Empire of the Ring

Zeynep’s friend’s dad from school visited Youngho’s office.

Fikret Yilmaz in his fifties was a ship owner who provided grains to Istanbul and Baku with his five bulk vessels in the 3,000-ton class. He was feeling a sense of crisis after hearing that Arirang Shipping had joined the Kazakh-Baku grain shipping business with large vessels. So, he had told his family that the family might not be able to continue their abundant life. Although he said it as passing words, his daughter was shocked by his serious face. She told about it to Zeynep at school and that was what caused them to visit Youngho’s office. They had misunderstood that Arirang Shipping was taking over other business’ places. After all, Zeynep was a nosy person just like Youngho.

“I came to apologize for my daughter’s behalf. It was disrespectful of her to come to see you like that.”

“Oh, no need to apologize. My sister was a bit ahead for her worries, but it made me think about many things.”

The little daring Zeynep, after accusing Youngho as an unethical businessman, pretended that she knew of nothing at the dinner table even though she must be dying to know how everything concluded.

“I feel easy since you don’t mind her behavior. Frankly saying, I worried so much to think that Arirang Shipping will use its funds to expand the business.”

“Well, I have no funds since we are only a starting business. You must know well about this, but I only started grain shipping because of the ship owners that decided to begin transporting minerals for my suggestion. I’m only helping the grain exporters and port staffs since they are troubled by piled up grains.”

Being a foreign investor and businessman, Youngho had refrained himself from making any business decisions that would stand out, since he did not want to incur local businessmen’s enmity. So, he would often consider other businesses before starting a new business and it was unlikely of him to threaten another business’ source of income to expand his own. He had never thought of such a thing. It was not worth it since it would give him a bad reputation.

As they continued to talk, Yilmaz’s face turned peaceful than when he first came in. He was rigid when he first introduced himself.

“Well, I guess I had worried for nothing.”

“Please don’t ever worry about such thing from now on. I’m already fully occupied taking care of the produce of my farm.”

Yilmaz’s eyes were widened at Youngho’s remark.

“I heard that you have a farm in Kazakhstan, but I thought it didn’t produce enough to export.”

“The land is a little sterile, but I expect to export 15,000 tons of grains from next year and forth. The produce will increase as time goes by.”

Surprised by the amount of the produce, he leaned forward at the table.

“By any chance, could I buy your grains?”

“Well, for now, I’m planning to provide the whole produce to only Azerbaijan since it’s my second hometown. I won’t turn my eyes to Turkey any time soon.”

Yilmaz’s looked relieved as he heard that Youngho did not plan to sell his grains to Turkey.

“I inherited my shipping company from my father and expanded it to the Caspian Sea. It’s been more than ten years since I came to the Caspian and I still had no competitor. I’ve got to say, I was alerted like I was covered in cold water because of Arirang Shipping’s appearance.”

Relieved to know that Youngho was not his competitor, Yilmaz went on to talk about his past that was not even asked.

Based in Turkey, his family’s shipping business was inherited from generation to generation. Until his father’s generation, the company only operated its ships in the Black Sea but he was the one who joined Atyrau-Turkey and Atyrau-Baku grain transport business.

He frequently visited Baku for his business and even moved to Baku, since its public peace was better than Istanbul. He had been making stable income and did not have anything to worry about until Arirang Shipping appeared.

Talking with Yilmaz impressed Youngho since he seemed to be a fine businessman. First of all, Youngho liked Turks and the fact that he came to apologize for his daughter’s action was admirable. Lastly, he was an honest man who opened his heart and told what was in his mind. It was not easy for a businessman to open up to another businessman who could be his potential competitor.

It did not make sense to let him go without a gift.

“Why don’t we do this about the grains produced in Kazakhstan? Any grains going to Baku will be transported by Arirang Shipping and the ones going to Turkey, you could take them. I’m suggesting we should support each other and have a win-win relationship.”

It was a suggestion to monopolize the Kazakh grains and divide them into two to share. Yilmaz looked tearful.

Youngho suggested this since his ships could only cover the ones that were delivered to Baku anyway unless he bought more ships.

“I’m happy that I’ll get to keep seeing the sunrise of the Caspian Sea every day. Thank you for the good suggestion.”

Yilmaz’s politely asked for a handshake and Youngho also willingly shook his hand.

***

“Boss, you don’t have to give me any more bonus pay. I’m already getting paid several times more than before.”

“Oh, please take it. You still suffer from the aftereffects from bullet wounds. I know you’ve been overworking lately. I don’t know what people get here as restorative tonics, so I’m just giving you money for that. Please get something for yourself.”

“Boss, are you still treating me like a patient? See how strong I am?”

“You’ve got to take care of your body now. If you pass out one day for overworking, who’d replace you? Or you need to train someone smart as you, to replace you.”

