NOVEL NEXT Chapter 236
Episode 236. The King of Merchants (3)
The Foundation operates in the shadows.
After all, it’s an organization whose very existence is a secret. In that context, everyone was shocked to learn that the “Golden Goose” operation had actually been carried out.
Especially the South Korean government.
The details of the Golden Goose operation were, of course, not disclosed to the public, but it’s hard to imagine the government being completely unaware of such a major incident.
In a way, it’s a situation where the Foundation has forcefully taken over the most powerful government agency. The Bureau of Supernatural Phenomenon Response sent its officials to the Seoul Branch within 20 minutes of the operation’s start.
That’s how I met Director Han.
From the External Communications Department.
Director Han let out a sigh.
The officials in front of him were either too nervous or had run here in a hurry, as they stood before him drenched in sweat, without even having time to straighten their ties.
Director Han felt sorry for them.
Because of a single whim of Dr. Geum, the entire country was swaying like a candle flame. And it’s the same within the Foundation.
Even if Dr. Geum is a good person with good intentions, the fact remains that with just a flick of her finger, the country is thrown into chaos.
One call from Dr. Geum, and even the weather changes.
“What on earth is going on?”
Director Han pondered for a moment. He could try to piece together what he knew and give an answer, but he wasn’t sure if it would be helpful.
“I don’t know either.”
“What do you mean? Didn’t the Foundation’s soldiers just take over the National Pension Fund headquarters? What’s going on?”
“It seems like one or two hostile groups caused trouble today, and they went to resolve it.”
“What kind of trouble? Did the government do something wrong? If there’s a problem, shouldn’t you tell us?”
“It’s not the government’s fault, as far as I know.”
“Then what is it?”
“It was an operation to counter other hostile groups. It seems to have been resolved now.”
“I want to meet Dr. Geum.”
“Well, I can’t guarantee she’ll meet you. But I can ask again.”
As expected, it was up to Dr. Geum’s mood.
“Give me a clear answer.”
“It seems like today will pass without any special incidents, as the situation is already over. I’ll ask Dr. Geum after her meeting.”
“What kind of meeting is it?”
“Earlier, it seemed like she was meeting with business figures. I don’t know the details.”
The officials in front of Director Han were tearing their hair out, but there was nothing they could do. The Personnel Department had said something similar last time.
If there’s anyone who wants to negotiate with the monster sitting at the center of the Seoul Branch bunker, a girl who can change the weather with a flick of her finger and command gods like hunting dogs…
Well, good luck with that.
Not many people can do that, and even fewer would want to.
I crossed my legs again.
I was feeling a bit uneasy. Pobia and the Enlightenment Group’s supernatural researchers had joined forces to pressure me, coming to the Seoul Branch.
Since I had just taken over the National Pension Fund headquarters, their plan to pressure me with money had fallen apart. Now, all that was left was to decide how to deal with the two traitors.
What’s the best way to handle them?
“Director, you can leave. It’s fine to make demands, but if you try to pressure me by mobilizing hostile groups again, you’ll see the empire collapse in five minutes.”
The director nodded and left.
Pobia looked around awkwardly for a moment, as if trying to figure out a way to survive.
Come to think of it, Daemos also handed over an angel to the Seoul Branch when we met on Jeju Island.
“Dr. Geum, you’ll forgive me, right?”
“Maybe.”
Pobia was a different problem from the Enlightenment Group employees. The former is hard to find unless they reveal themselves, while the latter can be dealt with by the Foundation using force if necessary.
It’s something I need to think about.
If you eliminate a hostile group, another more secretive one usually takes its place. So it’s more useful not to kill them.
“Hey, Dr. Geum. Didn’t we help you ascend to the throne of the Central Plains?”
“That’s true.”
“You’ll spare me, right?”
“What will you do for me if I spare you?”
Pobia thought for a moment. Or maybe he was just pretending to think.
“Well, there’s this. Dr. Geum, we’ve got our hands on a dangerous supernatural phenomenon. We were originally planning to sell it to Beijing.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“The Imperial Seal.”
