[How to Elicit Donations (2)]

A hamburger joint in New York. A white man eating a burger there started a conversation with the Black man sitting across from him.

"Hey, did you hear about that?"

"What?"

"About the Soviet Union. A ton of meteorites fell there, you know."

"Oh, that? Is there anyone who doesn't know that these days? Besides, it was 'our America' that stopped the damage to the Soviet Union to that extent."

The 'US-Soviet Joint Meteorite Destruction Expedition' was truly a scoop that hit the entire world. Gorbachev, knowing Yoon-gi's circumstances, did not deny the political propaganda that they had received help from the US, and thanks to that, the pride of Americans was soaring through the roof. It was only natural that the expedition members were treated like heroes. Yoon-gi was also included in this hero treatment to some extent. The members had been racing to brag about the rewards Yoon-gi had given them.

"Right? But, this is a secret..."

The word 'secret' was uttered a bit too loudly. Because of that, the ears of the people sitting around the two men perked up simultaneously. After all, isn't there nothing as fun as other people's secret stories?

"I heard it from a friend who works at the FBI, but they say there's a terrifying virus mixed into the meteorites that fell on the Soviet Union this time."

"What? A virus?"

The Black man was startled and put down the hamburger he was eating.

"Yeah. A scary virus that could kill you if you're not careful, they say. But maybe it's because there are no relief supplies in the Soviet Union right now, but they say Soviet people are trying to escape the Soviet Union."

"Whoa, isn't that super dangerous?"

The white man nodded.

"So it seems the Soviet government is trying to stop people from escaping somehow, but even the public officials don't have the daily necessities to survive right now, so they can't control it. If the Soviet people escape and get out to places like Europe, and then enter our America by stowing away..."

"Nah, would they really come all the way to America?"

"You never know. Do you know how many people have escaped from the Soviet Union to America so far?"

There was certainly not a single proven fact in the white man's words, but it was more than enough to sound plausible to the people.

"That's true, but..."

To the hesitating Black man, the white man spoke even more craftily.

"Think about it. If we leave the Soviet Union like that, the day the Soviet people get out, that epidemic will spread to our America too..."

"Ugh... shouldn't we at least donate to the Soviet Union? If we send them some food, they won't try to leave, right?"

"That's why I'm trying to find out how to donate, too. It's much safer to keep them in the Soviet Union than to have them come to America."

"Yeah, look into it and let me know, too."

At the Black man's words, the white man nodded.

"Of course. Anyway, you have to keep this to yourself. This is a real secret."

"Got it, don't worry."

The volume was already loud enough for everyone around to hear, but no one noticed this fact. Because two facts had already taken root in the minds of the people around them:

This situation was not happening only at the hamburger joint here. New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Texas, and even countless countries like Germany, France, England, and Italy. Stories about the completely groundless 'meteorite virus' began to spread across the world as if they were established facts.

* * *

"General Secretary! We have a big problem!"

Gorbachev jumped up in a panic at the secretary who had rushed into the office without even knocking.

"Did the Americans finally declare war?!"

If the secretary was bursting through the door like that, it was clearly a massive event, so Gorbachev's reaction was by no means excessive.

"Yes? Ah, no. It's not that..."

"Then, is a new meteorite falling toward our Soviet Union?!"

The secretary's complexion darkened.

"Ah, no. It's not that either..."

"Then what on earth is the big problem?"

"Ri, right now, a procession of donations is lining up from all over the world toward our Soviet Union..."

"...That's a big problem?"

The secretary bowed his head deeply.

"If I were Stalin, you would be headed to the Gulag."

The secretary trembled at the mention that he could have been sent to the Soviet version of the Aoji coal mines.

"So, sorry. But, it is a big problem."

"Why is it a big problem? It's certainly a strange thing, but it's not a big problem, is it?"

From Gorbachev's perspective, the current situation was certainly curious. Because he hadn't expected a procession of donations to come toward the Soviet Union. So, Gorbachev spoke once more before hearing the secretary's answer.

"Did the Eastern Bloc countries send us aid?"

However, the secretary shook his head.

"No."

"No? Then who sent it?"

"As I said, donation goods are coming from all over the world. Basically, they are coming through charities, but there is really no distinction."

"Why on earth?"

Gorbachev was truly puzzled by the current situation.

"From what I've found out, there is a 'strange rumor' currently circulating in other countries."

"A strange rumor?"

The secretary nodded.

"Yes, it was that there was a virus in the meteorites that fell on our Soviet Union, that it infected the Soviet people, and that the people, lacking daily necessities, are trying to escape the Soviet Union."

"No, why is such a crazy rumor going around!"

When Gorbachev slammed the office table, the secretary continued, fidgeting.

"I don't know that either. But, as a result, donation goods are coming, so wouldn't it be a good thing for our Soviet Union..."

"Ugh... did that much come in?"

"I'm sure we can put out the urgent fire."

Anyway, since it was a situation that could solve the current poverty of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev tried to grasp the situation rather than bursting with anger.

"But why did you say it was a big problem?"

"...We have no means to transport them."

"Ah..."

