Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend

Chapter 172

Translator: DreamscribeAfter the Fukushima incident, countless countries began calling for a Nuclear Phase-out and searching for alternative energy sources.

But nothing in the world matched the efficiency of nuclear power.

If anything, the scramble to gather other resources led to power shortages and placed a growing burden on ordinary citizens.

"Even so, everyone was reluctant to build nuclear power plants. Because the public was anxious."

Chernobyl. Fukushima.

Those two had an enormous impact on public perception.

"But now, opinions have shifted again. Citizens are feeling firsthand just how massive energy costs have become. On top of that, frequent blackouts caused by power shortages have made people realize the need for nuclear energy more than ever."

Nuclear power was a double-edged sword.

But if managed safely, it was the most efficient energy source in the world.

"And what delivered the final blow was the Russia-Ukraine War. Natural gas supplies across Europe and the rest of the world took a hit, and the burden fell squarely on the people."

The Russia-Ukraine War didn't just hurt Russia and Ukraine.

As the world's breadbasket turned into a sea of fire, grain prices skyrocketed. Economic sanctions and pipeline explosions cut off natural gas supplies, sending those prices through the roof as well.

"But there is one entity at the center of all of this."

A force involved in countless incidents, one that had stoked the surge in grain prices and natural gas costs.

It was Kwangwoon.

The problem was that Kwangwoon had sent a donation of over one billion dollars to the IAEA.

"Has a donation of this scale ever come into our International Atomic Energy Agency before?"

"A single corporation, not a nation, putting up a billion dollars, that's a first in IAEA history."

"It's Kwangwoon we're talking about. They're famous. The amount of money Kwangwoon Group is raking in these days is beyond imagination."

In media, they had Netflix and PicPic.

In finance, the KW Exchange.

On top of that, during COVID, Kwangwoon was the sole vaccine seller.

And that wasn't all.

Kwangwoon had conquered the vast oceans under the banner of Kwangwoon Shipping.

"I heard Kwangwoon is making more money than any other entity in the world?"

"The details are impossible to know. Their core companies aren't publicly listed."

"Why on earth are the world's governments leaving a group like that alone? At that scale, they'd easily run afoul of antitrust laws, wouldn't they?"

As the atmosphere grew increasingly heated, the Secretary-General calmed them down.

"We don't need to have that kind of discussion. Leave complicated political matters to the politicians. We just need to do our job."

Antitrust laws and whatnot.

They didn't need to worry about any of that.

All they had to do was focus on nuclear energy.

"What Kwangwoon wants is to prevent the release of the Fukushima contaminated water, correct?"

"Yes. They've asked us to conduct another thorough investigation."

"But didn't Japan decide to release the Fukushima contaminated water because they've reached their limit?"

Japan had initially stored the Fukushima contaminated water separately.

But with all their storage facilities completely full, they had no more space and decided on the release.

"And when our side conducted an investigation, didn't we already conclude there was no problem? Besides, Korea and several other developed nations release treated wastewater on a daily basis, don't they?"

"But Japan has falsified their figures on several occasions. And frankly, their claim that they have no more storage space is just an excuse. They can build more storage facilities. They simply choose not to because of the cost and public opposition."

The best method was to build underground facilities for storing the contaminated water.

In fact, many nuclear nations stored their wastewater this way.

Japan had refused to excavate underground facilities, citing seismic and geological concerns, but everyone present knew that was nothing more than an excuse.

"So what Kwangwoon wants is to delay the Fukushima release for now?"

"They want us to make an official statement. That we cannot permit the release without a more thorough investigation."

Of course, the Japanese government could choose to ignore the IAEA.

But if they did, Japan would be the one to suffer.

Because if the IAEA officially declared the Fukushima contaminated water problematic, all Japanese seafood exports would be banned worldwide and Japan's international credibility would plummet.

"That's exactly what Kwangwoon understands, which is why they made this request to us."

"In other words, they bribed us. To make us dance to their tune."

"Do we really need to interpret it that way? Our own people have consistently raised concerns that Fukushima's contaminated water may not be safe. And given Kwangwoon's recent moves, there's no reason for us to take a hostile stance."

Kwangwoon had been pouring massive investments into the Guyana region, seemingly out of nowhere.

And after the terrorist attack on Jackson Mobil there, rumors of Kwangwoon's involvement had been quietly circulating, but that wasn't the important part.

"You're all aware that Jackson Mobil's chairman stepped down and Kwangwoon took that seat. And that there's uranium in Guyana. Doesn't the connection become obvious?"

"Are you saying Kwangwoon is interested in nuclear energy development?"

