Chapter 130: That Time I Fought a Diplomatic War in South America (5)

TL: Skye

Beijing.

In response to the recent crisis in Venezuela, Chairman Xi Jinping summoned Foreign Minister Wang Lin.

“They froze the assets?”

“Yes. All assets belonging to the Venezuelan branches of CNPC and Sinopec have been frozen. We also have intelligence that they’ve begun considering nationalization.”

“......”

Wang Lin ground his teeth.

The moratorium alone had already put sixty billion dollars at risk. If their assets were frozen as well, the billions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure China had invested in there could be wiped out entirely.

What made it even more infuriating was this.

“It’s the same tactic Chavez used when he nationalized the assets of American companies. Except this time, the ones on the receiving end aren’t the Americans... it’s us.”

Venezuela had already pulled this trick once before.

And back then, they had at least paid some compensation. This time, there was a very real possibility that they wouldn’t pay a single cent.

“What measures can we take in response?”

“For now, we can freeze Venezuelan assets on our end as well... but as you know, there’s almost nothing to freeze. We can take the matter to the International Arbitration Court, but proceedings would take at least three to five years, and even if we win, that means nothing if Venezuela simply ignores the ruling.”

There wasn’t much point in filing a civil suit against someone who had nothing to give up no matter how thoroughly their pockets were emptied.

“Are there no politicians willing to side with us?”

“We’ve tried contacting them... but martial law has left them with very little room to maneuver.”

“......”

Xi Jinping sighed.

“What caused things to come to this?”

“Judging by the Americans’ movements... it appears Choi Yu-jin of San Marcos had a hand in it.”

“Hah, we tried to catch one rat and ended up burning down the whole house.”

“......”

“How do you intend to take responsibility for this?”

Cold sweat broke out across Wang Lin’s forehead at the Chairman’s rebuke.

He had gone his entire life without knowing failure.

As the son-in-law of former Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai, he had entered public service and risen smoothly through the ranks, then ridden the political tide until he became one of Xi Jinping’s close associates. A man like that had hardly ever needed to grow accustomed to being reprimanded.

“...I apologize.”

“Don’t apologize. Find a way to fix it. No matter how long it takes, I want it handled perfectly. Understood?”

“Yes, understood.”

Wang Lin bowed his head.

Xi Jinping looked out the window and added.

“And one more thing.”

“Yes.”

“We still have to save face.”

Wang Lin raised his head.

“If we simply sit there and take a sixty-billion-dollar loss, what do you think the other countries will think?”

He was absolutely right.

China, which was pushing the Belt and Road Initiative, had extended loans to countries all around the world.

It had even lent money to African countries where no one would be surprised if the government collapsed tomorrow.

If all of them learned from Venezuela’s example and declared moratoriums of their own, China would suffer staggering losses.

“You’re saying we should retaliate?”

“Review sanctions against Venezuela not only economically, but diplomatically and militarily as well. Make them thoroughly understand that this decision was a mistake.”

“Understood.”

Wang Lin bowed deeply and left.

A few days later, breaking news alerts appeared across international media.

[Breaking] Chinese Government Freezes All Assets Held by Venezuelan Nationals in China

[Breaking] People’s Bank of China Seizes Accounts Linked to Venezuelan Government and State-Owned Enterprises

[Breaking] Chinese Government to Confiscate All Venezuelan Ships Entering China!

China had begun its retaliation.

It froze the assets of Venezuelan nationals within its borders and even seized accounts linked to the Venezuelan government.

Of course, the amounts involved weren’t particularly large.

After all, Venezuelan assets in China consisted almost entirely of slush funds that a handful of senior officials had laundered there and the small bank accounts of Venezuelan students.

Altogether, they amounted to only a few hundred million dollars, practically pocket change compared to the sixty billion dollars China stood to lose.

In truth, it was more about saving face than the amount of money involved.

It was a declaration that China had no intention of simply taking the blow without hitting back.

But Telsy wasn’t about to take it lying down either.

Only six hours after news of China’s asset freeze broke.

[Breaking] Venezuelan Coast Guard Bans Three Chinese Container Ships Docked at Venezuelan Ports from Departing

[Breaking] Venezuelan Government Says Chinese Ships Require Investigation for Suspected Violations of Maritime Law and Environmental Regulations

Three Chinese-flagged container ships docked at the ports of La Guaira and Maracaibo were prohibited from leaving.

