Reborn in 2010, the AI ​​in my mind is too powerful.

On Lanai Island, in a newly built small building, Chen Yiran and several of his men began their final negotiations.

Alan Mulally said somewhat uneasily, "It's been a week, and there's still no word from the South Korean government. The public opinion there is also very unfavorable to us. Frankly, isn't it a bit excessive for a company like ours to directly threaten a sovereign nation?"

I feel like we're becoming more and more like the old United Fruit Company. But South Korea isn't like those small Latin American countries back then; they won't be so easy to deal with. Our requirements are higher too; it's not just about bananas.

Amy Zegga nodded: "Allen, as the CEO of Aurora, you need to be a bit more assertive. United Fruits is definitely our goal! We want to be a company like United Fruits, even though our products and methods are different, our pursuits are the same."

Boss, get ready to get started. Our weapons department can withhold equipment destined for Kratos Defense at any time for our own use. I'm still a director of Kratos Defense, and we've already made arrangements there. Kratos Defense can even help us contact the US military and get some support; we can borrow some weapons from the US forces in South Korea.

South Korea's military is not weak, but we won't engage in a direct confrontation; a direct battle isn't necessary. We can simply use drones and various robotic dogs. A random, coordinated attack on Seoul will suffice; they won't be able to hold out for long.

Chen Yiran was somewhat shocked. As he made more and more contacts with political figures from various countries, he specially established a Future Strategy Department in Aurora and transferred Amy Zegart from the Aurora Social Science Research Institute to be the head of the department.

However, Amy Zeggart's radicalism was more exaggerated than he had imagined. Chen Yiran was currently in a phase of not being able to handle pressure and had begun to remind himself that he still needed to have some basic bottom lines in the future, and he couldn't become someone who didn't eat beef.

But Amy Zeggart seems determined to stop eating beef, constantly urging Chen Yiran, "Why don't we rebel?!" It's a sign from the heavens that many places around the world resemble the promised land of the aurora borealis!

Chen Yiran scratched his head and said, "Can't you two just balance things out?"

Allen, you need to change your mindset. I've invested in a Polish game company. With our technical and financial support, they'll be able to make a game in a few months. Try playing it with your brain then. The company structure in the game is our future goal. Of course, we need to be a little bit kinder.

Amy, take it easy. It's not that your strategy is bad. But there are so many countries in the world; we can't just start with force, it would be very detrimental to future development.

There are still some gentler methods. You go to South Korea yourself. Remember, our goal this time is to make them refuse to release the people first, and then kneel down and release them after we've flexed our muscles.

So you need to be arrogant and domineering. Don't try to get a suspended sentence or any other lenient punishment. We want Lee Jae-yong to walk out of detention without any legal issues whatsoever. Don't talk to us about Korean law. If they don't comply, we'll impose sanctions and see how long they can hold out!

I've sent you a list of general sanctions; Allen, you need to cooperate.

Amy, just keep this in mind, don't use it to threaten them. If they refuse, a surprise attack will be more effective. Alright, I'm outta here. By the way, Ping An can run now; yesterday he even chased Pi Dan across the lawn for ages.

After Chen Yiran left, Amy and Allen opened their phones to look at the emails Chen Yiran had copied them to.

Allen sighed. "Is this considered a gentle approach?"

Amy nodded: "Not bad. No knives or guns were used, so it's considered gentle. What about your side?"

Allen shook his head: "Forget it, for my son's future happiness, and for the sake of being able to put my brain into a machine in the future, I'll just keep working against my will. I don't know how tough the Koreans are, or how long they can hold out. It's best to be smart and give in quickly."

A few days later, in Seoul, Amy held final negotiations with a joint negotiating team from several political parties, making it clear that the Aurora Group would support Lee Jae-yong at all costs and hoping that the South Korean government would not remain obstinate.

The language used during this period was quite violent, basically completely ignoring South Korean sovereignty, and was directed at South Korea like a dog being trained.

The negotiating team was furious; their American daddy had never spoken to them like this before.

They stormed out and then exposed the atrocities committed by Aurora Group in the media.

This has had a very negative impact worldwide, with many competitors afraid to speak out directly and resorting to subtle manipulation.

Some people began to organize themselves and promote a boycott of some of Chen Yiran's technology products. However, judging from the sales figures of Apple products, most of them were just talk.

However, the South Koreans were really serious. Large-scale demonstrations broke out in Seoul, from Gwanghwamun Square to Cheonggyecheon Square, and finally to Seoul City Hall Square. The three locations formed a triangle, and several kilometers of roads were occupied by demonstrators, who held sit-in protests.

Sejong-ro, separated from the U.S. Embassy by only one wall, was the main thoroughfare for the protests, with the six-lane road occupied by demonstrators.

