After spending over two hours inspecting the island, Shō Unkai and his entourage set out for their return to Lanrei County.
On August 15th, his seventh day in Lanrei, the offshore drilling team finally brought good news—they'd struck oil.
And not just any oil: high-quality light crude.
Simulation estimates put the reserves in the Jida Bay seabed at no less than one billion tons.
When Shō Unkai took the call and heard "one billion tons," he couldn't help but roll his eyes.
That figure was wildly conservative. The actual deposit, as revealed by his system, was 3.39 billion tons.
Still, it was just as well.
A ten-billion-barrel field wouldn't cause as much of a stir. Globally, there were already dozens of fields of that size. For example, neighboring Brunei had proven reserves of 1.4 billion tons. Oil wealth had boosted its GDP and brought its people's average income to $20,000–30,000, second only to the Lion City in Southeast Asia.
He reminded the team not to publicize the discovery just yet, then hung up and immediately called his father back in Changan.
Ring, ring.
After a few moments, the line connected.
"Hello?"
"Dad, it's me. The Energy Bureau's team just struck oil—light crude. Top-quality."
"I told you we'd find oil and you didn't believe me," Shō Unkai teased. "Now even the Energy Bureau has confirmed it."
The voice on the other end grew urgent.
"How much reserve?"
"They're estimating about one billion tons," Shō Unkai replied.
"Excellent! Outstanding! The heavens truly bless Shinhan!" King Shō Kōkei's delight was palpable.
"Dad, we need to form an oil extraction company fast," Unkai continued, his tone turning serious. "We should also accelerate equipment procurement before anything derails the process."
"And we'll need to beef up military and police presence near Jida Bay. We can't have foreign agents trying to sabotage us."
"You're right," the king agreed. "I'll alert the military and have them on standby."
"Also, you should come back soon. Don't wander around outside too much."
As always, King Shō Kōkei worried for his eldest son's safety. It gave him peace of mind when Unkai was close by.
"Got it. I'll head back tomorrow."
Now that the groundwork had been laid, Shō Unkai had no reason to linger in the field. Besides, no hotel could match the comfort of his own palace. He had more to discuss with his father—ideas for downstream development, like refining and petrochemicals.
Selling crude oil might be simple and profitable, but refining it produced even more valuable derivatives. Everyday necessities like asphalt and advanced materials like carbon fiber—used in stealth jets—were all byproducts of refining.
Building a petrochemical sector wouldn't just bring down import costs, it'd also create jobs and spark industrial growth.
The next day, Shō Unkai returned to Changan.
That very afternoon, he met with his father.
He summarized the outcomes of his trip and then laid out his broader plan.
"As for tourism," said the king, waving it off, "do as you see fit."
"But about oil—did you say we should cooperate with Longguo? Their refining tech isn't the most advanced in the world."
"True, but they have what we need: trained workers and solid equipment. We've got neither."
Shō Unkai leaned in.
"More importantly, cooperation with Longguo offers us a strategic shield."
"Yes, the U.S. has top-tier refining tech, but they always want to dominate the game."
"Longguo is different. They promote win-win cooperation. Once the news of our billion-ton oilfield gets out, they'll come knocking. That's when we offer to co-invest in a refinery in Lanrei."
"I'm certain they'll say yes."
Of course, Shō Unkai could just buy the tech and experts directly from the system. But that wasn't the point. By joining hands with Longguo, he gave Shinhan geopolitical leverage—deterrence against the U.S. and its notorious regime-change antics.
With Longguo involved, any underhanded move would risk escalating into a regional standoff.
Plus, Longguo was one of America's largest creditors. They needed Longguo stable.
King Shō Kōkei looked at his son with admiration.
"Not bad at all. You've thought this through. Looks like your years in Longguo weren't wasted."
"Alright. If you think we should cooperate with them, then that's what we'll do."
Shō Unkai nodded. "Dad, I also think you should pay Longguo a state visit. Oil's just the start. We should push for deeper bilateral ties—film, agriculture, medicine, tourism."
He had his own reasons, of course.
He wanted easier access to Longguo's markets for his companies.
With the system and his knowledge of the future, Shō Unkai could export cutting-edge entertainment and medicine to Longguo. This wasn't importing innovation—it was the other way around.
King Shō Kōkei mulled it over and agreed.
"Yes, it's time. This isn't just about oil. It's about long-term economic and national security. A visit is the right move."
With his father on board, Shō Unkai finally let himself relax.
All that was left was to schedule the trip.
After communicating with Longguo's Foreign Ministry, they locked it in.
Three days later, on August 19th, King Shō Kōkei would depart for a state visit to Longguo.
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