Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend

Chapter 156

Translator: Dreamscribe“Originally, when it comes to PMCs, the United States and the United Kingdom are the strongest. In the case of the U.S., the PMC industry exploded through the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But since they’re private military companies, the government manages them very thoroughly.”

That’s why the first idea that came up was to establish a PMC headquartered in the U.S.

“But our goal isn’t to send mercenaries to Russia or Ukraine to fight a real war, is it? We’re only trying to provide maritime security. In that regard, the U.S. doesn’t really suit our needs.”

“So, when we looked into Turkey, the place the CEO pointed out, it turns out that originally it was impossible to even establish a PMC there.”

“When you say it was impossible, does that mean it’s possible now?”

“Yes. The company we’re investing in, Baykar, is run by the Turkish president’s son-in-law, right? On top of that, the current Turkish president has been accumulating wealth by operating various defense companies through his relatives.”

President Erudo of Turkey seemed to prioritize the interests of himself and his family over the interests of the nation.

“Didn’t he ruin the Turkish economy with his bizarre economic philosophy? But he needed a way to survive, so he went all in on the defense industry using the Russia-Ukraine war.”

“So the regulations on PMCs have also been lifted?”

“Yes. Turkey has several geographical advantages, doesn’t it? So perhaps smelling money, they’ve completely overhauled the regulations on PMCs. And it just so happens that we’re entering the market now.”

It seemed they anticipated an increase in PMC demand after seeing the surge in pirate activity.

In any case, it was good news for us.

It meant we could set up our PMC headquarters in Turkey without any issues.

“The problem is this. No matter how much we call it a PMC, the moment we create an armed ship for escort, we run into international law issues, and other countries may label our escort ships as pirate vessels.”

This was exactly the issue that had troubled the companies escorting our ships.

PMCs send mercenaries to battlefields or provide personal security. And those activities are usually carried out on land.

But once this moves to the sea, things change a bit.

If the ship is armed, and the crew is carrying heavy weapons, it violates international law.

“Can’t we just have regular ships carrying weapons?”

“To a certain extent, maybe, but it still runs into a lot of issues. First, ports that prohibit weapons won’t allow entry at all. And as I reported before, today’s pirates are organized criminal groups, many of them are ex-military, and they’re armed with heavy weapons.”

Basically, the ships won’t be allowed to enter ports, and they wouldn’t stand a chance against the pirates, who now have far superior firepower compared to the past.

“In fact, the ships that had been escorting our trading vessels failed to stop the pirates precisely because of this. The level of armament among the guards is low, and under international law, ships can’t be equipped like warships, so the best we can do is have machines that spray water. Naturally, they’re no match for the pirates.”

One side ignores the law, while the other is bound by international law, so it’s not even a fair fight.

If they’re firing heavy weapons and we’re spraying water, how are we supposed to deal with them?

“Even if we do get proper approval, the best we can use are tear gas weapons. That used to be enough before, but now it’s simply not effective at all.”

“So in order to have proper security, our ships need to be armed to some extent, even if they’re not actual warships?”

“Yes. But if we do that, we’ll be violating international law, and there’s a high chance our company will be punished.”

“Even though it’s an unavoidable modification to fend off pirates?”

“Yes. The pirates won’t be punished, but we will.”

It might seem like the law is strange, but it was understandable.

If someone were to pour vast amounts of money into a PMC under the pretext of private military, and acquire military power strong enough to threaten nations, it would indeed be a serious issue.

“Still, don’t you think it’s too unfair? We’re just trying to protect the ships we operate.”

“What can we do? That’s the law.”

“Then instead of going after us with the law, they should be arresting and prosecuting the pirates. But no one wants to do that.”

It was understandable that the employees were frustrated.

Why else would we try to establish a PMC?

Because the government refuses to step in.

That said, it’s not like we couldn’t understand their situation either.

Deploying the navy of an entire country to guard shipping routes 24/7 just to catch pirates was not a realistic option.

They couldn't possibly protect the hundreds of cargo ships passing through daily, one by one.

“What’s the best method available to us?”

“We have to operate the escort ships as general vessels while arming all the mercenaries on board. But even that could easily run afoul of regulations... It’s really complicated.”

It wasn’t like we were asking for some massive warship.

We just needed enough armament to effectively patrol around the shipping lanes and prevent pirates from getting close.

“The countries currently causing problems, Somalia, Nigeria, and Togo, have basically given up because they lack the capability to operate proper navies. If they had even a little naval strength, we probably wouldn’t need to worry this much...”

It was a problem stemming from the fact that those regions produced the most pirates, and criminal organizations naturally migrated to places with weaker public security than other countries.

“...?”

