A Public Servant Hunter Who Exploits Skill Combinations – Chapter 17
Translated by: Hanzo
Chapter 17: Scheme (2)
Returning back a little.
I figured meeting the landlord wouldn't solve anything anyway.
Recalling a news story from the past, I headed to to the snack shop with Jun-hyuk.
"Hello."
"Oh, you two are here? Jun-hyuk, you're here again? You were here earlier, too."
"Ah, Auntie, I told you to keep that a secret..."
"...Did you come here earlier?"
"Ah, just for a moment during break time."
"Great. Well done."
After placing our order, we sat down and waited.
"What were you talking about earlier today?"
"Do you want to keep eating chicken?"
"Of course."
"Then I won’t answer any more questions."
Jun-hyuk focused on the chicken in front of him and refrained from asking anything further.
Meanwhile, I observed the interior wall of the snack bar.
'Just as I expected.'
Although cleverly concealed, there were cracks in the building’s columns.
"Keep eating for a bit."
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"To the rooftop."
"Why?"
"To make sure you can keep eating chicken."
I just blurted the excuse again.
"Then hurry back!"
Such a simple-minded guy...
When I reached the rooftop, I examined the floor and noticed clear, visible cracks.
On my way back down, I checked the walls.
They had been thickly painted, but there were signs that cracks had been filled with cement.
I recalled hearing somewhere that old buildings develop cracks over time, but this wasn’t even an old building.
Moreover, given that it was beneath the school, it seemed likely that the underground combat or training rooms had caused the damage.
Occasionally, massive explosions would shake the entire mountain.
Anyway, even someone like me, who knew little about buildings, could tell that this was a serious issue.
I went outside to inspect the exterior walls.
The walls, unable to bear the weight, were partially crumbling, but temporary walls had been put up to hide the damage.
This meant they knew about it all along.
If I recall correctly from a future news story, the cause was shoddy construction.
The building collapsed because the columns had been made thinner and rebar had been omitted.
Now that rebuilding the columns wasn't an option, they had applied makeshift fixes, but those weren't enough to support the building’s weight.
That’s why the building suddenly caved in.
I don’t know exactly when it will collapse,
But do I need to know that?
Jun-hyuk said he wanted to keep eating chicken.
This will surely remain a good memory for my friend.
He’s the only one who stayed by my side as a friend in my 50 years of life—I couldn’t possibly ignore his wish.
I’ll get to the bottom of this.
***
The result of my preliminary investigation was that my interview shoot suddenly turned into a public exposure of a shoddy building.
It was only natural.
As I continued to show interest in the building, the sharp-eyed director of Daedok Seosil picked up on it and directed the focus there.
When I violently tore down the temporary wall, the crumbling state of the wall behind it was revealed.
Anyone could see how serious it was.
It wouldn’t be surprising if it collapsed at any moment.
"Ma’am!? What’s wrong with this wall?"
"Huh? That? They said it’s just because the building is old..."
"It hasn’t even been ten years since it was built, right? Did you know the columns are cracked?"
"Yeah, I knew. That’s why they gave me a discount on the rent."
"This is really dangerous. It looks like the building could collapse at any moment."
"Huh? That’s strange... The city hall came and inspected it..."
"Was the landlord there with them at the time?"
"Yeah, he was there."
"They probably just did a superficial inspection and went off drinking afterward."
"What!?"
"I don’t think it’s safe to keep running your business here. You should vacate as soon as possible."
"But I worked so hard to get this shop..."
"What could be more important than your health?"
As everyone looked at her with concern, the shopkeeper’s shoulders sagged.
"Come to think of it, whenever it rains, water leaks in, white powder often falls from the ceiling... and sometimes I hear strange noises from the building..."
She seemed to have had some suspicions.
But she never imagined something like this could actually happen.
A lack of awareness about safety is as common as catching a cold.
Why didn’t I report it to a whistleblower hotline about shoddy construction right away?
In the future, according to the news I saw, those guys were all in cahoots.
The ones approving permits and those doing inspections were all bribed, which is why this disaster happened.
By the time the building had already collapsed, they quietly brushed it under the rug.
That’s why it needs to be exposed like this, so the higher-ups have no choice but to act.
The method I chose was to publicly inform everyone, leaving them no room to escape.
My prediction turned out to be spot on.
The live comment section was buzzing with activity.
Viewers started flooding the chat with comments, asking what was wrong with the state of the building.
Reporters who had been watching the broadcast from Daedok Seosil quickly sprang into action, eager to write articles about this unexpected scoop.
‘This should do.’
By now, it was certain that the management office would send someone to investigate the situation immediately.
When I opened my smartphone, I saw that my name was trending in the real-time search rankings.
Living long enough really does lead to interesting moments.
I never imagined my name would make it to the trending searches.
