< 56. 21st Century Robin Hood (10) >
***
Ha Eun-seong muttered in a dazed manner.
=But why the red star!=
I tried to believe what I wanted to believe.
The truth that was ignored.
“Those guys are not the apostles of justice you think they are.”
They win the support of the poor by spreading appropriate slogans, but the way they consume those who have completely fallen for them is cold and cruel.
and.
“You’re saying that the wealth of the rich should be divided equally? If taking 10 and then investing 1 is redistribution, then it’s redistribution.”
=?!=
It is not possible to track all of Red Star’s activities for accounting and tax purposes.
However, at the end of the police report, which investigated the revealed parts as much as possible, this conclusion was made.
Contrary to what they claim, the percentage of wealth Red Star plunders and earns that is reinvested for the public good is woefully low.
So where does all that huge money they have go?
“Red Star is ultimately nothing more than an interest group.”
A special interest group whose true purpose is unclear and who mercilessly tramples on the poor who are the ones being protected.
Ha Eun-seong clutched his head in self-loathing.
=Idiot… Idiot!=
He pretended to be a righteous thief and ended up putting his younger siblings in danger.
According to Minjun’s story, the true face of Red Star was that they mercilessly sacrificed even those with special abilities belonging to the organization.
What about the younger siblings who were taken hostage?
=Fuck!=
It was a surprising and scary story, but I had no choice but to trust him.
Based on my experience so far, he is the only one who can subdue me, so I didn’t think it was necessary to make up such a story.
While the ghost was suffering, Minjun was observing his spirit body closely.
‘What the heck is that knife?’
My memory was hazy. It was definitely something out of the ordinary, but my perception was incomplete, as if there was a hole. It must have something to do with my knowledge before I became a prisoner.
The handle on his neck was engraved with a strangely elaborate decoration. The angle of the blade that had penetrated the translucent spirit body was clearly visible. Ha Eun-seong’s cause of death was clear.
And at the tip of that sword…
Minjun narrowed his eyes.
‘The tip of the sword gently touched the soul.’
That sword was also part of the spirit body, so it wouldn’t be easy to remove. Even if it was forcibly separated, it would definitely cause damage.
‘If it was absorbed, where is the talent?’
While he was lost in thought, Ha Eun-seong, who had been struggling with self-loathing, raised his head again.
A sad face.
=I… What should I do?=
“It’s simple.”
Minjun proposed a sort of judicial bargain.
Ghosts are not protected by law and are not subject to punishment. The rights and obligations granted to a company under the name of a corporation are not granted to the dead.
However, just as the state can capture animals that are not legally entitled to rights, ghosts are also subject to the administrative power of Minjun, the agent of the state.
Not only did he participate in the crime, but he also promised to place Ha Eun-seong, who was unable to be restrained by the barrier, under proper protective custody instead of being classified as a ‘dangerous object’ and thrown into another dimension.
Instead, we ask for your full cooperation.
“For the time being, pretend to do as Red Star wants.”
The safety of my younger siblings was also at stake.
“I can’t take your siblings away right now. They’ll notice right away. Instead, I’ll make sure they’re protected in a safe house once everything’s over.”
What he’s worried about is that this ghost might just give up everything and run away.
For example, if Ha Eun-seong disappears into the atmosphere, there is no way to find him. Then, the way to recover the 1 million talents will also be lost.
Also, if I couldn’t find the million talents for Changcheon, I had to catch the mastermind and steal them all. That way, I would be compensated for my efforts, even if it wasn’t 15% of the amount stolen.
Ha Eun-seong accepted. In fact, there was no other way.
“Okay, what I’m wondering is why they lied and made me do this.”
The clue was a conversation between Ha Eun-seong and a woman believed to be a high-ranking Red Star official.
The ghost spoke in chronological order.
“Internal structure of the vault at the head office of Changcheon Bank?”
=Yes, I asked in great detail.=
It wasn’t that Red Star was after the talent. Even the high-ranking female executives thought Ha Eun-seong’s experience was a simple accident.
Then why did you send it?
The reason why he would have a ghost who couldn’t even carry a single ten-thousand-won bill spy on him was obvious. It was because he planned to rob the place later. It was a kind of preliminary investigation.
“But, that’s where Changcheon himself created the barrier.”
Minjun discovers a contradiction.
“If you could break through that, why didn’t you do it sooner? If you could destroy that barrier, you could figure out the internal structure without your help.”
=That’s fine···.=
The most important thing is how to break through the barrier.
How do you plan to overcome that difficulty?
The clue to that question was resolved by a subsequent statement.
“What did you see in the Heavenly Lair?! Say it again. You’re not mistaken.”
=Oh, no! I really saw it! It’s a dragon ghost.=
“You’re not a ghost, you’re a phantom?! You were trapped in a magic circle?”
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=Yes, I wouldn’t be confused about that···.=
And the moment I heard the words the ghost uttered with a scream.
“!”
The puzzle was completed in Minjun’s head.
“Those Red Star bastards, they really came out of the makeshift boat!”
And, there was another being who was hiding a secret.
He ground his teeth.
“Changcheon, this crazy old hag is real!”
