Chapter 68

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 68

Chapter Title: The Mayor's Comeback

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Jo Youngseok, the MC, gripped the microphone with trembling hands.

His eyes shook ceaselessly, as if an earthquake had hit.

"Th-then... what happens to the Magpie Village site now?"

A question squeezed out with great effort.

All eyes turned once more to Auditor Enforcer Kang Hyunwoo.

"Pursuant to Article 4 of the Cultural Heritage Protection Law, the area where national treasure-grade ruins have been discovered will be designated as a state-managed zone."

He paused for a moment, glancing at the two men collapsed in the studio.

"The Magpie Village residents' committee will be fully detained and investigated for charges including murder, unlawful confinement, and assault. Frontier Development has been stripped of all ongoing project rights due to illegal information acquisition and bribery of city council members."

And the final verdict.

"Therefore, the site will ultimately be incorporated into the direct management zone of Neo Incheon City."

Each sentence hammered in like a nail.

"If that's the case! We should've just let them develop it!"

In the moment everyone held their breath, Village Head Park Chunbae sprang up like a coiled spring.

His face was flushed beet red, on the verge of exploding.

Ah, human nature.

In the end, what mattered to him wasn't his ancestors' graves or his children's memories.

Only money. More compensation money. That was it.

"Lee Garam, you vile bastard! I can never forgive youuuu!"

A dark red aura began to rise from his entire body. His muscles swelled, and the veins in his eyes burst.

B-rank physical enhancement superpower.

The citizens in the studio screamed and backed away.

It was just as Kang Hyunwoo moved to intervene hastily.

I casually stroked Nero's back.

"Go, Nero. Nya-punch."

Nero yawned as if annoyed.

Still cradled in my arms, it casually lifted one front paw.

Nerorong-

And in that instant, the cat's paw stretched out.

Nerorium extended 5 meters in less than 0.1 seconds.

The jelly-like paw pad struck Village Head Park Chunbae's abdomen precisely.

Thwack!

"Guhk..."

One hit was enough.

Village Head Park Chunbae let out an agonized cry and flew off in a parabolic arc.

He slammed into the studio wall in a spread-eagle position, then slid down to the floor.

Artistic K.O.

Nyaong!

Nero turned to me proudly and meowed.

Soon, the waiting Special Task Force burst into the studio and cuffed Park Chunbae and the resident representatives.

Kang Hyunwoo calmly listed the charges beside them.

"13 counts of murder, 15 counts of attempted murder, 27 counts of habitual confinement, 43 counts of aggravated assault, 55 counts of extortion and intimidation..."

"Practically a crime syndicate on the level of an organized violence group."

Another tragedy was unfolding on the opposite side.

"The company's... the company is ruined... my life..."

CEO Jung Jaehyeok muttered with a face pale as a sheet, then slipped from his chair and fainted.

That sparked the other executives to foam at the mouth and collapse one after another.

The studio instantly turned into a criminal arrest scene and emergency room.

"Prosecutor Kang! Why! Why did you have to discover that and make a fuss right now of all times!"

I glared at Kang Hyunwoo amid the chaos.

"If you'd come just an hour later—no, five minutes later—my plan would've been a perfect success!"

Kang Hyunwoo looked back at me with his usual expressionless face.

"I was merely faithful to my duties. As per your instructions, Mayor, I thoroughly investigated everything suspicious."

No, when did I ever say to investigate that thoroughly!

You should've skimmed it and reported 'nothing much'! You dense oaf!

Nyaaoong!

Clueless to my frustration, Nero hopped onto my lap and tapped my chin with its paw.

'I did great, so give me double the treats!'

A proud expression with its tail straight up.

"Yeah, Nero. You're the best. Ace cat."

I sighed deeply and scratched under its chin.

At that moment, the PD from one corner of the studio held up a sketchbook with an excited face.

"Oh, today... 60 Minutes Frontal Assault... will end... here..."

Jo Youngseok the MC was already mentally shattered to dust.

He stared blankly at the camera with hollow eyes, reciting the closing remarks in a fading voice.

As soon as the broadcast end light went out, I stood and approached Jo Youngseok.

"MC Jo! Today was fantastic. Though the outcome wasn't what I wanted, the process was perfect."

Yes, this man is a true journalist.

He cornered me, the mayor, without regard for power, solely to uncover the truth.

The man who went this far for my impeachment. My hidden ally.

Though the result was failure, his effort deserved recognition.

I expressed my genuine gratitude and respect.

"Looking forward to working with you. Be sure to invite me, Lee Garam, next time too!"

Suddenly, Jo Youngseok's face turned stark white.

"Ag-gain... use me as a pawn...? You devil... glurk."

That was it.

Jo Youngseok foamed at the mouth and toppled backward.

The paramedics waiting in the corner rushed over with a stretcher, all too familiar.

"Tsk tsk. Such a healthy guy, why does he keep..."

"Mental exhaustion again. Blood pressure unstable."

"Administer sedative like last time and transport immediately."

One week.

Exactly one week since the mad live broadcast ended.

Enough time for Seoul's wicked foxes to salivate over the golden egg-laying goose called the "Magpie Village Superpower Training Ground" and come charging in.

And enough time for my impeccably competent secretary to slice away all their greedy advances.

"Reporting, Mayor. Results of major issues handled over the past ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠week."

She shoved a tablet PC in front of me, speaking in her usual emotionless voice.

I called it emotionless, but there were emotions.

The problem was they were subtle mockery and scorn toward me.