"Without a doubt. One of Jackson Mobil's subsidiaries is in nuclear power, and numerous Korean companies have already been deployed to Guyana. Companies capable of excavating deep underground facilities, no less."

But nuclear reactors couldn't be operated in underground facilities.

Storing contaminated water underground was one thing, but running a reactor was another.

"However, if it's an SMR, it becomes possible."

Small Modular Reactor.

A facility four to five times smaller than conventional nuclear power plants, considered next-generation nuclear technology. It required less space, caused less environmental damage, and was easier to install and decommission.

And the greatest advantage of this type of plant was that it could be installed underground.

"Guyana has many mineral veins and a vast network of underground facilities. Korea has also been researching SMRs for a long time. The fact that they sent us this enormous sum in the midst of all that means Kwangwoon isn't doing this simply out of concern for the environment."

In other words, Kwangwoon was making its move into nuclear energy.

Specifically, into the SMR technology currently under development.

Did anyone really believe Kwangwoon had sent that fortune because they were worried about the Fukushima release?

No. They were using this situation as justification to join hands with the IAEA.

"This is good for us. Think about how many people have scorned nuclear power under the banner of a Nuclear Phase-out and tried to push us aside."

The IAEA did not advocate for a Nuclear Phase-out.

They never said it outright, but they believed nuclear power was the only technology capable of saving humanity.

Yet the world had treated the IAEA like a villain, criticizing everything they did as corrupt.

It had been a long, humiliating time.

"But if it's Kwangwoon, if they take the lead, we can accelerate the advancement of nuclear technology."

As a prime example, the entire donation Kwangwoon had provided would go toward investment in nuclear technology development.

Until now, hadn't nations slashed investment or outright halted research because of the risks associated with nuclear power?

But if Kwangwoon became a reliable source of funding, the stalled progress in nuclear development could resume at speed.

A chance for nuclear energy, long scorned and marginalized, to soar again.

That was exactly what Kwangwoon was creating.

"But, Secretary-General. We're talking about Kwangwoon. A corporation trailed by countless conspiracy theories. Handing them nuclear technology? What if their goal isn't energy, but something else entirely?"

At that, the Secretary-General let out a wry smile.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I understand you're worried about nuclear weapons development, but at the end of the day, they're just a corporation. What would they do with nuclear weapons? Surely you don't think Kwangwoon would do something that insane?"

* * *

It seemed the public image of Kwangwoon was that of a relief pitcher.

The kind that acquired struggling companies and rebuilt them from the ground up.

"So even though we didn't hold a single share of Jackson Mobil Related Stocks, they came to us for help?"

"Yes. Jackson Mobil's Market Capitalization had dropped from 400 billion dollars to 200 billion, and apparently there was significant internal turmoil. Since we happened to be spreading investment money around Guyana, they extended a hand asking us to save them."

Jackson Mobil had spent a staggering 100 billion dollars on share buybacks.

That left them with no capacity to repair their facilities in Guyana.

As a result, the cash-strapped company handed over Management Rights to us and requested that we normalize their Guyana operations.

"In a way, you could say we got it cheap. We brought home the Management Rights of a massive energy corporation like Jackson Mobil."

As various funds and shareholders transferred their shares to us at a low price, Kwangwoon secured Management Rights over Jackson Mobil with a total Controlling Stake of 5%.

"That's a win for us, right?"

To be honest, I wasn't sure whether it was really a win or not.

"I think it depends on how we utilize it going forward, sir."

That was the tricky part.

How was I supposed to understand and manage the energy sector?

Of course, my hyungnim and the executives at headquarters would handle it.

"Oh, and we received a response from the IAEA."

So I put that aside for now.

What had my attention at the moment was the IAEA.

"What did they say?"

"They said they'll send an official letter to Japan requesting a proper inspection. Apparently, that would delay the contaminated water release by up to a year."

That was a relief.

What worried me the most was the environmental damage from the contaminated water.

Other countries, including ours, released treated wastewater regularly, but Fukushima was a different case entirely.

"By the way, the IAEA also made another proposal."

"Another proposal?"

"Yes. They're suggesting a joint investment with the Guyanese government to develop SMR technology."

"SMR..."

"Small Modular Reactors. Korea has been researching SMRs for a long time, but funding was drastically cut from the previous administration through the current one, so research has essentially ground to a halt. The proposal is for the Guyanese government, the IAEA, and Kwangwoon to join forces and do it properly."

My first reaction was reluctance.

I had sent that donation to the IAEA with the environment in mind.

And now, out of nowhere, nuclear power, the very thing with the greatest potential for environmental destruction.

