Chapter 172
The address he received led him to a studio apartment he’d never seen before.
However, it was not a place just anyone could enter, but with Jo Jin-hwi already waiting to greet him, Suho could easily enter.
As soon as they got in the elevator, Suho asked.
“By the way, why a studio apartment?”
“Considering the scale of what we’re about to do, I needed a more private place.”
“Private? Anyone would think you’re living in a tiny dorm room right now.”
“Haha, well, my house is fine, but I needed a fresh, distraction-free workspace.”
“Typical of the rich.”
“What rich? My father is the one with money, not me. Besides, you’re earning more than me these days, Mr. Ahn.”
“Still, how could I ever compete with a third-generation chaebol?”
It was all light-hearted banter.
Once inside, Suho was momentarily speechless at the sight that greeted him.
It wasn’t the panoramic night view unique to high-rise studio apartments that left him silent.
Rather, it was the large desk in the middle of the living room, surrounded by walls covered with various sticky notes and photos.
“Did you form a team or something?”
“You told me to prepare thoroughly, right? The information you provided was so comprehensive that I had hardly anything extra to investigate, but I still set up some logic in case unexpected variables come up.”
He was telling the truth.
For instance, no matter what excuse someone involved in the redevelopment gate might come up with, he had set up ways to find gaps and respond immediately.
Jo Jin-hwi pulled up a chair and gestured for him to sit.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“No, I’m fine. Let’s just get down to business.”
“Alright, so how should we start? Should I release an article first?”
“That’s one way, but I have an even better idea.”
“A better idea?”
“Since they might deny incidents from the past, I plan to hit them with something ongoing that they can’t wriggle out of.”
“…There’s something still happening right now?”
Jo Jin-hwi’s eyes widened.
The redevelopment gate… in other words, the project currently being carried out by the redevelopment cartel was called the “Shock Project.”
The project was named the Shock Project because it utilized gate shocks.
Thus far, Jo Jin-hwi had been preparing to strike at the redevelopment cartel by compiling only the Shock Projects that Suho had given him.
He’d thought it was all wrapped up.
But now there was still an ongoing Shock Project?
Jo Jin-hwi, genuinely infuriated, spoke.
“How can they be such vile scum… I mean, how much more do these bastards want?”
“Leaving aside the inhumane aspects, it’s a profitable business model. They take turns getting their share, which is why we need to put a stop to it quickly.”
“So, where is this Shock Project currently underway?”
“In Apgujeong.”
“Apgujeong?”
“Yes, Apgujeong Mirae Apartments.”
“Apgujeong Mirae Apartments? Are you serious?”
Apgujeong Mirae Apartments.
Once among the premium apartments representing South Korea in the past, but they had become so old that they were now just waiting eagerly for redevelopment.
The desire for redevelopment among Mirae Apartment residents was intense in that sense.
But despite several changes in the Seoul mayor, various issues had prevented redevelopment of the Mirae Apartments for decades.
“People used to joke that the world would end before the Mirae Apartments ever got redeveloped.”
Even after experiencing a cataclysm comparable to the end of the world, the redevelopment of Mirae Apartments had yet to happen.
That’s why the Mirae Apartments were chosen for the Shock Project.
The idea was that if regular methods were difficult, they could get redevelopment permits by leveraging a natural disaster.
When Suho nodded, Jo Jin-hwi remarked with a disgusted tone.
“Their way of thinking is on another level…”
“People with power tend to be like that.”
“Exactly! When the cataclysm first hit, people living in wealthy neighborhoods spent a fortune protecting their homes! It’s still the same now. The buildings are falling apart, but the security Hunters stationed there are top-notch, aren’t they?”
It was indeed the case.
In areas like Gangnam, where gates hadn’t occurred yet, people continued to live with the fear of gate appearances.
Thus, they paid maintenance fees far higher than before the cataclysm and kept high-ranking Hunters on standby.
“The fact that guilds like Hexagon and Prime are based in Gangnam is largely due to these reasons.”
Just then, Jo Jin-hwi tilted his head and asked.
“But, Mr. Ahn, considering that high-ranking Hunters are always on standby there, wouldn’t they notice a gate shock? High-ranking Hunters are usually very sensitive to changes in magic energy.”
“No matter how sensitive they are, gate shocks happen suddenly, so it’s hard to prepare. Besides, if we ensure those personnel are absent on the day of the big event, any potential issues can be easily resolved.”
“That’s true, but… still, for this incident to make headlines, the gate shock would have to go off in Mirae Apartments, wouldn’t it?”
“Right?”
“Do you know the date of the shock?”
“Yes, I do.”
“As expected from you, Mr. Ahn! So, what’s the plan? Are you going to evacuate the residents before the shock happens?”
“No, I won’t evacuate the residents.”
“Pardon? Then what?”
“I’ll let the gate appear as it would. There’s no way to prevent the gate occurrence itself. Instead, I’ll suppress the catastrophic shock the cartel wants. That way, the apartment won’t collapse, no lives will be lost, and we can still deal with the gate.”
“…?”
Jo Jin-hwi narrowed his eyes at Suho’s explanation.