And hot on its heels were the snack shop’s building, its landlord, and the construction management department.
Rumble…
“Huh??”
“Did you hear that sound just now?”
“It wasn’t just me, right?”
“Is this building going to collapse?”
“Ahhhh!”
Everyone, momentarily forgetting the broadcast equipment, bolted outside in panic.
Though it was only a three-story building, if it collapsed, someone would definitely get hurt.
If they were unlucky, it could even cost lives.
I quickly started gathering the broadcast equipment and anything of value and took them outside.
Seeing this, people started urging me to get out as well.
“Jung Tae-sung! Hurry and get out of there!”
“I’m fine!”
“Still, isn’t it dangerous to go back inside?”
“I’ll check if anyone’s still in the building, just in case.”
This scene was being broadcast live on NewTube.
I checked again to make sure no one was left inside.
It wasn’t until I helped an elderly man out of the building that I finally walked out myself.
“It seems there’s no one left inside. Is everyone okay?”
Seeing my calm demeanor, the Daedok Seosil director spoke with a worried expression.
“Mr. Jung Tae-sung, aren’t you being a little too reckless?”
“Even so, I’m a hunter. Do you think hunters only fight monsters?”
“Well, no… that’s not entirely true.”
Hunters are supposed to be warriors—those who slay monsters.
Most people think hunters are merely people who hunt monsters.
Having lived 50 years, I saw things differently.
“I believe hunters shouldn’t just kill—they should also save. That’s what a hunter should do.”
And the real reason I did this broadcast with Daedok Seosil:
“Furthermore, I, Jung Tae-sung,
plan to graduate from the academy with excellent grades and become a public service hunter for the association.
I will become a hunter who doesn’t bow to money, a true public servant by the people, for the people.
I will prioritize the safety of the citizens and take the lead for the country wherever my abilities can reach.”
It was then.
Strange noises came from the building, and it began to collapse.
Rumble!!!
Crash!!!
Screams!
Since it wasn’t a very large building, it didn’t take long for it to crumble.
The once-busy comment section fell into a brief silence.
----
Did the building just collapse for real?
Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?
This is insane. Seriously. When will someone crack down on the rotten bureaucrats in this country?
And he said he’s going to become a public service hunter? For real?
“What on earth just happened?”
“I’m shocked too. Who would’ve thought the building I visited every day was a shoddy construction waiting to collapse...”
“Thank goodness no one was hurt...”
“Yes… Thank goodness.”
I smiled faintly after confirming that the snack shop lady was safe.
“Mr. Jung Tae-sung, today was truly moving. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this interview.”
“I won’t forget today either.”
“Can we see you again sometime?”
“Of course.”
Hearing my reply, the Daedok Seosil director smiled brightly.
And with that promise for another meeting, the broadcast came to an end.
“By the way, do you really plan to become a public service hunter?”
“Yes.”
“Uh… joining a guild would surely earn you much more. The benefits would be better, too...”
Within 10 years.
That situation will be reversed.
“I prefer being a public service hunter.”
That way, I can enjoy the perks.
With my final statement, there would be no unsolicited offers from sketchy guilds.
In other words, no one would bother me unnecessarily.
Most importantly, the association was sure to see me in a positive light.
'Hehehe. Please take good care of this prepared, soon-to-be freeloader.'
Through this event, I boosted my image, saved the snack shop lady, and helped Daedok Seosil gain an enormous number of subscribers and views.
The likes were just a bonus.
I bet an edited version of the video, complete with ads, would also do phenomenally well.
- Live broadcast building collapse—real incident?
With a title like that?
***
The next day, the news reported the following:
“A shocking incident occurred during a live broadcast on the internet, where a building collapsed in real-time.
This is SBC News, brought to you by reporter An Ji-hyun.
Jung Tae-sung, a prospective hunter who set the highest mana record in Korea, was broadcasting with the popular BJ Daedok Seosil when the shoddy construction of the building was unexpectedly exposed.
At the end of this scandal, it was revealed that the responsible corrupted was Director Gyo Tae-jin of Mireuk Construction, causing public outrage.
Director Gyo Tae-jin’s behavior turned out to be the complete opposite of his usual image…”
I couldn’t help but smile contentedly as I watched the news.
What’s important here is the phrase ‘unexpectedly.’
Even to me, it looked so natural that it truly seemed like the shoddy construction was uncovered by chance.
Since it wasn’t something I deliberately exposed, no one could point fingers at me.
“Wow, Tae-sung, you even made it on the news. Incredible… A hunter who saves lives… That’s so cool. Are you really trying to become an angel or something?”
Now that I think about it, those lines were seriously cringeworthy.
Why did I say such things? Ugh.
I’m way too old for this kind of childish behavior—it’s embarrassing. Seriously.
Why is it that now, at 20 years old, my brain seems to have reverted to acting like a 20-year-old as well?
