Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: A Prince's Request
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*Swish.*
The moment he finished speaking, Hassad’s gaze shifted back to me.
*Tsk, I set the whole thing up for him, and he can’t even play his part…*
I clicked my tongue inwardly and spoke.
[Very well, then I will convey the government's position on behalf of the Minister. First, our government would appreciate Saudi Arabia's assistance in securing a stable supply of crude oil.]
[It would be unthinkable to see our brothers in difficulty and simply pass by. That is certainly possible, so you need not worry.]
[I am grateful for your words, but the problem is the supply price.]
[Ah! That is indeed a difficult issue. The price at which Iran has been supplying Korea is significantly different from the prices we offer.]
Hassad wore a troubled expression for a moment.
A quick glance at Minister Lee Hoon-jae revealed a face taut with tension.
Then again, he was in a much tighter spot than I was, so I couldn't say I didn't understand.
[If possible, could we receive it at a level comparable to what we were supplied from Iran?]
I turned my gaze back to Hassad and asked suggestively.
All eyes in the room fell on him. Hassad let out a hearty laugh and replied.
[Let's do that. The relationship we—Jaewoo, no, Korea—have built over the years is substantial. We cannot ignore your request.]
“Oh!”
A low gasp of admiration escaped the lips of the Foreign Ministry staff.
But the negotiations weren't over yet.
I immediately brought up the second key point.
[Then what are your thoughts on the rate of future price increases?]
As if he had been expecting the question, Hassad picked up the documents he had placed on the table again.
After reviewing them for a good while, he began with a faint smile.
[Chairman Jin, you must be well aware that crude oil prices are expected to rise significantly in the future, correct?]
In fact, I knew better than him that the rise in future oil prices would be exponential.
That was precisely why I was putting in so much effort now.
But I couldn't let that show during negotiations.
I looked at him with a feigned look of uncertainty, and Hassad, who hadn't really asked for an answer, returned his gaze to the documents.
[Very well. For the next ten years, we will supply you at a price comparable to what Iran sold. Even if crude oil prices rise, we will do so on the condition that the price for the volume supplied to Korea will not be adjusted by more than 10% annually.]
I was stunned by his words.
History had shown that oil prices would increase by an average of over 30% per year starting next year.
If they were to cap the increase at 10%, we would be guaranteed incredible stability in oil prices.
[Are you serious? What will you do if the upward trend in international oil prices becomes steeper?]
I asked again, just in case.
Hassad gently tapped my shoulder and, once again mentioning brotherhood, affirmed his offer.
[As I said, true brothers help each other in times of hardship. However, there is one thing you must understand. We will only cover 70% of the volume that Korea sources from the Middle East.]
That was likely Hassad’s way of minimizing his own risk.
No matter how much he spoke of brotherhood, business was business.
If the losses became too great, it would undoubtedly be a burden for him as well.
But this was no cause for disappointment.
We still had another potential supplier in the UAE, and we could easily procure the remaining 30% of our Middle East supply from there.
In fact, from the perspective of diversifying our supply sources, this might even be for the best.
[For your reference, the UAE will likely handle the remaining 30%. I have a prior agreement with Prince Mohammed, so the terms should be similar to ours. In short, it means Korea no longer needs to worry about its crude oil supply.]
Hassad spoke as if he had read my mind.
Could I be more grateful?
I immediately extended my hand to him, and he grasped it firmly, letting out a booming laugh.
[Haha! Well then, let's put an end to this troublesome conversation and talk more about our business, shall we?]
With a smile, I glanced at Minister Lee Hoon-jae.
A scarecrow in a field.
Could there be a more fitting description?
As if sensing it himself, Minister Lee wore a look of utter self-loathing.
‘Hm?’
Just then, a familiar figure caught my eye, looking at me.
Prince Bin Salman.
Had so much time passed already? Bin Salman, who was once just a boy, had now become a fine young man.
“……”
******
*Knock, knock!*
Late at night, someone knocked on my door.
The fact that my guards remained silent meant it was someone I could trust.
Thinking it might be Minister Lee Hoon-jae, I peeked through the peephole, but the person standing outside was Prince Bin Salman.
[Your Highness, what brings you here?]
I immediately opened the door to greet him.
He was holding something in his hand, which he abruptly thrust toward me with a smile.
[I brought this in case you were missing it.]
What he offered me was a can of beer.
Something forbidden in Arab countries.
As I stared at him, taken aback, Prince Salman smiled again.
[It would be harsh to ask our guests to follow the laws of this country. Besides, beer is sold to foreigners anyway, so it's not a problem, is it?]
I had noticed it before, but his every word was far from ordinary.
The young man destined to oust his cousin and become this nation's Crown Prince.
A strange feeling washed over me, making my expression turn awkward.
[I went to the trouble of preparing this. Aren't you going to drink it?]
[Of course not. But the reason for your sudden visit is…]
[I simply wanted to talk. About the shifting international landscape and the fate of the Arab nations. Among all the people I know, Chairman Jin Hyun-seung, I believe you are the most well-versed in the future.]
I offered a faint smile at his words.
Coming from someone who was only twenty, his words carried a strange depth.
As it happened, I couldn't sleep either, so I continued to chat with him about various topics, and before we knew it, our conversation lasted until nearly two in the morning.
[Chairman Jin, you truly are different from others in many ways. I ask of you, please help me—no, help Saudi Arabia a great deal in the future.]
His final words were strangely meaningful.
It was as if he had a premonition of what he was going to do.
A chill ran down my spine, but I managed a strained smile.
