The Genius Construction Worker Who Moved to America - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 15

Terms of Employment

“Ha, money really does have its charms.”

The Langham Huntington—a five-star hotel situated not far from Pasadena City Hall.

Mayor Scott had graciously offered Kang-jun, who’d been catching brief naps in Leo’s office, the penthouse suite.

It was a gesture of goodwill from the city itself, meant to ensure his comfort during the construction period.

Kang-jun wandered across the plush carpet, taking in the room around him.

An antique painting hung above the fireplace; beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights sprawled in the clear night air, a landscape he’d never imagined seeing.

A world he’d never once glimpsed in all his years.

Just weeks ago, Kang-jun had been sleeping in a cramped studio apartment that reeked of mold—wallpaper peeling in summer from the dampness, frost creeping in through the cracks each winter, biting at the tip of his nose.

Now, leaning back against the spacious bed, he let his mind drift across the past month.

From that day when tons of H-beams came crashing down above his head, to the moment he sealed a fifty-million-dollar contract by reinforcing the riverbank with quicklime.

It felt impossible that all of this had happened in such a short span of time.

“Phew…”

Kang-jun headed for the bathroom. Marble finishings, gleaming fixtures—everything caught his eye.

As warm water cascaded down and he stood beneath the shower, the fatigue seemed to wash away with it.

After toweling off, he stepped in front of the mirror. Steam clung to the glass; he wiped it clear with his palm, and a different version of himself stared back.

With each level gained and stat bonus applied, lean muscle had begun to define his frame.

The Craftsman’s Iron Grip had hardened his forearms and shoulders especially—they were solid now, corded with strength.

As Kang-jun studied his reflection, something surfaced in his mind: the privilege the system had granted him.

[Privilege Activated: You are granted the right to ask the Divine one single question.]

He’d considered saving it for a crisis looming ahead, but now was the time to understand the full picture of the game itself.

Kang-jun pulled himself up and settled on the edge of the bed. He called out softly to the system.

“System.”

A hologram materialized in the air, glowing blue.

[Yes, Agent.]

“Can you really answer any question I ask?”

[Yes, that is correct. Any question whatsoever, provided it does not escape causality or collapse the balance of the universe itself.]

Kang-jun’s mind raced, calculating possibilities.

The opportunity of a lifetime.

He could have asked about the solution to the next Quest. He could have demanded to know why a mere laborer like himself had been chosen as an Agent. Or he could have requested the winning numbers for Powerball.

But Kang-jun was more cautious than ever before.

Fifteen years of drifting from one construction site to another had carved their lessons into his mind.

Men who’d sworn “I’ll make sure you get your cut,” only to vanish once the job was done. Jobs he’d started without a contract, only to find himself holding the bag.

The thing most feared on a construction site wasn’t the grueling labor—it was the ambiguous contract.

The system had given Kang-jun the title of Agent, but in reality, he was just another worker laboring under a boss called a god.

A worker who, at times, carried the terrifying Penalty of instant death.

‘What I really need to understand is the employment contract between this system and me.’

Kang-jun’s eyes snapped open. He stared at the system window, one corner of his mouth quirking upward as he spoke.

“I have a question.”

[Yes, please ask, Agent.]

“If you’re going to hire someone, you draw up an Employment Contract. Show me the Employment Contract between me and your system—or rather, this architect god of yours.”

[…]

Silence fell.
The system window, which moments before had been brimming with confidence, flickered like a lagging computer.

“Why aren’t you answering? A worker can’t work without knowing the terms of their contract. It’s a violation of labor standards in the human world. Grounds for a complaint to the Department of Labor.”

[…Among all the Agents throughout history, you are the first to demand an Employment Contract rather than the truths of the universe or the powers of a god.]

Kang-jun crossed his arms and fixed the system window with an intense stare.

“First, second, third—doesn’t matter to me. A promise is a promise. Come on. Show it.”

Blue particles began to swirl, and the system, as if resigned to defeat, displayed text.

[…Very well. The contract’s contents are intertwined with the fabric of the universe and difficult for humans to comprehend in full. I shall translate and present to you the ten core clauses of the Employment Contract.]

