A Gate Opened On My First Day As A Politician - Chapter 12: A Surefire Strategy for the New Era (4)

“Ms. Yeo Do-yeon,” Vice Minister Cha Jae-kyun said calmly. “Have you considered enlisting?”

“I’m a woman,” she replied.

—

Cha Jae-kyun gently touched the crushed wheelchair handle, seemingly impressed.

“Hmm…”

“It seems certain that superhumans become stronger after absorbing crystals,” he remarked with an air of neutrality.

“If we let Ms. Yeo absorb all the crystals collected from the frontlines, what do you think would happen?” he asked, looking thoughtful.

Yeo Do-yeon flinched, but I, seated in my wheelchair, answered nonchalantly, “She’d either become Captain Korea or explode from overload. Or maybe even turn into a monster. If that happens, I’d be quite saddened.”

“Understood,” he replied without further elaboration.

No human experiments, please. Try it on someone else.

“Representative Han Seung-Moon,” Cha Jae-kyun called out.

“Yes.”

“Shall we take a walk?”

—

The others returned to the dormitory, but instead of a leisurely stroll, the early sixties military leader led me to a secluded room in the restricted area. He pulled up a chair and sat facing me.

“First, thank you for sharing such valuable information,” he said.

“You’re welcome,” I replied.

“…You mentioned forming a special committee on monster response during this wartime National Assembly session?”

I nodded.

The National Assembly’s special committees are temporary committees formed for specific situations. I had suggested creating one, and they’re typically very powerful.

For instance, the Ethics Committee handles the qualifications and discipline of assembly members, while the Budget Committee reviews and controls the national budget. These committees hold the power to control the lifeblood of the state.

The Monster Response Special Committee would be no different. Although its exact scope of responsibilities wasn’t clear yet, like all special committees, it would wield substantial and aggressive authority.

Cha Jae-kyun laid out his grand plan.

“We can supply the crystals collected from all fronts. We’re considering gathering superhumans for tactical purposes. What are your thoughts?”

Without hesitation, I replied, “Find a capable superhuman on our side and flood them with an unlimited supply of crystals. Let’s see if they survive or not.”

“Are you suggesting human experiments?”

“Did you not plan to do that?”

Cha Jae-kyun crossed his legs, tapping his fingers in thought. His gaze shifted inward, and he spoke with his eyes closed.

“I am the Martial Law Commander for the Seoul area. I hold all judicial and administrative power in Seoul.”

“Yes,” I replied.

“The National Intelligence Service headquarters is in Seocho District, Seoul.”

That was a powerful statement.

“So… conscripting superhumans and investing crystals in them shouldn’t be an issue. The Defense Intelligence Command and other agencies are at our disposal.”

Why did he bring me here?

“What would you have me do?” I asked. He wouldn’t bring me here without a task in mind. As expected, Cha Jae-kyun spoke up soon after.

“In the Monster Response Special Committee you plan to establish, I assume you’ll be drafting laws on these ‘unrealistic’ phenomena. Correct?”

– Translation: The committee will likely become extremely powerful.

“That’s correct.”

“I hope you will consider the nation’s security when drafting the Superhuman Management Act.”

– Translation: Help us keep superhumans in check.

A few ideas came to mind:

– Banning superhumans from emigrating,
– Mandatory military enlistment,
– Summary execution for crimes,
– Forced nationalization of crystals, and so on.

I deliberated briefly before nodding and smiling. Crossing him could be disastrous.

“I will take the national crisis into full consideration when legislating.”

“Thank you,” Cha Jae-kyun said as we exchanged a handshake in the private room.

—

“What do we do?” Yang Pan-seok muttered, lowering his head after hearing the situation. In a hushed voice, he added, “It seems like they want to build a superhuman army.”

“If I were him, I’d want the same,” I replied.

The utility of superhumans was already proven. Whether Cha Jae-kyun intended to use a superhuman army to save the country or establish a dictatorship was unclear, but one thing was certain: such a force would be incredibly powerful.

Moreover, the state of emergency couldn’t be lifted without both the president and the National Assembly. Both were effectively nonexistent now.

The chain of command, martial law authority, and a superhuman army—Cha Jae-kyun was on track to becoming the Emperor of South Korea.

“We need to gather the assembly members quickly,” I said.

With the approval of a majority of assembly members, martial law could be lifted.

That would cut off Cha Jae-kyun’s left arm.

“If the assembly reconvenes, we can file an impeachment motion. While the Constitutional Court would need to deliberate on the impeachment, the acting commander’s authority would be suspended immediately.”

That would sever his right arm.

Whether Cha Jae-kyun was a hero or a villain didn’t matter. In politics, you don’t distinguish between an enemy and someone who could become an enemy.

Survival comes first.

—

“Where were you?” Yeo Do-yeon asked.

“Playing cat’s cradle with the big shots,” I replied.

She instinctively raised her hand to hit me but stopped abruptly. It reminded me of the time at the Han River when she hugged me tightly and cried while running with me on her back. Despite her strength, I was never harmed.

“I don’t feel particularly stronger,” she said suddenly.

“What?”

“Hit me,” I suggested.

