I Became a Scoundrel of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 139

"A PMC named Snow White... seriously?"

Gong Seo-young muttered under her breath as she signed the contract.

After her hysterics post-encounter, she’d initially seemed on the verge of tears, but when I presented the actual contract, she froze in disbelief, stammering, "R-really?" and then calmed down.

She must’ve thought I’d just toss her aside.

What does she take me for...?

Even with Yoon Ha-young, that persistent journalist who drove me up the wall, I eventually took her in and put her to work in the dungeon team.

And me, pulling a hit-and-run? Never.

That’s not my style.

"Hey, are you sure it’s okay to sign something like this without any negotiation?"

She signed the contract boldly.

After skimming the terms, she nodded and scrawled her name without hesitation, to the point that it made me worry for her.

I’d heard Sky Force, her previous employer, was a complete hellhole, treating its employees poorly. It made me wonder if her habit of signing contracts this way came from years of exploitation.

"Why would I hesitate when the salary is five times higher?"

"Wait, five times?!"

Five times...?

I’d just casually thrown out a number, and it turned out to be that much higher?

"Plus, if I get injured, the company covers medical costs and compensation. If it’s a severe injury, I get six months’ salary upfront, medical costs are covered separately, and if I end up disabled, they’ll provide free implants and guarantee job security. This is practically utopia!"

Wait a second. If my PMC’s basic benefits feel like utopia, just how horrible was her last company? I couldn’t even imagine.

"Glad you’re happy."

Just moments ago, I’d forced myself on her, yet here she was, calmly and earnestly finalizing the contract.

Her mental resilience was... impressive.

"But why is the company named Snow White? It doesn’t fit."

"Because the company’s director is Baek Seol."

"..."

Gong Seo-young went silent for a moment.

"You’re thinking it’s lame, aren’t you?"

"Huh? No, not at all! I think it’s great!"

"Liar. It’s all over your face."

I flicked her forehead lightly.

"Ouch..."

+++

Back on the artificial island, I sent Gong Seo-young to the resident doctors for a basic check-up.

If any serious issues arose, I planned to send her to Koryo Medical for a full recovery.

"Seung-hee, bring up the map."

"Yes, sir."

The panoramic view of the artificial island unfolded before me.

With the forest almost cleared and the prison site chosen, it was time to start utilizing the island properly.

Using this vast space exclusively for a prison would be absurd.

The island was the size of a tenth of Incheon City. It was perfect for housing weapon stockpiles, military supplies, medical centers, and various corporate facilities.

The top contenders for tenants were, of course, Koryo Militaris and Koryo Medical. Following them, perhaps Koryo Chemicals.

The dilemma was that bringing those companies onto the island would feel like inviting overseers into my private space.

Even now, my aunt keeps an unnervingly close eye on my every move. Bringing in more of Koryo Group would only amplify that.

Though my aunt is hot and lovely, it’s still... hmm.

Still, excluding them entirely wasn’t an option.

After all, the primary justification for the island’s existence was the prison. For a Koryo Group heir to run a prison without involving Koryo Militaris or Koryo Medical would be an odd look. My aunt might even be offended.

“First priority: my body’s medical data must remain completely confidential. Even my aunt can’t access it.”

Medical records are extremely sensitive.

If mind-scan data somehow ended up in the hands of the Koryo family, who knows what chaos might ensue?

That had to be avoided at all costs.

“Looks like Baek Seol will have to handle my medical needs.”

She’s loyal to me, and she’s been working hard to acquire the necessary knowledge.

She’d even mentioned wanting to study implant surgery for me, though that plan had been shelved.

“If only it weren’t for Grandfather...”

The ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) Koryo family, particularly my grandfather, looks down on implants.

To them, implants are akin to the marks of servitude—a distinction meant for slaves, not free individuals.

It’s the typical cyberpunk aristocracy cliché: the wealthy abhor implants and embrace the purity of the human body, exalting their "natural" status as a symbol of superiority.

