Ch.7575 Negotiation (2)

That’s how this benefits the American side, but the benefits for the Balhut Cult haven’t been mentioned yet.

Diplomacy exists to pursue mutual benefits, and if only America gains while the Balhut Cult receives nothing, there would be no reason for the Balhut Cult to accept this deal.

Of course, the American side had many ways to satisfy the Balhut Cult.

“First, we can recognize the Balhut Cult’s legitimacy. Of course, in this apocalyptic situation, the intangible benefit we’re offering might not be considered a definite advantage for the Balhut Cult, so I’ll consider this as a kind of service.”

“Yes. Even if America doesn’t recognize us as a government, we’re in an era where we can force or prove that through power.”

“Survival of the fittest! Sad as it may be, we must acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged.”

First, through this deal, the Balhut Cult would be recognized by America as the true government ruling the Korean Peninsula.

But as Steven mentioned, the Balhut Cult couldn’t pursue that intangible benefit, and Yu-na nodded at his following words.

Anyway, even without America’s recognition, if the Balhut Cult demonstrated its power to the public, more people would recognize the cult as the government.

This was an era of survival of the fittest, and with power, one could obtain everything.

“Ah! How cruel indeed. However, there are those who welcome this apocalypse as a good era. Haha.”

“That, I can understand.”

While lamenting this reality, Steven didn’t deny it.

Steven also realized that the flow of the times was changing dramatically, and knew that America, like other countries, was in a position where it had to pursue survival competition.

“Then what can your side offer to our Balhut Cult?”

“We can offer many things. First would be food.”

“Food, you say.”

America says they can provide food to the Balhut Cult.

It was an unexpectedly random statement, but Yu-na had realized the importance of food through the apocalypse and learned through the Pohang offensive that it could be used as a weapon or negotiation tool.

“I hear there’s a proverb in this country: ‘the more the better.’ Indeed, isn’t it true that the more food you have, the better?”

“I can’t deny that.”

The more food, the better.

The Balhut Cult had recaptured farms near the Hyeongsan River, known as the breadbasket of the Korean Peninsula, but the current season was December.

It wasn’t an appropriate season for farming, and above all, rebuilding the farmland that had been occupied and ruined by zombies would take time.

Considering the food that would be consumed during that time, the Balhut Cult needed a means to secure new food supplies, and one of those means was fishing in Pohang.

“But you can’t just eat fish for the half year until farming progresses, can you? What’s wrong with eating delicious food and pursuing happiness?”

“Y-yes, that’s true.”

However, if one continuously eats the same food, the Garcia effect could quickly make one tired of the consumed food.

To prevent this, one needed to pursue various foods rather than just one type, and delicious food had a significant impact on the morale of the cult.

In fact, the reason Kim Tae-hyun could make a lot of money from the Balhut Cult soldiers was because he sold delicious food and refreshing drinks on the spot, satisfying their primal pleasures and instincts.

Pursuing delicious food is human nature and desire.

“First, what we can simply provide you with is soybeans.”

“Soybeans? You mean beans?”

“Yes, beans. As it happens, we have an overwhelming surplus of soybeans, so we could give them to you as aid without any problems. Above all, we Americans don’t particularly enjoy eating soybeans.”

Beans are ingredients that Koreans unknowingly consume a lot.

Starting with bean sprouts, doenjang (soybean paste) and soy sauce, which Koreans enjoy, are also sauces made by fermenting soybeans.

Of course, they couldn’t produce gochujang, Koreans’ favorite secret sauce, but tofu, which would be missed if absent from the dining table, was also made from soybeans.

Even including soybean oil, which could be used as animal feed, many foods needed for Korean dining could be created from just soybeans.

And at the mention of soybeans, Park Cheol-gon finally spoke up as if he had just realized something.

“Aren’t those the soybeans that were meant to be exported to China this year?”

“You know well. Yes, these were originally soybeans intended for export to China. But as you know, China is also in chaos due to the apocalypse.”

