Chapter 142

Chapter 142

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 142: The Big Picture

Liang Xiaojun stared blankly at Kim Minwoo.

What on earth did he just hear?

“President? What do you mean...?”

“Don’t you want to be?”

“I do want to, but... That’s not the point.”

Was the presidency something you could just claim whenever you wanted?

It was the highest position in a country with a population well over a billion.

And the current president, Li Zemin, had been in power for over 20 years. This meant his roots and foundation were far deeper and more extensive than anyone could imagine.

But what about Kim Minwoo’s attitude?

He spoke as if that position could be swapped out like a simple part. It was utterly absurd.

At that moment, Kim Minwoo asked seriously.

“Is there any reason you can’t take that position? From what I see, you have a solid foundation.”

“......”

“China’s first SS-rank achievement Awakener. You broke France’s record too. I heard the Nine Dragons Guild thinks highly of you? And from what I gather, you’ve proven your loyalty.”

“Th-that’s true, but...”

“I’m not saying you should become president right now. I told you, think big.”Reead latest chapters at novelhall.com

President Li Zemin.

They were cooperating now, but there was no guarantee this would continue indefinitely. To put it bluntly, he was only funding them because he was being blackmailed, not out of love.

If a plausible opportunity arose, they would betray him without hesitation. This was evident from the internal atmosphere of the Nine Dragons Guild, as Liang Xiaojun had told him.

Bide their time.

That was their motto, to wait until the opportunity came, but what more was there to see?

It was much better to have his loyal follower sitting in the president’s seat than Li Zemin, who had an unreliable relationship with them.

‘A loyal subordinate who can never betray me is actually the President of China?’

A smile already bloomed on his face.

“Of course, if you don’t want to, I won’t force you. Even if it’s a lucrative position, it’s meaningless if you don’t desire it.”

Liang Xiaojun remained silent.

But one thing was certain.

His eyes were filled with desire.

The presidency of China. Who wouldn’t be tempted by that?

In fact, greed was slowly burning in Liang Xiaojun’s heart.

The president?

The president!

Of course, it would be absolutely impossible for him alone. But with a powerful supporter like Kim Minwoo backing him up?

‘...It’s possible.’

Hadn’t every man once dreamt big?

In the end, as he got older, he became worn out and conformed to reality.

To make him president?

It was definitely a thrillingly attractive offer.

After a long silence, he spoke.

“Do you have a plan?”

“Of course. But first, you need to become a hero.”

The picture of an average Joe becoming the president didn’t seem to fit well, no matter how he looked at it.

Liang Xiaojun also needed to quickly elevate his status. Only then would he be a suitable replacement for Li Zemin.

“If you help me, Kim Minwoo...”

“Of course, I’ll do my best to help you. When the time comes, I’ll shake the upper echelons of China for you.”

Gulp.

It seemed the reality was starting to sink in as Liang Xiaojun licked his lips.

“...Then, what do I need to give you...?”

“Before that. What do you think of China?”

“I just think of it as my homeland...”

“From now on, think of Korea as your spiritual home. When you become president, you can repay the favor. Simple, right?”

Honestly, what did Liang Xiaojun have to offer at this point? Rather, he was in a position where he needed to be nurtured.

Fatten him up.

And enjoy the feast once he’s plump.

“Alright, I’ll do it!”

“Good. Now, list all your competitors within the party. If there’s anyone among the top ranks you dislike, list them too.”

For Liang Xiaojun to become president?

First, he needed to rise within the Communist Party, win internal power struggles, and secure a spot in the Standing Committee, the highest-ranking body.

Money, items, skills, etc., were already being generously provided by China.

Rather than direct support, indirect support would be more beneficial. For example, pulling down competitors or potential obstacles within the party.

Gulp.

He swallowed hard and wrote down the names of all the people he thought might become obstacles in the future. Most of the names were unfamiliar, but a few stood out.

These were names of influential figures in China.

Among them were even names of Politburo Standing Committee members. Kim Minwoo nodded after seeing the list.

“They’re all from Hu Guochang’s faction, aren’t they?”

According to the announced data, it could reach an astounding 3,000 km per charge.

Even more surprising was the fact that, despite its performance, the battery’s weight had significantly decreased.

