Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 842

842. The Empire’s Daily Life (1)

During this period, the Empire was truly a symbol of vitality.

Across the mainland and Shinji, people were enthusiastically pursuing creative ideas, fantasies, and daydreams, inspired by the ‘Hyang,’ Wan, and Hyun cheat codes, as well as the efforts of numerous artisans and scholars.

The primary motivation for everyone’s activities, aside from the cheat codes, was the Challenge Log.

As the contents of the Challenge Log became reasonably public, artisans, merchants, and even reclusive scholars with specialized knowledge eagerly took on the challenges.

The scholars primarily focused on chemistry, mathematics, and physics.

-Is it not the ‘virtue of a gentleman’ to seek and unravel the principles of the world, making them known to those who are unaware?

Driven by the desire to solve the problems listed in the Challenge Log and gain recognition, the scholars dedicated themselves to research.

Mathematics received the most attention from these scholars.

Mathematics was already a familiar field to many scholars.

This familiarity stemmed from economic factors. For scholars with limited financial resources, mathematics was an ideal pursuit.

Consequently, there were a surprising number of hidden mathematical experts, and these individuals began tackling the problems in the Challenge Log.

While most scholars pursued the Challenge Log for fame, artisans and merchants were primarily motivated by economic gain.

Rumors circulated about individuals making fortunes with items from the Iron Horse and the 51st District [likely referring to advanced technology or specialized zones], as well as the Imperial Workshop, and stories of overnight riches from simple inventions like wire mesh.

Artisans and merchants often lamented these stories of the nouveau riche while drinking at the tavern.

* * *

Blacksmith Mr. Park, drinking in a back alley of Seoul, was a typical example.

“Am I worse than those bastards? My craftsmanship is top-notch!”

“Your hands are top-notch, but your head is empty….”

“You son of a bitch! And I call you a friend….”

“I’m saying this because we’re friends….”

“Ugh.”

Seeing Mr. Park pat his frustrated chest and down another glass, his drinking buddy offered a suggestion.

“Why don’t you look for something in the Challenge Log?”

“Huh? The Challenge Log? Isn’t that something only people who go to the Gihakdang [Hall of Practical Learning] or Gonghakwon [Engineering Academy] can see?”

“Anyone can go to the Gihakdang or Gonghakwon to see it, or they can buy it at a Seosa (書肆, bookstore).”

Mr. Park became serious at his friend’s explanation. He set down his glass and the alcohol.

“Aren’t the difficult problems in the Challenge Log only solvable by educated people?”

“Well, you have to choose carefully. Instead of academic fields full of unfamiliar characters, you should look at the technical fields. Mr. Park, isn’t your specialty alloy? There might be something about alloys?”

“Hmm….”

Mr. Park stroked his prickly beard and pondered his friend’s words, who continued to encourage him.

“Hey, friend, think about it. Yes, as you said, your craftsmanship is second to none.”

“Of course, of course.”

“But your head is the problem.”

“Hey!”

“Did I say something wrong? But isn’t that Challenge Log supposed to replace your head? Then the problem is solved!”

“Hmm… They sell it at the Seosa down there?”

“Yes!”

Mr. Park had a strange expression at his friend’s answer.

“That Seosa, isn’t that your store? Don’t tell me….”

“Damn it! The Challenge Log is the best-selling book even without you! I only recommended it because we’ve been neighbors since we were kids and went to the same school! If you’re going to think like that, forget it!”

Mr. Park waved his hand in response.

“Ah, no. I’ll visit your shop tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll pick out some Challenge Logs in fields that I think you’ll be interested in.”

“Please do.”

The next day, Mr. Park visited his friend’s Seosa and carefully read the Challenge Logs that his friend had selected.

Forgetting to eat, Mr. Park examined the Challenge Logs for several days and finally chose a book.

“I’ll buy this one. I’m interested in a few of the things in here, so I need to look at them in more detail.”

“I see.”

A month later, Mr. Park visited his friend.

“I found something I can do! It’s related to alloy steel, and I think I can do it!”

“Really? Hmm….”

His friend’s expression turned strange at Mr. Park’s confident declaration. Seeing this, Mr. Park expressed his doubts.

“Why the face? Is there a problem?”

“Are you really confident?”

“I told you I’m confident!”

“It’s not that I don’t know your skills, hmm….”

After contemplating something, his friend asked Mr. Park again.

“You’ll need some money to solve the problem you’re challenging, right?”

“It’ll cost quite a bit to get steel and other minerals.”

“Hmm….”

At Mr. Park’s words, his friend’s expression became even more serious. After a long silence, his friend looked at Mr. Park with a determined expression.

“Let’s start a business together!”

“A business?”

“Yes! I’ll cover the material costs! Instead, later, if we succeed in registering intellectual property and it sells a lot, we’ll share the profits. How about it?”

After pondering for a moment at his friend’s suggestion, Mr. Park soon nodded.

“I was worried about the material costs anyway, let’s do it together!”

“Then, let’s go to the Imperial battlefield and write a contract!” [A formal location for legal agreements]

Thus, the two men wrote a contract, and Mr. Park began to tackle the Challenge Log.

