Heart of the Revolution #1
Let's take a look at the Korean Empire's urban planning—or rather, its apartment complex designs. Right now, the Empire has adopted a massive centralized heating system. They build a towering structure packed with enormous generators at the heart of each complex, and from this behemoth of a boiler, they pipe hot water and electricity to every apartment. The same goes for modular construction: before assembling the complexes, they plunk down a small generator right in the center. Both hot water and power come from this humble "household" unit.
Of course, there's a downside—you have to periodically supply coal to each complex's central power plant, whether folks are using electricity or not. That adds a fixed cost to the bills. But flip it around: even if war breaks out, each complex turns into a massive fortress all on its own. With its own power plant and water tower, it'd probably be safe even in a zombie apocalypse.
The key point is that the Korean Empire already has power plants, transmission towers, and fortresses everywhere—yet they still built this per-complex self-sufficiency system. It's not like we're bracing for a -100°C winter.
Truth be told, there was a deeper reason the citizens didn't know about. "This way, we can curb abuses of public authority." Hard to believe, but some deranged dictatorships cut off water or power to rebellious provinces. Classic thuggery. The Supreme Leader fundamentally didn't trust public authority. Having lived through the barbaric, trust-shattered Joseon under Gojong, his faith in it hovered at 0%.
Sure, he keeps it in check now, but what about later? Better to eliminate the temptation from the start. With anthracite coal in abundance, they could just burn through it. Hell, they even torched household trash. Global warming from that? It wouldn't contribute even 1%.
The upshot? Residents moving into these apartments already had unlimited access to hot water, electricity, and AC—paid for upfront as a fixed expense. Life quality shot through the roof. Who wouldn't love an all-you-can-use apartment pass?
This held true even for the modular apartments the Empire built overseas, where there were no transmission lines or water mains anyway. It was like putting up a standalone house in a rural village without a single utility pole. Naturally, Korea wanted to provide apartments, power, and water abroad without massive civil engineering projects. So they did it this way overseas too.
Metaphorically, it was like a farmer scattering seeds and planting seedlings—no micromanaging every root. Strictly speaking, the Empire—sower of civilization—planted power plants and water facilities smack in the middle of their "cities," ensuring no one, not even the government, could plunder water or power recklessly.
He believed this was how barbarism blossomed into civilization, minimizing Korea's meddling. He didn't trust imperialist powers, but distrusted colonial subjects even more. Think about who's more desperate. Humans break trust when cornered—nations too. They scramble for survival, and the first victim is usually the one who showed them kindness. "Don't want past favors erased? Shower more."
That's why the Korean Empire wouldn't repeat America's idiotic mistakes. "We'll give what we give" also meant "we won't give what we won't." Korea aimed to liberate colonial peoples, grant sovereignty and strength to ex-colonies—but never stumble into interventionist blunders like the U.S.
If they got dragged in reverse, what difference from America tangled in Israel's mess? Even if Japan claimed it acted for Korea's interests, he had no intention of buying it. Better for Korea to take losses and lead. Rather than get pulled into World War I, they'd jump in voluntarily.
That was the Empire. Naturally, instead of huge transmission grids, they'd load generators onto ships and anchor them. Water? They'd supply it directly, no pipelines. Instead, they provided tech and manpower for joint ventures, sharing profits while letting locals build their own infrastructure. Korea always left an exit strategy.
Call it what you will—the Empire preferred ruthless comrade over merciful overlord. That lightened the load. Apartments or otherwise.
If it had to be anything, Korea was the heart pumping pulse into every cell—not the veins.
The Supreme Leader read the report: Siam shattered, ceded to Indonesia, Indochina, and India.
"Hurry the asset sales in Japan."
Absolutely.
Communists saw humans as compromisable, persuadable—even reasoning with the unfavorable. Naturally, they thought everyone would become communists. Rise up.
