Chapter 390

Chapter 390

Anyone who has ever been in the military would have asked this question at least once.

Why can’t the officers use cell phones but the soldiers can’t? Why do I have to stay locked up inside the unit even after work is over?

In fact, the reason is simple. It’s because of money.

All kinds of people flock to the military regardless of region, education, income, or assets. Therefore, it is necessary to block any actions that require money at all so that there is no sense of incongruity among the soldiers due to the asset gap.

It’s because it’s gone up a lot now, but in the past, a sergeant’s salary was less than 100,000 won.

You may think that there is no need to spend money to feed and sleep in the military, but how can a person live on only rice?

Even if you only buy snacks and drinks at PX, the money is quickly spent. Shampoo, skin, lotion, etc., as well as various cold protection items in winter, you have to buy with your own money. (Because military supplies are small in quantity and poor in quality)

Salary alone is not enough, so they ask to send money to the house, and when they go on vacation, they usually use pocket money from their parents.

What a funny situation this is, he said, he doesn’t get money to protect the country, but actually uses his own money to protect the country.

Going into the military will waste not only time but also money, so everyone is probably trying to get out of the military.

No one would object to giving the military the minimum wage. But when this talk comes up, there’s always a budget talk.

On TV, a discussion program was organized and sent out, and experts and members of the National Defense Commission had heated discussions with me.

“Look at what has been revealed. If only I had saved the money that was leaking in the meantime, I would have been able to raise the salaries of the soldiers significantly.”

“Think. Assuming that 500,000 soldiers are given 1 million won a month, the budget will be about 6 trillion won. Based on the current wage system, 2 trillion won is already paid out, so an additional 4 trillion won is needed a year. This is an amount equivalent to one-tenth of the total defense budget, and it is impossible no matter how much money is saved.”

“I increased the budget of the Ministry of National Defense by trillions of won every year, but where did that money go?”

“Isn’t it used for the modernization of equipment and weapons?”

“So, even if you have money to buy weapons, doesn’t it mean that you don’t have money to raise soldiers’ salaries?”

“The security of a nation depends on one fighter, one warship. If we reduce the purchase of weapons to raise our salaries, it will lead to a decrease in military power and weakening of security, and eventually this country will be reunified with North Korea.”

“Based on that logic, why are the soldiers paid? If you don’t pay the salary you paid at all, and use that money to buy dozens of more fighter jets, your security will be that much better.”

“So the current salary is enough. Are you going to the military to make money? An army should be an army.”

“What does being in the military have to do with being in the military and having a low salary?”

“Isn’t it possible to lead a celibate life when the salary is low? With a certain amount of abstinence, you can develop patience and learn how to take care of yourself. If you learn to distinguish between when to stretch your legs and when not to stretch your legs, that is the foundation for being able to fulfill your role as a member of society. Still, there are many accusations that this government will increase my salary, let me use my cell phone, and increase my number of nights out, so I am a member of the Tang army.”

“U.S. soldiers are paid several times more than Korean soldiers, carry cell phones, and go out on weekdays. So, as you said, are the U.S. troops also Tang troops?”

“No, I mean… … .”

“The lawmaker who said that was also exempted from the military, so he must have learned patience, how to take care of the top and bottom, and the distinction between when to stretch and when not to stretch. As a member of society, I have no foundation to play my role, so what do you do as a member of the National Assembly?”

“What, ma? Do you want to play with me now?”

* * *

The resignations of incumbent generals followed.

If embezzlement and bribery are discovered during the investigation process, and the person receives a sentence of imprisonment without prison labor or more or is discharged from service, the severance pay and pension are reduced. To avoid such a situation, the first step is to resign.

The Ministry of National Defense tried to secretly accept the resignation, saying that crawfish are crabs. However, Kang Jin-hoo said, ‘It is common for pro-North Korean gangsters to accept the resignation of officers who have acted in transfer and provide them with severance pay and pensions. If anything like this happens, please report it.” The Ministry of National Defense announced that it would not accept resignations of those involved until all investigations were completed.

Those who commit corruption have no idea what to say, but there are no graves without excuses in the world.

“I didn’t come to the military to play, and when I was in the military, I had no complaints even though I wore worse clothes than that.”

“It’s okay to eat meals past the expiration date because people in their twenties digest it well.”

“The US military buys all kinds of combat boots and uses them. It’s free, so what’s so bad about it?”

“The seniors had no problem even after eating more, so why are you doing this to us?”

“For decades, I have sacrificed and devoted myself to the country and people, looking only at the country and the people, but it is too unfair to be punished for such a mistake.”

He even angered the people by saying, “If there is a war, the US military will fight it for you, so there is no problem even if you use a weapon with a slightly inferior performance.”

– Haha, these bastards are still out of their minds.

– Hey! Anyone who hears it would think it was forced labor or free service.

-What kind of sacrifice and devotion are you taking all your paychecks and eating them and treating them like private soldiers?

– Taxes paid to you are not worth it.

-Spit out all the money you’ve been hurting~

-If the US military is going to fight, just disband the army!

-Shooting is the only answer!

– No bullets. Let’s stab it with a bamboo spear!

As public opinion swelled, the civil servants became nervous all at once.

Ministers of each department set out to catch up with discipline. Official notices have been issued urging them to be careful about even the smallest entertainment and social gatherings that have been held in the name of custom.

Everyone was dissatisfied, but after seeing the stars of the Ministry of National Defense hung up one after another, no one was able to speak up.

There is no law prohibiting Kang Jin-hoo from doing the same thing again.

He even went up to the Prime Minister and ordered the eradication of corruption, and major reforms began.

In fact, it is true that Korea’s integrity level has improved significantly. However, it was also true that it still fell short of the people’s expectations.

