I Became the 1st Floor Boss of the Tower - Chapter 187

The Italian government and the Challenger Management Office seemed on the brink of insanity due to the flood of petitions and protest calls. The public harshly criticized them, and many people even wanted to immigrate to Lee Shin’s country, Korea.

“You damn fools! Why did they handle things like this if you were going to be swayed by public opinion!” Claudio Alberta, the President of the Senate, shouted, tossing his cigarette.

“Keuk! B-but it’s because the Challenger Management Office and the members of the Lower House joined forces to push public opinion…” Tivaldo Rico, an Assembly member, was hit by the cigarette and clenched his teeth, bowing his head.

Tivaldo Rico had known from the start that this was an unwinnable fight. He had argued that establishing a precedent was necessary to rein in the Challenger Management Office and the limited local challengers. Sadly, the opposition was too powerful and corrupt.

Even after witnessing the recent Gate crisis, these old fogies stuck in the past failed to make the right judgment. The current situation demanded that the authorities lean on the challengers. Perhaps they were unaware that they could no longer control the challengers with power and money like in the past, or perhaps they intentionally disregarded it.

“Get out of here now! And fix the situation quickly!” Claudio Alberta shouted.

“Yes, Sir,” Tivaldo Rico replied.

As Tivaldo Rico left the office, he loosened his tie and muttered curses under his breath.

“Ugh, that old fool! Obsessed with money and women!” Sitting in the driver’s seat, he vented his anger with a motley of curses.

Then he turned on his phone to check the current public reaction. There were tens of thousands of comments on Lee Shin’s video, posted on the country’s broadcasting station. Among them were the comments from the people whose lives Lee Shin had saved. The comments were listed in descending order of likes.

==

I have worked as a sailor in Naples for over two decades. Recently, my wife got pregnant with our third child. Even on my day off, I went to work, driven by the thought of providing for my family. The work wasn’t hard, but looking back, I regret my decision. That single decision could have taken away from me the chance to ever see my children again.

While I hid in a building during the chaos, many Water Beetles broke in through the window, and I thought I was about to die. Yet, a Skeleton suddenly appeared, intercepting the attackers. At that moment, I felt a renewed sense of safety. I thought that I’d be able to see my child. It felt like the start of a new chapter in my life.

Mr. Lee Shin’s immense compassion deeply touched me, and I vowed to live with gratitude for his help. However, the incident’s aftermath has left a bitter taste in my heart. I truly hope our government acknowledges their missteps and corrects them. If not, I’m afraid my support for the current administration might waver.

==

“Tsk…” Tivaldo Rico clicked his tongue.

The following stories were no different. Numerous such stories had been posted, each critical of the present government. Tivaldo Rico empathized with these stories, as Lee Shin had also saved his family.

Until then, he had done everything to become an Assembly member, sucking up to his superiors and committing corruption to reach his position. However, this just felt different.

“Honey,” Tivaldo Rico called his wife.

“Yeah, did everything go well?” his wife asked.

“Umm… Not yet. Are you feeling okay?” Tivaldo Rico asked his wife.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” his wife replied.

He heard his wife’s voice through the phone; although she tried to sound cheerful, he could sense that she was not doing well. She had suffered a serious leg injury during the Gate crisis and was still in the hospital. She might never even walk again.

“By the way… what about Mr. Lee Shin? It must be really tough for him to save people and receive such treatment,” his wife said.

Tivaldo Rico gritted his teeth, wondering if she should really be concerned about others now. He contemplated whether adopting a more accommodating approach toward the challengers right from the start would have had yielded different results. Perhaps it had come to this point because the conservative old folks in power refused to cede power to the challengers. Tivaldo finally retrieved a USB drive from the car’s glove box.

“Don’t worry, dear. I won’t become a scumbag who repays kindness with enmity,” Tivaldo Rico replied.

***

The next day, an atomic bomb-like disclosure shook the Italian government. The broadcast had been full of shocking revelations all day long.

[Claudio Alberta’s affair, the target was Assemblywoman Capone?]

