Rust - Chapter 298
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RUST -298
The cure was a key item that kept Korea going.
In fact, it is an item that has a greater impact than semiconductors. If you don’t have semiconductors, you won’t die immediately, but if there is no cure, you will either become infected or get cannibalistic.
The recipe for such a cure was revealed. At the same time, various raw materials that had been being distributed semi-forcibly were suddenly cut off.
The world economy is virtually in shambles, and the fact that South Korea has lost its monopoly on therapeutics, the greatest force that allowed it to maintain its daily life despite the fact that two tactical nuclear weapons were dropped on China.
With the nuclear bomb dropped on Pyeongtaek, all nearby semiconductor factories were shut down, and even the therapeutics they were exclusively producing were gone, there was no way to sustain the economy.
‘It will take more than six months to restart a semiconductor factory.’
‘What happened to the new factory you built in the US?’
‘They say the Texas government is taking control of it.’
‘You mean the Texas government and not the federal government?’
‘As Texas declares secession, semiconductor factories are in jeopardy.’
The Texas government designated semiconductor plants as key strategic companies in the state, effectively restricting the management rights of Korean companies. This made it difficult to sell semiconductors and obtain necessary supplies.
There needed to be a place to direct the public’s anger. Naturally, the “It’s your fault” began, and they soon reached an agreement. They would step on the Ojin Group.
‘If it’s called a cure, it should cure the disease, but calling it a cure when it only relieves and suppresses symptoms is exaggeration and fraud.’
‘While you were making huge profits exclusively, did you pay your taxes properly? A tax audit is needed.’
‘We need to investigate whether illegal experiments were conducted while making the medicine.’
‘The process was also problematic. I can’t understand how the clinical phase 3 could be passed so quickly.’
‘We need to investigate whether there was any backroom dealing.’
The Ojin Group remained silent despite attacks from within and without.
From the news that Chairman Na Ju-yeon will be summoned to the prosecution to the story that a lawsuit has been filed demanding compensation for the losses suffered so far, the stock price of the Ohjin Group, which had been rising endlessly, has been falling to the limit every day.
It wasn’t just the Ojin Group. As the division of the United States became known, the direction of the war in China became unclear. Stocks that had risen in anticipation of the war special, saying that Korea would be in charge of supplies, plummeted to the bottom.
“Oh my. Still stocks? Even though we’re at war?”
[The Russian stock market also returned during the Ukraine crisis.]
“Even though there is chaos due to terrorism and cannibalism, are stock markets still open in Europe?”
[Yes.]
Stock markets in countries across the European continent, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, were open.
‘This is crazy.’
Other countries may be like that, but it was absurd that the Korean stock market was turning. What kind of stocks are there when raw material imports are blocked? Exports of major products, including semiconductors, are blocked and are on the verge of collapse, but still stocks? I was out of my mind.
If strategic nuclear weapons had been dropped in all directions and destruction had been visibly imminent, this would not have happened. Like a frog in a pot whose temperature gradually rises, people were worried about stocks and real estate even as they faced the collapse of the existing order.
“I really don’t know.”
“So even if it fails, it’s still a fight.”
Kim Yang felt somehow pleased. It was a good thing that he followed Baekjeong. If he had thought about staying in Korea or Japan, wouldn’t it have been really terrible? Yes.
“So. Didn’t this happen because you were whining?”
Maru looked at Ms. Kim with an expression like, ‘What are you talking about all of a sudden?’
“Honestly, isn’t that right? At least the kids have some sense of shame. Didn’t they become idiots by responding like that? Didn’t they become idiots by talking nonsense about coexistence and mutual benefit?”
Yeah, yeah. Oh my – You’re still so full and healthy today. You’re so strong. Maru nodded his head nodding at Kim Yang’s story.
‘That’s not wrong.’
Coexistence and prosperity? Hongik Ingan? Mutual benefit? Aren’t these all stories that only apply in a world where there is at least some sense of shame?
Would shameless kids think about peace? Would they think about coexistence or co-prosperity? Korea experienced the results of mistaking empathy for empathy in real time.
What if I had stayed in Korea? If I had been in the hands of the world? What would have happened by now? Just thinking about it was a terrible thought.
[An analysis of satellite images shows that the ROK-US combined forces appear to be preparing to retreat from China.]
“It’s chaos.”
You decided to retreat suddenly? Even though you knew that there would be no answer if you retreated like this from the Chinese battlefield where you had to pay back the debt, the ROK-US Combined Forces had no choice.
With refugees flocking in by the millions, the spread of the infected and cannibals, and endless guerrilla warfare and urban fighting, the situation was too harsh for the ROK-US Combined Forces to endure.
The biggest problem is distribution.
It was impossible to provide food for millions of refugees, and with Korea’s exports and imports coming to a halt, it seemed likely that supplies would also come to an end.
[The drought in U.S. grain producing regions continues unabated. While droughts continue in Canada and Australia···]
[The causes of abnormal climate are···]
[Agricultural production is expected to decline due to heavy rain in southern and central China.]
The heavy rain that had been falling throughout June, mainly in southern China, began to continue into July.
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Is it ruined? Is it not ruined? How should we judge it?
