Chapter 17

Jifeng nodded and casually returned the report to Spark, saying, "Forget it, I believe you will satisfy me. Just negotiate according to your plan. My only requirement is that everything be paid off within five years, and the first installment must not be less than 30 billion US dollars."

Seeing that Jifeng finally gave in, Spark couldn't help but smile and agree, "That's what I was thinking. Now, let's have them give us 3.56 billion US dollars first, and then pay 2.5 billion US dollars each year after that. This way, it can be paid off in five years."

Jifeng gently shook his head and smiled, "There's more than just 2.5 billion US dollars left; there's also the floating interest. Go and negotiate, and get it done as soon as possible. We still need to go to the United States."

Spark agreed and was about to turn and leave when he stopped and turned back to ask, "Boss, can I know how many US Treasury bonds you have?" In fact, Spark and the others had always been puzzled about where Jifeng got so many government bonds from various countries, especially in such large quantities. Even if he had inherited them, it didn't seem likely that his ancestors would have left him so much wealth. Not to mention, Jifeng himself had always said he was just a nobody in China.

Jifeng glanced at him and smiled lightly, "Not much, only a few million, so there's no need to worry."

Watching Spark leave his room with a smile, Jifeng couldn't help but think about Shida, who was currently negotiating with South Korea. It was truly infuriating. They should have given him the island decades ago, but they were still trying to extort him with a huge amount of cash, continuing to occupy it and refusing to return it. There's no such good thing in the world.

However, it seemed that South Korea also knew that Jeju Island was probably not going to be saved. After testing Shida's attitude and realizing that the possibility of repurchasing it was almost zero, they were holding firmly to the 100 billion US dollars investment and had stopped all investments in Jeju Island.

They had even started the process of withdrawing investments and assets, including significantly reducing the promotion of Jeju Island, limiting the number of tourists, and moving large movable assets from the island.

Now, Jeju Island was in a state of panic. Many South Koreans on the island had started selling their assets and looking for ways to move to other parts of South Korea. The people of Jeju Island were filled with worry about the future. After all, it would be a private island, and who knew how the future owner would govern? If all the property were confiscated, they would be in a huge loss.

Seeing the chaos on Jeju Island, especially the rising crime rate, Jifeng couldn't help but frown. This was definitely intentional on the part of the South Korean government, trying to pressure him into selling it back to them. But their calculations were wrong; he wouldn't give in to their wishes.

Taking out his laptop, he opened his email and drafted several clauses, then sent them to Bruce, asking Shida to publish them on his behalf.

The next day, several newspapers on Jeju Island published the content of Jifeng's email on their front pages:

1. Existing private property on Jeju Island will be recognized, but land will be frozen pending future planning after the new administration takes over.

2. Land use rights will no longer be permanent, but will be limited to 70 years, after which they will be automatically reclaimed.

3. Household registration on Jeju Island will be frozen, allowing people to leave but not to enter. Future population migration to Jeju Island will be restricted, and residents will automatically become islanders.

4. A high-standard welfare system will be implemented to ensure that all islanders have a secure old age and a good upbringing for the young. The first step will be to implement free compulsory education from kindergarten to high school, with no additional costs for parents.

5. All construction that has not yet started will be prohibited, and the land will be reclaimed at the original price with interest, or exchanged for land in the new planning area.

6. Jeju Island will continue to implement policies of mutual respect, territorial integrity, non-aggression, equality and mutual benefit, peaceful coexistence, and cultural openness. It will be willing to establish equal regional relations with all peace-loving countries and will never become a country, existing as an independent region and accepting international supervision.

7. Existing government personnel who wish to stay can bring their families to Jeju Island and will be guaranteed the same rights as current residents.

8. Although Jeju Island is a private island, the owner will respect the choices of the current islanders. The mayor will be elected by the islanders and will be responsible to both the owner and all islanders, with a term of five years.

9. Jeju Island will never involve heavy industry or heavily polluting chemical industries. In the future, it will focus on high-tech, biotechnology, animal husbandry, fishing, and tourism, ensuring a high-quality human environment and allowing all islanders to enjoy natural ecological resources for life.

10. The owner of Jeju Island will ensure full employment and provide job opportunities for all islanders. It is hoped that hardworking and kind islanders will support the owner's decisions, but the owner will respect the choices of the islanders to stay or leave.

