Franchise God - Chapter 1617



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Franchise God Episode 1617

Chapter 346 Supply Base (3)

The military is a big money-eating machine.

Although the military industry may make money, the military itself never makes money.

Of course, historically, the victors in large-scale oil wars have gained large oil concessions.

However, this does not mean that the military itself gained any benefits; it was simply used as a means to achieve trade objectives.

But the Korean expeditionary force earned money directly in France.

The establishment of a ‘money-making army’, which is only possible in a dictatorship or a country in civil war, has been achieved.

Let’s consider that in such countries, the military is not really generating productive income, but rather essentially ripping off and exploiting businesses and residents.

“No, but the Korean military also guarantees the livelihood of French companies and residents in the occupied territories and collects taxes, so isn’t it ultimately no different from the military of a dictatorship ripping them off?”

“That army exploits its own people. Of course, this alone makes a huge difference.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“In fact, it is impossible to expect the companies and residents of the opposing country to conduct economic activities with peace of mind while at war. The Korean military has created a new business concept that has never been seen before in the history of modern warfare!”

“As expected, His Excellency Marshal Ha Su-yeong. You always come up with business ideas that others wouldn’t even think of.”

“He must have had it planned in his head from the very beginning to ensure food sovereignty in Africa.”

A significant number of the Korean expeditionary force withdrew to their home country.

There are Korean military bases throughout the occupied territories, but they do not mix with French civilians.

The Korean military, with some confidence, opened major cities such as Paris to French people who crossed the border to engage in economic activities.

Since it was not possible to commute across the sewer line every day, the French rented rooms in the city and paid monthly rent.

The Naval Honorary Personnel and Quartermaster Department, which oversaw the administration and household affairs of the French-occupied territories, demanded a reasonable rent.

“The French people pay 9% of their monthly income. However, this rent cannot exceed 0.1% of the price of the house.”

Like other developed countries, France was originally a country with murderous prices and rents.

The majority of monthly renters pay more than 30% of their monthly salary as rent, and in extreme cases, they pay up to 50%.

In comparison, 9% is a very cheap order.

In order to prevent high-income earners with extremely high monthly incomes from being unfairly ripped off, the upper limit was set at 0.1% of the housing price.

Then, even wealthy people such as businessmen only have to pay 1.2% of the house price per year as rent, which is a similar level to the property tax, so the burden is small.

In addition, the Navy Honorary Personnel Logistics Division implemented a groundbreaking value-added tax measure to stabilize prices in French occupied territories.

The basic VAT rate was set at 10% (the French government set it at 20%), and a reduced rate of up to 0% was applied to some items.

Most of the daily necessities used by common people fall into this category.

Conversely, luxury goods used by the wealthy were subject to luxury taxes of up to 75%.

Luxury goods were subject to a 75% luxury tax without fail.

By the way, an interesting phenomenon occurs in the case of expensive laptops.

For example, in the case of the Diamond Semiconductor laptop released by Raffle, the tax rates are divided into two types.

For example, a model with an ex-factory price of 10,000 euros (10 million won) is classified as a luxury good and is subject to a 50% VAT, so the consumer purchase price becomes 15,000 euros.

However, if you can prove that you need that high-spec laptop for your work, such as a designer, artist, or developer, you will be reimbursed up to €4,000.

If you buy something just to show off or because it looks cool, it is considered a luxury item, but if you buy it because you need it for work, it is considered a basic item.

French people working in the occupied territories felt disoriented.

“It’s strange. We clearly lost territory, but why are we better off than before?”

“Isn’t this too generous for a propaganda policy to win over the people of the occupied territory? Monthly rent is 9% of monthly income. In the past, you had to give 50% of your salary.”

“But why can’t I see any Korean soldiers and officers? Isn’t the entire city of Paris a military zone right now?”

The Korean soldiers that the French could easily see were those who had gone out.

When Korean soldiers go out, they must wear their military uniform to indicate their affiliation.

It is to prevent people from rashly starting a fight, and also to make soldiers feel responsible for their uniforms and behave properly.

Maintaining order was handled exclusively by Android Freedom and flying drones.

Freedom has put to good use the know-how it has accumulated from running a number of large autonomous villages across the African continent.

French people who live and make a living in the occupied territories find themselves under the watchful eye of a military AI 24 hours a day.

It is difficult to feel their presence normally, but when a crime is committed or is about to occur, they appear like ghosts, wondering where they were.

“You committed assault. Mr. Aron’s actions were self-defense, and Mr. Ethan is guilty of assault. Therefore, Mr. Ethan must choose one of the following: pay 5,000 euros in damages to Mr. Aron, or be banned from entering ‘South Korean Cheongdam’ for 5 years.”

“I will pay the compensation! Please don’t kick me out! This will never happen again!”

“If you commit a criminal offense in the future, you will be notified that the compensation and the period of entry ban will be increased. You may be deported regardless of the payment of compensation.”

The French-occupied area was called ‘South Korean Cheongdam’.

