Chapter 1

The gate opened on the first day of his term - © Piajoa

A world where the gate opened on the first day of his term as a member of parliament.

In a world on fire, a tumultuous and spicy political action adventure, Hunter Raid, unfolds!

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Prologue

I thought I was lucky.

A member of parliament at 27, and even representing a constituency. I must be one of the most successful among my peers.

"I will abide by the constitution and strive for the freedom and welfare of the people and the peaceful unification of the country..."

Even as I recited the oath with a trembling voice in the National Assembly, I couldn't contain my excitement.

"I will perform my duties as a member of parliament with the national interest as my priority, according to my conscience..."

I caused a commotion at the school reunion and even shared a 7th-grade civil servant position as an executive secretary with my cousin. I even had dinner with the mayor of my hometown.

A four-year contract civil servant and a walking constitutional body. The pillar of the separation of powers, the legislative branch. I really love it.

"I solemnly swear before the people that I will faithfully perform my duties."

-Bang!

The ceiling collapsed, and something fell like a meteor.

"...da."

EP 1 - I Lost My Job (1)

"What? Oh, really. That guy, I didn't see him like that..."

The MP Yang Pansuk, sitting in the back seat, frowned deeply. I carefully turned the steering wheel to avoid upsetting him.

"Ah, I understand. Don't tell anyone for now. It might cause trouble."

Click. The old man ended the call and threw his phone to the side.

I am this man's executive secretary. In name, a secretary, but more like a driver.

So, I knew everything about Yang Pansuk.

A three-term MP of the Democratic Party.

He gets angry when you talk about his baldness.

He doesn't put sugar in his coffee.

He doesn't want to make enemies, even if it means losing.

He is now gradually being treated as a senior member of the party.

Of course, the last point was the most important. The position of the candidate management committee chairman proved it.

The candidate management committee chairman is a crucial position that decides who will run in the election. While he doesn't make the decision alone, it is a position with significant power. With the right support, he could dismantle a faction.

Also, he is a skinny 60-year-old with many health concerns. He doesn't like it when people openly worry about him, but he secretly appreciates the care.

And when he's in a bad mood, he needs someone to talk to him to feel better.

"What's the matter?"

"The guy we were going to run in Tongyeong-Goseong has been arrested by the police. It seems the Republican Party is getting ready to pounce, sensing something."

With great power comes great responsibility. The candidate management committee chairman, Yang Pansuk, is taking the blame for the issues that arise during the nomination process. He sighed deeply, looking exhausted.

"Oh, my. Seeing this happen the day before the candidate registration, it must be a planned operation. Whether it's the Republican Party or some Democratic Party troublemakers who don't like me."

"Don't be too upset, MP. Anyway, Tongyeong-Goseong is a Republican Party stronghold, right? A port city in Gyeongsangnam-do, the Democratic Party has no chance of winning there."

"...That's not much of a comfort."

"Hehe, think of it as a rice cake that fell on the floor."

Yang Pansuk smiled and shook his head.

"In this world, if you make it small, it stays small, and if you make it big, it gets bigger. If the Republican Party candidate wins unopposed, what will that make me?"

"Is that so?"

"They'll criticize me for not sending a candidate and losing the support of the people, and for a poor nomination process. Do they really not want to see me become the party leader?"

"People who do politics with integrity have many enemies."

"Stop flattering me."

"It's not flattery."

"Brat..."

He's prickly, but he's not a twisted old man, so I've been able to work comfortably. He's also a kind person.

"Oh, by the way, isn't your hometown Tongyeong?"

"Yes, I grew up eating fish."

Look at that. He even knows my hometown. Of course, he must have done a background check to see if I was trustworthy, but it feels good that he cares.

"...You went to a good university, didn't you?"

"Hehe..."

"Where did you go for elementary, middle, and high school?"

"Um, Tongyeong."

"A local, huh."

I have a bad feeling about this. Yang Pansuk is the candidate management committee chairman. If the Democratic Party candidate is arrested and the Republican Party candidate wins unopposed, he will surely be criticized.

"Hanseungmoon."

"Yes?"

"Have you thought about running?"

I quickly calculated. Yang Pansuk is trying to get me to run in the parliamentary election. If he doesn't field a candidate and the opponent wins unopposed, he will be criticized.

