The outer periter of the Namdong Industrial Complex was encircled by a massive wall. Not the entire area, of course—this was a partial asure taken years ago by the city governnt after growing complaints and damages caused by rampant gang activity.
It wasn’t particularly effective. The walls could be scaled, and since they didn’t encircle the entire complex, gangs could simply go around them. The very notion of leaving the Namdong Industrial Complex ant these gangs weren’t going to be stopped by sothing as simple as a wall.
Still, the walls were constructed to provide minimal physical and psychological security. A grand gate was also erected at the ti. That was more than a decade ago.
Now, that once-imposing gate was little more than a dilapidated wreck. A sagging police line was all that indicated this crumbling structure had once been sothing significant. The gate's intimidating presence had long since vanished.
"Wow. That gate really looks like this now..."
Dantto gazed at it, seemingly lost in thought. For her, it must have been a symbol of isolation from the rest of the world, a boundary marking the only place she had ever known.
She approached the gate with a wistful expression, reaching out as if to caress it—
Spit.
—but instead, she spat. A glob of phlegm clung to the wall and slid down.
"Dantto, that’s cultural heritage. Restoration costs would be about 1.5 billion won."
"What? This junk is cultural heritage??"
"I’m kidding."
"..."
Her eyes turned sharp whenever I cracked a joke. Terrifying.
Crossing the flimsy yellow police tape, I entered the actual restoration headquarters. Compared to the relatively calm outskirts where those housewives had been causing a ruckus, this area was sheer chaos. This was where the Namdong Industrial Complex really began.
A-103: Multiple targets located!
B-12 to B-13: Approximately 12 suspects fleeing!
Z-23: Large underground chamber discovered, requesting reinforcents!
The atmosphere was intense. Uniford personnel dashed around while operators inside makeshift container buildings coordinated efforts over rows of monitors. Most of them were police from the headquarters, managing the scene.
The sky was equally busy. Blue-striped AVs (aerial vehicles) zipped back and forth, transporting supplies and clearing debris. Occasionally, red-crossed dical AVs flew by.
"This explains why the AVs were parked outside."
The airspace was incredibly congested, especially in this area.
Flash!
In the distance, a bright explosion erupted. A dark red mushroom cloud rose, sending shockwaves rippling through the air and distorting the atmosphere.
The ground trembled.
Despite this, everyone continued their work as if nothing had happened. It must have been so routine by now that it barely warranted a reaction.
Boom!
A delayed thunderous roar followed. Another mushroom cloud ascended sowhere, accompanied by another blinding flash.
"Oh, this is just great."
At that mont, a young officer overseeing the operation noticed . He removed his cap, revealing hair matted with grease, likely from going without a proper wash for days.
I vaguely recognized him. He had been part of the operation when we first cleared out the Namdong Industrial Complex—a "special sothing-or-other," if I recalled correctly.
"My apologies, sir. I wasn’t inford of your arrival."
"I ca unannounced."
The dark circles under his eyes made his exhaustion painfully obvious, to the point that even I felt guilty. Was he running on stimulants to stay awake?
"I don’t have much to offer, but perhaps a coffee? It’s decent."
He held out a canned coffee, the kind you’d get from a vending machine. About 250ml, and if I rembered correctly, it cost 2,000 won.
"Quite generous of you."
There was no reason to refuse, so I accepted and drank it.
"As you can see, the situation is under control."
"I was told it was almost done."
"The suppression is complete, but the cleanup will take a while."
"How long are we talking?"
"At the current pace, probably about a month."
What a pain.
"Still, we’re in good shape. The gangs are too terrified to mount any real resistance, let alone organize themselves. That’s why we were able to start the restoration work so quickly."
"How’s the restoration going?"
"You’d get a clearer picture by visiting the administrative office. It’s further down. You’ve mobilized quite a workforce for this."
"Well, the sooner we ensure public safety, the better, don’t you think?"
"Haha, of course."
He gave a knowing smile, as if he could see through my words to my real intentions. Not that I could bla him—it wasn’t the most believable line.
"Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. Thanks for the coffee."
"Take care."
With that, I moved on. There was no need to have a lengthy conversation with him.
"Everyone’s working hard."
"They’re police, after all."
"..."
Soo-ah, perhaps still dwelling on my earlier comnt, suddenly spoke up but quickly cleared her throat and looked away.
"Make sure to donate to the agencies involved in this operation on behalf of the company, and ensure no one here is lacking anything. We don’t want any unnecessary rumors."
"Understood, sir."
The restoration headquarters for the Namdong Industrial Complex was massive, likely housing even more personnel than the police forces clearing out the remnants of the gangs.
"Sir...!"
A group of secretaries and what seed to be executives from related companies rushed toward in a panic.
"Oh, you’re here."
"Why so surprised? Sothing bad happen?"
"No, sir, nothing like that. It’s just... you arrived so suddenly."
I scanned the people present. There were overseers for the laborers, operators controlling industrial robots, what looked like aides to politicians, and even so reporters. All eyes were on .
My secretaries kept the reporters at bay.
'Are these the ones spreading weird rumors?'
I glanced at the reporters, mulling over their potential involvent.
They must’ve been the ones digging into my actions, concluding, "He must be planning to enter politics if he’s going this far!"
'It’s not entirely baseless, I suppose.'
Reflecting on my recent actions, I realized how they might appear.
I’d urged for a special investigation to root out sexual exploitation in the entertainnt industry, introduced a "no-physical-contact" standard contract for entertainers, and taken in over a thousand displaced female entertainers. I even proposed building a won-only prison funded with billions for correctional reform. On top of that, I’d funded and spearheaded the military-backed operation to reclaim the Namdong Industrial Complex, personally beaten up a district mayor trying to hog the credit, and delivered a live speech for the citizens.
Given all that, it wasn’t unreasonable to think I had political aspirations.
'No wonder those housewives were acting up.'
They assud I’d care about public opinion because they thought I was entering politics. That’s why they pulled such stunts.
'This is why corporations act ruthless.'
You can’t show any weakness. If you leave even the smallest gap, people will exploit it. You have to press down firmly until they submit.
I gathered my secretaries.
"Did you notice those weird people outside?"
"Uh... no, sir. We were focused here."
"So self-proclaid local representatives were trying to piggyback on this project. Next ti, just beat them to a pulp. Kill them if necessary. Once pests start swarming, there’s no end to it."
"Uh... but sir, wouldn’t it be better to stay quiet until the restoration budget approval cos through? There’s no benefit in stirring things up."
"Oh, right, the budget."
I’d almost forgotten about that.
"Don’t worry about it. Kim Eun-ji will handle it."
"Understood, sir."
As I reviewed the restoration progress and surveyed the area, I arranged for an armored vehicle for Dantto. It was equipped with thick bulletproof glass and heavy plating, making it virtually impervious to gang attacks.
I used it to tour the Namdong Industrial Complex, seeing its destruction up close. The desolation was even more striking than when I’d entered to rescue Nine Road.
'Now I’ll level this place and turn it into my city.'
In my mind, I could already envision a modern, developed Namdong Industrial Complex.
'It’s not an industrial complex anymore. Since it’s all mine, maybe I’ll call it "Muyeol Land" instead.'
The thought was amusing. Finally realizing the gangs had been eradicated gave a sense of relief, like pulling out a rotten tooth.
"Master."
Soo-ah’s voice broke through my thoughts.
"The financial authorities have completed their review of Muyeol Finance's corporate establishnt. It passed without issue."
"Oh?"
Perfect timing. My financial corporation was officially established.
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