478 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

EP.478 The Paper Mill - 12 “Is everyone gathered?” Upon arriving at the paper mill, I found the workers, who should have been out protesting, crowding around me with puzzled expressions. "Sir Leader, are you saying we shouldn't protest today?" "Mr. Kang! Soon enough, the time will come where they, for merely owning the means of production, will eat lunch without working a single drop of sweat. We must go out and show our strength as workers to make them pay!" "Exactly! Even if we have to skip lunch, we need to show we haven't become mere slaves to the means of production!" "Wretched landlords! Dirty rich who monopolize the means of production! I want to go out now; my boiling blood can't be contained!" What is this? I told them to strike, and now they're becoming extreme labor activists. This is a problem. ‘I now own the means of production.’ Maybe I gave too passionate a speech without thinking about the repercussions. ‘The paper mill is now mine. If I say a word about it, they'll see me as a traitor.’ I bought the paper mill for a pittance, so I'm the only one benefiting here. If I reveal the truth, I'll surely be stoned. Even if not right now, dissatisfaction will definitely arise later on. "Quiet! The Leader is trying to speak!" Ha Se Ryun, the workers' representative, yelled, misunderstanding my contemplative expression. All eyes were on me. Seems like I've got no choice. I'll have to stick to the plan, then. I employed my usual solemn demeanor and gazed at the audience. "I was summoned by the chief landlord yesterday." I began with a statement that was bound to grab everyone's attention. —————— "Sir Leader, are you saying you were summoned by the chief landlord himself?" Kang Yun Ho was called in by the renowned landlord amidst the strike situation. Astonishment flickered across everyone’s faces. "It was clear why he called me, yet I couldn't refuse." I sighed softly, portraying myself as a subordinate inevitably submitting to authority. "It's not just any landlord we're talking about. How could I defy the orders of the esteemed landlord?" "Indeed, I went in there prepared." As I nodded, tense gazes fixated on me. "Did anything happen?" "He tried to entice me." "Entice you, how?" Without answering, I stepped onto a small platform. The workers were unaware of the high-stakes political battle beneath the strike scenario. In their eyes, the landlord is the villain, and I’m the virtuous defender aiding the workers. This dichotomy needs to be amplified. Traditionally, immersion is enhanced by maximizing emotions. Today, rather than my usual speech tone, I'll perform a one-man show with a dramatic flair, taking on two roles. "Kang Pokwae. Will tax breaks suffice?" I mimicked the voice of a corpulent man, gazing at an imaginary version of myself with disdainful eyes. “What do you mean by that?” I asked in feigned surprise, questioning the landlord. "I see you're running a couple of inns. I'll grant you tax exemption benefits for five years." A gasp of shock emerged from somewhere in the crowd. "What do you want from me?" "You must have guessed. Pretending not to understand, are we? It's about the strike. Use some of your influence." I looked from the haughty landlord to the workers, balancing the mockery with strategic understanding for my situation. "Tax exemption! Isn’t that a fortune?" "How beneficial that must be. It won't be easy to refuse." "The landlord himself made that offer. Do you think you can refuse? You should just nod." "Sir Leader? Surely not!" The representative from the paper mill met my eyes with astonishment. "I refused." I calmly shook my head. "You refused?!" Indeed, more people are surprised when I say I refused. But if I claimed to have immediately nodded in agreement, you’d find it hard to reconcile. I continued speaking with a slight smile. "After the first refusal, he tried to entice me again. This time with a high position and the prospect of marrying into a prestigious family." "My word..." "Upon a second refusal, he ridiculed me." "You refused again?! What did he say?" "Those filthy barbarian mongrels! How long will you mix with them just because you share the same hair color? A man ought to aim higher, isn't that so?" I weave a story blending truth with fiction. “……” Strength returns to the eyes of the workers. These are agonizing words, inevitable words. Even if those with overwhelming power speak with disdain, those who have no choice but to bow low have found the sole way to express their frustration. "I deliberated. If I kept refusing the great landlord's offer, who knew what might happen to me. But at the same time, I worried. If I nodded here, what would happen to you all?" I awaken them to the idea. I stood at the bridge. Crossing it, myriad benefits awaited. Even the one commanding me held an unfathomable power. How could I refuse? Aren’t you, as the landlord says, not even across the bridge but mere beggars beneath it? “Leader…” “I had to make a decision.” I stood at a point where I had to choose between two options. What choice should Pokwae Kang Yun Ho make? The realization dawned on the workers as to why they gathered here today, and they cast their eyes to the ground, faces painted with defeat and sorrow. It’s laughable to ponder this. Kang Yun Ho has joined hands with the landlord, hasn’t he? It’s frustrating, but expected. Who would foolishly choose us? Just when everyone seemed to be thinking the same thought, “How could I abandon you?” I said with a kind smile. “……!” “Leader?!” Sometimes, it’s important to show that there are those who make seemingly foolish choices. I am silently telling you that I’m on your side no matter the circumstance. “I refused. Then his demeanor changed. He threatened to sell this paper mill to a powerful martial artist.” “Mu, martial artists, you say?” "The reason you're able to protest without harm isn’t just because you're united, but also because the landlord cares about the rumor of his tyranny affecting his standing. But if it falls into the hands of a martial artist, it's a different story." "……" Blades and violence. Everyone understood what it meant if the owner of the paper mill changed from a manager to a martial artist. "The landlord told me that if I don't clear the constables, we'd soon see Korean workers carried out of the paper mill as corpses." “Damnable landlord!” “There are no clear solutions here. Whether I followed the landlord’s orders or not, the outcome was the same.” Though I stood by the workers until the end, the landlord wasn't someone a mere constable could oppose. To demonstrate this, I lowered my