Fwoosh!

A blinding flash of light filled the room, and a holographic parchment materialized. Text written in an ancient script began to transform into Korean.

Kang-jun rose from his seat and approached the parchment. Eyes narrowed, he studied each clause with meticulous care.

[Standard Employment Contract for Agents]

Article 1 (Purpose): This contract, based on mutual cooperation between the God of Architecture and Agent Choi Kang-jun, shall restore the architectural order of the fallen world….
Article 2 (Obligations): The Agent shall faithfully execute all Quests assigned by the God through the system, and agrees that a Penalty shall be imposed upon failure.
Article 3 (Compensation): Upon Quest completion, the system shall independently calculate the Agent’s Contribution Rate and provide appropriate compensation in the form of goods, currency, skills, or otherwise.
Article 4 (Confidentiality)….

“Hell. Same petty tyranny in the paperwork wherever you go.”

Kang-jun let out a bitter chuckle.

‘Self-assessed,’ ‘reasonable compensation.’

The sentences looked plausible enough, but to Choi Kang-jun’s eye, they were textbook poison clauses. The employer would evaluate things as he saw fit and pay only what he felt like giving.

“Do as you’re told and accept whatever scraps they throw your way? So that’s how it is….”

Choi Kang-jun’s hand froze as he continued reading through the next clause, suppressing his irritation.

His gaze snagged on Article 9 at the bottom of the parchment.

[Article 9 (Exception to Transfer of Ownership and Registration)]
When performing repair or new construction Quests, should the Contribution Rate of the constructed building through the Agent’s creativity and labor exceed nine-tenths (90%),
the ownership of the said building and land, as well as the system’s Registration, shall in principle be transferred entirely to the name of the contractor (Agent Choi Kang-jun).
(However, the physical and legal transfer procedures shall be facilitated through the system’s manipulation of causality.)

“…This.”

Choi Kang-jun exhaled in wonder despite himself. His heart began hammering like a madman.

If the Contribution Rate exceeded ninety percent, the Registration of that building and land would transfer to my name?

It was truly an extraordinary reward. Real wealth, after all, came from owning real estate itself.

If, in the Quests to come, Choi Kang-jun’s Contribution Rate reached ninety percent? It meant any land and building in America could become his personal possession.

“Keh heh heh…. Ha ha ha!”

Choi Kang-jun dragged his hand across his face, barely suppressing the laughter that bubbled up from within.

[Agent? Have you reviewed the contract satisfactorily?]

Choi Kang-jun lifted his head and grinned.

The system window crackled and glitched in an instant, as if intimidated by the fervent gleam in his eyes burning with desire.

Choi Kang-jun clenched his fists.

“Contribution Rate of ninety percent. Good. Let’s taste some of America’s prime real estate then.”

* * *

The next morning. The entrance to Elm Street in Pasadena’s old town.

“Wow…. Mr. Choi! Finally, we’re beginning! Do you think we can pull this off?”

Leo, dressed in a Safety Vest, bounced with undisguised excitement.

Behind the two men sprawled an absolutely spectacular sight.

Vroom—!
Rumble—!

Three 50-ton crawler cranes,
ten 30-ton excavators, an asphalt finisher, and roughly twenty large dump trucks lined the two-lane Elm Street road, standing in a neat formation.

All of it had been mobilized from Blackwood Construction.

In front of them stood some 150 construction workers—white, black, Hispanic—with their arms crossed. They too were veteran technicians from Blackwood.

But their expressions looked decidedly unhappy.

“Why should we work for some rinky-dink outfit like that?”
“What does that Oriental guy know about running a job site?”

The murmuring wouldn’t stop. Max was sweating through his shirt trying to calm the workers down, but it was a losing battle.

Leo swallowed hard and shrank back slightly behind Choi Kang-jun.

“M-Mister Choi. They look ready to riot right now. Is… is everything going to be all right…?”

“Watch carefully, Leo. Discipline is established from the very beginning.”

