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73.01% Harry Potter: Blood of the Dragon[COMPLETE] / Chapter 368: 368. King To King

Chapter 368: 368. King To King

Bangkok,

"Nice," Magnus couldn't help but say it after reading the big sign over the airport building.

"What nice?" Emma asked him.

He shook his head, "You are far too young to understand the complexities of our reality, girl. Be happy in your ignorance."

(ಠ_ಠ)

Before she could retaliate, Magnus walked away. It was a fresh breath of air in a new country he's never visited before. Bangkok was pretty westernised in some cases and not so much in others. The government clearly didn't know where their priorities should be.

He knew that this was the era of investing in healthcare and education so that in the future they can have a skilled workforce.

But here, money was spent on the army, building new offices and stuff. What was the point when the people remained poor? This was the problem with a majority of Asian countries that were not Japan.

Magnus admired Japan, how it came out as an economic powerhouse was something to be taught for generations. But a few flaws in their society were already clear. Toxic work culture would destroy them, he reckoned.

In the United Kingdom, he was going to issue new labour laws with designated better minimum wage, holidays and benefits. Of course, it cannot be too much or else producing things will become too expensive.

"Sir, the car is waiting." an assistant directed them.

A whole entourage of 7 cars were there, all Rolls Royce, black in colour. There was a UK and Thailand flag on the hoods. The truth was that the Thai King was more interested in Magnus' wealth and business tycoon image than his prince status. That's why he was ready to provide the best treatment possible.

On their way to the reserved hotel, Magnus saw a variety of things. The roads were mixed with modern vehicles and also traditional animal pulled carts. There were nice shops as well as traditional small stalls. The country gave the feeling of one stuck between two eras. The same was the case for most countries in the region.

"Why are there so many police?" Emma asked.

"Just a few days ago, a violent crackdown by Thai police and right-wing paramilitaries was carried out against leftist protesters who had occupied Bangkok's Thammasat University. Papers in our country are calling it the 6 October event. The official statement says 44 dead, unofficially says 100." Magnus briefed her.

She was taken aback, "The world is so strange, who needs a Voldemort when we got mini Voldemorts in all countries?"

Magnus chuckled, this was similar to what he had said at his royal crown prince coronation ceremony.

...

"Why did the Prince come here just after that incident?" A General asked the King.

"He didn't come all of a sudden, it was planned a month ago. And it was you who couldn't even do a little crowd control. Know this, the more such incidents occur, the less likely we are to get any kind of investment." The King warned the General.

But the General was dumb, "Why should we worry about outsiders, as long as we control the country we can have money."

"But the people will be poor and angry, you can't kill everyone who raises a voice, at one time, they just won't care as they'll have nothing to lose. You will not have enough bullets then, you will scream as they shred you to pieces. And... You're fat, can't even run." The King mocked the guy. If Magnus was here he would've burst into laughter and given the King brownie points.

...

The next day, the official meeting was to take place. Magnus' Dragon Service had already checked the country's magical community. It was also done for Magnus' security, it was, after all, better to know if any enemies were hiding.

Simple to say, Thailand's magical community was not unified. Spread around into various smaller communities. Thankfully, they were not communists.

He sent Emma on a sightseeing trip with Adrian, while he came to the Palace with Edgar and Ted. The muggle diplomats would deal with their things while he did his own. He soon arrived at the Grand Palace, the official ceremonial residence.

The king was 49 years old, he was crowned in 1946, Magnus was somewhat disappointed in the fact that he wasn't able to achieve anything worth mentioning until now. He didn't have complete control over his country, there was so much violence going on around.

He was received by king Adulyadej, the man wore a military-styled royal dress. Magnus quickly checked his mental shields, and there were none. Strange for a King.

"Welcome to Thailand, prince Pendragon." The king greeted him and shook his hand.

~So he does not know about my other identities? Hmm, ignorance is bliss... for me.~ he happily looked inside the man's head while talking to him normally. There were the usual things, lunch, serious talks about useless stuff. The real talking would happen in their secret discussion.

With Magnus was Ted, while with the King had some random guy, a translator. Magnus started, "Do you know why I came here?"

The king was taken aback by Magnus' way of talking to him informally. However, Magnus was going to give him the shock of his life, as he had read the mind and knew that the King didn't really have anything against the wizards, instead, it was the wizards who didn't give him any importance.

"Do you really not know anything about my other identity? Fine, Ted, show it to him. It's better to start the real talk after we both know where the other one stands." Magnus instructed.

Ted quickly took out a file from his bag and handed it to the King. There were a few things written about his identity. The magical one as well, including whose descendent he was and his standing in the magical community.

"So, now that we are on somewhat equal footing, let's talk a king to a king. We don't need any third person listening to us, I can speak your language just fine. Ted, take this gentleman translator outside." Magnus ordered. His words were taken much more seriously now, as King Adulyadej also nodded.

Once they were along, Magnus rested back on this chair, "Man, you are one incompetent king, even with all your resources you were not able to bring your nation to the right path. You made the classic mistake that every other dictator or overly-confident king does, you thought you were better than everybody else.

