Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Mayor's Selection
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Neo Incheon had changed.
Under the citizens' voluntary reports and cooperation, the city's stray cats gradually vanished.
They had all been "retrieved" to Catopia.
Even the air on the streets felt different.
The sharp, fishy ammonia stench that had permeated the alleys was gone. Now, instead of the foul odor from early morning garbage trucks that used to sting the nose, the faint fragrance of flowers blooming along the curbs wafted through the air.
Alleys fouled by rummaging through trash bags became relics of the past. The screeching mating calls of cats that tore through the dawn were silenced. The scratches that had conquered car hoods disappeared.
At the center of all these changes was Catopia.
The cats' paradise was packed with visitors every day.
State-of-the-art medical facilities perfectly managed the health of all resident cats, while playgrounds designed by animal behavior experts healthily channeled their wild instincts. Systematic adoption counseling and thorough follow-up care dramatically reduced abandonment rates.
The citizens were ecstatic.
Children learned the value of life in a safe environment, and adults healed the stresses of urban life by sinking into plush sofas and listening to purring cats.
The most astonishing changes occurred in the ecosystem.
Hummingbirds, absent for so long, returned to the parks.
In small flowerbeds amid the city, moles poked their heads out, and squirrels were spotted darting between chestnut trees.
"Oh my, were there always this many birds in the park?"
"Look over there, a squirrel carrying an acorn!"
"You kids, don't touch the moles carelessly... My acquaintance passed away..."
With the city's apex predator, the cats, gone, the small creatures that had been hiding began to emerge one by one.
Even the cat moms who once ruled the villa districts were powerless. Their amateurish care and emotional appeals paled in comparison to the systematic, scientific operations of the city hall's professional team.
As a result, Neo Incheon emerged as a global model for solving the stray cat problem.
Naturally, all the credit went to Mayor Lee Garam.
But behind this glittering success story was a tale the citizens knew nothing about.
When night fell, the work began.
Neo Incheon Environmental Protection Bureau, Wildlife Management Team.
They were known among citizens as the "cat hunters."
Thick protective suits resembling hazmat gear, helmets with night-vision goggles, and capture guns that silently fired nets using compressed air.
"Target confirmed. 3 o'clock direction, yellow cheese tabby. Individual number 742."
"Capture commencing."
The cat, wary on top of a retaining wall, bared its fangs and bristled its fur.
But the hunter's movements were professional. A net shot out in an instant, ensnaring the cat's body. It was trapped in a specially made cage without even a single yowl.
"Kyaa! What are you doing? Don't touch my babies!"
A woman burst out from a villa building. She was a remnant of the cat mom alliance that had once dirtied the area.
"Neo Incheon Environmental Protection Bureau. Managing stray cat populations per regulations."
"Managing? This is management? It's violence! Let them go right now! My babies are scared!"
But the hunter's next words sapped the cat mom's voice of strength.
"This individual is scheduled for transport to Catopia. Do you still object?"
"......What?"
The team member's voice carried no emotion.
"Catopia...?"
The cat mom's momentum faltered. It was a place incomparable to the cheap kibble she provided and the box houses covered in plastic.
Neo Incheon's safest and happiest feline paradise.
"It's the nation's top cat shelter operated by the city. State-of-the-art medical facilities, nutritionally perfect meals, spacious and comfortable living spaces—all guaranteed. Far superior to the damp kibble and contaminated water you provide. Do you still object?"
"......"
"Then please cooperate. This is the best choice for the cats."
The cat mom could say nothing more. Her amateurish affection paled infinitely before the professional system.
Right before her eyes, the strays she had cared for were loaded into special cages onto a truck.
The truck's side bore the "CAT-TOPIA EXPRESS" logo and a cute cat face.
But...
Not all cats actually went to paradise.
Paradise required qualifications.
The truck arrived not at Catopia's gleaming building.
It was an old warehouse on the city outskirts, untouched by human feet.
A faded sign read "Neo Incheon Wildlife Management Center."
This was the checkpoint. The judgment ground separating cats bound for paradise from those who weren't.
"Code A-027. Neutered female. Russian Blue mix. Estimated age 2 years."
Experts in white coats examined the cat's condition.
"Weight 3.2kg, within normal range. Excellent coat shine, good nutritional status."
"Superior proportions overall. Camera-friendly appearance. Suitable for SNS marketing."
"Purring confirmed. High affinity for humans. Immediate trust response verified."
Another evaluator offered a small treat.
Meow-
The cat cautiously approached and ate it neatly.
"Good kibble intake pattern. No pickiness. Maximum cost efficiency for rearing."
"Vocal tone confirmed. Low-frequency range, optimized for stress relief stimulation."
"Overall judgment: Catopia admission candidate. A-grade approved."
The evaluation was cold and swift, like inspecting factory goods.
Cats that were attractive, gentle, and human-friendly.
Free happiness doesn't exist.
In other words, productive cats earned tickets to Catopia.
They were no longer strays but paradise cat employees.
"Next individual, code C-113. Unneutered male. Korean Shorthair. Estimated age 5 years."
The veterinarian impassively checked the next cat.
