-Bang!
World War I, commonly said to have been started by Germany, was not actually started by Germany.
-Long live Serbia!
It was started by a Serbian nationalist youth named Gavrilo Princip.
With the gunshot that rang out in Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary and Serbia declared war on each other. The Slavs suddenly began to rally together, and in accordance with the alliance relationships tangled like a spiderweb, all of Europe split into the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente.
In fact, if you put it that way, a Serbian youth started it first, and you might think it was the Triple Entente—Britain, France, and Russia—who were in the same camp as Serbia, that started it... but in wars like this, the result is usually more important than the cause.
Germany lost. So it was a war Germany started.
-It is a treaty too cruel to be called reconciliation, and too generous to be called annihilation.
If you lose, you must be punished.
France, which had suffered millions of wartime casualties, wanted to erase Germany from the map while it had the chance. In the Treaty of Versailles, they saddled Germany with war reparations it could never possibly repay. It seemed they wanted to turn Germany into a de facto semi-colonial state, a nation that could never rise again.
But as with all human affairs, when there are too many people with nothing left to lose, it can never be good for society.
With the Great Depression that began in America sending the world economy into the abyss, and with their own economy devastated by the unfathomable reparations, the Germanic people had nothing left to lose.
-Mein Kampf!
The times make the hero.
In a society filled with a rock-bottom economy and defeatism, one hero appeared.
He explained that the Germanic people were the greatest race in the world, and preached that the reason such a people were forced to live like this was because of the Jews.
As a result, desperate Germans began to rally together. Riding that momentum, they forced France to surrender in just six weeks and led the world once more into the flames of war.
But as I said again, in wars like this, the result is more important than the cause.
Germany lost again this time, and because of that, he came to be recorded as the most infamous war criminal in the history of the Earth.
There are no “what ifs” in history, but I still can’t help wondering.
If he had never existed, would Germany have finished paying off its reparations by now? Or would it still be paying them?
-Make America Great Again!
Watching Donald begin his speech in Pennsylvania, I thought of the man with the mustache.
How strange.
Whenever nationalism takes root, some major incident in world history always seems to erupt... Whenever internal dissatisfaction is turned outward, it leads without exception to war... Do American history textbooks teach it differently?
“Who do you think will win, Sejun?”
As I was lost in thought, Meilin handed me a martini and smiled.
“...Pardon?”
“The U.S. presidential election. My dad said this American election is the worst ever. A battle between a dementia patient and a conspiracy theorist, or something like that.”
“Is that so. Haha...”
“Who do you think will win, Sejun?”
“I’m not sure. Won’t Donald win?”
“Oh, come on. All the U.S. polling indicators are favorable to the Democrats, aren’t they? Won’t Bidon take office again?”
“Then Bidon will win.”
“Pfft. How boring.”
At that moment, from the TV screen, a sound like the gunshot of Sarajevo rang out—bang.
“Oh my, I guess one of Donald’s supporters set off some fireworks!”
I emptied my martini and focused on the TV.
According to the experts’ analysis, it was only a few millimeters. With a margin like that, I wondered if Pennsylvania’s weather changing ever so slightly might alter the history I knew.
“Huh...? Donald’s ear is bleeding.”
But no such thing happened. Protectionism, it seemed, was part of divine providence after all.
“...What is this? What did we just see?”
“It’s probably nothing. By the way, Meilin, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Ah, yes.”
Leaving behind the disaster that would soon arrive, I drew Meilin’s attention back to me.
“Did you receive the funds CEO Ming gave you?”
“Ah, yes. It was truly a jaw-dropping amount of money. I laundered it just as you said, Sejun. I just need to deposit it into the account you gave me then, right?”
“You don’t need to deposit that money. Instead, please deliver it to this person.”
When I handed her the documents, she tilted her head.
“I... Chan... ho? I Chanho?”
“Yes, that’s right. I Chanho.”
“Who is he?”
“He’s a major political figure in Korea who served two terms. Right now, he’s probably doing a master’s in law at Tsinghua University.”
“Aha. A major figure in Korean politics. But... why would he study law in China? Our country runs without laws.”
I scratched my head.
I don’t remember that part very well either. I think he explained it somehow, but I remember not being able to understand it at all.
“Anyway, you want me to deliver the money to this person?”
“Yes. There won’t be many Koreans writing law theses at Tsinghua. You should be able to find him easily.”
“Then how much?”
“For now, two hundred thousand dollars. And keep holding onto the rest of the money.”
“Understood. Mm... But you know.”
Meilin asked cautiously.
“I think this is the first time you’ve gone so far as to search someone out, Sejun... Is this person an enormous big shot in Korea?”
“No. In truth, right now he’s essentially out of the game. Every connection he had has been cut.”
“...Then why put so much effort into him? Isn’t it too much of a waste of money?”
“Because I think he’ll become someone big soon. It looks like he’ll return to Korean politics before long.”
I Chanho... The man I knew was incredibly capable.
