We Do Business In Full Auto [EN]: Chapter 55

Shinyongsan District (1)

Mid-February.

With Ipchun [the beginning of spring in the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendar] having passed, the winter frost is receding, and the weather feels noticeably warmer.

After Lunar New Year, I’m already 36 years old.

I’m about to enter my late 30s, but thanks to the effects of dark magic, I hear I look even younger than last year.

Soo-jung is about to start elementary school, and Soo-ah is growing up quickly too.

In the meantime, our family moved to a penthouse apartment in Yeongjongdo E Apartment complex.

We bought it for about 500 million won [approximately $400,000 USD], which felt a bit expensive, but fortunately, the apartment price has risen slightly since we bought it.

The uninhabited island development is progressing quite smoothly.

Undead are being deployed to level the ground 24/7, and some are being used in salt pan construction.

Since they possess much greater strength than ordinary adults, the basic construction is progressing at a rapid pace.

Of course, we still need to bring in raw materials and begin full-scale construction, and I was concerned about how to raise such a large amount of capital.

If I approached H Group or the government, I might be able to secure a large-scale construction project more easily, but I didn’t want to use that option just yet.

The cleaning wraps up with the Daegu Landmark Tower.

I’m at a crossroads, wondering whether to continue cleaning exterior walls or pursue business ventures more aggressively.

“You were here.”

I was looking at downtown Daegu from the cleaning site, lost in thought, when Lee Seo-kyung came to find me.

For her to come all the way down here from Seoul, she must have something important to discuss.

I led her to the vending machine and bought us both canned coffees.

“Director Lee, aren’t you busy with the Shinyongsan District development project these days?”

“Haa.”

She immediately let out a deep sigh.

Housing prices in the metropolitan area show no signs of slowing down, and the government continues to implement strict real estate measures day after day.

They’re focusing on supplying new housing units, along with comprehensive real estate tax burdens, restrictions on multi-homeowners, and various tax policies, and the Shinyongsan District development is one of their key initiatives.

With the goal of providing 10,000 housing units, they’re currently in the process of compensating and evicting residents from older homes.

The Shinyongsan District development is a rare instance where S Construction and H Construction have joined forces, and naturally, their subcontractor, Moa Construction, is also involved.

“Oh my, you’re going to make the ground sink. Why are you sighing so deeply?”

“Ugh. Hooo.”

“Something’s wrong.”

“The problem is serious.”

“Is there an issue with the evictions? As far as I know, the government compensation is considerable, and each group has provided significant additional compensation. I heard they’re giving priority occupancy rights when the apartment is built, so the residents shouldn’t be opposed to it.”

“NK Construction is in charge of the eviction. But the resistance is enormous.”

“There’s resistance?”

“I don’t think they’re ordinary people…”

“What, did they engage in some land speculation or something?”

“I’d prefer it if it were just land speculation. It seems like L Group intervened.”

“L Group intervened?”

“L Group owned some land there. It seems they bought off some residents to create a justification for their involvement. Thanks to that, a bloody battle is taking place every day.”

“Ha… This isn’t the 1980s. Is there really bloodshed?”

“That’s what they say.”

An apartment complex with 10,000 units is a massive project worth trillions of won [trillions of Korean won].

Originally, there were bound to be various complications in such large-scale projects, and the eviction issue is one of them.

If the residents are sufficiently compensated and even given occupancy rights, there shouldn’t be much of a problem. Nevertheless, the fact that they’re holding out suggests that external forces have intervened. And S Construction and H Construction have revealed that L Group directly intervened.

“Even if gangster thugs were mobilized, NK Construction should be able to wipe them out easily, right?”

This part didn’t make much sense.

“NK Construction asked me for help. No, to be exact, S Group and H Group should be seen as having requested it.”

“They want you to talk to them?”

“Yes. One of the headquarters managers was going to talk directly, but he thought it would be better to go through me.”

“Hmm.”

I smell something big.

It will be quite a difficult task, but I figured the reward would be substantial if I solved it.

It was a construction project with trillions of won at stake, and if I got involved, I could potentially reap huge profits.

I needed money anyway.

I had decided to pursue a new business, but there was no better way to quickly generate capital. Otherwise, I would have tried to get my hands on the East India Company’s Seonwoon shipping line as a last resort.

“I fought with NK Construction not long ago, but now I’m going to join forces with them.”

“Didn’t NK say that? There are no eternal enemies or allies in this industry.”

“Let’s meet with NK.”

“They’re waiting downstairs.”

“Heo [a Korean exclamation of surprise].”

“I was sure you would accept.”

Lee Seo-kyung’s lips curled up slightly.

Lee Seo-kyung has now established herself as a middle manager.

Except for her slightly quirky personality, she’s very meticulous and methodical. There’s a reason why she rose to that position.

A nearby teahouse.

You might wonder what a teahouse is in this day and age, but with retro becoming popular, teahouses with retro sensibilities were springing up again.

NK Construction’s Director Ahn Seong-cheol seemed to be a man who liked retro quite a bit, despite his appearance.

