the dying North Korean people.

Saving people and growing his business.

Most importantly, he would solve the future dust storm problem and get various crops for free from the vast desert for 100 years.

Hearing this, Sasha's eyes grew even wider.

"How do you plan to change the desert? Is it even possible?"

"Did you know deserts were always deserts?"

"No matter what, how can you change such a vast desert...?"

Nikolai had seen a video when he worked for a media company.

A Chinese couple turned a desert into a mountain over 20 years.

They grew and sold watermelons, pumpkins, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, and various fruits.

He had also seen videos of a Middle Eastern country growing crops in the desert for 'self-sufficiency.'

The main issue in both cases was water.

Since it was 1997, there was still plenty of water in the underground aquifers.

Moreover, Gazprom had excellent technology for building gas and oil pipelines.

"Plan to build pipelines to bring water from rivers to the desert?"

"Yes. That will solve the water problem. Once the desert is fully green, the climate will change, and it will rain more often."

"It sounds plausible. It will take a long time, though."

"What will take a long time? We're starting with 50,000 people. We'll increase it gradually."

"Oh, right. That's true."

Using a human wave tactic.

If one person plants 100 small trees a day, 50,000 people will plant 5 million trees.

If they work harder and plant 200 trees, it will be 10 million trees.

If they do this for 300 days a year, 3 billion trees will cover the desert.

Of course, with daily maintenance.

Once the trees are established, they can start growing crops.

After hearing this, Sasha finally nodded.

"I can't keep up with your mind. If your calculations are correct, in about two years, all of China's deserts will turn into mountains. But why don't other countries do this?"

"Do you really not know?"

"I don't, that's why I'm asking."

"Ha, really."

Presidential terms are only 4-5 years, so no president would think about this.

Dictators and royal families wouldn't have the will to do this.

They would find the cost too high.

They have other land, so they wouldn't think about changing the desert.

However, Nikolai thought of this method because he wanted to use North Korea, a special country.

"In the future, Russians will be able to eat very cheap crops all year round. North Korean people will also return to normal."

He planned to pay them with certain items instead of salaries.

Of course, making sure the communists couldn't take them away.

* * *

The next day.

When Nikolai met Chairman Kim again, he received good news.

"Let's do it. I accept the terms we discussed yesterday."

Chairman Kim felt relieved.

He wanted to wrap things up to avoid complications if Russia dragged it out.

Since China had completely closed its borders, he had no choice but to bring in goods from Russia.

So he accepted without any conditions.

However...

Nikolai's demands were not over.

"Since the principal of 11 billion dollars is settled, we should now discuss the interest."

"Interest?"