Chapter 104: They Shouldn’t Have Done That
When someone has to accept something that they cannot comprehend, they go through several stages.
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
When Japan failed the railgun test and the cause was revealed, many countries were in denial.
—Black metal is an unknown metal with little known information. They must have made some mistake in the production or testing process.
—One or two attempts are not enough to know for sure. They need to test it at least dozens of times…
But when the cause was confirmed and similar reports came from other countries, they became hopeless.
The politicians who led this situation remained silent, while the economic sector started to attack them.
—What did they base their decision to withdraw the factories on? They acted without thinking of an exit strategy because of their petty emotions. That’s a disqualification for a politician.
—It was a decision with too much risk and too little reward. The politicians who made this decision should all resign.
—Idiots.
Meanwhile, more reports kept coming out.
If all the reports from different countries at this time were added up, it would be at least in the hundreds.
They were written in different languages, but the conclusion was the same.
—It is certain that proper black metal products cannot be made without Yujiha’s support.
—However, if they are willing to accept defects, they can somehow use them. In the case of railguns, if they lower the specs by half, they can use them for a short time.
—What’s the point of lowering the specs by half for railguns, which have an advantage in range and firing speed?
—In short, they shouldn’t have done that.
As this atmosphere was formed, a wave of anger swept over them.
As always, it was about why Yu Ji-ha.
—If it wasn’t for such a stubborn person, the world would have been better than now.
—We have to bow to a dictator? That’s impossible!
—We don’t need black metal and unoptenium! We lived well without them!
—Yu Ji-ha is Satan who tries to rule the world with artificial intelligence and black metal!
—Let’s reject him!
Anti-Yu Ji-ha protests spread like wildfire in various countries.
It mostly happened in Europe, such as France and Italy.
But those who could think rationally had already finished their calculations and were waiting for the timing to re-enter Korea.
They bargained.
They politely contacted Silla Group and they showed the same attitude as before.
They said they could re-enter as long as they accepted their conditions.
The countries were relieved, but they were shocked when they checked the conditions.
—A threefold increase in commission is too much.
—They said they would reduce the supply and give it to other companies… There’s no need to do that if these are the conditions.
—Is excluding the politicians who caused this situation asking for their resignation? This is interference in domestic affairs.
—According to the intelligence we have obtained, they will lower the commission of the remaining companies by 30%.
—They are stealing money from our pockets and giving it to them.
These conditions are usually not made public in the world.
But maybe there was a dissatisfied politician who leaked them to the media.
The public reaction was divided in half.
—Let’s concede a hundred times and say that commission and supply are the rights of the supplier. But why do they ask for the resignation of politicians?
—This is clear interference in domestic affairs. We cannot accept it.
On the other hand, there was a considerable response that there was no choice.
—They closed down factories and fired workers as if they would never come back. Isn’t it lucky that they are accepting us?
—If we don’t accept this, do we have an alternative? Don’t tell me we should stop using black metal like those idiots?
—The politicians who led this situation are all doomed anyway. It just came a little faster.
The public opinion was tense and there was a blame game, but France and EU resisted saying that they could never do that.
—At this point, improving relations with Yujiha is impossible. We have no choice but to start an anti-black metal movement beyond anti-Yujiha.
—Europe will not bend to a dictator! Just like we did in World War II.
While each country was turning upside down like this, Japan was literally burning all over the island.
It was found that Shin-Nippon Yusin-kai tried to shift the blame to Haeja-dae for what happened.
It was what Matsuda, the secretary-general, did.
People couldn’t stand it anymore and protests spread nationwide.
—They were talking about Japan’s railgun, but what is this mess? I’m so ashamed that I can’t live!
—The problem is Yusin-kai, who only tries to hide and avoid responsibility! Disband immediately!
—When did Haeja-dae become a servant of a political party? Wake up!
—Just give up Tsushima and improve relations with Korea! Look at Russia! We can do that too!
On the other hand, Koreans, who could be called bystanders in this situation, were dumbfounded.
—We were just sitting still, why are they making a fuss over there? It’s funny.
—They shouted that Yu Ji-ha’s era was over, but the ones who really ended were themselves~
—They said that all the products made by the new ability user were defective, right? You can’t beat the genuine ones after all.
—Yu Ji-ha just keeps walking forward and the people around him fall down… He’s really lucky.
—Think about it the other way. What if Yujiha planned all this?
—That’s creepy.
—I don’t understand why they keep resisting and getting beaten up. Russia and Germany are sweetly sucking honey, right?
—The problem is the US guys. They gave Japan the railgun data and made them restless. They didn’t withdraw their factories and just watched, but they only put wind in them.
—US bro, don’t do this between us…
—That’s that, but the stock price has fully recovered and hit 4,500. 5,000 here we go!
—Have you seen the red country~ Full of dreams and hopes~
—It’s a shame. If Shinra Group was public, it would have been KOSPI 10,000 by now.
—Instead, Yujiha would have to care about the shareholders. There are pros and cons.
