Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 528

Episode 528 Rolling, rolling… (9)

Just a few days after the successful completion of the Bhikkhu experiment, Jo Mal-saeng presented a plan to Hwang Hee.

“This is a plan to present to the Crown Prince.”

“Let’s see… Hmm…”

Hwang Hee, who received the plan, nodded slightly and muttered as soon as she looked at the title.

“‘Military utility of monks’… As expected…”

Hwang Hee nodded as soon as she saw the title, as if she had already guessed it, and immediately opened the last page.

“So the number of units needed is 320? Captain Joe!”

At Hwang Hee’s shout, Kim Jeom snatched the plan from Hwang Hee’s hand, looked at its contents, jumped up from the spot, and threw himself onto the desk.

Kim Jeom, who was in his mid-70s, skipped across the desk with incredible movements and grabbed Jo Mal-saeng by the collar.

“This guy is real!”

“I asked for it because it was absolutely necessary! “It’s an unavoidable expense!”

At Jo Mal-saeng’s insistence that it was absolutely necessary even while being held by the collar, Kim Jeom grabbed the collar even harder and screamed.

“Is it really necessary? Even if there was no monk until now, there was no word! “Say something that makes sense!”

“Be patient, Captain!”

“Stop it! “Stop it!”

The ministers, surprised by the grappling between Kim Jeom and Jo Mal-saeng, rushed in and tried to separate the two, but they were sweating at the strength of Kim Jeom, who had lost his temper.

“Tell me about it! “Tell me about it!”

“What kind of strength does a nobleman who has surpassed Koh Hee have so much strength!”

After wrestling for a while, Kim Jeom let go of Jo Mal-saeng’s collar and returned to his seat. Hwang Hee, who was looking at Kim Jeom, who was still grinning and glaring at Jo Mal Saeng, came to a conclusion.

“Even if it is not the Ministry of National Defense’s argument, you know very well that a bhikkhu would be useful if he knew even a little bit about the art of war.”

The ministers all nodded at Hwang Hee’s words.

A nobleman had to know basic Confucian scriptures, as well as academics such as military strategy and industrial medicine, and thanks to this, he was not unaware of the military utility of monks.

Hwang Hee continued while observing the reactions of the ministers, especially Kim Jeom.

“But those numbers are the problem.”

“This is the minimum number chosen by the military.”

“At least it sounds the same! Are we going to wallpaper it with a Buddhist temple instead of a communication tower?”

“Fix it, Captain.”

Hwang Hee, who interrupted Kim Jeom, handed out the documents to Jo Mal Saeng.

“This number is simply unreasonable. Please review the numbers again. If things continue like this, I won’t be able to present them to you.”

“Do you think you will pay for it?”

“So shouldn’t I stop it even more? That is my duty, so I reject it according to my authority. “Please come back and edit it.”

Due to Hwang Hee’s firm answer, Jo Mal-saeng had to take the plan back.

“I understand. “I will calculate it again and bring it back to you.”

“Okay. “Then let’s move on to the next item.”

* * *

After the meeting, the ministers left the conference room one by one.

The ministers who came out talked about Kim Jeom.

“Isn’t it really surprising to just look at Uichon (the pen name of Kim Jeom-ui)? “You’re so energetic at that age…”

“That’s right.”

“I guess the medicine you sent me was great.”

The ministers, who were having a half-joking, half-serious conversation, glanced sideways at the Minister of Finance and Economy and continued speaking.

“I have a question. Starting with Superintendent Uichon, all the officials of the Ministry of Finance and Economy are in full control. “I really wonder whether the position makes the person, or whether it only selects those people.”

“I agree.”

While the ministers were whispering, the Minister of Finance and Economy shouted.

“Because of whom did this happen!”

* * *

It’s a funny story, but this was one of the sayings going around during this time.

-Even the scoundrels of the sword world give up in front of the Ministry of Finance and Economy officials.

-If you wear an official uniform and are of good stature, you are an official from the Ministry of National Defense or the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

This public opinion was surprisingly true. Among the officials working at the Ministry of Finance and Economy, many were of good stature. Of course, it was not just that he had long bones, but that he had an overall muscular body.

This was inevitable considering the working environment at the time.

Analyzing a huge amount of data and making calculations using only a mountain branch and an abacus required maintaining a high level of concentration for a long time. And in order to maintain concentration for this long, physical strength was needed.

For this reason, the following maxim was created in the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

-Calculation is done with your body, not your head!

-A good plan comes from a strong butt!

And the reputation that he made even the sword world’s scoundrels curl up was due to the nature of his job.

The core task of the Ministry of Finance and Economy was to set the budget needed for state administration using tax revenues and profits from various monopoly businesses. And it was natural for conflicts to arise with other ministries in the process.

Of course, it was common for the outcome to be decided by a war of words over numerical data. However, there were also ministries that used measures to gain the upper hand by breaking the momentum of the Ministry of Finance and Economy. It was a ministry like the Ministry of National Defense or the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Development.

It was natural that Ministry of Finance and Economy officials’ impressions and tone of voice became harsh as they faced those who tried to break their momentum with harsh facial expressions or tone of voice.

In addition, among noble families where government service was the greatest honor, it was not uncommon for brothers or relatives to work in different ministries. In addition, there were many cases of receiving favors using blood ties, and in the process of refusing them, the notoriety of Ministry of Finance and Economy officials worsened.

-Even local mutts don’t eat the poop that the Ministry of Finance and Economy manages.

As this became the norm, the number of families who married their unmarried sons or daughters as soon as they became officials at the Ministry of Finance and Economy increased.

In addition to the age restriction, long service as an official at the Ministry of Finance and Economy was itself a factor in deducting points.