The publication of these ten clauses immediately reassured some of the people on Jeju Island, especially those who learned that their property would not be confiscated. People who liked the local customs and natural environment began to dispel their concerns. The initially chaotic situation on Jeju Island gradually stabilized with everyone's efforts.

However, the crime rate did not decrease much, and Jifeng had no good solution. After all, he still didn't have full control over the situation. Only when the South Korean government officially handed over the island could he take action.

Jifeng's ten clauses, however, thoroughly enraged the South Korean government. They were now even more determined to hold onto the 100 billion US dollars and sent a large number of troops to Jeju Island, with fleets patrolling 24/7, creating a tense atmosphere on the island.

Bruce was furious and, in front of hundreds of media outlets, harshly criticized the South Korean government for being despicable and urged them to reconsider and not let the situation get out of hand.

China, Japan, and the United States also warned the South Korean government not to make a wrong decision out of grief. The United States, as a supervisor, would provide all necessary support, including military, to the island owner.

The warning from the White House shocked the South Korean government, reminding them that the United States was still the supervisor. They quickly ordered the troops to reduce their actions and issued a statement that the troops were there to combat the rising crime rate on Jeju Island.

Two days later, the crime rate dropped sharply, although it was still higher than before, it was no longer as chaotic as in the past few days.

With the support of the United States, those who had initially planned to leave Jeju Island finally felt reassured. Combined with Jifeng's ten clauses, there was no longer much to worry about. Some who had already moved away began to regret their decision, as the cost of living in mainland South Korea was much higher than on Jeju Island, where the cost of living was much lower. Their limited funds would not allow them to live as comfortably in mainland South Korea as they had on Jeju Island.

It seemed that the South Korean government had realized they would ultimately lose Jeju Island. The mayor of Jeju City, Kim Byung-ryul, ordered that stability be maintained on the island and hinted to his subordinates to follow Jifeng's ten clauses. Jeju Island was no longer going to belong to South Korea, and with the powerful United States, South Korea could not retain it, especially with concrete evidence.

If there was anyone to blame, it was the former dictator President Park Chung-hee. He was the one who caused all this.

After the United States expressed its stance, South Korea saw another large-scale protest, strongly demanding that the current president, Park Geun-hye, step down, with calls for democracy and against dictatorship growing louder.

Park Geun-hye was in a difficult position. She had never heard her father mention selling Jeju Island. She had worked hard to become president and fulfill her father's legacy, but she never expected this to happen.

However, she vaguely remembered seeing a Chinese-speaking elder when she was a child, and even her father, the president, treated him with great caution, as if afraid to anger him.

Now, it seemed that the elder was probably Ji Fu. In the entire Park family, the elder was a taboo, not even to be mentioned, and even her father, who had a powerful army, dared not resist him.

This was why, when she saw the copy of the agreement, she immediately recognized her father's handwriting and agreed to honor the contract. Her father had strongly warned her on his deathbed not to oppose the Ji family, as the consequences would be too severe for South Korea to bear.

Watching the South Korean government negotiate with Shida while dealing with the domestic chaos, Jifeng almost laughed out loud. Was he just creating trouble for himself?

Ha ha, but this was what he deserved. It didn't matter to him if they were in chaos; as long as they gave him Jeju Island in the end.

Park Geun-hye and other government officials felt extremely unlucky. This was a disaster that had fallen from the sky. They were living their comfortable lives when this huge bombshell landed on them, and there was no way to avoid it.

Park Geun-hye felt she was the unluckiest, even doubting if her father had ever loved her. If she had known about this earlier, she would never have run for president, at least not in this term. This was just making things difficult for herself.

It was almost certain that her entire family would be completely removed from the South Korean political stage after this incident. No South Korean would be willing to see the Park family sell out national interests, especially land, which was an unforgivable crime. Not going to prison would be considered a good outcome.

Of course, Jifeng didn't know any of this, and he wasn't intentionally choosing this time. Among the several islands, he wanted Jeju Island the most. It was suitable for long-term residence, with vast grasslands perfect for his desire to raise livestock and fish.

Now, Jifeng wasn't thinking about Park Geun-hye's thoughts. He was listening to Spark's report.

PS: New book, please recommend and collect it!