The Baekrok-san Preservation Alliance

Just as corporate department heads pin their hopes on executive promotions, Deputy Mayor An Yong-dae had originally set his sights on running for political office.

After Baek Hyeong-guk fell from grace, An Yong-dae's taste of power as the acting mayor only solidified his ambition.

Fortunately for him, the newly elected mayor was a thirty-one-year-old greenhorn with absolutely no political backing or administrative experience.

The political heavyweights within the administration looked down on the young newcomer, allowing the deputy mayor to easily restructure the balance of power around himself.

With his hands and feet effectively tied, Lee Yun-hyeok would be forced to spend the next two years merely contemplating whether he could even run for re-election. When the time came, An Yong-dae planned to join ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one of the major political parties seeking to avenge their by-election defeat, campaigning as a proven, seasoned administrator. That would be the end of it.

...Or so his scenario went.

Something is strange.

The atmosphere among the working-level civil servants was highly unusual. In the hallways, the restrooms, and the cafeteria, voices praising the new mayor kept echoing.

Lee Yun-hyeok was rapidly winning over the working-level staff.

"Mayor. What on earth do you think you are doing?"

During the Monday political affairs meeting, An Yong-dae openly confronted him.

"Is indulging nasty old folks throwing tantrums really what the mayor of this city should be spending his time on?"

"Is there a problem?"

Yun-hyeok responded with a dry, indifferent shrug.

"Deputy Mayor. The head of a local government is the chief administrator. Resolving major civil complaints is one of our officially mandated duties."

"That refers to large-scale, serious issues arising at the city level!"

Jang Seong-woo, the Director of the Administrative Support Department, chimed in to support the deputy mayor.

"The issue I am currently resolving is indeed the most urgent problem in Mir City," Yun-hyeok countered calmly.

"Handling petty complaints is urgent?"

"Statistics show that malicious complaints, which make up only five percent of our total complaints, consume twenty-five percent of Mir City's entire administrative capacity."

"..."

"Because of these malicious complaints, major projects are delayed, additional personnel must be allocated, the resolution of legitimate complaints is pushed back, and our working-level staff are forced to undergo psychiatric counseling. The annual economic loss resulting from this reaches approximately five billion KRW."

Yun-hyeok tossed a research paper published by the Gyeonggi Province Policy Development Institute two years ago onto the center of the table.

"I would like to ask you instead. Why have you left this issue neglected and rotting until now?"

"..."

"Ahem..."

Looking around at the suddenly speechless political heavyweights, Yun-hyeok spoke in a commanding tone.

"If there are no further objections to my actions, let us begin the political affairs meeting."

It was called a political affairs meeting, but in reality, it was closer to a brutal audit.

Lee Yun-hyeok interrogated them on matters that Baek Hyeong-guk would have never even bothered to ask about. Furthermore, no plausible excuse or bureaucratic jargon worked on him. The exchanges went down like this:

"Mayor, the Eungang-eup river restoration project was put on hold because matching national funding has not been finalized. It was too much of a burden to execute the local budget prematurely."

"Then why did you pre-execute the budget for the Doma-myeon drainage facility maintenance last month before national funding was finalized? Is this a case of selective budget execution? Or did you simply fail to do your job?"

"..."

"Mayor, the Saerae District resident briefing was rescheduled because there is still ongoing conflict among the residents. We judged that internal coordination should take priority."

"But why did you hold three briefings for Tanseo 2nd District last year, where the conflict was even more severe? If there is conflict, shouldn't you hold briefings sooner to mediate, rather than leaving it to 'internal coordination'?"

"..."

"Mayor, the remodeling of the Youth Startup Center was awarded to the lowest bidder in accordance with the public bidding results. There are no procedural issues."

"I reviewed that bidding announcement myself. The remodeling specifications completely omitted sound absorption standards, cooling performance, and window insulation values. What were you planning to do if the construction turned out defective? Why did you open the bid with such glaring omissions?"

"..."

After completely devastating the meeting room on his own, Lee Yun-hyeok stood up from his seat.

"I hope to see many of the points raised today corrected by the next meeting. And as I mentioned earlier, rooting out malicious complaints in Mir City and restructuring our systems so that administrative power is executed properly is one of this office's top priorities. Anyone with the will and passion to join me is welcome to come to my office anytime."

With that, he walked out of the room.

"What do you think Lee Yun-hyeok's actual diagnosis is..."

Seo Yeon-hwa, the Public Relations Director, covered her face with her hands, looking utterly drained.

"Is this even humanly possible?"

"Did he spend the entire weekend doing nothing but reviewing today's meeting materials?"

"He's like an administrative savant, seriously..."

"He makes working here so incredibly exhausting."

Director Jang Seong-woo felt his chronic gastritis flaring up again.

"What on earth are you all doing?"

Kim Min-cheol, the Planning and Coordination Director, looked at them with utter disbelief.

"Get a grip, everyone. Why are you trying to have a power struggle with the mayor?" he said, shaking his head.

"The mayor practically offered us a peace offering today. Everyone in this room should go to his office right now and volunteer to lead the charge in weeding out these malicious complaints."

