Chapter 41

The era of the Great Recession that began with the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.

For a politician to survive, they must revive the economy. And to revive the economy, they must unlock the vaults of the chaebols.

Government officials working under scholarships funded by chaebols are embedded throughout the administration and political circles.

Politicians who were elected through chaebol-funded campaigns and married into chaebol networks are firmly seated in the National Assembly.

In this tightly woven system, an individual is nothing more than a thin thread.

A spider web. A spider web spun by the top 1%, entangling the remaining 99% like helpless insects.

Only the spider weaves the web.

But—

When a raging typhoon overturns the entire forest, does the spider still reign as king?

—

After barely managing to send Chun Geum-soon away, I sat on the sofa in my bedroom, staring at the contract she had handed me.

‘Slurp.’ The Job’s tears tea was delicious. I sipped my tea while slowly flipping through the contract.

They want the rights to export magic stones.

Why? Because in our country, only the government and authorized institutions are allowed to own or trade magic stones.

It’s a law I proposed.

I even patched up loopholes in corporate law to ensure that legal tricksters couldn’t find a way around it. It was a law crafted by professional legal tricksters, so naturally, it was airtight.

Yet, Chunmok Group expressed interest in doing business with magic stones.

Oh? This isn’t just a contract—it’s a business proposal.

“Hmm…”

Ensuring a stable supply of magic stones in our country. Engaging in intermediary trade between nations for price arbitrage. Hiring security forces for container ships. Manipulating foreign markets by exaggerating magic stone concentrations. And so on.

All sorts of intricate and creative money-making schemes were listed, but in essence, their argument boiled down to this:

‘”Magic stones are profitable. Trust us. We’ll make money.”‘

In any case,

if they start a new business with my help, they’re offering to take me in as their son-in-law. That would make managing my district, controlling the media, handling prosecutors, and everything else—much, much easier.

The real power of chaebols isn’t money—

it’s the people they gather with money.

It’s always ironic that the most devout believers of capitalism understand that people are more important than money.

But—

is a chaebol truly in power at this moment?

No, no. The real question is whether aligning with a chaebol benefits me. My image could take a major hit.

The problem is that this entire situation was orchestrated by Yang Pan-seok. Chun Geum-soon was someone he introduced.

What the hell is going on—

– Bang!

“Hey. Food.”

I quickly shut the contract. Yeo Do-yeon swaggered in, pushing the door open with her big toe.

“You see something?”

“Do you even know how to knock…?”

“Food.”

‘Translation: Eat.’

I ground my teeth and glared at her, but she simply jerked her chin.

“Get up.”

“Help me up…”

“I ordered chicken.”

I shot up from my seat.

—

We sat on the floor, tearing into the fried chicken. Thanks to Yeo Do-yeon’s habit of only eating chicken breast, I always got the drumsticks whenever we ate together.

She skillfully stripped the chicken breast with her chopsticks and nibbled on it.

“You’re back early? Thought you went fishing.”

“Uh, yeah…”

I had come to ask for relationship advice.

“Actually, it wasn’t fishing. It was a blind date.”

“W-what!?”

“The blind date was actually a trap.”

“…Are you talking nonsense on purpose?”

Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment before she quickly calmed down.

I asked her,

“If I go on a blind date but feel like it’s not working out and just dump them, does that make the matchmaker lose face?”

“Well, yeah.”

“But the matchmaker isn’t someone who would introduce me to someone thoughtlessly. So she must be a good person. Then why am I not into her?”

“Maybe you and the matchmaker have different tastes?”

Hmm. Survival instincts, huh.

“Now that I think about it, maybe a little…”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“But why am I asking relationship advice from someone who’s never been on a date—Agh! Ow! Ow! That hurts!”

She relentlessly poked my side with her toes, but thankfully, she was wearing fuzzy socks, so it didn’t hurt that much.

She yelled,

“I was in a sports university, you moron!”

“You dropped out!”

“Do you know how many male students from my university came to me asking for help? I was basically a matchmaker for them.”

She chomped on her chicken breast as she asked,

“So, was she pretty?”

“Well, she looked a bit sad and had droopy eyes. Among the women I know… probably third place?”

“Who are first and second?”

“Hong Seon-ah and Lee Ho-jung. But they both have that cold look, which isn’t my type. And even though the ranking is different, the scores are close, so…

Basically, she’s an 8 out of 10. But her droopy brows and melancholic expression gave her an extra 0.6 points. So, third place. And since no one I know scores above 9, you could say it’s a close match.”

Yeo Do-yeon looked at me with utter disgust.

“…You crazy bastard.”

“What.”

“…You crazy bastard.”

“What? What now?”

“You’re disturbingly specific. So where do I rank?”

“Do you see me as a man…?”

“Understood.”

After thinking for a moment, Yeo Do-yeon (28, Relationship Expert) began her lecture.

