The Genius Construction Worker Who Moved to America - Chapter 40

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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 40

Modifying a Contract Clause

Whirrrrrr—!

Lot 1248, where the headquarters of Golden Gate Corporation would soon stand, trembled with the strain.

“Careful! Keep that wire tight—don’t let it tilt left or right!”

“Lowering the crane boom slowly now, very slowly!”

Max shouted, veins standing out in his neck.

Where his fingertips pointed, a mass of metal the size of a house hung suspended from the crane’s steel cable.

The spoils from the depths off Long Beach—an Explosion Prevention Valve.

“Kang Jun! The Steel Plate we’ve got covering it temporarily looks like it’s about to blow apart any second!”

Leo stepped backward, adjusting his hard hat.

One hundred fifty degrees of hot spring water boiling up from eighty meters below.
The cap Kang Jun had sealed down a week ago couldn’t withstand the raw force of nature—it was beginning to fail.

Through the bolt-sealed cracks, steam hissed out with a sharp whistle.

[Warning! Temporary Gate Valve Structural Failure in: 00:14:32]

The system’s countdown flashed in crimson. Time was running out.

“Dominic, prepare the bolt assembly!”

“Yes, sir! All set!”

Kang Jun pressed forward through the veil of steam toward the cavern entrance.

His work clothes soaked through in seconds, each breath searing his throat as if the air itself were on fire.

[Skill Activated: Pulse of Earth (Lv. 2)]
[Skill Activated: Human Protractor]

Flash—!

Kang Jun’s vision flooded with bands of blue and gold light.

The pressure of hot spring water rising through the vertical shaft, the center of gravity of the valve suspended in air—all converted to numbers across his retinas.

“Max! Now! Lower it!”

Whirrrrr—! Thump!

The crane moved at Kang Jun’s command, and the massive valve settled into place atop the original Steel Plate.

Kang Jun and Dominic burst forward. Without hesitation, they began fastening titanium bolts and nuts as thick as a man’s thigh.

“Nngh!”

[Passive Skill: Craftsman’s Grip (Lv.2) activates!]

Once Dominic finished the initial tightening with the hydraulic wrench, Kang Jun seized the massive wrench and applied the final torque.

Kang Jun’s forearms swelled, the muscle fibers standing in sharp relief.

Screech-screech-screech-! Clang-!!

Metal grinding against metal tore through the air in a high, piercing shriek.
And in the moment the final bolt seated.

“……!”

As if by miracle, the subterranean rumble and steam ceased.

Silence pooled across the yard at Lot 1248. Between the dispersing vapor, only the ragged breathing of Kang Jun and Dominic could be heard.

“We… we did it! We actually did it!”
“Oh my Jesus! We stopped the explosion!”

Leo and Sophia, watching from beyond the perimeter, embraced each other and cheered.

Max, descended from the crane, collapsed onto the ground on unsteady legs and released a hollow laugh.

Kang Jun tore off his gloves and slumped onto the valve. And as if on cue, a bell chimed inside his mind.

Ding-! Ding-ding-ding-!

[Sudden Quest: ‘Seal the Abyss’ completed perfectly!]
[The God of Architecture stands in awe of your Agent’s overwhelming feat!]
[You have acquired a vast amount of Experience Points!]

Golden message windows burst across Kang Jun’s vision like fireworks. Warmth flowed through his veins, sweeping away every trace of exhaustion.

[Your Agent’s Level has risen significantly! (Lv.8 → Lv.10)]
[Stat Bonus: Mind +15, Strength +10, Stamina +10.]

Then came the true reward—the one that had been teased as unrevealed before.

[Quest Reward: ‘Blueprint of the Underground Empire’ has been granted!]

“Blueprint of the Underground Empire….”

Then golden text began inscribing itself across the white surface.

[So that your Agent may lay the foundation for an empire, the God of Architecture grants a special power in place of a completed blueprint.]
[Blueprint of the Underground Empire converts to special authority!]
[Special Reward: ‘One Contract Clause Modification Right’ is granted.]

Kang Jun’s eyes gleamed. A far more extraordinary reward than any mere skill.

“Thank you, everyone. Get some rest today—head on home. I’ll handle the site cleanup.”

Kang Jun sent his team away, then settled onto a bench at the edge of the yard. He spoke softly into the air.

“System.”

Whoosh-!
Particles of blue light spiraled, and a hologram window materialized before Kang Jun’s eyes.

[Yes, Contractor.]

“The contract clause modification right… I’ll use it now.”

[Understood, Contractor. Which clause would you like to modify?]

Kang Jun took a long, deep breath before continuing.

“Pull up Article 9 of the Labor Contract.”

Bzzt—pop!

The system interface flickered, and the contents of the [Standard Labor Contract for Contractors] unfurled in the air.

[Article 9 (Exception to Ownership and Registration Transfer)]
When performing construction maintenance, new construction, or dismantling quests, should the Dismantling Contribution Rate of structures built through the Contractor’s creativity and labor exceed ninety percent, ownership of said structure and land, as well as system registration, shall be transferred in full to the Contractor’s name as principle.

Kang Jun reviewed the clause slowly, then spoke in a low voice.

“Right here. The first line of Article 9.”

Kang Jun tapped the holographic text suspended in the air with his fingertip.

“I want to add just one phrase to this clause. Change it to read: ‘construction maintenance, new construction, and dismantling quests.'”

[…]

Silence. A moment stretched out without response.

[The great God of Architecture questions your request. Dismantling is destruction, not creation. Do not squander such a precious right.]

It was a divine arrogance.

The God of Architecture viewed empty land left behind after a building’s demolition as worthless. He refused to recognize dismantling as part of the domain of architecture.

But Kang Jun made his demand firmly.