*Click!*
For a while after he left the room, my mind was blank.
It was the thought that even if he was destined to become Crown Prince, surely my actions wouldn't accelerate that timeline, would they?
Then again, that was probably a needless worry.
After all, what power could a mere twenty-year-old possibly have?
‘Even so, the possibility that the historic event of this country’s Crown Prince changing hands could be moved up seems high, no matter how I look at it…’
******
A few days later, our schedule in the UAE, our second destination, also concluded smoothly.
This was thanks to the prior agreement between Hassad and Mohammed.
All we had to do was sign the pre-prepared documents. The rest of the day was spent coordinating the expansion of our fund's operations and discussing other issues facing the UAE.
Things like food self-sufficiency and seawater desalination projects.
[I look forward to seeing you again soon. As you know, the desalination project is quite important to us, so please keep that in mind.]
Throughout our time in the UAE, Mohammed focused his attention solely on conversing with me.
Minister Lee Hoon-jae, who had once again become a useless scarecrow, now had no trace of pride left on his face.
By the time we were boarding the chartered plane back to Korea, he had been reduced to approaching me with an apology.
“Uh, Chairman Jin. Please try to understand what happened at the airport. It was such a critical issue that I suppose I was overly sensitive.”
He turned away before he could even hear my response.
It wasn't an attempt to save face, but rather because he didn't know what to do with himself in the awkwardness.
Not wanting to exchange words with him, I simply let it pass with an awkward smile.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Incheon Airport was teeming with a large welcoming crowd upon our arrival.
From reporters who had heard the news to government officials.
A particularly conspicuous figure was the Presidential Chief of Staff. Since he was a man who should always be by the President's side, his presence to greet us was rather unexpected, so I immediately approached him.
“What brings the Chief of Staff here?”
“Haha, since the President couldn't come out to greet you himself, I had to come. By the way, I heard the news.”
The Chief of Staff spoke in a hushed voice, glancing toward the other side.
He was looking in the direction of Minister Lee Hoon-jae, who was engaged in a serious conversation with the Foreign Ministry staff who had also come to meet us.
I didn't know why Minister Lee looked so serious, but I could guess what news the Chief of Staff had heard.
“Has word of what happened at the airport already reached your ears, Chief?”
“My ears are always open. In any case, I apologize on behalf of the government for that matter. Oh! And there will be a major personnel shake-up in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs soon. Perhaps that will be of some comfort to you.”
“Comfort?”
“This personnel reshuffle includes the Minister's position, so it should be a comfort to you, Chairman Jin.”
“The Minister is being replaced again? But hasn't it only been a short while since the cabinet was reshuffled?”
It was an incomprehensible move.
Replacing a minister after just six months.
It couldn't be simply because of his conflict with me; there had to be another reason.
For example, perhaps an incident had occurred that allowed the current administration to no longer have to mind the ruling party.
Sure enough, the Chief of Staff continued.
“We can't just leave people who tarnish the nation's image in their positions. Actually, while you were in Saudi Arabia, Chairman Jin, there was quite a commotion back home.”
“……”
“There was another sexual harassment scandal at the Italian embassy. Because of that, the country’s image is in tatters right now. As it happens, the official involved was personally appointed by Minister Lee Hoon-jae, so it's highly likely he'll be dismissed along with him.”
A scandal of that magnitude would certainly put the minister's position in jeopardy.
Especially if it was caused by someone he had personally appointed.
He was a thorn in the government's side anyway, so it seemed they intended to get rid of him at this opportunity. Considering the reality of the situation, that was probably for the best.
“That’s unfortunate. By the way, seeing as you came out to greet me personally, does this mean I have to go to the Blue House?”
It was a relief that an incompetent minister was about to be ousted, but for some reason, that was something I wanted to avoid.
I was utterly exhausted from the long flight.
The last thing I wanted was to go to the Blue House in this condition.
“No, there’s no need for that. Besides, there’s another guest at the Blue House right now.”
“A guest?”
“Ah, he is currently meeting with the US Ambassador.”
I didn't need to be told the reason for the meeting to guess it.
The issue of paying for oil, the funds for which had been frozen due to US measures.
With things having progressed this far, Iran would have naturally demanded payment, and our government, in a tight spot, would have had no choice but to try and persuade the United States.
But would it really be that easy?
It was a problem that hadn't been resolved even by the time I regressed.
That issue would likely remain a headache for the government for a long time to come.
“The government must have quite a headache.”
I said thoughtlessly after a moment of reflection.
The Chief of Staff's eyes glinted as he stared at me intently. I shrugged, as if it were nothing.
“At this point, the only thing to discuss with the US Ambassador would be the frozen Iranian oil payments. But since the US is unlikely to permit it, of course it would be a headache.”
“Haha, you speak as if you were there yourself.”
The Chief of Staff replied, his eyes still shining.
His expression suggested that if I continued the conversation, he might just ask me to propose a solution.
I was about to make a quick exit, blaming my fatigue, when, as expected, he casually posed the question.
“What are your thoughts, Chairman Jin? Is there any clever way to resolve the frozen funds?”
“No, there isn't. Not unless the United States changes its mind.”
It might have been disappointing for him to hear, but it was my honest opinion.
Unlike in the original history, the US was taking a hardline stance from the very first sanction.
Because of that, the quota system that we and Japan had enjoyed wasn't being applied, and foreign exchange transactions that had been partially permitted were now completely banned. What clever solution could there be in such a situation?
Literally, the only way was to change America's mind.
‘But that's not a problem I can solve. At least, not right now…’