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Incheon, 2009
The sky was a dark, oppressive grey. Huge clouds sprawled across it, unleashing a waterfall of rain. Hidden in the outskirts of Incheon, a large mansion stood, isolated and imposing against the storm.
Dong-seung stood in the hallway, watching the scene in the living room. His uncle stood facing his father.
"Dong-yi! You broke our father's promise! Where is my inheritance?" his uncle yelled, waving his hands in the air.
"Didn't you receive your inheritance a long time ago?" his father replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "The debt is settled. I don't owe you a single won."
"You!" his uncle roared, his fists balling at his sides.
"It was only a verbal promise, after all. What's the old man going to do about it now? Rise from his grave?" His father spread his arms wide in a mocking gesture.
Dong-seung ran forward and hugged his uncle's arm.
"Dad! You can't break a promise! It's wrong!"
Silence fell, heavy and cold.
"Get out. Both of you. Never come back again," his father said, his eye twitching violently.
As his uncle pulled him gently away, Dong-seung saw his mother's face. Her look of disgust melted into a sly, triumphant grin.
In that moment, his world shattered. He was only nine, but he understood. He had been abandoned. He had been lied to. In his mind, his father and mother were perfect, but now his heart lay in a million pieces at their feet.
THUD.
The heavy oak door slammed shut — final, echoing his broken heart.
They stood for a short while in the cold rain. His uncle mumbled something, his voice a low growl lost to the downpour. "Father, what am I supposed to do now… These fuckers screwed me."
This was the first time Dong-seung had ever heard his uncle swear. The man he knew was always in control. The sudden, vicious turn of his own father was unfathomable. Their relationship had always been good, if sometimes strained. Now it was just… broken.
"Uncle," Dong-seung's small voice cut through the rain. "Let's go home. It's not fair. It's not! It's so... so stupid! He's a stupid... a stupidjerkface!"
It took a moment for the words to register. His uncle looked down, as if seeing him properly for the first time since they were thrown out.
"Ah. Yes… let's go."
He carefully placed his nephew in the passenger seat of the Porsche, buckling him in with a quiet, focused efficiency. After sliding into the driver's seat, he started the engine. The air-cooled flat-six rumbled to life behind them—a familiar, mechanical heartbeat.
He turned on the AC, not for cooling, but for warmth. He waited for the oil temperature to creep into the ideal range, a driver's habit, and for the cabin to lose its chill. The outside world was cold, but in here, he could control the temperature.
The ride was smooth, the cabin filled with the steady roar of the boxer engine and the drone of traffic.
He carefully shifted into second gear, his foot modulating the accelerator with delicate precision.
VROOOM
Rain sheeted down, obscuring the highway choked with cars—new Mercedes-Benz sedans, anonymous Korean hatchbacks, reliable Japanese models. Through the steering wheel, he felt the tires' grip begin to lessen.
A corner loomed ahead.
He lifted off the gas and pressed the brake. The G-forces pulled them gently forward.
BRRRRRRRRR—
The brake pedal shuddered violently against his foot. The wheels had locked.
He didn't panic. He slowly eased the pressure, modulating it back to the threshold of grip, then fed in power again.
As he turned into the right-hand corner, he stayed on the gas.
EEEEEEE—
The rear tires lost traction, and the car began to skid.
He released the accelerator and applied a slow, measured countersteer to the left. The car straightened. His right foot found the pedal again, feeding in power with a slow, steady pressure to keep the car balanced.
Third gear.
Finally reaching the outskirts of Seoul, he let off the gas. His left foot pressed the clutch, and as he braked, his right heel blipped the throttle.
VROOM... VROOM.
A perfect, rev-matched downshift into first gear. The rain had slowed to a drizzle by the time they reached Seoul. A short while later, the low rumble of the Porsche settled into an idle as he pulled up to his row-house. It was a world away from the Incheon mansion—modest, but warm and comfy, with light glowing in the windows.
The door was opened by his uncle's wife, Elena. She was a tall, striking woman with blonde hair. In his nine-year-old mind, where every blonde person was from Russia, he immediately decided she was Russian. Her expression, however, was pure, gentle concern.
"Tae-shik? Mwo haesseo? What happened?" she asked, her Korean fluent, laced with a soft, melodic accent.
Her eyes fell on Dong-seung, soaked and shivering. Her face softened completely. "Are you hungry, agi? I made some borscht," she said, stepping aside to usher them into the warmth.
The apartment smelled of warm bread, beets, and dill—a strange but comforting new world. His uncle placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"You can stay here with no worries," his uncle said, his voice low and firm. It wasn't a suggestion; it was a new law of the universe.
Dong-seung just nodded, his words trapped somewhere deep inside his shattered heart.
His uncle didn't say another word. He turned and walked down a short hallway, disappearing into a small room. A moment later, a new sound began—a sharp, rhythmic THUD… THUD… THUD.
Curious, Dong-seung peeked down the hall. The door was slightly ajar. Inside, his uncle, now in shorts and with his hands wrapped, was facing a heavy punching bag. Each strike was a punctuation mark to the evening's rage. THWACK!—a right cross for the betrayal. SHOOP-THWACK!—a jab and hook for the deceit. His breathing was sharp and controlled, his body coiled with a violence that had been absent during the careful drive.
