Dictator From Outer Space

Chapter 33: Wise Choice - 2

He boarded a passenger plane bound for Sydney, Australia, on a day in May.

His mission was to present the attack-class submarine project again.

In most weapon acquisition projects, missing the briefing meant losing the chance.

The one who spent the money had the power, so there was no need to care about others’ situations.

However, the Australian Navy did not like Japan’s Taigei-class proposal.

It was because Japan’s unique submarine design philosophy had poor habitability and various flaws in weapon systems and government financial support.

Naturally, the remaining options were the upgraded versions of the Barracuda-class and Ahn Chang-ho-class submarines, and here, a factor called Black Metal came into play.

The Ahn Chang-ho-class, which had the lowest scores in several evaluation criteria, was actually better than the Barracuda-class in everything except for displacement volume.

And so, he found himself giving a presentation to the Australian Navy and acquisition management officials.

“As I mentioned earlier, the upgraded Ahn Chang-ho-class with Black Metal integration will enhance the operational capabilities of the Australian Navy, offering new possibilities.”

“The upgraded Ahn Chang-ho-class is much faster due to its high voltage advantage. It can reach a maximum tactical speed of 25 knots, which is faster than any conventional submarine, except for nuclear-powered ones.”

“We have also made significant improvements in operational range, including submergence time. The upgraded Ahn Chang-ho-class can stay submerged for over 2,000 hours at 10 knots, and its cruising range reaches 40,000 km.”

“Hmm…”

“That’s quite fast.”

“The operational range is more than double that of the Collins-class, let alone the Barracuda-class.”

“To be honest, we don’t really need such a long range, unless we are the United States or Russia.”

The Australian Navy officials were highly impressed.

To play hide-and-seek in the Pacific Ocean, where they had to face the US Navy or similar adversaries operating near other countries’ coasts, Russia absolutely needed nuclear-powered submarines.

However, Australia did not have that level of influence, and operations within its own territory were enough.

Of course, it was true that the conventional submarines used by the Australian Navy so far were not effective in the vast maritime areas they had to cover.

But today, they were quite happy with the upgraded Ahn Chang-ho-class, except for one thing: its submerged displacement of only 4,300 tons.

It was still considerably lower than the Barracuda-class, which exceeded 5,000 tons.

However, he had prepared counter arguments for the submerged displacement issue.

“With the budget of $3 billion per ship proposed by the Barracuda-class, you can build two upgraded Ahn Chang-ho-class submarines. Isn’t that enough?”

Would they trade 1,000 tons for twice the price?

He offered a sweeter deal to the officials, further confusing them.

“If Australia chooses the upgraded Ahn Chang-ho-class, Silla Shipbuilding plans to build a Black Metal mining ship for Australia separately. This condition includes entrusting the initial submarine to Silla Shipbuilding and government financial support.”

Building a mining ship separately meant giving a kind of privilege.

Moreover, the promise of financial support from the South Korean government swayed the officials’ minds, as the French government had been reluctant to provide financial support.

In fact, such large-scale weapon acquisition projects involved extensive technology transfer and financial support programs.

In that regard, the upgraded Ahn Chang-ho-class from South Korea was very attractive.

Finally, they played a video showing the new submarines of the Australian Navy roaming the vast seas. 

The video was made by Arma and boasted almost realistic quality.

The officials watched the video with blank expressions, as if they were mesmerized by a masterpiece.

After the presentation, Admiral Miles, the Chief of the Australian Navy, asked for a handshake.

“It was very impressive. I can’t give you a final answer, but personally, I have already made up my mind.”

A project worth 30 billion dollars could not be decided with just one presentation.

However, from Australia’s point of view, as the project had been delayed for several years, they would try to speed it up as much as possible.

“I hope to see you at the keel-laying ceremony.”

The first submarine would be built in Korea, but the rest would be made at the Australian ASC Shipbuilding.

“Haha, yes, that would be great if possible.”

The Australian officials were talking among themselves when the Head of Export Promotion from the Radios Agency came to Yu Ji-ha.

“You did a remarkable job. The mood is almost there, isn’t it?”

“Oh, based on the mood?”