gaze with a sigh, conveying my own sense of helplessness. “…Are we failing then?” “Is this really how it ends?” No matter how hard they strive, nothing changes. Even if they rise up, nothing improves. Their faces grew thick with an unyielding sense of defeat. “No, I have decided to buy it.” Now, let me show my trump card. “What?” “I told the landlord not to sell to the martial artists, but to sell the paper mill to me instead.” If I just said I bought the paper mill cheaply, rumors would circulate. But it was a dead-end situation. By rejecting all temptations and not betraying the workers, Kang Yun Ho orchestrated a plan that came together. "You bought this paper mill? That must have required a great deal of money." “A sum unimaginable.” A mere 3 silver and 20 copper, to be precise. “Did you have that kind of money?” I answered the workers’ enthralled faces with a warm smile. “You silly folks! If I had that kind of money, I'd already be living in luxury. I received help from the Bank of Man Geum. You see, I own inns and have connections there, which is why I could get their help!” “Leader! There aren't just one or two people here who fled Joseon to avoid becoming slaves due to unpayable debts! You mustn't do this!” Their worried gazes were comforting. The bank's help doesn’t mean debt, but imagining Kang Yun Ho going into debt to buy the mill for the workers certainly polished my image. “Should I just watch you perish with open eyes?” I masked my true intent and questioned sternly. “You’d go that far for us…!” They seemed on the verge of tears. Time to wrap this up. “My apologies to everyone.” I knelt on the stage before the workers. “Leader!” “Why do you kneel?” “I negotiated with the landlord, but this is all I, an outsider, could achieve.” I intentionally referred to myself as an outsider instead of the owner. Implicitly, I remained one of them, not an authority over them. In front of them now, I wasn't the man who incited them for the strike and bought the paper mill for a song. I was the one who resisted every temptation, stood against power, and fought and fought for the workers, sacrificing myself in the end. Yet there I was, apologizing to them. “Stand up!” “The landlord deserves the blame, not you, Leader!” “Sir Kang!” In the end, the paper mill became a sea of tears, and no one harbored discontent about my acquisition of it. —————— “Se Ryun, from today, you'll be the director of the paper mill.” The next day. After legally securing the paper mill, I summoned the workers' representative. I crowned the workers' representative to make him my ally, extinguishing any remaining discontent. “Are you sure this is okay?” “From now on, you’ll also recommend the assistant director. Someone has to work in your stead when you take a break, right?” Giving him the authority to make personnel decisions ensures he becomes wholly mine. “That’s not what I meant…” The representative seemed worried. Is something the matter? No way… “Are you concerned about the 30% salary raise not being enough? I apologize. The situation isn't favorable just yet.” I couldn't normalize wages immediately. I need to run the business to gauge profit margins first. Bear with me a bit. I actually appointed you director to quell discontent. Ha Se Ryun jumped at my words and protested. “Why apologize for that? Haven’t you stretched beyond what's reasonable? We were striking, but never dreamed you’d raise it this much!” “Then what's the issue?” “Now that holidays are involved, everyone is doubting it.” Holidays? Was it something I mentioned yesterday? “Are there not enough holidays? Didn't I promise a system where you can take an additional day off every two months? Please be patient.” Indeed. People deserve at least a day off per week, I reckon. But as a businessman, the last thing to do is hand out empty promises. I'll propose realistic terms first and adjust based on how the business fares. As I patted the director’s shoulder, Se Ryun shook his head vigorously. Why so? “We barely had a day off a month. Now a day off every ten days?! We’re not bureaucrats, why would we get that much rest?” “……” I momentarily forgot the labor conditions of this world. “Everyone is about to faint from shock. They’re beginning to wonder how you’ll make money!” I approached the impassioned director, placing a friendly arm around him. Pointing towards the paper mill, I said, “This paper mill is something we’ve acquired. As much as I’ve sacrificed for you, if you also make some sacrifices, we can all thrive together, right?” Raising wages and giving ten days off won’t tank the company. I received immaculate bookkeeping and a debt-free enterprise, with raw materials abundant and existing clients to boot. Just because I inherited a business, I have no intention of starting with a negative balance. “Leader…” “Kang Pokwae!” Had they all been listening? The workers surrounded me with expressions full of emotion. “These folks….” “Truly… having you here with us in Wuhan is a blessing.” Why is the paper mill director getting all teary-eyed over such a small thing? “Enough with the compliments. Let’s get the paper mill back in order.” There’s much to be done. Though I have all the documentation regarding clients and raw materials, the paper mill director will have his hands full for a while. “Sir Leader! The overseers have agreed to stay, but a few of the workers have left.” The director nodded and delivered unexpected news. “Workers? Was the treatment unsatisfactory for them?” “I don't understand it myself. Especially that green-haired fellow. He joined only a few months ago, was leading the protest efforts passionately, and even shed tears at what you said yesterday.” “Green hair... I suppose he might have felt ill at ease with the Korean solidarity.” With the owner, the director, and most workers being Korean, he could have felt inclined to leave. “That might have been the case.” “In any event, do your best. I'm counting on you.” “I'll work hard!” And with that, the matter of the paper mill was settled. ———————— Some time later, in a place in Hubei Province. “News from Wuhan has arrived!” A martial artist with a saber strapped to his waist rushed into the tent breathlessly. “From Wuhan? What is it? Could it be?!” A man with an impressive mustache stood up with surprised eyes. “He has begun to make moves once again!!!” “Is it true?!” “Yes. The Party Leader! The leader of the Hwalbindang has started moving again!” “Quickly! In detail! Tell me everything!” The martial artist with the elaborate green mustache, known to many as Sutalin, the secretary general of the Hwalbindang, inquired with anticipation shining in his eyes.