That afternoon.

"Hello... Mayor."

A few heads of various departments and bureaus tentatively entered the mayor's office.

First was the Welfare Policy Director, who oversaw policies for the vulnerable, including children, youth, the disabled, and the elderly.

Next was the Economic Industry Director, responsible for fostering small businesses, supporting local merchants, and cooperating with startups.

Then came the Construction and Transportation Director, whose department housed the Transportation Division—the core of Mir City's transit restructuring—as well as residential development policies.

The Environment and Greenery Director, responsible for environmental protection, greenbelt management, climate policy, and park maintenance, also joined.

The Culture, Sports, and Tourism Director, who developed and operated cultural arts, festivals, tourism resources, and managed municipal gyms, was present.

Finally, the Health Policy Director, who managed the public health centers and oversaw local medical institutions, stepped forward.

Hmm.

Looking at their hesitant, nervous faces, Yun-hyeok made an assessment.

Only the weaker departments gathered...

Although they held the same rank as the core political departments like Administrative Support or Public Relations, these bureaus lacked real political teeth. They were field-oriented, practical departments.

They had likely been holding their breath under the deputy mayor's shadow, but now, pressured by the growing discontent of their own working-level staff, they had finally decided to cross over.

"Welcome. I was just starting to find it a bit overwhelming to handle everything alone."

Yun-hyeok welcomed them warmly.

While it was slightly disappointing that the heavy hitters hadn't crossed over yet, he knew that was simply how people were.

There were those like Kim Min-cheol, who had zero interest in power games and only cared about doing their jobs. There were those like the directors standing before him, who watched the wind blow and sought a survival path. And then there were the political heavyweights, who would stubbornly hold onto their pride until the bitter end.

Did they think they could outlast him if they just held out? Yun-hyeok knew exactly what they were waiting for.

But Yun-hyeok had no intention of waiting. He was going to make the first move.

"Now then, shall we slowly move on to the advanced course?"

"The advanced course?"

"I did say I would eradicate malicious complaints, didn't I?"

It wasn't an empty promise.

However, malicious complaints were entirely different from simple, rowdy tantrums.

Yun-hyeok immediately picked up his desk phone.

The Baekrok-san Preservation Alliance.

There was a notorious group by that name in Mir City.

Baekrok-san was a small mountain located in the southern part of Mir City. The surrounding area had been designated as a greenbelt zone, but a portion of it had been released five years ago.

However, when development plans were set in motion, the residents living near the mountain opposed it with everything they had. The organization these residents formed was the Baekrok-san Preservation Alliance.

Their official pretext was environmental protection.

But the reality was far different.

Even when the area was still a strictly protected greenbelt, the members of the alliance had illegally cleared the land, built agricultural huts, and established unauthorized farms.

Without paying a single cent in taxes, they had run these illegal operations for years, pocketing the profits while utterly destroying the local environment.

Marching like soldiers heading into battle with red bands tied around their foreheads, they were clearly not ordinary citizens seeking a peaceful resolution.

"It's the Baekrok-san group!"

The working-level staff in the first-floor civil petition office gasped in horror at their arrival.

These were the same people who would pull a hundred queue tickets per person to paralyze the system, urinate in front of the water purifiers, lie down on the floor, and scream profanities until the young officers were driven to psychiatric counseling.

Just seeing them triggered instant PTSD.

"Those bastards..."

"They're heading straight for the mayor's office..."

The faces of the first-floor staff turned pale.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Yun-hyeok stood face-to-face with about forty members of the Baekrok-san Preservation Alliance.

They aggressively surrounded the mayor's desk, and the alliance's president, Kim Nam-jae, glared at Yun-hyeok with narrowed eyes.

"We trust that Mayor Lee Yun-hyeok will protect Baekrok-san. Please completely withdraw the development plan."

They had likely thought this was the perfect opportunity.

Whether looking at political power, remaining term length, or administrative security, a weak mayor with only two years left was the absolute best target to force a complete cancellation of the development project.

That was undoubtedly their calculation.

"A complete withdrawal is not on the table," Yun-hyeok replied flatly.

"Then pay us compensation for the violation of our environmental rights."

"There is no legal basis for compensation regarding environmental rights violations."

"..."

Kim Nam-jae and Yun-hyeok locked eyes, a tense silence stretching between them.

"Let's do this instead," Yun-hyeok said, breaking the silence.

"We all know the real reason you are resisting this development. And while the concept of environmental rights violations doesn't exist in this legal context, you could technically demand compensation for noise and dust pollution once construction begins."

"Exactly. You have to pay us compensation for that."

"I won't."

"What?"

"My proposal is this: Do not demand compensation. Instead, voluntarily demolish your illegal farms within a week and cooperate with the development."

"..."

Kim Nam-jae tilted his head, utterly baffled.

"And what about our compensation?"

"I just gave it to you. The opportunity to demolish them voluntarily. I won't enforce administrative execution. And I will offset the fines for your illegal structures with the compensation you would have asked for."

The corner of Kim Nam-jae's mouth twitched.