While the ghost was watching, intimidated by the sudden reaction, Minjun tried to call Jenkinson right away.
But there was no need for that.
Because someone was trying to contact him through magical communication.
***
Ji Seon-gyeong, a high-ranking Red Star official who had been in contact with Ha Eun-seong, was frowning because of the incident that occurred at school.
The cradle of military training that even the police had not touched until now was raided, and most of the executives there were killed or handed over to the state. Through the high-ranking police officers she had bribed, she was able to find out that the immigration office was involved in this incident.
Although the loss of manpower was significant, Ji Seon-gyeong did not consider it a fatal blow.
It just hurts a little.
‘Oh my, the teeth of the hunting dogs used by the dragon hurt more than those of the hunting dogs used by the country.’
She regarded the immigration office as a private army of the dragon rather than a state agency, since outsourcing such a sector to a private company was itself seen as an abdication of administrative power.
This country has gone mad.
This is a crazy society.
Ji Seon-gyeong thought she could help reverse this wrong trend, but she would have to make some sacrifices along the way.
It can’t be helped.
“Hey! What the hell is going on?!”
The office door opened roughly. An old orc with his age clearly visible on his face came into the office in a hurry. Ji Seon-gyeong’s eyes, which had confirmed the other person, turned slightly cold, but quickly returned to their original expression.
The low and faint voices greet you.
“Welcome. It’s been a while.”
He was a wrinkled orc, a rare sight in Korea. He was a welcome testament to the humans who opposed the early payment of pensions to that race.
The fact that such a wealthy orc can live to be over 80 years old may be evidence that the reason most orcs die young is because they live dangerous and dirty lives.
The name of the man who is lending strength to the argument that if you can’t give pensions to poor humans quickly, you shouldn’t give them to orcs is Kim Gwang-woo.
“Please sit down.”
People think that Red Star and Kim Kwang-woo are enemies. In reality, the two are on very bad terms because of the structural limitations of not being able to maintain power and grow without slums.
Until recently.
“You said the school was robbed? Was it the dragon’s doing? Did he notice?”
There was a hint of agitation in his voice. It was an attitude that was not befitting of someone who had the largest orc gang in the country under his feet. Ji Seon-gyeong understood, even as she despised such an opponent.
They were about to face a worthy enemy.
Dragon.
“It was Jenkins who moved.”
“What? Why all of a sudden there?”
“It seems like our target has joined hands with Jenkinson.”
The orc’s face was distorted.
“You two are enemies! If your relationship is restored, our plan will be ruined…”
“I don’t think so.”
Ji Seon-gyeong speculated that it was a give-and-take transaction between the two dragons.
“We held hands for a moment because we needed to, but if the numbers are wrong, we could easily bite each other. Considering the greed of those monsters.”
Add leisurely.
“And don’t worry about school. We’ll leave it there.”
“I guess that can’t be helped. It must be quite a big blow.”
“It’s okay. You can start over. I can always find replacement troops.”
Ji Seon-gyeong and Kim Gwang-woo are confident.
Poverty will not disappear. Those who perceive themselves as marginalized will not disappear either.
As long as such poor people exist, neither the Red Star nor the Orc gangs will have trouble recruiting manpower.
These two groups, whose power base is in the Orc community, have maintained a delicate balance in that regard so far. A precarious peace.
That is, until an ‘ecosystem disruptor’ intervenes and upsets this balance.
“What about Rare?”
Ji Seon-gyeong smiled. It was the moment to deliver the good news that the orc had been waiting for.
“We have found the Dragon’s Ghost. If we analyze the contents of the psychic waves, we can definitely tell that it is Changcheon’s ex-husband.”
Only then did the orc’s expression brighten. He quickly looked over the documents after handing them over. His eyes were filled with such energy that it was impossible to sense any traces of time.
“That’s enough! This is enough! If the document is this detailed… that Red Dragon has no choice but to believe it!”
There isn’t much reason for two organizations that should be at odds to be in the same boat even for a short while.
When Changcheon began his relief work among the Orc community, Red Star and the Orc gangs felt a chilling threat.
For the residents here, medical support is as important as food, clothing, and shelter. It is also a matter of life and death. Therefore, medical supplies were always included in the relief supplies that Red Star distributed on the streets, and the Orc gangs also won over the Orcs by paying for the hospital bills of their sick parents, siblings, and children.
However, Changcheon began to take over that role. Spreading out financial resources to the point where it was questionable whether there was any bottom. If things continued this way, it would have been a situation where future businesses would be fatally damaged, but the opponent was Dragon.
And when Changcheon summoned Chairman Kim Gwang-woo, the landowner, saying that the project was still in the pilot stage, he had no choice but to comply despite the fact that it was a project that was against his interests.
The ‘audience’ took place in the lair of Changcheon.
The dragon demanded a lease from him, saying that he would build a university hospital-level clinic on the vacant lot around the Orc community. The Orc could only nod his head and obediently respond, ‘I will do so.’
It was the moment when the contract was signed under the dragon’s threats.