Kim Chun was completely healed from the wounds, but it would be a lie if he did not suffer from aftereffects. However, being an extremely meddlesome person he was, he did not stay still for one second. Youngho gave him a vacation bonus because his face was getting thin. If he really fainted, Arirang Farm would be the one to suffer a loss. Moreover, Youngho wanted to pay him a bonus in appreciation for his role in completing jobs with H Corporation as well.

“I’m not ignoring your opinion, boss but I just worked hard because this is my work. I don’t need to exchange my efforts with money.”

“That’s why I’m giving you this, so you can take care of your health. I want you to work hard for many years to come.”

What was inside the envelope was like a new letter of credence and Youngho’s heart rather than money.

Kim Chun received several times more annual income than most Kazakh large corporations’ employees but to Youngho, it was nothing compared to his efforts and work. Because of a willing horse like him, Youngho could focus on other businesses.

“There is Batumi Arirang Hotel’s voucher in the envelope. Please take a vacation with your family there. You should forget about work for a week and serve your family for the whole period.”

Touched by Youngho’s regard, he took a deep breath of the air.

“You’re giving too many free rooms to people. I’m afraid Batumi’s hotel will go out of business one day.”

It was Kim Chun’s way of saying thank you.

In fact, his words had a point. Youngho had given away a lot of hotel vouchers to people for business purposes, but he would not have to worry since the free guests would eventually become paying guests in the future.

“Stop worrying about such things, but you need to send me a photo to prove that you’ve actually stayed there, alright? When you come back, you should promote the hotel to people. There’s nobody who won’t listen to you here Mr. Kim, you know.”

“I’m flattered to hear that, but somehow it doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

Youngho said it to mean that he was a nosy person and he immediately caught that. He was quite fast-witted.

***

“Mr. Kim. You didn’t hear back about the establishment of the Countryside Force?”

“I heard that the documents were sent to the central department, but I’ve been too busy to follow up on it.”

The two were talking about establishing Arirang Farm’s own military force.

In order to use the weapons stored in Arirang Farm, a force that was higher in order than a mere neighborhood watch. So, the farm requested to upgrade the neighborhood’s watch’s status to the government. When he met the president previously, he had heard good feedback from him about making a defense organization for the farm, so he decided to push it.

“Before you leave for vacation, could you make a call to check on it? I’d like to have a ceremony of the establishment of the self-defense force before the winter comes. We’d pick a decent military uniform for that as well.”

“Okay, consider it done. If the government permits, I’m planning to make about 200 people as paid soldiers. If they’re trained enough, they will be a force with the strength of two army divisions.”

Youngho thought that Kim Chun could be more military-obsessed than Jong-il after seeing him say that a patrol ship should be made in the Ural River.

***

“You want Cha Insoo to be the defense force general, not me?”

“You need to direct everything in place of me when I’m not around. Why are you making a fuss to become a combat force’s general?”

“Oh, come on. I’m not a boss. It’s not for me, you know. Please leave all the fighting to me and let Insoo take the director’s job.”

Jong-il had nagged to take over the boss’s job from Youngho, but now he was grilling Youngho to give him the general’s job. The two was arguing over something that the Kazakh government had not permitted yet.

“Insoo is perfect for that since he’s in charge of the security company. Get ahold of yourself, dude. You’re getting old. Why are you dying to fight anyway?”

“Why is protecting the Archduchess and the residents and defending the only kingdom in the world is fighting? Your remark is something that could take you down from the Prince Consort’s position.”

Jong-il was twisting his words, but he meant to join to play the medieval times, which he had joked about countless times in the past.

“Stop this childish nonsense and go to sleep.”

“I’m not going to budge until you agree to give me that position. You need to think this through.”

Looking at Jong-il’s face, he was determined to get an answer from Youngho. Knowing for more than ten years, Youngho knew him so well.

“Then why don’t you take a part in the medieval play that you mock?”

He was intrigued.

“What is it?”

“The Kingdom’s director of intelligence. How about that? Doesn’t that sound like something? I know it’s a small kingdom, but it is equipped with a world-scale intelligence network and it’s lacking a director.”

Since Jong-il liked to get a big head, the job was perfect for Jong-il.

“Are you teasing me now?”

Although he was questioning, he had a satisfactory smile on his face.

“Well, I’ll take it back, since you don’t want it.”

“People say that every man for his own trade, and you have your own talent too. How did you think of something like that?”

“You freak. Now get out of here. I’m going to call your wife!”

He lifted his body as he could not fight back Youngho’s threat. He dropped a remark as he left and it made Youngho laugh so hard.

“I knew that the intelligence department was indeed in a higher order. Only bunch of rum-dums actually fight against each other face-to-face, shooting guns.”

After Jong-il left the study, Youngho got lost in contemplation.

If the intelligence network was well-established, the farm would be able to check and prepare for any emergency situations in real time.

Youngho only suggested it to satisfy Jong-il’s nagging, but it actually was a great idea. Besides, he already had a resource, Erikson the middleman of Information Agency. If a bright guy like Jong-il takes over the farm’s intelligence department, it would turn out to be a decent group. To think about giving shape to the plan, Youngho was exuberated.