Chapter 90

### Chapter 89, Part 4: How to Approach a Villain (1)

* * *

After talking with Ymir.

I immediately left Sejong Island on my bike.

I thought about stopping by Jumo for a bit, but it wasn't necessary.

Vroom.

After riding for a while along the sea and heading west, I arrived at a beach that felt both familiar and strange.

[...Hm?]

I thought I was heading in the right direction, but maybe I got lost in my thoughts, and it seems I ended up a bit off course from my intended destination.

There are a lot of people at the beach.

Even though it's late at night, they seem to have come out to enjoy the sea, and despite the chilly March weather, they are wearing swimsuits and enjoying the night water activities.

I pulled my bike to a less crowded area and set out to find a signpost.

The signpost had both Korean and English, and below it, in gold lettering, it read "Gangwon-do Samcheok Mayor."

'So I made it directly to Samcheok.'

Gangwon-do Samcheok.

A place where many people used to gather to enjoy the East Sea beaches or as a vacation spot, but in this world, it looks completely different.

[Release.]

I released my transformation.

I only released the transformation into a goblin and immediately changed into Do Jihwan in a suit.

'Mana maintenance in maximum power-saving mode.'

I also released my ethereal form, and my mana is only being used to maintain my clothing.

I was momentarily naked, but it was just a brief moment in a place without CCTV.

'But it's so bright.'

This is the third time I've come here, but it's the first time I've seen Samcheok at this late hour.

And the Samcheok in front of me now is not the Samcheok I know.

'This isn't Las Vegas.'

Tall buildings with dazzling neon signs line the streets, and even though it's late at night, the lights are still shining.

Have you ever heard of Samcheok?

I'm sorry to the people of Samcheok, but except for those who have heard about it through word of mouth while serving in the military in Gangwon-do, it's not a place you often see in life.

But this place is different.

Samcheok in this world is different.

Just as Ulleung Island produces pumpkin babies instead of taffy, Samcheok has completely transformed into something entirely different.

Korean Las Vegas.

The streets, filled with dazzling lights, are more crowded with Westerners than Koreans, and people dressed in luxury watches and all kinds of fancy clothes fill the streets, boasting their immense wealth.

It's not an exaggeration to say it's as glamorous as Busan's Haeundae.

It feels more like the coast of a wealthy neighborhood called "Chek Srit" rather than Samcheok.

'Because it's a city where foreigners are concentrated.'

There are only millionaires there.

No, even millionaires can't afford a 10-pyeong studio apartment in Samcheok.

At the very least, you need to be a billionaire to buy a 32-pyeong apartment in Samcheok.

Why did it become like this?

Of course, it's because of the ability.

As soon as it became known that Sejong Island helps with the mana of ability users, people started gathering near Sejong Island, and the government focused on protecting Gyeongsang-do, which is close to Sejong Island, to prioritize its citizens.

­Ah, we'll give you money!

­No, you can't do that here! The government is watching closely; if you sell here, I'll be arrested!

­Damn, I can't buy even if I have money!

­Hey, Chris! Look! If you go north, you can buy land!

­Isn't that North Korea?

­It's just barely South Korea!

Foreigners began to settle in places where the government couldn't manage them.

­Damn, why are you trying to take someone else's land in the middle of all this chaos...!

­Sir! The vice president of Microsport has applied for a private jet entry permit! They seem to want to buy land!

­What? Why would they...?

­Sir! The head of Muhammad Saladin Marsus in Japan...!

­Ugh, I miss Heungseon Daewongun...!! Damn, why are they trying to swallow up this small land! Hey! Call an emergency session of the National Assembly! Immediately stop real estate transactions with foreigners!

­But we are the executive branch...

­Executive branch or not, if you don't gather now, I'll consider you traitors and defectors!

The government had no way to stop the massive influx of foreigners.

­Ugh! Lift the blockade on Korea!!