Kyaaak-!
"Fangs 1.2cm long, heavily worn. Estimated high feral traits."
"Kibble refusal response. Threatening pupil dilation. High wariness toward humans."
"Unsocializable level. Classic feral cat characteristics."
A stamp was applied.
"Judgment complete. Unsuitable. Classified for Gyeyangsan release."
Cats with long snouts, rough fur, and wariness toward people.
The rejects were tossed haphazardly into rusty wire cages.
All cats are equal.
But some cats are more equal than others.
Korea's Animal Protection Law protects "stray cats." Harming or killing them arbitrarily leads to punishment.
But "wild cats" are different. Wild cats disrupting ecosystems in nature are classified as harmful rodents.
They can be captured, hunted, even euthanized.
This was the place where stray cats transferred to wild cats.
Deep in Gyeyangsan.
A truck stopped in a clearing undisturbed by anyone.
The cage doors opened, and the cats judged as wild spilled out.
Disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings for a moment, they soon scattered toward the forest on instinct.
Bang-
A muffled sound from a suppressed barrel echoed lowly.
A wild cat's head was pierced. The cats collapsed without even a cry.
Bang- Bang-
The silence-breaking sounds continued a few more times. The process was swift, quiet, and utterly efficient.
"Harmful wildlife population control complete. All processed confirmed."
In places untouched by Catopia's dazzling lights, the unqualified cats vanished silently.
"As expected... the mayor is no ordinary man."
The environmental policy chief thought of Lee Garam, the one who had designed it all.
And quietly shuddered.
When Lee Garam first brought the Nekonomics project, the staff had dismissed it as a rich eccentric's hobby.
The epitome of budget waste. Look at that ivory-tower nonsense. But what were the results?
Now he knew.
"On the surface, he puts on a dazzling show, captivating all citizens, the media, even animal rights groups. And in the deep shadows cast by that brilliant light... he handles the dirty, bothersome work no one else notices."
All of Lee Garam's aggro and antics were smokescreens to hide the cold but necessary system.
The mayor was right. As always.
"He bears both praise and criticism while steadfastly walking his path. That's the way of the man at Neo Incheon's pinnacle. I could never do politics."
"Senior, thinking about the mayor again? Respect is plastered all over your face."
The junior next to him teased annoyingly.
"Shut up. Doesn't his great achievements move you at all?"
"They do. Overtime's down and performance bonuses are up thanks to him. That's it. I'm a thoroughly pragmatic guy."
"You materialistic punk."
Catopia's VVIP exclusive room.
"Were Neo Incheon's cats actually all noble breeds without papers?"
Yeah. Otherwise, this scene before my eyes doesn't make sense.
On my belly, Nero was kneading dough with a supremely satisfied expression.
And at my feet?
Turkish Angora, Siamese, Norwegian Forest. Cats boasting dazzling coats slept peacefully.
"How are all the cats here so uniformly pretty and well-behaved? Were Neo Incheon's cats always this cute?"
Where did the ferocious gatekeepers from Bupyeong villa hell go?
Every cat here had silky fur like satin and jewel-like eyes.
Far from shying from human touch, they approached first, rubbing affectionately.
"Yes, this is it. Environment matters. It shapes the cat. My money going to such a splendid place. Very rewarding."
I popped a freshly baked croissant into my mouth and smiled contentedly.
Strictly speaking, it was citizens' taxes, not mine, but it was money I could spend, so same difference.
"Nero, you think so too, right?"
Nyaong.
Nero agrees. Such a wise cat.
"Being surrounded by creatures of similar intellectual level must be comforting for you, Mayor."
Seria, who had appeared at my side unnoticed.
Her voice, as always, poured cold water on my peaceful day.
"What are you saying, Seria? I'm marveling at how this city's animal welfare has reached awe-inspiring heights. And I'm moved by myself for successfully executing this great project that cultivates citizens' sentiments and reaffirms the dignity of life."
"Animal welfare?"
Seria tilted her head.
Reading the implication of 'A human like you uttering such lofty words' in that tilt was no longer difficult at all.
"What you did was just build a luxury pet hotel with taxes for your own cat. The rest was competent staff packaging your pure desire to roll around with your cat into innovative animal welfare policy."
"Results matter, not the process, right?"
"Well, it succeeded in the end, so that's good. Probably the best project your intellect could devise. Cats and you make a perfect pair."
"Hmph, as if you'd understand. The spiritual bond I share with these cats. The gratitude and respect in their eyes."
"They probably just see you as the guy who opens cans. Like a vending machine you hit for drinks."
Seria's sharp tongue was working overtime today too. Can't she take a lazy day off once?
But I'm magnanimous right now.
Why?
Because Emperor Nero rests on my belly, and noble cats slumber at my feet.
"More importantly, Mayor, are you eating cat croissants?"
"What!?"
Seria pointed expressionlessly at the plate on the table.
'VVIP CAT Exclusive Treat' was printed on it.
Damn. No wonder it tasted like chicken.
"Don't worry. Only organic ingredients safe for humans."
"......Surprisingly tasty."
"Glad to hear it."