"But SMRs are different. They don't eliminate environmental impact entirely, but they can minimize it significantly, and their scale is small. If we can develop this technology properly, it could drastically reduce our energy problems. And if our country succeeds in developing it first, we could become the frontrunner."

Right at that moment.

A Tingling rose from the soles of my feet and reached the crown of my head.

It was a clear signal from my instincts.

"So if I'm thinking about the environment, this is ultimately the right path?"

"Yes. Because of the Russia-Ukraine War, Europe has scrapped its Nuclear Phase-out plans and is leaning back toward nuclear power. That means the vicious cycle keeps repeating. But if we develop eco-friendly, safe technology, we can break that cycle, can't we?"

It seemed the Department Head was right.

Once more, the signal spread through my body so intensely it made me shudder.

"Then please coordinate with headquarters and have them proceed with it."

My role ended right there.

I wasn't an expert in that field anyway, so it was easier to leave it to headquarters to handle the cooperation with the IAEA.

"But if we block the Fukushima release, the Japanese government is going to push back hard, aren't they?"

"Yes. But they won't be able to force it through. If the IAEA announces there's a problem with the Fukushima release, the damage to Japan would be too great. On top of that, opinion among Japanese citizens is apparently divided on the release."

Even though the Fukushima contaminated water hadn't been released yet, conspiracy theories were already circulating that all Japanese fish were soaked in radiation.

That was how profoundly the Fukushima disaster had impacted the world.

In this climate, citizens opposing the release feared it would deal an even greater blow to public perception.

Honestly, I was one of them.

"So we can stall for about a year, but after that, there's no way to stop it?"

"Correct. The Japanese government is determined to go through with the release."

So all we could do was buy time without actually preventing it...

"They won't change their minds?"

"Unless there's a shakeup in their political leadership, it'll be difficult."

Strangely, at that, a sharp prickling sensation ran through me.

"Are there any elections in Japan this year, by chance?"

"Ah, yes. I believe there are several local and mayoral elections scheduled."

Could this be why?

"Then could you bring me a list of those?"

* * *

"Another year of this? Are you out of your mind?"

"But if we don't comply with the IAEA's decision, the national consequences will be severe. As galling as it is, we have no choice but to follow their lead."

The IAEA had already dispatched a team once and announced that there was no problem with the Fukushima contaminated water. Now, out of nowhere, they had reversed course and declared a reinvestigation.

"I'm told Kwangwoon is behind this?"

"Yes. Apparently they threw a billion dollars around and requested a reinvestigation of the Fukushima contaminated water."

"Why would Kwangwoon suddenly do that? There's no way they actually care about the environment."

"It seems Kwangwoon is using Japan as a pretext to break into the nuclear energy sector."

Kwangwoon entering nuclear energy.

Perhaps the worry that came first was just paranoia.

"Ugh. What the hell are we supposed to do about these people?"

If it were anyone else, it might be different.

But Kwangwoon was not an enemy they could afford to make.

The only reason the current administration could maintain its position was thanks to Kwangwoon.

At their behest, Kwangwoon had sacrificed former Prime Minister Dobe as a pawn to install the current regime.

If that fact ever leaked to the outside, there would be no greater political scandal.

That was why they couldn't recklessly provoke Kwangwoon.

One wrong move, and it was obvious an unprecedented crisis in Japanese political history would erupt.

"However, Prime Minister. There's a strange rumor going around."

"What rumor?"

"Kwangwoon is reportedly funneling sponsorship money to candidates in this year's local and mayoral elections."

"Sponsoring candidates is nothing new. That's always been a thing."

"Yes. But this time it's different. On the surface, they appear to be backing people who oppose the Fukushima release, but if you look closely, there seems to be a different motive."

A different motive?

What other motive could there possibly be?

"The majority of the candidates receiving Kwangwoon's sponsorship are reportedly of Korean descent."

"Wh-what!?"

"Some have one Korean parent. Others lived in Korea before naturalizing in Japan."

"Wait. So you're saying Kwangwoon is using the contaminated water issue as cover to plant people of Korean descent into our political system?"

Some might say that a single corporation's support couldn't change much.

But Kwangwoon was different.

Didn't they wield the formidable power of media?

And what if they used the social media platforms that dominated Japan to promote those candidates, while spreading malicious content about their opponents?

On top of that, ever since Japan declared full market liberalization, Korean companies had been taking over Japanese cities en masse.

What if those companies threw their full weight behind those candidates?

"S-surely Kwangwoon wouldn't be trying to... our Japan...!"

Not right away, perhaps.

But someday, a Japanese citizen of Korean descent backed by Kwangwoon would become this country's Prime Minister.

And when that day came, this nation would become Kwangwoon's colony.