[The in-laws of Claudio, the President of the Senate, are associated with the XXX company and are the mastermind behind the past unsolved assassination case!]

[Two years ago, the list of corrupt members embezzling national funds, circulated as a rumor then, included the President of the Senate, Claudio, and…]

Despite the incredibility of the stories, the rumors persisted, and evidence like wiretaps and account books emerged. Online communities were brimming with mockery aimed at Claudio and other corrupt officials, including Tivaldo Rico.

* Wow, these scumbags have no limits? Claudio has been doing all sorts of things behind the scenes for years, hasn’t he?

└ No wonder Italy is being ridiculed worldwide.

└ Ugh, this is so annoying.

└ Lee Shin indeed made a mistake. Why did he help such a country?

└ No, that’s not true. What did the citizens do wrong?

└ They elected scumbags like them. That’s their mistake.

* Did Tivaldo Rico really expose all this?

└ Yeah, it seems like it. I heard it was because of the incident surrounding Lee Shin.

└ Besides, Tivaldo is no ordinary Assembly member. It would have been impossible for others to expose something like this.

└ Ugh, you’re speculating without evidence again.

└ Even if Tivaldo exposed this, he’s not much different from Claudio. He just committed fewer corrupt acts.

└ They should just all resign together.

└ Still, I think Tivaldo did a good job.

└ Regardless… We all agree that Claudio is at the center of this mess, right?

“Ugh, fuck! How dare Tivaldo forget all the favors I did him and stab me in the back?” Claudio shouted in anger.

Unable to contain his anger, Claudio had made a mess of his office and was glaring at the reporters outside. His phone suddenly rang, and when he saw the caller ID, his face turned bright with relief. It was Prime Minister Furio Servi.

“Mr. Prime Minister! It’s Claudio,” said Claudio with delight. However, the voice on the other end was cold.

– There’s a way to resolve this situation.

“Thank you! If it’s you, Prime Minister—” Claudio was interrupted.

– Apologize to Lee Shin immediately and resign from your position.

“What are you talking about?” Claudio realized that something was wrong.

– Do you think you can answer all the questions the reporters outside are just waiting to fire? Several members related to you have already announced their resignations.

“Are you trying to throw me under the bus? I won’t die alone,” said Claudio.

– You are making a big deal out of this. Do you think citizens are the only ones supporting Lee Shin right now?

“I am the President of the Senate. Who do you think stands behind me? It’s not just you, the Prime Minister, but—” Claudio was cut off again.

– The WCA contacted me directly. They told me that if we failed to resolve the situation promptly, Italy would no longer be a part of the association.

“Huh? What…?” Claudio could not believe what he had just heard.

WCA was the most powerful organization in the world. Chairman Samuel Campbell was said to have greater influence than any country’s president. And now, after the Gate crisis, the sheer magnitude of the organization’s influence in the future was evident.

– Chairman Samuel contacted me directly. So, resolve the situation before WCA makes an official statement.

“…” Claudio could not say anything for a while.

– Now you are coming to your senses. You’ve been in office as a member for too long. It’s time to step down and rest in a quiet place.

“All right. Thank you, Sir,” Claudio replied.

Prime Minister Furio’s statement implied that Claudio would be spared from imprisonment. Understanding the message, Claudio bowed his head. The call ended, and he collapsed to the floor.

***

[Dear ladies and gentlemen of the nation. This is Claudio Alberta, President of the Senate.]

His formal apology was broadcasted, and he personally went to Korea to apologize to Lee Shin and announced his resignation. Watching the unbelievable scene, Koreans joyfully typed on their keyboards until their fingers hurt.

# Damn, a Korean challenger is putting Italy’s President of the Senate out of office.

# Why are so many people making a fuss over just one member resigning?

# LOL, the commenter above knows nothing.

# Do you even know how many businesses are related to Claudio? Even the chairman of Korea’s five-star group cannot bring down someone like him.