When someone like me made profits of several dozen percent by using future knowledge and persuading the people higher up, he made several hundred percent through investments in cabbage farming.
The rate of return he had achieved so far was probably at least hundreds of billions of percent.
“If that’s the case, will I be able to approach him...?”
Meilin said in an unconfident voice.
“A political big shot like that wouldn’t meet just anyone. And he wouldn’t casually accept money from a stranger.”
“Don’t worry about that. He’s an easier man than you’d think.”
“An easier... man?”
“He isn’t the type to refuse gifts from companies. He’s gotten in trouble for taking things from every Tom, Dick, and Harry, but he’s never gotten in trouble for refusing anything. He probably won’t be that wary this time either.”
“Even so, if he’s someone you’re putting this much effort into, Sejun, it seems like he must have considerable political connections...”
“He’s been out of the game for a long time, and his income dried up ages ago. He’ll probably accept it readily.”
After I reassured her several times, some of the concern seemed to fade from her face.
“All right, Sejun. I’ll try meeting him.”
*
“The weather is truly fine. Perfect weather for our cabbages to grow nice and strong.”
Tsinghua University, Beijing.
I Chanho looked up at the Beijing sky, free of even a trace of heavy metals for once, and drew in a deep breath.
Ten years ago, he had been half-retired from politics, and even now he had yet to settle down, merely loitering around Yeouido. But a gentleman was still a gentleman even in rags; thanks to the friends and colleagues he had made during his active years, he had been able to study abroad without worrying about his livelihood.
Born with an extraordinary passion for learning, he had set his sights on a master’s degree in law from Tsinghua University after his master’s in public administration from the Kennedy School in America.
And today was the day he would bring that long period of study to an end.
Today, he had an interview for his Tsinghua master’s degree ahead of him, but armed as he was with solid legal knowledge, he was not particularly nervous about it.
Whether asleep or awake, his only worry was the cabbages he had left behind in Korea.
“Assemblyman, Assemblyman!”
While he was admiring the clear sky, his longtime aide came running over.
Although he had retired from politics long ago, his aide always called him Assemblyman.
“You left this behind.”
“What is this?”
“Your master’s thesis, Assemblyman.”
“Ah, is that right? There aren’t any problems with it, are there?”
“No. Our aides stayed up all night for a week writing it. Please read it once before you go into the interview.”
“Come now, we’re both professionals. It’s just a formality, so you don’t need to worry so much. I’ll be back.”
Just as he was about to get into the car, the aide hurriedly spoke.
“Ah, and Assemblyman. Could you spare a little time after the interview today?”
“Time?”
“Yes. A Chinese entrepreneur has requested a meeting with you.”
“An entrepreneur?! What do you mean? Tell me more.”
I Chanho’s pupils widened. Entrepreneurs were the people he liked most in the world.
“Ah, yes. They gave some explanation, but in a word, they said they wanted to establish a connection with you... It was that sort of request.”
“Is he Korean?”
“No. A Chinese entrepreneur. The person who came was some very young woman, but when I looked into her background, her father was a businessman who runs a large operation in China.”
As the aide explained Meilin’s father, the corners of I Chanho’s mouth began to rise.
A big spender. Until the Korean culture ban was imposed, he had earned a tremendous amount of money as a distributor of Korean dramas, and afterward he had launched all sorts of businesses and become a local powerbroker.
The businesses under his control were known in China as genuine cash cows, the sort of businesses one could not even set foot in without the protection of the Communist Party.
“Heh heh. I was right to come study in China after all. Back when I was in America, all I got was racial discrimination.”
“Yes, yes. For a businessman, he seemed to have quite a generous hand.”
“But what’s the reason he wants to meet me? I may be well-known in Korea, but Chinese people probably don’t know much about me.”
“They kept that part secret even from me. They said they wanted to discuss everything in person.”
“Hmm...”
“But what special reason could there be? As with your Tsinghua master’s degree, the Chinese authorities are currently desperate to build ties with Korean political circles. That entrepreneur probably has a similar request.”
I Chanho felt a slight wariness at the visit from a stranger, but he soon shook off his concerns.
For the sake of friendly relations with Korea, China gave degrees to Korean politicians and provided them with conveniences. Even this master’s degree had been arranged so that almost the entire curriculum fit his schedule perfectly.
“I suppose word got around to that side that I’m receiving some favorable treatment from the Chinese authorities?”
“Yes, yes. That’s probably it.”
“Then I suppose I should make time for them.”
“Then shall I set up the appointment?”
“Yes. I’m only going to be having tea with the professors about my master’s thesis today anyway, right? Tell them to come there.”
“Understood. Then please have a safe trip.”
I Chanho got into the car with a broad smile.
Good things had been happening often lately. In Yeouido, the people close to him had taken over the party leadership, and none of them had forgotten their past ties with him, steadily sending him love calls.
His cabbage farming was also having a bumper year. This time, he felt he would earn even more.
And now, on top of that, a Chinese entrepreneur had come seeking him out like this... He was already looking forward to the gift.