469 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

EP.469 Paper Mill - 3 We must ensure that the strike doesn't appear as an insurrection. If it's deemed an insurrection, the authorities will inevitably intervene. All the plans I've painstakingly crafted will vanish in an instant. A strike is the act of workers asserting their demands, whereas an insurrection is the people rebelling against the state. It's crucial to distinguish between the two clearly, to prevent any involvement from the authorities. To do so, I first needed to assess the situation. "This is dangerous. Who knows what enraged Koreans might do!" An older lawman stood in my way and remarked. "I am the chief responsible for this incident. Who else but me should go?" "Do you think you're the first lawman to be sacrificed during an uprising? Just suppress them!" "Isn't it a lawman's job to right the injustices of the people? They must have requested to see me because they feel wronged. I'll go and speak with them." I looked around at those nearby, embodying the image of a genuine lawman who is solely concerned for the people. "Kang Po Kae. You...!" "Kang Po Kae, sir!" Don't look at me so moved. This is all a setup. "The Kang Po Kae you wished to meet is going in! Make way!" And so, with a few constables, I entered the paper mill. "Kang Po Kae? Kang Po Kae, sir!" Just as I heard, most have black hair. There are some people from the Central Plains, but not many. "The Paper Mill Manager isn't dead, I see." The Paper Mill Manager's face, tied to a pillar, was quite a sight. Swollen like a steamed bun, drooling, and if he weren't breathing, one could have thought he was dead. Thankfully, that was the problem I was most concerned about. Regardless of the Paper Mill Manager's grave sins, the situation would escalate if someone died. Fortunately, none of those taken hostage appeared to be dead. "Even if the Paper Mill Manager didn't treat us like human beings, we are discerning people. We aimed to protest, not to vent." The middle-aged Korean who approached me with a pained body had a familiar face. Ha Yeon So Jee had previously looked out for him when his wife had a late childbirth, and I had occasionally given him attention. A brief flash of recognition passed between us, but as agreed, we hid our emotions, pretending not to know each other. "Are you the representative of the paper mill workers?" Although it was previously decided, I asked again. This is a position fraught with risks. If things go awry, he alone would bear the responsibility. Are you sure you want to step up as the representative? "Yes, I led this." The strike was my plan, but it came about through the enthusiastic agreement of the paper mill workers. The face of the representative, who had volunteered first, was filled with unhidden resolve. "Let’s go. Explain the circumstances to the lawman and the constables." —— "It's unjust. How could this be an insurrection? It was merely a small scuffle! We protested, yet whips rained upon us! It’s just for that small act of defiance that we're in this situation!" With the Paper Mill Manager's habitual assaults, low wages, and poor working conditions laid bare, the paper mill workers' representative explained the before and after of the strike very coherently. "What?! You claim to have detained the Manager, yet it’s not an insurrection?!" "It seems quite far from an insurrection to me." With a measured tone, like a calm and composed lawman assessing the situation, I made my conclusion. "Kang Po Kae, sir?" "The Manager and the Deputy Manager routinely used whips on people?" Ignoring the Deputy Manager’s nervous demeanor, I asked the workers' representative. "Yes! Exactly. Look here; see the scars from today and from previous beatings!" The workers' representative bared his chest, displaying his scars to the lawman and constables. "Tsk, tsk." "Was it as bad as this?" Even the seasoned lawmen clicked their tongues at the sight of the scars. "These wounds are all because of them! All we did was protest! We didn’t kill anyone!" Filled with righteous indignation and rage, the appeal was compelling. I could see everyone's sympathy shifting toward the workers. “...No, it was just for discipline. Argh!” Seeing the chance, I didn’t hesitate to slap the Deputy Manager across the cheek. "This won't do." "Kang Po Kae, sir. Why are you striking me?" The Deputy Manager, touching his cheek with a look of bewilderment, asked me. "I'm just trying to discipline too. I asked the workers' representative, did I ask you, or did I ask him?" You claimed to discipline them, now let me discipline you. I questioned the workers' representative, didn't I? Did I give you the right to speak? “…….” “Ha.” I struck the speechless Deputy Manager again, this time on the other cheek, which wasn’t guarded. “Argh! Why, why are you hitting me!” “Wasn’t I asking you? Why aren’t you answering?” Does what I say not sound like words to you? “Argh! You didn't ask.” “Then why did you answer!” “Aaah!” "Let me ask again. Are you angry?" "I'm, I'm not angry! Argh! Why are you hitting me?" I swung full force, knocking the Deputy Manager’s head sideways. "You're displaying an angry face and yet dare to lie in front of a lawman?" That's a grievous offense! More beatings! Covering your face with your arms, are you? In that case, it’s stick beating. I swung a hexagonal club towards the Deputy Manager's shins. “Ow!” Does it hurt? Those Koreans you whipped, they were in more pain. I shall beat you more. This is for Choi! This is for Kim! This is for Lee! And this is for Kang! I didn’t work at the paper mill, but I felt the fury, so I added interest to each blow. “Ugh! I’m sorry! I’m indeed angry!” The Deputy Manager, unable to bear the pain in his shins, finally fell to his knees and confessed. “Do you dare show anger to a lawman now?!” “Mercy! I’m sorr-” Even in a scene where I swung the hexagonal club gleefully, none of the lawmen dared to intervene. Of course. “…Kang Po Kae, sir. You’re at a level of admonishment for someone who’s been a lawman for 20 years.” “I guess so. A