But strangely, as soon as I heard the department head’s words, I felt a subtle tremor.

“If those countries built up proper naval power, would the number of pirates decrease?”

“There’s been a massive increase in criminal groups setting up base operations in that region. It’s all because the national military power is a mess. Criminal organizations exploit that weakness and expand their influence there comfortably.”

My intuition was sending me even stronger signals.

Was this where the breakthrough lay?

“Then if those countries' naval capabilities grow, we wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble?”

“Yes, probably... Ah! Don’t tell me, CEO-nim, are you considering partnerships with those countries?”

As if finding the right answer.

It felt like a ‘ding dong deng’ sound was ringing through my brain. (TL: "Ding dong deng" (딩동댕) is a Korean game-show sound effect for a correct answer)

***

"Kwangwoon is going after Bluezone?"

Despite pouring everything into Tesla’s autonomous driving and Space T, Milon Tusk never took a break, not even for a second.

The moment he felt even the slightest bit of boredom, he’d open social media and spew out all kinds of bizarre comments, drawing in all the attention-grabbing antics he could.

That was his source of energy and dopamine.

And now, news that would excite someone like Milon Tusk had come.

“Yes. At first, it was just a rumor, but now it seems that Kwangwoon really is targeting Bluezone. They've completely cut off semiconductor supplies, and even goods that were supposed to be delivered to Bluezone are currently stuck in the middle of the ocean, likely to trigger a massive supply crisis.”

Upon hearing that, Milon Tusk grinned.

Bluezone’s founder, Rainjof.

Milon Tusk hated that bastard.

His hostile relationship with Rainjof was already well known.

In fact, after Rainjof toured Milon Tusk’s Space T, he took the idea and immediately launched Bluezone Space.

Milon Tusk tried to raise objections, but Rainjof didn’t even pretend to listen. On the contrary, he went as far as to mock Tusk.

Ever since that day, Milon Tusk had constantly trashed Rainjof on social media at every opportunity.

“Do you think... Kwangwoon... no, Jung Jin-ho is doing this to help me get revenge?”

“I’m not sure. But the Chairman’s feud with Rainjof is something Kwangwoon surely knows well. Everyone knows about it.”

And Tesla is currently in a cooperative relationship with Kwangwoon.

Not just Space T, but World Link also had a significant stake owned by Kwangwoon.

Of course, this partnership wasn’t exactly a welcome one.

The truth was, even Milon Tusk had been practically forced to hold hands with Kwangwoon.

“And now he’s helping me get revenge like this.”

Maybe Jung Jin-ho wasn’t actually acting out of sympathy.

He might truly be working behind the scenes to devour Bluezone.

But either way, it didn’t matter.

If it meant landing a blow on that bastard Rainjof, then what could possibly be too much to sacrifice?

“Is there any way we can help?”

“If you're not planning to buy up Bluezone shares and get involved in a management dispute... then using social media might be a good tactic.”

At the secretary’s suggestion, Tusk was intrigued.

Social media was Milon Tusk’s weapon of choice.

There was a reason he had spent a fortune to acquire Twitter recently.

The one who draws the most attention becomes the one who makes the most money, and gains the most power.

That was the winning strategy of the current era.

“People always criticize your tweets, Chairman, but what matters is that nearly everyone reads them.”

That was exactly what mattered.

He didn’t care if people insulted his posts.

What was important was how many people were seeing them.

“It’s been a while... Time to roast that octopus bastard properly.” (TL: The "octopus" insult refers to how Bluezone a.k.a Amazon has "tentacles" in every industry.)

His fingers were already itching.

“But Chairman, Kwangwoon has sent a request to use World Link in connection with their PMC.”

“Ah, that.”

World Link existed precisely for use in places where communication was difficult.

Hadn’t its influence already been proven through multiple tests?

“Of course we should support it. After all, he’s our major shareholder.”

Besides, with Kwangwoon personally stepping up to crush Rainjof, Tusk didn’t want to stir up any unnecessary noise.

“But that PMC... isn’t it too dangerous? It’s not just anyone, we’re talking about Kwangwoon.”

“No matter how capable Kwangwoon is, there must be limits. Especially when it comes to maritime matters, international law is stricter, and if they start recklessly creating armed ships, it could lead to serious consequences.”

“Well... that’s true.”

Still, he wasn’t entirely at ease.

Because the one stirring up all this trouble was none other than Kwangwoon.

***

When Kwangwoon announced they would establish a PMC.

Governments around the world began closely monitoring them.

The White House, in particular, was likely watching with its eyes wide open.

Who exactly were the people of Kwangwoon?

They were meticulous and devious types, manipulating the global economy at will, setting off incidents left and right, yet never leaving behind any trace of themselves.