“How do I know it’s real?”
“It’s real.”
The Imperial Seal.
The legendary national seal said to have been created by Qin Shi Huang. A symbol of Chinese emperors for over a thousand years.
It’s said to have disappeared into history after the Ming dynasty. It’s not the first time a mythical object has appeared as a supernatural phenomenon. It happens quite often.
Is it real?
Probably not. There are countless legends about the Imperial Seal. And there have been more than a few supernatural phenomena related to it.
I shook my head.
“How can I believe that?”
“It’s undeniably real.”
As far as I know, the Foundation has over 20 Imperial Seals. But a merchant wouldn’t lie outright. I thought about it for a while, and in the end, my curiosity won.
It’s not too late to decide after seeing it.
“Alright. Bring the Imperial Seal before me, and I’ll forgive this incident. I’ll even pay a fair price, if it’s real.”
“You’ll know when you see it.”
“The Foundation has over 20 supernatural phenomena related to the Imperial Seal. It better be real.”
Pobia tilted his head.
“Dr. Geum, if the Foundation has 20 Imperial Seals, wouldn’t it be better if you held all 20? Then you could definitely remain the eternal emperor of the Central Plains.”
What kind of nonsense is that?
I scratched my head.
“Anyway. This is hard to explain, but if you hold this Imperial Seal, you can summon and control clay figurines.”
“That’s hard to explain?”
You explained it in one or two sentences, so what’s so hard to explain?
“Anyway, that’s it. You know the famous legend of Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Army, right? Qin Shi Huang buried tens of thousands of clay soldiers underground so he could conquer the Central Plains again if he was resurrected. This seems to be a manifestation of that legend.”
I sighed. If Pobia’s words are true, it seems like a supernatural phenomenon worth securing and researching.
“Bring it to me. If it’s real, I’ll pay you handsomely.”
“Oh, thank you so much.”
“Alright. You can go now.”
Pobia bowed deeply at 90 degrees and left the meeting room. Is it a problem that I keep letting him go unharmed? He probably comes up with survival plans before coming here.
Pobia took a deep breath outside the meeting room. He almost died from fear.
Despite Dr. Geum’s cute girl appearance, there was an overwhelming presence about her. Maybe it’s some kind of extrasensory perception.
If Dr. Geum wanted, she could change the weather or climate, start a world war or a large-scale conflict. Getting rid of two employees who crossed her would be nothing.
The only reason Pobia was still alive was that Dr. Geum hadn’t acted on a whim and he had acted in a way that was most beneficial to her and the Foundation. That’s why it was predictable.
It was the same in the past, and it’s the same now.
Pluto Limited is more on the side of helping the Foundation. Even if Pobia had crossed her, there was no reason to kill him.
‘That was close.’
Pobia wasn’t the type to enjoy thrills.
If you make money, you should have time to spend it. Missions where you have to risk your life, like today, are a no-go.
Still, preparing the Imperial Seal as a bargaining chip for his life was a stroke of genius. It was bait Dr. Geum couldn’t refuse.
The symbol of emperors passed down for thousands of years. How could she not be tempted?
[Golden Goose Operation Record]
[Author: Nanami]
[The operation was successfully carried out.]
[There’s nothing much to say. There were no enemy combat assets on site, and we took over the facility and secured the target as quickly as possible.]
[Honestly, I only learned the purpose of the operation a bit late. It was said that a limited company and a corporate research institute’s hostile group was pressuring the Foundation over money, so they went to resolve the issue.]
[I feel like there’s a much more effective solution. But I understand the situation. Money problems should be solved with money, right?]
[Separately, I’m also curious about how the aftermath of this incident was handled. Even if it’s completely controlled for the public.]
[Couldn’t this be an opportunity to show the country’s leadership the existence and scope of the Foundation’s power? Not that it matters now, since Dr. Geum is the Administrator and there’s no higher authority.]
[I’m curious about the Director’s Office’s opinion.]
[Do you see this as a problem that needs to be solved, or do you think it’s a good thing from a governance perspective to show the Foundation’s power, or is there another perspective?]