Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Mayor and the Report
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Tick. Tock. Tick.
The classic metronome on my desk swung left and right, emitting a steady rhythm.
This was the sound of peace. For two days, I had savored this tranquility.
Of course, this peace consisted of Nero purring contentedly in my lap on one side while Seria's daily venom—"Mayor, your talent for draining the city's finances just by breathing remains as sharp as ever"—played like background music on the other.
Who cared? There were no villains, no terrorism, no monsters.
I hoped this peace would last forever. Until the day I vanished from this city without a trace.
Tick. Tock.
The metronome's weight hit the left end precisely and swung to the right.
Just like my life.
A precarious pendulum swinging meaninglessly between the left extreme of mayor and the right extreme of impeachment.
When could I break free from this track?
Knock. Knock.
That was when it happened. A polite knock interrupted the chain of rhythmic noise.
"Mayor. It's Kang Hyunwoo."
He was here.
"Oh, come in. Kang, I've been waiting for you."
Kang Hyunwoo. Level 1 Audit Enforcer with the Neo Incheon City Hall Special Audit Team.
A face as expressionless as if all human emotions had evaporated.
"Kang, you've worked hard. Eaten yet? Got some sleep? Your face looks half its size after just two days. Want some green juice? Seria gave it to me—it's not that it tastes bad or anything, I'm just worried about you..."
Of course, that was a lie.
Seria's health foods went beyond tasting bad—they bordered on biological torture.
The identity of that green liquid was a mystery. A transcendent flavor like broccoli, spinach, and kale blended with some alien plant from outer space. No, calling it a flavor was an insult.
I wondered if Kang Hyunwoo could chug it down without flinching.
"Here's the report. We've uncovered evidence of corruption in Frontier Development."
He glanced at the green juice for a moment before immediately looking away.
This guy. He just pretended not to see it, didn't he?
Ignoring my goodwill... I'll remember this.
"Good, very good. Corporate corruption. Delicious material."
I wondered if Lee Garam was on the bribe list. That would have made things easier.
Of course, he wouldn't take amateurish bait like that. He'd only eat what the mother bird Seria fed him. And at the same time, she'd have a weakness on him to discard him anytime.
I took the documents and opened the first page.
[Frontier Development: Evidence of Illegal Lobbying Targeting Neo Incheon City Council]
"We've confirmed ongoing contacts between three council members from the City Development Committee and Frontier Development. They likely obtained non-public development information in advance through these channels."
I see. The councilors had been up to some cute tricks.
"This suggests the possibility of improper solicitation and bribery."
"...Hold on."
I cut him off without realizing it.
"Lobbying? Bribes? The councilors took them?"
I shot to my feet.
This was outrageous.
No, infuriating.
No, just heartbreaking!
A rotten world. Rotten politics.
The petty councilors pocketing dirty money behind the scenes!
Even in the original comic, Neo Incheon was depicted as a hotbed of corruption. The city council of Metropolis Neo Incheon wielded more influence than many national parliaments.
Of course, that wasn't the point...
"Why! Why didn't they give any to me!"
Kang's brow furrowed about 0.1 millimeters at my question.
"To you, the mayor..."
He seemed to choose his words carefully.
"...they probably judged it unnecessary."
What? Was this guy looking down on me?
"Unnecessary? I'm the mayor! The final approval authority is me! They proceeded without me?"
"Similar lobbying traces were found targeting other district offices as well."
Aha. Everyone partied without me. I wasn't invited to the party.
"How much do they think of me as a joke..."
Shouldn't they at least slip me some rice cake money with a 'Mayor, have some of this and look favorably on the project'?
Heck, even department store gift certificates or cultural vouchers!
This was a matter of pride. It meant I was lesser than those petty councilors!
Was I C-grade, no, D-grade on their bribe price list!?
Unbelievable. The mayor's authority had hit rock bottom.
I'm the mayor of this city—why no lobbying coming my way!
"Mayor?"
"Ah, no. Continue, Kang. This is riveting."
Unaware of my inner scream of rage, Kang Hyunwoo turned to the next page.