Police statistics show that more than 400,000 people participated in the demonstrations in Seoul that day, and large-scale marches also broke out in other parts of the country, such as Busan and Incheon, with a total of 300,000 people participating.

The organizers claimed that more than 170 million people participated in the demonstrations in Seoul, and 260 million nationwide.

On the same day, Amy issued an ultimatum to the government's task force, stating that a full range of sanctions would be formally imposed on South Korea the following day. If negotiations were to take place afterward, the new South Korean president would need to accompany Lee Jae-yong to Lanai Island to plead with Chen Yiran.

At this critical juncture, South Korea's political parties have demonstrated an astonishing ability to unite. Acting President Chung Hong-won of the ruling party and Moon Jae-in, who now wields tremendous influence and controls more than half of the lawmakers, held talks and agreed to cooperate to overcome the aurora crisis.

They had always thought that Aurora would attack the chip industry, such as shutting down EDA licensing manufacturing at various chip and memory factories in South Korea, but some extreme views suggested that Aurora might seek help from the US military.

The government made corresponding arrangements for both situations, but the direction of sanctions that Chen Yiran chose was something they had never thought of.

An hour after Amy left South Korea, financial centers that control dollar clearing, such as CHIPS in New York and the London insurance and reinsurance market, announced that due to technical reasons, they would have to cut off the dollar clearing channels and trade finance quotas of major South Korean banks.

South Korean importers will be unable to open letters of credit, which are the fundamental rules for all import and export. This has directly led to the instant freezing of countless import orders.

What followed was a rapid plunge in the Korean won, and the KOSPI index on the South Korean stock market was halted within an hour the next day, with foreign capital withdrawing en masse.

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs was forced to immediately protest to the United States and the United Kingdom, demanding an explanation for this blockade.

At the same time, diplomats also had to consult with some countries, hoping that contracts for essential commodities could be fulfilled normally and that freight transport would not be suspended due to settlement issues.

These countries are energy-producing countries.

South Korea has virtually no fossil fuel reserves, relying entirely on imports for coal, oil, and natural gas. Combined with its geographical location, this has made South Korea an isolated power hub.

South Korea's power grid is not interconnected with any other country. If its power generation capacity is damaged, it cannot rely on imported electricity to make up for the shortfall. This is extremely detrimental to a small, economically developed country.

October is precisely the time when the South Korean government begins large-scale stockpiling in preparation for winter.

The South Korean government has realized that Aurora's actions are far more aggressive than they imagined, and they are very afraid that Middle Eastern countries with good relations with Aurora will directly cut off oil supplies.

But they are more afraid of losing coal and liquefied natural gas, which account for 6% of South Korea's total electricity supply.

Contrary to their wishes, they ultimately failed to secure any contracts. Qatar directly announced its breach of contract, not caring about paying some compensation, as it would no longer sell liquefied natural gas to South Korea.

This left South Koreans utterly devastated, as this source accounts for 50% of South Korea's liquefied natural gas supply.

Finally, due to the vigorous development of the Ultron system, Australia, which had a good relationship with Aurora, also jumped out and kicked the crippled leg hard.

They announced they would stop supplying coal to South Korea, thus depriving South Korea of ​​half of its coal supply.

After learning about this, Chen Yiran directly liked the official Australian Twitter account and announced that future robotic devices would be supplied primarily by Australia.

The Australian government is pleased that they actively helped out, specifically for those in-demand items related to the aurora borealis.

Whether it's Ultron's security system or Aurora's new mechanical equipment, they are all perfectly suited to Australia, a vast and sparsely populated place.

Google started its drone business here for this reason, but Australia actually wanted to bring Aurora over, but Aurora didn't agree because of cost issues.

Now, Aurora's drone business is taking over the Australian market completely. They've also announced that they can offer a weaponized version with AI that can automatically solve the rodent problem.

Three days later, the South Koreans discovered that their country had always been on the verge of collapse.

The financial crisis was severe, and technical congestion began to occur at major South Korean ports due to the suspension of insurance coverage for South Korean shipping routes in the London insurance market.

Cold chain logistics began to break down, and supermarket shelves in Seoul were starting to fill up with fresh produce. Prices for pork belly and eggs began to rise, prompting farmers to decisively refuse to supply the city and stockpile food in preparation for the disaster.

South Koreans are extremely sensitive to food prices, and people immediately began hoarding goods, which further exacerbated social unrest. Many people even skipped work just to grab a few bags of fast food from the shelves.

Seven days later, Korea Electric Power's 4 million kilowatt backup safety line was breached, and various industries began to experience rolling blackouts. Some smaller cities could no longer guarantee a full day's power supply, and widespread panic began to erupt among residents.

That evening, the protesters who had initially demonstrated hid in their homes, while another group took to the streets, demanding accountability for those who had participated in the earlier marches and that the organizers be arrested.