Then, crossing his arms and stroking his chin for a long moment, he raised a finger and said.
“Then… isn’t that pointless?”
“Why would it be pointless?”
“Well, avoiding casualties is certainly a good thing, but a place that has had a gate once doesn’t get another, right?”
“Exactly.”
“But if the gate is subdued in such a safe manner, it’ll only add to the property’s Save Zone premium. Wouldn’t that end up feeding the cartel?”
It was a valid argument.
In the current South Korean real estate market, the most valuable premium was the “Save Zone Premium,” based on the assumption that no new gate would ever open again.
But that was a rather one-dimensional way of thinking.
“Generally, that’s true.”
“Generally? What do you mean by that?”
“When a gate is cleared, a Save Zone Premium is added. But do you really think the people involved in this project would go through all this just for a simple Save Zone Premium?”
“What do you mean… Oh!”
Jo Jin-hwi realized what he had overlooked.
“Right. What the cartel wants isn’t just the Save Zone Premium—they want to completely redevelop the old apartment itself, not some mere premium.”
“If the redevelopment happens, the apartment prices will soar way beyond any Save Zone Premium. The problem is that redevelopment has been impossible due to various issues.”
One of the reasons for the delay in redeveloping Mirae Apartments was surprisingly the opposition of the residents.
Unless it was a redevelopment that rebuilt on the exact same site, most of the existing residents were not enthusiastic about any redevelopment.
While financial issues and other problems also played a role, this was the biggest reason.
That’s why the cartel planned to destroy the Mirae Apartments through a gate shock.
If Mirae Apartments suffered damage from a natural disaster like a gate shock, they would be rightfully eligible for redevelopment.
“An old apartment just needs to be made new for its value to skyrocket.”
Jo Jin-hwi asked.
“People’s thoughts are truly ruthless. To use a global catastrophe just to redevelop an apartment… it’s unbelievable.”
“That’s the nature of greed. Some people will kill for something as small as a wallet or a slice of bread.”
“It’s a sad truth. But doesn’t that mean that quite a few Mirae Apartment residents must be part of the cartel this time?”
This was a natural assumption.
In particular, Jo Jin-hwi believed that members of the Mirae Apartment Redevelopment Committee would be the most involved.
But contrary to his expectations, Suho shook his head.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t many people involved in this project.”
“How many?”
“About nine?”
“…What?”
“As surprising as it sounds, it’s true.”
“Are you telling me that this whole mess is happening because of fewer than ten Mirae Apartment owners?”
Suho nodded silently.
It was the truth.
“One of the most shocking revelations when the entire redevelopment gate conspiracy was eventually exposed was that.”
People were horrified to learn that the catastrophe was inflicted on Mirae Apartments for the greed of only about nine people.
But what was even more shocking was that the Shock Projects executed so far were practically methods and processes for such redevelopment apartments.
“Once the Shock Project succeeded with Mirae Apartments, similar occurrences began at various premium apartments across the country just waiting for redevelopment.”
In the process, many people were injured and lost their lives.
All because of a few real estate owners, numbering fewer than a hundred.
“That’s why this Shock Project must be stopped.”
Right after his return, Suho used the Library of Memories to check on all the ongoing Shock Projects.
And he had felt some relief.
The Shock Projects for the redevelopment apartments, known as the true beginning of disaster, hadn’t started yet.
Jo Jin-hwi asked.
“Do you know the list of those nine people?”
“Yes. These nine are the core of it all.”
“Who are they?”
“Most prominently, there’s Pi Seongyeol.”
“Pi Seongyeol? You mean Head of Special Affairs Pi Seongyeol?”
“Yes, that Pi Seongyeol.”
“Unbelievable. So he’s been planning and orchestrating this whole gate scheme from the start?”
“He didn’t plan it from the beginning. Originally, he started it to gain favor with those above him, but as things progressed, he got the idea and started a hidden project like a secret stash. Once Mirae Apartments are redeveloped, it will be the highest-valued real estate in Korean history, not just a simple Save Zone Premium.”
Then he could claim that he made his fortune legitimately through real estate investment.
All the while maintaining the façade of a poorly-paid civil servant.
Suho spoke.
“In any case, with that in mind, I plan to expose the beginning of the redevelopment gate right here in Mirae Apartments, their most anticipated project.”
“And how exactly? Do you really have a way to suppress the gate shock?”
“Yes, I do. So there’s no need to worry about that. And as for the approach, I intend to proceed with an internal report.”
“…An internal report?”
“Yes. Nothing is as credible or reliable as a source from within the cartel itself.”
Suho was speaking in plain Korean.
Yet, despite hearing it clearly, Jo Jin-hwi couldn’t understand.
“No, if it’s an insider, that means they’re also part of the Shock Project scheme. Who’d be stupid enough to incriminate themselves and risk going to jail?”
“Criminals often end up fighting over their turf and turning each other in to the police.”
“Are you serious… So, who is it?”
“Park Gyu-min.”
“Excuse me? You mean Vice Chairman Park Gyu-min?”
“Yes, that Vice Chairman Park Gyu-min.”
Suho answered with a bright smile.
It wasn’t a joke; he meant it sincerely.