Resellers Must Be Judged (1)
Time flew by, and the second batch of MRC was finally ready for shipment.
The volume was double that of the first batch.
Taeju had come to the Gurye factory to personally inspect the final stages of the rollout.
The place was swarming with soldiers to the point where it was hard to tell if this was a military base or a factory. The security was as tight as a full-scale military operation.
That was because fully armed Imperial Army troops had been deployed to every Taehong Bio factory and branch, turning them into fortresses.
Mines had shown up at an MRC factory, after all. Doing nothing would be dereliction of duty.
Naturally, the Jirisan Defense Force had mobilized in full force to Gurye as well.
The moment the unit commanders spotted Taeju, they barked out,
"Salute the Chairman Kim!"
"Exterminate the demons! Exterminate the demons! Exterminate the demons...!"
Taeju frowned and said,
"Cut the crap, Major General Oh."
"Hey, does this look like a joke to you? One of the Samhan Empire's real power players—someone whose face we rarely even see—graces us with his presence. We should be doing a full parade review at minimum."
"..."
Major General Oh Jinhyeong of the Jirisan Defense Legion was grinning from ear to ear.
Why's he so hyped up?
Did something good happen?
No way...?
"Promotion come through? Four stars now?"
"Heh, sharp as ever."
"Then why're you still hanging around here?"
"Gotta wait for the spot to open up. Soldier, NCO, officer... doesn't matter. A soldier's tied to their post."
"Ah, got it."
Taeju felt a warm glow of satisfaction too.
How much help had he gotten from Oh Jinhyeong when he first arrived in Gurye?
Of course it felt good seeing the man succeed.
"Anyway, when are you getting married?"
...Marriage?
This guy's got no filter.
"Shouldn't you ask if I even have a girlfriend first?"
"Huh? You do."
"What?"
"A girlfriend."
What the hell is he talking about?
"Where do I have a girlfriend—"
"It's all out in the open now."
"What nonsense is—"
Taeju finally understood once Oh Jinhyeong pulled up the news article on his smartphone and showed it to him.
'Huh?'
Who is the Man Walking with Baekdu Group Heiress Jeong Yeonhui in Downtown Paju?
· It's not hard to guess who the man in the photo is. A simple assumption might label it a boss-subordinate relationship, but they look far too intimate for that. The real question is how far things have progressed... and if marriage is on the table...
When was this taken?
"This the only article? Check this out too. It's blowing up right now."
Taehong Bio Chairman Kim Taeju, Already Off the Market?
Baekdu Group Responds Ambiguously—Requests Restraint from Excessive Speculation.
Stock Market on Fire: Baekdu Affiliates Hitting Upper Limits One After Another.
'Sigh.'
This is a headache.
Why blast this story all of a sudden?
"When's the wedding? You'll send invites, right? Where's the venue? Skip Gurye or Paju. New Seoul if possible. Borrow the Imperial Palace banquet hall..."
That was when it happened.
"Hey! You think every guy and girl hanging out are dating? Probably just business talk. No way Chairman Kim's walking into marriage hell on his own!"
It was Secretary Geum Suhu.
"Soldiers are all the same, young or old—no resistance to women! These bastards pick out kindergartens the moment they lock eyes with one."
Oh Jinhyeong pulled a sour face.
"It's credible, that's why. Secretary Geum, you're still single, so you wouldn't get it..."
"Shut it, you grunt! Go secure the factory properly if you don't want that promotion yanked!"
"Why always pick on me... you're ex-military yourself."
As Oh Jinhyeong grumbled and slunk away, Geum Suhu pulled out two small bags and handed them to Taeju.
"Here. Gifts from the Amerian Republic."
"Oh! Finally!"
Subspace bags—now he had four in total.
"How much?"
"They didn't mention price... free? Just take 'em."
"Can't be."
Nothing was free in this world.
Especially not bags like these, worth a fortune each.
"Tell them to name a price. I'll pay up."
"Got it. Oh, and the Euro Empire reached out. About the Black Mafia."
"Investigation going well?"
"Turns out they were already watching the Black Mafia—a gang outfit they'd had eyes on in Europe too."
"Yeah?"
The name screamed mob, so no surprise.
"The second they linked it to the mine terror, Euro Empire police and intel agents raided Black Mafia branches in every major city."
"...Catch anyone?"
"Nope. Too late. Not a single ant left behind. Whatever gear remained..."
He could guess.
The conversation between the warlock Edward and the shadowy figure.
They'd gone to ground.
Made them hard to track.
Unless the boss showed his face.
"At least they ID'd the mine: Mo Yeonggang, a Chinese-Euro Empire citizen, refugee background. Made his living on hit jobs."
A mine was nothing.
The real issue: the Black Mafia elders who'd used him as a tool.
Five of them—four left.
And their soul-linked leader.
"Euro Empire's on high alert now. Mine org confirmed real. They'll throw everything at it—let's wait."
"Fair enough."
"I'll head out then. Keep up the good work. And drop the marriage talk."
"..."
After parting with Geum Suhu, Taeju headed to his private lab.
Time to brainstorm how to catch those bastards.
Cheonma was luck—Dang Gunak handled it.
This was different.
No clue who the linked soul was.
'Gotta catch 'em somehow...'
Not on a world peace mission, but their existence was a threat.
Would they stay quiet?
Attack was coming eventually.
And Taeju had too many people to protect now.
'Said to wait. Preparing to receive me.'
Whatever that meant.
Taeju pulled the ring the warlock Edward had dropped from his pocket.
Only clue left.
Checked for magic—nothing.