—Did you save me saying that black metal is a one-tool?
—It’s a one-tool, but the surroundings are scissors and they tear it all up.
And at that time, Yu Ji-ha was having a hotline conversation with President McKinley.
It might be the last conversation.
***
“Are you really not involved in this incident at all? I’m not accusing you, I’m just asking out of curiosity.”
“Why do you always look at me whenever something happens?”
“That’s because you have a history of trouble.”
“You can imagine whatever you want, but I have nothing to do with this. Besides, I’m sure the president has something to say to me.”
It was now McKinley’s turn to explain himself.
“I want to make this clear, my administration did not hand over the railgun data.”
“I know. It’s not easy to do something like that in your eighth year.”
McKinley gave a bitter smile.
“Sometimes I hear that the White House janitor has more power than me in my eighth year.”
Of course, he was joking.
McKinley still had the power to control the superpower until the new president gave his acceptance speech.
He just tried not to use that power as a matter of convention.
The railgun data deal was also pushed by the Democratic Party under pressure, and it had little to do with the administration.
McKinley’s tone became subtle.
“Can I ask you one thing? Did you know about it?”
“To some extent…”
“I wondered why you kept quiet. Russia and Germany didn’t change their behavior either. You must have given them a hint, right?”
“I don’t know everything. I just predicted this one.”
“People with abilities who can emit energy from their hands appeared, and you predicted that? This only confirms my suspicion.”
“What suspicion?”
“That President Yu is an alien.”
Yu Ji-ha laughed it off.
“I’m a human born on Earth.”
He wasn’t lying, since Megacity was in Sydney, Australia.
McKinley changed the subject.
“These ability users who appeared this time, do they have anything to do with psychers? I’m asking because Korea has a very low number of ability users compared to other countries. Some countries have already formed factions.”
His aides did a good job.
When he changed the mode of Plague Core, psychers started appearing all over the world.
That was definitely his intention, and many psychers were born in Korea as well.
Hwang Sunyoung was a representative example, who accepted Yu Jihwa’s proposal and became a full citizen of Megacity.
Other psychers also settled in Megacity, albeit with different ranks.
It was thanks to Arma’s persuasion.
This information was not revealed to the outside world, and Korea became an unusual country with very few ability users.
There was no group of ability users that existed in most other countries.
“You’re showing your cards too much.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. Anyway, these psycher guys are causing trouble these days… Like in the movies, I mean.”
“They must have wanted to try out their powers after getting them. But don’t Americans have guns? Most of them will be easily neutralized at that line.”
That was only true for the byproducts, and the real ones above alpha level were not like that.
“I wish it was that simple… But who knows what these psychers are thinking?”
“Think of them as children. You need to discipline them harshly and sometimes give them candy. That’s how you tame them.”
“I’m seriously worried that a civil war might break out like in the movies. There are too many psychers.”
Most psychers tended to appear proportionally to the population, but Russia and Tajikistan were abnormally high.
The former was so surprising that Putin ordered countermeasures, and the latter was not known yet but had been counted by scanners.
Arma advised him when he saw the numbers.
“Russia is one thing, but Tajikistan should be controlled as soon as possible. There are also psychers above alpha level there.”
They hadn’t been exposed yet because of the low population density compared to the vast land.
But they would eventually be found out as they often encountered forces like Masad’s resistance or the Taliban.
Anyway, Yu Ji-ha’s next targets were Manchuria and Afghanistan, so it wasn’t a big problem.
He tried to end the conversation roughly, but McKinley wouldn’t let go of him.
“Let me ask you one last thing. What was that thing you experimented with in Punggye-ri? Please tell me it wasn’t a nuclear test.”
“Do you think I would ask you so peacefully if it was a nuclear test? The IAEA would have stormed in by now.”
“It wasn’t nuclear, but it emitted seismic waves comparable to it… Please don’t destroy the world’s peace with that thing. What I mean is, your term is almost over, so just stay quiet.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Damn, you won’t give up on Manchuria until the end.”
“Look at the map. Isn’t it unbalanced that the land connects the Korean Peninsula and Russia? It would be perfect if I had Manchuria.”
“I don’t know when President Yu started to emphasize his aesthetic sense. Anyway, don’t provoke the Democratic Party any more. You know what they’re saying in this election, right? Criticizing President Yu boosts their approval ratings.”
“I knew Americans hated me, but I didn’t know it was that bad.”
“Don’t misunderstand. Half of Americans still support President Yu and want to join hands with America instead of Russia. It’s not too late even now. Just say one word…”
“That’s enough for today.”
Everyone was trying to have one more word with the American president…
But this was also a bitter self-portrait of a lame duck who had entered the power.
McKinley made his final statement and hung up the phone.
“Please don’t forget what you said about wanting peace.”
Of course, Yu Jihwa wanted peace.
But that didn’t mean world peace.
Anyway, protecting humanity from Plague’s invasion was peace.
***
After the Black Metal incident was settled, many countries that had withdrawn from Korea decided on their policies.
They would try to negotiate as much as possible.
