Rustle, rustle.
Only the sound of pages turning could be heard in the subspace warehouse.
Sitting by the lakeside of the anti-aging elixir in front of Dream Village, lounging at ease as he read, Suho lived in an age overflowing with cutting-edge technology, but when it came to “reading a good book,” he insisted on paper.
How to put it? Paper books possessed an analog sensibility that tablets or holographic displays could never provide.
But Rabi, who did not spare even as much thought for analog sensibility as there was carbon dioxide in the air, slipped into that opening.
“About the inventory.”
Suho raised one eyebrow and closed his book.
“Inventory? What inventory?”
“You know, the things you kept carrying in, saying you were buying up Earth’s supplies by category.”
“Ah, that. What about it?”
“Isn’t there too much?”
“Too much? What’s too much about it? This warehouse is full of materials in the tens of quadrillions of tons, thousands of trillions of tons.”
“Those are still single items, aren’t they? But the things you put in as inventory have far too many varieties. The quantity isn’t even ten million tons yet, so I can’t exactly call it a lot, but there are too many kinds.”
“Is having a lot of kinds a problem...?”
“...When you ask me to take out a specific item from outside the subspace, who do you think finds it and puts it out for you?”
“Aha! I see. Lady Rabi. How may I assist you?”
“...You switch stances quickly, don’t you? Help me categorize them a bit. At least enough so I can find things right away.”
“Okay. Shall we start immediately?”
And so Suho helped Rabi categorize the Earth supplies he had been endlessly stuffing into the subspace.
In the flow of time outside, it was but an instant, but by the time inside the subspace warehouse, it was a tremendous task that took thirty-seven days.
It was certainly an extremely annoying and exhausting job, but in its own way, it was useful and satisfying.
The quantity was not on the level of a large supermarket or department store; it was dozens of times greater than moving entire massive logistics warehouses and freezer warehouses inside.
Having gathered this much, South Korea’s production alone was, in truth, woefully insufficient, so he had practically swept up and bought goods from various brands all over the world by category.
From enormous things like all sorts of industrial machines, modular houses, yachts, buses, and octocopters, to all kinds of vehicles such as supercars, medium-sized items like furniture and home appliances, every kind of food, daily necessities like toilet paper and soap, down to a single toothpick or cotton swab.
At this point... it felt like even if the apocalypse came, he could supply the needs of a country the size of South Korea all by himself.
Because they were not stacked very high and were instead arranged almost in rows at about head height for easy searching, the organized items took up a great deal of space.
Each individual section where items were piled by category was the size of an entire neighborhood, and in extreme cases, a whole district.
Well, it did not matter. In any case, the subspace warehouse was so vast that there was no way to fill it by area.
Even if he bought a thousand yang won’s worth of rolled toilet paper, perhaps he still would not be able to fill it.
* * *
After spending more than nearly fifty days in the subspace warehouse with Rabi, Suho came outside for the first time in a while. Of course, not even one second had passed in real time, and though it was something he always experienced, it still always felt unfamiliar.
The first person Suho went to see was Dr. Choe.
“Are you referring to ultra-small drones?”
“Yes. How small do the smallest ones get?”
“Mm... there are certainly many very small drones. I’ve seen some about the size of a 500-won coin.”
“Oh... that’s incredibly small. But by any chance, would it be difficult to make them even smaller than that?”
“How much smaller do you mean...?”
“Let’s see... a little smaller than a fly?”
“Ha ha... The structure of a drone isn’t that complicated, so it isn’t impossible to make. But in the end, the key issue is the battery.”
“What about the battery?”
“The one I saw that was the size of a 500-won coin was quite small, yes, but its operating time was less than a minute. In practice, its proper flight time was under twenty seconds.”
“Uh, that’s way too short.”
“Exactly. But if we reduce its size further until it’s like a fly, roughly smaller than a pinky fingernail, its possible operating time will become far shorter.”
“Hmm. Then what if we changed the battery to an ether cell? A high-grade one at that, a cell made based on S-rank Etherium?”
“Oh, then that is an entirely different story. Its flight time would increase by thousands of times.”
“That’s a relief. Then could I ask you to research and produce that? An ultra-small drone smaller than a pinky fingernail, powered by an S-rank Etherium cell, equipped with an ultra-small high-performance camera and a recording function as well.”
“Mm... This is an item with some kind of purpose, I see?”
“That’s right. I’m thinking of using it as a spycam drone for information gathering.”
“Understood. I’ll begin right away. Drone technology isn’t complicated, so I don’t think it will take very long.”
“Ooh, the sooner the better. Then I’ll leave it to you.”
* * *
And the next place Suho went was the Government Complex, to the office of the Minister of Economy and Finance.
Since it was his first time going there, he could not use a dimensional gate, and it was also an awkward place to arrive by Tempestbane Wings or an octocopter, so he used an extremely ordinary means of transportation: a car.
How long had it been since he had ridden in a car?
After looking through the supercars and luxury cars from around the world that he had bought and collected by type in his subspace, he chose and took out a Rolls-Royce model.
