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Chapter 147: A New Tsar
Chapter 147: A New Tsar
Chapter 147: A New Tsar
The riots across Russia had subsided.
It was reported that it was due to the appeal of Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov, but in fact, it was because Yu Ji-ha had arrived in Moscow.
He shook hands and greeted the people who cheered for him.
“Dear citizens of Moscow. The blood-sucking vampire Borchenko is dead and the traitor Dmitry is arrested. There is nothing to oppress you anymore.”
“I am here as a friend and a companion of Russia, to help you with this situation. Of course, I am just a foreign politician, but I have always had the heart to help Russia. Please accept my goodwill.”
“Oooh!”
“A friend of Russia!”
“Welcome!”
The Russians waved their flags and sent their cheers to him.
Some women even stripped off their underwear and waved them.
It was a funny thing to think about.
A foreign politician, and the leader at that, intervened in the massive riots that occurred in Russia?
But the bond between Russia and Yu Ji-ha had been long and very strong.
If he had Russian citizenship, he could have been the president right away.
Anyway, Yu Ji-ha appealed to the citizens, but he did not appear in any official place.
He emphasized that the authority was still with Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov.
Of course, the reason why the protesters calmed down was because they expected Yu Ji-ha to bring some changes to Russia in some way.
—It’s better to have a foreign politician who understands our situation than the cruel vampires.
—He may not be a Russian, but he’s an honorary citizen, right? He’ll intervene and clean up the rotten pigs.
No one knew if Yu Ji-ha would live up to their expectations, but it was true that after he appeared in Moscow, Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov’s orders gained considerable power.
—All troops return to their original units. If you return now, I will overlook everything.
—From now on, the situation is controlled by the guard and the police.
The chaos began to subside shortly after the measures were implemented.
The root cause of the protest, the vested interests, remained, and some far-right protesters caused trouble, but they prevented the country from breaking apart.
As the internal atmosphere settled down, Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov dispatched a deputy minister of foreign affairs to NATO headquarters in Brussels for negotiations.
The heads of state of each country were waiting for him, but the real one was Yu Ji-ha who accompanied the bureaucrats.
When the news that he intervened in this situation as a mediator came out, the Russians nodded their heads.
—A friend who steps up in this situation is a real friend.
—He’s not a friend anymore, he’s family. Even if he settles down in Russia, no one will say anything.
—But what about Korea and the United Human Federation?
—They’ll figure it out themselves.
The Koreans wondered when their president went there, but on the other hand, they had a subtle expectation.
The EU leaders must be waiting to devour him, so they thought he was very brave.
—I thought I would never see him again after years of cursing and fighting…
—There’s also an EU summit. Isn’t he going to give a speech there with the conditions for ending the war?
No matter what he demanded, it didn’t seem like Yu Ji-ha would accept it easily.
He was a person who would overturn the ground itself rather than break through obstacles.
But it didn’t seem easy this time, since his opponents were the entire EU and the United States.
Especially since they had the moral high ground.
Yu Ji-ha’s private jet landed at Brussels Zaventem Airport.
***
Diplomacy is an international etiquette consisting of many ceremonial procedures.
The protocol applied depends on the rank of the parties involved, and ignoring it can easily lead to criticism of being ignorant of diplomacy.
In that respect, Yu Ji-ha had received tremendous criticism from the international diplomatic community.
He omitted most of the protocols.
If he had only done so for himself, it would have ended with a criticism of being casual, but he applied it equally to other heads of state, which earned him the nickname of a madman.
Anyway, Yu Ji-ha’s unique omission of protocol was applied equally to all countries and they all gave up on it.
When he entered NATO headquarters, many reporters’ eyes focused on him.
There was no photo shoot or press conference for the first time he set foot in headquarters.
US military officers guided him and he went straight into the conference room.
There were EU heads of state waiting for him, including President Baldwin of the United States and President Le Pen of France.
Usually there were various procedures before a summit meeting, but most of them were omitted because they were conscious of Yu Ji-ha.
The secretary-general who presided over the meeting tapped his microphone.
“Before the meeting, Russia said that it would delegate the decision-making to Yu Ji-ha, the president of Korea. This is the decision of Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov of Russia.”
“Are you entrusting diplomacy to a foreign politician? I don’t know how low Russia can go.”
President Le Pen sneered and Yu Ji-ha ignored her and said.
“Let’s get to the point. I represent Russia’s position and I have brought their claims. Both sides demand that the fighting be stopped immediately and that the troops be returned to their positions 72 hours ago.”
“That’s when you say your usual line. I refuse.”
Prime Minister Bernard Wilson of Britain said lightly and a faint laughter spread.
They seemed to enjoy this situation.
They had suffered from the sanctions for years, so they needed some small entertainment.
Yu Ji-ha didn’t care and said.
“Then there’s no need for me to be here.”
He openly picked a fight with them on the pretext of mediating.
