The Seasoned Rookie
"Assemblyman," Yun-hyeok said, addressing Im Jun-won.
"My goal in establishing the Smart Farm Innovation Valley isn't simply to distribute new technology and provide subsidies to rural areas."
In truth, Im Jun-won already knew the ultimate objective of this project.
"What I want is to bring the younger generation back to Doma-myeon and Hawol-myeon."
To achieve this, Yun-hyeok planned to lease or sell about twenty percent of the greenhouses to young outsiders.
His target demographic consisted of young professionals looking to start their own businesses after quitting their corporate jobs, unable to stomach the rigid vertical hierarchies and exhausting office politics.
Typically, such people turned to small-scale retail, opening cafes or restaurants. Yun-hyeok was offering smart farm agriculture as a viable alternative.
The third-generation Smart Farm system would compensate for their lack of expertise with data-driven crop management. It also offered high levels of automation, labor convenience, and a pleasant working environment. On top of that, the massive initial investment barrier had been cleared, with the local government and the Agricultural Cooperative sharing the financial burden.
By lowering the barrier to entry, it would undoubtedly be considered a strong alternative to traditional self-employment.
However, there was one crucial element these aspiring young farmers would need.
"We have to provide a living environment that meets their standards."
They needed to build public housing near the Innovation Valley, designate commercial zones, encourage businesses to move in, and establish daycares and kindergartens. Eventually, they would even need schools.
"And for that, we need a land-use zoning change."
This was a task too heavy for a local government head to pull off alone.
First, the proposal for the zoning change had to be tabled before Gyeonggi Province's Urban Planning Committee. Once approved at the provincial level, the province would submit a request to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which would then consult with the Governor of Gyeonggi Province to either approve or defer it.
In short, the head of a basic local government didn't even have the right to negotiate.
"Are you asking me to help you persuade Governor Han Gi-jeong?" Im Jun-won asked. "I heard the two of you had a bit of a clash."
As expected of a member of the National Assembly, his information was swift.
But he had misread the situation.
"Persuading the Governor is something I can handle myself."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, there are plenty of ways. But even if I persuade him and he formally submits the request to the Ministry, the process will take far too long, and the probability of rejection is overwhelmingly high."
Following the standard administrative procedure would take at least six months. More often than not, it dragged on for two to three years.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport was a fundamentally conservative bureaucratic institution, notoriously reluctant to lift regulations on land classified as agricultural.
They feared being hounded by complaints from construction firms or redevelopment interest groups if they opened that door.
And what if the local government head requesting this zoning change had only one year left in his term?
The Ministry would almost certainly ignore it entirely.
Why would they rush to process a request when the mayor might change in a year and scrap the whole plan? They would drag their feet, claiming it was 'under internal review,' until well after the local elections.
Therefore...
"We must negotiate with the Ministry directly. We need to secure a National Pilot Zone designation to bypass standard planning amendments and obtain a swift zoning change. I need you to make that happen."
"...You are asking for something incredibly difficult."
"But because it is you, Assemblyman, I believe it is possible. Aren't you a member of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee?"
Im Jun-won let out a quiet, inward sigh.
I've been snared.
Just as Lee Yun-hyeok said, it might be possible if he used the immense leverage of a committee member to pressure the Ministry. But for Im Jun-won, it carried significant political risk.
And the reward was meager.
Why?
Because things like land-use zoning changes are invisible to the public.
If Im Jun-won resolved this issue, Yun-hyeok would be the one building public housing, establishing daycares, and bringing in businesses near the newly zoned Innovation Valley.
The residents would only see those tangible results.
A zoning change on a piece of paper meant nothing to them. They would simply praise Mayor Lee Yun-hyeok for transforming the Innovation Valley into something spectacular.
"When you were building the Innovation Lab in Jungang-dong, didn't you go around meeting ministers and persuading them all on your own?"
"Looking back, I realize that was a mistake on my part. Think of how awkward it must have been for Assemblyman Mun Ji-hun. When negotiating with the central government, the local district's assemblyman should never be bypassed. I should have consulted you and worked together from the start."
"..."
"I was a rookie in my first term, so I didn't know any better. Please help me, Assemblyman, so I don't make the same mistake this time."
A bitter taste filled Im Jun-won's mouth.
Cunning bastard...
He was slipping away like a snake.
A rookie in his first term who didn't know any better?
Don't make me laugh. He engineered every single detail of this.
Yet, Im Jun-won couldn't back out now.
The residents of Doma-myeon and Hawol-myeon are far too united on this.