“Those bastards, owning a private military company? That can never be allowed!”

Aiden was determined to stop Kwangwoon from gaining military power, no matter what it took.

There was no telling what kind of atrocities those dangerous men might commit if they were armed.

“But the justification is solid. It’s for protecting against the rampant piracy.”

“Isn’t that piracy actually increasing because of Kwangwoon? No, who knows, maybe they’ve even been helping pirate forces grow!”

The Kwangwoon Foundation throws money around in all kinds of sectors.

Outwardly it looks like charitable giving, but no one knows what forces they might be secretly nurturing with that money.

In short, everything currently happening at sea could very well be a staged act by Kwangwoon to gain public justification.

“As I’ve said before, if Kwangwoon arms their crews with heavy weapons for so-called ‘protection’ and modifies their ships into warships, we will take direct action against them under international law.”

There was a reason the White House was watching Kwangwoon’s PMC so closely.

They too wanted to gain a justifiable reason to act.

If Kwangwoon crossed the line and violated international law to arm themselves, then the United States could directly intervene.

They’d take down Kwangwoon’s PMC and investigate every person connected to them, unleashing all the frustration they’d bottled up until now.

That’s why Aiden secretly hoped Kwangwoon would go fully armed and start prowling the seas.

Then he’d finally have the chance to crush them completely.

“But... Mr. President, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“What? Why not? Don’t tell me they canceled the PMC?”

“No. They’ve already set it up in Turkey and are actively recruiting staff. From former special forces to all kinds of professionals.”

“Then what’s the issue?”

“The issue is... Kwangwoon has now joined hands with Nigeria.”

Aiden tilted his head, puzzled.

The reason Aiden couldn't initially understand what the Chief Secretary was talking about.

“It’s not just Nigeria. They’re also in contact with the governments of Togo and Somalia.”

“And is that supposed to be a problem?”

“Of course it is. By joining hands with the countries most plagued by pirates, Kwangwoon will be able to invest directly in each of their navies.”

“...!?”

Only then did Aiden’s drowsy eyes snap wide open.

“Wait. Don’t tell me they’re planning to...”

“Yes. They’re trying to avoid violating international law by directly investing in those countries’ navies, purchasing warships, and operating under a leasing system. That way, there's no reason to be caught under international law. And even if they buy up a massive amount of warships and weapons, no one can raise an issue if it’s under the pretext of fighting pirates.”

“!?”

The countries Kwangwoon was aligning with didn’t possess any real military power.

That’s precisely why their nations were in such disarray.

But what if Kwangwoon suddenly showed up with massive capital, seized control of each military under the guise of investment, and scattered money to boost their military strength?

“Outwardly it may look like the Nigerian military, but in reality, it’s Kwangwoon’s military. There aren’t even properly trained personnel there, so all the actual forces will be Kwangwoon’s employees. And if Kwangwoon starts pumping money into the military in the name of salaries, everyone will end up taking orders only from Kwangwoon.”

The temptation of being given a powerful military force.

Especially for nations in poor condition, there could be no offer more enticing.

Of course they would accept it.

“On top of that, if they use that military power to wipe out the pirates who’ve been a long-standing problem, and then use Kwangwoon’s capital to draw in investment and develop the country, they'd think there's nothing better than that."

“And Kwangwoon gains momentum and builds even stronger military power?”

“Yes. The problem is, it’s highly likely that not only Nigeria, but the other two countries will also fall into Kwangwoon’s grasp.”

To anyone, it was obvious what Kwangwoon’s true intentions were behind the investment.

They weren’t just dodging international law, they were planning to build military power with their overflowing wealth.

“The biggest issue is that there’s nothing we can do to stop Kwangwoon’s moves. Even if it’s not Kwangwoon Shipping, they’re saying they’ll provide security for all ships and even wipe out the pirates to prevent any accidents. Recently, Milon Tusk also voiced strong support for the anti-pirate campaign on social media.”

On top of that, these meticulous bastards were winning over public sentiment by deploying naval forces not just for Kwangwoon ships, but all around pirate-heavy regions, offering to protect all vessels.

The timing couldn’t have been better.

Just recently, some ship crews had been killed in pirate attacks, and public outrage had been growing rapidly.

Even that might have been something Kwangwoon had anticipated.

No, without a doubt, it was all part of their plan.

“They’ve already monopolized most of the shipping industry, and now these shameless bastards...!”

Kwangwoon already controlled nearly all shipping. Most cargo vessels were theirs.

Who’s protecting whom, really?

Aiden trembled with rage at Kwangwoon’s brazen hypocrisy.

But what enraged him even more was that, with such a clear justification of stopping pirates, there was no way to stop Kwangwoon.