Empire of the Ring

Chapter 241: Dream of Arirang Farm (2)

As Youngho requested to set up the production line of bearing, Kim Joo-hyuk soon returned with different collected data with a bright smile on his face.

“Mr. Kim. You look great.”

He then unfolded a paper in front of Youngho.

“This is what I received this morning. The statistics look great. I’m glad I introduced a great business item to you.”

On the paper that he handed, the installation fee of automated machine tools, the number of technicians needed to operate the production line, and the estimated yearly sales were written in an organized way.

The installation of the bearing production line was 4.5 billion in Korean won and since it was a lot less than what Youngho expected, he raised his head.

As if Kim Joo-hyuk had expected Youngho’s reaction, he continued on talking.

“We were able to lower the installation cost because the bearing company that supplies parts to us gave a discount. This size of machinery, the factory could be operated by only 25 employees and earn the sales of 13 billion won a year regularly. Well, the sales all depend on the strength of the sales department of course.”

Kim Joo-hyuk was excited as he explained.

His story sounded like Youngho could automatically make money only if the machines were installed.

“Is that so? Then I should make the bearing retailers around the countries of the Caspian my clients.”

Youngho had already found out that there were no bearing companies in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, so it seemed that it would be easy to attract clients in those countries and other countries in Central Asia.

“The bearing our factory produces is an internationally compatible standard product, but German and Japanese bearings are dominant around the world now. You’ll need to give the vendors a lot of margins to increase the turnover ratio of the new product.”

Kim Joo-hyuk’s words encouraged Youngho’s motivation. Since the bearing was a standardized size, it would be easier for him to sell those. If someone like Jong-il or Kim Chun swept the retailer shops around the Caucasus region, all of them would be his clients immediately.

“Then your company won’t really care whether we provide the bearing from our factory or not, will it?”

“What are you talking about? It’s almost the same as we have made a verbal agreement already. You should be the bearing supplier for us.”

“It just seems that your company won’t have any problems even if you’re short in supplies. It’s standardized size bearing. Don’t they get produced in Korea too?”

“Are you saying you’re planning to export your products?”

“In the Caspian coastal states, supplies are extremely valued. It’s because the transport of goods is difficult here. Many regions are blocked by the Caucasus Mountain Range, so it’s hard to deliver goods by land and if waters are not connected to oceans, if not through canals. Do you think such a precision part like bearing would be well-supplied here?”

Kim Joo-hyuk silently continued looking at Youngho’s mouth that was making a passionate speech.

“I’m installing the automated machine system only because of that. Starting with bearing, I’m going to produce other precision parts in the future as well. Did you think that I’d only be satisfied with making products only for your company? Heck no. You’d have to be more nervous than that or I might not provide any parts for you.”

“Hahaha...”

That day, Kim Joo-hyuk shared a lot of knowledge that he knew about automated precision parts. He taught Youngho what parts were prospective and did not cause pollution.

If the precision mechanical industry was applied to IT industry, robots would be produced and if went further, AI could be developed as well.

He strongly affirmed that a small elite minority group could feed the whole globe and advised that the farm’s children should be encouraged to be interested in computers.

However, there would a limit to the population of Arirang Farm.

That was why the factory would be automated to minimize the manpower and outstanding talents would be supported to study computer engineering abroad. Software produced by the minority population could be the source of income in the future.

Anyway, Youngho had already recognized that he needed to invest in software development that could have the maximum effect with a minimum number of people.

Listening to Kim Joo-hyuk’s story, Youngho was quite intrigued.

Although he appreciated Kim Joo-hyuk’s advice, Youngho wondered why he was sharing important business information. He asked whether Kim Joo-hyuk wanted something in return.

“Mr. Lee, you’ve done me a huge favor, so I wanted to give you something in return. I’ve been imagining what I would have done if I had this land and residents. That’s why I got carried away while talking about it.”

“Well, you had no intentions behind it, but I must’ve misunderstood you. Thank you for your unstinting support. You truly opened my eyes to many things. I’ll also pay you back with the same support you’ve given me in the future.”

“Hahaha. This is what I was looking for. I guess it worked.”

***

“I heard this winter’s going to be harsh. Would the underground gym construction complete before then?”

“I’m positive. Also, your palace will be finished by the next year’s harvest season. The problem is that the stonewall building is going to take longer than expected.”

Construction Director Min was indirectly saying that he was short of manpower. However, there was nothing Youngho could do. Among 4,700 residents, male adults who could work were only about 1,000 people and the rest were old people, women, youths, and children who could not work. It was a natural result since Youngho received family groups when he received immigrants to the farm.