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Author's Note:
Hey everyone, Benny here.
I'll be taking a short break from posting to recharge and plan the next story arcs. New chapters will return on November 11th, 2025.
You might be wondering about the recent burst of chapters, especially since I usually post a minimum of two per week. The truth is, I've been collaborating with a good friend who has been giving me fantastic ideas, and I was just too excited not to start implementing them right away!
I wanted to take a moment to address a couple of questions that may come up.
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1. Why does the System change from 'Divine Business System' to 'The Seoul System'?
My original focus was heavily on business, and 'Divine Business System' was a bit of a homage to the genre. But as the story developed, I knew I wanted it to be about more than just commerce. Dong-seung's journey is also one of good deeds, personal growth, and integrating into the very fabric of Seoul. The current title, 'The Seoul System,' better captures this broader, more integrated mission.
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2. Just what CAN the Concierge do? Can he just do anything?
This is a great question. The line from Chapter 12—"Our capabilities are extensive."—is intentionally vague, but it does have limits.
Think of it this way: the System is designed to foster growth and stability, not to hand out free cash. It operates within a framework of plausible reality.
What he CAN'T do:
Deposit pure, untraceable money into Dong-seung's account.
Break the laws of plausible reality or the economy.
What he CAN do:
Provide appreciating assets, properties, rare cars, or crucial information.
Influence events within the rules of realism.
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3. Are you a car guy?
Yes, absolutely. I'm fascinated by all kinds of vehicles, from the legendary Toyota AE86 to the unstoppable Mercedes-Benz Unimog.
This passion definitely fuels the story. You can see it in the detailed car scenes, and it's a big part of my free time too—I love driving them in games like DiRT Rally (the first one), Euro Truck Simulator 2, and Assetto Corsa (I even have the Ultimate Edition!).
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4. Are there any specific details about the character's cars?
Hell yeah. For readers who are into the technical specs and the stories behind the metal, I've put together a detailed guide: Auxiliary Volume 0: Vehicle Specs.
It's important to note that this is 100% optional. It's a separate resource for those who want to dive deeper, but it's not necessary to understand or enjoy the main story. It's just a bit of extra context for fellow car enthusiasts.
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5. How much of the Seoul setting is based on real life?
First, I should mention that I am not from Korea, though I do have Asian heritage. While this gives me a nuanced understanding of broader Asian cultures, it also means my portrayal of Seoul won't always be 100% accurate.
I'm committed to making it feel authentic by reading Korean news and watching travel videos, but please view this as a work of fiction inspired by Seoul, not a perfect replica. Korean culture will be included where it fits naturally, but it serves as a backdrop to the characters personal journeys.
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6. Why are there so many German references/themes?
The simple answer is that I speak German fluently! This makes it easy for me to research and pull ideas from German and Swiss literature, culture, and business. It's a world I can access and write about with confidence.
As a novice writer, I'm still refining my style. I aim for a feel similar to Japanese light novels, though I sometimes pack a lot in! I'm always learning and appreciate you being on this journey with me.
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7. What is the main timeline? Is the story about adult Dong-seung, or will we see more flashbacks?
The main story will firmly follow the "current" timeline with the adult Dong-seung.
Flashbacks are like cutscenes in a video game—powerful when used right, but they break pacing if overused. Think of Metal Gear Solid V: impactful, but best in moderation.
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8. How do you write or plan your stories/chapters?
My process is pretty organic:
Sketch a Rough Line: I start with a basic structure: "Dong-seung does something > Something happens > Reaction."
Draft and Revise: I then write a rough draft, and I'm not afraid to delete it entirely and start from scratch if it doesn't feel right.
Find Inspiration: I often get ideas from YouTube, other novels, and real life, and I love implementing them as Easter eggs or plot points.
I do all my writing on Novlr. It's a fantastic, well-made editor with a great dark theme and UI that I absolutely love.
Another crucial part of my process is the soundtrack. I almost always have music playing, and my taste is all over the map—it really depends on the scene I'm writing. You might find me listening to intense eurobeat for an action sequence, gritty phonk for a tense moment, or even calming classical music like Beethoven to help focus on more emotional or dialogue-heavy chapters. The right track really helps set the mood and keeps the words flowing.
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9. What's the best piece of writing advice you've received?
"Just write stuff. Don't think too hard about it."
I actually picked this up from a good friend! My other friend has an incredible talent for building vast, complex worlds and lore entirely in his imagination. This guy could literally build his own Warhammer 40k if he wanted to. But he has a habit of deflecting; he always says he needs to draw all the characters and maps first before he can start writing (and his drawing skills are genuinely impressive).
Watching him struggle to get started taught me the most important lesson by contrast: perfectionism is the enemy of progress. You can't edit a blank page. That simple, counterintuitive advice to stop overplanning and "just write stuff" is the main reason this story exists today. It's about getting the raw material down, however messy, and shaping it later. This is why I often upload the chapters with some minor errors.
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10. Will you return after the Hiatus?
Absolutely, 100% yes! I'll be back on November 11th, 2025, with more goodies for you all. Seeing the support, like adds to your libraries, has been incredibly motivating and shows me there's real interest in this story.
If you have further questions, I'll do my best to answer them directly or in a future note.
Thank you for everything!