[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Chapter 251: The Great Migration (6)
‘Wow, these people… they’re more extreme than I thought!’
Yeongwoo’s mouth dropped open as he saw the approval rating quickly reach its target.
He only meant to squeeze some money out of them, calling it colonial rule, but he hadn’t expected such a passionate response.
|Approval: 66.8%|
|Disapproval: 13.7%|
Yeongwoo’s approval rating had slightly risen to 66.8%.
Meanwhile, the disapproval rating was only 13.7%.
The voters were at least tolerating extreme responses when it came to foreign powers.
So what if he pushed things even further?
Vrrroooom…
Suddenly, the screen darkened again, and an ominous presence was felt.
‘No way.’
Yeongwoo instinctively looked up at the sky.
An all-too-familiar metallic sound echoed across the sky.
Clang, clang!
‘…This sound.’
It was the sound of the alien metal horse, Negwig, a long-time comrade and a gift from the planet Dogo.
―Screeeech!
Negwig’s footsteps, belonging to an unidentified alien origin.
Clang, clang!
Soon, the previously dark screen lit up again, showing Negwig charging down Gangnam Boulevard.
Scattering Dogo’s wedge symbol along its path.
‘This is the reception mode?’
Realizing a lot from this, Yeongwoo saw a massive anchor dropping on the other side of the screen.
Swoosh, crash!
This was the signature of the universal weapons manufacturer Dogo’s founder, the Destroyer King, Dogo.
Soon, a tombstone-shaped ship of Chairman Dogo appeared above.
It was replaying the moment he visited Gangnam to deliver a weapon manual to Yeongwoo.
―Chairmaaaan!
Next, the screen showed Yeongwoo riding on the back of the giantized Pofu Tenta to greet the chairman.
Yeongwoo, raising both arms and chanting ‘Chairman,’ looked like a sycophant.
「Jeong Yeongwoo07, adopts servile diplomacy!」
What a brilliant caption.
“……”
But Yeongwoo had no way to refute it.
It was true that he was fawning over Dogo.
Just by greeting him well, money and manuals came pouring in; how could he not serve Dogo?
“Hey! On Earth, we might be a developed country, but in the universe, we’re paupers! Sometimes you have to beg to survive!”
Yeongwoo protested, but this wasn’t broadcasted on the screen.
On the screen, Jeong Yeongwoo was still there.
―Chairman! Stay healthy……!
Waving off the chairman in a melodious voice.
Of course, in a broader perspective, this could be seen as a reception for the interests of South Korea, or rather Earth……
|Approval: 66.8%|
|Disapproval: 20.3%|
The public opinion wasn’t so good.
The disapproval rating surged quickly, tightening the noose around Yeongwoo’s neck.
‘Damn. 20 percent?’
To win this election, Yeongwoo needed an approval rating of 70%.
But this was only possible if the disapproval rating stayed below 30%.
If the disapproval rating hit 30.1%, even a 0.1% shortfall in approval would mean a confirmed loss.
‘How many votes are left?’
Yeongwoo quickly calculated while looking at the graph on the screen.
With the total approval and disapproval combined at 87.1%, the percentage of voters yet to cast their votes was 12.9%.
So, the election’s outcome would now hinge on where the remaining 12.9% of the voters’ sentiments lay.
[The disclosure of the candidate’s diplomatic history has concluded.]
Finally, the council wrapped up the disclosure of Yeongwoo’s diplomatic history, and the screen returned to standby mode.
‘Phew, I almost got screwed at the last minute.’
If the council had shown just one more scene of him greeting the chairman, the disapproval rating might have shot past 30%.
But the worst-case scenario did not occur.
[The final history to be disclosed is the candidate’s view of the nation.]
‘It’s the last one. This time, there are no choices at all.’
Yeongwoo waited for the screen to light up, contemplating his views on the nation.
Patriotism.
In its purely dictionary definition, it means ‘the view on the purpose, meaning, establishment, and form of the nation.’
It’s a fairly comprehensive concept.
So, what part of this concept would the council focus on?
The answer was revealed soon enough.
Whoooosh…
‘Oh, it’s starting.’
Finally, the rough sound of something breaking through the air was heard on the screen, revealing a view of the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula from a dizzying height.
‘Ah.’
It was Cheongsapo in Busan, where there had been a skirmish with Japan not long ago.
The perspective was from when Yeongwoo had urgently dispatched himself to Busan, paying a hefty sum to use the Guppy Express.
Craaaash!
Soon, the distant Cheongsapo rapidly zoomed closer, and the angle changed to show the elevator of the Guppy Express descending to the ground.
Whoooosh, boom!
The elevator almost crash-landed, and the screen showed Yeongwoo and the Mon-O tribe warriors disembarking.
After a brief pause, accompanied by the sound of a cash register, a caption appeared.