"First, the central government's demand to transfer management of the Magpie Village site. Seoul's old foxes showed great interest. With the oh-so-plausible pretext that 'national treasure-grade ruins should be state-managed.'"

So the high-and-mighty from Seoul are coming to drag down this incompetent mayor?

Guess I should throw a welcome party. Champagne on taxpayer money?

"So, what happened?"

"I already blocked it all. Signed a minor secret agreement with Hero Association President Jin Yeonhwa. Designating part of the ruins as the official Korea Super Hero Association training ground. Of course, management and operations are under Neo Incheon City."

"Wh-what?"

She blocked my dreams and hopes?

"Ms. Jin Yeonhwa was thrilled at the chance to train in a site full of ancient superpower relics, and in exchange, the Association promised to block all central government pressure. That site is now a sanctuary no central bureaucrat can touch legally or physically."

Before I could protest, Seria Park swiped to the next page.

"Second, reactions from overseas academia. Since your historic broadcast, Mayor, super-science experts, archaeologists, and historians from around the world are flooding into Neo Incheon. MIT Super-Particle Physics Lab, Germany's Max Planck Institute Ability Development Division, China's Kunlun Science Academy. Legal procedures for a research cluster in Songdo are all complete."

"......"

As expected from my capable, ruthless secretary. She perfectly handled everything I didn't want.

The Magpie Village incident, meant to be the stepping stone for my impeachment, had become Neo Incheon's untouchable new golden goose.

"Magpie Village was officially designated a tourism special zone as of yesterday. Name: 'Neo Incheon-Baekje Superpower Ruins Tourism Special Zone.' But people are just calling it 'Garamland.' 10,000 tourists visited yesterday alone. Before the official opening. At this rate, entrance fees alone will net 5 billion won a month easily."

Thud.

I slumped on the sofa, staring blankly at her.

"So, what's the next outlandish way you'll surprise me? I'm already looking forward to it."

"I won't do anything! From now on, I'll really do nothing and fuse with the mayor's office sofa until I turn to dust!"

Yes, back to nothingness.

If I do nothing, nothing happens.

This is the cosmic truth ancient sages realized. The realm of non-action, wu wei.

I'll become the stone Buddha of the mayor's office.

"If you fuse with the sofa like that, your body fat percentage will skyrocket like your approval ratings. Get up and review the reports."

"No thanks... it's all futile. I'll just fossilize like this..."

"If you fossilize, Mayor, we'll exhibit you in the city museum as the specimen of an incompetent, lazy mayor. 'Homo Igaramicus' or something. Incompetent human from the Holocene epoch. It'll sell well."

"Stop! Planning to sell my corpse too, you devil?!"

The corner of her mouth ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠twitched ever so slightly—barely visible without a microscope.

Was that a smirk or pure anticipation?

Either way, a spine-chilling smile.

"The devil's you, Mayor. Thanks to you, the secretary's office hasn't clocked out for three days. But all documents are processed, so just sign the approvals from now on. Simple, right?"

Seria Park slipped a fountain pen into my hand and whispered.

A vision of approval documents piled like Mount Everest.

No, not a vision.

This was reality.

The harsh reality that bound me tighter the more I struggled to escape.

Underground ruins development plan, Garamland operations rules, overseas research cluster establishment agreement, Hero Association training ground lease contract, Magpie Village victim compensation budget, Nero mascot model contract...

"Kraaaah!"

*

Magpie Village—no, now called Garamland—the tourism special zone was an absolute hit.

Media around the world raced to report it.

Even Japan was churning out headlines.

Japanese netizens were in an uproar.

Searching "Captain Susanoo" on Hero Wiki brought up a profile pic.

Silver long hair, sharp-eyed beauty.

But what did she do to get treated like damaged goods in Japan?

Anyway, what mattered now was the public opinion around me.

SNS was plastered with my stories.

#21stCenturySolomon #Garamon

Even a bizarre nickname mashing Solomon and Lee Garam.

Garamon T-shirts sold out in a day.

People buying and wearing shirts with my face? Cringe just imagining it.

And the crowning touch.

Political commentator Kim Youngtae.

He ranted about me for a full hour on his Nertube live.

First 5 minutes of the broadcast.

Fierce criticism. Yes, that's it. Give me more!

But the remaining 55 minutes.

Fervent praise.

"Even you, Kim Youngtae!!"

He'd converted from my fiercest hater to a fanatic supporter.

One more person to trash me gone...

Resignation. Despair. Giving up.

I sank into the plush mayor's chair.

Grrr...

Nero purred contentedly on my lap.

"Yeah, Nero... In the end, your revenge succeeded."

The Magpie Village residents' committee all went to prison.

Frontier Development, the culprits behind the Cattopia terror, vaporized.

Nyaong~

Nero licked my finger.

"You're lucky, Nero. So simple."

I pulled premium hake from the drawer and fed it.

Yom yom...

For this guy, it's a happy ending.

All the bad guys punished, itself a hero enjoying tasty snacks daily.

I glanced at the approval rating graph on the wall.

[Neo Incheon Mayor Lee ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Garam Job Performance Approval Rating]

The graph that plummeted to the 30s when I incited the Magpie Village dispute.

That graph... right after the broadcast, shot up in a V-shape, and now...

"55 percent...?"

All-time high.

Click.

I turned off the monitor. Can't accept it. That number isn't real.

"Must be margin of error. Yeah, polls always have that. Plus or minus 50% error. So my real approval could be 5%. Yeah, that makes sense."

Nya-

Nero looked up at me pitifully.

"What do you know! You're a cat who doesn't get math!"