Chapter 125

Chapter 125

Old Country but Its Name is New (4)

“Lee Aseul... if speaking of Representative Arthur Lee already receiving treatment as a hero who saved the country in Joseon.”

London’s Joseon scholar Cho Byeonghyeon laid out words pleasant for British people to hear as flashily as possible.

“Think. Established a huge merit of repelling the traitor who tried to swallow the country whole. But if not properly conferring honors just because young how can be called a proper country?”

“Hahaha. Of course!”

“Heard Joseon also now trying to formally introduce the European-style honor system. Planning to confer medals in the name of the king and the court to those who established great merits for the country, and Lee will of course be treated as a hero who saved the country.”

“Then nothing conferred even in Joseon style? Currently?”

Sharp guy.

Cho Byeonghyeon smiled faintly and loaded a perfect European gentleman-style counter.

“Yes. All he declined himself. The reason that Joseon is still chaotic and if a foreigner receives excessive honors hard to unify public opinion. So even more our His Majesty is anxious! One who devotes so for a country not even born! How not praise and endure one who walks the thorny path only because correct!”

With wahaha laughter applause burst here and there.

Originally humans are animals who like being praised for their uneasy parts. This is absolutely not saying say ‘wow tall’ to a 158cm person or say ‘wow abundant hair’ to a bald light bulb.

An dishonorable person wandering looking for honor is the principle of the world. British people suffering from deficiency symptoms of morality and conscience more than anyone felt vicarious satisfaction tasting this rare praise.

“Then will ask one. Did the Joseon royal family intermarry with Japanese or Chinese royal families until now?”

“Not so. Until now the three Eastern countries mutual diplomatic relations were very rare and exchanges themselves not very many. The Joseon royal family consistently intermarried with domestic influential noble families.”

Now roughly familiar with Western customs, adapted to Arthur Lee-style medicine selling techniques Cho Byeonghyeon could leave various impressions on those gathered here with just a very little exaggeration and fuss.

The father of the Joseon queen receives the title of single-promotion duke (buwongun).

If speaking of Arthur Lee an excellent philosopher who left deep impressions on great scholars of Joseon and China early with that intelligence and extraordinariness, even setting aside those achievements and merits the top among Joseon’s nobles.

What reason gilding like this?

Of course to make Representative Lee a British noble.

Looking only inside Joseon this national marriage has nothing particular to be a problem. Lee Aseul is a figure not strange even rising to the rank of meritorious subject only he declined, and although personality a bit suspected no room for doubt that the level of that learning is excellent.

The problem is the West.

These guys have many cases of noble-commoner marriage prohibition where royal family marries royal family, nobles marry nobles.

Britain seemed relatively less the recognition that royalty must marry only royalty, but still marriage with a commoner not even a noble did not seem something very welcome in these Westerners’ eyes.

Joseon diplomats stationed in this London were making various efforts to make Arthur Lee whom the king already marked in his heart a British noble.

And if one more effort.

“Joseon’s king must be the best Confucian scholar. Like the person ruling Britain is the head of the Anglican Church, the Joseon king must! Be the guardian of the three bonds and five relationships!”

Absolutely.

Absolutely will not convert!

So stop turning idle water!

***

British Empire.

Birmingham.

“Hello, representative!”

“Good morning, representative!!”

Various businesses Arthur Lee manages.

Among them if saying the top company of course LG Company, but those friends have only one very small branch in Birmingham. Why would a shipping company be in Birmingham. In London.

So of course here, if saying the place symbolizing Arthur Lee in the heart of industry Birmingham <​Lee Gears>.

Lee Gears employees who commute about one hour earlier than the set time could often enjoy the luck of meeting Arthur Lee at the factory site main gate. He joked with the guards, or was sweeping the front with a broom, or was chattering something profound caught by reporters or lumpen.

No way British workers have no interest in success or rising in the world.

Moreover Lee Gears is a place unusually interested in new ideas or improvement plans.

Since cases of catching Representative Lee wandering here and there in the factory and raising direct memorials and instantly riding the promotion path not one or two, ambitious employees always early commute and peek at the main gate.

“Damn.”

“Why?”

“That damn furry bastard is holding the boss. Must present my awesome conveyor belt improvement plan to the boss!”

“That guy seen often recently.”

“The boss also strict. Absolutely does not let inside.”

Arthur Lee was leaning his body obliquely against the wall listening to the long speech of one furry dressed in a suit. Fatigue and annoyance were thickly applied on that face.