She hesitated but tapped my hand lightly. It wasn’t enough.

“Harder!” I urged.

“Fine…” she muttered, nervously punching my palm with minimal force.

That won’t do. Time for drastic measures.

I reached behind me and patted her waist with the back of my head. “Why are you so soft?”

“…”

“How long has it been since you stopped working out? You’re getting a belly.”

*Smack!*

“Ack!”

“Oh no!” she exclaimed, crouching in front of me in panic. “Are you okay?”

I groaned dramatically. “My skull! My skull!”

She started to get up to call a doctor, but I grabbed her wrist and smiled.

“It doesn’t actually hurt that much.”

“…”

“Someone strong enough to crush a wheelchair handle just hit me, and it felt like nothing. Also, your belly really is soft.”

She grinned mischievously. “So, I’m the only one in the world who can hit you without worry?”

—

“Are you alright, hyung?” Yang Il-ho asked, poking me as I lay sprawled on the bed.

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

After turning me into a pulp, Yeo Do-yeon stormed off, still grumbling. It became clear I was no ordinary human either. Surviving her hits in one piece was unusual.

Lee Ho-jung approached, her heels clicking against the floor. Her disheveled hair was neatly combed, and even her torn stockings had been replaced.

“How do you even manage to dress up in these conditions?” I asked.

She ignored the comment and handed me a smartphone, her tone businesslike. “During your meeting, Il-ho and I gathered intel. Would you like to hear it?”

“You two are excellent aides,” I replied, sitting up. Ho-jung began her report with a sharp tone.

“There are three key issues:

First, many people have died—at least a million.

Second, the UN has declared this the ‘Gate Incident’ and issued emergency guidelines, though they’re leaving responses to individual nations.

And third, rumors about superhumans are spreading rapidly. It’s not just us dealing with this.”

She handed me the phone, showing captured images of online articles and forums.

“Monsters, corpses, superpowers—photos and stories are flooding the internet. Both online and offline, control is impossible.”

Yang Il-ho asked uneasily, “What’s the plan now, hyung?”

“Simple,” I replied. “We go with the ultimate strategy.”

As always.

—

“The evacuation plan is roughly in place. A defensive line has been formed in northern Seoul—Goyang, Uijeongbu, and Namyangju. You know where that is, right?” Yang Pan-seok said.

I didn’t.

“Yes, it’s a relief if we can hold them in northern Seoul,” I replied anyway.

“Right. Refugees are being gathered in Dongducheon and Pocheon in northern Gyeonggi Province. They’re planning to move them gradually toward Gangwon Province for broader accommodation.”

Yang Pan-seok pulled out his smartphone and showed me the map.

“The north is manageable. The problem is the south.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“Well, something happened. A monster was spotted in Anyang.”

Damn it.

“So, it’s spread to Gyeonggi Province?”

“The 7th Corps moved so urgently that a gap in the encirclement opened. They’ve formed a temporary mobile strike team to deal with the rear, but it’s a mess with monsters and civilians mixed together…”

I couldn’t help but think how useful superhumans would be in this situation.

Even without tanks or missiles, people capable of sparing the buildings while eliminating monsters would make a huge difference.

“Looks like we really need a superhuman unit,” I said.

“Hmm?” Yang Pan-seok looked at me curiously.

“I mean, imagine Yeo Do-yeon taking down monsters and Gam Ji-yoon floating people to safety. That’d be great, though we won’t actually do that, of course.”

Yang Pan-seok nodded as if the idea wasn’t entirely implausible.

But that wasn’t the main issue.

Military matters are for the military.

We’re politicians.

“The power structure of South Korea seems poised for a massive shift. Am I right?” I asked.

“The pyramid’s top has already collapsed. Now it’s just a matter of who climbs up from below.”

It was tragic, but…

Politicians must focus on politics.

The fight against monsters isn’t the only battle.

With so many power holders gone, the fight for those positions was bound to escalate—human against human.

“If we want to build a faction, we’ll need more than just National Assembly members,” I said.

“…True,” Yang Pan-seok agreed.

If Cha Jae-kyun decides to point his military might at us, the game’s over.

“Assemblyman, please go to the underground National Assembly and gather the members. Establishing the Monster Response Special Committee is crucial if we don’t want the public to see the National Assembly as useless.”

“…What are you planning?”

“I’m staying in the north.”

Yang Pan-seok’s eyes widened. “What are you saying?”

“Vice Minister Cha Jae-kyun is already preparing to form a superhuman unit. Didn’t he even bring up the National Intelligence Service?”

Yang Pan-seok will rally the assembly members.

“Whether Cha Jae-kyun becomes our ally or a dictator remains uncertain. But one thing is clear—superhumans are going to be crucial.”

I’ll gather the superhumans.

“If we want to prepare for an uncertain future, we need to approach it from multiple angles.”

Cha Jae-kyun and Yang Pan-seok could end up working together. Or they could clash.

No one knows.

The political landscape is shrouded in fog.

But it doesn’t matter.

“As Assemblyman Yang Pan-seok’s loyal subordinate, I’ll stay by Vice Minister Cha Jae-kyun’s side.”

I’ll align myself with the winning side.