Among the male adults, 50 of them watched the outskirts of the farm in 12-hour shifts, so they could not be mobilized for construction and 120 of them were working at the drone factory. Moreover, 200 of them worked at ranching, fishing, carpentry, leatherwork, butchery, heavy equipment mechanics, piloting, and so on. Excluding the people who worked in different sorts of necessary positions, there were only 600 people left.

Those people were working in wheat farming and the construction of different buildings at the farm. 600 workers seemed a lot, but when they were scattered in the vast farmland, they were even hard to locate.

Inevitably, work that needed high-level techniques such as interior designing and remodeling were left to outside technicians. That was the only way the farm could operate without any difficulty. Even so, Youngho could not let teenagers work.

The teenagers should focus on studying since they would be the future leaders of the farm.

Therefore, a measure that required a two-year specialized course for any teenagers who completed the high school curriculum was suggested.

Then, people began to argue about problems of education, rights, and duties of the residents, and whether to have local laws and regulations.

These kinds of things should be decided by the whole city, rather than a small group of representatives. As the future of the farm was at stake, public hearings were held several times and various opinions were collected.

Youngho did not meddle with anything but watched every process silently.

Since the farm was still undergoing a lot of trial systems, he thought that the residents should decide important things together on their own. Unless they came up with their own decisions, people would not be satisfied with their system.

There was a rich diversity of opinion when choosing the head of the farm. It was because Youngho, who was naturally thought to be the head of the farm refused the position.

“Who’s going to take Boss’s spot, if he doesn’t?”

Kim Chun was stunned to hear an absurd story.

“I am only the Prince Consort of the Archduchess. Since I am a symbolic figure anyway, I don’t have to be the management specialist just because I’m the leader. Arirang Farm should be run by someone who lives here. So, Mr. Kim. Why don’t you run for the election as well?”

Now Kim Chun jumped up in anger.

“You should stop joking if you are. A dog passing by will laugh if I try to run for the election. I used to be a mere elementary school teacher. It won’t look good if I lead a city of 5,000 residents and the public will not accept me either.”

He was only refusing because of a kind of inferiority complex, but Youngho’s idea was different.

“No one knows this place like you and works so passionately as you do. Besides, you are from this place. You’ll be the perfect person who could negotiate with the regional government, don’t you think? If I need to be in front, I’ll help you. Please, just try for once in your life. As you know well, the position makes the right person for it.”

***

As many opinions were gathered, people decided to vote for different subjects.

Any residents who were aged over 18 years old had the voter’s right. As they voted, 96 percent of agreed vote rate came out.

“It’s like the communist party. A vote approval rate like this can only come out after weapon threats. I should’ve run for the election as well.”

Jong-il, who was looking at the result of the election, made a joke.

“Aren’t you dreaming so small for the director of the intelligence department that will control the whole region of Central Asia?”

“Since you’re saying it, I need to give up a small dream, but I never thought that Mr. Kim would receive majority votes.”

Kim Chun, who was forced to register as a candidate by Youngho, became the commissioner of Arirang Farm.

Some of the farm’s residents also ran for the election, but they only received votes from their families and friends. It was because Kim Chun’s efforts were what brought the farm this far. He even took bullets, while working for the farm.

“We should give Mr. Kim. No, Mr. Commissioner great support. He’s much older than us, so I’m also going to be as respectful as possible from now on. There’s not a lot of people like him who love the farm.”

“Yeah, he’s indeed a person that I’m appreciative of. I’m going to support you hard as the director of the intelligence department. So, just give me a lot of money.”

The local laws and regulations and the commissioner were voted by the residents meant that anyone could not be free from the laws and the authority.

Any rights were followed by duties. If anyone did not like the fact, they would have to leave the farm. Living on the farm meant that they could enjoy the privilege of rights of the farm. Therefore, there were many duties of the residents, such as that everyone should work for their own properties.

One thing that took place immediately right after the vote, was the establishment of the specialized educational institution. Any high school graduates would mandatorily enter the institution. It was not just a regular two-year specialized institution, but it was a school that would give military training to students.

It was an idea that was suggested because it was impossible to run the farm with a small number of residents and it was welcomed by the teenagers since many of them were willing to receive military training.

After the two years of education, they would choose their own path to become workers or to study more. Some of them were sent abroad to study more.

This way, Arirang Farm would become an autonomous region governed by outstanding future leaders.