The Former Chaebol Heir Excels as President

Chapter 37: Election Campaign (3)

Tense silence.

Kim Bu-seong seemed to ponder for a moment what I truly meant.

Then he let out a snort and laughed.

“Are you trying to teach me something? Or are you just judging on your own?”

“I’m just stating the facts.”

“What facts?”

“I checked your pledge book from the last general election. Not a single policy for ordinary people was implemented. Isn’t that why the complaints are surfacing?”

Secretary Jang stepped in front of me and raised his voice.

“Are you crazy! Do you even know where you are, running your mouth like that!”

“Secretary Jang! Seems like you’re the one who’s crazy. Running my mouth? Is that something a mere secretary should say?”

As expected, the staffer had more authority.

“No. Our lawmaker here is a three-term veteran. I only spoke because someone who’s just debuting in politics is trying to lecture him.”

“You think you’re even on the same level? Don’t you know Representative Kang Cheonmyeong? You think you can talk back to us?”

“Enough!”

Kim Bu-seong shouted.

He pushed Secretary Jang aside and stepped in front of me.

“Supporters gather around you, and the media massages your image, so you think you’ll be wearing a badge any minute now? Let me give you a word of advice. You’ll wake up from your delusion soon.”

“Whether it’s a delusion or a lucky dream, we’ll see. For you, it might turn out to be a nightmare.”

“Haha. Are you barking out of fear? I expected a tiger, but they sent a puppy. What a funny fellow.”

Kim Bu-seong patted my shoulder and walked away.

That only fueled my determination.

“Staffer, let’s go upstairs.”

“Are you alright?”

“What happened?”

“Ah… the candidate was compared to a puppy.”

“Seems the puppy barked and made them flee. Let’s go.”

We climbed the stairs, opened the door, and entered to find about twenty merchants seated inside.

Campaign staff handed out pamphlets as the staffer explained.

“This material includes Candidate Kang Cheonmyeong’s plan to revitalize traditional markets. As the founder of the world’s top IT company, he has groundbreaking ideas. Please spare just fifteen minutes to listen.”

“Make it quick! We don’t have much time either!”

The President of the Merchants’ Association spoke with an annoyed look.

Just then, the door opened and the rice cake shop ajumma walked in.

“Good, we’re not late. Come in quickly. Looks like it’s about to start.”

Behind her came about ten more merchants.

The President of the Merchants’ Association jumped up and glared at the rice cake shop ajumma.

“What’s Jeong-ae’s mom doing here?”

“I came to hear what the revitalization plan is. Why? We’re not allowed to come?”

“You didn’t show up when you were invited.”

“Because Lawmaker Kim Bu-seong didn’t do anything worth hearing. This is someone new, so we wanted to hear what he had to say. Why? Am I wrong?”

“Geez.”

The rice cake shop ajumma was clearly on my side.

I had to seize this opportunity.

“We’ll begin now. Please follow along with the pamphlet as I explain.”

My voice carried strength.

“‘When you travel, visit the market.’ That’s a saying. Because markets reflect the everyday culture as it is. I believe that instead of modernizing traditional markets, we need projects that prioritize the environment.”

“What are you talking about! People avoid markets because they’re dirty!”

“You’re a political rookie who knows nothing. This won’t work.”

The President of the Merchants’ Association and the man beside him voiced their disapproval.

I had already heard from the staffer that the President of the Merchants’ Association supported Kim Bu-seong.

I had no intention of persuading him. My targets were the rice cake shop ajumma, the people she brought, and those who hadn’t made up their minds yet.

“I welcome criticism anytime. But please give me just fifteen minutes. Let’s look at the second page.”

The sound of paper turning was heard.

“This shows the revenue gap between traditional markets and large marts. As you can see, the gap widens every year. In other words, the more large marts appear, the more traditional markets die. We must both restrict the growth of large mart outlets and develop weapons for traditional markets.”

Was it the strength in my voice?

People began showing interest.

“Low prices, human warmth, wide variety of products—these used to be the strengths of traditional markets.”

“That’s right! Marts are even cheaper when they go on sale.”

“Exactly. Those bastards sell cheap to draw people in, then jack up the prices again.”

The merchants responded enthusiastically.

This was it.

“I propose the ‘three attractions’: things to see, eat, and do. When people come to traditional markets, there should be plenty to see, eat, and enjoy. That’s how we attract interest.”

“So what exactly do you plan to do?”

“Please look at the next page. We’ll implement various experience programs at traditional markets: rice cake making, woodworking product workshops, craft studios, permanent flea markets, and so on. It’s about bringing people to the market.”

The merchants began to murmur.

Now I had to appeal my strengths and earn their trust.

“I am a businessman who successfully built an IT company. I will introduce the strengths of traditional markets overseas and attract foreign visitors. Also, by building websites, completing a delivery system, and holding cultural events, we’ll create an image of convenience and abundance.”

“That’s right. He’s the one who made ‘Delivery Emperor,’ isn’t he?”

“Really?”

I continued speaking.

“I’ll issue traditional market coupons to give consumers a reason to buy. These coupons can be used at any store, and when points accumulate, they can be used like cash.”