No one was familiar with this rhetoric.
A few people coughed uncomfortably and President Baldwin stepped in.
“This place is for discussing the cessation of hostilities and post-war treatment, so it would be better to avoid unnecessary friction. There needs to be a more thorough investigation of the cause of the fighting, but for now, it is clear that the Russian artillery unit attacked first. Do you admit it?”
“I admit it.”
Didn’t he have any intention of denying it?
The leaders exchanged suspicious glances, but decided to listen for now.
President Baldwin listed the conditions.
“Both sides will restore the facilities and all equipment deployed on the border line to a month ago. This will be done by Russia under the supervision of Estonia.”
“Russia will also pay $3 billion in compensation to Estonia and $1 billion to France and Poland. This is the minimum condition for a ceasefire negotiation.”
“That’s absurd. I refuse.”
“…”
Silence enveloped the conference room.
Did he not know where he was?
President Le Pen was about to lash out at him when President Baldwin stopped her with his eyes and asked.
“Can I ask why you refuse?”
“Do you need conditions for a ceasefire? You should be grateful that we didn’t escalate.”
“So… you’re saying that we should appreciate that Russia didn’t choose to escalate and agree to a ceasefire without any conditions?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s crazy!”
Unable to hold back any longer, President Le Pen stood up and ranted.
“No need to listen any longer. Russia has refused mediation. Our army will enter Russian territory as it is.”
“Then you should be prepared to get nuked by Russia.”
President Marine Le Pen clenched her teeth at Yu Ji-ha’s sarcasm.
“Do you think Russia will be safe? At least five cities will be blown up.”
“They won’t. Do you know how many Ion beams I gave to the Russian air force? You can probably multiply the number you know by three.”
“What did you say? You…”
Now Yu Ji-ha looked at her squarely as she trembled.
“I can’t leave my wounded friend alone, so I’ll have to borrow a drone carrier for a while. By the way, there are two more drone carriers. Together, they can carry 60 caliber drones and nearly 100 combat walkers.”
“You don’t mean to use them…”
“Wouldn’t it be fun to see combat walker units roaming the territory? Japan couldn’t handle it properly, but I wonder how Europe will do.”
“…”
At this point, even calling him crazy was not enough.
“Take back what you just said!”
“Do you want to start a third world war?”
The leaders shouted in excitement and President Baldwin closed his eyes.
I thought it was going well, but he had to…
As the atmosphere in the conference room reached the brink of explosion, the secretary-general turned off the microphone.
But Yu Ji-ha’s words were still heard clearly.
“Take it when you have a chance. Don’t regret it later. My proposal ends here. If you make me get up, the rest is your responsibility.”
As the conference room quieted down like cold water was poured on it, President Baldwin asked.
“…How long do you think that threat will work?”
“It will continue until it doesn’t. My position is this. I admit Russia’s preemptive strike. I will also compensate Estonia. But NATO won’t get a penny. That’s all.”
“Do you think we’ll accept such an absurd condition?”
“If you don’t, the battle will start again. Russia needs a place to vent its anger. I barely calmed them down, but I don’t know when they’ll explode again. If Europe can take it, it wouldn’t be bad.”
President Baldwin, who had listened to his speech until the end, slowly leaned his upper body forward.
“You seem to want to go to war with us.”
“As I’ve said many times, what I want is peace.”
“That doesn’t seem to fit with your crossing the line too much, does it?”
“It’s up to you how you think. But my condition won’t change, so do as you please.”
It was a chicken game.
It happened often on an individual or corporate scale, but he never imagined that he would challenge the United States on a national scale.
President Baldwin exchanged glances with Yu Ji-ha several times and weighed his options in his mind.
‘Europe is important, but Western Europe hasn’t been invaded…’
Estonia was a NATO member state, but it was part of the former Soviet Union and still heavily influenced by Russia.
It wasn’t a big battle anyway, so all he had to do was withdraw both sides’ troops and pay a fair compensation.
Europe would resist, but he could easily quash that.
If Yu Ji-ha and Russia were sanctioned, they would have nowhere to rely on but the United States.
‘We can’t fight with President Yu here.’
If they went to war, it would have to be after they were prepared to wipe out Korea and the United Human Federation, as well as Russia.
He couldn’t start a nuclear war over Estonia.
‘And there’s still a lot left to get…’
From Europe’s perspective, it might be a calculation that they would never compromise once they were twisted, but not for the United States.
There were so many things he had to introduce from the crystals that went into the Ion beam.
Even the aerial carrier that appeared this time was considered of little strategic value, but the judgment of research institutions such as DARPA was different.
‘I’ll have to let this one go.’
He coughed and said.
“Let’s do this. Russia pays Estonia one billion dollars. And in the name of the deputy prime minister, he promises to prevent recurrence and sends a defense minister-level official to the investigation committee to cooperate as much as possible. How about that?”