“Some guys go crazy at first sight and break up after two weeks. Some guys hesitate, thinking ‘Maybe not…’ but after just one more date, they end up married with three kids. Assuming they’re still alive.”

She waved a chicken bone at me instead of her finger.

“Can you tell what a person is like after one meeting?”

“Meet her a few more times?”

“Even Zhuge Liang rejected Liu Bei at first and only agreed after the third meeting.”

“They both died badly, though.”

“…That’s true.”

We both idly munched on drumsticks.

“This is good.”

“You don’t even eat drumsticks.”

“I don’t work out anymore. First time having one in ten years. Damn, this is amazing. Probably because it’s 120,000 won per chicken.”

“Oh, did you pay by yourself?”

“Forget it.”

And so, sprawled out on the floor, we spent the evening watching variety shows in peace.

“Oh, look, Hong Seon-ah is on TV.”

“Where, where?”

I could feel my body reaching its limit. Even staying still was exhausting, and I was out of breath. It felt like someone was jabbing needles into my muscles.

I decided to get an extra medical check-up beyond my usual biweekly health exams, and the doctor practically told me I could drop dead at any moment.

He advised me to reduce stress and get more sleep. But in times like these, how could that be possible?

At the insistence of both acquaintances and my doctor, I temporarily stepped away from my foundation work. But rest and recuperation were luxuries I couldn’t afford in this situation.

For now, I would only focus on my political duties.

I still had Chun Geum-soon’s business card, but I didn’t have time to meet her, so I put it off for now.

—

I placed a white chrysanthemum at the memorial for the families of the victims of last week’s Shin Ansan accidental bombing.

While I was there, I received a request from the Minister of Public Administration and Security for support in suppressing superpowered criminals. I resolved it with a single phone call on the spot.

After that, I stopped by the Underground Assembly for the first time in a while, had black bean noodles, and proposed four new bills.

On my way to my district, I grabbed a quick nap in the car.

The moment I arrived, I cut the ribbon for the reopening of Gimhae International Airport.

Then, I attended a presentation by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries about the new marine monster defense system, taking a seat among the distinguished guests.

Finally, as I wrapped up my day in the evening—

I attended the Korea University alumni reunion.

In this country, where personal connections were crucial, this was a very important event.

The organizers, at least, weren’t complete idiots—they didn’t splurge on some five-star hotel but instead chose a reasonably priced venue.

That’s the mark of educated people.

‘Clever.’

It wasn’t really about humility—this was probably the largest alumni gathering in history. They needed a big and affordable place to accommodate everyone.

With the country in chaos, everyone was scrambling to leverage their connections to find a way to survive. People would gather like desperate insects, clinging to any opportunity they could find.

A high-end job market, if you will.

And I wasn’t an exception. I was there to become someone’s job opportunity and find someone to work for me.

—

I greeted the event organizers first and delivered a short, balanced, and socially responsible speech before returning to my designated seat.

A flurry of handshake requests followed.

I smiled for a photo with the Minister of Public Administration and Security, whom I had met earlier in the day. I exchanged greetings with the Fair Trade Commission’s senior judge beside him.

I ignored the former district mayor who had lost his electoral district. Apologies, but I have no time to take care of unemployed officials.

“Sorry, Professor. I can’t find you a job right now. Also, we were never that close.” ‘Pass.’

I did, however, sign a contract for a public interest project with the Vice Governor of Chungcheong Province, who had suddenly been promoted when everyone above him died and was now desperate for connections.

I made a brief acquaintance with some chaebol heir who had unexpectedly inherited his family empire due to similar circumstances.

And I exchanged business cards with a prosecutor who clung to me, claiming he was Yang Il-ho’s senior.

—

I was on my way back from the buffet after piling my plate with raw beef when—

“Oh, Assemblyman, over there.”

Yang Il-ho, who was beside me, pointed toward a certain table.

A familiar back of the head.

I immediately walked over.

“Does a guy like you have no pride? Geez, seriously…”

“Haha… w-well…”

“Still, your wife shouldn’t treat you like that! There’s such a thing as basic respect in marriage…”

A portly man was cowering in his seat. I tapped the shoulder of the person scolding him from behind.

“Reporter Gam.”

“Huh? Oh!? Ohhh! Assemblyman Han! What are you doing here—oh, right. You went to Korea University too!”

Reporter Gam, startled as if choking on his food, pounded his chest before catching his breath.

“You should’ve told me you were coming! I was so surprised!”

“Uh… Is that my fault?”

“I’ll forgive you just this once.”

‘Sluuurp.’ He swallowed his saliva and tilted his head. Then, with a smirk, he pulled up the portly man beside him.

“Hey, Gan Hyung, introduce yourself. This is Assemblyman Han Seung-Moon—the guy who saved our families.”