"Behind Frontier Development appears to be one of the top 10 megacorps, 'Mirai Corporation.' The lobbying funds were laundered through shell companies before delivery."
Mirai Corporation. Infamous among the top 10 for cherry-picking the dirtiest, sleaziest deeds.
A tentacled conglomerate dipping into construction, civil engineering, and even mercenary work on the side.
"The lobbying funds were laundered through Mirai Corporation's ghost companies before delivery."
As expected. Those guys were always tangled in filthy deals like this.
"That's not all."
There's more?
Kang's voice didn't drop a tone lower... or so it felt. It was always the same.
"The safety assessment report submitted by Frontier Development to the city was fabricated. The site actually poses a serious risk of ground subsidence. They deliberately concealed this fact."
"The ground is unstable?"
Complex graphs and charts that looked like geological survey data appeared.
I had no idea what they meant, but the abundance of red markings suggested something grave.
"Yes. Multiple massive unidentified cavities were found underground. Normal methods make high-rise construction impossible."
Massive cavities? Underground caves?
A torrent of wild imaginings flashed through my mind.
Villain secret base? Ancient ruins? Or a giant worm monster's habitat?
Either way, disastrous. If a building went up there and collapsed... the repair costs would come straight from the city budget.
And the city budget? The source of my slush fund! My money! My precious money was at risk of vaporizing!
These bastards! Playing games with someone else's money!?
"Finally, the truck protest in front of Magpie Village. That was a self-staged play orchestrated by Frontier Development."
Kang Hyunwoo pulled a photo from the binder and placed it before me.
"Huh? This guy..."
The photo showed a familiar criminal's face.
The truck driver from the Catoipia terror protest, Kim Jintae.
The one who'd recently driven a dump truck into Catoipia, only to be swiftly stopped by our Nero. He was awaiting trial in detention, as far as I knew.
There he was, shaking hands with a man who looked like a Frontier Development executive in a hotel lounge.
Alright. That wrapped it up.
Frontier Development. And the Mirai Corporation behind them.
Trash threatening citizens, bypassing the mayor, manipulating public opinion.
Perfect. This simplified everything.
I could smash these evil corporations in the name of justice, rise as the citizens' hero once more... No, can't do that.
Then I wouldn't get impeached.
Ah, headache. What now?
Pretend I don't know and approve the redevelopment as they want? Then the building collapses, and my money flies away?
Dilemma. Caught between a rock and a hard place. Protect my money or my escape plan? That was the question.
"Alright. So the culprits are Frontier Development. Real bad guys. Just take them down, right?"
I was about to conclude when Kang Hyunwoo placed another report on the desk.
"Not yet."
What?
"Now, the report on the residents' side."
This wasn't the end? But we just had a perfect beginning, rise, turn, and conclusion!
A greedy corporation threatens innocent citizens, backed by a giant evil organization, and the righteous mayor (sort of) sends his capable subordinate (Kang) to uncover the truth!
That's a two-hour movie right there! What more is there?
"Weren't the residents the victims? Good, powerless elders? The socially weak waging a tearful struggle to protect their homes against a mega-corp? Something like that!"
"Facts always need verification."
Kang Hyunwoo scattered a few photos over the file.
The scenes in the photos were devastating.
Smashed shop windows. Cars scorched by fire. And menacing graffiti scrawled in red lacquer: 'Traitors Deserve Death.'
[Magpie Village Residents' Committee: Report on Illegal Acts and Violence]
"The Magpie Village Residents' Committee is not a benevolent self-governing body."
"Then what is it? A magpie photography club? Or a hero fan club?"
"It's closer to a violent organization."
"Violent organization?"
"During protests, there were multiple reports of physical clashes with Frontier Development's hired security, assaults on press, and equipment destruction. Notably, residents affiliated with the committee moved in an organized manner, most presumed to be Awakeners."
"Well, yeah... the elders were really angry. People lash out when cornered..."
"Magpies are territorial birds by nature. They aggressively drive out other birds entering their domain. The Magpie Village Residents' Committee behaves similarly. They've violently suppressed not only external opposition but even internal dissent."
Magpies.
Come to think of it, magpies were pretty nasty birds.
