Empire of the Ring

Chapter 253: Preparing for the Future (2)

Jong-il was dying to hear from Youngho who had just been to the European chapter for Michael’s approval.

“It looks like the states are finally interested in Central Asia’s business now that China is trying to take dominance over it.”

The U.S. had been unable to actively engage in relations with Kazakhstan for the opinion of the Congress that it could not empower a country that was nothing more than an authoritarian state, but it finally had a reason to get involved in the country since the Kazakh president made a statement that he would make a peaceful transition of government once he finished his goals for the country’s economic development.

Although it was still a government no different than dictatorship, the U.S. still had a basis for their future actions.

“What does that mean? Does that mean we’re getting something out of it?”

Jong-il wondered if Michael would spare some weapons to his intelligence department.

“I tried so hard to convince Michael. I said if there’s nothing he could do, I’ll call Edward, who’s working for the headquarters and ask for his help.”

Michael was a man of self-respect and he did not like other people getting involved in his people and organization who was under his management. Now that Youngho mentioned about Edward, he would not want to see Edward helping him just because he could not. That meant that Youngho had a good chance of winning great weapons and equipment from him.

“We’ll see what happens. We might be only used to help the U.S. involvement in Kazakhstan and get abandoned afterward.”

“Oh, they’re the one who needs us now. We need to get whatever we need from them while they use us. If they decided to throw us on the side, we should claim independence from the CIA.”

Youngho volunteered to become the link between Kazakhstan and the United States. It was to impress the Kazakh government. Although he could not say that he was a CIA agent, he needed to make it seem like a person who had a connection with an influential American politician. To the CIA, manipulation of such information was not a difficult thing to do.

Through Youngho, the U.S. would establish domestic ties with Kazakhstan and aid surplus equipment and weapons to the Kazakh military. Youngho’s role here was important since he would have to slip in the U.S.’s intention to the Kazakh government as well.

Michael had been calling him frequently lately. It seemed that if he was lucky, he would get patrol boats for free from the CIA since he asked about details of ships such as the ship’s ages and its weight class.

He just received Michael’s call again, so he decided to test Michael.

“Chief, if there’s something you’re planning to do, please tell me frankly. If you take too long, I’m going to have to order vessels and it’ll all be a waste.”

Although Youngho already made an order, he lied to Michael.

He had ordered two 500-ton patrol boats for the autonomous state of Arirang and the Kazakh government ordered five guided missile ships from the Korean government.

“What are you expecting? You didn’t forget the Korean proverb, ‘don’t think about drinking kimchi soup first’, did you?”

“Then why are you suddenly showing interest in patrol boats? Obviously, you’re not calling me because you miss me. Come on. I’m an agent who deals with information too. You think I’m that gullible?”

“It’s my personal interest. Also, we talk often on the phone over personal matters apart from work. Don’t waste your time on daydreaming.”

He acted as if there was nothing going on, but his voice was brighter than usual.

Knowing Michael for almost ten years now, Youngho could tell that Michael was hiding something.

“Chief, you know how much I respect you, right? I have deep appreciation for you.”

“What do you mean?”

He pretended that he knew nothing of what Youngho was talking about, but his voice could not lie.

As he expected, the CIA was making a list of presents that were to be given to Kazakhstan.

There were only about 50 stable soldiers at Arirang Farm. Although there were 250 students at the special institution in the farm who were also receiving military training, many of them were willing to study abroad after their graduation. It was time to recruit more soldiers from male adults.

Being the commander of Countryside Force, Cha Insoo wanted to raise elite soldiers that could defeat a hundred men for each.

“Man, we need to hire mercenaries from somewhere to be called a force.”

Cha Insoo complained about the small number of Countryside Force soldiers.

“You can treat all of the students from the special institution as your soldiers regardless of their gender. When they graduate from school, they’ll make a great reserved force.”

Since the population of the farm was not too big, anyone would be drafted in the time of emergency. The two-year special institution period was considered as a mandatory military training period, and the students would serve as a reserved force until they reach forty. That way, the small number of population could be protected when soldiers were needed.

“Oh, man. Those little kids can’t do anything.”

“If needed, they will do their part. Why don’t you train them yourself? Among them, there will be future officers.”

As the Korean proverb said, “If there were no teeth, you would have to live with your gums.” Although there was a limited number of people, Insoo had to come up with an effective way to utilize them as soldiers.

The problem was that the force lacked soldiers who were trained to use heavy firearms. Insoo inevitably would have to train professional soldiers. There were some young adults at the farm who did not like to work in factories or farming and who liked to brag in uniforms. Insoo decided to gather them and train them to be technical officers.

