I Will Stage A Coup D’état - Chapter 87



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EP.87 Beer

When the news of the Axis forces’ continued defeats came to light, Korean intellectuals who had been advocating for territorial expansion by joining the Axis felt mixed emotions.

The fascists, who had rapidly expanded their empire by repeatedly paying them back, were an example they would all want to follow.

“Look at Germany, which is expanding its empire without wavering under the orderly leadership of the Führer. What an ideal state this is.”

“If we can’t do as well as Germany, we should at least do as well as Italy. Look at Duce. At least he knows how to bet big and take big bites.”

I certainly believed that.

Italy, the number two Axis power they had praised so much, was wavering, and Germany, far from conquering the Soviet Union, was facing the danger of a two-front war.

Really, is it true that paying back the debt wasn’t the right way?

They felt confused.

Is it true that Lee Seong-jun was right in desperately blocking expansion, claiming that it would ruin the country?

Intellectuals did not want to admit that fact.

They immediately went into self-rationalization.

“The reason the Axis powers appear to be at a disadvantage is not because their strategy was wrong. It is because Korea has been put on the other side of the scale. If Korea had sided with the Axis, things would not have turned out this way.”

That wasn’t entirely wrong either.

If there had been no Korea, would the Soviet Union have been able to survive 1941 so well?

If there had been no Korea, would Britain have been able to seize control of the Mediterranean so easily?

It made sense to me.

“So, Lee Seong-jun is wrong. How can it make sense to join hands with the West, which is trying to take away what we have, instead of the Axis powers that can give us a lot?”

Of course, I didn’t say anything like that openly.

They just chatted quietly at gatherings or tea houses.

It was clearly different from the early days of the Lee Seong-jun administration.

The Security Command sent me a trend report summarizing the sentiments of these intellectuals.

“These guys still have a long way to go before they come to their senses. Tsk tsk.”

The road to Korea is still long.

I was so frustrated because I didn’t understand even though I explained to them with such great examples that paying back debts would ruin the country.

I sympathized with the feelings of Master ArXnis, who tried to somehow guide the primitive ancient race onto the right path.

“How can you not see the flow of the times!”

“yes?”

The words came out in vain.

Ahem.

I made an awkward expression.

Anyway, I felt the need to teach those scholars who could not see the flow of the times.

“owner.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“I don’t think it’ll work. Every morning broadcast, every movie screening, every workplace lecture, insert a ten-minute propaganda program explaining how Germany was ruined by revenge.”

“I will accept it.”

This is what dictatorial power is good for.

If you didn’t understand, he had the power to shove it into your ear so that you would understand.

The power of this cotton swab-like authority.

“By the way, how are radio music shows these days? I heard they’re popular even within our empire.”

“Oh, yes. It originally aired 5 times a week for 1 hour each time, but it has been extended to 7 times a week for 2 hours each time.”

“Really? Is it on air now?”

“Oh, I’ll catch it for you.”

Kim Jeong-gil manipulated the radio.

Soon, the girls’ singing could be heard along with cheerful background music.

Doesn’t this song sound familiar?

Where did that song I used to listen to go?

“Isn’t that Colonel Bogie’s March?”

“That’s not fun.”

They said the fortress was singing a song of love.

Is it true that even in this day and age, love songs are the ultimate song?

Come to think of it, I wondered what use it would be for soldiers on the battlefield to rant about Hitler’s disappearance.

hmm.

It’s a story about a soldier and love.

Suddenly an idea flashed through my mind.

Come to think of it, the Korean Empire lacked that.

“MacX. I guess I’ll need that.”

“Oh, Maxim? Are you talking about the machine gun?”

Ha. Have you ever seen such an ignorant person?

I couldn’t help but sigh in regret.

MacX is the alpha and omega of the soldiers, their soul and lifeblood.

You don’t know about such a great civilization.

I have decided to bring the benefits of civilization to this sad empire.

Of course, I can provide that level of welfare to the soldiers I dragged out to the battlefield.

“Anyway, there is something like that. You should just get out.”

I had nothing to say to the ignorant military man, Lee Jeong-yoon.

I called Lee Gyeong-ho, a sharp-witted civilian bureaucrat.

“Did you call, Your Majesty?”

“I need you to do something for me.”

“Just give me the order and I’ll handle anything.”

“I wish I could make a magazine.”

“I’m going to take over a magazine company.”

“That’s up to the owner, the content is important. We need a lot of photographers and female models.”