Officially, the grounds were violations of maritime law and environmental regulations, but anyone could see it was retaliation.

The cargo aboard the vessels alone was worth tens of millions of dollars.

Add in the value of the ships themselves and the losses caused by operational delays, and the damage to the Chinese shipping companies was substantial.

It was the moment the battle between the two countries began in earnest.

***

Meanwhile, peaceful San Marcos, same as ever.

A Cabinet meeting concerning Venezuela was underway in the grand conference room of the Presidential Palace.

“I’ll begin with the current status of food aid to Venezuela.”

The Senior Secretaries listened closely to Isabella.

“The first shipment of fifty thousand tons has arrived at the port of La Guaira, and the second shipment is being prepared.”

“Things are moving smoothly. How much has it cost us?”

“On the books, three hundred million dollars, but the actual budget expenditure is roughly thirty million dollars or less.”

“That’s less than I expected.”

Ricardo answered Yu-jin’s question.

“Yes. At present, ten percent of the aid supplies being sent to Venezuela are ours, while the remaining ninety percent are American. Officially, all of it is being imported by San Marcos and then sent onward. We are actually paying for the goods as well. However, the United States has agreed to deduct an amount equal to the cost of the food from our loans.”

Yu-jin nodded.

The arrangement was simple: buy American grain with American money, then send it to Venezuela under the name of San Marcos. San Marcos was essentially lending its name while shouldering almost none of the actual cost.

“Good. We’ll keep handling the food aid that way. What’s the next agenda item?”

“The refugees we’ll be taking in from Venezuela.”

The atmosphere in the conference room instantly grew heavy.

One million people.

That was more than ten percent of the entire population of San Marcos.

Even if they were accepted gradually, this was a number large enough to fundamentally change the country’s makeup.

The moment the item was raised, the Senior Secretary from the Ministry of Health lifted his hand as though he had been waiting for the opportunity.

“No matter how I look at it, taking in one million people in a single year is impossible. We need to extend the period to at least three years. Three hundred thousand in the first year, three hundred fifty thousand in the second, and three hundred fifty thousand in the third. That’s about the most our administrative system can handle.”

Sophia spoke.

“Social Adaptation Training will also be essential. Their Spanish is similar to ours, so language shouldn’t be a major problem, but our laws, institutions, and culture are different. If we simply turn them loose as soon as they enter the country, friction will be inevitable.”

Aman raised his hand.

“Jobs are another problem. It’s true that rapid industrial growth has created a large number of jobs recently, but adding another million people changes the equation. They could begin displacing existing citizens from jobs, and we’d also see downward pressure on wages.”

Lucio spoke coldly.

“Public security must also be considered. There’s a high possibility that some of the Venezuelan refugees will have criminal records. We need comprehensive background checks before they enter the country.”

The Senior Secretary for Construction added.

“Housing is the biggest problem. If we accommodate them in Libertad, we’ll have an overcrowding problem. But if we settle them outside the capital, I’m concerned we’ll be accused of treating the refugees poorly.”

The Senior Secretaries poured out their concerns.

Every one of them had a point.

Yu-jin listened for a while before slowly speaking.

“Let’s take these one at a time.”

The Senior Secretaries looked at Yu-jin.

“First, I agree that one year is unrealistic. But three years is too long. I promised Acting President Telsy one year, so we can’t push it back too far. Instead, let’s propose two years as a compromise. Five hundred thousand in the first year, five hundred thousand in the second, something along those lines.”

“......”

“I agree with Social Adaptation Training. As soon as they enter the country, we’ll send them to military bases and put them through four weeks of Social Adaptation Training. We’ll teach them the laws and institutions of San Marcos, the basic rules, and how to work and live here. As for jobs... what if we put them into agriculture?”

Aman’s eyes widened.

“Agriculture?”

“Yes. We can redirect some of the workforce currently involved in tourist-city development to the provinces and have them establish farms. Most Venezuelan refugees have experience with agriculture. And there’s still plenty of undeveloped land in northern San Marcos. If we build farms there and employ the refugees, we can increase food production and solve the employment problem at the same time.”

Yu-jin fell into thought for a moment.

“Lastly, housing is the biggest problem...”

