《Empire of the Ring》Chapter 222: Growing Pains (3)
Advertisement
Youngho believed that if one had committed a crime, he must pay the right price.
Although it was unfortunate that the former Serbian militiamen had to go through such horrible situations, it was wrong to torment innocent civilians who were not involved in the civil war. The 27 militiamen said that they could not help but to follow orders but it had to be serious if Bosnians had been tracking them down for the past 20 years.
Being the leader of the Serbian immigrants, Youngho could not ignore this situation. There must be proper compensations for the victims and their families as well as showing genuine sympathy for them.
At first, Youngho was going to banish the former militiamen from Arirang Farm, but he just heard about the independence struggles in Xinjiang, and the CIA was quietly supporting the Uyghur people.
He reckoned that since Serbian people looked similar to the Uyghur people, they would be well-disguised, and moreover, because they were trained as militiamen, they would be able to fit the role of mercenaries or drill instructors. There were in fact, a lot of European mercenaries active in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
It was two days later when Chief Niksic brought 27 former militiamen who were now in their forties. He was haggard as if the recent issue of the Serbian immigrants had hit hard on him.
"Prince Consort. These fellows had given their lives to you. They agreed that if you keep their families safe, they would do anything for you. They don't want to live in pain any longer."
All of the 27 men looked determined, but Youngho had to say sharp words.
"I won't make this long. Helping the Xinjiang region's independence is how you can pay for your past faults since the Uyghur people will also suffer what the Bosnian people had suffered if we don't help them."
"…"
"I will do anything to compensate Bosnian people for what you've done to them. Of course, it won't be compensated with money but that'll be the only thing I can do. Your families will be taken cared of at the farm. So, if you want your family's well-being, you should forget about here."
People were stirred to hear that Youngho was going to compensate Bosnia for their wrongdoings since they knew that it was a hard decision for Youngho as a leader of countless people. Niksic kneeled down at Youngho's words and the 27 men also followed after him. One of the men spoke on behalf of the whole group.
"Prince Consort. We don't know what to say. We're ashamed of our past now but if we survive this, we'll return as proud people of the Kingdom of Serbia."
As the 27 men trained their bodies, Youngho received Russian passports from Sergey to disguise their identities. They now looked like official mercenaries hired by Yaniv's mercenary company. It was to prepare for the worst case for they get arrested in Xinjiang.
Although the men were not in their best physical conditions since they had not been training for a long time, they were training hard for their goals. While they were training, Youngho was contacting Uyghur independence group. There was an expert who could connect him to the group. It was Agent Smith who was working at the US embassy in Kazakhstan.
Advertisement
***
Agent Smith in Astana was excited to see Youngho and Jong-il in a long while.
He proudly reported that he had made acquaintance with local mafias in the meantime. It seemed that he had met Yaniv's mafias in a pub that he frequently went with his girlfriend, and those mafias suddenly began to treat him nicely. He had no idea that it was because of Youngho's connection to Yaniv.
"Mr. Park. You should teach me some lethal movements this time. I need to have at least one lethal move as an agent. Don't you think?"
"Agent Smith, who are you trying to impress with that? It's not even special."
"When I go back to the headquarters, I should be able to prove that I've been in the field. Junior agents won't be able to look down on me if I show them some moves."
Although Smith was saying that, it seemed that he wanted to impress his girlfriend with martial arts. It was too bad that lethal moves could not be learned in a short period of time.
"I've already talked with the Uyghur independence group. They're expecting a lot since I told you you'd be bringing mercenary warriors and drill instructors. The CIA's headquarters also agreed to support Xinjiang region, so there's going to be a movement soon."
"Smith, can you get us two Chinese identifications?"
"I don't think anyone will ask you to show your identification cards. You look like Chinese."
"No, we don't. Koreans and Chinese totally look different!"
Although Youngho was upset about what Smith said, it was true that in Westerners' eyes, Asians were hard to distinguish.
The boundaries between countries had become meaningless as the boundaries of the media had become wider. In particular, the development of broadcasting and communication had allowed the world to communicate in real time, surpassing the limits of time and space.