Credit rating agencies such as Moody’s and S&P evaluated this positively. This is because, if corruption is eliminated, administrative efficiency will increase, and it will greatly help to attract and revitalize investment.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I was alone in bed.

I got up. Going downstairs, I saw Ellie sitting on her couch, drinking her coffee.

“When did you wake up?”

“Okay. I exercise in the morning and wash up.”

That’s why my skin and hair were still moist. Ellie is pretty today.

“I am diligent even on weekends.”

“I’ve been busy these days, so I haven’t been able to exercise much. I have to do it when I have time, like today.”

I also made coffee in the kitchen.

When I first moved into this house, I thought it was huge, but now I don’t think so. It just feels right?

If you ask me to live in the house I used to live in, I won’t be able to. Looking at this, it seems that humans are definitely animals of adaptation.

I looked out the window in the living room. Looking at the sunlight and the green garden, I realized that summer was approaching.

Will it be very hot this year?

We were drinking coffee together, and Taek-gyu in training clothes came out to the living room.

“Why were you late yesterday?”

“I met Enrique.”

“What did you do?”

“He said he wanted to go to Neverland, so it was good to go and watch the parade together.”

“Oh yeah?”

This is a theme park run by the Seoseong Group, and I went to play with Ellie before.

Princess Enrique has a pretty and cute appearance. Besides her, she has a lively personality and she likes games, anime and cosplay.

Therefore, she is the ideal type that comes out of a dream for men who like games and anime.

Again, not long after transferring to Hankuk University, his popularity exploded among engineering students. It is said that she received a lot of promotions and debuts in the entertainment industry. She refused, saying that she wanted to focus on her studies.

In fact, they seem to be having a hectic day, whether to follow the lecture or learn Korean. Nevertheless, Taek-gyu and I met frequently. During that time, we became close friends, and Princess Enrique naturally called Taek-gyu “oppa”.

He’s really old, so he’s right.

But why do I keep calling you CEO?

Thinking so, Taek-gyu said something out of the ordinary.

“I feel like this these days.”

“What do you think?”

“Don’t you think I am popular with women?”

“Huh?”

Generally speaking, it is highly likely that men are mistaken. But if the person speaking is Taek-gyu Oh, the story is a little different.

Just by looking at his face, he doesn’t look like he’ll be popular at all. But judging people based on their looks is stupid.

At least you have to look at the property and judge it.

Taek-gyu Oh is the second-largest shareholder of OTK Company and the second richest person in the world. The halo was truly amazing.

A person’s charm is not just one, but a combination of everything. Appearance, personality, knowledge, habits, manners, speech, occupation, assets, etc.

Therefore, having a lot of money is definitely the charm of Oh Taek-gyu. He didn’t inherit it, but especially if he earned it with his own abilities.

In fact, even when he was in Europe, many women asked why Taek-gyu didn’t come with him. That’s why Oh Taek-gyu’s popularity was worldwide.

His fortune is post-Korean, so his popularity is global, right?

“Why do you think so?”

Ellie asked quickly.

“Tell me now.”

“It’s nothing special, we were having dinner together yesterday, and Enrique suddenly asked, ‘Oppa, what are we doing?’”

At Taek-gyu’s talk, Ellie and I looked at each other’s faces.

Ellie had her eyes wide open. Maybe my face isn’t that different.

What are we? Really, what in the world did you ask this question?

“So what did you say?”

“I didn’t know, so I said I’d think about it.”

It’s certainly not an easy question to answer. Because there are so many different interpretations.

In order to give the right answer, it is necessary to first accurately understand the intention of the questioner.

“What do you think you are?”

Taek-gyu pondered for a while, and then he said.

“Sum?”

Language articulates not only the physical but also the ideological. For example, there is no such thing as a baseline that clearly distinguishes between morning and afternoon and between breakfast and lunch.

The same goes for human relationships. For example, if you say that you became a lover from a friend, it is difficult to clearly distinguish between the extent of the friendship and the beginning of the lover.

The funny thing is that there are more and more cases like this, so the term “sum” has been newly created. And the term again serves to spread the phenomenon.

In the past, from friends to lovers, now we are in a situation where we have to go through a stage called “something” in the middle.

“Do you know what a thumb is?”

At my question, Ellie nodded her head.

“of course. She didn’t know what she was talking about when she first heard the words ‘someone’, ‘someone’ and ‘someone’, but now she knows for sure. ‘It’s like my giant, it’s like mine, not mine,’ or ‘closer than friendship, farther than love’, ‘not a lover and not a friend’ kind of relationship.”(Read more @ wuxiax.com)

“I understand correctly.”

“There are many such concepts in foreign countries. But a thumb is an unstable relationship.”

“right. It has direction rather than certainty.”

A friend or lover is the purpose of the relationship in itself, and it is stable. On the other hand, the relationship of a thumb can be a process but not an end. Because of this, there is a tendency to always move in any direction.

If you move backwards, you just go back to being friends or a man and woman, and if you move forward, you develop into lovers.

In fact, after meeting for a while, you should confess that you want to date or stop dating, but they just met!

If it was so frustrating, would Princess Enrique ask such a question in the first place?

So, would it be safe to say that it was a phrase that I came up with because I wanted to build a stable relationship beyond the unstable relationship?

Taek-gyu scratched his head and said.

“But come to think of it, Min Ha-young and Yang Hana have asked similar questions before.”

“What!?”

I was surprised by that again.

Why the hell is he so popular?

As a friend, I think I want to do well. But why does my stomach hurt? Is it your mood?

Ellie asked with a smile.

“What’s wrong? It’s not like I’m jealous of envy, is it?”

I shook my head resolutely.

“Yeah, it could be.”

I can’t be jealous of Oh Taek-gyu!

“So who do you like?”