I’m an Infinite Regressor, But I’ve Got Stories to Tell

Chapter 190

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The Patriot III

As one can see from history textbooks, the term "revival movement" has always had an ominous connotation on the Korean Peninsula. The Baekje Revival Movement and the Goguryeo Revival Movement both ended in failure. Though not widely known, Silla and Balhae also followed similar paths to ruin. The people who lived on the Korean Peninsula have always been early adopters. Rather than cling to a ruined country and weep, they preferred to boldly change the sign altogether.

The "Republic of Korea Revival Movement" was no exception.

"Dictator Noh Do-hwa, step down!"

Jo Yeong-su was allowed to exist. He was allowed to hold protest signs and shout and allowed to recycle waste paper as part of his campaign.

The survivors, busy living day to day, scoffed at Jo Yeong-su as he approached them with his so-called surveys, but they humored him with responses. Their kindness ended there.

"Dictator Noh Do-hwa, step down! Down with the dynastic rule of giant guild leaders! Form a National Assembly and draft a constitution!"

Jo Yeong-su was always alone. A year passed, then one year turned to three, then seven, and the "Republic of Korea Revival Association" gained no members.

SG Net's attitude toward Jo Yeong-su was much the same.

-Anonymous: Welcome, Constitution Parrot.

-OldManGoryeo: Is the old-timer here? Greetings from your brother in Goryeo.

-Anonymous: I used to have no particular feelings about the Commander, but my opinion’s changing. Seeing her not killing that guy and letting him live shows that the Commander is quite remarkable.

└LiteraryGirl: Tigers leave behind their skins when they die, and the Republic of Korea left behind Jo Yeong-su when it died.

-Anonymous: Dang Seo-rin, Noh Do-hwa, Mo Gwang-seo, Jung Sang-guk, Jo Yeong-su, let’s go.

└Anonymous: Damn, LOL.

└Anonymous: That’s the most patriotic lineup ever.

└dolLHOuse: ?

Mockery, contempt, sycophancy for the famous. Sympathy for an old fellow struggling through the same era. Rare and scarce kindness, like rainwater in the Gobi Desert.

Yet nowhere in these feelings could be found a serious desire to restore the Republic of Korea, nor any longing for democracy.

"Why are the democratic citizens of this land so depraved?!"

Sometimes, when he had enough money, Jo Yeong-su would go to a pojangmacha and drink heavily, lamenting.[1]

"The country is on the brink of ruin, yet there remains nostalgia for a dictator!"

"Hmm."

Eventually, in one cycle, I couldn’t help but intervene. After all, it’s a young man’s (and Jo Yeong-su seemed quite young to me) privilege to blunder through life. But giving advice is an old man’s specialty, isn’t it?

I approached Jo Yeong-su, who was drinking alone at a pojangmacha in Haeundae. "Mr. Jo. Even if people seem kind to you, don’t mistake their kindness."

"What? What do you mean?"

"People tend to act with exaggerated kindness or malice. Many give you paper out of charity, but no one will join you in shouting for the Republic of Korea. If you mistakenly believe that people genuinely support your activities, it will cause problems."

"......"

Jo Yeong-su’s face turned red from the cheap alcohol. Like all survivors of this era, he was only in his late fifties, yet he looked like he was in his eighties. The term "skincare" had long since been deleted from dictionaries.

Though his mind was clear, the Korean man in front of me, who aged prematurely, raised his voice to shout, "Why are you saying this? Thanks for offering to pay for the drinks, but if you think a few drops of alcohol can stop my activities, you’re sorely mistaken!"

"I’m not trying to stop you. Just giving advice. You may see yourself as a social activist, but others see you as an entertainer."

"Entertainer?" Jo Yeong-su blinked. "Me?"

"Yes. When people see the surveys you’ve worked hard on, they get a day or two’s worth of chatter out of it. They might even feel a bit of nostalgia for the past. You’re the only one who provides that experience, so people tolerate you."

"......"

"Essentially, it’s no different from gathering in groups to watch old movies. Regardless of how you define yourself, your objective role in this small society is that of a clown."

"A clown..."

"The reason no one joins your revival movement stems from the same root." I poured another drink for Jo Yeong-su. "Imagine someone rushing onto the stage during a stand-up comedian’s performance. It would kill the mood."

"But I’m serious..."

"That’s why they like you. Because you’re genuine."

Jo Yeong-su stared at me blankly.

"This isn’t about you, Mr. Jo. Talking about the Republic of Korea has already become a joke. It’s just the environment of the times."

"Are you saying I’m outdated?"

"Not at all. Just that a perspective like that is too self-centered. The gap is too wide between ‘the me I think of’ and ‘the me others see.’ In a way, your entertainment is too perfect for this era, so you’ve carved out your own niche."

"......"

"Isn’t it a depressing world? Try to think about making others happy, even a little. It will change a lot. Many more people will like you."

"......"

Blink.

The eyelids of the drunk middle-aged man were too slow, overtaken by unconsciousness as this poor, ordinary man’s stomach lost to the onslaught of alcohol.

I paid for the drinks and took Jo Yeong-su back to his shack.

"Sir, I’ll set you down here and leave."

"Ugh... ugh..."

Drip. Drizzle.

A light drizzle of rain began to fall.

Jo Yeong-su’s shack was pieced together with tarpaulins, tents, and construction waste. It was barely two pyeong, or about 6.6 square meters. Instead of a bed, thousands of sheets of waste paper were placed in the premium location of the shack and arranged to be treasured as if they were sacred relics, as if to never allow a drop of rain to grace their sheets.

