Chapter 101
Translator : M.N 1391
Chapter: 101
Of course, if it came to that, their income would consist solely of government payments, so businesspeople gave it more thought. If profits depended only on government spending, the government would inevitably hold the upper hand while companies would be on the receiving end, leaving them at the mercy of government control. That was why diversifying revenue streams was an inevitable step for businesspeople who wanted to run their companies free from government pressure.
And the idea devised to achieve that diversification was precisely the concept of the “hero.”
The more one thought about it, the more ingenious it seemed. They could receive public security fees from the government through hero activities, and if a hero gained popularity, they could sell related merchandise and advertising as well.
Was that all? Once public support became intertwined with the existence of “heroes,” the government’s room to throw its weight around would shrink. And besides, wasn’t the term “hero activities” far more pleasant and public-friendly than “privatization of public security”?
It was beneficial even for the individual superpowered people who became heroes. Instead of being subject to government coercion or the wary, distancing looks of ordinary people, they would gain an option that offered wealth, fame, and even admiration.
“Sure, that might work in the U.S., but is that really possible in Korea?”
“It is.”
This was a republic of conglomerates. To people who could sniff out the scent of money with uncanny accuracy and expand relentlessly even into local commercial districts, the American-style hero industry looked like another blue ocean.
Above all, privatizing areas traditionally controlled by the government was the very flower of government–business collusion and a thoroughly proven, low-risk, high-profit venture that had raked in enormous gains for ages. Missing such an opportunity would mean one wasn’t a real businessperson. And it was about time that the many high-ranking officials who had been managed through entertainment, nepotistic hiring requests, lecture sponsorships, and the like coughed up what they’d been stuffing their faces with.
If pushed purely with corporate logic, there would be resistance in South Korea, which already had a somewhat anti-corporate sentiment. But this time, diplomatic considerations were involved, which made things reassuring. The United States planned to use this hero industry to further solidify its alliances.
Alliances between nations weren’t determined solely by national interest; socio-cultural affinity also played a significant role. Just as communist states and capitalist states could never truly be allies, the blueprint the U.S. envisioned was to create a sense of otherness between countries where the hero industry was active and those where it wasn’t.
That’s right. The reason the U.S. was diplomatically pushing for Korea to foster the hero industry was clearly aimed at China. In China, even if someone belonged to the Chinese Communist Party, the party would never tolerate a situation where someone who wasn’t a power holder received the adoration of the masses.
In other words, the hero industry was a business the Chinese Communist Party would find difficult to carry out.
By nature, superpowered individuals weren’t ordinary celebrities; they were individuals wielding the weapon known as superpowers. A liberal nation like the U.S. could willingly “negotiate” over “individual freedom and rights” to recruit such people, but for the Chinese Communist Party, whose paramount task was monopolizing power, such “negotiations” would be a poisoned chalice. There was no way they could drink from it.
Kyung-wan tilted his head and asked,
“What about Japan?”
Japan also had many hero-themed works, including sentai series. But Kim Jun shook his head slightly.
“Japanese heroes have a different vibe from American heroes. And Japanese culture itself doesn’t really like people who stand out. Hero companies are closely tied to the entertainment industry, so…”
Considering Japan’s entertainment industry, which treats entertainers not as artists but as employees, the chances of an American-style hero industry taking root there were slim.
And if they truly wanted to establish a hero industry in Japan, the most effective approach was to foster it in Korea first.
“Why?”
“Because Japan is the country that loves Korea the most.”
“That’s impressive.”
At Kim Jun’s barbed joke, Kyung-wan let out a hollow laugh.
In truth, Japan was the country in the world that paid the most attention to Korea. Even with so-called anti-Korean books, was there any other country on Earth where books about a specific nation regularly became bestsellers? Probably not.
That level of interest meant that if the hero industry took off in Korea, Kim Jun would bet both his balls that Japan would try to follow suit. Simply being able to nurture and retain many powerful superpowered individuals with private capital would undeniably contribute to national power and prestige.