All wrong, of course. No Rapture for communists. From birth, communism was rejected, denied, assaulted by emotion over logic. No room for dialogue.
Capitalism fused with class; communism with dictatorship. Capitalists allied with nobles to crush via hierarchy; communists one-partied. Capitalism, preaching selfishness drives progress, meshed with class's ultimate selfishness. Communism, claiming humans altruistic, saw virtue in the few—thus arrogant dictatorship.
Born that way. In oligarchic West with rigid classes, capitalism thrived; in Arabs/Africa with loose classes and few intellectuals, socialism. Each optimal.
Russia's Duma—local assemblies—was the lifeline for an illiterate populace. Even the uneducated could politick. The Tsar dismissed it as communist, reactionary, useless—kicking away nobles/clergy stabilizing society via oligarchy and class pressure.
Meanwhile, noble-fed junior officers got purged; ink-drinking communists filled the void. Tsar's idiotic orders to reclaim borders before German retreat spawned widows and orphans. Where those rifles turned? Obvious.
"Russia—the Tsars', priests', nobles' land." Lenin saw himself as the final drop before overflow.
Post-German collapse, nations eyed self-reliance in industry/tech. Korea quietly rode the wave. Not mere independence—poaching from Germany. Common sense.
Empire poached too. But no begging Britain/France—they'd hoard German tech. Nothing for Korea.
No problem. Soviets existed.
Socialist homeland was once Germany. Communists hated revisionist Korea as enemy.
Now? Soviet Russia—Russian People's Republic merged with Empire into Soviet Republic/Empire. Korea's ally, friend. Ideological gaps aside, no bad blood.
Newborn Soviets desperately needed Korea. Facing Germany—truce with Russia, not Soviets. Invade?
Korea shielded: to Anglo-French eyeing Soviets as revolution-state, "I'm revolutionary too—invade me?" To Germany mulling Eastern Front reopen, same shield.
Korea withdrawing? Neither wanted. Soviets dreaded civil war/secession sans German truce—revolution from ashes. No Russian craved that, especially with German invasion looming.
In this brutal climate, all watched Soviets. Bonus: Korean army reasonable, pro-commune, preferred exiling Romanovs over killing—boosting revolution support.
Most Soviet Russians/Koreans saw Russian/Korean revolutions as identical. Factional strife? What's that, food? No conflict seed.
Instead: "Spring in Russia at last. War's end."
Korea tapped socialist comrades for German tech—they drank deep, held the straws. Snag it, Korea ascends. Soviet heavy industry? Their lead.
Yet Soviet instability lingered: front armies seized, but anti-Soviet garrisons scattered. Show submission to Germany? Revolt. Russian nationalists quiet only because Soviets faced Germans—testing if Russian republic or just republic. Either way, guns turn.
Independents rose too: "Russians rose against Tsar, so we for independence." Yield? Front armies disband. Resist? Mutual guns. Garrisons intervene.
Urgent: Kazakhs on rebellion cusp.
But no revolt. They sought accord with Korea first; answers left them nodding at civil war's reality—clear, factual, terrifying.
Even bravest Kazakh wilted: "Ten million dead already; they want spoils. Who else but you?"
They agreed. Korea whispered of fallen Siam: "Fancy Poland?"
Relayed German offer, fresh Anglo-French: "Ukraine/Caucasus from Russia? Madmen?" "Poland/Baltics enough?" "Urals beyond—Korean turf?"
All carving Soviets. Independence-spinners became Soviet overnight—Siam's tripartite fate loomed.
Divergent goals, but no Anglo-French slavery.
"Korea seeks Soviet friendship—but without identity, we'll rethink."
So they agreed: rebuild disbanded Duma as governance. Facing Anglo-French karma/terror and Korea's sacrifice, they chose peace—however briefly. Everyone needed a Duma; Tsar alone ditched it.
Perhaps Korea's Great War entry paid off. Blocked Anglo-French invasion to prevent Soviet flight, right?