Additionally, the battery could be miniaturized for use in various products beyond vehicle batteries.

Unsurprisingly, reporters bombarded them with questions about how this was possible.

―You must have many doubts. We will prove everything through a demonstration at the Yeongam International Circuit tomorrow morning. Ilsung’s new vehicle models will also be unveiled, so please look forward to it. You will witness pure, unaltered performance. Guild Master Kim Minwoo will personally handle the presentation...

―?

―What did I just see?

―Does this make sense? With this kind of performance gap, American battery companies would go bankrupt!

―They’ve only released the data so far. Could be fake.

―Yeah Right. Would they drop Kim Minwoo’s name if it was a bluff?

―Good morning, lol. Ilsung’s stock is sure to skyrocket tomorrow.

―Ah, crap. I’m an American shareholder. What’s with the circuit breaker?

―Hold tight, lol.

―Battery stocks are in a free fall.

―Apple’s going down too, LMAO.

―Of course, lol. If Ilsung phones use its miniaturized versions, it’s game over.

―Are you kidding? A circuit breaker over a rumor?

―Do you think Kim Minwoo’s name is tabloid-level?

―(Info) Kim Minwoo is an international figure with connections to the Chinese president, US president, and Saudi king.

―Looks like he’s going all in lol.

―Yep, panic sell is over? Suckers who sold in a hurry got cut, lol.

―Still not learned? America is invincible, lol.

(Picture of President Robert smiling brightly)

―Believe it, you bastard haha

―For real, lol. Even if it’s true, the US will just use it too.

Just 1 minute after the announcement, the S&P fell 7%, triggering a circuit breaker.

15 minutes later, when the circuit was released, it rebounded to -2%, and the stock price started to ride a roller coaster.

Did they torture aliens?

Did they really develop something like that?

No way.

There must be some performance exaggeration.

And the US won’t just collapse like this, right?

The night that made countless stock investors cry and laugh was over, and the next morning came.

A huge crowd had already gathered at the Yeongam International Circuit.

CNN, FOX, ABC, etc.

Numerous American broadcasters, as well as leading foreign media outlets.

They all came to visit.

It was no surprise.

For days, they had been tipped off about an exclusive, so they were well-prepared.

Standing before the crowd, Kim Minwoo spoke.

“Hello. I’m Kim Minwoo. You’ve all heard about the performance. Today’s demonstration is simple. The car next to me is a new car developed by Ilsung. It’s called Voltron. Cool, right? It’s packed with slime batteries, and we’re going to run it until it stops completely.”

Voltron.

A sleek-looking SUV.

After briefly explaining the specifications of the Slime Battery and the vehicle, he glanced somewhere.

“The Korean government officials will assist in verifying various aspects, including weight. There will be no tampering, so you don’t need to worry. I’m not the type to play petty tricks.”

As government officials proceeded with their verification process, he looked around and spoke again.

“There are a total of ten Voltron vehicles prepared. All of them will be filmed both inside and outside during the drive. Since we need to drive a lot, the drivers are important too. It’d be great if they had plenty of stamina and excellent concentration. So, we’ve invited some notable people.”

With those words, someone appeared from behind the stage, and the crowd widened their eyes.

The other nine people were not surprising. They were members of the Ilsung Guild.

They were all familiar faces.

But only one was different.

“...Isabella?”

Isabella.

After visiting the Sword Sect in Korea, she had practically disappeared from the public eye.

Not only did she suddenly appear here now, but she also said,

“Nice to meet you. I’m Isabella. I’ve been appointed as the ambassador for the Slime Battery developed by Ilsung. Please note that I am not endorsing the vehicle Voltron itself, so there should be no misunderstanding.”

She casually announced her role as the ambassador.

It was shocking.

Isabella, known for only endorsing the best products. Her reputation for being extremely selective about advertisements was notorious.

But here she was, for the first time ever, endorsing an East Asian company’s product—the Slime Battery.

Not endorsing Voltron, however?

That could only mean...

‘Wait a minute.’

‘Doesn’t this mean that the slime battery is the best?’

The verification stamp was stamped before the demonstration even started.

The reporters, sensing a scoop, quickly typed on their laptops.

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