The Senior Secretaries looked at Yu-jin expectantly.

Their eyes said that, as always, he would find the answer.

But this time, he couldn’t live up to their expectations.

“Frankly, this one’s difficult. I’ll have to think about it some more.”

“......”

“Let’s leave it there for today.”

And with that, the Cabinet meeting ended.

After the Senior Secretaries left, Yu-jin sat alone in his office.

The housing problem refused to leave his mind.

Where was he supposed to house one million people?

Build temporary shelters, and they would turn into tent cities. Reuse barracks like before, and there was a limit to how many people they could accommodate.

‘Ah... my head hurts.’

Isabella brought him some coffee.

“Perhaps it would be better if Your Excellency rested today.”

“Rest? In this situation?”

“Sometimes clearing one’s head is part of the job as well.”

Yu-jin thought about it for a moment.

She wasn’t wrong.

He hadn’t had a proper day off in quite some time.

“I suppose that’s true.”

Yu-jin nodded.

“At times like this, it’d be nice to go fishing somewhere.”

He had said it without thinking.

But Isabella reacted unexpectedly.

“I know a suitable place.”

“...Really?”

“Yes. There’s a quiet stretch of coast about forty minutes from Libertad by car. I’m told it’s an excellent spot for catching large octopuses.”

“Octopuses?”

Yu-jin’s eyes lit up.

For Koreans, octopus was something special.

It was expensive, delicious, and worked well in just about any dish.

He hadn’t been able to go on a proper fishing trip even once since becoming President, so hearing that there was a place where octopuses were plentiful immediately caught his interest.

“There’s really a place like that?”

“Would you like to go? It isn’t far. And it’s quiet.”

“Then let’s give it a try.”

“I’ll make the arrangements immediately.”

And so they arrived at the coast.

Just as Isabella had said, it was a quiet place.

The shoreline was surrounded by small rocks, with larger formations jutting up here and there, and the water was so clear that the seabed was plainly visible.

“Well then, shall I give it a cast?”

Yu-jin sat on a rock and lowered his fishing line into the water.

Isabella stood beside him, watching him fish.

The sea was calm.

The emerald waters of the Caribbean lapped gently between the rocks. The breeze was soft, and the sunlight was warm.

‘This is what fishing’s all about.’

Yu-jin closed his eyes and let the breeze wash over him.

Then, a moment later.

Thump!

The fishing rod resting in its holder jerked violently.

“Huh?! I’ve got one!”

Yu-jin hurriedly grabbed the rod and pulled.

A heavy weight tugged against the line.

Something thrashed beneath the surface.

“B-Big one?!”

After a brief struggle, he hauled the rod upward with all his strength, and a huge octopus emerged from the water.

As its tentacles spread out one after another, the thing looked about as thick as a man’s forearm.

“Whoa, this thing’s got to be at least two kilos!”

A huge smile spread across Yu-jin’s face.

“Impressive. To catch one this large on your very first attempt.”

Isabella sounded genuinely impressed.

“Chief of Staff, let’s eat this for dinner tonight. Make Sukhoe and dip it in Chojang, and it’s absolutely incredible.”

“Sukhoe?”

“You lightly parboil it Korean-style and dip it in Chojang... I’ll make it for you myself.”

“Yes, I’ll look forward to it.”

Yu-jin lowered the fishing line into the water again.

Less than five minutes later, he got his second bite.

“Another one!”

Third. Fourth. Fifth.

He was catching octopuses like crazy.

Yu-jin exclaimed in amazement.

“This place is incredible! I’ve never seen anywhere that octopuses bite this well!”

“I’m glad my recommendation has satisfied Your Excellency.”

“How many does that make now? I might have to call the security detail over and have a team dinner. It’s been so long since I last went fishing that I figured I wouldn’t catch anything, but I never expected to get this many.”

“Perhaps Your Excellency is simply an excellent fisherman.”

“Hahaha! Well, I don’t fish very often, but people have told me plenty of times that I’ve got a knack for it.”

Seeing how genuinely delighted he was, Isabella smiled brightly.

But Yu-jin had no idea.

Bubble, bubble..

Beneath the surface, SIA agents with professional diving training were attaching octopuses to his fishing line...

“Whoa! Another one!”

And so another peaceful day passed in San Marcos.

*****

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