This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 449

The news that the Association Chairman called a press conference under his own name was enough to heat up various communities that had been buzzing since the morning due to the unprecedented strike within the Association.

After all, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had borrowed the spokesperson’s mouth at the Association level, but it had been almost years since the Chairman had stepped up directly like this.

Could that be why?

Even though the press conference hadn’t started yet, various communities had long been swallowed up by the related hype.

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[Is it just me or does it seem like the Association Chairman is finally back at work?]


Starting with me, of course.


Upvotes: 34, Downvotes: 2


ㅇㅇ(223.62) – For real, lol


ㅇㅇ(1.228) – Seriously, what even is this? The posts are going crazy like it’s the universe’s memes cut!


ㅇㅇ(210.178) – But honestly, it really has been a while.


ㄴㅇㅇ(42.168) – For real, lol! I thought he’d kicked the bucket from lack of news!


ㄴㅇㅇ(175.223) – That lady is about due for a retirement, though.


ㄴㅇㅇ(36.39) – Whoa.


ㄴㅇㅇ(183.101) – The Chairman hasn’t said a word, though ^^7


ㅇㅇ(112.235) – Are these top comments for real? Don’t they realize who kept this country safe?

ㄴㅇㅇ(106.246) – For real, they should see a summons from the legal team of the Association for talking like that.


ㄴㅇㅇ(171.229) – So, is the Association Chairman with the Lightning Lady?


ㄴㅇㅇ(42.168) – Oh, catch her~ Thor’s on it~


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Starting with simple amazement posts.


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[But isn’t it just disgusting that the Chairman has been sitting on his throne all this time since the glory days?]


Honestly, at this point, he should have done enough to step down, but how long does he plan to sit there?


Upvotes: 4, Downvotes: 21


KingGodChae-rim – For real, that’s true~


ㅇㅇ(116.44) – No matter how much you guys whine, he’s never gonna step down~


ㄴKingGodChae-rim – Look at the downvotes; the old folks who worship the Chairman are foaming at the mouth now that their master is being criticized.


ㄴWooMilkColorChae-rim – I thought he was toast!


ㄴㅇㅇ(116.44) – And what’s the deal with your master?


ㄴKingGodChae-rim – Are you getting mad?


ㄴWooMilkColorChae-rim – Just your average past-dweller here!


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Then come the trolling posts seizing the chance.


In a situation filled with confusion like this, the press conference was held right on schedule… and the announcements made there literally flipped the various buzzing communities upside down.

It was inevitable.

Everyone had to react that way because the announcement made by the Association was something completely unexpected compared to what many had anticipated.

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[Is the Chairman losing it?]


Someone who loves control is suddenly doing this?


Upvotes: 4, Downvotes: 2


Kororong – They probably freaked out because the association was in such a dire state that they couldn’t just stick to their original plan.


ㄴㅇㅇ(2.223) – For real, the state of the association is insane right now~


ㄴㅇㅇ(1.238) – Still, it’s a hundred times better than just loafing around doing nothing.


ㄴㅇㅇ(110.10) – For real, other countries are thriving thanks to the resources from the Heogye while we almost sat with our fingers in our noses.

ㄴKororong – You, get the hell out of here!


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So, what does it all mean?

The Association’s announcement at the press conference was essentially that they would allow a private initiative to carry out the exploration plan for the Heogye that had originally been planned at the association level.

Of course, that didn’t mean anyone could just participate.

Considering the gravity of the situation, the Chairman made it clear that participants would have to pass the verification process set by the Association in the first place to be included in such plans.

It was only natural that the verification process led by none other than the Chairman himself would not be easy.

Despite this, many corporate representatives were shouting in celebration upon hearing the news for one simple reason.

After all, corporations are always thirsty for new opportunities.

And from their perspective, the Heogye, which exists beyond the Rift… was a truly undiscovered world, known only for being a place where monsters feast on humans, and nothing else was transparently known about it.

Of course, being an undiscovered world doesn’t always mean valuable things will be found there, but when it comes to lottery tickets, you’ve got to scratch it to see if you hit the jackpot.

In other words, one must at least give it a scratch.

If you have a conviction that it will surely be a dud and don’t even scratch it, then you’re practically rejecting the opportunity to win the lottery by your own hands.

Above all… even if nothing amazing or useful is discovered in the Heogye, what if they could unveil the secrets of the Rifts, which are the means of transportation for the Another Ones?

Just that alone would be a sufficient profit from the perspective of many business representatives.

While the Association had announced they had succeeded in uncovering the secrets of the Rifts before, considering their tendency to be stingy in releasing the technologies they develop to the private sector, waiting for the technology to be released could take an eternity.

On the other hand, participating in the Heogye explorations and collecting even a single clue related to the secrets or principles behind the Rift?

Even if they fail to uncover the secrets, once that technology is eventually released to the private sector, they could achieve overwhelming market dominance based on the research done during that time.

In short, for those considering the future of their corporations, it was only natural to be drawn to such a situation… and that applied to foreign businesses just as much as domestic ones.

Thinking about it, it’s hardly surprising, as Korea’s branch has been the only one to publicize such a thing so far.

As such, shortly after the press conference and the news related to it spread, inquiries and contacts started flooding in from foreign entities as well… and this news eventually made its way back to domestic companies through various pipelines, quickly transforming from a “survival of the fittest” mentality to one of forming consortiums to band together.

Among those who expressed an intention to bid directly or indirectly, the one that stood out most was… a name that might be a bit unfamiliar to the majority of people.

And that was the same for me.

“RK Guard? What on earth is this place? I think I’ve never heard that name before.”

“Oh, right. Dogun, you might not have heard of it before.”

“Is it like a security company or something?”

“Close enough. It’s actually closer to being a private military corporation.”

“A private military corporation?”

A private military corporation, or PMC, is a concept I was very familiar with. But a private military corporation in Korea…

“Honestly, I don’t know exactly myself. It’s just one of those places that feels like only a few people know about.”

According to Chae-rim’s explanation, RK Guard is fundamentally composed mainly of veterans.

“By the way… you know Korea has a conscription system, right?”

“Of course. I know that.”

When I regained my past life’s memories, the first thing I looked up was precisely that.

“The military’s role is inherently to protect people from various threats, right?”

“That’s right…?”

“So, the military used to perform the role of the Association back in the day.”

“Now that you mention it, I think I remember hearing something like that during my training.”

“Right? So, until about thirty years ago, the military was huge. However, as the Association started to gain power and expand its role…”

“The size and authority of the military began to decline.”

“Yeah… That’s right.”

Thus, as military downsizing progressed, many Awakened folks formerly in the military found themselves lacking a place or got scouted by the Association, leading to a change in position.

“So, those who resisted that transition received funding from various companies to form…”

“RK Guard.”