Afterward, Mr. Park’s friend had to endure nagging from Mr. Park’s wife and his own wife.

“Why are you creating trouble by filling a perfectly good person with hot air! Why are you shaking the foundation of someone else’s house!”

“Oh, you wretch! I can’t live! You’re barely making a living as it is, what investment, investment! I can’t live like this! Let’s die together today!”

Even while being nagged like this, the two men continued their challenge steadfastly.

* * *

As the Challenge Log became public, the case of blacksmith Mr. Park and his friend became a common occurrence.

“I may not have brains, but I have skills!”

Saying this, many artisans purchased the Challenge Log and looked for something they could do.

As the artisans moved, the merchants also moved.

When rumors spread that an artisan belonging to a merchant group or an artisan in their neighborhood was challenging the Challenge Log, the merchants reacted immediately.

The merchants inquired about the artisan around the problematic artisans.

They investigated what kind of artisans they originally were, what their skills were, and what they were challenging, and then seriously decided whether to invest.

And, once the investment was decided, they moved quickly.

“Let’s grab them before other guys drool over them!”

“Even if only one out of ten hits, it’s a success that will go down in history!”

Aiming for a jackpot, the merchants and artisans moved with all their might.

However, not all artisans benefited from this trend.

“This is a delusion!”

“There have been things that were thought to be impossible but turned out to be possible! But this is too much! This is a delusion!”

Many artisans and scholars were denied investment while receiving such evaluations.

“Is that really so….”

Wan, who had received reports through secret investigations and various channels, was lost in thought.

This was because Wan was the one who had grown up watching someone right next to him actually create things that others said were ‘impossible, a delusion.’

“As expected, ‘the one who tied the knot must untie it’….” [idiom meaning the person who caused the problem must solve it]

After much deliberation, Wan muttered this and sent a letter to Hyang.

“The one who tied the knot must untie it….”

Hyang, who received the letter sent by Wan, gave a bitter smile.

“That’s not wrong….”

Considering the things he had done so far, he had no excuse even if he was called the ‘culprit.’

In the end, Hyang and Wan created a new system.

-Those who have ideas for new ideas or items but are struggling due to unfavorable circumstances should come to the court!

-His Majesty and the court will distinguish between jade and stone [valuable and worthless], and the court will support what is deemed to be jade.

-However, we will receive it once every three years.

It was a kind of contest that was created.

Later, it was an event that was nicknamed ‘The World’s Greatest Delusion Contest’ or ‘An event that proves that genius ideas and creative delusions are only a paper apart.’

Those who had placed their last hope on the proclamation hung in the Emperor’s name rushed to the government office.

And, the government officials, with tearful faces, spat out curses.

“This damn it! His Majesty has created another job!”

“What are the higher-ups doing! They should have stopped His Majesty!”

While spewing out curses like this, the officials who received the proposals recorded only the personal information and then sent them straight to Seoul.

It was a small act of revenge.

“Heo~.”

Wan, who made an absurd expression while looking at the proposals piled up like a mountain, soon made a decision.

“Send them as they are to Shinji.”

“Your Majesty?”

“His Majesty the Retired Emperor has excellent insight, so he will surely choose good jade.”

After pondering for a moment at Wan’s words, the eunuch looked around and quietly said a word.

“Your Majesty, to be honest, His Majesty the Retired Emperor will not stay still.”

“Isn’t he someone who likes bizarre things?”

“Your Majesty, to be honest, the aftermath….”

“Let’s think about that time when it comes.”

“…I obey your command.”

Hyang, who received the problematic proposals through the regular mail, burst into a hollow laugh.

“Hehehe….”

Wan’s letter, sent along with the proposals that filled one compartment of the Hwacha [a type of Korean rocket artillery], contained the following.

-With my head, I can’t tell if this is a delusion or a good idea.

-His Majesty the Retired Emperor has always been ahead, so he will be able to distinguish between jade and stone.

“In short, he passed it on to me.”

Hyang smiled bitterly as he realized the hidden meaning in the letter.

“That kid, he’s grown up a lot?”

* * *

Hyang’s reply arrived through the last regular mail of that year.

-These are worth pondering even if they take time and money.

-And, I recommend registering the ones marked separately in the Challenge Log.

-Considering the amount and importance of the work that the Emperor does in the mainland, I think it is reasonable for the Retired Emperor to be in charge of evaluating and classifying these proposals. Therefore, I would like to establish this as a law.

The officials who read up to this point shouted in unison.

“That is a truly reasonable proposal!”

“It is right to establish it as a law!”

“That’s true….”

However, Wan’s expression was not very good.

This was because of what Hyang had written in a personal letter regarding this.

-You don’t have much time left until you come to Shinji, do you?

The one who would be working in Shinji when the law created in that way began to move properly was Wan.

The problem was that there was almost no justification for rejecting that law.

Even though there was a lot of work in Shinji, it was still a little less than in the mainland.

“Hoo~.”

Looking at Wan sighing while recalling the contents of the letter, the eunuch shook his head slightly.

‘That’s why I tried so hard to stop you….’