# Don’t you remember when WCA’s Director of Disaster and Safety Management came to Baratala to personally save Lee Shin?

# Wow, that’s insane. Even Cha Yu-Min did not receive this kind of treatment.

# Why are you comparing Cha Yu-Min with Lee Shin? Can he even be compared to Lee Shin?

# Lol, that’s true.

# I’ve heard other countries are looking to recruit Lee Shin if possible. So our government should act properly.

# If Lee Shin goes to another country, I’ll immigrate there. Remember that.

# Farewell, bro!

Korea was brimming with excitement and pride due to Lee Shin, while other nations looked on with envy. Moreover, due to the recent Naples incident, some wealthy Italians living in Naples even said that they would immigrate to Korea.

Lee Shin had seemingly anticipated such a situation and did not pay much attention to public opinion. After all, he had too many other things to worry about.

“Hello, this is Samuel Campbell,” Samuel Campbell said.

“This is Lee Shin,” Lee Shin said, greeting him.

Samuel Campbell, the Chairman of WCA, had come to Korea despite having his hands full with the Gate crisis. Also, he expressed his apologies to Lee Shin for visiting so late.

“I wanted to meet you, Mr. Lee Shin, to discuss the system that the Earth needs to establish in the near future,” Samuel Campbell said.

Lee Shin also thought it was necessary to meet Samuel. He held multiple influential positions, such as WCA Chairman, Chair of the US Challengers Association, and one of the early challengers to reach the 50th floor. He was a crucial figure in uniting the Earth’s population.

“Thinking about the Gate crisis that began in China and Italy, although the Gates have disappeared again, I believe that controlling the Gates should be our top priority to protect Earth. What do you think?” Samuel Campbell asked Lee Shin.

Samuel Campbell had astutely grasped the essence of the impending dimensional conflict through the events that had happened thus far.

“Yes, I think the same way,” Lee Shin replied.

“Also… You don’t have to answer this, but do you have the ability to see the future?” Samuel Campbell asked.

Samuel Campbell wanted to pretend that he was merely curious, but his eyes said that he was already sure. Therefore, Lee Shin decided that there was no need to deny it to someone like him.

“To some extent,” Lee Shin replied.

“Just as I thought…” Samuel Campbell muttered, nodding. “I could tell that you can see the future while observing the Gate crisis. Starting from Isocia—no, I mean even before that, you foresaw this and have been preparing since.”

Samuel Campbell’s blue eyes revealed heavy responsibility and anguish. Taking a sip of tea and clearing his throat, he began speaking.

“So… what will happen in the future? And what should we do?” Samuel Campbell asked Lee Shin.

“…” Lee Shin did not know what to say.

Facing such a direct question, Lee Shin took a moment to gather his thoughts and sipped his tea.

Tap, tap, tap…

Tapping his armrest with his fingers, Lee Shin looked at Samuel. Their gazes met in the air, and sparks seemed to fly as they peered into each other’s hearts through their sharp eye contact.

“The future Earth will face destruction.” Lee Shin’s words were shocking, but Samuel’s face remained calm as if he had already expected it.

“Oh, I see. Then what about the actual Earth’s future?” Samuel asked Lee Shin again.

A faint smile appeared on Samuel’s face. Lee Shin smirked as well.

“This Earth will survive. I will make it survive,” Lee Shin replied.

“Great, that’s what I wanted to know,” Samuel replied.

It was the first time Lee Shin had seen Samuel Campbell smile so brightly. Even for Lee Shin, it was difficult to tell if the smile was sincere or poker face.

“May I ask about the upcoming future?” Samuel Campbell asked.

“More Gates will appear soon. Controlling the Gates… That’s our top priority. We have the best dimensional study researchers working on it, so we’ll have good results soon,” Lee Shin replied.

“We should quickly gather the best experts from each field for research,” Samuel Campbell replied.

Lee Shin hesitated about whether to mention what happened in the past. He wondered if telling him about the beginning of the true tragedy would be good.

‘There have been so many changes in this life so far. So that future may not happen, and the situation may change.’

Lee Shin made up his mind to speak about it and reveal his plan.

“Humans from other dimensions will come to Earth,” Lee Shin said.

“Humans?” Samuel Campbell’s eyes widened at the unexpected mention of humans.

“And… We must kill them,” Lee Shin replied with a smirk.