The rotund man smirked at Reporter Gam before turning to me with a broad smile.

“Ah, enough messing around. I came here to see Assemblyman Han myself! Nice to meet you!”

He handed me his business card.

“Ha! Damn…! I’m Gan Kyung-soo, Chief of the Special Investigations Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. I’ve heard so much about you from my father-in-law, but I’ve been too late in introducing myself. My apologies.”

“Your father-in-law…?”

“Assemblyman Yang Pan-seok is my father-in-law.”

Oh.

The only reason I became a National Assemblyman was because Yang Pan-seok’s son-in-law prosecuted my opponent for political corruption.

“Oh, wait—so, during the election—!”

“Ah! Yes!”

“You were the one in charge of the political funds investigation?!”

“Yes!”

I put on the biggest smile I could and reached out for a two-handed handshake.

“Oh wow! I should have come to greet you sooner. I’ve been so inconsiderate!”

“No, no! I should have been the one to reach out first. I’m the one who’s late!”

“I really should have introduced myself earlier. I’m so lacking in etiquette. Han Seung-Moon—truly a pleasure to meet you, Prosecutor Gan!”

“Haha! My son is going to love this! If it’s not too much trouble, could we take a photo together—?”

“Oh! Of course!”

This guy was one of the top special investigations ace prosecutors. Even when I was just a legislative aide, I never even got the chance to see him in person.

He was a grim reaper for politicians and chaebols. Definitely not someone I could afford to offend.

Technically, he was on my side.

While the middle-aged prosecutor and I posed for a selfie, Reporter Gam muttered from the side.

“…Wait, you two already knew each other? And Gan Hyung—your father-in-law is Assemblyman Yang?!”

“Hey!”

“What the hell? You drank so much with me, and you kept that a secret?!”

“If people in my division find out my father-in-law is a politician, I’m screwed!”

Right.

He worked in the Special Investigations Division—the department responsible for prosecuting corrupt politicians and chaebols.

Knowing the right people only mattered if you kept it discreet. If it became public, it could backfire.

“Oh, uh. Should we sit together?”

“Ah, yes! Let’s eat.”

—

At the table, Yang Il-ho, still just a baby-faced trainee prosecutor, politely poured Prosecutor Gan a drink.

I turned to him and asked,

“So, you’re in the Supernatural Crimes Division now?”

“Oh, yes! These days, with Awakeners causing so many incidents…”

The Chief of the Special Investigations Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office was equivalent to the Chief Prosecutor of a District Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Yang Pan-seok had really planted his roots in the right places.

—

“My father-in-law kept nagging me to at least take you out for a meal, Assemblyman…”

“Oh, come now, I should be the one treating you. Besides, you must be busy with government work.”

“Ha! Do you really think I don’t know about what happened in Apgujeong?”

We continued to shower each other with praise.

Reporter Gam clicked his tongue and muttered,

“This feels just like one of those dramas where a corrupt politician and—”

“Hey, you punk! Watch your mouth!”

“Gan Hyung! I fought alongside Assemblyman Han in Apgujeong and Shin Bundang Line! Guns, monsters—the whole thing!”

“You’re spouting nonsense again…”

Reporter Gam chuckled mischievously before turning to me.

“By the way, Assemblyman, how’s Chae-won doing?”

Thanks to Reporter Gam knowing that Pi Chae-won had exceptional hearing, I was able to take her in safely.

She was now my intern secretary.

I casually replied,

“Oh, she’s doing well. Lately, she’s been helping out at an orphanage with the staff—”

‘Tap. Tap.’

Someone lightly touched my shoulder.

“Um… Assemblyman…”

The soft, dejected voice made me freeze.

I turned around in shock.

Standing there, tugging at my shoulder with a mournful smile, was Chun Geum-soon.

“I believe I asked you out for an after-date…”

“…Ah, Executive Director Chun.”

“Why haven’t you contacted me…?”

Meeting Yang Pan-seok’s son-in-law and the woman he introduced to me on the same day, in the same place.

What a fascinating coincidence.

I clicked my tongue and put on an awkward smile.

“You didn’t dislike me, did you…?”

“I’m sorry. Life’s been… hectic.”

“T-That’s okay! I have plenty of time!”

Yang Pan-seok.
Chunmok Group.
Chun Geum-soon.

I didn’t know who wrote this script, but they clearly had no intention of letting me go so easily.

Chun Geum-soon smiled gently as she politely excused herself to Reporter Gam and Prosecutor Gan.

“Excuse me, but may I steal Assemblyman Han away for a moment…?”

“Oh! Of course! Take him!”

I let out a sigh and reluctantly took her hand as she firmly pulled me up.

As we walked away, I threw a small jab.

“The world is really small, isn’t it?”

Chun Geum-soon gave a somber smile.

“I told you, I can’t do this without you, Seung-Moon…”

Oh.

So it was you.