“If we sell cheap, we lose money! We’re already cutting prices because of large marts—if we go cheaper, how do we survive?”

“Isn’t it better to sell one hundred units at 90 won than ten units at 100 won?”

“And you think that’s possible?”

“As I mentioned earlier, the key is to bring in more people. Please turn to the next page.”

The sound of pages turning was noticeably louder than before.

Detailed plans were written out: sewer maintenance, embankment reinforcement, sign replacement, expansion of public parking lots, construction of cultural centers, event projects, and merchant education.

“What, you think money falls from the sky? It all sounds fancy on paper, but it’ll never happen!”

I walked up to the President of the Merchants’ Association, who kept opposing me.

“President, are you going to give up without even trying?”

“Speak some sense, will you!”

“The Special Act on Traditional Market Promotion was already enforced in 2005. It was revised in 2009 to address shortcomings. The law exists—do you know why this place hasn’t received any support? Because the person you elected didn’t care!”

The President of the Merchants’ Association was left speechless, like a mute with honey in his mouth.

A murmur spread.

“What? There was such a law?”

“2005? That’s when Kim Bu-seong was a lawmaker!”

“Why didn’t he tell us? He’s been hiding it all along.”

The merchants began to wake from a long slumber.

Inside the campaign office conference room.

The staffer showed me the poll results.

“The gap has widened by 12%, but after hearing your speech today, I’m convinced we can win.”

“That wasn’t a speech.”

“To me, it felt like one. I was so moved my heart felt like it would burst. You really do have a knack for captivating people—maybe because you’re a businessman.”

“Ha ha. Was I captivating?”

“You were far better than our lawmaker. I was honestly shocked.”

I gave a small smile and closely examined the poll results.

The numbers were similar for voters under forty, but we were falling behind with those fifty and older.

“Representative, this is doable. If more voters under forty turn out, we have a real chance.”

I wished I could see another poll.

As the gap in my constituency grew, media interest waned.

“Staffer, there’s no way to check another poll?”

“The last one was released the day before yesterday. The media might ignore you, but I believe you’ll pull off a reversal.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“Don’t take all the polls at face value. The broadcasters only use landline phone numbers. The sample size is only five hundred, so the margin of error is plus or minus nine percent. A 12% gap can absolutely be overturned.”

“Thank you. That gives me strength.”

Knock knock—

A knock sounded, and Chief Kim, sent from the party to support the campaign, came in.

“Representative, someone who could help with the campaign has arrived. Shall I send them in?”

“Who is it?”

“They say they’re the CEO of a political consulting firm.”

“Well, they’ve come all the way here, so let’s meet them. Staffer, would you mind stepping out for a moment?”

“Sure.”

The staffer left, and a man who looked to be in his fifties entered.

Many people had visited the campaign office: alumni association presidents, early-morning soccer club leaders, hometown association officials, and even representatives from organizations I had never heard of.

They all claimed they could help with the campaign but came with conditions.

If the requests were reasonable, I negotiated. If they were excessive, I turned them away.

Otherwise, it could lead to trouble.

I gently bowed my head.

“Welcome. Thank you for visiting.”

“You must be a big thinker, coming from a business background. This office is like a sports field.”

He pulled out a business card from his wallet.

“I’m Seok Jun-sang, CEO of Better Consulting.”

“Please have a seat. What brings you here?”

“I hear you’re falling far behind Lawmaker Kim Bu-seong. I have the power to turn this around.”

Just then, there was another knock and Chief Kim came in with coffee.

“Thank you.”

Once Chief Kim left, Seok Jun-sang got to the point.

“You see, public opinion follows polls. The current TV station polls all use landlines, so naturally working people are excluded. Newspaper polls also use less than 20% mobile phones. On top of that, they include people who don’t even live in Yeongdeungpo anymore, people who’ve moved away.”

Seok Jun-sang took a sip of coffee and continued speaking.

“You can’t trust the polls floating around right now. In my assessment, the difference is only about 3%.”

“That’s probably because they’re using landline phones, right?”

“That’s not the only issue. The way the questions are framed is also a problem. They describe Lawmaker Kim Bu-seong with the label ‘three-term veteran.’”

He looked like a true expert.

“Actually, I used to be a mobile phone dealer, so I have data on voters living in Yeongdeungpo. If we set the wireless ratio to 50% and select more working professionals, the results will show a close race. We’ll also tweak the questions slightly.”

“You’re saying that if we get those results, public opinion can shift.”

“The publication blackout period starts in three days. If we conduct surveys tomorrow and the day after, you could overtake him. The truth is, it’s only because your background isn’t widely known. Once voters find out, attention will surge. I’ll attach the phrase ‘the world’s top businessman’ in front of your name. That also acts as a promotional effect.”

It was a tempting offer.

Polls guiding public opinion.

The bandwagon effect, where votes gather around the popular candidate, couldn’t be ignored.

“Representative, I came here to give you a chance. Take my hand.”

He extended his hand.

Should I take it? Or not?

“If you take my hand now, you’ll earn that badge. Make the wise choice.”

It was a decisive moment that could determine my fate.