A man with an impressive knife scar on his face and a bespectacled man with a very intellectual air were waiting for us.

I know them both.

“It’s good to see you. I thought this day would come someday.”

Director Ahn Seong-cheol smiled fiercely and held out his hand.

He was trying to smile kindly, but his impression was so rough that it was hard to tell whether he was smiling or about to beat someone up.

He’s showing his teeth, so it’s clear he’s smiling.

“You never know what will happen in life. I didn’t expect to meet you again so soon.”

“Didn’t S Group and H Group join hands this time? It’s a temporary alliance.”

“You really can’t tell what’s going on in this industry. I wonder if it’s true that we were fighting each other the day before yesterday.”

“You can think of it as an extension of politics.”

We lightly order a cup of coffee each.

I try a morning coffee with egg yolk floating in it. Personally, I think this retro sensibility is not bad.

The quiet trot music [a genre of Korean popular music] playing in the room, and even the sofa that you can see in old teahouses.

I was savoring the atmosphere when Lee Dae-geun, the man with the impressive glasses, opened his mouth.

“I think you’ve heard the story roughly.”

“It seems that L Group colluded in Shinyongsan District and mobilized gangster thugs.”

“That’s right.”

“Isn’t that your specialty? NK Group is known for its connections to nationally known gangsters, so it doesn’t make sense that you couldn’t handle those thugs and called me.”

First, I clearly define the problem.

If those gangsters are calling me, it means they are exceptionally ruthless. So I need to lay some groundwork.

The more difficult the task, the bigger the reward.

Lee Dae-geun said in a serious tone.

“To put it bluntly, I don’t think they’re human beings.”

“They’re not human beings?”

“It felt like I was dealing with something inhuman.”

“Hmm?”

I put down the coffee I was drinking.

They are experts in fighting.

There were quite a few famous fighters from all over the country, and even though times have changed, if people who make a living with knives are saying that, it means there’s something unusual going on.

“Let’s see.”

Lee Dae-geun played a video of the fight with the thugs mobilized by L Group on a tablet PC, and a fierce battle was unfolding.

NK cleanly deployed a large number of fighters, but their attacks bounced off, and the thugs exerted tremendous force to throw them away.

That was definitely not human strength.

‘Could it be…’

It was definitely not human skin and power.

There is a 90% or higher chance that they are undead. I need to examine it more closely, but it shows a similar pattern to the undead I control.

In an instant, NK’s fighters were taken down and sprawled out.

They didn’t kill them, but they all had one arm or leg broken.

Ahn Seong-cheol’s face turned red.

“The fighters have been annihilated.”

“Annihilated?”

“That means the forces that were put into the Shinyongsan district have all been wiped out. In this day and age, organizations can’t openly attack, but if a hostile organization goes crazy and attacks, they’ll be swept away.”

“You don’t have the manpower to deal with them.”

“Yes.”

The number of opposing thugs is about 30. Of these, only 10 were actively engaged.

Dozens of NK fighters were crushed by just 10 people.

“It seems that some new technology has been incorporated. Like the president [a Korean slang term for someone exceptionally skilled or powerful].”

“I think we need to investigate it first.”

“Please help us! If we can’t finish the eviction within this week, we’ll incur huge losses, because it’s such a big project.”

Can I really handle them?

I think I can, but I have to take risks.

It’s not just a matter of fighting; I might have to risk my life. If the other party is a dark wizard like me, it could lead to an even more serious situation.

Then the compensation I receive must be large enough to motivate me.

“It’s obvious that I’ll suffer a lot of damage even if I step in. Bloodshed and injuries are basic, and I could die if something goes wrong.”

“…”

Ahn Seong-cheol did not deny it.

If monsters who are not human fight each other, it will not end with broken bones. The reason why only the bones were broken on the NK side was because the difference in power was so great.

But if I step in?

Significant damage is expected whether I succeed or not.

“What can you give me if I handle it?”

“First of all, I’m thinking of 3 billion won as a starting point.”

“And?”

“3 billion won is quite a lot…”

“Is 3 billion won a lot when I could die? Look at that. Are those humans or monsters?”

“Kkeueung [a Korean onomatopoeia for a groan]. What do you want?”

“Give me a large plot of land near the apartment. I’ll build a shopping district or something.”

“That’s…”

When Shinyongsan District is built, the land nearby will become incredibly valuable. In particular, the land in the commercial district will have tremendous value.

But I had no intention of moving unless the compensation was this substantial.

I don’t think I’ll see a positive outcome if I run into another dark wizard. I might think differently if the compensation is high.

“Never mind if you can’t.”

I got up from my seat.

If they’re really just going to pay me money and be done with it, it’s better not to take the risk. There were many other things to do even if I didn’t take this job.

I haven’t finished cleaning the landmark yet, and I couldn’t start a new business until that was done. There were also people working on the uninhabited island development.

I was going to start a new business anyway when the landmark cleaning was over.

Ahn Seong-cheol jumps up from his seat.

“Okay! Let’s do that!”