I Became a Cyberpunk Tycoon

Refining (4)

Men in suits gathered one by one. Their faces were etched with concern.

"It's somewhat reassuring to see that there are so many people in Hansan who care."

People who normally shouldn't be meeting were now moving with a common purpose. Seeing the faces of numerous Hansan people, those who came from outside Hansan sighed with relief.

"This certainly can only be seen as Chairman Han Sanwoo's unilateral decision."

Until Han Sanwoo was meeting with city council members, these people thought it wasn't anything special.

It's natural for a company of Hansan's scale to maintain friendly relations with politicians. Having a few meals together now wouldn't change anything.

But he moved much more aggressively and roughly than they had anticipated. He acted in a ruthless and sinister manner, as if the looming conflict was none of his concern.

"Of course. The reason why he's suddenly doing such things... Although we are loyal to Hansan, this is..."

They had gathered to prevent the situation from escalating. Naturally, they had no intention of surrendering.

"Is there no way to block the law itself? After all, it will be the subordinates who handle the actual work..."

If Hansan deliberately began lobbying, there would be almost no politician who could refuse their orders. But Han Sanwoo was too big of a figure.

If the working-level staff engaged in work slowdowns, they might be able to divert his anger elsewhere or block the passage of the bill. They could also create loopholes in the passed legislation.

"It won't work. Chairman Han Sanwoo is personally meeting with people."

The executive from Hansan shook his head. Those from other companies were shocked to hear this fact.

"What the..."

In their minds, Han Sanwoo was more like a vast backdrop rather than a player.

He was like a guardian deity whose mere existence gave strength to Hansan.

He strikes down anything that displeases him. If someone without money shows disrespect toward him, he retaliates thoroughly.

He brings women he desires to his bedroom and puts delicious food on the table. He was the kind of person who wouldn't seem strange even if a beast had transformed into a human.

If it had been someone inside Hansan, they might have been somewhat prepared. They could have noticed that Han Sanwoo had changed at some point.

But the employees from other companies who came here found it difficult to accept his transformation.

"The chairman is taking action personally. He has extended his reach to the police department as well, so ordinary methods won't be able to stop him."

Han Sanwoo is a direct descendant of the Hansan family. If someone works for Hansan, they can never publicly deny or antagonize him.

It was no different for those outside Hansan. To stand against Han Sanwoo, one must pay a commensurate price.

"Is there really no way?"

If it had been a conventionally corrupt society, there might have been means to confront him.

Promise more benefits than Han Sanwoo could offer and pay expensive bribes.

But unfortunately, in this world, corporations were gods. Especially in Stella City.

"How about promising more money to those politicians? Once the bill is created, we'll have to throw money into thin air anyway, so even if we bear the damage now, we should make a decision..."

"That's out of the question. We have our dignity too."

This would have been a viable option if politicians were strong. It wouldn't have been strange if it were common for corporate people to grovel before politicians.

But corporate executives already stood in a far more dominant position than politicians.

The method of training politicians through dignity, fear, connections, and pressure could dramatically reduce the money corporations spent on lobbying.

Even if they poured money now to change politicians' minds, the very act itself would give politicians too much power.

It wasn't an efficient method either. Han Sanwoo's authority was much stronger than their money.

"Besides... no matter what, there's the matter of public opinion. Many workers view the new bill favorably."

Though it might have been too corrupt to be called democracy, the city council members and mayor of Stella City were elected through voting.

Of course, that voting wasn't normal.

The election was conducted electronically, and forgery was impossible. But any company with a decent hacker could find out which person voted for which candidate.

Not many people had citizenship. According to Stella City's policy of not giving voting rights to criminals, most citizens had to be affiliated with companies.

Politicians naturally presented bills that suited corporate tastes. They might openly favor specific companies or industries, but they rarely sided with the poor or workers.

Since there was no other way to build reputation or wealth in Stella City apart from corporations, those politicians were ultimately filled with corporate people who came from companies.

"Public opinion? Since when did we care about such things?"

"Employees are feeling uneasy. Recent accidents have also been covered by the media... We can't control all citizens, can we?"

Corporations might be able to control all citizens. But the people here couldn't control all citizens.

Not all companies were large corporations, and small businesses with just a few or dozens of employees would refuse to antagonize Hansan without a good reason.

"It's all Hansan's fault! If Han Sanwoo hadn't excitedly run his mouth..."

It was all his doing. He unexpectedly appeared on TV, exaggerated an accidental safety incident, and pressured journalists to spread the rumor.

"It's not important to argue about right and wrong now. We need to find a solution."

Silence fell. There was only one option left.

"This, 'applying strong pressure,' seems to be the only way."

An elderly man in his sixties spoke up. Others silently nodded.

If an opponent cannot be defeated with money or power, one must torment others around them.

Kidnapping, murder, threats, assault. Given enough time, they could make the bill's collaborators become entangled in "unfortunate incidents."

There were many methods. They could use corporate soldiers or hire mercenaries.

The former would be unmanageable if caught, and the latter lacked reliability. But it wasn't impossible.

In an ordinary society, this would clearly be a heinous act of "breaking the rules."

Those standing on a chessboard must fight by moving chess pieces. Those standing in a place where money changes hands must fight by moving money. That was the common sense of the general world.

But Stella City was different.

It wasn't unusual to kill a competitor's CEO by running them over with a truck or to kidnap them by mobilizing a gang.

The police who would arrest them were corrupt, and even if they fought with all their might, they couldn't win against corporate soldiers.

It was something that should obviously be done if one could withstand sanctions from other companies. Not many people here had hands free of blood.

Rather, that's why it was harder to happen. A wealthy CEO or executive would "naturally" prepare for such violent attacks.

"...Let's start by dividing into groups."

"Excuse me, are you really going to do such a thing? No matter what, killing people is..."

They were open-minded enough to open their hearts to people from other companies. At least the people here didn't enjoy using such solutions.

"If we leave Han Sanwoo unchecked, a bigger conflict will arise. To prevent the possibility of war, we must somehow break his ambition."

At the words of Hansan's executive, Jang Guhan, the gazes of others changed.

The loyalty that Hansan people dedicate to the Hansan family is absolute. This is even more so for those who rise to executive levels.

Such a Hansan executive was criticizing Han Sanwoo, spitting out words like "ambition," so they couldn't help but newly realize the seriousness of the situation.

"Since it seems a conclusion has been reached, let's start the concrete discussion."

Jang Guhan opened his mouth. This meeting was a life-or-death gamble for him as well.

The very fact that he could gather "Hansan employees opposing Han Sanwoo" like this demonstrated his influence and popularity.

But that influence and popularity do not gather without trust. He had covered up the sins of many people, and that force reciprocated his kindness.

But that was it. He couldn't be certain that Han Sanwoo was involved, but at the very least, the entity spreading the rumors was Han Sanwoo.

'Why on earth...?'

He had dedicated his life to serving Hansan loyally. But he couldn't die just because Hansan told him to.

He didn't want to retire or change jobs. He just needed his position to remain.

Fighting against the chairman Han Sanmok's grandson was a painful and reckless thing, but he had no choice left.

"I've compiled a list of people cooperating with him. First, the police chief and the list of politicians he's contacted—"

For that, he could even kill someone.

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