They demand the immediate release of Samsung President Lee Jae-yong. He only wanted to develop technology; what did he do wrong? Is it a crime to give money when he was solicited for bribes?

Don't talk about laws or sovereignty. In a few days, the waterworks will run out of electricity, and we won't be able to flush the toilet. What's the point of talking about sovereignty then?

The National Assembly was supposed to hold a plenary meeting, but only 21 members showed up.

Everyone knows that the decision we're about to make isn't a glorious one; frankly, it's surrender, and nobody wants to bear that infamy.

Those present were either party leaders or relevant administrative officials who had come only because they had no other choice.

Jung Hong-won sighed and said, "I talked to Lee Jae-hyun of CJ, but it was all for naught. It seems like they've really made peace with Samsung."

A nearby lawmaker said indignantly, "The lawsuit has been going on for years. If it weren't for all the recent troubles, Lee Jae-hyun might already be in jail. Now both sides are saying they'll stop fighting just like that? Are they just messing with the government? Don't they have any dignity as Koreans? In this situation, they're still hoarding food and refusing to sell! They're just laughing at the government!"

Zheng Hongyuan thought for a moment and then said a terrifying fact: "In the end, they are all members of the Li family. The fight between his father, Li Mengxi, and his younger brother is also a family matter."

Lee Meng-hee is getting old and may want to extend his life through Aurora's technology. Lee Jae-hyun's physique isn't great either; he has peroneal muscular dystrophy and has undergone a kidney transplant, so he probably doesn't want to offend Aurora.

I understood what he meant: the Li family might be completely united from now on.

This was indeed terrifying. The succession of Lee Byung-chul's children was not peaceful, mainly due to the struggle between his eldest and third sons.

Of his three sons and five daughters, three daughters did not engage in any business ventures and instead settled down and married.

The remaining five all became leaders in their respective industries. Except for the second son, who died young from illness, and the heir, who squandered the family fortune.

The other four branches all withstood the pressure and completed the company's further development.

The third company inherited Samsung and, needless to say, became the number one in South Korea, gradually becoming a world-class enterprise.

CJ, founded by Lee Maeng-hee, is number one in South Korea in almost every sector related to food, beverages, and consumer goods, including food, logistics, cinemas, and TV shopping.

The eldest daughter, Han Song, firmly controls the Korean paper industry.

Shinsegae, owned by five women, is South Korea's largest retailer.

Strictly speaking, BGF Group, which controls the JoongAng Ilbo, JTBC, and CU convenience stores, are all businesses owned by Lee Kun-hee's brother-in-law and his brothers, making them practically part of the Lee family.

A united and cooperative Lee family would instill fear in every South Korean politician.

Those present weren't fools. After a week, they gradually came to understand that this whole thing might have been a self-inflicted wound orchestrated by Samsung.

Domestically, the Li family portrayed themselves as innocent and virtuous businessmen who were being extorted for bribes. They diverted public discontent with the conglomerates by targeting politicians and the outside power, Aurora.

Externally, the Lee family is the only group in South Korea that can speak with Chen Yiran. In the end, it is possible that Lee Jae-yong will persuade Chen Yiran to waive the sanctions against the South Korean government.

After a moment of silence, Jung Hong-won looked at Moon Jae-in with hope, hoping for some good news.

Moon Jae-in smiled wryly, holding a reply slip in his hand: "The reason given by Saudi Arabia is that they are not supplying oil because they have no ships, and they hope for our understanding. They also said that out of consideration for our long-standing friendly and cooperative relationship, they are urging us to reconcile with Aurora as soon as possible."

They said that even if the financial blockade wasn't sustainable, and we resolved it later, we would still encounter major problems in commodity shipping because Trafigura was preparing to fully align itself with Aurora.

Several knowledgeable administrators began explaining Trafigura's standing in the business world to the ignorant congressman.

Zheng Hongyuan asked unwillingly, "The Tok Group has a good relationship with us. They even seem to have ordered ships from Hyundai. Can't we try to negotiate again?"

Moon Jae-in smiled wryly and said, "First of all, the modern world may not necessarily listen to us anymore. Secondly, are you all so busy that you don't even watch the news? Claude Doffin, the founder of the Tok Group, is already preparing to undergo that consciousness transfer surgery in Singapore."

Everyone remained silent, heads bowed, a sense of helplessness on their faces.

Moon Jae-in said to Chung Hong-won, "Alright, let's prepare to go to Hawaii to apologize. The two of us are the most suitable to go."

"Sigh, let's leave as soon as possible. A few days ago when things were raging, my wife solemnly told our relatives that she wouldn't believe or spread rumors and that we should trust the government. Our relatives didn't even have any food stored up, and now they're complaining about us every day."