born lawman, indeed. Was he born holding a hexagonal club?” Everyone was chuckling, clearly finding it amusing. “His swift hands are something even the street beggars should learn from, huh?” “Not only is his head as sharp as a lawman, but his hands are too!" In this era, a lawman represents brute force backed by authority. If an insurrection occurs, not only are the instigators punished, but those who sparked it are held accountable as well. With it revealed that the Deputy Manager shares responsibility with the Paper Mill Manager for this incident, no one was going to intervene in my beatdown. “Ughhh…” Eventually, the Deputy Manager, looking no better than the Manager inside, was brought to his knees. “So why are you calling this an insurrection just because they scuffled among themselves?” While everyone but one person found the scene amusing, I wasn’t hitting him just to vent frustration. ‘I need to sway public opinion in favor of the Koreans.' The wrongdoers here are the Paper Mill Manager and the Deputy Manager. Public sentiment must lean toward seeing the Koreans as having reached a breaking point after enduring so much. “It wasn’t just a scuffle. It’s truly an insurrection.” The Deputy Manager protested as if wronged, but it didn’t matter. Today, I plan to ensure this event is regarded not as an insurrection but as a strike. "The most senior worker in the paper mill was beaten. Everyone worked hard for meager pay and asked for a raise, only to be whipped! They were angry and spoke up, only to be whipped again. Wouldn’t they be collectively outraged?” “If they all rise up, isn’t that an insurrectio—” “Hey, did any officials get hurt? Did anyone die? You're just here trying to mediate a dispute. Why call it an insurrection over something that could be resolved civilly?" “Well…” They would have nothing to say. In a world where feuds between villages are ignored, even if tenant farmers rise against a landlord and one or two die, they are ordered to disband. The critical point is whether an official appointed by the state died or not. If they did, it's an insurrection, but nobody died today. This situation wasn't insurrection-worthy to begin with. The reason they want to label this incident as an insurrection is simple. "Kang Po Kae, sir. This is a paper mill owned by the local landlord." It's all about observing the landlord’s wishes. A lawman pleading with me, looking ready to settle for less hassle, tried nudging me to submit. Sure, when the landlord's name is involved, a lawman is expected to bow down. But you see, I’m Kang Yunho, the lawman. I'm not one to back down. “So what? Is this a government office? This isn’t an insurrection. It’s not even a real uprising. It’s just some people at the mill having a scuffle. Why are we making such a fuss during broad daylight?” I questioned, acting as if I couldn’t comprehend why the constables were even involved. “What?!” “You're right.” “...But there are quite a few people involved.” The lawman trying to hold me back sighed quietly. “Of course. There are hundreds working at the paper mill. If each person threw just a single punch, someone might die, but the Paper Mill Manager is still alive.” Barely breathing, but alive. “Kang Po Kae, sir, because it’s the landlord’s paper mill.” What's with this nonsense? The lawman’s eyes turned to me. “If the landlord runs an inn, are you going to label a martial arts fight there as an insurrection too? Sounds good. If a fight breaks out in my tavern between clans, I can charge them with insurrection. Would you agree to be the first to step up? Got it?” I’ve told you earlier, it’s not an insurrection. “Well…you can’t put it like that…” Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, the Deputy Manager pointed towards the mill and shouted. “Look at those guys! Isn’t that a spear they’re holding!” Turning my head, I spotted a Korean holding what looked like a bamboo spear. “Hey! You over there! Is that a spear?! Are you planning to stab someone with it?” Say no. I sent a desperate look. “It’s a walking stick!” “He says he’s using it as a walking aid! This son of a gun! Reporting a rebellion over nothing! How despicable!” I slapped the Deputy Manager once again. “But I mean, it clearly looks like a weapon.” “Want me to show you what a real weapon is?” I brandished my hexagonal club. “Eek! N-No!” “What do the paper mill workers want? Speak.” The workers' representative, having relished the Deputy Manager’s predicament, composed his expression and spoke earnestly. “We seek meal provisions, guaranteed two days off every fortnight, a fourfold increase in wages, and paid sick leave due to major illnesses.” “These barbarian bastards are talking nonsense!!!” "What? Are you saying you didn’t understand my words as meaningful?” The Deputy Manager had barbarian on the tip of his tongue. “N-No! Not at all.” With the Deputy Manager bent and bowing his head, the situation seemed mostly settled. ‘With this resolution, it's time to move to the next stage.’ How should we draw out the landlord who refuses to budge? "Alright. From here on out, you guys handle it among yourselves." Light the fire first. “Huh?” “From now on, the constables will only keep watch to ensure the local conflict doesn’t escalate into an uprising. Once the negotiations conclude peacefully, you'll disband. Got it?” Draw the fire break next. Transform the situation from an uprising into a simple disturbance caused by disgruntled workers. Let them clash. And I won’t chastise you, no matter how intense it gets. “Yes, sir!” “This is really…” Isn’t there delight in watching a spectacle unfold? Let the flames not spread, but prepare to let it blaze within the designated area. “Inside the paper mill, have at it freely. Just don’t harm anyone else. Alright?!” “Of course!” The compulsion of the landlord and the inspector general will be set ablaze. “If anything happens, come straight to me! Don't listen to anyone else's orders! I take responsibility for this incident!” Ensure the only one who can extinguish that fire is no one other than me. Only Kang Yunho.