"Well, well," he sneered. "This guy is a psycho several times worse than Baek Hyeong-guk."

"Compared to an embezzler, I'd say I'm a massive upgrade."

"Mayor."

Kim Nam-jae flicked his finger toward the alliance members. Understanding the signal, several men quickly pushed the heavy conference table in the mayor's office to the side.

"You shouldn't play politics like this. A man with only two years left in office is far too fearless."

Kim Nam-jae plops down right on the floor, raising his fist high into the air.

It's starting.

Yun-hyeok stood up from his chair.

"Preserve!" Kim Nam-jae roared at the top of his lungs.

"Baekrok-san!" the crowd bellowed back.

"Protect!"

"The environment!"

This is a disaster!

Director Kim Min-cheol ran up to the second floor in a panic, while the deputy mayor's faction watched the exact same situation unfold with sheer delight.

He finally caused a catastrophe.

Politics wasn't something that could be done with pure passion and ideals. Now that his office was occupied by that monstrous organization, how on earth was the mayor going to respond?

"Preserve! Baekrok-san!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Their deafening chants echoed all the way down to the first-floor civil petition office.

The situation was spiraling into the worst-case scenario.

The sheer noise would disrupt the working-level staff and citizens alike, and the blame for the chaos would ultimately fall squarely on Yun-hyeok's shoulders.

This had to be resolved, and fast.

"Mayor!"

Kim Min-cheol caught up with Lee Yun-hyeok in the hallway as he walked toward the main conference room.

"You don't need to try and reason with those people! They didn't come here to negotiate in the first place!"

Kim Min-cheol urged him to call the police and have them dragged out immediately.

Yun-hyeok shook his head.

"Moving the office was for the sake of the staff, but my promise to keep it open to all citizens wasn't just empty rhetoric."

This wasn't Seoul with a population of ten million, nor was it a massive provincial government.

In a city of barely 490,000, how many malicious complainants could there possibly be, and how rough could they really get?

"I can handle this perfectly fine on my own without involving the police."

"How?!"

"Since they refused to negotiate, we do it strictly by the book."

Their occupation of the mayor's office was actually exactly what Yun-hyeok had been hoping for.

Why?

Because it meant the illegal farms on Baekrok-san were completely empty right now.

Click.

Yun-hyeok opened the door to the conference room. When Kim Min-cheol saw the team waiting inside, he froze in sheer shock.

About thirty people were gathered by department. They ranged from Grade 7 officers to division heads and even bureau directors.

The Environmental Division, Urban Development Division, Agricultural Administration Division, Tax Division...

It was a fully mobilized Task Force.

"In the past, whenever we went to conduct a survey, those people resisted so violently that we couldn't get any work done. But we can do it today."

Yun-hyeok pointed toward the hallway leading to his office.

"Because they are currently far too busy occupying my room."

There was no need to notify the occupants beforehand. There was a perfectly legal workaround.

Since the greenbelt designation had been lifted, the area was now classified as an urban planning facility zone. The city hall held the actual administrative authority over the land. As the primary entity overseeing the development, conducting surveys and site inspections was a standard, routine procedure.

Furthermore, because illegal structures existed on the site and the occupants were uncooperative or had left the property unattended, the local government's authority to enter and inspect was not only legal but essential for executing administrative duties.

Yun-hyeok sat down and began delegating tasks with rapid-fire precision.

"Environmental Division."

"Yes, Mayor!"

"Conduct a thorough investigation into the environmental damage in the area. Focus on soil contamination, but make sure to check for valley water pollution as well. They must have been diverting the natural stream water for their illegal farms."

"Understood!"

"Urban Development Division."

"Yes, Mayor!"

"They've likely been tapping electricity illegally from the nearby utility poles. Check the wiring and document everything."

"Understood."

"Agricultural Administration Division."

"Yes, Mayor!"

"Document the exact scale of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the illegal farms and the types of crops they are producing. Compare it with legitimate agricultural operations of similar scale in Mir City. The key is to estimate their total revenue."

"Understood!"

"Tax Division."

"Yes, Mayor!"

"Collaborate with the other divisions to prepare a comprehensive tax audit on their undeclared income over the years."

"Understood!"

"And the Legal Team."

"Yes, sir."

"Work with every department to list every single illegal act that organization has committed. Do not miss a single item."

Kim Min-cheol stood there, completely dazed.

Lee Yun-hyeok's declaration that he would root out malicious complaints and ensure administrative power was executed properly was anything but an exaggeration.

He really intends to fight them.

He was genuinely planning to crush the lawless elements like the Baekrok-san Preservation Alliance once and for all—something previous mayors had never dared to even dream of.

"Director Kim, you don't need to be involved in this."

To Yun-hyeok, this was simple enough that he could afford to spare his most valuable asset.

"Take the staff from the Planning and Coordination Department and head down to Doma-myeon and Hawol-myeon."

Yun-hyeok assigned Kim Min-cheol a much larger, more critical project.

"Go and draw up the master blueprint for the Smart Farm development project."

Clap!

Yun-hyeok clapped his hands together, his eyes shining with sharp resolve.

"Alright, everyone. Let's move fast."