"You tried to micromanage the country, ending up doing more harm. There is a reason why in democracies there are specialised departments and ministries to deal with every aspect. Just one person can not be best at economics, healthcare and the military.

"So tell me, Adulyadej, what is even your endgame? Are you just interested in staying the king or do you want to actually make something out of your nation?" Magnus asked him, staring him directly into the eyes.

King Adulyadej felt like he was being stared down by a predator and he was a small mouse. He gulped and thought about his next words. The Thai king was under great pressure right now, it was coming from his own generals as well as from USSR. There were a lot of communists in his country. The student unions supported communism more than monarchy, but he knew that in the long run, communism was worse. He hoped to make the country a democracy, a real constitutional monarchy, but the truth was, his generals were so power-hungry that they would not allow this, they'd rather launch a coup, kill him and seize power.

His options were limited and his status as a King didn't mean shit right now. "I... I want the people of Thailand to enjoy the same calming life as the people of your nation. As people of other successful European nations. I want to remain a king, one who is loved. I want there to be peace and unity among the various communities."

Magnus nodded, he took out a document from his bag and gave it to the man, "Then sign this and have everything you want. If you agree, you will be a close ally of the United Kingdom, your nation will get industrial technologies, security and trade agreements. Your people will have Visa-Free access to the United Kingdom as well, they can come and study there, get a better education, return and bring greatness to this ancient land.

"You saw Bhutan, I did all that, the nation that was suffering from poverty is now a middle-income country. Poverty is eradicated, everyone lives a decent life. I won't promise you the same as your country is big, it has a population of 43 million. But, as long as you can bring better healthcare, education and jobs, the population graph will become better and the per capita income will increase."

King Adulyadej looked at the document in his hand. It had the title written in big bold letters, "Proposal for the creation of the THAI CANAL"

[You can see Thai palace and king on my Discord - https://discord.gg/DgHkrAn OR see them on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mister_immortal_novel]

Give Monke Stones!

[A/N: Late today cuz I went to watch Spiderman.]

__________________

You can read 20 Advanced chapters and Marvel fic at -patreon.com/misterimmortal.

Special thanks to *DougErNuts* *Oluwatimileyin Olayemi* *BirdRant* *Franklin Walley* *Brennan Tubbs*


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
MisterImmortal MisterImmortal

1 Stone = 1 King Banana. [Effect: Become the king of a Banana republic of your choice.]

Chapter 369: 369. The Asia Plan

King Adulyadej looked at the document in his hand. It had the title written in big bold letters, "Proposal for the creation of the THAI CANAL". The proposal went into detail that this canal would connect the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. As currently, 30% of global trade and a majority of oil tanker ships goes through Malacca Strait, which will only increase as China and other nations develop. But the Malacca Strait is also too shallow in some parts, stopping ships from being too big.

The Thai Canal was first proposed in 1677, but the idea was discarded as impractical with the technology of that time. In 1793, the idea resurfaced. In the early-19th century, the British East India Company became interested in a canal. After Burma became a British colony in 1863. Then finally, in 1897, Thailand and the British empire agreed not to build a canal so that the regional dominance of the harbour of Singapore would be maintained. Singapore was a British Colony at that time.

But now, things are different. Malacca Strait was narrow, there was a limit to how much can pass through. Thai Canal can be an alternative, not only will it offer the world a faster and less congested shipping route, but it would also develop the southern region of Thailand which was too far away from the capital, hence left underdeveloped.

Of course, the report submitted was full. It also told the Thai king what problems he might face in the future. Among them were that the canal will divide the country physically and pose a security risk. It is feared that the canal would separate the four southernmost provinces from the rest of Thailand and allow secessionist movements to further develop. Of course, it was proposed that a network of 10 tunnels will be made all along the length of the canal, the Thai Government only has to make the roads. This will make sure the north and south are connected.

The King looked at Magnus with a suspicious gaze. The deal was too good to be true, as he had not seen any cost mentioned in the document. But he reckoned that it would cost no less than what the UK and France were spending on the Channel Tunnel.

"The GDP of my nation is just 16.9 Billion USD, this project is likely going to cost more than a billion. I don't think we can spend this much on it." King Adulyadej regretfully said. He was very much interested in this project, knowing Magnus' company, Emrys Construction had taken huge projects and had delivered in record time with the best quality.

Magnus smiled at this, the right time to haggle had come, "Adulyadej, it's free of cost, my company will build it, then run it until we have recovered the cost and 10% in profit, after that, it will be handed to the Thai Government."

"But of course, I would like to buy something in return from you, a small island in the Gulf of Thailand, It's called Ka Tao. The United Kingdom will own it on lease for 300 years, and it shall be used as a shipbuilding and repair island for the Royal Pacific Fleet. We are increasing our navy after the exit of the US from Vietnam. The whole region is unstable with Communist regimes popping up in all countries. Because the island is close to Thailand, we will be able to buy necessary materials faster.

"Of course, it can be in the agreement that no armoured ship will dock at Ko Tao. In return, Thailand can become a military ally of the United Kingdom, it means that an attack on you will be an attack on us."