Pecking at anything entering their territory and kleptomania for shiny things.
Were they living up to the village name? There's that saying about names determining fate.
"The village's de facto rulers are Village Head Park Chunbae and his son Park Sungcheol, who controls the youth division of the residents' committee. They wield absolute power, monopolizing all decisions."
Dictatorship? Were they playing medieval lord in 21st-century Neo Incheon?
"Opposition to their decisions is thoroughly ignored. Residents favoring redevelopment or questioning protest activities face public condemnation and pressure from the committee."
"Hmm. Clique mentality. Rural hospitality sure is spicy."
I crossed my arms dismissively. But Kang Hyunwoo's next words shattered my complacency.
"In the past month, several young households who expressed support for redevelopment have left the village. The official reason is 'voluntary relocation.'"
"Voluntary? Sure, people leave if they don't agree. Young folks prefer cities over villages. To Seoul. Or Songdo or Cheongna."
"But all contact with them has been lost. Even family and friends don't know their whereabouts. They've vanished like smoke."
Chilling.
Voluntary move but no contact? Who voluntarily goes missing?
I'd heard of 'voluntary enlistment,' but 'voluntary disappearance' was a first.
"Kang. What's your take?"
"My duties don't include opinions, Mayor."
Ah, right. Of course.
"But further investigation is warranted."
What kind of mess was this?
I'd thought it was a simple good-vs-evil setup.
Evil mega-capital vs. innocent citizens on the brink of losing their homes.
Just pick a side—easy peasy.
Of course, I planned to side with evil and tank my approval ratings!
But what was this?
Opening the lid revealed a mud-wrestling match between Villain 1 (corporation) and Villain 2 (residents)!
Corporation's fraud and opinion manipulation, residents' violence and making people disappear?
It was like debating jjajangmyeon or jjamppong, only to find both made from recycled food—hygiene nightmares.
Guaranteed stomachache either way. Battle of the worst vs. lesser evil. No, just evil vs. evil.
"Ha... haha..."
A hollow laugh escaped me.
"This... is a total shitshow."
But.
Wait.
Shitshow?
Shitshow... sounds good?
A lightbulb flashed in my head. Eureka! This was it!
Why had I thought I had to pick a side? Why trap myself in good-vs-evil?
The answer was simple.
Just smash both!
Expose the corporation's corruption and crush them! Simultaneously reveal the residents' committee's violence and inhumanity and crush them too!
And in between, I'd play the bat.
Today, side with the corporation and attack the residents; tomorrow, side with the residents and attack the corporation. Make neither fully trust the other!
Fan the flames of conflict, escalate the clashes, sabotage any reconciliation from behind the scenes.
What was the mayor's role? To mediate citizens' conflicts and foster harmony, right?
But if I did the opposite? Stoke conflicts and deepen divisions?
The epitome of an unfit mayor!
The corporations would brand me a mad mayor obstructing business, residents a traitor stabbing the weak in the back.
Plus titles like conflict instigator, source of division, unfit for office!
The media would call me Neo Incheon's worst strife machine, and the council would rush an impeachment bill.
My approval ratings would crash through the floor into the basement, my name trailed by every negative adjective.
It's piling up! Hate mileage accumulating steadily!
Cash in this mileage for a first-class ticket on my safe overseas escape!
"Kuhuhu... haha!"
I couldn't hold back the laughter anymore.
"Mayor?"
"Kang! You did great! You brought me a real gem. This is art. A masterpiece!"
"It's a report, not art."
"Right, a report. A compendium of humanity's malice! I love it!"
I jumped up and patted Kang Hyunwoo's shoulder.
"It reeks. The stench of rot is overwhelming! Dig deeper! Rip into it like you're drilling to Earth's core! All the secrets the corporation hides, all the secrets the residents hide—uncover every last one! Everything!"
"Understood. I'll commence additional investigations."
I was on fire now. Burning with the hottest passion I'd ever felt!
Of course, not from any sense of justice or duty.
Purely selfish, impure passion for my safety, my slush fund, and my escape plan.
But who cared? Results were what mattered. Nero would think the same.