Ever since Lee Yun-hyeok persuaded the local agricultural co-op and clashed with the national federation, this project had skyrocketed to become the single most important issue among the local farmers.
Even Im Jun-won, as the district's representative, had publicly supported Yun-hyeok during the substation dispute and the co-op conflict.
Everyone in the district was thinking, This is really going to be something huge!
Moreover, a massive glass greenhouse rising in the middle of flat farmland would instantly become a local landmark. Everyone in town would talk about who built it. Im Jun-won could not afford to have his name left out of that conversation.
And there was another major problem.
"Assemblyman. Doma-myeon and Hawol-myeon are traditional strongholds for the Jayu Party. While the general election is still three years away, the local elections are only a year out."
Yun-hyeok had strategically positioned this piece on his tactical board as well.
"Doma-myeon and Hawol-myeon are precious to the city council candidates who will receive the Jayu Party's nomination."
"..."
The party nominations were already wrapping up. Though not officially announced, the candidates Im Jun-won had backed were practically set to run in Doma-myeon and Hawol-myeon.
These areas traditionally boasted high support for the Jayu Party, but if Im Jun-won clashed with Yun-hyeok over the zoning change and pulled out...
And if someone else—say, Park Dae-man—stepped in and resolved the zoning issue instead...
Then the Jayu Party ran a very real risk of losing Doma-myeon and Hawol-myeon in the local elections. If that happened, the party would hold Im Jun-won solely responsible.
"I know how these things go because I used to be in Assemblyman Park Dae-man's camp," Yun-hyeok said, driving the final wedge.
"Assemblyman Park is quite close to Assemblyman Ha Hui-su. She is also a member of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, isn't she?"
"Heh."
Im Jun-won let out a low, dry chuckle.
"Did you learn how to negotiate like this under Park Dae-man?"
"..."
"It seems you're even better than him. Talk about the student surpassing the master."
"You flatter me."
"I will get you that zoning change. In return, you must remember this favor. This is a highly unprofitable deal for me."
"Of course. I will deeply engrave and emulate your love and dedication to your constituents, Assemblyman."
With a polite expression of gratitude, Yun-hyeok took his leave.
Left alone in the empty room, Im Jun-won kicked the table in frustration.
"Now I understand why Han Gi-jeong smashed his e-cigarette."
A mountain of luggage was piled up in the entryway.
Ji Hye-min's father let out a gasp of disbelief.
"Hye-min. Are you sure this is just two months' worth of stuff for summer vacation? Are you evacuating from a war zone?"
Pillows, pillowcases, blankets, a cooling mat.
Bundles of clothes, pajamas, underwear, safety shorts, shoes, hats, bags, a wallet, glasses, contact lenses, artificial teardrops, cotton swabs, an eyebrow razor, a comb, and nail clippers.
A shower loofah, body wash, shampoo, cleansing foam, a makeup pouch, lotion, moisturizing cream, skin recovery cream, toner, sunscreen, body lotion, and hand cream.
Detergent, fabric softener, a laundry basket, laundry nets, and a mini drying rack.
A tumbler, first-aid medicine, an umbrella, slippers, wet wipes, tissues, a desk lamp, a power strip, a mini fan, a laptop, a tablet, an external hard drive, chargers, and AirPods.
Canned tuna, Spam, instant rice, side dishes packed by her mother, basic tableware, an electric kettle, and even instant ramen.
"With this much stuff, you could survive a nuclear winter."
She was a textbook "J," armed with a terrifying level of planning.
But an unexpected variable threw Hye-min's perfect plan into disarray.
While they were driving to Mir City with her father's car packed to the brim, she received a text message.
"Ah!" she gasped.
"D-Dad..." Hye-min said, glancing nervously at him from the passenger seat.
"Would you mind just dropping the bags off at the dorm entrance and heading back home...?"
"What are you talking about? You expect to carry all this to your room by yourself?"
"Yeah... it's fine. It's not that many boxes."
"It's a mountain of stuff, what do you mean?"
"I can do it alone!"
"And didn't you say you have to clean the room too?"
"I'll do that alone too!"
"Stop talking nonsense. Let's just finish up quickly and grab dinner together."
"Please!"
"What is wrong with you all of a sudden?"
Hye-min's father was utterly baffled, but he understood the moment they arrived at the dormitory.
"Hello."
A young man was waiting to greet them at the entrance of the building.
"You brought a boy! On your very first day of moving in!" her father hissed.
"No! No! He's the Mayor!" Hye-min shrieked in desperation.
"The Mayor?"