“But are you really going to become a public service hunter?”
“Yeah.”
Even during classes, I had to endure the peculiar stares from the teachers, and every time I walked down the hallway, I could feel the curious gazes of other students.
The number of notes that used to fill my locker had noticeably decreased.
“Are you seriously not joining a guild!?”
“Yes.”
And then…
----
KakaoTalk
Yoo Chae-ah: OMG, what’s with you, lolololololol crazy lolololololololol
Jung Taeseong: …Can you stop doing that?
Yoo Chae-ah: lololololololololololololol
----
Damn it.
The snack shop ended up moving to another nearby building, and Choi Jun-hyuk was able to continue enjoying delicious chicken.
As a result of this controversy, a special committee was formed to investigate shoddy construction practices.
The investigation uncovered several issues, and the personnel committee was asked to discipline those involved.
Ultimately, eight people were dismissed, three were suspended for three months, and one received a three-month pay cut as a heavy penalty.
But still, why did the building have to collapse at that exact moment...?
I’ll skip the detailed explanation.
***
“Why did you tell me to sleep in there?”
“It’s cold outside. You’ll freeze.”
“Well, I made some money for rice wine, so it’s all good...”
The homeless elderly man.
At a young man’s request, he had been hiding inside the building.
“But what did you mess with to make the building collapse like that?”
“Haha… Sir, what could I have possibly done?”
“Really? Maybe I saw it wrong. I’ll just go buy some rice wine.”
“Yes, sir. Take care and stay warm.”
***
“Jung Tae-sung. I watched your broadcast.”
“Oh, you did?”
“So, you’re planning to become a public service hunter?”
“Yes, for now, that’s my plan.”
“That’s an excellent decision.”
Currently, public service hunters didn’t have a high status.
This is because strong hunters rarely apply for such positions.
Teacher Choi Jung-gang smiled warmly as he looked at me.
“Did you get hurt?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You can’t afford to get hurt.”
“Pardon?”
What’s with that creepy look?
Lately, Teacher Choi Jung-gang’s gaze toward me has been suspiciously strange.
“You all know the mock exam is coming up soon, right? I hope you’ll put everything you’ve learned to good use.”
Ah—
At the mention of an exam, all the students groaned in unison.
A mock exam, huh.
For the first mock exam, we’ll be hunting slimes.
The rankings will be determined by how quickly and how many slimes we can take on.
But then, I noticed something unusual in the announcement.
[Special Class: Goblins]
...Why the sudden change?
In my previous life, I’m pretty sure the entire school hunted slimes.
***
The day before the mock exam monster designation.
At the academy association meeting, Principal Hong Pal-gwang couldn’t hide his excitement.
“Our academy’s angel, Jung Tae-sung, not only excels in his studies but also has an admirable character. Have you heard of a hunter who values people over money? Haha.”
Thanks to the building collapse incident and the nationwide broadcast, he gained significant fame.
Hunter magazines and major media outlets competed to feature articles about Jung Tae-sung as their main story.
As a result, Gyeonggi Academy’s reputation soared to unprecedented heights.
Watching this with discontent was Seoul Academy’s principal, Byun Chun-seop.
If it weren’t for Jung Tae-sung, Jin Guk-hee from Seoul Academy would have been in the spotlight.
Naturally, that would have boosted the prestige of Seoul Hunter Academy.
Byun Chun-seop could no longer hold back.
“Well, how about a little bet?”
Hearing the word “bet,” Hong Pal-gwang’s eyes gleamed.
“What? What kind of bet?”
“Let’s see who performs better in the upcoming mock exam.”
Hong Pal-gwang, who knew that high mana levels didn’t guarantee good hunting skills, responded disinterestedly.
Even though Jung Tae-sung’s mana was impressive, there was no guarantee he could outperform students from other regions in hunting.
“What’s the big deal about catching slimes?”
Gyeongbuk Academy’s principal, Park Chang-heon, decided to stir the pot.
“How about we make them hunt goblins? I bet our kids could easily take them down.”
“Isn’t goblin hunting a bit too dangerous?”
Byun Chun-seop had a trump card.
He had a powerful S-rank candidate named Jin Guk-hee.
“These days, the kids are growing fast. Goblins shouldn’t be too hard for them.”
Even so, everyone remained hesitant about making their students hunt goblins.
Then, the Gyeongnam principal offered a clever suggestion.
“Why don’t we have only the special class hunt goblins?”
Finally, everyone agreed.
“That sounds reasonable.”
“Alright, I’m in.”
“Me too.”
Everyone was joining the bet, so Hong Pal-gwang couldn’t back out either.
After a moment of contemplation, he shouted, “Deal!”
And so, it was decided that only the special class would face goblins during the mock exam. Of course, Jung Tae-sung had no idea about this arrangement.
....
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