Became a Dark Merchant in the Academy - Chapter 229



228 – Student Council President Election_32

The final event of the election campaign.

The day of the third event speech has dawned.

That meant that the long and drawn-out student council president election was just around the corner.

So, it would be natural for a candidate to feel nervous like a little kid who can’t sleep before going on a field trip, or to have complicated and subtle feelings like the morning before an exam, thinking about things he could have done well but didn’t do well.

“under…”

As one of the candidates, I didn’t feel any of those feelings.

Just an absurd laugh escaped my lips unintentionally.

It was because of the opinion poll results table that I brought in while working on exit poll-related items in the broadcasting department’s office yesterday.

At first, since it wasn’t something I was aiming for, I immediately tried to return this result sheet to the broadcasting department.

But I couldn’t put it back.

It wasn’t due to a physical problem.

Of course, I’m in the dorm right now, and security has been strengthened due to the noise.

Something like that could be resolved in less than a second by using teleportation.

That wouldn’t have been that big of a problem.

So, although it was information that came in unexpectedly, I thought it would be useful for checking whether the calculations were correct.

Since I didn’t have much time, I took a look at the material before putting it back.

That glance was the problem.

There was a hidden secret in the data.

“This is a serious joke.”

Of course, I thought there must have been some degree of manipulation involved.

Inducing people to ride the wave of popularity by raising the visible approval rating is one of the classic methods that would be regrettable if it were to be left out of the election.

I had that in mind to some extent too.

I didn’t do it because I focused on Tachibana because of the saboteur, and I knew that the results wouldn’t be that great compared to the effort I put in.

So, I wasn’t that surprised that there was manipulation like raising the approval rating.

But what if the manipulation was more than just a simple manipulation of the approval rating percentage, but was so large that it swapped the 1st and 2nd places?

And what will happen when the student council president elections are over and this spreads to the students?

‘What happened?’

I don’t know for sure, but it was certain that it would burn.

Suspicious eyes are cast on the person who became the broadcasting club president and student council president.

Every day, annoying things will come pouring in one after another to the point where they interfere with your work.

‘Where did the plan start, and where was the trap?’

In order to manipulate, it was necessary to take over the broadcasting department itself, but how that was done is a secondary matter.

It makes me wonder why I never considered something this simple before.

If you look for it, there will be a reason.

For example, I was distracted by an unexpected interruption during the first event, or I was distracted by Olivia’s work during the second event.

And many more.

Every corpse has a reason for dying.

But they were all excuses.

Of course, I can’t say for sure that it’s a complete trap.

In fact, it may be dummy data for broadcasting or practice data.

It was hidden, though.

Or maybe he knew I was coming and was just faking it to fool me while hiding the exit polling supplies.

If you look at it to the end, it’s not like either situation is impossible.

Isn’t it impossible to know even 1 percent of the results before they come out?

‘It’s true…’

The missing exit poll supplies, the guy’s presence.

It’s both a trap and not a trap.

Distribution of risk.

Manipulation of opinion polls.

Manipulation of exit polls.

Manipulation of election results.

Lame duck after election.

Reason for action.

The guy’s identity.

Interference with work.

Meaning. Show off. Proof.

negotiation…?

“…..”

No matter how much I thought about it, I only got vague answers, and no clear answer came out that solved everything at once.

Of course, I didn’t have time to check which information was correct.

But that doesn’t mean I can give up.

Isn’t it impossible to let the effort you put in go to waste?

First of all, I had to do what I had to do.

Whether the polls were manipulated or not, it was a given that I would win.

and…

**

There were problems though.

The three campaign speeches went off without a hitch.

“…I know that not everyone is given the opportunity to achieve their dreams. I have seen their talents and passions fade and disappear.”

Laplace Academy Lecture Hall 1.

A large number of students gathered to witness the Laplace 3 event speech.

The cadets’ eyes were focused on the first speaker who stepped up to the podium, the only place in the auditorium with any light.

