『 Relic discovered at Hwangjang Mountain, His Majesty the Emperor blesses long live the subjects of Joseon? 』
『 Even after liberation, the shadow of Japan does not fade away. Why is Korea still so subservient to Japan? 』
It exploded.
The article, it exploded.
Lee Jae-soon used the Divine Object to uncover the editor-in-chief’s weakness, and based on that weakness, the editor-in-chief ‘voluntarily’ sent enthusiastic support to his article to be published. After the article exploded, someone even went underground, fearing they might be sought out.
It was a perfect design by Lee Jae-soon until the very end.
And, naturally, such a design is followed by a backlash.
What Lee Jae-soon triggered was not just a ripple.
It’s not merely dipping your feet into a cold stream and splashing around to create a ripple; it was akin to throwing a boulder from the skies into a vast lake, creating a tremendous wave.
“Lee Jae-soon, Lee Jae-soon! Where the hell are you-!”
And when a wave arises, the living things inside it inevitably go into a frenzy.
The massive wave had the heavyweights scrambling about, and when they arrived lost in thought, of course, there was only someone left to take the blame, someone other than Lee Jae-soon.
“You bastard-! How do you manage your subordinates to pull off such stunts? I told you last time when you personally contacted me to keep that under wraps, that if it looked like you were going to publish an article, I’d give it to you guys-!”
But what can be done now?
The situation has exploded, and the rice has become cooked.
The high-ranking individuals returned, venting their frustrations on the wrong person, pouring out a deluge of curses without any accomplishments to show for it.
They couldn’t catch the reporter who broke this story, hadn’t even laid eyes on the reporter’s face, and couldn’t threaten him about how his life wouldn’t be smooth sailing from here on. On the way back, they failed to come up with a solution for how to handle the situation that exploded because of this damn article.
And so, without any solutions, the situation began to roll forward.
Jinseong watched it all with a satisfied smile.
“Truly, it is best to release pressure before it bursts. This will all lead to a wonderful future.”
He smiled and pulled a divination tool from his pocket.
What he pulled out was a bullet casing.
It seemed to have been buried underground for a long time, having changed to a deep black, and the casing was smeared with dirt that hadn’t been cleaned off. It was mostly crumpled and dirty, hardly something that could be called valuable.
Trash.
Trash that needs to be tossed away.
Perhaps handing it over to a scrap dealer would yield a bit of pocket change.
Jinseong gripped the dirty, crumpled casing tightly in one hand.
Then, like throwing a baseball, he twisted his body and hurled it with all his might against the wall.
Bang-!
Clang!
The bullet casing hit the wall with a loud noise and scattered across the room, while spilling onto the floor, producing the signature clattering metal sound. Some casings bounced off the floor multiple times, creating noise, while others spun in place like a top. Some seemed to crumple even more, while others rolled around on the floor.
In such disorder, the bullet casings were scattered throughout the room.
Yet, in Jinseong’s eyes, there was something visible.
He could discern that there was surely an order among the apparent chaos, and that order seemed to whisper something to him as an omen.
The bullet casings whispered.
The thoughts contained within the bullet casings whispered.
The memories left behind by the previous owners, unable to turn into wandering souls, were moving the casings, guiding them back to their places and giving them meaning.
Just as planets move according to clear principles and order, creating meaning and power of miracles, so too do the movements of the planets and stars read human lives and foresee the future’s symbols.
The bullet casings were just like that.
The warriors once said that humans are small universes.
Thus, humans can be seen as small universes, worlds, and individual stars.
If that’s the case, gathering the thoughts left in the bullet casings could even imitate the residue of stars’ remnants.
It can be seen.
The message within the chaos.
Whispering to him about the future.
The results of divination using the bullet casings are visible.
“Let’s see. It seems the beginning starts with broadcasting.”
The casings aligned to form a specific shape.
That shape resembled something with an antenna atop a rectangular box.
Yes.
It was a TV.
And inside that TV, the crumpled casings jumbled about, faintly mimicking a human shape, appearing in a manner that could be seen as one person hurriedly chasing after another, or perhaps as two armed people preparing to fight. In some instances, it looked like someone earnestly making a request, while at other times, it seemed like someone smiling widely appearing on a broadcast.
All of it was saying.
It would be progressed through broadcasting and that they would appear on the broadcast.
Jinseong smiled at the omens and grasped at the air.
Then the bullet casings that had been rolling on the floor slowly began to converge before him, as if drawn by a magnet. As if some invisible force was pulling them together to form a shape, the casings began to mold into a specific form, almost like creating a shape out of clay, and that shape resembled a wheel.
The shape of a cartwheel.
*
“Wow, look at these damn people! Is this how they do their jobs….”
In Jinseong’s divination, it was revealed that matters would proceed through a broadcast.
And that divination proved correct.
The ‘Investigation, Exploration, Reporting’ team was the first to respond.
They all wore twisted expressions as if their stomachs were in knots, and without speaking, they were filled with resentment, mockery, and scorn towards someone. They exchanged silent glances and expressed their feelings about the explosion that just happened, and as the PD began to speak, they all started babbling like crazy.
“That’s right! Just because some agent comes out and says they’re monitoring, they think it will be a huge deal if we broadcast without permission. Are we even a developed country? Anyone would think we were the employees of a propaganda station in a dictatorship!”
“Who are we? We’re broadcast people from a democracy, aren’t we? But to suffer this sort of nonsense, despite strictly adhering to the government’s orders, and for them to mess things up so clumsily. What’s up with that? All the hardship we’ve endured is just in vain, isn’t it?”
“You see, it’s just like military corruption. The higher-ups mess up, but they unload on the soldiers, right? Isn’t it the same thing! I’m really pissed off. If we had at least broadcasted something to stir up some attention, maybe… But they’ve messed up the lines; it’s infuriating.”
“Plus, here we are, and not even a single apology from them. At the very least, could they pay us the courtesy of saying, ‘I’m sorry. Things went wrong’? But they treat us like this; don’t they realize how ridiculous they sound? We might be broadcast professionals, you know!”
The ‘Investigation, Exploration, Reporting’ team seemed to have plenty pent up, seizing the opportunity to unleash their thoughts uncontrollably. Moreover, since they were in a meeting room at the broadcasting station that was built to ensure no eavesdropping, they felt free to speak without restraint.
As their complaints escalated in intensity, eventually, they began to mention the names of the upper-ups.
At that point, the PD stepped in to curb their speech.
For, no matter how secure the place seemed, words have a way of leaking out.
Daytime words are heard by birds, and nighttime words by rats.
Especially since many in the broadcasting field were known for their loose lips and powerful connections, it was wise to be careful about what one says.
Thus, the PD decided on a more definitive approach.
A guaranteed method to make those high-ups regret it.
A way to boost ratings, even if it came late.
“Let’s broadcast.”
He spoke determinedly and went to persuade the higher-ups.
To air the broadcast.
And surprisingly enough, his request was easily approved.
The incident had progressed too far to be swept under the rug again, and the calculations pointed to the fact that it would be best to benefit from it. Or perhaps, there was also the expectation that airing it now could double the ratings from the usual.
Thus, after a delay, the broadcast began.
Carrying within it a mighty spark.
With the potential for a massive explosion when igniting the powder keg, the flames stoked within.
