Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2613 The Helplessness of a Small Country (Happy New Year everyone!)

Seoul, South Korea, in the last year of the 1970s, was undoubtedly the focus of the world's attention.

The "Miracle on the Han River" has attracted worldwide attention. The reform that began seven years ago has put South Korea's economy on a new fast track of development, and the economic prosperity is fully reflected in the city - many high-rise buildings have sprung up on both sides of the Han River.

At this time, South Korea's economy and the country were developing rapidly. It was the best of times—workers' incomes were rising steadily, and the working hours had been changed to eight hours.

Everything seemed perfect. Increased income and more leisure time led to an unprecedented boom in South Korea's entertainment and consumer industries. Cassette and video rental shops were everywhere, and music and movies from Southeast Asia filled the streets and alleys.

The Korean women walking on the street were no longer wearing hanbok, but fashionable clothes from Southeast Asia.

At this time, Seoul, and even the air itself, was filled with a pleasant aroma. Of course, this was not the whole story; in fact, discontent was also building up.

"Our country is trying to learn from Southeast Asia everywhere, but in reality, we haven't even learned the basics!"

In a bookstore on the street, a man said to the people inside:

“In Southeast Asia, every community, school, and factory has policy advisors who go door-to-door to conduct research and solve small problems related to people’s livelihoods. They are the ‘government at your doorstep.’ But in South Korea, it’s a completely different story.”

A young man who looked like a student immediately agreed, praising Southeast Asia while criticizing South Korea.

As they were discussing this, these people didn't notice that several men in plainclothes walked over from outside the door. One of them stood outside the door and looked inside through the window. After observing for a while, he made a gesture towards the distance.

Only then did a few vans arrive. People got out of the vans, surrounded the area, and then suddenly burst in, followed by shouts and screams coming from inside the bookstore.

Soon, several more military vehicles arrived from a distance. The people in the bookstore were then taken to one of the military vehicles.

The sudden appearance of the soldiers made the surrounding people tense, and they all said that they were from the Security Command.

However, their discussion didn't last long, because the people on the other side of the road seemed to have noticed them. They just glanced at them and then continued on their way.

……

The gossip on the streets has no effect on the security command; it continues to operate as before.

In fact, the Security Command does not directly participate in those missions most of the time; it usually only assists other departments.

General Quan, as the security commander, rarely interfered in these matters.

As the commander of Seoul's security forces, he controlled the entire city's communications monitoring network, ensuring that no hidden radio wave in the city could escape his eyes and ears.

However, he was more concerned about other places than the streets. Because those other places were more important.

At this moment, an even heavier sense of oppression permeated his office than outside. The atmosphere inside was so stifling it was hard to breathe. The office doors and windows were tightly closed, isolating it from the noise of the outside world.

General Quan is no longer the same leader he was yesterday. As the security commander, he possesses information that is difficult for others to obtain.

At this moment, he held a newly compiled intelligence report in his hand. This newly acquired intelligence report froze the security commander in place, plunging him into utter silence.

As his deputy and confidant, Li Zhongling stood two steps behind him, not daring to breathe. He had never seen General Quan so out of control. In the past, even when faced with the most urgent security crises or the most difficult intelligence problems, the general had always remained calm and composed.

But now, the general's expression was heavy with an indescribable weight, as if he were being pressed down by some invisible weight, making it hard for him to breathe.

After a long silence, General Quan finally raised his head slowly, his gaze vacant as he stared at the dark night sky outside the window. His voice seemed calm, but it sounded somewhat suppressed:
"Military operations involving sending troops abroad to join coalition forces..."

He gently placed the intelligence report on the table, his eyes then falling on the words "dispatch troops," scrutinizing it repeatedly. A barely perceptible hint of sarcasm lingered in his voice as he said:
"To put it nicely, it's to demonstrate the unity of our allies and to respond to the international call for counterterrorism."

At this point, he raised his head, his eyes looking directly at Li Zhongling through his glasses:

"But Li Zhongling, tell me, to put it bluntly, what exactly is this?"

Li Zhongling's heart tightened, and he quickly stood at attention, saying in a low voice:
"General, your subordinate...your subordinate dares not speak presumptuously."

He knew that this intelligence involved the Blue House's decision-making process, and as a mere middle-ranking official, he had no right to discuss it.

"Don't dare to say?"

General Quan gave a cold laugh, then leaned forward slightly, his tone heavy:

"Then let me tell you."

This is neither about allied solidarity nor an international obligation.

This is paying a blood tax!
"It's about using the blood and lives of our South Korean soldiers to exchange for the opportunity to join the free trade zone!"

