#19. But God Will Save (11)
Gao Xusen demanded the next words with the silence of a rapt listener. I took a sip from the glass I'd swirled once, then laid out the opening remarks to build common ground.
"You must be well aware," I began, "but we've entered an age where you can't even farm without legal armed forces. Scattered individuals pooling their efforts can't guarantee victory against the vast wilderness."
Farming had always been an endless battle between nature and man. In a small country like Korea, with limited land and constrained wild animal distributions, tweaking gun laws would let armed civilians hold off harmful awakened beasts to some degree—but China was no such place.
"And Mao Gong's crew leading the Black Sea Party will almost certainly make rural plunder—disguised as rural liberation—their top priority, all under their warped Mao Zedongism."
I called it warped with the audience in mind, but it was Mao Zedong's doctrine straight from the source. Maoist revolution began by carving out rural base areas.
"Finally, There’s also the matter of armed clashes, village brawls. Those ignorant, barbaric knife fights between folks from different villages over survival rights. So far, they've been confined to factory backlands and migrant worker slums, but soon they'll revert to all-out village wars like the old days. Right?"
"Spot on."
Gao Xusen readily agreed with my forecast.
armed clash was an ancient tradition across China's vast continent. Central authority couldn't reach every nook, so village-vs-village wars were routine in public power's blind spots. Droughts sparked reservoir rights battles; quakes or floods triggered food-grab invasions. Historic Chinese walled villages stood like fortresses for that reason.
Modern Armed clash had twisted into gang fights over factory jobs. Migrant workers split by hometown, slashing to defend or steal scarce work. Public security turned blind eyes to the massacres. Surplus laborers' deaths weren't worth official bother. As long as the poor's blood stayed in their gutters, sunny-side order held.
"Therefore—" I continued smoothly, drawing eyes back.
"Armed groups with superior mobility and focused firepower will be as vital to future farming as seeds or fertilizer. For farmers lacking strength or capital to defend themselves, selling land to those who have both—then working under protection—makes perfect sense."
"A hundred times right, but I wonder if the peasants will see it that way. Those primitives cling to deep-rooted petty-bourgeois grit."
"Isn't guiding them to see it the social elite's job? If they stubbornly resist... well, they'll meet unavoidable misfortunes. Sad and regrettable for all."
The experts, Gao Xusen foremost, smirked like fellow conspirators at my hint: Just engineer those sad accidents for holdouts. Plenty of ways. Herd awakened pests toward unprotected fields instead of killing them. Or sic private hunters on human hunts, promising amnesty and pay. All feasible with Gao Xusen's grip on cops and courts.
Even if ignored, it'll happen anyway.
No way these sly communist nobles hadn't pondered my points. They were just weighing bigger-profit alternatives. Where to sink limited resources to outpace rivals.
The un-noble Gao Xusen zeroed in.
"Fine for peasants, but does it merit our effort as business?"
Then gravely:
"We shoulder grave duties for national prosperity and regime safeguard. Pondering utmost national devotion is our charge. Profit and status follow incidentally."
"You want my confidence level?"
"Precisely. How much you're willing to invest—that reveals your conviction."
"Joint venture, then?"
"Why not? You're my sworn brother. Good things shared."
Sugar words, but he craved max assets in his reach. China-tied legal funds made perfect hostages for seizure. Matched the meeting's aim, double-dipping private gain.
I glanced aside.
"Linfei."
"Yes?"
"Favorite number?"
"My... favorite?"
"Yeah."
The little creature side-eyed the mood at my abrupt query. I stroked her tense spine up-down with fingertips, awaiting reply. All eyes on her, she pondered furiously, then ventured:
"66."
Anxious if wrong. 66 evoked liu liu—smooth sailing, lucky. Quick big-number flex.
"Nice. Good answer."
Nodding, I faced front.
"Honored to partner with Secretary Gao on agriculture and new ventures. I'll invest 6.6 billion yuan. Confident enough?"
Pin-drop silence blanketed the room. Linfei, leaning on me, hammered heartbeats. Trembling breaths leaked from slack lips. Clear proof of my hazy wealth. Excitement inevitable. Her gaze burned pure fervor, ravenous thirst. Predator's vow: Never miss this prey. Gold's rush beat shaky bridges. None craved it like Chinese.
6.6 billion yuan neared 900 billion won—vast. But paper scraps to me.
Tons of stacked yuan too bulky to fully export—what's 6.6 billion?
Nobles' vaults brimmed most with crisp yuan bundles. Volumes too huge for easy laundering/export, demand narrower than dollars—spend locally? Fine. No lump sum needed; feed via org fronts, casinos, Gao's holdings.
"Uhaha! Uhahahahaha!"
Gao Xusen jabbed at me.
"That's a man! Real man! Behold—the brother I, Gao Xusen, chose!"
Fresh praise wave. Ferventer—gold fiends hearing money talk.
"Just right."
Excitement ebbed; flushed Gao feigned dilemma.
"Vice president's conviction demands matching sincerity, but myriad national duties bar all-in on one venture... What now?"
Too-big investment snag. Wanted equal shares, loath huge risk on unproven bet. Craved skimped spend elsewhere. "Duties" meant spread eggs.
Rich prick. Bet 6.6 billion half his vault's fifth. Doubled mine atop his.
Hoarding unfit investor/entrepreneur, prime corrupt official. Shared communist noble flaw. Hence paper money awed deep.
Concede some.
His favor essential to break ground. Public shield's worth scaled with size; bigger stake, harder he'd pull subsidies. Investor smart: yield generously.
But not too—lest seem casual on hostage cash, spoil manners. Generosity once fine; habitual? Sucker.
Pretend mull, swirl glass, shrug silence end.
"No need hash details here. Wine, beauties—boring talk drags."
"Hahaha, true! Got carried away. A top man like you won't back out!"
Smiling stress irked. Details to Miju. Her gross crush lingered. Squeeze tight, ease concession—he'd deem favor. Obsessed see/hear/believe wants.
My huge pledge sparked nobles/capitalists pitching items. Gao-boosting, so okay ones got 10-million-yuan nods.
Linfei coquettish ramped. Eyes glued. Waist-held, ear-caressed, deep kisses. Show enough?
Prospects dangled, patriotic duty natural; feign trap-fall.
Gao beamed opposite.
"Watched—quite taken with her?"
I nodded.
"Poised, beautiful, sweet voice. Flawless. One-day fling too wasteful."
"Haha! Heart set? Just take!"
"As ernai?"
"Why not?"
"Hm... Constant travel ties no one lonely-waiting. Cruel to favorites."
"Oh, romantic sort—"
"I'm fine!"
Linfei cut shrill near-scream. Desperate. Glanced: neck-flushed panic, flustered apology to head noble, huddled stammer:
"Really fine. One day yearly ok—if you, serve you. First meet but... like you, lifetime no repeat. Dead sure. Intense."
Obvious prey-panic. Loneliness raw.
"Thanks kindly."
"Sincere! Dream: such man's woman!"
"Got it."
"Then..."
Expectant eyes; reserved reply.
"Days till I leave—meet more, decide. Tonight first. Deal?"
"Yes! Please!"
Vigorous nods.
Thus, no overt defection push till banquet end. No honeytrap bite, small hostage? Relentless booze/babes pressure till yes. Refuse? Grudge/wary.
Rome demands Roman law. Filthy gold-worship customs? Survival hunter, profit businessman—not virtue reformer.