To be frank, the soybeans Steven just mentioned were originally meant for export to China.

China was the largest consumer, consuming over 100 million tons of soybeans, and America was the producer supplying soybeans to China.

Korea also enjoyed eating soybeans, and besides the foods just mentioned, there were recipes for soy milk and various other foods, so a smooth supply of soybeans would have a positive impact on the cult’s dining table.

The Balhut Cult members’ mouths watered at the mention of providing such valuable items as aid.

There’s a saying that Koreans live on rice power, and this was an excellent deal to satisfy that rice power.

‘I’m getting hungry. Ugh. Are you trying to make us surrender through stomach terrorism!?’

It seemed Yu-na was no different, as saliva pooled in her mouth just like the other Balhut Cult members.

Having successfully captured the stomachs of the Balhut Cult, Steven could use this as an opportunity to gain some initiative in future negotiations, but…

‘Damn those Midwest folks. Declaring independence but then picking and choosing what they want.’

In fact, Steven didn’t want to so blatantly recommend soybeans.

Frankly, this was more like a telemarketing salesperson than a special envoy’s speech, wasn’t it?

He had nicely packaged all of this as America’s gain, but if you looked closely at the inside story, it was closer to the tantrums and forced intervention demands of the US Midwest, which had declared independence against the White House.

‘Yes, the problem is that there’s too much. Too much to the point of filling warehouses.’

The US Midwest is America’s breadbasket, and the soybeans Steven mentioned are produced there.

Commonly known as the Farm Belt or Corn Belt, the enormous amount of grain produced here is consumed in America or exported abroad.

In fact, domestic consumption itself wouldn’t be a problem at a time when food self-sufficiency is important due to the apocalypse.

‘The biggest problem is that Americans can’t consume all the grain produced in the Corn Belt.’

The problem is that the grain produced here is produced in such enormous quantities that it cannot all be consumed by Americans alone.

Before the apocalypse, this surplus agricultural produce could be consumed by exporting it abroad, and in fact, the grain produced this way was resolved by exporting it to China.

However, now that China, the largest grain importer, has disappeared, there is no way for the soybeans or other grains produced here to be consumed, and the unconsumed grain has become bad inventory stored in warehouses.

Since they are grains, even if stored in warehouses, management costs for quality maintenance would inevitably arise, and unfortunately, the US Midwest had no ability to solve the problem of grain that had gone to warehouses.

‘Asking us to sell because they don’t want to pay for storing grain in warehouses. Do they have no conscience? What the hell.’

The US Midwest state governments, which had once proudly declared independence in pursuit of their own freedom, contacted the White House as if they had never done such a thing and requested strong White House intervention with a shameless attitude. The White House, while sighing at the Midwest’s unsightly behavior and demands, struggled to find a way to consume the grain stored in warehouses.

In the midst of this, the White House noticed the Balhut Cult, which was establishing a solid government on the Korean Peninsula, and since they were also looking for a strong alliance to enhance the prestige of the central government, the White House promised to purchase a large amount of grain from the Midwest at a bargain price and provide it as aid to the cult.

‘There’s a limit to animal feed anyway, and storing that grain costs money too. Those damn people can’t complain about this negotiation.’

Of course, even now, thinking about the grain piling up in warehouses, this alone wouldn’t completely solve the problems and thirst the US Midwest was harboring, but that wasn’t Steven’s concern.

They were hateful characters who had tried to declare independence against the White House anyway, and Steven thought this was enough to fulfill his duty.

Moreover, since the White House had also promised to purchase soybeans and provide sufficient aid to solve the Midwest’s problems, it would be difficult for them to express dissatisfaction.

Through this deal, America intended to slowly train the Midwest to suit the White House’s taste, as they had no way to export externally.

‘So please accept it. We can give you everything you want!’

So he couldn’t mess up from the first button.

