I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 101



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I got the omnipotent tongue 101

dinner of the leaders

“You haven’t left yet?”

President Obama frowns, seemingly uncomfortable, and asks his Chief of Staff, Emanuel.

“Yes, Mr. President. It is said that neither Hu Jintao nor Medvedev have any sign of leaving yet.”

At international events like the G20, it is customary for those with higher protocol to arrive later. Now that all the other leaders have arrived at the venue, China and Russia, who should have been crawling on their own, have not yet left and are just watching each other closely.

“As expected from authors who like unnecessary formalities. Do you really believe that this kind of chicken game will work?”

“Currently, public opinion in China is very bad. People are protesting every day, demanding that they not give in to the United States. This kind of ceremony seems to be an attempt to save pride by arriving later than the United States.”

The United States and China are currently in a trade dispute.

China has been operating a fixed exchange rate system. It has fixed the value of the yuan to the dollar. Naturally, this has led to the devaluation of the yuan, and China’s trade competitiveness has increased. The United States recorded a current account deficit of 150 billion dollars in trade with China last year, and in order to recover this, it pressured the Chinese government to abandon the fixed exchange rate system. China, whose trade with the United States was absolutely essential, could not withstand the pressure of the United States to raise tariffs, and eventually had no choice but to abandon the fixed exchange rate system and adopt a managed floating exchange rate system in June of this year.

This meant a virtual surrender, so public opinion in China was not favorable toward the chairman and the Chinese Communist Party. President Hu Jintao was in such a desperate situation that he had to protect even this small bit of pride.

“Let’s go. When your friend is in trouble, you have to help him.”

Obama says with a smirk.

Russia departed shortly after Obama arrived, and President Hu Jintao was able to arrive at the venue last, as he had planned.

After a brief welcome speech, Obama looked around. He could feel the atmosphere of the hostile leaders.

It is natural. The United States has not yet completely recovered from the financial crisis caused by the subprime mortgage. Since the domestic economy is not good, it had to fill it somewhere and sought to find momentum for a rebound in the trade deficit that is growing. It is not unexpected that it is pressuring all countries with trade deficits, including China, to fix their exchange rate systems.

“How are you, Merkel?”

Obama greeted the German chancellor, with whom he had little direct interest.

“It would have been more comfortable if the US had not waged such a loud currency war.”

Merkel glances at Obama and says:

As expected, words have their backbone.

“From Germany’s perspective, the current situation must be satisfactory. Is it really reasonable for a powerful country like Germany and a relatively weak country like Poland to use the same currency? Poland suffers from inflation every day, while Germany reaps the benefits.”

In Obama’s view, the EU is a structure in which the powerful plunder the weak. It legally sucks up the labor of the weak countries to increase the competitiveness of their own industries and accepts a large number of immigrants to stabilize the prices of labor-intensive consumer goods.

“You should ask the European Central Bank (ECB) about such matters. Talking to me, who has no authority, won’t change anything.”

But they probably don’t think so. Merkel’s face says it all.

“Germany is also enjoying the fruits of China’s abandonment of the fixed exchange rate system, so I think it would be better for Germany to be thanking me.”

The trade deficit is not just a problem for the US. The EU has also taken a step back and supported the pressure the US is putting on China.

“Of course, it was beneficial for us too. The problem is that the US is also touching the euro and the yen.”

Merkel looks around, her throat burning. A server is moving around with champagne. Merkel calls the server and gets a glass of champagne. She then offers it to Obama. The two raise their glasses to each other, toast with their eyes, and then drink the wine.

And Merkel’s eyes widened.

“The champagne is delicious.”

“It’s not champagne. It’s called Sekt. Champagne is a sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France. This is clearly German. It’s Rotkappchen, the most beloved of Germans.”

Merkel drinks her wine with a satisfied look on her face.

Jehee was contemplating which champagne to use for the reception, and eventually decided to use German Sekt. The champagne that was satisfactory was too expensive, and there was also the intention of wanting to please Merkel, who would remain as German Chancellor for another 10 years. Above all, German wine was famous for being cheap and good quality.

“There are a lot of good wines coming out of the US, so I should definitely let the chef know about them.”

Obama jokes while drinking a Jet.

“That’s not true. I heard that the chef in charge of dinner tonight is a fine-dining chef in New York. It must have been quite a hot topic in Korea, and there were a lot of reports about it.”

“Of course I know. I’m just saying this because I’m not American.”

Obama receives a report on the international situation every morning. He quickly recalled that the chef was mentioned in the report on the G20.

“I’m not offended that a chef known for his absolute taste chose German wine. It makes me curious about the food.”

As soon as she saw a table nearby with finger food on it, Merkel walked over to it and looked at the food.

“The food looks like a work of art. It’s all beautiful.”

“Oh. This is a crab melt made with brioche. It’s American style.”

Obama picks up the Brioche Crab Melt and takes a bite. The rich flavor of the brioche is softly chewed, and the strong aroma of mustard rises. Then, the sweetness of the crab meat and the melted butter and cheese add flavor and mix with the taste of the mustard. Obama thinks for a moment about where he has tasted this flavor that suits his taste.

‘Ah! Five Guys.’

It tastes just like Obama’s favorite burger. It’s a very fancy, fine-dining version of fast food.