“Tell him the judgment is mine. Add it as requested.”

[…The Contractor’s will is confirmed.]
[The God of Architecture accepts your foolish choice.]

Blaze!
With a brilliant flash of light, the text of Article 9 transformed.

‘Construction maintenance, new construction, and dismantling….’

The moment Kang Jun confirmed the revised contract, his eyes gleamed.

Kang Jun smiled and rose from the bench. He then called out toward the system window floating in the air.

“The valve I removed from the drilling platform this time—calculate its Dismantling Contribution Rate.”

In an instant, the system window faltered, flashing red as an error code appeared.

[…Calculating Dismantling Contribution Rate.]
[Analysis complete for Long Beach coastal offshore drilling platform dismantling operations. Specialized technique (freeze-thaw method) and siphon extraction achieved. Valve manual dismantling accomplished.]

[Final Dismantling Contribution Rate: 98%!]

“The missing two percent—was that because Dominic turned the tank lever? Well, I’ll let it slide.”

Kang Jun rotated his head in a slow circle, then drove the wedge home.

“Apply the modified Labor Contract, Article 9.”

[Warning! Warning!]

The system window flashed blood-red. The God of Architecture finally understood that he had been struck blind-sided by a madman.

Strictly speaking, a drill ship was not a vessel floating atop the sea. It was a marine structure fixed in place, its pipe driven deep into the oceanic crust beneath.

Which meant the land where the drill ship was positioned referred to the seabed off the Long Beach coast.

Kang Jun had been maneuvering all along to claim exclusive rights to mineral exploration and extraction in the waters off California.

[Contract Clause Article 9 is now activating….]
[Exclusive Resource Mining Rights (twenty years) to the Long Beach coastal seabed where the marine structure is located (approximately 50,000 acres) are transferred to Agent Kang Jun.]
[The system’s Causality Manipulation applies to the real world.]

“Fifty thousand acres… that’s roughly a third of Seoul’s total area. This time, I didn’t get cheap land—I got the sea itself!”

It was a flawless con against a god.

* * *

Several days later, on the waters before the Long Beach harbor in California.

A strange tension hung over the barge.

Just as Kang Jun was about to unveil his grand scheme for the drill ship to Leo and Sophia, uninvited guests arrived.

“Are you the managers responsible for Golden Gate? We’re from the Long Beach Federal Harbor Authority.”

Three stern-faced harbor officials approached with an overbearing manner.

It was the handiwork of Julian, the Vice President.

He intended to seize on how Kang Jun had disposed of the poisoned chalice they’d abandoned, then entangle him in environmental law violations.

“We need to inspect how you’re managing the waste oil inside the drill ship, and we’ll also need to verify documents proving your legal occupation of this structure.”

While Leo’s complexion had turned ashen, Sophia surveyed the situation with composure.

Kang Jun approached the official with an unhurried gait, stepping right into his face.

“We’ve refined the waste oil cleanly and transferred it to a recycling contractor. You can verify that shortly. As for documents proving occupation—did you really need those?”

Kang Jun gestured with his chin toward the tablet PC the official was holding.

“Why trouble yourselves with paperwork? Just search your own electronic registry. See who the registered user of the Long Beach District 7 Seabed is.”

“Hmph—it’s only been a few days since the paperwork came from Blackwood. There’s no way processing is complete…”

The official tapped the tablet’s screen. And the moment he entered the drill ship’s coordinates into the database—

“…Huh?”

The administrator’s eyes bulged wide. He removed his glasses, cleaned them, and pressed his face back to the screen.

[Long Beach District 7 Seabed and Remaining Maritime Structures]
[Lawful Owner and Exclusive Resource Rights Holder: Kang Jun (Golden Gate Corporation)]

“What… what is this?”

The system’s causality manipulation had done its work.

Not only the U.S. federal government’s servers, but every document in the related filing warehouses had been perfectly altered.

The administrators who’d come looking for leverage stood frozen, unable to take any action against a reality that was far too legitimate.

“Now that you’ve confirmed the documents, I suggest you leave. Before I have the Coast Guard called for trespassing.”

Kang Jun’s tone was cold and final. The harbor authority officials scrambled into the motorboat and fled.

“Mr. Kang! When exactly did you set all this up?”

Leo cried out in shock. Sophia stared at Kang Jun in disbelief. By any rational standard, the transfer of seabed land rights couldn’t have been completed in mere days.

“Let’s just say I have reliable backing. I’ll explain everything when the time is right.”

Kang Jun leaned against the barge railing, gazing up at the drilling ship towering before him—a maritime structure stripped of its muck, nothing but solid steel framework remaining.

“Leo, Sophia.”

Kang Jun spoke as the sea breeze washed over him.

“Wouldn’t it be a waste to simply demolish this metal skeleton?”

“Sorry? Weren’t we planning to dismantle it and sell it for scrap?”

Leo tilted his head in confusion, and a smile spread across Kang Jun’s face.

“I’m thinking of floating a maritime resort atop that framework. Leo! Don’t you smell the money?”

Already, Kang Jun’s mind was sketching blueprints of a seaside landmark connected to the Pasadena hot spring resort.

At Kang Jun’s fantastical words, Leo and Sophia exchanged skeptical glances.

Ding-ding! Ding-ding-ding!!

[System: The God of Architecture expresses intense fury at the Contractor’s scheming!]

A holographic window flashing red in midair spewed text without pause. He could almost see the God of Architecture erupting in rage upon his divine throne.

But Kang Jun, watching the sunset paint the sea, let out a low chuckle.

“A contract is a contract. Isn’t it?”

An Oriental man with dark hair fluttering in the sea breeze—he had seized California’s waters using the Blueprint of the Underground Empire as bait.

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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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