Of course, Tongyeong-Goseong, a port city in Gyeongsangnam-do, is a Republican Party stronghold. The Democratic Party has no chance of winning.

In other words, he is sending me into a fight I can't win.

To avoid responsibility as the candidate management committee chairman.

Now, let's consider the damage I will incur.

I need to pay 15 million won as a deposit for the candidate registration. If I don't get at least 15% of the votes, I won't get the money back.

Then I'm screwed.

Also, I will lose my 7th-grade civil servant position and 20 years of service, which would have qualified me for a civil servant pension. Whether the MP will take me back after the election is questionable.

Can I bet my job and 15 million won for Yang Pansuk?

Conclusion: The faster I answer, the better.

All this thinking took less than a second. I answered as calmly as possible.

"Yes. I'll do it."

Either way, upsetting him would result in the same outcome. Yang Pansuk, who asked the question, seemed more surprised, tilting his head ironically.

"Did you think about it before answering?"

"No."

"Then why did you say you'll do it?"

"Um, because you told me to?"

It's better to prove my loyalty.

"......"

Silence filled the car, and I swallowed hard, pretending to be calm. I didn't look at the rearview mirror to avoid eye contact with Yang Pansuk.

"Huh. I didn't know you had a weak spot."

A meaningful line echoed, and I panicked, checking Yang Pansuk's expression in the rearview mirror.

He was smiling as if watching his grandchild's antics.

"Hanseungmoon."

"Yes, yes?"

"You have a cute side, unlike the young guys these days."

"Ah, ahaha..."

*

"Are you crazy?"

"Ah! What!"

"15 million won? 15 million won? You, you idiot...!"

Yeo Doyeon threw a pillow at me. Her already fierce face was now even angrier.

"Sis!"

"Ah, forget it. You're not my brother."

"Loan me 5 million won!"

"Get lost. Please."

I grabbed my cousin's ankle, who is only a year older than me. We both come from Gyeongsangnam-do and live together in Seoul.

"You have a lot of money..."

"In my 28 years of life, you've only paid back the 500 won you borrowed to buy chicks when you were 8."

"But you got second place in the last tournament..."

She is a mixed martial arts fighter. She lives up to her appearance.

"I gave all the prize money to my mother."

"Then ask your mom for a little..."

"Our mom paid for your tuition, didn't you know?"

"Ah, I got scholarships."

"That's...! ...Well done."

I lost my parents in a car accident when I was 15,

I have a prosthetic left ankle,

I lived with my only relative, my aunt and uncle.

My uncle and aunt were originally close to me and were good people. My aunt, a lawyer, even paid for my college tuition.

With a prosthetic left ankle, I entered a prestigious university through the disabled quota, and to avoid feeling guilty towards my aunt and uncle, I attended on a scholarship. So, Yeo Doyeon and I are almost like siblings.

"So, 5 million won."

She silently raised her middle finger.

"Anyway, I know you'll give me the money eventually. It's not like I won't get it back!"

"Is there a guarantee that you'll get more than 15% of the votes?"

"Are you underestimating the Democratic Party in Gyeongsangnam-do?"

"The opponent is a local heavyweight!"

That's right. My opponent, a Republican Party MP, is a four-term heavyweight and a local fixture. I have no chance of winning.

"This isn't a fight to win."

"What?"

"There are times when a man must fight even when he knows he will lose."

-Smack!

She kicked my face with the sole of her foot. It stung. I felt humiliated, but there was no reason to back down in the face of money and power.

"Your kick is sharp."

"Get lost."

"Being a 7th-grade executive secretary, or rather a driver, for a three-term heavyweight candidate management committee chairman is a rare opportunity, you know?"

This isn't about the election. I need to show that I'm willing to put up 15 million won and a 7th-grade civil servant position for Yang Pansuk.

"If you impress him, you can become a 5th-grade secretary, and with a little more effort, a 4th-grade advisor. Anyway, you'll be fired by the MP's finger, and getting the 15 million won back is almost certain. Isn't this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"

Yeo Doyeon looked at me expressionlessly for a moment.

"I don't understand what you're saying."

"Ah, just..."