“So I am neither an Owenist nor a socialist. Would I be interested in such if crazy?”

“Management policy one to ten all that side but not an Owenist. No need to make excuses trying hard. If you also aware of the duty as a scholar, and as a social elite how about participating in the worker conference to be held in London soon?”

“No I am a vicious capitalist who wants to increase my profits squeezing the workers’ blood.”

“Understood! Understood, this vicious capitalist! Will call vicious capitalist so speak a bit about your ideology or beliefs underlying that vicious exploitation acts! Curious how much evil conspiracy plotting that doing 40-hour work week, holiday bonuses, annual leave system, night school operation, performance pay! My goodness such a terrifying capitalist exists!”

This furry named Karl Marx had never been permitted entry beyond this main gate into the factory.

The security team employees received strict orders absolutely not to let this vicious demon head into the factory, and the furry also did not cause trouble like infiltrating the factory and preaching world revolution to workers or transmitting heavenly demon divine art. If hearing Arthur Lee is not there he quietly disappeared.

But if Arthur is there a bit different story.

“Lee Aseul! Is this seat’s communist demonic art so fearful! Why refuse the spar! Perhaps refused because not interested in trivial spar not life and death?”

“Wow too too scary I too fearful but I am not a martial artist.”

“Gal!! Your bones and muscles anyone seeing a martial artist! Even scattering the energy of demonic art full and truly claim not a demonic person! Let’s compete hand techniques with me!”

“Euaak! Crazy furry is catching a person! Vanguard! Vanguard!!”

Even doing this absolutely did not let into the factory.

From the beginning the reason the furry came to this Birmingham and peeked was only one, because not even meeting in London. At least here stood at the factory main gate and accepted talk.

“Why not even letting approach in London but here at least conversing? At least fine sitting and talking while having tea somewhere?”

“You are a being as harmful as the black death to growing children and adolescents. Even just nearby the red plague spreads to my sons and daughters or protected.”

“Heo... is this that Eastern superstition or something. Then will not even open the mouth one word to the kids. If so can get one cup of tea?”

“No.”

“What problem again.”

“Seeing your lewd acts seems big trouble even just putting near my daughter. No way a lecher like you will not harbor black heart seeing my daughter the world’s most pretty and beautiful and cute and smart and possessing intellect and dignity.”

“What damn...”

The furry confirmed this man is a crazy guy and cleanly gave up on this topic. Dirty and disgusting but no choice but him coming to Birmingham.

Instead he diligently spoke to satisfy academic curiosity.

“The evidence you are an Owenist is too firm no need to even mention. Isn’t this enterprise management also one social experiment?”

“What social experiment... I have never studied those people’s learning. What on earth is Owenism?”

“Because a person named Owen is a pioneer so Owenism, a romantic but a bit distant from reality flower field-like ideology. Humans are all good but this world dyes them with evil, so if providing a good environment and blocking the malice polluting their hearts and making a society where everyone cooperates-”

“Puhahaha!”

“Why laughing?”

“Humans good. Hard to enjoy natural lifespan living with such soft thoughts. Just looking at this British land how many non-human beast bastards? All my management activities are ultimately to create more profits, not to move such delusions to reality.”

The furry after exchanging a few talks, no longer visited Birmingham.

Seeing that appearance the furry’s eternal left guardian and pushover Engels one day asked puzzled.

“No longer visiting Birmingham?”

“Right.”

“Why? Didn’t see Arthur Lee’s management as an improved version of Owenism?”

“He might become our most powerful adversary.”

The furry whether unable to be sure himself, carefully pronouncing one character one character with the mouth slowly unraveled the thread in his head.

“What Lee dreams of is perfect subjugation.”

“Like feudal lords?”

“No. Like the pope.”

Pope. Pope.

Right. The pope was the most appropriate metaphor.

“He hopes to bestow not only the workers’ abundant life but happiness in daily life, even self-realization all himself. Wants to monopolize everything except salvation in the afterlife! Really crazy. Wanting to attribute even all employees’ souls as the price of bestowing all that. Even the pope would not be this severe.”

“Then won’t be pushed in business by other vicious capitalists? Ultimately the capitalist who exploits more winning in the market natural?”

“Well...”

The furry stopped not speaking even while finding himself absurd.

“No matter how looking exploitation Lee seems doing more severely.”

A bit unfortunate story for Arthur who is making all sorts of efforts to shake off the reds who keep obsessing.

The red friends’ regret devastation obsession has not even started yet.

© 명원 #1jwz2