Solidarity

Something was off.

Vice Chairman Ha Tae-hoon and Steering Committee Chairperson Choi Hyeon-ju, who ruled their respective parties within the city council, sensed an unusual atmosphere.

The other city council members had begun to avoid them quite blatantly.

Eventually, it came to this:

"Vice Chairman. About that ordinance... Let's just vote in favor of it..."

Such whispers began to emerge from among the Liberty Party council members.

"What kind of crazy talk is that? We're not blocking it?"

The reason for this sudden shift in the tide was soon revealed.

It was because Yun-hyeok had called Ha Tae-hoon and Choi Hyeon-ju in for a private meeting.

Holding the "Notice of Municipal Inquiry" that Ha Tae-hoon had handed him previously, Yun-hyeok asked,

"I noticed you didn't conduct the inquiry. Are you not going through with this?"

"...I postponed it."

Ha Tae-hoon had rescheduled the inquiry. With none of his fellow council members willing to fight alongside him, he lacked the confidence to stand alone.

"Are you still opposed to passing the ordinance?"

"...Y-yes, I am..." Ha Tae-hoon replied with a tense expression.

"And you, Councilwoman Choi?"

"You already forced my hand to support it, Mayor!"

"I'm asking for your honest thoughts."

"Well... I am opposed, but..."

"When the two of you came to piggyback on the Durim-myeon project, I welcomed you," Yun-hyeok said. "I let you take photos during the site inspection, issue a joint statement, and even publish articles under your own names. I tolerated all of it."

"..."

"You could have repaid that favor by actively supporting the ordinance. It's a necessary ordinance, after all." Yun-hyeok continued, "Even if you two are close with redevelopment brokers, you could have cut ties with them by now. Is it because you need campaign funds for the local elections the year after next?"

"Mayor!" Choi Hyeon-ju bit her lip. "You speak as if we've taken bribes. That is going too far—"

"But you did."

Yun-hyeok tossed a file on Raymi Castle onto the table before them.

"Th-this is..."

Their eyes shook with pure panic.

"H-how... did you get this..."

"This is f-fabricated! I have nothing to do with—"

Ha Tae-hoon's hands trembled violently.

Then, Choi Hyeon-ju suddenly did an about-face, grabbing Yun-hyeok's arm and clinging to him.

"Mayor!" She began to beg desperately. "Please, spare me!"

"It's too late. This is going to the prosecution," Yun-hyeok said.

"..."

Their faces drained of all color.

Passing the ordinance was no longer the issue. They were facing criminal prosecution; the redevelopment cartel was the least of their worries.

"You would do well to vote in favor of the ordinance ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠during the review," Yun-hyeok said. "If a politician who took kickbacks from redevelopment brokers opposes a redevelopment regulation ordinance, the prosecution will surely give them special treatment and investigate with extreme thoroughness, don't you think?"

"..."

"And the public outrage will be immense. For now, keep your heads down and lay low."

"What on earth is this?"

The Raymi Castle Tenant Association was thrown into an uproar.

It was due to an official document sent by the Raymi Castle corporate headquarters.

"The reconstruction union pocketed money during the construction process...?"

Yun-hyeok's older sister, Lee Yun-ha (35), smacked her forehead.

She had once complained to Yun-hyeok about the security cameras: 'Our apartment complex has had so many issues since construction. The window frames are from some obscure, no-name brand, there's no landscape lighting, and the landscaping itself is terrible!'

Despite the hefty price tag of the apartments, so many details had been cut—even the security cameras, which were vital for safety.

They had thought the construction company was just garbage, but there was someone else behind them.

The reconstruction union.

The union president had pocketed everything through various kickbacks. Some of the construction work had even been awarded to specific companies directly under the orders of city council members or the union president—such as the window frame brand. It was obvious what kind of backroom deals had taken place.

On top of that, the union leadership had swept up all the premium units on the best floors, sold them off, and run away. The consequences of their greed fell entirely on the regular union members and general buyers.

The Raymi Castle group chat exploded for the first time in a while.

The rumors quickly rippled through the physical community within the complex as well.

"I heard our landscaping turned out like this because of the union president!"

"Those bastards at Daesan E&M."

"What is the construction company saying?"

"They said they'd add a bit more landscaping."

"What about the landscape lighting?"

"No word on that. They just said they'd negotiate as much as possible to take corrective action."

"Oh, Raymi Castle... Why did you give what belonged to us to those thieves!"

Amidst the sighs and angry murmurs,

Daesan E&M?

A woman's ears perked up.

It was Hanjun's mom.

She lived in Beomdol District, but since there was no daycare center there, she dropped her baby off at the Raymi Castle daycare on her way to work.

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

She worked at a food packaging factory from nine in the morning until seven in the evening, returning home completely exhausted.

Yet, the mental burden weighed far heavier than the physical fatigue. As an outsider leaving her child at a daycare inside a private apartment complex, she couldn't help but feel constantly self-conscious. This was especially true after she had been severely scolded by the representative of Building 103.

What should I do...

Usually, she would pick up her baby ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after work and flee home like lightning, but today, she couldn't bring herself to take a step.

Daesan E&M... Aren't those the people who have been coming to our neighborhood lately?

The city hall had planned to install various community facilities, including a daycare center, in Beomdol District. To Hanjun's mom, this had felt like a salvation, but the project was now on the verge of collapse because of Daesan E&M.

But now, it seemed Raymi Castle was having some sort of issue with Daesan E&M as well.

What could it be?

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Hanjun's mom lingered near the entrance of the daycare, listening intently to the conversation.

Just then,

"Hanjun's mom!"

The Building 103 representative appeared from the far end.

"Ah!"

