The Soviet Union's final condition.
Was that it hoped the Republic of Burkina could stand with the Soviet Union at certain crucial moments, such as votes on important matters in the United Nations General Assembly or the Security Council.
This was a very lenient political condition.
Sankara had no reason to refuse!
After he agreed to all the Soviet Union's conditions, three billion rubles were transferred into Sankara's account almost immediately, while the remaining seven billion rubles were deposited in a dedicated account.
It was as though they were terrified Sankara might change his mind.
That showed just how desperately the Soviet Union needed uranium ore! They had not even considered what they would do if Sankara turned out to be a fraud.
Of course, given the KGB's ability to turn MI6 into the KGB's United Kingdom branch, they could recover those three billion rubles even if Sankara really was a fraud.
After Yalikovich left.
"Ten billion rubles!"
Back in his office, Sankara looked rather excited.
Even in his previous life, with its severe inflation, he had never held so much money.
"At the current international gold price, ten billion rubles is roughly equivalent to a hundred and one metric tons of gold! In my previous life, a gram of gold was worth 485 yuan... in other words, I'm holding nearly fifty billion yuan right now!?"
If all the other factors were taken into account, these ten billion rubles would only be worth more than fifty billion yuan in his previous life!
As the saying went-
Money gave a man courage!
The same held true for a country. The stone that had still been hanging somewhat uneasily in Sankara's heart finally settled completely once this ten-billion-ruble loan was in hand.
"We have a great plan, but we just don't have the money!" A certain rabbit in his previous life had once spread both hands and said those words.
Now,
Sankara also had a great plan, and he was not short of money!
At least, that was true for the Republic of Burkina, with its territory of less than 300,000 square kilometers, a core population of only a little over twenty-two million, and a national GDP that could not even match a poverty-stricken county in his previous life.
Ten billion rubles converted to 1.1 trillion North African francs.
That counted as having no shortage of money!
Presidential Palace, Republic of Burkina.
"Invest fifty billion North African francs over ten years to build a thousand primary schools, a hundred junior high schools, twenty senior high schools, and two universities across the country!?"
At his first glance after opening the document, the newly appointed Minister of Education, Latéoré, almost suspected something was wrong with his eyes.
After confirming that he had not misread it, he could not help challenging him:
"Mr. President, have you gone mad? Isn't that far too big a stride? Aren't you afraid you'll tear your balls?"
"Fifty billion North African francs!"
"If my calculations are right, that's almost half our government's annual revenue, isn't it!?"
"Are you sure the government can come up with that much money?"
Rather than getting angry at Latéoré's questions, Sankara answered with a smile:
"The government certainly can't come up with that much money."
"But I can!"
"It's only fifty billion North African francs!"
"???"
Only... fifty billion North African francs!?
Are you sure you're speaking human language?
Latéoré almost jumped up, pointed straight at Sankara's nose, and said those words.
But the next second.
Traoré froze as though he had been struck by lightning, because he suddenly remembered that the sentence before "It's only fifty billion North African francs" had been-
"But I can"!
Gulp-
Coming back to his senses, Traoré swallowed and looked at Sankara in disbelief as he asked in a trembling voice:
"Mr. President, did you say you could come up with those fifty billion North African francs?"
His tone was soft and extremely cautious, as though a dreamlike bubble floated before him, one that would burst if he so much as breathed a little harder!
Instead of answering directly, Sankara fixed his gaze on Traoré.
Name: Augustin Traoré Nationality: Republic of Burkina Age: 37 Position: Minister of National Education and Literacy Rank: Ministerial Loyalty: 84
Only after staring at the digits 84 for quite some time did Sankara answer:
"I just reached an agreement with the Soviet Union!"
"Using over a million metric tons of uranium ore as collateral, along with giving them priority in buying the mined uranium ore at market prices, I secured an interest-free loan of ten billion rubles from them."
"Three billion rubles of that, or three hundred and thirty billion North African francs, is ours to spend freely. That's where I'm getting the fifty billion North African francs for the schools!"
A loyalty of 84 was already enough for Sankara to place sufficient trust in him!
Uh... all right.
His loyalty was already 89 now!
"!!!"
After hearing Sankara's words, Traoré sat in his seat with his eyes wide and his mouth agape. He desperately wanted to say something, but his mind, blank with shock, had no idea what to say.
Quite some time passed.
It might have been five minutes, or it might have been ten.
In any case, by the time he came to his senses, Sankara had already lowered his head to deal with other official business.
"Ahem..."
Traoré coughed lightly a few times, signaling to Sankara that he had recovered.
Only after Sankara raised his head again and looked at him did Traoré speak, his voice still trembling a little:
"Mr. President, I'm delighted, and very excited!"
"On behalf of every child in the Republic of Burkina, I thank you! Because in all these years, you are the president I've seen who places the greatest importance on national education!"
"I thought what you said at the meeting a few days ago about taking education seriously was nothing but empty words. Now I see that I misunderstood you with the basest of suspicions!"
"But!"
Hearing that "but," Sankara sat up straight too.
Because he knew that once this "but" appeared, the long speech Traoré had just delivered was all bullshit. Everything he actually wanted to express would come after it.
The result was just as Sankara had expected, as Traoré continued:
"I still think you're moving too quickly, Mr. President. The people of the Republic of Burkina may not be able to keep up with you!"
"Building a thousand primary schools, a hundred junior high schools, twenty senior high schools, and two universities is indeed a great plan! But Mr. President, have you considered our country's actual circumstances at present?"
"What I mean is... Mr. President, have you considered one possibility?"
"That the schools will be built, but no one will be willing to send their children to them? And that our schools won't be able to recruit enough teachers either?"
"To put it bluntly, in our country, most people at the bottom are farmers, and farmers are shortsighted. They place more importance on immediate gains."
"They would rather have their children work in the fields and produce an immediate return than spend ten or twenty years sending them to school, even if that could produce greater returns!"
"So my suggestion is to keep the budget at fifty billion North African francs, but use only ten billion of it to build two hundred primary schools, twenty junior high schools, four senior high schools, and one university."
"We can use the remaining forty billion to provide subsidies for students!"
"For instance, let them attend primary and junior high school for free, and reduce or waive tuition in senior high school and university, so tuition won't keep them from being able to attend school."
"For instance, provide them with free breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, so they won't become malnourished or even starve to death because they can't afford food."
"For instance, provide students with excellent grades a scholarship large enough to tempt their parents, so their parents can see that even while attending school, their children can provide returns they can see immediately."
"For instance..."
"I think this might be more suitable!"