Magnus knew that this deal was too good for Thailand, he was not even buying the island, just leasing it, and considering it was just a small 25 sq/km big, it was a waste of money.

However, if one were to look at it realistically, he needed it to keep the world at peace. South-East Asia was a hub of violence right now, the USSR and China are funding communist movements in countries and helping them take over. This was not in line with Magnus' ideals. For peace and prosperity, communism was a big no, a Socialist-Capitalistic Democracy was needed. [A/N: Socialist only in terms of healthcare and education so all citizens get a good standard of living. But Capitalistic in all other things.]

Magnus was not planning on giving up Hong Kong completely, but knowing China had nukes and a decent navy, he felt he needed to do the planning. At the same time, he planned to later make the entire Asian region a manufacturing hub, making each country fight each other to give manufacturers a better condition. This will ensure that no single country in the region becomes too rich and powerful that they start bullying others.

But for this to happen, he needed to do some editing on the current governments and policies of these nations.

King Adulyadej looked at Magnus' face as if speaking with the devil, this deal could make or break his nation, of course, Magnus wanted to make it, but people don't always believe in him. Still, with how Bhutan and Zimbabwe turned out, Magnus had a good reputation.

"How much will this Canal cost exactly?" he inquired.

Magnus answered with some extra details, "It will cost 1.5 Billion dollars, will last a whole year in development, will require about 50,000 workers. We don't need too many as my company uses wizards for many big tasks. Still, you will generate about 2 million jobs in an indirect way. To sweeten the deal, I will help your country transition into a true democracy, bring the military truly under the government and stop all the communist movements. In short, I will not allow any divide in your country as my investments will be here. My ways are extremely peaceful too."

Again, examples were many, like how the UK solved Uganda's threat. King Adulyadej took a long breath, his brain hurt. This was a lot, the major problem was the lease of the island, the people will spread propaganda against him that he's selling the country.

However, the offer was great, according to this, he won't have to spend a dime, instead, he will get money and employment. At the same time a military alliance, protecting Thailand from any communist invasion from Laos. Cambodia was already a democracy as brutal dictator Pol Pot was suddenly killed in an explosion with other high party members. [A/N: Magnus's people did it a few chaps ago.]

But he still couldn't decide on allowing Magnus to get so deeply involved in his nation's politics. "That's a lot to think about, King Magnus. I would like to speak with my trusted advisors first. Give me some time to discuss it."

Magnus agreed, "Sure, but make sure you don't mention anything related to wizardry, the laws are really strict in this case, you know. I will tour your country meanwhile. Take care."

Magnus left the Palace and headed back to his hotel. He had already implanted a listening spell on the king. Like hell would Magnus allow someone to use him wrongly. He wanted world peace and knew that the path was full of hurdles. Strong men were not always easy to bend.

Back at the hotel, he met the muggle delegates. They had proposed economic treaties with the Thai government. Free trade agreements, special Visa, special concessions for British industries to set up manufacturing there. A lot was talked about, but it will not be truly offered if the King accepted Magnus' offer.

...

"Were you bored, Emma?" He saw Emma sitting on the sofa and watching the television. He easily lifted her and placed her on his lap. She didn't even flinch.

"Absolutely, it was fun to roam around the jungles and the cuisine is also great. But I missed you, Adrian was no fun, always looking left and right for safety. Though I did feel like a monkey in the zoo with people staring at me initially, then we used magic." She complained.

Magnus laughed, "Hahaha... forgive Adrian, he's an ex-auror and even his current job is related to being a soldier. I just hope he's not like this with his own children. Come, get your compulsory feel-good hug from me."

She jumpily turned to face him and spread her legs across his lap and hugged him tightly, a simple warm act, nothing perverted, it was enough to make her happy.

"Pack your bags, my little bird, I reckon it will take the King a week to decide everything. We're going to travel not just to Thailand, but also Cambodia," he suggested to her.

She pouted, "Don't call me a little bird, I feel like some kid."

He patted her head, "Well, in my dragon form, your Eagle form is indeed like a little bird. Wait, do you want to fly on my back in my dragon form?"

"Can I?" she looked unconvinced.

"I'm as big as a truck at this point, so heck yes. I'm kinda excited now. WHY ARE YOU STILL SITTING, GIRL? Be quick, or I will leave you." He suddenly shouted.

Emma quickly ran to pack her bags, "Dammit, too much pressure!"

[A/N: Magnus is basically taking away China's all hopes and dreams of regional hegemony at this point. Of course, he does not know it yet. Though there will be a small confrontation between him and China when they will ask to get Hong Kong back.

By the way, what Magnus is doing is huge, the Thai Canal can have a big effect on world trade. In our real world, Malasiya fears this all the time. But right now, China has signed a deal with Thailand showing interest to develop the Canal, the work hasn't started yet though.]

[You can see the canal plan on my Discord - https://discord.gg/DgHkrAn OR see them on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mister_immortal_novel]

__________________

You can read 20 Advanced chapters and Marvel fic at -patreon.com/misterimmortal.

Special thanks to *DougErNuts* *Oluwatimileyin Olayemi* *BirdRant* *Franklin Walley* *Brennan Tubbs*


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