Terrified, Hanjun's mom scooped up her baby and began to run.

If she got caught, she would surely face another harsh scolding.

"What? Why are you running?!"

Startled, the Building 103 representative picked up her pace.

"Aaaah! I'm sorry!"

Hanjun's mom dashed through the back gate of the apartment complex and sprinted up the steep hill leading toward Beomdol District.

"Don't run!"

"I'm sorry! Let's talk next time!"

"No, wait a minute!"

"I have to put the baby to sleep!"

"I'm not trying to yell at you!" The Building 103 representative shouted, panting heavily. "Stop! You're going to fall!"

Running up a steep hill while cradling a seven-kilogram baby is no easy feat.

Even more so when your legs are completely drained from standing all day at a food packaging factory.

Thud!

In her frantic haste, Hanjun's mom tripped over her own feet and tumbled to the ground.

Though she managed to shield the baby with her arms and shoulders, keeping him safe,

"Ah!"

her elbows and knees scraped painfully against the rough asphalt.

"Waaaaah!"

The baby wailed, and the Building 103 representative rushed over in a panic.

"..."

Holding her crying child, Hanjun's mom suddenly felt a wave of sorrow wash over her, and tears burst from her eyes.

She missed her late husband so terribly.

"Oh my goodness, why were you running? Why?!"

The Building 103 representative checked her wounds as Hanjun's mom wiped her eyes. She pulled a bottle of water from her bag and gently washed the scrapes.

"You're bleeding!"

"It's just..." Hanjun's mom felt her emotional walls completely crumble. "It's so hard."

The baby, born after her husband's passing, was a source of comfort, but also an immense burden.

For her, taking time to grieve was a luxury she couldn't afford.

"It's just too hard..." She clung to the Building 103 representative and sobbed. "The mayor said they were going to build a daycare right in front of our villa. But now, I don't know what's going to happen to it."

"..."

"I'm sorry..."

The Building 103 representative felt her own eyes grow hot.

Her own children were already in middle school; she was much older than Hanjun's mom. While their circumstances differed, her human empathy was undeniable.

"Is that the place where Daesan E&M is trying to form a redevelopment union?" the representative asked.

"How do you know that?"

"They pocketed a massive fortune from Raymi Castle and ran. The entire complex is in an uproar right now."

"..."

"Is there some sort of resident representative or association in your neighborhood?"

"No..."

"The Tenant Association wants to talk with your neighborhood. We can't let more victims like us fall prey to them. Who should we speak to?"

"...Um..." Hanjun's mom wiped her eyes and spoke. "We have a group chat..."

"A group chat?"

Why would a fragmented area of thirteen separate villa buildings, rather than a unified apartment complex, have a group chat?

The Building 103 representative was confused, but it actually existed.

"Huh?"

Opening the chat, Hanjun's mom spotted an astonishing message and showed it to the representative.

"..."

Hanjun's mom and the Building 103 representative stared at each other in sheer disbelief.

After a moment of thought, the representative asked, "Can we go too?"

"I think so...?"

"Thank you. Those Daesan E&M bas—" She quickly filtered her language, mindful of the baby. "I need to have a good look at those gentlemen's faces."

"What the fuck is this?"

Cold sweat poured down the spine of Yeon Hui-cheol, the representative of Daesan E&M.

[Brother Ha Tae-hoon]The party you have called is unavailable...

[Chairperson Choi Hyeon-ju]The party you have called is unavailable...

[Councilwoman Kim Hye-ju]The party you have called is unavailable...

[Councilman Lee Jeong-hun]The party you have called is unavailable...

No one was answering.

"Check one more time." Yeon Hui-cheol's mind reeled at the unbelievable news. "Was it really unanimous?"

That insane ordinance had passed with a unanimous vote.

"Yes, sir! What do we do?" The employees were in a state of absolute panic.

"This... this makes no sense! Do you know how much money I've fed those bastards? Do they think they can run in the local elections without my money?!" Yeon Hui-cheol slammed his fist onto the table. "There's only a year and a half left, what the hell are they thinking..."

"Sir!" His secretary rushed in holding a phone.

"What is it?"

"It's Dojeong ENG."

"Give it to me."

Yeon Hui-cheol snatched the phone. The moment the call connected, the representative of Dojeong ENG began swearing.

-Are you out of your mind?! How did you handle this?!

"What?"

-The ordinance passed!

"That's..."

-They're demanding a re-evaluation of the safety diagnosis in Beomdol District! What are we supposed to do?!

"What did you say?"

-The mayor is coming in person to broadcast it live on ViewTube! What kind of crazy bastard is he?!

"B-broadcast?"

-And he's bringing in experts from other firms to cross-verify! We have no choice but to do things strictly by the book now. The representative of Dojeong ENG continued, -We're going to say we made a mistake during the previous evaluation and pull out. From now on, we don't know each other. Got it?

The line went dead.

He had been completely cut off at the knees.

He realized that was why they had called through the secretary's office instead of calling his personal line.

But the nightmare was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠far from over.

-Sir!

-No! You can't go in there!

-Please wait!

-You could be charged with obstruction of justice!

The hallway outside was in an uproar.

"What now...?"

Feeling like he was about to burst into tears, Yeon Hui-cheol opened the door. Standing outside were nine investigators from the Seongnam District Prosecutors' Office.

"I am Prosecutor Jang Jin-seok."

"..."

"We have a search and seizure warrant issued by the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court regarding charges of professional breach of trust and bid-rigging against Daesan E&M Co., Ltd. Please cooperate with the submission of relevant materials."

He displayed the search and seizure warrant.

"Go in."

The investigators swept into the CEO's office, the accounting department, and the server room.