“I’ve been to many countries and participated in the Australian armored vehicle project, but I’ve never seen such a mood. Everyone looks enchanted, don’t they?”

“It would be nice if we get chosen.”

He said it casually, but Yu Ji-ha was already confident.

There were not many evaluation criteria where the conventional Barracuda-class beat the upgraded Ahn Chang-ho-class.

Unless they could install a nuclear reactor, the Barracuda-class would have a limited operational range and its speed would actually be lower than that of the upgraded Ahn Chang-ho-class.

One Black Metal battery had made all the difference.

However, these factors were just secondary to Yu Ji-ha’s main reason for going abroad.

After finishing the presentation, the officials stayed for other events and then took a plane directly to Washington.

They were going to meet the President of the United States.

It would be an informal visit, and it wouldn’t last too long.

However, according to Arma’s prediction, significant demands were expected.

“The United States sees China’s turmoil as a golden opportunity. A fleet from Guam is surrounding the Spratly Islands.”

“If they can secure Black Metal in the Taiwan Strait as well, they will have the world’s largest stockpile.”

“The problem is that the United States is not satisfied with that. Deputy Secretary Martin said that the White House doesn’t care much about the Black Metal battery itself, but Congress has a different opinion.”

“They might have been pressured by the Democratic Party, which has the majority in the Senate, to make this visit. They could bring up the issue of the battery industry in the United States. Especially the investment in Georgia by South Korea.”

“So what kind of demands do you think they will make?”

“They will probably ask for Black Metal disassemblers. Politicians always care about jobs, no matter the era.”

“Even though I have said many times that all Black Metal should come to our country?”

“How about U.S. citizenship? Moving the whole Silla Group to the United States and giving tax benefits. The Democratic Party might think that’s enough.”

It wasn’t a very tempting offer.

“Now that you have broken China’s nose, sir.”

“Well, then maybe it’s time to break the U.S.’s nose a little too. I hate annoying things.”

China had become too powerful and annoying, so he had broken their nose.

What about the United States?

If he ever took power in the future, they would likely show great hostility.

They hated dictators because they didn’t obey them and didn’t benefit them.

Of course, Europe didn’t like them either, but the United States could put more pressure.

He hoped that those with their high and mighty noses would make a smart choice.

From his point of view, the difference between the United States and China was just a matter of meddling or not.

If they meddled, it meant that they could be dealt with easily.

Even the United States was not an exception to that.

Camp David.

This place in Maryland had been the presidential retreat since 1942.

It was like another White House, and some presidents liked using this place even when hosting sensitive guests.

For example, someone like Yu Ji-ha.

Of course, Yu Ji-ha was just a representative of a Korean company, so there was no reason for the U.S. president to be careful.

But if you considered the abilities he had, the story would change.

He had the Black Metal Factor, a rare trait that only a few people in the world had.

Among that extremely small group, he was the only one who could perform a high-resolution Black Metal transformation.

The transformation phenomenon had been known for several years, but he was the first one to officially announce it and show control over it.

The current U.S. president, Curtis McKinley, treated Yu Ji-ha as a high-level guest because of that fact and invited him to this place.

Sturdy soldiers in navy uniforms and Secret Service agents guarded the small cabin.

And it was in that cabin where Yu Ji-ha met the U.S. president for the first time.

“I feel like I’ve seen you before because you’re such a hot topic. Since this is an informal meeting, please speak freely.”

“I have a rough idea why the president wanted to see me, but could you please tell me directly?”

“Haha… you can’t be unaware as Vice Chairman Yu. I’ll be frank. The Senate hopes that Vice Chairman Yu’s Silla Group will replace Korean Global Chemical.”

“So, in the end, they want me to build a Black Metal battery factory.”

“The most important thing for the lawmakers is how much you contribute to the local community. Creating jobs is one of the biggest contributions.”

“But I have no reason to do that myself. After all, the factory would be gone due to the dominance of solid-state batteries, right?”

“Instead, Japan would build the solid-state battery factory. From the perspective of the United States, it doesn’t matter who does it.”

President McKinley’s tone showed his confidence that any company would have to set up a factory in the United States. 

And he was right.

Before the emergence of Black Metal batteries, Japanese solid-state battery companies were seriously considering investing in the United States. 