Despite the fact that the global community had become one, minorities in Southeast Europe, the Caucasus region and Central Asia still insisted on their own fences and wanted independence. It was a natural request since they had been persecuted as minorities. It was an old dream for them to have their own country.
The independence movement of such minorities was no exception in China. Especially, the calls for independence in the Xinjiang region were rising as the days went by as many of Russia's satellite states became independent.
Currently, Uyghur people were carrying out a separate independence movement centering on the East Turkistan exiled government, the National United Front and the Islamic Party. When a massive uprising broke out in 1997, the Chinese government launched a tough crackdown, which led to the formation of independent groups. Although it was not reported in the news, there had been frequent bombing attacks by Uyghur independence group in different regions of China. Youngho was sending the former Serbian militiamen to help the independence group.
Sending them could be considered a form of deportation but if they returned alive, he was going to accept them as proper residents of Arirang Farm. There was a saying, 'hate the sin but don't hate the person.' Hoping that the growing pains of Arirang Farm would stop at this level, he had sent the militiamen for a dangerous mission.
Advertisement
***
Arirang Hotel in Batumi, Georgia was finally completed.
It was a 220-guest room, five-star hotel with two basement levels and eleven floors above the ground.
Youngho's family from Baku, Yaniv, and Sergey from Russia, Yunsuh and Sangchun from Germany, and Szechenyi and Princess Isabella came to the building dedication ceremony. Since the hotel was not open for guests yet, all the attendees of the ceremony planned to stay at the hotel for several days.
Among all guests, Princess Isabella was the most important guest. Youngho had prepared a special gift for her and he was curious about how she would react when she received the gift. Away from the loud ceremony room, Youngho sat down with the princess at the café on the hotel's first floor.
"Princess. I'm honored that you've come to celebrate my hotel. I've prepared a special gift for you, would you like to see?"
"Oh, you're welcome. I haven't been very busy lately. If you didn't invite me, I would've been sad."
As she was saying, she could not take her eyes off the present which was wrapped beautifully. Although it was considered rude if someone did not open a present in front of the giver's eyes here, the Princess seemed to be hesitant because of her face.
Szechenyi, who was standing next to her, pressed her.
"Isabella. Why don't you open it now?"
Isabella's face changed as she carefully opened the present. Then she quickly lowered her voice looking around for people.
"Wow. This is gold bars. It has the Archduke's emblem on it."
"The descendants of the Kingdom of Serbian had kept some gold, so I made a ceremonial gift. Do you like it?"
Since Youngho could not say that there were gold mines, he said that there was a hidden fortune of the Archduke's family. Also, he was implying that there was plenty more gold.
"Hahaha… There would be no women who don't like gold or jewels, especially if it's this heavy gold bars. "
"I was worried since you must have had everything you wanted as a princess."
The princess smiled as Youngho teased her.
"Oh, I won't decline even if you give me more. You can give me this kind of gifts at any time. Hahaha…"
Her tone of laughter became even louder. She seemed to like the family's wealth.
She was already in love with Szechenyi, and if her future husband's family was wealthy, it would act as an advantage for her if they got married.
Now that Youngho had shown her the gold, it was obvious that the whole family of the Kingdom of Denmark would find out soon about it. The princess would not keep it quiet since it was good news that the family she would be married into was well-off.
So, Youngho took a further step.
"Princess. You should visit my farm in Kazakhstan in the winter. The town had been getting big because more Serbian immigrants moved in. The descendants would love your presence."
"Oh, that sounds lovely."
"Also, a winter hunting in the continent is quite fun. I also bought several breeds of hunting dogs. You'd be able to chase wolves with them."
As soon as she heard 'hunting', she was exuberated.
"I've gone to dog hunting several times with my brother. It was much more thrilling than gun hunting!"
The more strictly grown, the greater the longing for wildness. When she heard that she could sleep in a yurt in the rough wilderness where wild wolves roam around, she seemed eager to go at any moment.
"What did you tell Princess Isabella that she's so excited now?"
Hearing Isabella's excited voice from afar, Fatima asked to Youngho.