Choi Kang-jun pressed the hard hat onto his head with an expression of perfect calm. Then he took in the entire block of Elm Street in the 1,200s with his gaze and focused his concentration.

[Ruler’s Blueprint (Lv. 1) activates!]

Whoosh—!

A semi-transparent holographic map unfolded before Choi Kang-jun’s eyes.
The buildings and terrain in his field of vision rendered in real time, and cost estimation data cascaded forth the moment his gaze settled on any point.

[Elm Street Old District Emergency Recovery Master Plan (152 structures total)]

▶ Zone A (Critical Damage / 42 structures)
-Condition: Roof trusses 90% destroyed, main columns bearing uneven loads.
-Treatment: Complete demolition of existing debris. H-beam reinforcement followed by integration of new redwood arch roof structure.
-Required Materials: North American Douglas fir lumber 15,000 board feet, structural plywood 3,000 sheets.
-Equipment/Labor: 50-ton cranes (2), excavators (4). Carpenters (40).

▶ Zone B (Moderate Damage / 80 structures)
-Condition: Asphalt shingle deterioration and waterproofing layer failure.
-Treatment: Partial demolition and dual-layer waterproofing sheet reinstallation.
-Required Materials: Waterproof sheeting 500 rolls, asphalt shingles 20 tons.
-Equipment/Labor: Aerial lift trucks (4), roofers (50).

▶ Zone C (Foundation Loss and Road / 30 structures and 2 km access road)
-Condition: Ground subsidence and road asphalt cracking.
-Treatment: Fill 12 sinkholes and complete asphalt repaving.
-Required Materials: Ready-mix concrete 500 cubic meters, asphalt primer 300 containers.
-Equipment/Labor: Dump trucks (20), asphalt finisher (1). Paving and reinforcement workers (30).

▶ System Forecast Results:
-Projected Construction Period: 21 days (based on current labor force)
-Implementation Budget: $18,500,000 (fully covered within city government advance payments)

“There’s your estimate!”

A cost estimation of this magnitude would have kept a major construction firm’s design team busy for an entire month. But for Choi Kang-jun, mere seconds sufficed.

With the plan complete, Choi Kang-jun turned to face the 150 workers.

He leapt up onto the wheel of an excavator and looked down at the workers in silence.

[Passive Skill: ‘Mark of Authority’ activates!]

The moment the skill engaged, the snickering workers fell silent in unison and looked up at Choi Kang-jun.

The site had gone quiet.

“Everyone, listen up!”

Choi Kang-jun’s firm voice carried across Elm Street.

“My name is Mister Choi. I’m the Master Builder for Golden Gate, in charge of this disaster recovery project. I don’t care where you’re from or how talented you are.”

He swept his gaze across the workers, his expression utterly composed as he continued.

“Has anyone here ever packed mud flats with nothing but quicklime? Ever shingled a roof without driving a single nail? If so, step forward.”

Silence fell. They already knew his reputation from the stories that had circulated.

“From now on, there’s only one rule on this site. My blueprints, my angles, my orders—that’s what you follow. Anyone coasting on seniority, anyone just killing time—you pack your gear and leave right there.”

The power of the Mark of Authority seeped into the workers’ subconscious minds.

Their defiant eyes gradually filled with reverence. Choi Kang-jun raised his fist, driving the point home.

“From today, you’re the shovels that’ll rebuild Pasadena. I’m going to show you what real labor looks like. Everyone—grab your tools! Zone A, forty-two units—strip every last scrap of rotted roof debris! Move out!!”

“Yes, boss!!”

The workers moved with perfect coordination. Excavators roared and shook the ground; dozens of hammers fell in rhythm.

‘Good—let’s do this. I’m taking the profit.’

Choi Kang-jun smacked his lips and unfurled the blueprint in his mind.

Genius Laborer Abroad, Chapter 15

Author
Kalman
Publisher
Titan
Planning / Editing / Production
Lee Sung-guk
Cover Design
Studio Innus

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260819030.0015

ⓒ2026, Kalman

※ This electronic book is protected under the copyright laws of the Republic of Korea.
No part of this work may be reproduced or modified in any form without the permission of the author and publisher.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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