­Follow the logic of the capitalist market! If we offer money, why won't you sell?

­I won't sell even for 100 billion!

­We brought 10 trillion!

­...Hold on. Damn! Why would you spend 10 trillion on that small piece of land! Are you trying to throw your money into a cesspool?

­We're throwing it into the Korean Peninsula.

­Hey, shut up! Whose side are you on!

With overseas companies pouring in as much money as the country's annual budget, it was impossible to resist.

­Sir! It's a big problem! Foreign companies are buying land on a large scale!

­What? Didn't we pass a law to prevent foreigners from buying land?

­They're using frontmen! They're bringing in people with Korean citizenship and using them to buy land!

­Damn! Tell the field officers! If they smell fishy, suspend all transactions!

­It's too late...! Even the relatives of the Gangwon-do governor have been bought out! In fact...!

­Good. In that case, we'll give up on Gangwon-do.

­Pardon?

­If we can't stop it, we can't sell the land in Gangwon-do at a low price. Tell the Gangwon-do governor to come to Busan immediately. We are now entering the auction process for the land in Gangwon-do.

So, the government of this world sold Gangwon-do.

­Let's show the power of the Korean dump. Gather all the troublemakers from around the country. Let's show them what it means to be dumped.

­Isn't that a bit petty, sir?

­What?

The government planned to create neighborhoods where foreigners could live, similar to the Chinatown in Incheon, in various regions of Gangwon-do.

­Respected leaders of foreign countries and global leaders of various companies. We do not want conflict. Therefore, we will create large-scale immigrant-dense areas in our land. And we will now put the rights to that land up for auction.

And they held an auction for the 'companies' or 'countries' that would use those neighborhoods.

­Ah. We will start the auction for Yanggu General Jang Yeong-sil Town, the closest to the 38th parallel and the farthest from Sejong Island.

­What is the relationship between Yanggu and Jang Yeong-sil?

­The auction begins.

­100 billion!

­200 billion!!

­...Let's raise the bid in 500 billion increments.

Some people complained that this act of selling the country's land was like creating a concession or a foreign enclave.

The locals also raised their voices in protest.

­Maple Corp has called 200 trillion. Any other bids?

­No, you bastards! Your market cap is 2,000 trillion; what are you doing?

­My youngest child has become an ability user. From now on, Maple is a Korean company. We look forward to smooth cooperation with Gangneung... cough. We look forward to smooth cooperation with Gangneung City.

­Damn! We can't lose! We must take Yangyang!

There's a joke about this.

It's such a huge amount of money that it's hard to refuse.

­From now on, this place is Gangneung Maple Town. Mayor of Gangneung, do you like apples?

­I have an allergy... Oh, I like them! I can't live without them!! Ha ha, Mr. Steven, welcome to Korea!

­Thank you. Is there a place to build a factory in Gangneung?

­Oh, we'll make one if there isn't! We'll create land by cutting down mountains! How much land do you need?

That's exactly what happened.

Any major company that anyone who trades in foreign stocks has bought at least once has a branch in Korea.

All those branches are concentrated in Gangwon-do, and over the past 25 years, all the millionaires who have entered Korea from abroad have started to move to Gangwon-do.

­Sir, it's good news.

­What now?

­The millionaires who entered Gangwon-do are trying to settle down by marrying Koreans.

­...Doesn't that make it seem like we're marrying for money?

­But if they have ability users?

­Sigh, I don't know. Ugh, Lord Daewongun! You were right!

Thus, many cities along the East Sea coast from Goseong to Samcheok in Gangwon-do are home to many foreigners.

Not people from Southeast Asia or Central Asia, but blonde Hispanic people.

'This is troublesome.'

I started from a quiet beach when I left for Sejong Island, and it's so inconvenient without any electronic devices.

I think I took a wrong turn somewhere along the way, and I ended up in a place with a lot of people, especially 'foreign ability users.'

'This is a problem.'

I must have taken