This was because London (Cheongsu-teo, the old name for Cheongdam-dong) was located just across the sea to the north.

Neither a territorial cession treaty was signed nor the war ended.

Although active fighting has ceased, it is still a war zone and on French soil, an absurd situation has developed where even French people who come here to work call the area ‘South Korean Cheongdam’.

* * *

Meanwhile, the French government across the border could only watch this situation unfold with dismay.

I couldn’t stand to see so many French factories go out of business, so I accepted Korea’s offer.

Even though France had lost nearly a third of its territory and was forced to retreat, French companies were active on the international economic stage.

Luxury goods made by luxury brands with a long history, such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Hermes, are still sold around the world with the “Made in Paris” logo on them.

The Korean military has also been imposing luxury taxes on luxury goods exported overseas. This is a bizarre tax measure that disrupts the very foundation of value-added tax.

Because of this, French luxury goods were subject to double VAT, causing their prices to skyrocket, but they actually sold even better.

“These products are military war collaboration models that were made with the sweat and tears of artisans while under the surveillance of the occupying forces.”

“All the products made in France now are limited editions. They will no longer be produced once the war is over. They are truly rare items that are only available in this era.”

It’s not that luxury goods production will stop, it’s just that the limited edition premiums for wartime will disappear once the war ends.

And people always go crazy over limited editions.

“Exhibition limited edition products are completely different from planned limited editions like the Rubens and Nike collaborations.”

“Of course. When else will we see a limited edition made during a war?”

“No matter how expensive it is, you have to buy it.”

Consumers who love luxury goods in the United States, the Middle East, China, Japan, and Korea were willing to open their wallets.

All luxury goods exported from South Korea’s Cheongdam were given a display premium.

Even the wines produced this year were sold off to the tycoons in their entire winery warehouses, and fierce auction competition ensued.

“The next auction item is 50 oak barrels produced this year by Martin Winery. If I were to introduce this tearful wine, it would be that it is a wine made with the secret recipe of a 100-year-old traditional winery, using grapes carefully collected from vineyards that were not burned down during the war.”

Foreign aristocrats with billions of dollars in assets flocked to occupied France to bid on wine auctions.

Their entry gave the image that the French occupation zone was very securely under control.

“Did you know that the grapevines that failed because of the grape gall worm were the starting point of this war? This is a limited edition wine made from healthy grapes that survived the failure of the crops and the devastation of the war. I dare say that as time passes and it ages, its taste and intangible value will be unmatched by any other wine!”

The auctioneer played up the vanity and competitive spirit of the wealthy bidders to the fullest extent.

Wine created in the pain of war!

Not much quantity!

What if you preemptively take them and let them age over time before drinking them yourself?

“If the bid is successful, we will give you ownership instead of the oak barrel. The successful bidder can request the winery to ship the wine in a complete bottle with a notarized certificate at any time! Let the auction begin!”

A system where oak barrels are kept in the winery and, if the owner so desires, the barrels are opened, bottled, branded, and shipped.

Bringing the oak barrel yourself would mean losing the point of purchasing a limited edition exhibition wine.

The 50 oak barrels were sold for a whopping 500 million euros, and the farm owner, who returned after crossing the sewer line on a wartime work visa, almost fainted.

Grapevine root gall worm, and I thought it would be completely destroyed by war.

However, the production volume, which was less than 1% of the normal level, actually created an unimaginable jackpot.

“500 million euros! 500 million euros… … Wow, now we’re rich! We’re rich! Hahahaha!”

“Father, you must not forget that you have to pay half of your income to the Military Government Command as taxes.”

“What if I give you half? That leaves you with 250 million euros left! Hahahaha! Hahahaha!”

In this way, French people who received wartime work visas and came to the occupied territories were bewildered by their much improved living conditions compared to before.

“Is this occupied territory? No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t seem right.”

“They won’t take away your property if you pay taxes. They won’t say anything if you send money to Eastern France.”

The people of the occupied territories called the area outside the sewer line, where the French government was located, ‘East France’.

Sometimes the occupied territory was simply called West France or South London rather than South Korean Cheongdam.

The French government, struggling with poverty, was shocked to see the amount of money French people were sending to their families across the sewer line.

Most of the occupied territories had family members in eastern France who could not cross the border because they were not issued with wartime work visas or were not eligible to cohabitate.

Because I was working and sending them living expenses, it was a huge amount of money for the country.

In this situation, the French government was left in a situation where it could do neither this nor that.

They were afraid that if they joined hands with China, with whom they were in an implicit alliance, and resumed the war, the ‘remittances from the West French’ that had been saving their lives would be cut off.

With that money, the French government was able to finance its operations by purchasing necessary supplies from other countries, such as Germany.

So when China hinted at ‘getting ready to start the second round,’ the French government is said to have tried to dissuade them.

“No more War!”

“No more war! We want bread, not guns!”

The Haeundae Line was becoming a de facto ceasefire line.