"I gave her gold bars that had the Archduke's emblem on it and I also invited her for winter hunting at Arirang Farm."
"Well, that's enough to make her excited. Sometimes, you can be really mischievous. Now that she received the gold bars, she's going be extremely curious."
"Well, I don't know about that. It must be casual for her."
"Hahaha…"
Fatima knew exactly what Youngho had in mind. The princess had already known that Youngho's family was rich but seeing the gold bar, her curiosity must have reached its peak.
Princess Isabella was taken cared of now, and it was Yaniv's turn.
Having had plenty of food and drink, Yaniv held on to Zeynep and made a big speech. Hearing that Zeynep was involved in a social welfare organization, he was saying that he must pay a contribution.
"Why are you refusing when I want to make a contribution?"
"Grandpa Yaniv, it's because you're going to be nosy after donating money. I don't like it."
"Of course, I'll be curious where my money is going to be used. What if I don't?"
"My brother said he's going to pay for whatever we need, so grandpa, you can just stay still."
Yaniv was trying to talk to Zeynep for longer since he had missed her dearly. As Youngho approached the two, Yaniv tried to wave him away.
"Mr. Yaniv, if you don't listen to what I'm about to say, you might regret it."
Yaniv did not seem to be intrigued.
"You're talking about making money, aren't you? Go to Sergey and talk to him! He's better than me with that sort of things."
"I might be in charge of Azerbaijani private-sector's managing underwriter for Moscow-Azerbaijan-Iran Railroad business. Are you still not interested?"
He reluctantly turned his body toward Youngho.
Meanwhile, Zeynep, who was finally able to get out of Yaniv's attention, hurriedly left the table.
"Who's going to make you a managing underwriter?"
"There's no other person who's going to take the role. That is if you'd be kind enough to tell President Aliyev."
"I thought you weren't interested in the railroad business."
"I don't want to let go of my interests but it'd be overwhelming to do it by myself. So, I'd like to give you half of its profits."
It was an offer that did not need a long consideration.
"Did you say half? Alright, now you've got my attention!"
Advertisement
- In Serial21 Chapters
Praying For My Downfall
Mike Nelson is old. His health problems are getting worse and worse all the time. Luckily, there is a new VRMMO technology with extreme time compression that will allow him to make the most of his remaining years. The new game K.O.R.A.L. promises to be the most immersive MMO of all time, with many of the traditional tools of players stripped away and a permadeath system for their characters. The only problem is the Alpha phase two years ago has made the NPC population of the game extremely paranoid about Travelers, and likely to kill them whenever they are discovered. *If you have specific concerns/notes/questions about the story feel free to PM me as well as leaving comments*
8 180 - In Serial58 Chapters
The Legend of The Tamer
After his death from an epidemic, Aeron finds himself transferred to another world. A world unlike his own, a vast world filled with beasts, races, and mystery. Humanity as a foreign race strives to survive in the world of Gaia, building cities to expand and defend, bringing humanity to a new era of strength. Aeron now in a new world, with a new family, and a new profession as Tamer, must strive to become stronger. Watch Aeron navigate this new world as he meets new people, new pets, and collects new skills. But a dark shadow looms on the horizon, creeping slowly towards humanity. Image by Artie_Navarre from Pixabay. Join here for my discord channel: https://discord.gg/tMK84Gh If you want to support the author and read a bit of advance chapter, visit here for my patreon. https://www.patreon.com/siraeronnovels P.S. This is my first work ( o>.