It was the EV17 model from the 2038 Rolls-Royce Spectre series, an electric vehicle, of course.
Now that his abilities had grown so rapidly stronger that there was no chance of him facing outside threats, it had been quite some time since he had dismissed even the Sanarae Clan’s security detail. Suho took only his old executive-assistant androids, Minsu and Minji, and got into the car.
The driverless autonomous vehicle glided out of the parking lot.
Inside the quiet car, Suho opened the memo app on his phone and organized the things he would request from the government and the tasks he had to do.
Traveling by car made the feeling of being stuck to the ground feel so unfamiliar, and the travel time felt stifling... Fortunately, the car had good ride comfort.
Since he had contacted them in advance before coming, once Suho’s party got out of the car and entered the complex, they were immediately guided to the minister’s office. When they stepped inside, the minister was waiting for him in a prepared seat.
Yun Sanghyeok, Minister of Economy and Finance, seemed to take Suho’s visit gravely, and rose with a solemn expression.
“It has been a while, Clan Leader Jeong Suho.”
He thought he had probably first seen him at the meeting where he had initially proposed ether power generation to South Korea. Ah, before that, he had also glimpsed him when receiving a medal for donating ten thousand tons of pure gold.
Suho clasped the hand Minister Yun extended and sat down on the sofa.
Looking at Minister Yun, whose face was full of questions as to the reason for his visit, Suho opened his mouth.
He had not come to socialize, so Suho also got straight to the point.
“I apologize for coming so suddenly, and thank you for making time for me. The reason I came today is simple. The gap between rich and poor in society these days has become too severe. I also believe I cannot be free of responsibility for that. So I would like to entrust a portion of my assets, roughly 300 trillion won, to the state.”
Minister Yun blinked in surprise, but soon regained his composure and asked,
“Three hundred trillion won is an enormous sum. How specifically would you like it to be used?”
“Yes. I would like that money to be used as a welfare budget. In particular, I hope it can be focused on expanding support for low-income groups and benefits in medical care, education, and housing. Above all, I would like special attention paid to those who fall into blind spots in the welfare system.”
Minister Yun narrowed his eyes and spoke with a serious expression.
“Blind spots in welfare... Yes, you’re right. There are groups the existing welfare system misses. In truth, the discovery system for finding people who are currently in welfare blind spots has developed a great deal. Shamefully, however, there are many cases where it ends with discovery. They keep being discovered repeatedly, and in many cases, actual staffing and support remain far off... The limitations of budget allocation are a major issue, as expected.”
“That seems to be the case. I’ve seen a lot of those issues through the news and newspapers as well, and that concern is what brought me to you, Minister. I want to provide a budget so that the most vulnerable people in society, the marginalized classes, can have at least a minimum livelihood guaranteed. Eliminating welfare blind spots is the foremost goal and hope for the funds I entrust.”
Minister Yun fell silent in thought for a while.
An amount like 300 trillion won was not easy to handle even at the government level. However, Suho’s point was accurate, it was necessary, and neither his intention nor the matter itself could be ignored or taken lightly.
In fact, for the government, it meant taking on an enormous task. If it had been someone other than Jeong Suho, they might have politely refused regardless of the money... but avoiding falling out of Jeong Suho’s favor was a sentiment shared by all politicians.
After quite some time, Minister Yun opened his mouth again.
“It is truly... a very meaningful proposal. However, the matter of accepting such funds in trust can involve extremely complicated procedures. For it to be used as a welfare budget, National Assembly deliberation will be necessary, and ensuring transparency in the management of the funds will also be required. In addition, in-depth discussion will be needed on ways to resolve welfare blind spots, and expanded infrastructure will have to be established as well.”
Those damned procedures.
When proceeding with work on a national scale, it was common sense and only natural for procedures to become complicated, but Suho always found this part suffocating. Even so, he gave no sign of it and endured it.
“Of course. I understand that much perfectly well. I believe the government will take care of it. If necessary, I am prepared to accept transparent procedures and strict oversight.”
Minister Yun squeezed his eyes shut, then nodded as if he had made a decision.
“Understood. I will respect Clan Leader Jeong Suho’s wishes. This proposal will certainly be discussed in depth within the government, and I will do my utmost to ensure that measures to eliminate welfare blind spots are put into practical motion.”
“Thank you. I’ve been looking for ways to use my wealth to make the world a little better. I sincerely hope the state will use these funds properly.”
Suho smiled gently.
* * *
Expanding welfare through the government was the most important and largest part, but it was not everything. Rather, it was only the beginning.
So the second places Suho sought out were domestic charitable organizations doing meaningful work.
Compassion Korea, Community Chest of Korea, Good Neighbors, World Vision, Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation, Food Bank, Milal Welfare Foundation, Korean Committee for UNICEF, Good People, Habitat for Humanity Korea, Bitina, Sarangbat... He visited various organizations, listened to explanations about the current state of their support efforts, and promised substantial continued support in the future.