As the eldest grandson of Koryo Group, getting implants would provoke a reaction akin to relapsing into drug addiction.

So, for now, implants were off the table.

“Still, there’s so much more I can extract from the family....”

I’ll focus on what’s achievable and let go of the rest.

“Grandfather doesn’t mind leveraging anti-aging biotechnologies. That should be a safe avenue.”

Advanced biotechnologies are no less artificial than robotics.

...Wait, something about that feels off.

Anyway, there are plenty of ways forward, so I’ll channel my frustrations into progress.

"Seol-ah, are you keeping up with your studies?"

"Huh?"

Caught off guard, she tilted her head before nodding as if she’d remembered something.

"Ah, yes! I am, Master."

"Good. Keep at it. I can only trust my body to you."

"!! P-please entrust it to me!"

"Sure."

After giving her some encouragement, I turned to Seung-hee.

"You, set up a Koryo Group complex here. Include Militaris, Medical, Chemicals, and anything else that might be useful to me. Draft an operational plan."

"Yes, sir."

"This area will be a cultural and entertainment district. Since no one on the island is allowed to leave without my permission, they’ll need something to enjoy here. But don’t bring in male entertainers. The entire island is off-limits to men."

"What kind of entertainment should I bring in?"

"Hold a vote or decide among yourselves in a meeting."

"A vote...?"

Ah, there aren’t enough people here yet.

At most, there’s Ha Eun-young and Ma Yeon-ju, but a vote between them would be pointless.

"You know those female celebrities who’ve fallen out of the public eye?"

"Are you referring to those caught in sex scandals and blacklisted?"

"Yeah. What are they up to now?"

"Some are lying low, waiting for opportunities, while others have resorted to nightlife jobs due to financial constraints."

"Exclude the ones who’ve gone into nightlife and bring the rest here. Have them draft plans for the cultural district based on a survey."

"Understood."

"This area will be for... substance production."

Since I’d committed to distribution, I needed to establish a proper production system, including research, development, and procurement.

This area would be used for cultivation or other necessary activities.

I continued brainstorming ideas for the island, throwing out suggestions for the design.

It might change significantly later, but for now, this was the outline.

Given that the island would be the heart of my future power, I was paying close attention to every detail.

"When will the ownership transfer happen?"

Surprisingly, the island was still legally under my aunt’s name.

Transferring it to the corporation managing the island would take time and paperwork.

"About another week, they said."

"It’s just paperwork. Why is it taking so long?"

"The artificial island is subject to numerous laws and regulations. Technically, even having it floating off the city’s coast is illegal."

"Everything’s illegal these days."

"Strategically speaking, it poses a threat to the city—like having an aircraft carrier stationed offshore. Legal frameworks for such things are natural, even from the perspective of city residents—"

"..."

I stared at her, and she flinched, lowering her head.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Huh? No, I—"

I grabbed her and started teasing her mercilessly.

"Kyaaah!"

"That’s what you get for saying unnecessary things. You need a good lesson."

"S-sorry!! Ahh!"

After tormenting her for a while, she collapsed to the floor, panting.

"Haah..."

"Who’s the council member for Namdong District?"

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"Namdong District?"

"We’ll need to talk to the council too. Who represents Namdong District?"

"Oh."

Seung-hee quickly composed herself and stood up.

"The district mayor is Yeo Chae-rin, a member of the Progressive Innovation Party. The representative for Namdong A is Kim Eun-ji from the Better Future Party, and for Namdong B, it’s Jung Kyung-min from the Equality and Freedom Constitution Party."

"A mess, huh."

A three-way political split... great.

"Of the three, the one most closely tied to the Namdong Industrial Complex is Kim Eun-ji, representing Namdong A. Most of her constituency includes the industrial complex. Decades ago, that area was Incheon’s political hub, with City Hall located there, but now it’s criticized as a district that only takes up space."

"She’s a woman?"

"Yes, a young rising star."

"Bring her to me."