Ch.588Chapter 22. The Price of Labor (20)

Busan.

The most populous capital is the place where change happens fastest in Korea.

Ten days have passed since the Haeguneul boycott began, and various changes have appeared on the streets of Busan.

First. The emergence of scholar masks.

More precisely, the emergence of people wearing clothes similar to traditional robes.

At first, people wore masks and traditional robes out of anger toward Haeguneul, but one by one, people began to feel something strange.

“Things are going well for me!”

“My boss isn’t bothering me!”

“I won the lottery on my way home today!”

“A car swerved to avoid me and crashed into a utility pole instead!”

Somehow, somehow, luck began to follow those wearing scholar masks.

Though it’s not exactly luck—just everyday matters proceeding smoothly without incident—but amid lives usually filled with hardship, people began to believe in the efficacy of scholar masks and traditional robes because of these small everyday fortunes.

“Doesn’t it seem like our luck is improving? Like carrying a four-leaf clover.”

“Wearing hanbok and masks increases your luck? Talk sense!”

“We call that sort of thing ‘superstition.'”

Believe it or not, that’s your choice.

But such superstitions became gossip among people, and simultaneously became material to criticize, tear apart, taste, and enjoy Haeguneul.

“Wow, now that Haeguneul is failing, our future looks bright.”

“The day when the sun shines brightly will return!”

ㄴ”Will”

ㄴㄴ”Your boss Choi Ho-jung^^”

First, they criticize Haeguneul.

Whether wearing scholar masks, regular suits, or even school uniforms, as soon as three or more people gather, they start criticizing Haeguneul.

“Who will make a conscience declaration next?”

“What conscience declaration? Someone’s probably threatening them with a goblin club from behind, making them recite a script.”

“You’re saying it’s the work of the Goblin’s ghost? I don’t think so. I think it’s the scholar masks of the true Hwalbindang threatening people with daegeum flutes.”

“Maybe they’re blowing the flutes to brainwash people with sound waves?”

“This level of delusion is a disease. Hey, you don’t become an ability user just by having delusions like that.”

Along with criticism of Haeguneul, people also discussed Haeguneul’s changing course of action.

“Honestly, those owners making conscience declarations, they couldn’t really have been under mind control, right? They’re just trying to save themselves. Otherwise, when the KOSPI was heading toward 2500, shareholders would have been in the streets wearing scholar masks with knives hidden in their hanbok sleeves, ready to stab the CEO.”

“What harsh words. KOSPI 2500? Don’t be ridiculous. I haven’t seen it go below 3000 this year. Even when it drops, it’s still at 2700.”

Everyone is sensitive about money.

As Haeguneul affiliates crashed all at once, the Korean economy temporarily slumped, and people genuinely harbored knives in their hearts toward the Haeguneul owner family who created this situation.

Fortunately, that anger was redirected through the conscience declarations of several group executives; otherwise, emergency rooms would now be filled with “Haeguneul XX Director” titled individuals in intensive care.

What is this change in anger?

It’s the “Haeguneul Erasure.”

“That’s already changing. Harang, what would you like to eat?”

“Blueberry smoothie.”

I sat at a table with a window view alongside a woman in black hanbok with white hair tied in a ponytail, surveying the streets of Busan.

Screech.

One might wonder about construction noise in the middle of a weekday, but no one complains about the noise.

“Wow, they’re changing it well! Though the name is strange.”

“Finally that eyesore of a sign is disappearing. Sigh, I wonder why the one next to it isn’t disappearing.”

“From the CEO to the directors, they’ve all become ‘Zenros.’ Before naming the company, they should probably reappoint all the executives first.”

“Then they should at least cover that Haeguneul sign with some kind of tent. Everywhere else is changing, but what about that place?”

“They still need to do business. Are you going to pay the manager’s salary?”

“Ugh.”

People are happy just seeing Haeguneul signs disappear.

Take “Café Starburst” where we’re having drinks now.

Previously filled with Haeguneul’s colors, it has completely changed its sign and design under the strong initiative of the new manager.

The menu, points system, and even the staff are all the same, but there’s no trace of Haeguneul anywhere.

That’s necessary to survive as a small business.

Because…

“Ah, the Haeguneul police are here.”

“…Ugh.”

Flutter.

Suspicious women in white robes enter the café from the entrance.

The first thing these four women do upon entering the café in the middle of a weekday is scan the interior.

“There are always people who take things too far.”

Ms. Baek Harang shook her head slightly as she put the straw of her blueberry smoothie to her lips.

“Do they really need to go that far?”

“Don’t be too hard on them. They’re driven by a sense of mission.”