Chirick, ding!
「Jeong Yeongwoo07 used 13 million Karma for transportation to protect Busan.」
This was crucial evidence showing that the candidate had made considerable efforts to protect national territory.
However, for Busan, it was also an opportunity to learn about Yeongwoo’s corruption.
Yeongwoo had demanded 15 million Karma from Busan for the transportation at that time.
Although those who knew this fact had already cast their votes, the disapproval rating did not increase.
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Flash!
Next, the scene of Yeongwoo confronting two Chinese at the Imjin River replayed.
―If you turn back without crossing that bridge, I will let you go. Turn back now.
A preemptive warning reflecting Yeongwoo’s value for life, despite being a demon.
However, the video’s would-be victims ignored the warning, as if following the cosmic script.
They extended a bridge over the Imjin River, indicating their intent to invade South Korea.
Thus, eventually.
―Earth! 482! 184! 3041! 27!
Yeongwoo uttered twelve death-bringing numbers, and soon his asymmetric weaponry, planetary-scale bombardment weapons, sent laser beams down on the heads of the two warriors.
Kraaaack!
「Jeong Yeongwoo07, adopts action-oriented defense!」
‘These guys… Their captions are spot on.’
Despite becoming a servile diplomat, the votes garnered through ‘action-oriented defense’ were significant.
|Approval: 68.6%|
|Disapproval: 21.4%|
‘The laser bombardment effect is solid. Not only is it powerful, but it also has great publicity.’
Now, only 1.4% of the votes remained to reach the target approval rating of 70%.
On the other hand, there was still a margin of 8.6% before hitting the 30% disapproval threshold that would spell failure.
As long as nothing major happened, Yeongwoo’s election seemed promising.
[Next, we will examine the candidate’s view of the nation, automatically calculated based on their activities.]
“What? What do you mean, automatically calculated my view of the nation?”
In other words, they would evaluate the candidate based on AI-provided data.
“Hey!”
While Yeongwoo waved his hand toward the sky, the screen turned white and a series of questions followed.
[In the current world, what is the reason for a nation’s existence?]
A critical question to probe the ideological foundation of a candidate representing the Korean Peninsula.
So, Yeongwoo hurriedly opened his mouth, wide-eyed.
“Well, that’s…!”
However, he wasn’t given a chance to speak in the first place.
On the screen, the AI answered instead.
|Because we need to divide into sides, after all?
“What……?”
Yeongwoo’s mouth gaped even wider.
Then, the AI, having learned from Yeongwoo, continued.
|If we don’t divide into sides, we’ll kill each other to the last, so it’s the minimum safety measure to prevent mutual destruction.
“…Oh my God.”
To release such an answer officially, were they insane?
Yeongwoo covered his mouth.
But the AI’s extreme remarks didn’t stop there.
|If 100 people fight, up to 99 might die, but if they split into 10 teams of 10, at least two or three, maybe even up to ten people might survive.
|However, even in chaotic times, there is a way for 50, no, even all 100 people to survive.
“…?”
The AI made a sudden turn.
Yeongwoo perked up his ears.
“What is that method…?”
Then, as if waiting, the AI answered.
|Overwhelming power! One team should subdue the other nine teams! This world doesn’t grant any decision-making power to weaklings. Only strong power can determine peace.
“……!”
Yeongwoo felt as if he had been struck on the back of his head by the AI’s lecture.
It spoke of something he had vaguely sensed during an early encounter when, despite being the early bird, he was attacked by multiple bandits.
To achieve complete peace, one must be so strong that no one dares to disrupt it.
Being half-strong would only provoke challenges, that is, war.
Thus, perfect peace means.
‘…It can only be realized through overwhelmingly dominant power.’
While Yeongwoo wore a dazed expression, the AI concluded.
|The reason for a nation’s existence is to bring peace to the world. But paradoxically, to achieve peace, we must prepare for war.
|Ranked first in the Earth’s integrated dungeon ranking! Vote for Jeong Yeongwoo07.
|I will become your asymmetric power.
As soon as the AI finished its last line, the approval graph for Yeongwoo shot up rapidly.
Flash!
|Approval: 73.6%|
|Disapproval: 21.9%
‘Seventy-three percent?’
A sudden leap from 68% to 73%.
A figure well above the target approval rating of 70%.
While Yeongwoo stared blankly at the sky, the screen switched to show the candidate in real time.
Flash!
[Finally, let’s hear the candidate’s closing remarks.]
[Voters, please finish voting promptly.]
A signal beeped from above.
-Beep…!
It meant the candidate should now make their final statement.
So, Yeongwoo.
Gulp.
Swallowed a heavy gulp, pointed at the screen, and shouted.
“For a rich and strong nation, we must achieve peace in the world……!”
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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