“What type of magazine is it?”

I explained to Lee Kyung-ho the symbol of the great civilization I know, MacX.

Lee Kyung-ho looked puzzled for a moment, then nodded.

“I will prepare. However, Your Majesty, it seems difficult to hire a model in her 20s.”

“Why is that?”

“Don’t all women become married once they reach their early 20s?”

ah!

I overlooked the specificity of this era.

“You take care of that yourself, master.”

I believed that Lee Kyung-ho would handle it well and wisely.

A week later, Lee Kyung-ho came to me with a freshly printed, crisp copy of the magazine.

It had a tacky feel, like an adult magazine from the 80s, but it still looked pretty good.

“I guess you’ve courted more married women than I thought. Your husband must have had a hard time.”

“That’s it, I brought in first-class parasites and filmed them.”

what?

No, come to think of it, in this day and age, the only people who would willingly take a picture of their naked body and show it to others were prostitutes.

In the first place, in this era, Korea treated actors as high-class prostitutes.

“Well, well done.”

It doesn’t matter whether she’s a prostitute or not.

The key is whether the photo is attractive.

Although the composition of the photo itself was a bit tacky, the faces of the actors looked realistic, as if they had selected beauties to take the photo.

This would be a 5 out of 10 magazine.

This was okay for a first start.

“From now on, this magazine will be called Beer. We need to supply beer to the entire military, so make sure to print it out without any problems in supply.”

“I will accept it.”

“Oh, wait a minute.”

Looking at the beer, it tasted a little disappointing.

What bothers me the most is the girls’ hairstyles.

Looking at the classic hairstyle with its rustic styling, my interest in it naturally cooled.

“Try cutting the kids’ hair a little more Western-style. You know, you know?”

The good thing about dictators is that they don’t need any explanation.

If I say it roughly like this, he understands it perfectly.

“Yes, I will take action.”

I sent Lee Gyeong-ho away and showed the beer that had come as a gift to Jeong Gil-i and the surrounding soldiers.

Sparks flew from their eyes when they saw that.

If someone tries to turn the page without permission,

“Oh, sir. You’re still appreciating it.”

There was no class or anything.

I’m confident this will work.

for a moment.

Is it really necessary to only use Korean actors?

Can’t our beer become a big brand like MacX in the world?

“Connect me to the security service.”

I asked Lee Jeong-yoon to find out if there were any Jewish or Russian women in the country who could be recruited as call girls.

“If the First Lady knows.”

no.

I told you, it’s not like you’re going to put it on my bed.

“First, find out.”

And three days later, the list arrived at my desk.

“Uh, uh.”

There were prettier kids than I thought.

There were quite a few that looked better than our parasites.

“owner.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“Get in touch with these guys and see if you can start working together.”

“Your Majesty. Are you sure that’s okay?”

Oh, kid.

Seriously, I said no.

Instead of answering, I kicked Lee Jeong-yoon’s shin.

“Master. Just do what I tell you to do.”

“Yes, I will serve you.”

And then a new photo of the girls appeared on my desk.

Now it’s starting to taste a bit like beer.

“From now on, let’s print 200,000 copies per month.”

I set ambitious goals.

Once I started, my goal was to dominate the Asian adult magazine market.

Yes, this was war.

Step by step, step by step.

The first edition of the beer was supplied to the military immediately after it was printed.

The military’s response was heated.

“Long live the great His Excellency Lee Seong-jun!”

“Ah, Mae-ak-ju. My throat is choked with Your Majesty’s passionate love.”

“Tsk tsk.”

The soldiers’ response was so enthusiastic that the military requested that the supply of beer be increased quickly.

“I think we should give incentives to our actors. Give them a big salary.”

“I will do that.”

Beer began its meteoric rise.

Eventually, there were even cases of Korean soldiers stationed overseas taking turns with foreign soldiers.

“Your Majesty, I had no idea that beer would be so popular.”

It was the same for me.

Even though the sales volume was increased to 200,000 copies, they were making a fuss on site, saying that the copies were not enough.

Now, he said, there are people in the private sector who are gradually bringing in beer.

“Well, wouldn’t it be okay if we increased the number of printers?”

“There are restrictions on hiring people in non-essential jobs such as printing under the Exhibition Employment Act.”

“okay?”

I immediately revised the regulations.

“Beer is a military commodity.”

Since beer was designated as a military supply, there was no disruption to its production.

The era of spring flowers is now over.

The Korean Empire was living in the age of beer.