IWSF – Ch 292

Three taxi drivers climbed onto the arch of Seogang Bridge.

The banner they unfurled read, ‘Protect Taxi Industry Survival Rights! Expel Ride-Sharing! Scrap Unmanned Vehicles!’

Fellow drivers around them, and even the police, tried to persuade them to come down, but they continued to shout.

“Bring Kang Jin-hoo! We’ll talk to Kang Jin-hoo face-to-face!”

Police controlling the protest tried to go up to them, but they had to stop, threatened with jumping into the river.

Some media outlets even launched drones and broadcast the situation live.

Watching the news, Taek-gyu said with his arms crossed.

“But why are they doing this to you? It’s not like you’ve announced the immediate introduction of unmanned taxis in Korea.”

“Hmm.”

Are they trying to drag me in to create an issue? Come to think of it, there’s no one as much of a punching bag as me in Korea.

Those protesting on the arch kept shouting that they would jump if I didn’t come. Even if they say that, it’ll probably end without anything happening, right?

At that moment, something flashed in my mind.

– Kang Jin-hoo Rescues Suicidal Person from Seogang Bridge –

“……”

What’s this now? There’s going to be a suicidal person, and they want me to rescue them? What happens if I don’t rescue them?

After regaining my senses, Taek-gyu asked.

“What did oracle say? Where does she want you to invest?”

I grabbed my coat.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Where are you going?”

I pointed to the TV screen.

“There.”

Taek-gyu asked in disbelief, “Why are you going there?”

“They’re saying they’ll jump if I don’t come. I have to save people first.”

“Come on, they’re not really going to jump from that height, are they?”

“They are really going to jump.”

I sighed and told him about the premonition I just saw. Taek-gyu was startled.

“How are you going to rescue them? What are you going to do?”

“Maybe I can persuade them?”

Before leaving, I picked up the phone and instructed Team Leader Jung Gi-hong.

“Please find out about the people in the news right now.”

***

I thought as I drove.

I used to think that if technology advanced, people would be liberated from work. But even in today’s technologically advanced world, far from being liberated, people are working even harder.

Just like John Henry fighting against the steam drill, countless workers today are striving to prove they are better than machines.

Fast food part-timers are fighting against kiosks, factory workers against production robots, and transportation workers against unmanned vehicles. The financial sector is no exception. Artificial intelligence is being introduced in corporate valuation and financial statement analysis, threatening the jobs of analysts and fund managers.

If you lose the fight, the penalty of unemployment awaits.

This is where the problems Korea has are clearly revealed.

The first is the lack of a social safety net, and the second is the job shortage. Without a safety net for unemployment, you are immediately threatened with poverty the moment you are laid off, and it’s hard to find jobs, so re-employment is also difficult.

No wonder everyone is forced to fight so desperately.

Vehicle traffic was originally scheduled to resume after the march ended, but road closures continued due to the high-altitude protest.

Commuting time is coming up soon, and if it stays like this until then, the surrounding traffic will be paralyzed.

I got out of the car, and the people around me were startled.

“W-wait. That person…?”

“Could it be Kang Jin-hoo?”

“What? Did he really come here?”

Media outlets covering the event all turned their cameras towards me.

“CEO Kang Jin-hoo! A word, please!”

“Do you have plans to introduce unmanned vehicles in Korea?”

“What do you think about the taxi industry’s backlash?”

Bodyguards physically blocked the approaching reporters. I ignored the interview requests and headed towards the arch.

The scene I had just seen on TV unfolded before my eyes.

I spoke into a megaphone.

“Hello, this is Kang Jin-hoo. You asked me to come, so I came.”

The taxi drivers protesting on the arch looked flustered. They probably didn’t expect me to actually come here.

There are many cases where workers protest and shout for the boss to come out, but it’s rare for the boss to actually appear.

After a while, a shout came from above.

“We will not engage in any dialogue!”

You were shouting for me to come, and now that I’m here, what’s this?

Annoyance surged up. But I spoke as calmly as possible, knowing they might actually jump if I got angry.

“You said you wanted to talk face-to-face, right? Come down first and let’s talk.”

“We will never come down until our demands are met!”

They’re not going to come down easily, are they.

“What are your demands?”