The moment General Quan uttered the words "blood tax," the atmosphere in the office tensed.

Li Zhongling opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that all his words seemed pale and powerless.

He knew the general was telling the truth; after all, they had both been “taxpayers”—they had both fought in the war in Saigon.

During the Saigon War, South Korea sent troops to fight. Wasn't it through the sacrifice of its soldiers that it received American aid and foreign exchange, which allowed its domestic economy to barely get started?
Isn't this just a blood tax? Now, they have to pay this kind of tax again.

General Quan's gaze gradually drifted into the distance, as if he had traveled through time and returned to the battlefield where he had once fought.

His voice softened somewhat, but carried a deeper, more profound weight:

“When we went to Saigon in the past, it was to escape poverty with blood. At that time, South Korea was so poor that ordinary people couldn’t even afford a bowl of kimchi rice porridge. In order to survive, for the country to have a better future, and for our children and grandchildren to live a good life, we had no choice but to send young people to the battlefield.”

As he spoke, General Quan involuntarily closed his eyes, seemingly reminiscing about the past.

"I still remember the soldiers who went to war with me back then. We fought bloody battles in the rainforest, with bullets whistling past and shells exploding around us. Every day we were dealing with death."

There, so many never returned; many returned with broken limbs, living their entire lives in the shadow of war.

His voice began to tremble, his tone becoming more serious, even somewhat suppressed:
"We sacrificed so many soldiers and shed so much blood on that battlefield to achieve the country's economic development and the slightly better life we ​​have now."

Li Zhongling stood aside, listening quietly; he too had participated in that war.

In fact, over the years, neither he nor the general have mentioned that past event. In fact, not many people have used their past experiences to boast.

They sacrificed themselves in the war; they remained silent.

But Li Zhongling could sense that that experience was already deeply ingrained in the general's bones.

"Now……"

General Quan's voice stopped abruptly. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the tears in his eyes had disappeared, leaving only endless exhaustion and sorrow.

"After sacrificing a generation of Koreans, are we still going to have to pay blood taxes? Before, we paid taxes to the Americans, and now what?"

His words, like a heavy question, echoed in the empty office. But no one could answer them.

Faced with such a question.

Li Zhongling lowered his head, not daring to meet the general's gaze. He could sense the pain and helplessness in the general's heart. As soldiers, their duty was to protect the country and its people.

But now, the country is pushing them back to foreign battlefields, just to gain an opportunity for economic development.

General Quan slowly stood up. Standing behind his desk, he looked at the intelligence report carefully, as if trying to find a reason to refute it between the lines.

In the end, he simply tossed the intelligence report back onto the table with a soft "thud," and then said softly:
"But a soldier's duty is to serve his country faithfully!"

The office fell silent again, with only the sound of their breathing clearly audible.

Li Zhongling could see the general standing there. Under the lamplight, the general's expression was particularly striking: silent, solemn, and steadfast.

He knew that the general was not questioning the mission of soldiers, but was heartbroken by the helplessness of exchanging opportunities for sacrifice.

And so, a long time passed before General Quan finally spoke again, his tone carrying a deep weariness and relief, yet also a trace of inescapable helplessness:

"Actually, this is the predicament of small countries."

This sigh, though so soft as to be almost insignificant, weighed heavily on their hearts like a boulder.

Small country...

Small countries are always filled with helplessness.

After letting out a long sigh, General Quan thought for a moment and then put the document into the paper shredder next to him. This Deli paper shredder, made by SEA, is very efficient at shredding paper. It doesn't shred the paper into strips, but into tiny pieces a few millimeters in size, even smaller than the words.

Because the information in shredded paper cannot be recovered, this type of paper shredder was sought after by governments around the world as soon as it was introduced, and naturally became a favorite of intelligence agencies.

After shredding the documents, General Quan thought for a moment, then looked at Li Zhongling and said:

"Is Director Jin in charge of negotiating this matter?"

"Not necessarily. This is a diplomatic matter. Although Director Kim is the Chief of Economic Staff at the Blue House, he is more responsible for economic affairs, so there will be a dedicated person in charge. It should be Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Han Pil-dong."

Li Zhongling then reported Han Bidong's information in detail, such as that he graduated from Nanyang University and had many alumni and classmates in Chang'an, so he should be of some help in the negotiations.

Listening to his subordinate's analysis, General Quan nodded slightly, then silently memorized the name and said softly:
"Make arrangements to see if there's an opportunity to get to know these people. They'll definitely be highly valued by the Blue House in the future, after all..."

General Quan glanced out the window and said:

"The era of Americans influencing Seoul is over. From now on, it will be Chang'an that influences Seoul and the Blue House!"

(End of this chapter)