Adaptation Complete
'National Intelligence Service?? Why the hell is NIS here? And what the fuck are those stats??'
"Y-Young master?"
"Nah. Keep going. Continue."
"Ah. Yes, sir."
Why the hell was a woman like that even a candidate for my secretary? Things just got complicated.
I wouldn't have cared if I didn't know, but now I did—there was an NIS spy in the secretary pool, and she was a candidate for my secretary. If I picked her as my chief secretary right here?
I'd be keeping an NIS spy right at my side.
'Hmm... what to do?'
Pass on her, and the spy infiltrates the group. Pick her, and the spy's right next to me. Honestly, with my ties to the family severed, I didn't give a shit if a spy wormed into the group. But it still felt off.
"Seo Eun-mi, sir. At your service."
"Seo Eun-mi?"
"Yes."
The woman was lying about her name. And her age too. Probably her entire resume—every credential and experience—was bullshit.
'Yeah, she's out.'
Sure, incompetent fuckup Ko Mu-yeol wasn't worth NIS bothering with, but no need to take pointless risks. And I sure as hell didn't want some burly guy as my secretary either.
If I was gonna live like a wastrel chaebol heir, I needed a hot piece of ass as my secretary.
'Sucks about those stats, though.'
"You all suck."
"…."
I stood up, and they all straightened into more demure postures.
"I'll find one myself."
"…We're sorry, sir."
Head Manager Han bowed deeply, the other candidates lowering their heads too. They were probably cursing me out inside. Specs-wise, a loser like Ko Mu-yeol didn't even reach the soles of their feet.
"I'm heading to Incheon. Just prep the car."
"…You're really going to recruit one yourself?"
"Yeah. Myself."
"Understood, sir."
Head Manager Han withdrew, and I killed time admiring Pyongyang's sights until the call came that the car was ready. I headed down.
"Young master."
Head Manager Han was waiting by the car.
"Why stand around waiting? Didn't you get reassigned? You're busy—head in."
"Incheon's dangerous. You can't go alone. I've notified Incheon contacts—travel with escorts."
"Got it. Thanks."
"Yes, sir. Farewell then. Stay well."
Head Manager Han bowed and vanished into the distance. The car door slid open.
With the setting in 2076, cars had perfect autonomous driving. But chaebols never used it—said it killed the vibe. Usually, they had drivers or secretaries at the wheel.
I had neither, so I activated autonomous mode. First time since buying the car, from what I remembered.
"Incheon."
…
Pyongyang to Incheon took about four hours.
The holographic billboards visible from afar, the dizzying drab skyline—it hit me: 'So this is the infamous Incheon.'
"…Demonic Incheon."
A simple meme in the possession novel's world. But here? Real demons. That's why they called it Demonic Incheon.
Korea's most populous city nationwide. Advanced isolation city with the highest crime rate.
Why "isolation"? Only city on the peninsula where North Koreans and Chinese could live.
Post-WW3, Korea seized vast lands and populations. To minimize chaos, they divided citizens into three: Koreans, North Koreans, Chinese.
Absurd pre-war, but postwar? Goryeo Group-led megacorps seized power. Rolled out racial policies without batting an eye. All for profit.
These classes had tiered legal rights. Koreans roamed and resided nationwide, full voting rights.
North Koreans limited to Manchuria, Liaodong, Shandong, North Peninsula, Incheon. Voting only after mandatory Korean education, age 40+.
Chinese: same regions + Incheon. Voting restricted to Central Plains local and Incheon elections—after decades residency. Incheon: second generation onward. Basically second-class citizens.
Anyway, Korea—the Asian economic powerhouse. Money flowed to the peninsula. North Koreans, Chinese flocked to permitted Incheon.
Incheon ballooned: old districts, new districts, 14 new cities, full Ganghwa redevelopment. Thirty million souls. More than Seoul + Gyeonggi combined.
Beep beep.
Gazing at Incheon's panorama, lost in thought—police motorcycles swarmed my car, sirens blaring. Holographic Taegukgis fluttering on either side of the bike heads.
"What the—?"
"Ah. Head Manager Han's doing."
Thinking of him triggered a forced call.
"…."
The chatty bastard kept yapping.
'Police chief?'
Incheon Autonomous Police Bureau: hardcore outfit under Future Incheon Security HQ, handling all public safety. Cops? More like an army. And its commander was calling me direct.
'A superintendent wouldn't bother with a punk like Ko Mu-yeol...'
Position-wise, he could treat me like dirt. But Goryeo Group's pressure must weigh heavy—hence the fawning. Head Manager Han mentioned it too. No harm, so I shared the destination.
Not like it was special: just Goryeo Hotel Incheon branch.
Jang Kyung-su rambled on, then signed off.
'Oh yeah, this guy's toast early in the story, right?'
Executed on anticorruption pretext. Protagonist busted his secret drug lab, exposed it all—made an example.
Oh, "execution" here? Not court death sentence. Killed by higher-ups. Tail-cutting.
'No need to sweat him.'
+++
Checked into the suite, crashed on the bed a bit, then headed to the lobby.
No more drugs—priority was purging the Drug Addiction trait. Needed Ninelord item. Only in Incheon, world's black market hub. Hidden deep—normies never see it.
But I knew where. For free.
"Ah, there you are."
Stepped into the hotel lobby. Cops who'd escorted me—sipping coffee in lobby chairs—rushed over.
Four total. One woman: long wavy blonde hair, haughty eyes—stunner.
She handed me her card. Incheon Songdo Future City Police Chief, 3rd Public Service Team Leader Im Sua, Inspector.
Big shot in her precinct, yet she'd personally escorted from near Bucheon. Either slacking or took my protection seriously.
Considering the chief's direct line? This was standard.
"We'll protect you for the duration."
"You personally?"
I eyed her. Killer female figure—especially those tits. Looked amazing, felt even better. But a hindrance in hard combat. Unless cyberware bulked her up—but she didn't look it.
Reading my skeptical gaze, she flashed a friendly grin. First impression: icy beauty. But that smile? A bit slutty.
She circled thumb and index below her ample chest.
"We're on the take. No worries."
"…."
Stunned, I pocketed the card. Public secret or not, blurting it out?
"Alright then."