Republic of Korea in Yeokcheon - Chapter 263



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#263. What the hell are you doing!

Regarding this, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy provided further explanation.

“I’m sure you all know a little about the Tobeopgoro, but let me explain a little more about why it’s so serious.”

“Oh, okay.”

“This is related to our ministry, so I was watching it with great interest with my staff. It was something I had only heard about in books or through word of mouth, so I was curious about how it would proceed. But this is really… … .”

“why?”

“I wonder if there is such madness. No matter how crazy the times are, and how Mao Zedong wields absolute power, how can a country with 400 million people, not just any country, do such things in such a coordinated manner?”

“Is it that serious?”

“Just think of it as a population of 400 million going crazy as a group.”

“… … .”

400 million people collectively went crazy.

I don’t think that’s possible.

“Those of you who are in the liberal arts here may not know this, but those of you who are in the engineering department will probably know to some extent how difficult and arduous the process of making iron, or ironmaking, is.”

“Excuse me, Minister. Just because you graduated from an engineering school doesn’t mean you know everything. I majored in electrical engineering, and I don’t know anything about that.”

“That’s right. Even if you’re in an engineering school, you probably know something about metallurgy or materials engineering. Or maybe you’ve worked in a related industry.”

“Hahaha! That’s true. Anyway, that’s true, steel making is really hard. If you read some weird novel, you’ll see someone reincarnated into the past and easily make steel, right? That’s all a lie. That’s nonsense. Not to mention steel, even cast iron, commonly called cast iron, isn’t easy to make.”

“So?”

“So what? Farmers who are completely ignorant of iron in the first place are making iron? It’s something that even a passing cow would laugh at. Just ask kids who graduated from a metallurgical engineering department to make it. Do you think they can? If they don’t have the foundation and experience, even if they only have the knowledge they learned from books, they won’t be able to make it even if they die.”

“Huh?”

The story was becoming quite interesting.

“If the blacksmiths had been centered around a village with blacksmiths and expanded their production scale, they would have been able to produce usable iron. Of course, the quality would not have been consistent, and high-quality steel would have been out of the question, but the current catastrophe would not have occurred. Do you think it’s a bit funny to call them blacksmiths?”

“Well, it’s not that funny… … .”

“Hey, why is that? Has there ever been a time when occupations with the word ‘jangi’ in the title were not looked down upon? It’s a word that refers to a person with a specific skill, such as a blacksmith, a signboard maker, or a potter.”

“… … .”

“Anyway, blacksmiths are not ordinary people. They are not comparable to making steel in a modern ironworks, but they are professionals in the ironmaking industry who have accumulated thousands of years of metallurgical techniques since the beginning of mankind. Regardless of the East or the West, there have been countless wars, but blacksmiths have always been treated specially, and there is a reason why. So, out of the blue, they are telling farmers to make iron? The ones who are ordering them are crazy, but the ones who are saying it are just as crazy.”

“It’s not that they’re crazy. They just can’t speak up. If they say no, they’ll call you a reactionary or a right-winger and kill you. That’s why absolute power is so scary in a rigid authoritarian system.”

“… … .”

As Kim Ho-jin said, how many people think that what is happening in the People’s Republic of China right now is normal?

Of the 400 million people, hundreds of thousands of blacksmiths and industrialists, as well as anyone with some level of common sense, would naturally think that it was crazy.

But I can’t say that thought out loud.

If you do that, you will be branded a rebel and will have a hard time, or in severe cases, you will be killed.

“Your Excellency, what you said is right. In any case, what is happening in northern China right now is beyond imagination. In the local rural areas, all the iron that is iron is being turned into rice in earthenware furnaces. Not only are the iron farm tools like plows and seeders in good condition made of iron, but even the pots and knives in the kitchen are all being melted down. With communal living, what use is there for a kitchen?”

“her…….”

“This is inevitable because they assign quotas to each rural area and if they don’t meet their quotas, they say they’ll reduce their food rations. So even though the farmers know it’s crazy, they turn any iron they see into food for the blast furnaces in order to fill their hungry stomachs. No, because this isn’t enough, they even tear down the railroad tracks and melt them down, which is causing frequent derailments.”

“This is incredible.”

“Well! So it’s fortunate that iron is produced properly. No, production has skyrocketed. But is that iron really iron? How could that be? If farmers melted all kinds of iron and made it properly, wouldn’t that be strange? Of course, shitty garbage iron comes out. And then they make things with it. Then they end up with products that are no different from garbage. A kitchen knife? It breaks after one or two cuts, and a rail made of that garbage iron can’t support the load. That’s only natural. It’s a product made of shit iron.”

“… … .”

“What’s even more absurd is that the quota only recognizes iron from the blast furnace.”

“Yes? No, then what about the original steel mill?”

“That’s why it’s absurd. Large modern steel mills in Wuhan and other places that were originally running smoothly have stopped operating. All the raw materials that were supposed to go there have gone into the blast furnaces.”

“This is crazy… … .”