Are we ruined because we were hit by a nuke? Look at the US and South Korea, they didn’t perish even after being hit by a nuke. There was even China, which, far from being destroyed, increased to 7.
What should be the criteria for failure?
Even Russia, which had declared a moratorium in the past, was not truly ruined.
[Italy’s stock market is closed.]
Maru commented on Diana’s report.
“···Are we ruined?”
Even though Korea’s exports and imports are not going well, the stock market is open, but the Italian stock market, which had no export or import issues, is closed, which means there is another reason.
“How did it happen like that?”
[Cannibalism is believed to be the cause.]
“Cannibalism? The stock market closed because of cannibalism?”
[Information circulating in France and Germany says it is due to cannibalism.]
Because of cannibalism. Maru sat up from the sofa.
It seemed like a good idea to sweep it up, to the point of closing down the stock market.
[Gas trap installation completed in Zone 32.]
“Really? You did it quickly. How’s the nurse? She looks bad these days.”
I asked the nurse if she could communicate with rats as well as crows, but she went into her room without answering.
[It’s okay if you’re absent-minded sometimes.]
“Cannibals?”
[There were infected people who turned into zombies, but no cannibals were seen.]
“Cannibals are strange, so if possible, avoid getting involved with them, and if you do, make sure to kill them. I’m out now too. I’m going to start by cleaning up the ones nearby.”
After finishing his conversation with Kim Yang, Maru continued his search. The cannibals that had been occasionally seen a few days ago were nowhere to be seen.
“How about Diana’s CCTV? Is there anything wrong with it?”
[Not found in area 10.]
When I tried to catch them and clean them up, I couldn’t even see their noses because I didn’t know where they had all gone. While searching the building like that, Maru found some strange traces.
“It seems like the survivors lived together···.”
What happened? The strange sight of the tracks running in all directions suddenly disappearing. Diana suggested a predictable scenario.
[It seems that they made people scatter and run away, and then went on a hunting expedition and roundup.]
Even if they were individually defeated, does the fact that they were hunting in groups mean that the cannibals started gathering together?
“Tell Ms. Kim and the nurse to be careful not to meet anyone who appears to be a survivor, and if they do, to not get involved with them at all.”
[Delivered.]
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“Vladimir Kalin? Still no response?”
“There is no response.”
“Did you read the message?”
“I don’t know.”
Since the nuclear bomb fell, contact with Vladimir has been lost. Now more than ever, his efforts are needed.
Chief Dan Brown drank his water in a gulp, feeling suffocated. He should drink sparingly now, but he really felt like he would go crazy if he couldn’t drink water to keep himself cool. The only good thing was that his migraine had subsided a lot. However, his stomach was in chaos.
“What about the radiation levels? Have they gone down yet?”
“These are dangerous numbers.”
“What the fuck did those Chinese bastards do to the nuke?”
The situation was not good because the Chinese nuclear attack was concentrated in Virginia and Washington, D.C. While the nuclear bombs that fell in other areas were small tactical nuclear bombs, Virginia was hit with a strategic nuclear bomb. And it was a nuclear bomb that was modified to release a lot of radioactive material.
Because the radiation contamination was so severe, Homeland Security personnel who had been evacuated underground were unable to return to the surface for more than two months.
“How long do you plan on blocking the underground passage?”
“They keep repeating that nothing has been decided yet and that we should wait.”
There were passages connecting each organization underground, but for some reason, the Strategic Command had completely blocked the passages. Deputy Dan Brown felt his chest tighten.
“We’re in big trouble. There’s a problem with the treatment that was produced using the recipe released by Ojin Group.”
“Did Ojin Group reveal a fake recipe?”
“no.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“If you make it according to the recipe, it is effective, but there is a huge difference in how long the effect lasts.”
“How much difference does it make?”
“The original treatment made by Ojin Pharmaceutical lasts for at least 7 days, but the generic drug made with the recipe is said to last for about 8 to 9 hours.”
I was in big trouble. If I had to eat it three times a day instead of once a week, it would mean that the duration would be at least 20 times longer.
You mean you’re using 20 times more raw materials to get the same effect? Oh my goodness, that means you’re using up the limited raw materials 20 times faster. What will happen in the future if that happens?
oh my god.
Dan Brown’s expression became serious. First, he needed to check how much of the cure was currently being produced.
“Connect with pharmaceutical companies that produce copycat drugs.”
They wouldn’t be producing it as is when the raw materials cost 20 times more, right? That expectation was shattered.
[They say that if there is no cure right away, even the military that we have will not be able to operate properly.]
[What if the supply of the medication is cut off? It needs to be taken once every eight hours, and even with production running at full capacity, it’s a tightrope walk.]
Crazy. So you’re burning 20 times the raw materials?
Fortunately, America was in a good position.
Because they had the cutting-edge pharmaceutical facilities to make it according to the recipe. In contrast, other Southeast Asian countries that had been pressuring them with raw materials to disclose the recipe were in chaos.
Even if replication was successful, 20 times more raw materials were needed, and even if there was a slight mistake in the process, the drug would not be effective. It was like just throwing away the raw materials.
In an instant, the stockpiled materials ran out, and the moment the medicines that were being distributed ran out, the anger management disorder and cannibalism that had been suppressed with medication exploded. The number of infected people skyrocketed by hundreds of thousands every day.
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