Moreover, Korea was the most successful place in Asia, per capita, for Hollywood-style hero movies. That meant there was little sense of alienation toward American heroes. Of course, the current state of Korean affairs also made it a particularly suitable time to foster the hero industry.
With villains like the Death Reporter, Black Ash, Castration Man, and Sandman still unaccounted for and social chaos(?) ongoing, even Korea’s ruling class wouldn’t be able to easily ignore America’s intentions.
And who knew? If a hero company were established, perhaps some unsung talent from the shadows would suddenly pop out and start catching those villains.
“The world really changes day by day.”
Kyung-wan marveled at the dynamism of modern society.
With that, the topic wrapped up and they moved on to something else.
Kim Jun looked at Kyung-wan with a serious expression and asked,
“Mr. Kyung-wan. In the incident this time… did you, by any chance, use a super-strength ability?”
At those words, Kyung-wan studied Kim Jun’s face. Judging by it, Kim Jun already had evidence and certainty, so playing dumb would be pointless.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Well?”
“···.”
Faced with Kyung-wan’s attitude, clearly indicating he had no obligation or intention to explain that much, Kim Jun felt as if he’d swallowed a mouthful of dry sweet potatoes.
But soon, as if making up his mind, Kim Jun made a proposal.
“Would you… consider becoming an American?”
From his expression, it was obvious that this suggestion was absolutely not Kim Jun’s own idea. From the look of it, it had come after considerable deliberation from higher up.
It wasn’t an incomprehensible situation.
Up to now, Kyung-wan’s revealed abilities were sensory enhancement sufficient to perform handgun sniping, in other words, an esper-type ability. On top of that, a super-strength ability had now been added.
It was hard to believe that Kyung-wan had been hiding his super-strength all this time. Even profiler analysis suggested that Kyung-wan was the type who, if he had power, would use it first rather than conceal it.
Therefore, the explanation that “he suddenly became able to use it” was more persuasive than “he hadn’t used it until now.”
And that implied that Kyung-wan might acquire or master additional abilities in the future, which could become a major clue in uncovering the principles behind superpower manifestation.
If those principles could be uncovered, if that secret could be monopolized, then seizing dominance in the coming age of superpowers wouldn’t be impossible. For the U.S., it could easily extend its current hegemony by another hundred years.
Kyung-wan’s value had skyrocketed vertically. Enough that they were prepared, to some extent, even for the possibility of him causing trouble in the U.S.
Kyung-wan couldn’t hide his surprised expression at the unexpected words.
“Oh! What’s the occasion? The U.S., of all places?”
“Tell me about it.”
Kim Jun replied with a weary expression. Judging by how things were unfolding, if Kyung-wan caused trouble after becoming an American, it seemed likely that he would be the one cleaning it up.
Just imagining it was exhausting.
“Hmmm… Going to the U.S. sounds like a hassle…”
Kyung-wan muttered to himself.
Hearing that, Kim Jun’s expression brightened.
“Is that so?”
It was the look of someone thinking, just as expected. After all, a guy like Kyung-wan, strangely lazy except when causing trouble, wasn’t the type to readily accept an offer to move to the U.S.
Hadn’t he already turned it down once before?
Kim Jun really couldn’t manage his expressions, or rather, didn’t bother to. Then again, trying to manage expressions in front of someone as perceptive as Kyung-wan might have been a pointless waste of mental energy.
But Korean was a language you had to hear to the very end.
“But if I don’t become an American, wouldn’t the people who proposed that idea feel uneasy inside?”
“.. That’s true.”
Because the upper echelon had gone so far as to decide to naturalize a madman, it was entirely plausible they’d harbor such worries if Kyung-wan refused U.S. citizenship.
“They’d probably demand some kind of compensation for not naturalizing, and wouldn’t that get complicated? They’d start worrying that I might be swayed by a hostile or rival country…”
“That’s also true.”