Republic of Korea's Ninety-First Public Opinion Survey

Question: Do you think arrests, sentencing, and execution of criminals can all be independently decided by individual guild leaders or the head of the National Road Management Corps? Do you think the separation of powers should be implemented under the current circumstances?

Below, Jo Yeong-su’s notes were written in a dense block of text.

-Concern 1: Must explain to citizens the situation where legislative, executive, and judicial powers are concentrated in the individuals (but this makes the question too long)

-Concern 2: The phrase "independently decided" has a negative connotation that might bias respondents

-Concern 3: Need to discuss the right to appoint a lawyer, but there’s not enough space (Should I postpone it to the 92nd survey?)

→Idea: Post issues that can’t be addressed due to space on SG Net!!

└Regularly remind, build consensus, persuade citizens (important!!!)

"......"

Suddenly, it struck me that this waste paper resembled the shack. Just as the shack was too cramped to accommodate a single person, the paper was trying to contain too much.

When I laid Jo Yeong-su on his bed, half of his legs stuck out of the tent. His feet remained wet all night.

I didn’t know what effect the drinking session with me had on Jo Yeong-su’s mental landscape, but one thing changed for sure.

"Huh?"

It was the content of the opinion surveys.

Republic of Korea's Ninety-First Public Opinion Survey

Question: Do you think the nation of Korea has collapsed?

① Yes.

② No.

If my memory was correct, the 91st survey definitely addressed the separation of powers. However, the newly prepared survey that Jo Yeong-su was carrying around had entirely changed, and the sentences were remarkably short.

Had Korea fallen?

"Well, of course it’s fallen..."

"Why is this survey like this?"

The citizens who always took surveys out of boredom tilted their heads.

The Republic of Korea has fallen. How could it still stand? Some citizens wondered if Jo Yeong-su was playing around with the survey.

But Jo Yeong-su was serious. More serious than ever, in fact.

"Please participate in the survey! Fellow citizens! Citizens of Busan! This is the most important survey to date!"

"Uh..."

Not only was he serious. Usually, Jo Yeong-su conducted surveys of about 1,000 to 2,000 people, selecting a sample that was representative of the various societal classes and fields.

This time was different.

"Hey, kid! Hey there! Would you answer my question for a moment?"

"Me?"

Jo Yeong-su was frantically asking everyone for their opinion. He even handed the survey "Has the Republic of Korea fallen?" to a child who had just turned five.

"I’ll give you 100 won if you participate!"

"Wow!"

Even children who had never experienced the Republic of Korea participated in a survey for the first time in their lives.

And it didn’t stop there.

-JoYeong-su: We are conducting the 91st Public Opinion Survey! Members and non-members of SG Net, please participate!

Having always been active anonymously, Jo Yeong-su registered on SG Net and posted a survey article.

His nickname was JoYeong-su. Everyone was surprised by the audacity of using his real name as his member ID.

-Anonymous: ?? Why did this guy register?

-LiteraryGirl: Didn’t he say last time that SG Net is a tilted playing field because only Awakeners can access it, and that he would remain anonymous forever?

└JoYeong-su: I’m sorry! I was wrong! But please, participate in this survey just once!

-OldManGoryeo: Ah... have you finally decided to become one of the "named"? Welcome, Jo Yeong-su. Welcome to the "first division" of SG Net.

└JoYeong-su: Thank you! Please, I ask for your participation in the survey!

Like a madman, Jo Yeong-su increased the number of survey respondents.

He didn’t conduct the survey alone. He entrusted it to passersby, the National Road Management Corps members he often bumped into, and shop owners along the road.

"Please, ask your customers to answer the survey just once!"

"How can I bother my customers with such a request?"

"I beg you!"

About 15 months later, Jo Yeong-su obtained "answers" from a staggering 120,000 residents in Busan alone. Considering the population of Busan at the time was between 200,000 to 300,000, it was an impressive sample size.

More surprisingly, Jo Yeong-su’s fervent campaign didn’t end there.

[Mr. Undertaker.]

"Yes. What is it?"

[Mr. Jo Yeong-su has moved to Changwon.]

"What?"

Jo Yeong-su, who had lived and died in Busan in every cycle, moved to another city.

"An Awakener with the ability to light a Zippo lighter with his finger crossed the void?"

[He joined a caravan from the National Road Management Corps.]

"Oh, in that case, it makes sense. But why did he suddenly go to Changwon?"

[It seems he wants to conduct surveys with the residents of other cities as well.]

"...Really?"

[Yes.]

I was astonished.

What’s more, Changwon wasn’t even Jo Yeong-su’s destination. It was merely a stopover.

Jinju, Yeosu, Suncheon, Boseong, Haenam, Mokpo, Muan, Yeonggwang, Gwangju, Jeongeup, Jeonju, Gunsan, Iksan, Daejeon, Gimcheon, Gumi, Pohang...

Jo Yeong-su was literally sweeping the Korean Peninsula, heading south up north.

"Is he really trying to survey the entire Korean Peninsula? Even those who haven’t participated in SG Net surveys?"

[Probably.]

Isn’t this guy completely insane?

Footnotes:

[1] Pojangmacha, also abbreviated as pocha, is a South Korean term for outdoor carts that sell street foods such as hotteok, gimbap, tteokbokki, sundae, dak-kkochi, fish cake, mandu, and anju. In the evening, many of these establishments serve alcoholic beverages such as soju.

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