Since the White House would train the Midwest by gradually opening export routes to create thirst, first the Balhut Cult had to accept this deal to see some way forward.

“Above all, next year’s apocalypse will be even harsher. You can’t just rely on food in the city or food produced in the breadbasket of the Hyeongsan River, can you? Not just the soybeans I just mentioned, we are ready to provide corn or other crops as well.”

“Huh huh.”

It was America’s strength and overwhelming abundance, commonly known on the internet as the “host’s cheat map.”

At the mention that not only soybeans but other grains were also possible, the saliva in the mouths of the Balhut Cult’s leader and executives couldn’t dry up.

Still, diplomacy was diplomacy, and it was Yu-na’s turn to respond to Steven’s words.

“That’s certainly beneficial for us. But it’s not beneficial for America, is it? If it’s free aid, you’re essentially giving it to us for free.”

“Haha. That’s right. But this act is beneficial to our White House. If you want to hear more, may I assume you accept our proposal?”

At Steven’s words, Yu-na pondered for a moment.

Thinking she couldn’t make the judgment alone, Yu-na secretly looked at the Scrying Mirror, avoiding Steven’s eyes, and Bahamut in the Scrying Mirror…

[It should be fine. Let’s form an alliance.]

Judging that Steven had no malice, he evaluated that the alliance proposal was not bad.

And the Balhut Cult executives around also looked at Yu-na with expectant gazes, all showing pleased expressions at the mention of an alliance with America.

“Yes. We accept the White House’s proposal.”

“Excellent choice. Thank you very much. We will work out the details of this treaty through working-level officials later, but I should answer your question from earlier.”

Yu-na agreed to the alliance with America.

At her acceptance of Steven’s proposal, Steven said it was an excellent choice and suggested that they establish a treaty that both sides could agree on through working-level officials later.

Then, as if it was a small courtesy, he said he would answer the question Yu-na had asked earlier.

“My question? Is it okay to tell me?”

“Haha. This is my personal courtesy. Consider it a small digression for an ally we’ll continue to deal with in the future.”

Although there was no obligation to tell after already agreeing, Steven said it was a courtesy to an ally they would work with in the future, and asked to consider this action as a small digression.

“The reason for providing free aid to form an alliance with the Balhut Cult is simple. America is divided, and we wanted a strong alliance as a means to solve that division.”

“Is it okay to say that?”

“This fact is information that can be quickly discovered with a little research on foreign internet. It may not be well known in South Korea, but it’s well known in Western Europe.”

It was a statement that blatantly revealed America’s weakness, but Steven spoke as if it wasn’t a problem.

Anyway, in this apocalypse, there were no forces that could directly intervene in America’s internal affairs, and even if the Balhut Cult knew this, they couldn’t proactively use this weakness.

Moreover, the weakness he just mentioned wasn’t very valuable information, as it could be quickly noticed with a little research, according to Steven’s statement.

“Our central government’s authority has fallen more than expected, so we needed a strong alliance to mutually cooperate and guarantee that authority. If possible, it would be even better if our ally could directly participate in America’s fights.”

America has vast resources, but the central government’s authority has fallen.

So they needed a strong alliance to guarantee that authority and prestige, and an ally willing to participate in America’s fights would be even better.

“I’m telling you now, but we haven’t just chosen the Balhut Cult. We’ve long sent delegations like ours to powerful Awakened who have formed governments in other countries, just like you.”

“I see. Now I understand.”

Yu-na understood when he said that they hadn’t just chosen the Balhut Cult, but had already dispatched delegations like himself to other countries.

In the end, the Balhut Cult wasn’t special; America too was not being picky about means and methods for its own survival.

It seemed the other cult members felt the same way, as they appeared a bit deflated at the realistic story despite their expectations.

“Then let’s pursue our mutual interests and survive this apocalypse as allies from now on.”

“Of course.”

Steven offered his hand to Yu-na, and Yu-na accepted the handshake.

With this, the alliance between America and the Balhut Cult was established.