With the way Kyung-wan’s tongue was running on longer than usual, Kim Jun suddenly felt uneasy about what he was about to say.
“And it’s not like they could say, ‘If I can’t have you, I’ll just destroy you,’ right? How would they even handle that…”
As Kyung-wan smiled and trailed off, Kim Jun swallowed his dry saliva without realizing it.
Kyung-wan had been revealed as a multi-ability user. Just thinking about the synergy was terrifying.
Even more terrifying was the fact that even before having superpowers, he had a record of kidnapping a prosecutor, breaking out of prison, and storming the National Assembly armed with nothing but a sashimi knife, utterly wrecking a lawmaker.
A madman with that level of planning and execution, now armed with threatening superpowers? If he went berserk after being provoked, how would anyone handle it?
In Kim Jun’s mind, Kyung-wan was a “calmly insane bastard.” A walking time bomb.
Kyung-wan continued,
“For the sake of a long-standing client like the U.S., I’ll accept U.S. citizenship.”
“.. What?”
“Oh, I’ll become an American citizen, but I’ll live here in Korea.”
“···.”
“I want to try being a ‘black-haired foreigner’ once.”
Facing Kim Jun’s stunned expression, Kyung-wan flashed a refreshing smile and gave a thumbs-up.
= = = = =
A few days later, Director Hong summoned Kyung-wan to his office. Kyung-wan grumbled as he went, complaining that he’d been called in the middle of playing a really fun part.
“Hey! I heard you’re becoming an American!”
“Yes.”
“Why?!”
Director Hong’s slightly raised voice and expression were filled with a desperate I’m so stressed my hair is falling out and I might die kind of plea.
“I wanted to try being a ‘black-haired foreigner’ once.”
“A black-haired foreigner?”
“It means a foreigner with black hair.”
A black-haired foreigner, someone who enjoyed perks as a compatriot and perks as a foreigner, double-dipping on benefits, wasn’t that a badge Kyung-wan, who wanted to coast through life, would want to collect at least once?
Of course, not all black-haired foreigners were like that, but it was hard to deny that those who hadn’t served in the military had at least benefited from avoiding service.
At Kyung-wan’s words, Director Hong was left flabbergasted, unsure how to respond. Kyung-wan then launched into his usual sophistry.
“Isn’t it good for Korea’s position too? Now Korea can imprison an American citizen in a Korean prison. Take it one step further, and you even create a precedent for putting an American on trial in a Korean court. Oh! By the way, the trial for beating up the guys who kidnapped me, has that started yet?”
“Why are you asking me that?!”
“Well, inmate entry records are part of your job, Director.”
What a ridiculous guy. Being hit with facts made it hurt even more. As Kyung-wan said, there was indeed an assault trial pending because of the guys he’d messed up this time.
“Anyway, you’re giving me a headache.”
“Well, if you mishandle a foreign-national inmate, it turns into a diplomatic issue, right?”
“You know that and you still do this?!”
To Director Hong, the American bastards who decided to grant Kyung-wan U.S. citizenship were insane, but Kyung-wan, who accepted it knowing it would complicate things on this side, was a real son of a bitch. A bastard who made his life harder!
“You’re the reason my hair loss is getting worse.”
At that, Kyung-wan glanced at Director Hong’s head.
With a look of pity that said I have a lot to say, but I won’t, Director Hong finally closed his eyes.
Yeah, hair loss is genetic. I know that too, you bastard!
Regardless of Director Hong’s headaches and troubles, Kyung-wan’s acquisition of U.S. citizenship went through. Of course, since it was hardly something to boast about, it wasn’t advertised everywhere. Kim Jun, who was in charge of Kyung-wan-related matters(?), quietly returned to Korea and informed him of the outcome.
“From now on, you are an American.”
“Thank you! Thank yooou!”
Kyung-wan clasped his hands together and raised them, offering thanks as if an audience were present before him.