8 272 - In Serial57 Chapters
The White Rabbit: Book 2
In the Urillian Empire, the Empress Xandra rules three-quarters of the planet Xren from her home in the capital of the Earth Continent. Both the fire and water peoples have fallen under her might after a series of wars stretching back three centuries. Earth elves, under Xandra's rule, have spread throughout the planet and established colonies, and are, by all accounts, enjoying what seems to be a prosperous and happy existence. But not everyone in Uril is happy. The holy books speak of elves as the Chosen People of Thesis, tasked with guiding and protecting the lower races. For some people, this scripture has been interpreted to designate their life as one on the lowest rungs of society. Humans have been reduced to a slave class, and serve their elven masters under Xandra's rule, kept at bay by the constant fear of the dreaded Emerald Knight, and their own perceived weakness. Humans do not lead long lives, nor do they possess the wisdom, power, or magical acumen of their elven masters. But there is hope. A group of people have banded together to fight against Xandra, her Knight, and her empire. They call themselves the "Knights of Order" united under the principle idea that Xandra's reign has brought chaos unto Xren, and they wish to restore order. These Knights are led by a man named Xaxac Brigaddon, spoken of as a legend. They say that when the moons are full, some humans transform into powerful beasts. They say that Xaxac is the most powerful warrior on Xren, that in his youth he was enslaved and forced to fight other humans to the death in a bloodsport called "cage fighting", that he could not be touched and held the world championship title for three years running until he faked his own death and escaped his master to join the resistance. They say that he has friends in high places- noblemen, pirates, and the devil himself. They say that if you can find him, he can ferry you to freedom in places where the Earth Elves fear to tread. They say that he is immune to magical attack, and his eyes shine like the silver moon. They say that he is descended from Quizlivian Brigaddon, one of the humans who helped the demon Magnus escape a god. They say that if you want to walk the Path of Order, you should follow the White Rabbit.Come and watch the transformation from human boy to Knight of Order: The life and times of Xaxac OfAgalon OfLangil Brigaddon. Content Warning: This work is based on the real experiences of human trafficing survivors. Xaxac's origins are based on true events, and they are presented realisitcally; this includes but is not limited to: isolation, gaslighting, emotional and sexual abuse, and grooming tactics. This work is meant to hold a mirror up to society; it is based on the real of experiences of people who have experienced slavery and/or abuse. It is an adult work and probably should not be read by anyone under the age of 18. If you are a survivor of human trafficing and/or abuse, your feedback is welcome, but please do not read this if you think it may trigger your trauma. I did not write this with the intention of harming anyone, but rather to provide accurate representation for a group that does not normally get it in the hopes of changing the zeitgeist. I would like to see a world where more people understand what these experiences are like, so that real survivors do not have to deal with microagressions from an ignorant public. Reader discretion is advised. This book does not display these elements as heavily as book 1.
8 156 - In Serial247 Chapters
Sovereign Cipher: Overpowered Evolution (LitRPG)
“In some way unknowable but instinctively felt, Pneuma was both royalty and a monster. To be respected and feared. Trint was in awe. He wasn’t even sure what Pneuma looked like… but his fear was justified.“ Trint, an average, middle-aged nobody who suffered a terrible encounter, finds himself thrown for a loop when Earth is integrated into the Iterations. He must ascend through level-gated realms till he either hits the top or dies. Adopted by a mysterious family Dynasty, Trint receives an equally-mysterious companion and faces his greatest challenge yet: he must now succeed at becoming a monster-wrecking machine or he will never recover what he lost. ---------------------- Release Schedule: Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Bonus chapters when I feel like it. Author Background This is my very first time writing a story. The first time I've shared it with more than one person. I know it's not perfect, but I'd appreciate any comments you wish to share. Be honest but respectful, and I know I can get better. I hope someone enjoys this story as much as I did writing it. Story Elements: The story included LitRPG elements that help build the world but will not have constant readouts of stat sheets. There will be nothing rated beyond PG-13 romantically/sexually. Violence is the main contributor to reader discretion. This will be a story involving violent battles and detailed death. Patreon https://www.patreon.com/MavTech
8 558 - In Serial11 Chapters
Fuckgirl ✓
"I'm a fuckgirl actually. Feel free to call me daddy though"➪ HyeWon/HyeRimRanking;#1~oliviahye (22/05/2020)#1~parkchaewon (28/05/2020)#1~hyerim (11/06/2020)#2 ~golivia (14/06/2020)#3 ~sonhyejoo (04/01/2021)✎: 29/04/2020✓: 26/05/2020© to @lilymlily7
8 135 - In Serial10 Chapters
Caught (ON HOLD)
8 170