“It’s really delicious.”

“I don’t like to put things between bread. Instead, try this. It’s a food you can’t help but eat.”

Obama was also interested when he saw the food Merkel was pointing at. It looked like something inside a beautiful amber cylinder, and it was a sensible finger food decorated with sea urchin, seeds, and basil. The two of them forgot about their argument for a moment and ate the food.

“This chef is amazing. You can’t predict what it will taste like until you eat it. The outer sheet looks like it’s made of pumpkin, but it melts in your mouth. And this is the taste of the sea.”

Merkel closed her eyes and savored the taste before taking a sip of the Sekt. It was a good match. Merkel thought that German wine was the best.

“I’m not really a fan of seafood, but this is a wonderful dish. I guess it’s because I learned it in New York.”

The best talent in any field eventually ends up in the United States.

“This chef is Korean and cooks Italian food in New York. It’s definitely fun.”

Merkel jokingly dismisses Obama’s America First policy as unheard.

“Jamie Oliver’s cooking was also good.”

Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, who had been thinking about joining the conversation between the two men, decided this was the moment to join in when the topic turned to food.

“This dish is made with Spanish ham. You two should try it.”

“Hello, Prime Minister.”

“It’s been a while.”

Two people greet Zapatero.

“Hamon is loved all over the world. Today, the chef has a good sense. He prepared ham because Spain is the host country.”

“This project is made in Germany?”

“I’m a chef working in New York.”

When the two people look at Zapatero as if asking what he is talking about, he smiles awkwardly.

“Haha. I guess I thought you were considerate of everyone. By the way, I misunderstood. It’s not Iberico ham.”

Prime Minister Zapatero tilts his head as he tastes a finger food made with ham.

“But it’s delicious. Jamón is also made in the United States, so it wouldn’t be strange if it were produced in Korea. It’s great to see the pride of Spain, Jamón, spreading widely.”

After hearing his words, Obama and Merkel also turned their attention to food.

“Oh my. This is really delicious. This chef seems to like surprising people. Nothing tastes as good as I expected.”

Merkel says, picking up a roll made of ham. She’s suddenly hungry after having a light meal on the plane.

“That’s right. Thanks to you, I got to talk to you like this, so I should thank the chef.”

Obama also liked finger food. Every time you chew on a roll made of ham, you can feel the crunchiness and vegetables inside. And the rich flavor of ham mixed with the soft sauce creates an exotic flavor. There are many good chefs in the White House, but this chef’s food is definitely fun to eat in terms of surprise.

While the leaders were gathered in groups of three or four and talking, a voice announcing the dinner came from the speaker.

“The banquet is about to begin, so all heads of state are requested to proceed to the banquet hall.”

The leaders looked around as they walked. Various Korean Buddhist statues and ceramics and other artifacts were on display along the passage leading to the banquet hall.

“A dinner at a museum isn’t so bad.”

The surrounding leaders laugh at Obama’s joke.

The seats were meticulously prepared, as if the Korean preparatory committee had put their heads together. The leaders of China and the United States sat with the host, the Korean president, between them, and the leaders who were not on good terms with China were placed farther away. Russia faced China, and the heads of international organizations sat between them, playing a role in easing tensions that could arise between the leaders.

As South Korea’s President Lee Han-young nods, servers walk around filling glasses with champagne.

“Thank you to the heads of state from each country who have come such a long way to attend this meeting. This wine is said to be produced in Korea. Let’s have a toast together. Welcome, everyone.”

The leaders raised their glasses in response to the host’s welcoming remarks. And everyone emptied their glasses.

‘This wine is better than I expected.’

Obama looked at the bottle label carefully, as he liked the surprisingly light apple wine. Apple is one of America’s representative traditional liquors. It has a familiar scent and the unique flavor of liquor aged in oak barrels. He thought he should grab a few bottles before boarding the plane.

Then the dinner began. It started with a salad.

“This is my first time seeing a salad like this.”

French President Sarkozy looks with interest at the salad served before him.

“It’s like a well-manicured garden put on a plate.”

“This dish is said to be a salad inspired by the gardens of Gyeongbokgung Palace, a palace in Korea.”

President Lee Han-young, who had been briefed on the cuisine in advance, explains the salad to the leaders. On the plate, various vegetables and flowers were elaborately plated, reminiscent of a beautiful garden. And in the center, an olive-colored sphere was placed, as if symbolizing an emerald lake.

“It really looks like an oriental garden. It’s so beautiful. I want to capture it on canvas.”

Merkel uttered the words and brought the knife to the sphere. The sphere burst in an instant, soaking the salad with dressing, as if water were spreading through the forest.

“This is a truly wonderful dish. I am astonished that you have given me such pleasure.”

Lee Han-young’s face brightened as President Sarkozy gave the host some words of encouragement.

“This is a chef we worked very hard to recruit for this G20. Please enjoy.”

“I’m a chef who runs a restaurant in New York.”

Obama adds a word.

“The taste is also great. It looks like they ground the olives themselves to give it that color.”

As Merkel and Sarkozy ate their salads, the other leaders began to eat as well.

The leaders, who had been expecting a typical banquet, moved their forks diligently in anticipation of what would come next when the finger foods and salads came out beyond their expectations.