The points where the meteorites fell in the Soviet Union were mostly Soviet industrial facilities. A significant portion of the transport vehicles possessed by the Soviet government existed at those industrial facilities. Of course, there weren't many that fell on military units, so there were military transport trucks, but those trucks were currently being used to restore the industrial facilities, so there was no room to divert them elsewhere.

"What should we do? Even now, documents asking for countermeasures are pouring in wirelessly like crazy."

"It's certainly a big problem indeed..."

Gorbachev tapped the table with his index finger and fell into thought.

"What do you think about just letting those trucks enter the Soviet interior?"

At the secretary's suggestion, Gorbachev shook his head.

"Absolutely not. If we do that, the current situation inside our Soviet Union will leak out. The very fact that such a rumor has spread is proof that our current media control is working well, so how could we let in unverified people? Damn it, it hasn't even been a few months since I advocated for openness, and now I have to control things..."

Gorbachev fell into a gloomy mood for a moment at the fact that his words calling for openness had been reversed in less than a few months.

"However, it is too wasteful to send the donation goods back like this. We don't have people starving to death yet, but even that is a countdown situation."

"Hmm..."

Gorbachev, who was lost in more thought, thought of the only existence that could help the Soviet Union right now.

"Set up an appointment with Chairman Choi Yoon-gi. As soon as possible."

"Understood."

"If you can't set it up within 30 minutes, you're headed to the Gulag."

"Ah, understood!"

Watching the secretary dash out like lightning, Gorbachev called another secretary.

* ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠* *

"You want to borrow trucks?"

At Yoon-gi's counter-question, Gorbachev nodded cautiously.

"That is correct. Currently, a procession of donations to the Soviet Union is continuing, but I am ashamed to say that with our current internal circumstances, we have no way to receive the donations."

"Understood. I will lend them to you."

Yoon-gi accepted coolly without even thinking.

'Playing hard to get right now is insane.'

Gorbachev was also in a situation where he really had no choice but to keep holding out his hand like this. This hand, once you hold it, you have to keep holding it. What if you try to play hard to get in the middle and slap the hands away? If it backfires, it backfires; there was absolutely no way it would have a good ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠effect.

"We have gathered a significant number of trucks in Chernobyl for construction and future distribution. I will mobilize these."

"Thank you. Truly, thank you."

Gorbachev's favorability toward Yoon-gi had now gone beyond rising and was piercing the sky.

'It's fortunate that Choi Yoon-gi was in Vladivostok.'

If he had been in Chernobyl, it would have taken a significant amount of time for the meeting. That's how vast Russia was. However, because Yoon-gi was 'coincidentally' in Vladivostok, this meeting proceeded very quickly.

"Ah, I have one request for the progress of this work."

At Yoon-gi's words, as if he had thought of something, Gorbachev smiled and nodded.

"What is it? Please, just say it."

"Currently, we have the trucks ready, but we still lack the resources to operate them. Therefore, I would like you to permit our technical staff to interact with the Soviet oil facilities around Chernobyl, and also for the trucks to be able to receive fuel."

In effect, he was asking for technical exchange. However, since there was no justification or way to refuse, Gorbachev, thinking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that since he had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to permit it anyway, nodded coolly just as Yoon-gi had done earlier.

"Understood. I will do that."

"In addition, for transport, we need reliable people, and it's difficult to hire and use people we don't know. So, please permit YK to bring in more personnel for this transport."

It was certainly an unavoidable matter. Using Communist Party members was impossible as they were all deployed to restore the facilities, and using the people was certainly a matter of questionable reliability from Gorbachev's perspective.

"I have no choice but to grant you permission right now, but if a problem arises because of them, I cannot help but hold you responsible. I am truly sorry to have to say this from my position, but..."

Toward Gorbachev, who was smacking his lips bitterly, Yoon-gi smiled and nodded.

"Of course, we will keep security strictly. Has there ever been a case of information leakage since YK entered?"

"Certainly... that is why I am requesting it of YK now."

Truly amazingly, YK had not caused a single information leakage incident since entering the Soviet Union. That is why this position was created. If there had been a leakage incident? The Politburo would not have asked Yoon-gi for help, even if it meant the Soviet Union would perish.

"Then, please send the working-level staff to Chernobyl. President Kang Seok-ho, who is there, will handle the work."

"Understood."

YK was clearly a private company. However, for various reasons, it was gradually becoming an inseparable relationship with the Soviet government.

* * *

Donation goods mostly came through Europe. Because most countries in Asia did not have the capacity to support the Soviet Union, and the United States was on a completely different continent. So, most of the donation goods came to the Soviet Union via Europe, and these donation goods headed primarily to hundreds of restoration sites through railways and YK's trucks.

Secondarily, they filled the distribution gaps created by the restoration sites. Therefore, the YK Group's mark became free advertising all over the Soviet Union.

The spelling and mark of YK. Of course, it was not known what they sold, but the Soviet public certainly recognized the spelling and mark, and thanks to that, YK's awareness in the Soviet Union became a situation that could not be described by the word 'great' alone.

'The time has come.'

Already late June. Yoon-gi stood up from the office sofa and said to Kang Seok-ho.

"Try to set up an appointment with the General Secretary. Because I need to ask for an advertising model."