An average citizen rarely had any reason to meet a local government head in daily life. Even though he recognized the face from YouTube, his brain couldn't immediately bridge the gap.
"Y-You really are the Mayor of Mir City..."
The sudden appearance of a prominent politician left Hye-min's father thoroughly flustered.
"Hello, Father," Yun-hyeok said, bowing politely.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Lee Yun-hyeok, the Mayor of Mir City. I came to help carry the moving boxes."
A mayor who helps citizens unpack?
This was highly confusing for Hye-min's father.
I've neglected Hye-min for too long.
Yun-hyeok had been feeling a sense of urgency lately.
Work was important, but family was equally vital. A politician who couldn't care for his own family could never care for his country!
Especially for a politician who claimed to solve the low birth rate crisis, shouldn't he lead by example in his own home?
If he wanted to meet the children he had raised in his second and third lives again, he absolutely had to win over the woman he had spent lifetimes with.
I didn't expect to meet my father-in-law so soon, though.
But this was a perfect opportunity to win him over first. Yun-hyeok already knew all of his father-in-law's habits and preferences.
As they opened the trunk of the car to unload the boxes, Yun-hyeok pointed to a fishing rod inside, acting as if he had just noticed it.
"Do you like fishing?"
"Ah, yes. I go fishing occasionally," the father replied, still looking a bit awkward.
"Please wait a moment."
Yun-hyeok walked back to his own car. Hye-min had texted him that she was coming with her father, and Yun-hyeok had prepared a little something in advance.
Polarized sunglasses—an absolute essential for any fisherman!
It was the exact model his father-in-law had been eyeing and hesitating to buy at this point in time. The price was a modest 39,800 won.
"This is a small gift. I bought it a while ago, but I've been too busy to use it. It's brand new."
"Oh!" the father gasped, startled.
"I-I can't accept something like this, it's too much...!"
"Please accept it, Father. I owe Hye-min a great deal. I wanted to repay her even a little bit."
"Well... still... Do you fish too, Mayor?" the father asked, warming up slightly.
"Occasionally. My father actually owns a fishing boat in the East Sea. Would you like to go together sometime?"
"A fishing boat!"
Judging by the sudden brightness in his eyes, the boat trip was far more enticing than the sunglasses.
"I actually got my boat license a while ago, following in my father's footsteps."
"Oh...!"
"Let's go boat fishing together, the three of us, with Hye-min!"
"Would... would that really be alright?"
"Of course, Father. And please, speak comfortably. Just think of me as your daughter's friend."
"Hehehe..."
"We'll go to the East Sea, catch some fish, and I'll slice up some fresh sashimi for you. We can have a glass of soju too!"
"Hye-min!" the father barked, turning to his daughter.
"Work hard on that YouTube channel!"
"Dad..."
"Should I just head home? Do you want to unpack with the Mayor?"
Hye-min stared at her father in sheer disbelief.
Yun-hyeok quickly intervened.
"No, Father. You've come a long way. I can't let you leave like this. Let's finish up quickly and have a meal together."
"Is that alright?"
"Of course. Mir City has many great restaurants. I'll treat you to a Governor-level VIP reception!"
"Ohohoho!"
As expected of a middle-aged dad, he thoroughly appreciated that kind of humor.
Yun-hyeok led the excited father and the utterly soul-crushed Hye-min up to the dormitory room.
Excellent.
Now, the real work began.
First, he opened the windows to let the room air out.
Then, he slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and diluted some bleach in water.
Watch closely, Hye-min. This is the seasoned housework skill of an experienced rookie father.
He charged into the bathroom first!
Applying the bleach mixture, he scrubbed every inch of the bathroom with a brush, sparkling clean in no time.
Whirrrr!
Next, he ran the vacuum through the living area, mopped the floors, and cleared the sink of any dust.
He organized and neatly lined up the toiletries, bedding, and food items in their respective cabinets.
He threw the pillowcases and blankets into the washing machine, then wiped down the kitchen counters with a clean rag to finish up.
Finally...
"I came to help you unpack, but since this is also a housewarming of sorts..."
Yun-hyeok opened a diffuser he had brought along.
"A housewarming gift."
He placed it neatly on the bathroom shelf.
"Welcome to Mir City, Hye-min."
"You... you must do a lot of housework at home..." Hye-min murmured, looking at him with genuine admiration.
"I do a lot," Yun-hyeok replied with a smile.
Though, of course, he had done it all in their past lives together.
"If anything happens while you're staying in Mir City, feel free to call me."
Let's see each other often, Hye-min.