Even though it was inevitable that a few mistakes would be made when hundreds of pairs of eyes were focused on just one spot, Park Yul-cheon continued speaking with a calm expression as if it was not a problem.

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“Why does it end up like that? It’s simple. It’s a material problem. That is, money. From the very beginning, there are those who are born with ease and those who are not. Those who are easygoing can get back up even if they fail, but those who are not easygoing have to pay the full price for their failure even if they fail just once.”

Several of the cadets nodded their heads at the continued words.

Laplace Academy has many wealthy students, such as the children of conglomerates, politicians, or famous heroes, but there are also a few students who are worried about tuition.

“That’s why I proposed a scholarship program so that cadets wouldn’t have to worry about money. But some people said this about my scholarship program. They said it seemed like I was trying to buy votes with money. Isn’t it too materialistic?”

And there were a few cadets who made expressions that suggested that maybe that was what he meant by the following words.

“That’s wrong. The scholarship I think of is not just about rewarding excellent grades, but also about supporting the dreams and futures of the cadets. The scholarship is about providing an opportunity for all of us to grow and develop together. So please, please help us. It’s still a small fairness, but please help us to make fairness bigger. Thank you.”

After finishing his speech, Park Yul-cheon bowed his head.

Then thunderous applause and many voices supporting him were heard.

“”Let’s go for a 3-term student council president!!””

“”Park Yul-cheon!! Park Yul-cheon!!!””

At first glance, it seemed like the election was almost a foregone conclusion.

‘No, he’s almost elected.’

Now that Tachibana’s suspicions had not been resolved, there was no one who could stop him.

It’s not that Park Yul-cheon doesn’t know that fact.

He raised his head and returned backstage, a faint but small smile clearly visible on his lips.

Not only that, but he even muttered something as he passed by the next speaker, Lee Won-jun.

I didn’t listen because I didn’t need to concentrate, but seeing Lee Won-jun’s face red, I thought he was probably asking why I didn’t listen when he recommended it to me before.

‘You’ll regret it.’

Does Park Yul-cheon know?

The fact that Lee Won-jun was pointing his sword at him.

This was information I learned while becoming unified.

Originally, he was planning to target me, but he said he changed his target because Park Yul-cheon provoked him.

The background was good anyway.

Of course, the support rate that would be gained through unification would decrease.

The decline in Park Yul-cheon’s approval rating is likely to be greater than that.

This was worth considering, as it added to the likelihood.

“Dear cadets, I have two things to tell you. One is a confession, and the other is a resolution.”

Lee Won-jun took his seat on the podium, looked around at the cadets, and made a solemn expression.

The cadets tilted their heads in puzzlement at Lee Won-jun’s actions and subsequent words.

It was because I didn’t understand what the confessions and resolutions he made had to do with the speech.

“I’m sure you don’t understand what I’m talking about, so I’ll keep it simple. This isn’t a speech. I’m just here to talk.”

“It’s not a speech?”

“What are you talking about?”

Regardless, Lee Won-jun continued speaking without paying any attention.

“I confess. I committed a crime in the past.”

“what?”

“A…a crime?”

There was chaos below the stage.

Some cadets tapped their ears or blinked their eyes several times.

That’s understandable, since they came to hear the speech.

It seemed like they thought it was a dream and not reality, because the candidate suddenly started saying things like he had committed a crime, not to mention giving a speech.

“…no way?”

And Park Yul-cheon, who was watching it from behind the stage, thought for a moment, then started to panic as if he remembered something.

“It was a mistake from my childhood. No, it’s funny to even call it a mistake. For a hero trainee to call a crime a mistake…”

A self-deprecating smile.

Lee Won-jun turned his head and looked at me and Park Yul-cheon once each, then looked back at the cadets below the stage.

“I’m sure some of you don’t understand what I’m trying to say, so I’ll keep it simple. I made a man half-crippled.”

And what followed was truly shocking.