“To guarantee the survival rights of the taxi industry, immediately delist CarOS, which developed unmanned vehicles!”

I answered calmly.

“CarOS isn’t listed on the stock market. It’s a private company. How can you delist a company that isn’t even listed?”

“Ah, anyway, if you don’t accept our demands, we’ll jump.”

It’s impossible to have a conversation with them.

A police officer approached and said.

“We’ve been persuading them for two hours, but it’s no use. Since they climbed up impulsively, they will come down when they run out of energy.”

I hope so, but there’s a risk someone might jump before that happens.

Is it really possible to save them by talking?

Dozens of cameras around me were pointed at me. My face is probably being broadcast right now. My phone has been ringing non-stop since a while ago. I decided to deal with calls later and put it on silent.

I can save them, right?

“If you won’t come down, I’ll go up. Let’s talk up there.”

My words surprised the people around me.

Bodyguard team leader Lee Cheol-jin said.

“That’s not possible, CEO.”

“You don’t think they’d push me off, do you?”

“They probably wouldn’t, but there’s always a chance, no matter how small. And my job is to protect you in such situations.”

“Still, shouldn’t we prevent someone from actually jumping?”

After several attempts to dissuade me, but I still wouldn’t budge, Team Leader Lee Cheol-jin said as if he had no choice.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“Are you sure? You have a family.”

He chuckled and retorted.

“You don’t think they’d push me off, do you?”

I chuckled.

“I suppose not.”

“And I can protect my family by protecting the employer who pays my salary, right?”

“Then let’s go together.”

***

Despite the dissuasion from people around me and the police, Team Leader Lee Cheol-jin and I climbed onto the arch.

I don’t really know what I’m doing.

I’ve crossed Han River bridges countless times, but this is the first time I’ve climbed this high.

Just as people cannot live without water, most major cities are formed along rivers. Still, cities with rivers this large are rare. Strictly speaking, Gangnam was outside Seoul in the past, but it became part of the city as it was developed.

Just as the sun was setting, it gradually dyed the Han River red. The scenery of Gangnam and Gangbuk spread out around the bridge was like a painting.

From up here, it’s quite picturesque. But looking down, that thought completely changed. Far below, unseen waves were rippling.

I feel like I’m even developing acrophobia, which I never had before. Or is it natural to feel fear at this height?

The taxi drivers staging the high-altitude protest were surprised and didn’t know what to do.

“Wh-what is this?”

“Did he really come up?”

I looked at them and said.

“First, let me ask one thing. Is climbing up here your own decision, or did your company instruct you to do it?”

Then, a middle-aged man shouted, his face flushed.

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

I received a call from Team Leader Jung Gi-hong before arriving here, and these people all belong to one corporate taxi company. The fact that they even brought a banner means it wasn’t impulsive, but pre-planned.

Team Leader Jung Gi-hong found the company that produced this banner in that short amount of time. When asked, surprisingly, the company president placed the order and even dictated the wording himself.

At my words, the other two, as if hit right on the mark, made excuses.

“It’s not exactly that we were instructed…”

“It’s more like… they said that if we do this, OTK Company might support the taxi industry like they support the science community.”

So, the company did order them to do it!

Taxi companies, as well as taxi drivers, must be worried about declining profits.

“Surely they didn’t instruct you to jump, did they?”

“Well, the president did say that we need to put on a performance of that level to make an impact.”

“Since we’ll be falling onto water anyway, it’s safe, and there are a lot of people around, so we’ll be rescued quickly.”

What kind of crazy talk is this?

I said in disbelief, “Are you not considering surface tension? If you jump from this height, your body will cause fractures or ruptures the moment it hits the water. Even if you’re not physically injured, if you lose consciousness from the impact, you’ll drown immediately. Haven’t you seen articles saying that one in two people who jump from the Han River bridges lose their lives?”

“D-don’t lie!”

Well, that’s partly because most of them jumped with the intention of suicide. But in any case, it’s that dangerous.

At my words, their faces turned pale.

They thought a simple protest wouldn’t work, so they planned a suicide performance to get the maximum support from OTK Company and the government?

No, if they really wanted to do that, the president should jump himself, why order his employees to do it?

Why are there so many crazy people in the world?