In some ways, the Ministry of Finance and Economy was the worst workplace, but few people wanted to transfer to other ministries or retire.

Although it had a high reputation, the Ministry of Finance and Economy was the first institution to be chosen when choosing the ministry with the most power among the various ministries of the government.

This was because there was nothing more addictive than working at an institution that sometimes made even the king pay attention.

* * *

Three days later, Jo Mal-saeng submitted the plan again.

“120th… Is this the best?”

“It was reduced and reduced as much as possible.”

Hwang Hee sighed in response to Jo Mal-saeng’s resolute answer, ‘I will not back down any longer.’

“Whoa~. “I will submit it to Seunghwadang.”

As Hwang Hee took care of the plan, the Minister of Finance and Economy and Kim Jeom glared at Jo Mal-saeng as if they were going to eat him. But this time, Jo Mal-saeng also glared at the two people.

* * *

“Hmm….”

Hyang, who was reviewing the plan submitted to her, looked at the number at the end and looked at Jo Mal-saeng.

“120th class? Is this best?”

Jo Mal-saeng answered Hyang’s question right away.

“The best is the more the more the better. But I think around 320 units is optimal.”

A small smile appeared on Jo Mal-saeng’s face as he answered Hyang. Until now, he had done many things for the military – from weapons to military uniform pay. Therefore, it was judged that Hyang’s remark was rather an indication that the number was small.

However, Hyang’s next words shattered Jo Mal-saeng’s expectations.

“120 prayers is a lot. If you look at the plan, it was planned to be deployed at every dam and camp in the north, at each suyeong in the south, at the suyeongs created at key points on the route to Cheonchuk and Alexandria, and that was not enough, to be deployed at every front passing through that waterway, but it is too much.”

“But if you look at it strategically….”

“If you look at strategy alone, as the director said, the more the better, the better, but shouldn’t you also think about the budget? That bhikkhu thing isn’t cheap, is it? The air sacs that trap the heat must be made of the highest quality silk. Considering the lifespan of silk, the air sac fabric must be periodically repaired or replaced entirely, but considering the cost, it is too much. And deploy one unit at a time on the front line? “No matter how challenging the battle line is, there is not enough space to run the bhikkhu properly.”

In history before the introduction of fragrance, most air sacs in hot air balloons were made of silk until the creation of nylon. Therefore, hot air balloons were operated only by a small number of wealthy people in the military as entertainment.

This problem of generalization was solved only after mass production of hydrogen or helium and the creation of internal combustion engines that were light in comparison to their output.

This was with the creation of airships and airplanes that used large quantities of cheap, strong, but heavy canvas fabric.

Kim Jeom and the Minister of Finance and Economy responded with bright faces to Hyang’s point.

“That’s right! Yes! “You saw it correctly!”

“That’s right!”

Unlike Kim Jeom and the Minister of Finance and Economy, who were happy, Jo Mal-saeng protested with a look on his face.

“The size of the monks deployed to the front lines has been reduced by limiting them to carrying only two. Starting with that part, it was calculated with many aspects in mind! “The defense budget is also increasing!”

“The problem is that the adjustment has increased more than expected. “I can’t give everything that the Defense Ministry asks for.”

“If there is a certain level of flexibility in that part….”

“The flexibility part is up to me and the Ministry of Finance and Economy to decide. And in my opinion, flexibility has gone beyond the scope of what is acceptable.”

“Well….”

“If we are to proceed with this plan, we must reduce the deployment of improved artillery and automatic long guns. Which one would you choose?”

Jo Mal-saeng responded to Hyang’s words with an expression that almost made him cry.

“The artillery cannot be reduced. As for the artillery… I will reduce the number of monks.”

In this way, the number of monks was reduced to 32. It was deployed around major military bases in the north and important military ports such as Jemulpo and Dongnae Tsushima Island.

But the scent continued to speak.

“We need to create an additional 36 monks to generate profit.”

“Did you say it was about making a profit?”

“It is placed at a general entertainment center in Daedohobu, Joseon, to pick up people.”

“ah!”

“ah! “Such a number!”

No sooner had Hyang finished speaking than the ministers let out exclamations. It was certain that being up in the sky and seeing all around would be extremely popular.

Hwang Hee immediately responded to Hyang’s suggestion.

“Hanseong should be removed, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Why Hanseong? ah!”

Kim Jeom, who was about to ask a question about Hyang and Hwang Hee’s answers, immediately stopped talking and nodded.

There was Gyeongbokgung Palace in Hanseong. It was the greatest disloyalty for the people to look down on their king.

Therefore, if one were to think about profits, they had to give up Hanseong, which could yield the greatest profits.

* * *

Even as he worked every day to resolve pending national affairs, Hyang had other concerns.

“How should I do this? Should I wait until it sprouts on its own? Or should I throw a bomb?”

It was a scent that continued to look through reports from the lab and Area 51, muttering to itself that no one else could understand.

“There was even a hot air balloon… The problem is that the passive behavior of waiting for something to be thrown can become established… What should I do?”

After struggling and pondering for several days, Hyang finally came to a conclusion.

“okay! Let’s throw a bomb! It’s better to act when you have talent! If you make a mistake, you will fall behind again! Shit! You can just say, ‘The crown prince has become the crown prince!’”

After making up her mind, Hyang took out a blank piece of paper and started writing down words.

-Thermodynamics (???)

“We must gather all the fragments that have been found so far into one and turn them into a theory! “We have to start with Sunji Lee when the math monsters are overflowing!”

As a result of this decision, thermodynamics, started by Benjamin Rumford in 1789, sprouted nearly 330 years earlier.

And the researchers at the institute were left with a very large bomb.