It was unavoidable if they wanted to sell in that huge market.

However, Yu Ji-ha’s situation was slightly different.

“What if, hypothetically, I refuse?”

“Well… such a case has never happened before. Maybe it would create a fuss not only in the Senate but also in the House.”

“And?”

“Vice Chairman Yu’s plans… It would take a lot of effort to enter the U.S. market.”

As the United States turned inward with its focus on domestic interests, it had made such demands on various companies. 

If you want to sell products, build factories.

It was natural. 

From the U.S. point of view, companies that only took profits by using cheap labor and making products overseas were not very welcome.

But Yu Ji-ha had no intention of selling his products in the United States.

“Well, it seems there’s a misunderstanding. I don’t need the U.S. market.”

“…”

President McKinley was speechless for a moment. 

It was such a weird thing to say. No need for the huge U.S. market?

He had never heard such words from any entrepreneur in his life.

Ultimately, the job of an entrepreneur was to make profits, and those profits were maximized in the United States. 

Emerging markets like China and India were mentioned, but even together, they couldn’t match the United States.

President McKinley laughed softly.

“You’re making an unusual story sound too normal. The person sitting in front of me is an entrepreneur, right?”

“That’s right. But my goals are slightly different from those of ordinary entrepreneurs.”

“How are they different, specifically?”

If he revealed that here, they might try to arrest him on the spot. 

Or they might mock him as a dreamer.

To achieve Yu Ji-ha’s goals, three things were needed.

Technology, land, and humans themselves.

For technology, once the Settler was repaired, it would quickly recover the level of the 2180s. 

And they would mine resources from space stations and protect humanity in mega-cities.

For land, the Korean Peninsula and an island turned into an Aether field would be enough.

Lastly, what was needed was humans, especially psychers of alpha level or above.

Yu Ji-ha was not very confident about this possibility. 

It was thought to be impossible to artificially create psychers.

But many unpublished research results had come out from the knowledge repository he had acquired recently.

‘It seems that in the ARC research, the power of psychers grows stronger with each generation. Especially when psychers form a bond, this tendency is even higher.’

The reason humanity didn’t realize it was because of the short exposure time to the Aether. 

Aether had existed before, but humanity was unaware of it until the Plague appeared.

The period of 80 years was too short to verify and understand it through generations. 

Yu Ji-ha organized his thoughts and slightly bowed his head.

“It’s a bit personal to share, and if we calculate our trade objectively, the scales will lean towards the United States, won’t they?”

President McKinley was conflicted. 

It was true that the United States had gotten significant benefits from their deals.

In exchange for some technologies from NASA’s abandoned programs, they obtained railgun barrels and capacitors. 

Considering that they couldn’t use those technologies on the scale of the Silla Group, it was a one-sided win for them.

And the railgun would become a dominant weapon system in the future naval operations.

The President adjusted his posture and said.

“I may not be a representative of the Senate, but I can’t help explaining their position. The Senate Majority Leader hinted that if this proposal is not accepted, they will not withdraw the U.S. forces in Korea.”

Yu Ji-ha’s eyes widened in surprise.

“But didn’t they already announce that half of the troops would be pulled out by 2030?”

“That decision could be changed. That’s the point if you accept all these proposals.”

“It’s irrelevant to me. You should talk to the Korean government.”

“Are you sure it’s irrelevant? Do you have any plans to change your citizenship?”

“No, but I do have plans to cooperate with other countries.”

It wouldn’t be China or Japan, but maybe Russia?

“Russia is a dangerous country, Vice Chairman Yu. They don’t care about public opinion at all.”

“They were friendly to me.”

“You’re mistaken. That friendliness can change with the flip of a dictator’s hand. That’s why dictatorship is dangerous.”

The future dictator laughed.

“As long as I have the power, I won’t change that.”

“It’s a risky gamble. Russia is an enemy of the United States.”

“They’re not an enemy to me.”

“…”

…

Silence hung in the air.

If President McKinley chose to pressure Yu Ji-ha at this point, Yu Ji-haa would have acted. 

But the United States was a country that respected a minimum standard of fairness. 

While they had done more than imagined evil in South America in the past, lately they followed the principle of giving even the worst criminals a fair trial.