Team Leader Lee Cheol-jin’s pocket contained a broadcasting microphone and a walkie-talkie he received from the police. The fact that the company instructed them to do this is probably being broadcast right now.

“I understand your opinions, so let’s go down and talk.”

The two holding the banner seemed inclined to follow my words. But another man glared at me and shouted.

“Shut up! Anyway, we’re all going to lose our jobs! You’ll be sitting on a pile of money when unmanned cars come out, but our wives and children will starve to death!”

He’s not wrong.

Ultimately, even if it benefits everyone in the long run, during an industrial transition, those who benefit and those who lose out are clearly divided.

“It’s all because of you! If it weren’t for you!”

As he spoke, his anger exploded, and he didn’t just stop at shouting, he tried to rush at me. Fortunately, before Team Leader Lee Cheol-jin could step in, another colleague grabbed him.

“Calm down.”

“Let go of me!”

He violently shook off his colleague’s arm. In that instant, his body lost balance and swayed greatly.

“No!”

I reflexively rushed forward and reached out my hand. Fortunately, I was able to grab his arm just before he fell.

I almost got dragged down with him, but I was prepared for the possibility, so I grabbed onto a protrusion on the railing.

The man hanging in the air looked down and said in a trembling voice.

“S-save me!”

“Hold on tight!”

I pulled the man upwards with all my might. Even though I’m a young man in my twenties, it’s not easy to lift an adult man up alone.

Team Leader Lee Cheol-jin immediately rushed over and helped. He grabbed the man’s body and instantly hoisted him up.

People watching from below cheered and applauded in unison.

The man who had narrowly escaped death burst into tears, and I let out a sigh of relief.

***

[Kang Jin-hoo Saves Taxi Driver Staging High-Altitude Protest!]

(Excerpt) During the march after the protest, three taxi drivers climbed onto the arch and shouted that they would jump. They shouted for Kang Jin-hoo to come, and in response, Kang Jin-hoo personally came to the scene, climbed onto the arch, and began to persuade them. However, during the conversation, one taxi driver tried to rush at him and almost fell, and Kang Jin-hoo threw himself forward and grabbed him. In a situation where he himself could have been in danger, he risked his life to save another person’s life.

(Omitted)

Surprisingly, it was revealed that this was an instruction from the president of a corporate taxi company, shocking the public. The president was immediately arrested by the police but completely denied the charges.

– lol Kang Jin-hoo was called out and he actually showed up.

– Wow! To even think about climbing up there.

– Kang Jin-hoo is crazy too.

– I watched it live, it was seriously awesome. So cool.

– He saved a person.

– This is the kind of thing that gets you the Nobel Peace Prize.

– Are other chaebol chairmen watching? There’s a talent here that surpasses you all.

– What kind of bastard is the president who ordered them to jump?

– Sentence him to death for aiding and abetting suicide.

– The penalty for aiding and abetting suicide is imprisonment of up to 10 years.

Taek-gyu read the comments one by one.

“…it says.”

Ellie smiled brightly and clapped.

Clap clap clap!

“Good job, Jin-hoo. I’m so proud of you.”

I smiled awkwardly.

“You’re praising me right now, right?”

“Of course. Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just… your mouth is smiling, but your expression looks angry.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than Ellie started to get seriously angry.

“Do you even have a brain, or not?”

“I do have one…”

“If you had a brain, why would you go up there? Did you know it was dangerous or not?”

“I knew it was….”

“And someone who knew that still did it?”

“……”

I feel like I’m being scolded by my mother, is it just my imagination?

While Ellie was in the middle of scolding me, my mother rushed in.

As soon as my mother saw me, she delivered a backhand slap to my back.

Whack!

“Ow! That hurts.”

“Why did you go there? Do you really want to see your mom collapse?”

“N-no, it’s not that.”

I gave Taek-gyu a desperate look.

‘Help me.’

Then Taek-gyu said to my mother.

“I think Jin-hoo needs to be scolded even more.”

This guy!

Ellie said with her arms crossed.

“But Taek-gyu, you were next to him, why didn’t you stop him? If Jin-hoo does something like this, shouldn’t you have stopped him?”

“That’s….”

This time, Taek-gyu gave me a desperate look.

‘Help me.’

I replied with my eyes.

‘Yeah. Get lost.’

[Probably the last update on moonlight novels]