Chapter 289
Of course, when the truth was revealed, all the citizens were left in shock.
Well, it’s only natural, after all.
Until Jung Hoon-sang boldly sided with Japan, confidently proclaiming, “Japan will win,” he had almost perfectly embodied the image of a warm-hearted and kind young man.
From news about his charitable deeds since childhood, his donations to orphanages, to stories of him taking the time to encourage a fan battling a terminal illness—
Each one made people think, “That person is something special,” and until Jung Hoon-sang revealed his true self, he had been granted what people casually referred to as ‘ immunity from criticism,’ or shortened to ‘criticism shield’ countless times.
But to think all of that was a lie?
That his acts of kindness were just hypocrisy, and his real self was a vicious monster?
Naturally, they were engulfed in shock.
Adding to the citizens’ shock was the unfolding revelation of Jung Hoon-sang’s actions.
Drug trafficking.
Human trafficking.
Using desperate trainees to entertain Japan’s upper class.
Facilitating overseas prostitution.
Contract killings.
Extortion and blackmail.
Violating the National Security Law.
…
…
…
It was like potatoes being pulled out one after another, and the more they peeled back the layers like an onion, new horrors kept popping up.
Each one a headline-worthy news item.
Yet this wasn’t the work of multiple people; it was all done by him alone.
It was only natural that questions arose about whether he was even human.
Moreover, it was revealed that this traitor named ‘Jung Hoon-sang’ was the main culprit behind the defeat of the national forces in the Battle of Bommusan.
He took advantage of his military family background to gain friendships with soldiers, luring them in with beautiful trainees to gather information and pass it on to Japan. Because of that, Japan obtained golden intelligence, continuously inflicting damage upon the national forces.
And that finally led to the catastrophic Battle of Bommusan.
A horrific disaster where missiles and magical bombardments fell upon the heads of the ambushed national forces; it was closer to one-sided slaughter than a “battle.”
Even though it was a secret operation using the latest equipment to ensure satellites could not properly monitor it, the ambush was shockingly exposed, leading to their annihilation. Many were baffled that the person behind that event was none other than Jung Hoon-sang.
Naturally, the people were furious, shouting for the execution of that damn traitor.
But unfortunately, Jung Hoon-sang was not sentenced to death.
No, legally, he faced no punishment whatsoever.
“I remember when he fled back then, it caused quite a stir. There was talk of bounties; mercenaries thought they’d make a nice profit if they caught him.”
Jung Hoon-sang had vanished.
Like a ghost, he left no trace behind, completely.
The citizens were outraged, demanding that this damn bastard be caught and judged on the spot, and the state echoed the public’s cries. A hefty bounty was placed on Jung Hoon-sang’s head, with the official condition that he must be brought back alive. But unofficially, it was spread that if he were captured with evidence of torture, they would still reward the bounty even if he was dead, and additional bonuses depending on the severity of the torture were also rumored to be circulated beneath the surface.
Moreover, operatives disguised as ‘superiors’ were dispatched globally, actively searching for Jung Hoon-sang for three whole years, and even after that, every possible effort was put into capturing him.
Yet despite all these efforts, Jung Hoon-sang remained elusive, and as the world descended into chaos due to the third world war, his whereabouts seemed destined to become a mystery.
Whether he was dead or alive.
If dead, in which country did he perish?
If alive, how had he managed to stay hidden?
All these questions lingered in people’s minds, seemingly destined to remain as inexplicable mysteries—but then, decades later, in a bewildering twist, Jung Hoon-sang was found.
In the Republic of Korea, no less.
‘Skull Tower.’
Jung Hoon-sang had become a part of a divine object.
His skull was discovered among the meticulously arranged and layered remains of selected corpses at the Skull Tower. It was even enchanted with all sorts of magic to ensure it couldn’t be tracked, and the skull had been deliberately shaped to obscure its identity, making it untraceable even if reconstructed from the skeletal remains.
Yes.
Jung Hoon-sang had not succeeded in evading capture.
He had been kidnapped by someone, meticulously prepared and used as material for a divine object.
Not merely used, but it was evident that unimaginable torture accompanied the process to amplify negative emotions, and safeguards would have been put in place to prevent his soul from reaching the heavens, enhancing the Skull Tower’s effectiveness.
Heaven’s net extends wide yet never misses the wicked; it’s possible Jung Hoon-sang’s miserable end was a result of just necessity or perhaps a divine will.
And if this heavenly will still existed, it was only right that Jung Hoon-sang would meet a similar fate.
However, receiving one’s karmic retribution would undoubtedly require sacrifice.
If the future were to repeat itself exactly as before, countless innocent lives would suffer, needlessly losing their lives.
Thus, Jinseong decided that the first piece of information he sent to Lee Jae-soon would relate to Jung Hoon-sang.
From Lee Jae-soon’s perspective, the most accessible and also the most malicious person was none other than Jung Hoon-sang.
But…
“Though I knew he had a knack for sedition in the past, I never expected it would be this bad already.”
Lee Jae-soon is now referred to as a journalist.
But before the rewind, he was called something different.
Seditionist Lee Jae-soon.
He earned the moniker of seditionist because he went around inciting chaos rather than writing news articles.
It’s common sense for journalists to write articles based on information gathered through investigation.
However, Lee Jae-soon chose to concoct stories by combining bits of truth into fiction, burying the reality beneath it.
Whether before or after the rewind.
He delighted in skillfully weaving facts into misleading conclusions or inserting just 10-20% truth and filling the rest with lies and his own thoughts, leading others to completely different inferences while ignoring the harm caused to others, reveling in people’s emotional ups and downs over his articles.
He even published articles that directly revealed the locations of emergency supply storage, leading to bombings by Japan, or recklessly barged into meetings of ‘VIPs,’ effectively exposing their locations and placing them in danger…
He was closer to trash than to a human being.
But describing him as being closer to trash rather than pure trash was because, at least, he hadn’t sold out his country.
From his actions, it wouldn’t be odd to classify him as a traitor who greatly benefited Japan, but investigations showed he had never personally contacted Japan or engaged with insurrectionists…
He truly was a harmful being.
Some even likened Lee Jae-soon to ‘Mutaguchi Renya reincarnated as a journalist in Korea.’
“Such promising sprouts, huh? Hehehe.”
And just look at the deeds he’s performing now.
Before the rewind, he at least had some experience as a journalist, but now he couldn’t even find his footing or gain recognition, yet he was causing such a grand mess.
What could one say but that he truly was a faded seedling?
But who knows?
The future is a variable thing.
Unlike Jung Hoon-sang, who deserved the stern punishment of the law for his abominable actions, perhaps Lee Jae-soon’s future could also change.
And well.
It wouldn’t matter much even if it didn’t change.
Cleaning trash with trash.
Controlling poison with poison.
This is a brilliant use of toxins to counter toxins, and a splendid act of recycling.
If he became a being closer to a human, that would be good, and if he remained closer to trash, then he could be used accordingly.
Everything was truly a good thing.