Yu Ji-ha nodded while the European leaders vehemently opposed.
But NATO’s main force was the United States, and Europe was nothing without the United States.
French President Marine Le Pen shouted angrily.
“I can’t believe it! Are you guys in cahoots? How else could you come up with such an absurd condition…”
The other leaders were also angry, but President Baldwin had left the conference room surrounded by his staff.
Yu Ji-ha got up leisurely and said.
“If you want war, declare war anytime. I won’t run away.”
The EU leaders looked at him as if he was a madman.
“I thought we could at least communicate, but I guess not.”
“How can you deny the infamy of being the worst dictator since Hitler?”
“Is the president of Korea speaking for Russia? Are you dreaming of being a tsar?”
All kinds of sarcasm poured out, but to Yu Ji-ha, they sounded like sleep talk.
Meanwhile, President Baldwin, who had left earlier, felt a woman in a neatly dressed suit approaching him.
The guards blocked her, but he waved his hand.
“Ah, let her go. I think I know who sent her.”
The woman was none other than an android.
She was a new model, or she was hardly distinguishable from a real human.
At this level, she could hide in the crowd and incite them.
President Baldwin was amazed at his technology as the woman handed him a small piece of crystal.
It was the crystal that went into the Ion beam.
Did that mean he was telling him how to make it?
The android bowed her head and left.
“My goodness. He sure pays well.”
He had gained the benefit of being able to mass-produce the Ion beam by helping his position.
But he didn’t feel good.
‘It feels like he’s saying he doesn’t need the Ion beam anymore…’
He had poured out countless technologies in a short time of a few years.
No one else knows what will come out next.
He just wished he would reveal his true colors before it was too late.
‘I wish he had told me he came to conquer the earth.’
That was the best scenario in the current situation.
Then what was the worst?
President Baldwin shook his head and got into the car.
***
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Red Square.
They were there not to welcome Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov, but a foreigner.
Yu Ji-ha.
Russia’s friend, sympathizer, and companion.
No words could fully describe his achievements.
He had covered up the Russian army’s mistake and protected Russia’s interests in the international community.
Yet, all he said on his returning private jet was this:
“I hope my humble efforts will continue the friendship with Russia. We are one.”
We are one.
That simple statement touched the hearts of many Russians.
Thinking about it, the Russians had lived a life full of twists and turns.
The long dictatorship by President Putin, the wary eyes of the Western bloc, the tyranny of the privileged, the stagnant economy, and so on.
Nothing was going well.
That’s when Yu Ji-ha appeared.
He gave Russia a lot of things, trusting only his promises.
Although the results didn’t reach the bottom, it wasn’t his fault but the fault of the privileged.
Who else would want to be so close to Russia?
To the eyes of the Russians, Yu Ji-ha was not the president of Korea, but a handsome young man with Russian nationality.
“Yu Ji-ha! Yu Ji-ha!”
Just like the Koreans who had lost him for a while shouted as soon as they confirmed his return.
Red Square was filled with his name.
Yu Ji-ha walked among the people who filled Red Square without even a minimum of staff.
Handshakes and hugs, and sometimes kisses followed.
It didn’t matter that he kissed not only women.
He entered the Kremlin with his hair all messed up.
There was a red carpet on the stairs leading to the second floor, and Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov was standing in the middle.
“Welcome. The office is this way.”
When he stepped aside, Yu Ji-ha smiled and asked him to go ahead.
“You will be the leader of Russia from now on. How can I go up first?”
The atmosphere was friendly, but the guards, bureaucrats, and generals who lined up on both sides knew who the real leader of Russia was.
The new tsar climbed up the red stairs.
He was not a Russian, but at this moment he was more proud than anyone else to be a Russian.
When Yu Ji-ha stopped by the office with Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov and read former President Putin’s will.
An object flew into the solar system.
This object, swept by an ether storm, quickly approached Earth’s orbit.
Dozens of reconnaissance satellites launched by Starfield detected the approach and sounded an alarm.
Arma, who was pretending to recuperate on Terra Island and working, reported.
“It’s an unidentified relic of the Prophet. It’s falling to Earth at 55km per second. The coordinates are Western Europe… estimated to be Biscay Bay.”
The Prophet seemed to have fun throwing relics at Earth.
Yu Ji-ha felt uneasy as he talked with Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov.
‘This is…’
Aether sensitivity sent a warning to his whole body.
He felt a faint psychokinesis field.
That was not an ordinary relic of the Prophet.
‘Plague Cocoon.’
Yu Ji-ha’s face hardened.
He never imagined it would come so soon.
This side was just preparing land to build a megacity.
But why did only one come instead of a legion?
When Yu Ji-ha put down his tea cup with trembling hands, the cocoon containing Plague’s bioweapon burned through the atmosphere and landed in the sea.
A huge tsunami rose and hit the coast of France.