She frowned and spat out.

"...When do you need it by?"

"I love you, Doyeon-ssi-"

"Shut up."

"Okay."

I smiled and poured her a drink. She took the cup I politely offered and asked.

"When do you need it by?"

"Um, the candidate registration is tomorrow, so..."

I smiled.

"Today?"

That day, I learned all the techniques Yeo Doyeon uses in the ring.

*

I didn't need 15 million won because I was short of money.

Thanks to my prosthetic ankle, I didn't serve in the military, saving two years and starting my career early. With my educational background and connections, I worked as Yang Pansuk's driver-secretary and saved quite a bit of money.

The problem was the campaign. To impress Yang Pansuk, I needed to show that I would put in effort even in a fight the Democratic Party couldn't win.

I needed to show my dedication to the party.

Renting a campaign vehicle,

Campaign workers' meals,

Song copyright fees, etc.

It would easily cost 100 million won.

I was just pretending to campaign. If it were a real campaign...

Party delegates, rights members,

Text message sending,

Campaign banners,

Opening ceremony,

Business cards,

Phone promotion,

Campaign office rental.

Vehicle rental.

It would cost 500 million won. 100 million won is a relief.

Still, I put in all my savings. If Yang Pansuk hadn't given me 30 million won as pocket money, it would have been really tough.

I was still a decent candidate. Yang Pansuk liked my appearance.

Graduated from Tongyeong for elementary, middle, and high school, prestigious university, disabled, young.

The perfect character for the Democratic Party.

I wasn't just putting my name on the ballot with 15 million won. I put in all my savings and campaigned, and the higher-ups were so excited that they sent a few people to cheer me on.

I gave a speech about youth and disability education (which the Democratic Party likes) in front of the Tongyeong Education Support Office and was panting, sweating profusely, sitting near the fountain.

Maybe because it's a city of die-hard Republican Party supporters, occasionally elderly people would pass by and curse, but I wasn't running to win; I was running to impress the Democratic Party.

"Damn, you're ugly?"

"Ah! Uncle!"

"Hey, brat. Don't you like the tuna rice ball you love?"

"I can't eat it all by myself..."

"I'll give it to the campaign workers. You eat it."

The kind-hearted teddy bear, Busan man Yeo Dosik, handed me a tuna rice ball. He is also a fierce-looking Busan man who is controlled by his strong wife and daughter.

"How did you know I was here?"

"I asked your office staff."

"You went to the office and then came here?"

"Ah, I called and came."

The rice ball was half-destroyed, so he must have gone to the office and then come here. It's a rice ball full of love and care.

I smiled warmly and replied.

"But why didn't Aunt come?"

"Damn brat. Why would a lawyer come here?"

"But, can't she come to see her nephew campaigning?"

"Shut up...!"

"Bloodless corporate lawyer! Mosquito sucking fees! Someone the Democratic Party dislikes!"

Aunt is a partner at a large law firm. A professional at cleaning up for large corporations.

Actually, the forces trying to smear Yang Pansuk (probably the ones who caused this mess) did mention it, but it was such a minor issue that the MP told them to shut up.

Uncle smiled and slipped me an envelope.

"Here. The bloodless Aunt sent you some black money."

"Ah! C! If I take this here, what will I become!"

"Take it, brat. Don't put your hand behind your back."

"Ah! I! Political funds law violation!"

"Shut up. It's pocket money from your parents, so it's not illegal."

The Busan man Yeo Dosik lightly punched my chest and stuffed the money into my pocket. He wiped the sweat from my forehead with a handkerchief.

"Work hard."

"......Thank you."

"Your sister and brother would have been proud to see this."

He smiled as if he had everything in the world.

Suddenly, it felt a bit pathetic to work so hard just to impress someone, but I was too busy to think about it. That's life.

"...Ah! Uh, Uhwan! Uhwan!"

The team leader sent by the Democratic Party ran up to me in a hurry. He grabbed my shoulder, sweating profusely and panting.

"Phew! Ah! Phew! Uh, Uhwan!"

"Sir, candidate. Just a moment..."

"No! Ah! W, what, what."

The best day of my life had arrived.

"The Republican Party MP has been arrested for violating the political funds law!"