It was because armored vehicles and multiple rocket launchers could be only used by people who received professional training.

For private arms, each soldier would receive an AK rifle, pistol, helmet communicator, night vision goggles, and bulletproof vest, so that they could fight in all weathers.

The reason that AK rifles would be distributed to the force was that the Kazakh army was using the same model. If there was a joint operation, it would be easy to work together if they all used the same weapon.

The soldiers were exuberated to receive the goggles and helmet communicators, and bulletproof vests. Those equipment themselves had raised the strength of the force greatly.

The uniform of the Countryside Force was very similar to the uniform of the Kazakh army, but they were made to function similar to mountain climbing gears.

Also, Youngho ordered four-wheel motorbikes as private equipment. The bikes were the ones frequently used at Zeynep Farm. Because there were not a lot of soldiers, he focused on increasing their mobility.

“Man, because of incompetent soldiers, you have to cover them in gears.”

Seeing that soldiers’ private equipment, Jong-il smirked. He was, in fact, jealous of the support given to Countryside Force.

“They’re excited to ride the bikes like kids.”

A hundred bikes were delivered to the farm and the soldiers fought over them, to ride them first. Youngho thought of cheap bikes instead of expensive horses, and they were great to ride in fields and hilly areas. He planned to order more in the future. Even people in the ranching business took several bikes, saying that it was better to ride bikes than using horses that were sensitive.

If people could be careful enough at the farm, it would be a great replacement of horses that old and young people could use. It looked like the bikes would be a dominant vehicle at the farm from now on.

Regardless of people’s abilities, all people had the potential of doing great things unexpectedly. Park Youngsun was such a case.

He only focused on doing geological investigations of the farm and looking for underground water resources, and most of the time, he kept quiet minding his own businesses. There was an event that Park Youngsun, who had been quiet all along during the farm’s different meetings, surprised everyone.

He invited several doctors from Korea. To Youngho’s knowledge, it was not easy to bring out doctors from Korea, since they were highly thought by the public and they lived convenient and well-off lives in Korea. They were elite people who went through difficult studies and training. Many people became doctors to become rich.

Despite that fact, they left Korea to a remote place giving up wealth and reputation, they ought to be dedicated people to help people.

“Dr. Park. If they’re really willing to come here, I’ll pay them highly and prepare the best medical facilities and equipment for them.”

Impressed by his action, Youngho spoke excitedly. Then, Jong-il took a further step and suggested to build a hospital to make profits.

“Why don’t we build a general hospital then? If we’re going to have an elite medical team here, all the rich people of the Caspian Sea will come here to get medical treatments.”

“You know, it’ll be just great if farm people could receive proper medical care. Don’t’ you think rich people will go to France or Germany to get medical care? Why would they come to this remote place?”

Youngho thought that there was a little chance to make money out of the hospital business, but if things happened as Jong-il said, it would be like a dream come true.

“Dr. Park. Did you also invite a dental specialist? My teeth are not in good shape since I hadn’t been able to go to a dentist since I got here.”

It was not because Youngho did not have money to go to a dentist, but dental treatments could be extremely expensive to many.

“A friend of mine from college said he would bring specialists from different areas, so I guess you could count on him.”

“How on earth did you convince them to come to this place?”

Youngho was sure that he offered to provide high salary and housing, but those things were not enough to convince them and their family to move here. The farm was not located in a popular city in Europe. It was a substandard, remote place. Even doctors from the main city area of Atyrau were reluctant to come to the farm.

He managed to hire retired doctors and nurses who could give the first aid to the residents, but if there was a huge accident, they needed to be transferred to the big hospitals in Atyrau on an airplane. He could not believe that experienced doctors from Korea were coming to the farm with their families.

The doctors who were friends of Park Youngsun and who decided to come to the farm were members of Doctors Without Borders. They had been volunteering to help people in the globe who needed help, due to disasters and conflicts.

Most of them were mid-aged, and many of them felt that they had established foundations of their lives now and were looking for places to volunteer. Their children were all grown up and left to establish their lives on their own. Just then, Park Youngsun contacted one of them and complained about poor medical facilities of Central Asia, so they were gathered to help the farm people.

They would reside at the farm and work primarily at the farm, but they wished to occasionally volunteer to help around Central Asian countries. Their decision was very admirable.

Youngho liked their idea as well. If a professional medical team was formed at the farm and traveled around different regions of Central Asia as volunteers, the autonomous state of Arirang would be respected by the public as well.

It would, of course, earn the favor of the Kazakh government. The news that doctors were coming to the farm was equally joyous, as the news that the farm was approved as an autonomous state.

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