The third places he visited were small private groups engaged in charity work or voluntary service activities.
First, he went to [Chaeuneun Church], which provided free meals for the homeless and marginalized near Byeongjeom Station on Subway Line 1.
It was a small church with fewer than a hundred congregants.
However, he had obtained information that it had continued its free meal ministry for over ten years, so he chose it as his first place to visit.
What was interesting was that there were quite a few such free meal centers operated by various religious organizations all over the country. Suho resolved to gather information on them one by one and visit them.
The day had become quite chilly, but when lunchtime came, as always, a long line of people waiting for meals formed in front of Chaeuneun Church, and the hands of the volunteers helping with the ministry were busy.
It was a day no different from usual. In the small kitchen of the church, where the free meal ministry for the homeless was in full swing, Pastor Gim, who was sixty-three years old this year and had served as the senior pastor of that church for twenty-five years, was also carrying soup from a large pot with the volunteers when a slight commotion was heard from outside.
Wondering if a fight had broken out among the homeless, he poked his head out the window and saw a luxury vehicle he had never seen before parked in the old, narrow alley, and people in perfectly fitted suits getting out in a rush.
“Who are they?”
A young woman helping with the work asked Pastor Gim, but he shook his head.
“I know... I’m not sure.”
“Ugh, how can they park a car like that in this narrow alley? Should I go say something to them?”
“Ha ha, Sister Huiyeong, be patient. They’ll leave soon.”
At that moment, one last man got out of the vehicle.
He was tall and well-built, with a handsome face.
As if he were a movie star, even the scene of him stepping out of the car looked picturesque.
He was someone familiar. Someone they had seen countless times on TV. That person, whom there was likely no one in the entire country who didn’t know, was...
“Uh, uh... That man! That man... Isn’t that Jeong Suho, the Admittee? S-class!? Uhhh!”
The other people who had already been standing in line outside recognized Suho first and began shouting.
In an instant, the soup kitchen in front of the church became unbearably noisy.
The man who had gotten out of the car strode toward the church’s dining hall and immediately stepped inside.
Pastor Kim, bewildered, set down the rice paddle he had been holding and greeted the man who had already entered.
Suho slowly looked around the church’s cramped kitchen and the busy volunteers, then quietly bowed his head and smiled.
Pastor Kim approached with a tense expression to welcome him.
“...Welcome. Admittee Jeong Suho... It is an honor to meet you. What brings you all the way to a place like this?”
His voice was filled with both tremendous surprise and caution.
“Hello, Pastor. Is there somewhere we might be able to talk quietly?”
“Ah, y-yes, of course. Please come this way.”
The place the pastor led him to was a narrow office tucked away in a corner.
Accepting the green tea brewed from a tea bag that he had brought out, Suho looked around every corner of the old office.
The tightly packed books and dust hinted at the years that narrow office had seen.
“Pastor, I apologize for coming so suddenly like this without contacting you in advance. I’ll get straight to the point. By chance, I heard rumors about this place. That this church provides free meals to many people. I’ve had an interest in this sort of thing myself, but seeing it in person makes my heart feel even heavier.”
But the pastor looked flustered and waved his hands.
“Oh, no. We are merely doing what we can. And it is not done purely by our own strength, either. If we had done this with only the strength we possessed, we would not have been able to continue this work for so long. From here and there, materially or through service, countless hands have steadily added their help...”
Suho leaned forward and continued.
“It is truly admirable work. That is why I would like to take part in it as well. I would like to help with the areas where I can be of assistance...”
He paused for a moment, looked around, and added in a quiet voice.
“I would like to provide financial support so that this meal service ministry can continue. And I think it would be good if you could expand the kitchen a bit and secure more spaces where people can eat... If it’s all right, you could also move this office elsewhere.”
Looking at Pastor Kim’s bewildered face, Suho spoke in a firm tone.
“First, I will donate thirty billion won for facility expansion and other needs. And from now on, I will send three hundred million won every month so that you can cover what is needed for the meal service ministry.”
Pastor Kim sucked in a stunned breath, and for an instant, silence fell over the cramped office.
After blinking his eyes for a long while, Pastor Kim finally managed to steady his voice.
“D-do you truly... intend to do that...? As you can see, we are merely a small church...”
Suho smiled gently and clasped his wrinkled hands tightly.
“It may be a small church, but I believe the work this church is doing has tremendous value. To me, that money is actually a very small amount. As someone with more money than I know what to do with, I simply want to contribute, even a little, to this meaningful labor.”
Pastor Kim, whose eyes had grown moist, stood and bowed deeply at the waist.
Suho returned the greeting and rose from his seat.
All right, all right, I need to get out of this awkward situation quickly.
After making eye contact with each of the volunteers and greeting them one by one, Suho left the soup kitchen, followed by the androids who had received things like account information from the pastor.
A subtle smile would not leave the corners of Suho’s mouth.
It was the most refreshing he had felt about anything he had done recently.
The weather was clear and pleasant, too.