=······Let me go!=
Kim Gwang-woo heard faint psychic waves. Few people know this, but he was a telepath. He was so sick of ghosts that he would paint his office and car with exorcisms, so even ghosts didn’t know about them, but his ability was very outstanding.
Changcheon might not have known that fact. Even if he had known, he would have been convinced that the ghost’s spirit waves would not reach the place where he had met her.
What she didn’t expect was the chairman’s overly outstanding abilities.
‘Changcheon? That woman’s ex-husband… probably burned to death, right? But there are dirty rumors. There was a rumor that the woman killed him on purpose.’
Chairman Kim Gwang-woo also had a dragon behind him. Since he was less than 100 years old, he could not act as a shield for the old dragon, but he could tell him rumors that were going around among the dragon clan.
Having figured this out, the chairman began to formulate a dangerous plan.
Dragons are a dangerous species that ordinary orcs should never get involved with. But what if that beast is encroaching on their territory?
Should I just keep pushing and dying like this?
Kim Gwang-woo didn’t think so. He had to fight as hard as he could before he died. He had children to whom he could pass down the empire he had built. He couldn’t just sit by and watch the dragon destroy the legacy that would go to them.
And Kim Gwang-woo was no ordinary orc.
However, I didn’t have the confidence to deal with the Elder Dragon on my own. It was absurd to share my plans with the dragon behind me.
So he decided to join hands with his former rivals, who also had ample motivation to antagonize Changcheon, who was reaching out to the slums.
Red Star.
His choice turned out to be the right one. I don’t know what they did, but they, who have the dragon as their main enemy, provided a solution that Kim Kwang-woo would be satisfied with.
“In the first place, since you’re a dragon, you should’ve stopped caring about shit like this. You’ve spent too much money. Even healthy guys are rushing in and eating three meals a day and rolling around…”
Poverty must not disappear.
Those who feel marginalized should not disappear either.
Their anger and pain were the two organizations’ common ground that had sustained them to this day.
“These days, things are not normal in that hospital. How many of the spies that were planted have already disappeared?”
What they reported before they were removed was also surprising.
“The guys who were hospitalized sometimes disappear without a trace. They’re mostly healthy guys. Isn’t it obvious? They must have moved them somewhere else. They can’t openly create a military organization because of the contract, so they’re using tricks behind the scenes. Why would they suddenly do something like helping the poor without such an intention?”
Kim Gwang-woo knows that if he were to reveal all of these secrets of the heavens, Goryong would roll his eyes in rage.
“Then, I will make an appointment with Chairman Jenkinson right away.”
Killing a dragon and capturing and torturing its ghost is an act that seriously damages the dignity of the dragon.
Korea is Jenkinson’s territory, and that means not only that you need his permission to create a lair here. If a dragon living in Korea seriously violates the Dragonic Code, Jenkinson can personally punish them.
The sky will be removed.
By the hands of a dragon like her.
The orc laughed.
“How much is the combined value of all of Changcheon’s businesses?”
Ji Seon-gyeong also smiled faintly.
“Just the external ones alone are well over 100 trillion. It seems there are no legal heirs. I can’t touch the private property, but… Even if you just consider the business, isn’t it pretty tempting?”
“Jenkinson, that dragon won’t eat them all. There’ll be fights, and the dirty, dirty stuff won’t be touched by the dragons. We can catch them cheaply.”
The rotten meat and feces-covered entrails that the dragon would not put its mouth on were intended for them to pounce on and devour like hyenas.
If the plan works out, it’s killing two birds with one stone. Not only will you secure your position in the slums, but you’ll also get to collect the beans that will be scattered as the sky falls.
The orc stood up from his seat and extended his right hand to the woman as if to encourage her.
“Don’t worry, I’ll share it with you as promised. You’ve been really good to me so far. Thank you. I’ll wait for good news.”
The chairman offered a handshake, and Ji Seon-gyeong took his hand.
“Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
The role of informing and meeting with Jenkinson privately was to be played by Chairman Kim Kwang-woo, as Red Star could not show itself in front of its main enemy.
“Take a look.”
As Chairman Kim Gwang-woo closed the door and left.
“······.”
The warm smile on Ji Seon-gyeong’s lips disappeared like a lie.
Wham!
Open the drawer and take out the air freshener.
Chewy!
She thought as she wiped away the scent of the orc, which she would probably never see again.
I don’t know if that orc really decided to share something with Red Star, but Red Star has no plans to do so.
‘For now, indulge yourself in fantasy and enjoy happiness.’
As soon as the Goryeo Dynasty is eliminated, the headquarters of Changcheon Bank will be robbed.
In place of the suddenly disabled barrier, an emergency artifact would be activated, but since they had already figured out the internal design, they were more than capable of responding.
She wasn’t interested in the talents that had already evaporated. What Red Star wanted was the global currency, precious metals, and artifacts that were stored inside.
And all of it will be used solely for the good of the organization. Not to fill the coffers of the greedy orcs, but for their cause.
After filling the room with artificial scents, Ji Seon-gyeong went to the bathroom. Then she washed her right hand, which had been holding Orc’s hand, with cold water. She applied so much force that she was worried her skin would peel off. So strongly.
< 56. 21st Century Robin Hood (10) > End