Just an elite mana crystal embedded.
'What's it for?'
Try it on.
Taeju slipped it onto his right ring finger.
Waited for an effect...
'Hm.'
Nothing.
Hand to an expert for a deep scan?
Right then!
Knock knock.
"Chairman, it's Baek Seoyeonn."
"Come in."
Her face was grave.
"What's up?"
"Well, it's..."
Her voice was subdued.
Looked pissed.
"You know the company monitors SNS posts related to you, right?"
"Ah, yeah, I remember the report."
"PR just flagged one. Couldn't let it slide—had to show you."
Shit.
Daspaetchu article fallout?
What to say? Not dating...?
"Must be a misunderstanding. It's purely business..."
"Look at this."
"Huh?"
Caught him off guard.
Not the dating rumor.
A short SNS video from what looked like a Southeast Asian girl.
Sobbing, pleading something.
"Not a Samhan citizen. Name's Ayla, from the Burma Republic. Translation of what she's saying..."
"No need. I get what she's saying."
"Pardon? How...?"
Taeju realized the ring's purpose.
'Interpreter ring. ...Score.'
At first, unfamiliar tongue.
Then curiosity hit, ring pulsed, and her words clicked perfectly in his ears.
Could even speak it now, probably.
Something similar in the Immortal Realm.
Scholar Immortal Galhong's Thousand-Li Divine Communication spell array.
Wide-range language sharing.
Different method, though.
Spell array was telepathy-style; this was AI translator—even interpreted the video audio.
"This real?"
"Checked it out. Unfortunately, all true."
Burma Republic—once Myanmar 300 years back.
Second biggest in Southeast Asia after Thai Kingdom. Republic in name only—a junta dictatorship.
Dictator: Mintanu. Burma's top Master, government supreme commander.
Taehong Bio supplied MRC there too.
Girl's brother: severe mana rejector. Died without treatment.
Grief-stricken, she vented on SNS shorts.
"How many MRC vials to Burma?"
"About 10,000. None circulated."
"None? They diverted and resold elsewhere?"
"Yes. At minimum five times markup—probably more."
Resellers.
Vile ones, gambling with lives.
How's that different from murder?
"Dictator Mintanu's spouted this before."
"What?"
"Mana rejectors are societal parasites. Best to cull them for progress. Excluded from welfare."
"Fucking psycho."
"Classic awakener elitist. Figures selling abroad pads the budget more than treating his own."
'Sigh.'
Rage boiled.
If Mintanu were here, he'd grab his head and spin it off.
Taeju knew as ex-rejector.
Treatments existed now, but stigma lingered.
- Mana rejectors are burdens.
- Useless trash.
- Waste of taxes.
- Why invest in the dying?
Even in Samhan Empire, discrimination.
Taeju lived it—lieutenant ignored by privates.
Couldn't ignore this.
For Burma's hundreds of thousands of rejectors.
"Samhan government know?"
"They will soon."
"How'll they respond?"
"Protest to Burma gov, probably."
"If they stonewall?"
"Then... export ban, maybe."
Fucking bastards.
Ban hurts innocents more.
"If protests fail, tell them to explore smuggling MRC to Burma's severe cases."
"Yes, sir."
Not enough.
"Full audit other countries too."
"Understood."
"Need Burma power players' names and photos... off-books, no Imperial Council or gov channels?"
Gov had limits.
No troops deploying.
Baek Seoyeonn pondered, then answered.
"Anti-junta rebels. They might have..."
"Perfect. Faster to meet them direct."
"I'll make contact. Discreetly."
She bowed and left.
No questions.
Like she knew his intent.
Taeju didn't explain.
Dictator Mintanu: villain.
And dumb.
Saving rejectors grows population—smarter long-term.
But how many villains were clever?
Just twisted thinkers, unhesitant on atrocities.
No leadership material.
Worth reforming?
※ ※ ※
Immortal Realm.
Gwigok and Galhong pored over Taeju's sent amusement park blueprints, deep in heated discussion.
"Start with easier rides here."
"Carousel's good. Spinning spaceship too."
"Roads between for smooth flow."
"Amazon Rapids here—socks soaked, undies drenched."
"Water source?"
"Immortal, and you don't know Hofunghwau? Summon a cloud, rain it down."
"Right, I'm an immortal. Slips my mind sometimes."
Juseon slipped in,
"Anything for us to ride?"
"Immortals? Thrill's in the fear."
"Damn straight. Normals wouldn't get it... wait!"
Gwigok's eyes sparkled.
"Seal immortal qi with talismans for a bit."
"Qi seal?"
"Then rides'll have 'em pissing themselves."
"Ooh... won't kill us?"
"Die from qi seal? Might as well try dying once."
Plans progressed smoothly.
Issue: construction time.
Compress it max.
Craved celestials frolicking ASAP.
"How many can we muster?"
"Under 50 immortals. Martial immortals who can work: few."
"Tsk, labor shortage."
"Dokseon? Solution?"
"Busy. Sideline him. Wooing Seowangmo full tilt."
Then.
A dark figure entered the Multiplex.
"Uh, ex-excuse me..."
Juseon greeted warmly.
"Oh! Kangrim? What's up? Been scarce."
Looked ragged.
"Sudden issue..."
"Sit first. Wet your throat, then talk."
Kangrim sat awkwardly.
"Tsk, rough shape. Where's your watch?"
"Confiscated."
"Huh? By who?"
"W-well, here's the story..."
Kangrim's voice cracked tearfully.
Immortals' eyes lit up.
What? Yeomra?
Labor fixed quick.
Resellers Must Be Judged (1) End