“Sense of mission? Haeguneul isn’t a villain… Well, it is a villain. So, they’re like civilian police?”

“Something like that. Though the shoes they’re wearing, the bags they’re carrying, and the Taeguk watches they’re wearing… those high-end items are still Haeguneul brands.”

The boycott started just ten days ago.

No matter how heated the atmosphere has become or how proactively some people are moving, there are times when physical time is lacking.

Nevertheless, everyone is enthusiastic about erasing Haeguneul.

As if Haeguneul shouldn’t exist in this land, they’re making every effort to erase Haeguneul while expressing disgust.

“Manager. These takeout cups have Haeguneul patterns on them.”

“Ah…!”

“Please be careful.”

“I’m sorry. I said I’d clean them up…!”

That’s how much these Haeguneul civilian police interfere with everything in daily life.

“Couldn’t they just let that slide? Those cups with patterns must be inventory ordered before Haeguneul collapsed.”

“The timing isn’t good to get rid of inventory now. Imagine if Choi Ho-jung’s face was printed on the cup of the blueberry smoothie you’re drinking.”

“Just thinking about it makes me want to splash this smoothie in your face.”

“How violent. Are you upset about being called for government work right now?”

“What else?”

Baek Harang—Baek Seol-hee, connected through ice spirit—openly frowned.

“Really, whoever is appearing east and west cracking the skulls of Haeguneul affiliate chairmen, do you know how much trouble heroes are going through because of that?”

“Why?”

“The government is mobilizing heroes for Haeguneul erasure.”

“……”

A so-called kill opportunity has emerged.

It’s not just civilians who are enthusiastic about erasing Haeguneul.

“You know how the Hero Association accompanies tax investigations of Haeguneul, right? There are still ability users employed by Haeguneul at the branches. Whenever those people stand firm at the bottom of branch buildings… sigh.”

“Worried they might collapse like the headquarters building.”

Government offices, that is, the government, are also doing their best to erase Haeguneul.

While civilians erase Haeguneul from daily life, the government is investigating all Haeguneul affiliate buildings at once.

Information known to those in key positions in the association, including S-class heroes, but not to the public:

-Bombs may be installed in the basements of Haeguneul buildings, and we must do our best to prevent them from exploding.

Whether newly built or existing, buildings constructed by Haeguneul may have bombs installed.

That was actually true.

If I and Baek Seol-hee hadn’t subdued him and sealed the “Mana Seal” embedded below his lower abdomen in mana gold, Choi Jung-nam would have exploded along with the Haeguneul Motors building from the basement up.

Not exactly a human bomb, but more like a human “detonator.”

“Harang. I once told you something like this, right? If any Haeguneul executive dies, a terrifying bomb will explode.”

“You did. For example, pre-plastic surgery high school graduation photos.”

“Right. But I never thought it would be a real bomb.”

“……Indeed.”

I thought the server room exploding would just destroy data, not kill the programmers inside with it.

I thought they might destroy secret ledgers hidden in the building’s basement, not bring down the entire building.

Regardless of whether people were inside or not.

“…Haeguneul erasure has become about survival.”

Baek Seol-hee tapped her cup with a bitter expression.

“I hope they catch him soon. That man.”

“…….”

“Aren’t your company people looking for him too? That’s what we’re discussing on our side as well.”

“…Where could the head be hiding?”

Affiliates are disappearing one by one.

But the core of Haeguneul, “Haeguneul Trading” where Chairman Choi Ho-jung holds tight control of shares, is still beating like a heart.

At this point when all of Haeguneul is being erased, only one place continues to operate as it did before the boycott.

“Still haven’t found the chairman? Could he have fled overseas? With the help of ability users.”

“If an S-class is helping him escape, it would be difficult to find him.”

“…This country has too many unknown S-class ability users. Sigh.”

Baek Seol-hee was pulling her hair when—

“Huh?”

Her expression froze.

“Wait. What did you say?”

“…Something’s happening with the main body—”

Beep.

A vibration sounded on my wrist.

Not from a Taeguk watch, but from a Syndicate watch.

“……Crazy.”

Both Baek Seol-hee and I were shocked.

“Kyaaak!”

“Wow, amazing!”

“Insane, is this real?”

Breaking news that startled everyone in the café.

[Breaking news. A body believed to be that of Chairman Choi Ho-jung has been found on a mountain in Gangwon Province….]

Choi Ho-jung, dead.

“…We’ll need to confirm, but if he didn’t just slip and die somewhere.”

I lightly drew my hand across my throat.

“We have justification now, justification.”