But the conditions they offered to Yu Ji-ha were not very generous.
At best, it was money, but there was no difference from raising the commission, so the negotiators were skeptical.
Some countries offered to raise the commission, but also to prevent the resignation of politicians, but they met with resistance from the companies.
—Excessive commissions are directly linked to production costs. There are many places that produce black metal products, how can they compete?
However, there were so many countries that escaped from Korea that they all had similar positions.
Politicians didn’t want to step down easily, because if they lost this time, their political careers would be over.
It was best to hold on and hope for the future.
As a result of not negotiating and holding on, a dismal event occurred.
There were few countries that were invited to the launch of the world’s first commercial nuclear fusion reactor and the demonstration of the mass driver.
Only Russia, India, Germany, Australia and a few others made the cut.
Especially, the exclusion of the United States raised many concerns.
—It must be a retaliatory measure for giving them the railgun data. It’s a warning to the Democrats, not to the McKinley administration.
—Korea has become a position to send a warning to the United States… The world has changed a lot.
President McKinley tried to send some bureaucrats somehow, but he had to compromise on expanding the limited press corps a little bit.
According to rumors, President McKinley was so angry that he met with the Democratic senators.
“The mass driver is not just a machine that throws garbage into space! It’s a thing that makes all the ICBMs in the world useless and we don’t know anything about it! We have to cooperate well and learn from now on, why did you give them the data and make President Yu angry!”
It was not known how the Democratic senators reacted, but one thing was certain.
The mass driver had tremendous military value.
Being able to throw garbage into space meant that they could also launch warheads.
And if they could equip efficient ion thrusters?
It would become a formidable weapon with a range covering the entire earth.
President Yu promised not to use the mass driver as a weapon, but only fools would trust a politician’s words.
Anyway, the eyes of the world were focused on this event.
The nuclear fusion reactor was well-known in principle and had many demonstrations, but the mass driver was new.
It was said to be in Terra Island, but its true nature was not revealed.
More than 100 security forces and androids guarded the plant like an iron wall, and as the gate opened, President Yu and President Putin appeared.
Behind them were Germany’s Bauer Energy Minister, bureaucrats from India and Australia, and hundreds of journalists from various countries.
What caught their sight was a huge cannon that slowly rose up.
It was almost as big as a high-rise apartment building.
“It’s really big…”
“Other countries can’t even make a railgun cannon that’s a fraction of it…”
“Launch ready. Countdown begins.”
As the numbers decreased, discharge started at the end of the cannon and soon something was fired.
People expected a loud noise and wore earplugs, but surprisingly, the sound was small.
“The long cannon acts as a silencer as well. That’s why it’s not loud. The cube that went up to the sky will soon break through the atmosphere and head for the sun.”
“Is there any reason why it has to be the sun?”
Bauer Energy Minister asked and Yu shrugged his shoulders.
“No particular reason. It’s symbolic. The whole space is a trash can, so you can fire it anywhere.”
But it was troublesome to fire it at any time.
There were many satellites passing over the Korean Peninsula.
It was a low probability, but if they collided, it would be a disaster.
It would be reasonable to assume that they had a satellite surveillance system…
Another launch was prepared and now the audience watched comfortably as the mass driver threw garbage away.
“I can’t believe they made something like that in my lifetime. I never imagined it.”
“It doesn’t even appear often in Sci-fi movies.”
“It’s essential for countries with small land area to load nuclear waste.”
“No, even if you have a lot of land, you need it. Who wants to leave nuclear waste behind?”
“The operating cost will drop to the bottom when the second-generation nuclear fusion reactor is activated. We have to secure it in advance.”
Securing it here meant paying Korea and introducing it.
Russia was the only country that had serious economic cooperation with Korea, and even Germany had to pay a huge amount of money to introduce the mass driver.
The next tier was not even worth mentioning.
Various conversations went back and forth while President Putin whispered to President Yu.
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
Androids surrounded them as they had a secret conversation.
It was about psychers, uncontrolled psychics in Russia.
“Some psychers didn’t follow my orders and ran away. They didn’t seem to wear bulletproof vests, but surprisingly they blocked bullets.”
It was a common ability for blasters.
Once they got used to it, they could fly in the sky to some extent.
Yu Ji-ha nodded his head.
“It’s possible to emit energy or enhance your body. A fire extinguisher won’t do much.”
They needed heavy weapons, but then their movements would be bigger and blasters wouldn’t stay still.
They were troublesome opponents in urban warfare anyway.
Of course, that was only on an individual scale, and they were not a match for public authority.
President Putin’s complaint ended there, but Yu heard another report from Arma.
「We found two beta-level psychers in Saint Petersburg. They are hiding, but they seem to be siblings. Should I go?」
“No. I’ll go myself.”
Beta-level blasters had considerable combat power.
They couldn’t be dealt with by ordinary special forces, and depending on the situation, they might need to mobilize heavy equipment.
But Yu Ji-ha was the strongest psycher that humanity had created, and he could handle them himself.
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