“And what do you use to light the fire in the kiln? Do the farmers know about coke? No, even if they do, they can’t get it. So they cut down all the trees on the mountain and leave the mountain bare.”

“Oh, no, can I use wood as a fuel for the furnace?”

“How could that be?”

“… … .”

If a mountain becomes bare, a great disaster is bound to strike.

Because there will be landslides and massive floods.

“It was a bit long, but to summarize it in one word, it is this: The People’s Republic of China is collapsing. It is completely collapsing. It has long since forgotten that it grew during the First Five-Year Plan, and it has hit rock bottom and is going underground.”

“… … .”

“There is another reason why I have made this introduction so long. Some of you may be aware of the negative effects of the Great Leap Forward. But there is another reason why I am speaking at such length.”

“What is that?”

“We investigated in detail with the help of the National Intelligence Service and our staff. However, it turned out to be a bit different from the original history.”

“yes?”

“The timing is similar.”

“But?”

“That robbery was much stronger than the original.”

“Is the robber stronger?”

“Yes, that’s right. The National Intelligence Service said that for some reason, Mao Zedong’s pestering seemed to be worse than before.”

“Huh!”

“So my conclusion is this: The Great Leap Forward is proceeding much more radically than it was originally. Therefore, our measures must be adjusted accordingly.”

“… … .”

As history changed, there were many cases where similar events unfolded with completely different results, but this time, it seemed like it would unfold even more strangely.

Then someone spoke to himself.

“I don’t think this will even reach the level of a cultural revolution… … .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

History was changing strangely.

***

The Presidential Office of the Republic of China at around the same time.

“This is really a big deal! We were prepared for it, but the yellow worms have swept through most of our rural areas.”

“It’s not just the yellow bugs! All kinds of pests are running rampant and it’s chaos. Especially the rural areas in the border areas are practically in ruins!”

“Food production is almost halfway to our goals!”

“What the hell… … !”

Chiang Kai-shek pressed his temples and frowned at the pouring cries.

They said they had prepared in advance because they knew Mao Zedong was going crazy, but the damage was beyond imagination.

It was clear that if things continued this way, a great famine would occur.

“What about the pest control work?”

“We are putting forth our best efforts, but the damage is so extensive that it is not enough.”

“Damn it! Ask the US! Ask for support, whether it’s pesticides or equipment!”

“That, that’s not enough. I already requested it.”

“ha…….”

If even the United States is not enough, there is only one more place to reach out.

It was really a blow to Chiang Kai-shek’s pride.

“Request this to the Republic of Korea too! If things continue like this, pride and all, everything will be ruined.”

When a great famine occurs, public sentiment deteriorates significantly.

If that happens, even your own regime could be shaken, so you must block it without regard to means and methods.

“All right.”

“And we are also actively promoting food imports.”

“We have been pushing for it for some time now, but… … .”

“What’s the problem?”

“International grain prices have skyrocketed several times. This is partly due to the large-scale purchases made in Korea and other countries, and partly because rice exporting countries like Burma have also suffered losses and have stopped exporting.”

“Ha! I’m going crazy! Oh, that’s enough! I’m telling you to import it even if it costs several times more! Is that important right now? And our economy can handle that much!”

“All right.”

After the meeting, curses were heard in the President’s office.

“You fucking Mao Zedong bastard! What the hell are you doing!”

***

Beijing, People’s Republic of China.

All the men leading Northern China have gathered.

Except Mao Zedong.

“This is a serious problem! The crops have completely failed, and we won’t even make it through this winter, let alone next spring!”

Tian Yun, who was in charge of the economy, shouted, his face pale with fear.

“Damn it! It’s not just farming. Nothing is working. There’s no way a weapon made of that damned shit-iron will work! What kind of gun barrel bends when you apply force with your hand? Does it explode when you shoot it?”

“Railway transport is paralyzed! The tracks have collapsed everywhere, making it impossible to travel anywhere!”

“Fuck… … .”

“ha…….”

“This is driving me crazy… … .”

It’s a total mess.

If this continues, we’ll all die.

At this time, Peng Dehuai, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“Comrade Zhou.”

“Speak.”

“Does the Chairman know the current situation? No, did I explain it properly? But the Chairman listens to Comrade Zhou, right?”

“Hoo!”

“Why are you sighing?”

“Do you think I haven’t told you? Especially since I told you about the Tobeopgo a long time ago.”

“You reported it? So, what did you say?”

“You just said one thing.”

“So what did you say?”

“There is no such thing as a return. What one person rejects is another person’s gain. That’s what he said.”

“… … .”

“… … .”

There has never been such nonsense as this.

“Then what are we going to do! If we continue like this, all the people will starve to death!”

“… … .”

“… … .”

No one answered Tian Yun’s cries.

And after a while, Peng Dehuai opened his mouth again.

“Comrade Zhou.”

“Speak.”

“Say it again.”

“ha…….”

“If it doesn’t work, I’ll tell you again… … .”

“So? What if that doesn’t work?”

“… … .”

Feng Dehuai didn’t answer, but he already had other thoughts.

We can’t all die like this.