In that regard, President McKinley made a wise choice, unlike Liu Wei.

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I was just expressing the Senate’s position until now.”

He stood up and took out a can of beer from the fridge, throwing it to him. 

Maybe because he was a young president, his actions were bold.

“Have a cold drink and let’s talk honestly. I think that Vice Chairman Yu is someone I can talk to.”

Well, who knows?

He drank the cold beer and changed his position in the chair.

“Other countries are okay. But not Russia. Especially that railgun…”

President McKinley was seriously worried that Russia might get the railgun. 

It might seem like the railgun was not a great weapon at first glance. 

It could only make holes because of the high current, so it seemed limited to piercing targets. 

But modern warships had too many vital parts that shouldn’t be pierced. 

From the VLS to the engines, masts, radars, and more, everything was connected, and even a few hits would make the ship unable to use its full combat power.

What if they shot the railgun continuously?

Of course, the United States had options like long-range anti-ship missiles like LRASM. 

But just the potential threat to their own fleets made the railgun valuable enough. 

If it went to Russia, the Pacific might not be a playground for the United States anymore.

Yu Ji-ha, backing off a little, decided to intervene.

“Just to be clear, we didn’t talk about the railgun yet. For now, we just agreed to cooperate in various economic ways.”

“But you shouldn’t think about it in the future.”

“If you want to ask that, shouldn’t you show some sincerity?”

The pressure from the Senate was gone, and suddenly President McKinley was in a situation where he had to cling to Yu Ji-ha. 

The railgun could shake the balance of the Navy itself. 

The Navy already found out in their research that to use railguns properly, they needed dedicated warships, in other words, battleships, not Zumwalt-class destroyers. 

They might have to change their whole naval strategy if they made a mistake.

While the United States was lagging behind not only China but also Russia in terms of naval power, meanwhile Russia had reached a point where they could build several railgun-equipped warships.

Recently, with the sharp increase in international prices of natural resources, they made huge profits, especially from securing a lot of black metal mining sites.

With that money, they sent dry ships into the Pacific, playing hide-and-seek with the US Navy fleet.

It was a huge stress for the US Navy, which had never tolerated anyone’s challenge.

This matter directly affected the security of the United States, unlike a mere battery factory or anything like that.

President McKinley’s finger tapped nervously on the armrest, but then stopped.

“…What do you want?”

“First, I hope they stop pressuring me in the Senate. Wouldn’t it be better to avoid conflict as much as possible?”

He meant to prevent the United States from getting hurt, but the President understood it the other way.

“Indeed, the pressure from the Senate was unfair. I can’t promise anything, but at least I won’t bother Vice Chairman Yu.”

“I have one more thing. If you agree to this, I will give you some benefits regarding black metal in the future.”

“So, there’s something hidden in black metal.”

“It’s something that can make batteries and more. You’ll be surprised when you hear it.”

If an ordinary person said such things, it would be ignored as a brag, but not in front of this person.

Black metal was a substance that deviated so much from common knowledge.

Even though it had been discovered for several years, it was hard to understand what kind of substance it was.

“I’m curious about what it is, but I’m starting to worry if I’ll hear it during my term.”

The temptation of re-election was very strong for the President of the United States.

There was a saying that just sitting at the desk in the White House meant eight years automatically, but it didn’t apply to President McKinley.

Unfortunately, during his term, he couldn’t pull out of Korea and couldn’t stop China’s expansion, disappointing the voters.

Currently, China’s turmoil was spreading day by day, but it didn’t have a big impact on his approval ratings.

He looked into his eyes that stood firm and said.

“Your approval ratings will rebound dramatically within this year. If you get re-elected, please consider my request then.”

…

The President’s expression showed that he was deep in thought.

But he knew that he, who stood firm, would give a positive answer.

The meeting ended there, and on his way back to Washington, he got a call from someone.

“We go together.”

It was a representative slogan of the U.S.-Korea alliance.

But that slogan didn’t feel very warm and comforting to him.

Even if dictatorship started in the future, would he be able to chant this slogan?

Yu Ji-ha said:

“The President of the United States made a wise choice.”

“Others should do the same.”

…