I Became a Scoundrel of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 156

I moved around the area just enough to keep things safe, meeting key personnel and establishing connections.

"Incheon Autonomous Police Headquarters, Special Operations Special Participant, Gwang Seok-jin."

"Go Muyeol."

I shook hands with the young man leading the police forces. He had been inside one of the large tents, overseeing the operation, but the moment he noticed me, he stepped out to greet me.

“He’s not actually young, right? Must’ve undergone anti-aging.”

Anti-aging treatments were so commonplace, except among extremists like those in the Progressive Innovation Party. In Korea, they were as common as LASIK and LASEK back in my previous life.

“I’m sure the situation is chaotic, but thank you for being here,” Gwang Seok-jin said.

“The pleasure is mine. Thank you for creating this opportunity. Namdong Industrial Complex has long been a concern, and now that vision is finally coming to fruition.”

“That’s reassuring to hear.”

Gwang Seok-jin spoke highly of the operation.

It seemed that he had been eager to clean up the complex, which the city had been hesitant to touch due to the potential fallout. Now, it was being done in one swift move.

Of course, he must have had thoughts about my motives, but did that even matter?

Yes, it served my personal interests, but Namdong Industrial Complex’s detrimental impact on the city was undeniable.

Take land prices, for instance. The average price in Incheon ranged from 30 million to 50 million won per square meter, but around Namdong Industrial Complex, it was barely 10 million.

This was entirely due to the massive criminal organizations entrenched in the complex.

And that wasn’t all.

Incheon’s most affluent area, Songdo Future City, was right next to Namdong Industrial Complex. The area’s high land values and robust economic infrastructure were barely maintained through extensive anti-air defenses and filters. If the threat of Namdong Industrial Complex were to vanish entirely and a new development district took its place?

Land prices could skyrocket beyond imagination.

In fact, the entire city of Incheon could experience revitalization through new investments and development.

Objectively speaking, even apart from my involvement, this was an extraordinary achievement.

“But if you don’t mind me asking, how is the collaboration with the prosecution going? After all, there was... that incident.”

“That incident” referred to Special Prosecutor Lee Na-eun’s investigation of the late Commissioner Jang Kyung-soo, which exposed him as a depraved individual involved in bribery and sexual exploitation.

That case had been her final investigation and had been orchestrated under my direction.

Now, with Lee Na-eun effectively leading this operation, it was only natural for there to be tensions between the two organizations.

“Of course. We never imagined that the commissioner would be such a despicable figure, but precisely because of that, our organization has undergone significant internal reforms. It was a necessary reckoning.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Our active participation in this operation is part of our commitment to turning over a new leaf and regaining our integrity as true police officers.”

“Hm.”

It seemed that a flicker of justice was reviving within the police force, albeit among a minority.

Considering how grotesque and shameful Jang Kyung-soo’s downfall had been—worse than in the original story—it wasn’t surprising.

Even in a dystopian world like this, the police are fundamentally expected to uphold social justice. When the commissioner was publicly revealed as a drug dealer, a pimp, and an all-around disgrace, the institution’s reputation couldn’t help but crumble.

Voices advocating for justice within the force would naturally grow louder, and those individuals would likely gain more influence.

“But if Soo-ah’s assessment is correct, it’s just a tiny minority. Will it last?”

That remains to be seen.

****

The battlefield remained overwhelmingly one-sided.

Particularly, the operation to eliminate the criminals progressed so smoothly that the term "sweeping them away" felt entirely appropriate.

While my aunt’s unexpected support played a significant role, the sheer overwhelming power of our forces, charged with unshakable morale, was the main factor.

Even a thousand well-armed soldiers are terrifying enough. When that number reaches tens of thousands? It’s nothing short of despair for the opposition.

Thanks to that, the once-infamous Namdong Industrial Complex didn’t even get the chance to put up a fight—it was utterly crushed.

Thinking about it, it made sense.

Our enemies weren’t innocent young men conscripted under unfortunate circumstances.

Hesitation and guilt come when you’re dealing with a faceless crowd, not with what we were up against here.

This was a group of pure criminals.

Sure, there might have been a handful of decent people who had no choice but to live in Namdong Industrial Complex. But for the most part, everyone there was guilty.

Even my cute little pet, Dan-Tto-Dan-Tto, had a rap sheet ranging from pickpocketing to theft, murder, contract killings, and hacking.

And these people had the audacity to launch missiles, fire guns, and bombard the city.

When faced with enemies like this, hesitation evaporates, and that lack of hesitation drastically boosts combat effectiveness.

This was the result: Namdong Industrial Complex, reduced to shambles.

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"Restoration work, including clearing debris, disposing of waste, environmental rehabilitation, and leveling the ground, is estimated to take six months to two years."

"And the cost?"

"Roughly estimated at one to two trillion won, but we’ll need a closer assessment of the state of Namdong Industrial Complex."

"That’s quite a lot."

I currently have about 16 trillion won in liquid assets, and yet just the cleanup and restoration to make the land usable again would cost one to two trillion.

The ironic part? Acquiring all the land only cost 40 billion won, yet the restoration costs were over a trillion.

It was absurd, but it made sense. After all, we bombarded the place into a blood-soaked wasteland. Cleaning it up would naturally cost that much.

Still, I wasn’t too concerned.

I had the ever-reliable Representative Kim Eun-ji, the Namdong District 1 lawmaker, on my side.

"This can get government support, right?"

I directed the question to Kim Eun-ji.

Startled, she flinched before nodding hurriedly.

"Yes, of course! This is precisely the kind of project the Public Safety Restoration Committee allocates budgets for."

As the representative for Namdong District 1, her role involved creating laws for such projects and securing the necessary funds. Conveniently, the committee she belonged to oversaw safety and public restoration projects in Incheon, including budget reviews and execution.

A perfect match.

Additionally, this operation had the full backing of her party, the Better Future Party, which even provided her with knight bodyguards for protection. Naturally, any related laws or budgets would likely pass quickly.

“This is gold.”

I would own the land to maximize my profits, but Incheon City would cover the restoration costs.

Privatize the profits, socialize the costs.

Now, that’s how you play the money game.

"Good. This is our top priority. Representative Kim, draft special legislation or leverage the committee’s power to secure the budget."

"Understood! I’ll get right on it!"

"...Lower your voice."

"S-Sorry."

Kim Eun-ji, who had shot to her feet, awkwardly sat back down.

I turned to Soo-ah.

"This is taking too long. We’re getting city funding anyway, so throw more money at the restoration. Ramp up the manpower and equipment."

"Understood, Master."

"Bring me the Namdong Industrial Complex development plan."

"One moment."

Soo-ah rummaged through her briefcase and handed me a stack of documents.

It was the development plan for Namdong Industrial Complex, crafted by Seung-hee and the strategy team secretaries.

Naturally, the plan divided the complex into various zones with two main approaches.

One option involved making the most of the existing infrastructure while redeveloping.

The ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ other was a complete overhaul, rebuilding from scratch with entirely new land-use plans tailored to our needs.

The latter, of course, was more beneficial to me. The secretaries had crafted this plan to maximize my gains.

If the mayor had been cooperative, I could’ve handed her the plan and moved forward smoothly.

But unfortunately, the toad and I had already burned our bridges.

The bright side? The mayor was unlikely to keep her position after what had happened.

After getting thoroughly beaten, it would be absurd for her to remain in office. A new vote would be held soon.

"Focus on pushing the second plan, assuming the mayor will be replaced. Start restoration work with the core area here—the site for our unified headquarters."

"Understood."

As I issued various orders, I began envisioning the blueprint for Namdong Industrial Complex’s transformation.