Dinner was, exactly as Baek Hail had boasted, “a huge spread.”
Beef short ribs as the main dish, pork kimchi stew, assorted seasoned vegetables grown in the greenhouse, and every kind of wrap vegetable.
“Gulp.”
“G-Galbi. That’s galbi.”
“Tofu? Bean sprouts? How did you even get things like this? There are tomatoes too? Holy shit!”
“This is insane....”
For the shelter members, it was a menu they ate once or twice every week, but the people newly arrived from the resort had their eyes practically bulging at the meal Choi Haneul had gone all out to prepare.
“There’s plenty, so eat as much as you want. You must all be exhausted after coming all this way. The short ribs are seasoned just right, so they’ll be good.”
After Choi Haneul’s gentle, pleasant smile ended, they quite literally began inhaling the food like a storm.
The Blossom members in particular ate so fiercely it was hard to believe they had staged a reunion with Park Sunhee and Jo Yuna barely ten minutes earlier that no one could have watched without tears.
While the Blossom members stuffed both cheeks full of rice and meat like squirrels preparing for hibernation and ate in a daze, Junho, who had finished dinner the fastest and eaten the most, called only Junhyeok and Baek Hail separately to the second-floor lounge and told them the plan he had made regarding the video uploaded by the government.
“...So that’s how it is. I’m going to need you to put in some work for the time being.”
“What choice do we have? I’ll have to try making them again. But I don’t think the basic design will change too much. The ground drones are the problem... but if we increase the weight and add ballistic plates, it might work. Then the operating time will drop a bit, but it should be able to fire a K2 in bursts without a problem. Let’s give it a shot.”
“Yes. I’ll leave it to you. And Junhyeok, you go around the shelter and guard posts with Mr. Choi Jeongwoo and handle replacing the turrets.”
“Won’t making new turrets take a while? What should we do before that?”
“Move the turrets we already have into the safety zone. The AI will decide the installation points.”
Until the apocalypse broke out, Akina, the AI that had learned from all kinds of data, had continued learning not only shelter management and work-assistance functions, but also a considerable amount of material related to “combat.”
In particular, it had focused on modern warfare and riot-response materials from the 2000s that could be obtained through legal channels.
It was one thing if they were talking about a major war involving thousands or tens of thousands of troops, but when it came to small-scale combat—especially defensive combat—it had developed fairly excellent capability.
“You remember the closed tunnel where we rescued Mr. Choi Jeongwoo and the Hayoon siblings, right? Start by putting air-rifle turrets there and along the road to the reservoir. Set them up for crossfire.”
If they installed only five or six at each point while accounting for concealment and cover, they would be able to repel a platoon-sized force without much difficulty.
“Got it. But, hyung. We’ve got that safe house near the tunnel, don’t we? What about installing them there too? We could convert it into something like a guard post.”
When Junho had built the shelter, he had prepared safe houses at Riverview Apartments and at the villa near the closed tunnel.
They had been made in case something unexpected happened while dealing with Hanchang Development in Gahyeon-ri, but now that all of Gahyeon-ri was within their territory, the safe houses did not have much value.
“That’s a good idea. PTZ cameras would stand out too much, and they’d be overkill there, so let’s install a few ordinary high-performance CCTV cameras and hide the turrets well.”
“Man, if we’re doing all that, the electrical work’s gonna be one hell of a grind.”
“Mr. Choi Jeongwoo will have to put in the effort. Besides, we have plenty of assistants now.”
“Hey, hey, you can’t just have anybody assist with electrical work. Sunhee, maybe, but the new kids won’t be able to.”
“There is someone who can. Mr. Kim Jaemun.”
“Kim Jaemun? That tall, lanky kid?”
Kim Jaemun, one of the KJM Brothers and a KW Cops employee, had an unusual major: electrical engineering.
According to him, he had realized late that he had a talent for physical work and changed career paths, but still, the two years he had learned at university would not have vanished.
So he should be more than capable of assisting Choi Jeongwoo.
“Combat personnel don’t only fight. Normally, they’ll help with work whenever they can. If we install about two or three times as many cameras and turrets as we have now, they’ll only need to deploy when something happens.”
On top of that, the entire shelter and safety zone could be traveled through using multipurpose electric carts or electric MTBs.
PTZ cameras and reconnaissance drones would detect threats first, and while the turrets and attack drones responded, it would not be too late for combat personnel to deploy.
“Hey, Junho. Listening to you, this isn’t a small job at all. We’ll have to solve the power issue too, and the electrical work’s going to be pretty big.”
“Yes. But we have about two months, so you can take it step by step.”
“Ah, then that’s fine. Just making the plan and preparing will probably take about a week....”
“You can handle it however you think is best. By the way, you don’t particularly need Mr. Choi Jeongwoo for that work, do you?”
“Jeongwoo? Well, having him would be good, but it’s not like I absolutely need him... Why?”
Junho answered with a grin.
“We secured routes to Deokso, Paldang Lake, and the Gwangju resort this time, didn’t we? We need to install amplifiers, cameras, and turrets there too.”
Because from now on, the upper Han River and lower Bukhan River would be managed by their shelter.
***
The next day, Song Gijun informed him of how the Riverview Apartment rioters had been dealt with.
The ringleader group had been banished, while those who joined late would be punished by having their electricity cut and food rations restricted.
“Where are you banishing them to?”
“Moku-ri. We dropped them in front of the first apartment complex at night.”
Because zombies had poor night vision, they had gagged the banished people, taken them along the mountain path, dropped them in front, and removed the gags.
As one final mercy, they had untied their bound legs, but there was no chance they would survive.
Only the building where the karaoke bar group stayed was safe. The area around it, starting with Cheongsan Building, was crawling with zombies and difficult to find food in.
On top of that, he said they had confirmed that about half of them had not even known where they were, screamed as they ran away, and were taken down by zombies.
“Still, the rest might survive and come back this way for revenge, no?”
Junho had already confirmed everything through drone reconnaissance, but he asked lightly anyway, and Song Gijun answered coldly.
“They can’t come. The national road is completely blocked off with vehicles, and we installed barbed wire all over the two mountain trails and built guard posts too. We also took the CCTV cameras we had and installed them there. Well, if they spend a few years learning mountaineering from a professional climber and come over the mountain, then maybe.”
On top of that, the mountain Song Gijun was talking about separated Gahyeon-ri and Moku-ri, and even Junho had gone to check it in person, then shaken his head and said, “This is a bit...,” because the terrain was so rugged.
In short, even if the banished people somehow managed to survive, there was no chance they would set foot in Gahyeon-ri again.
Most decisively—
“If they bring some insane bastards here for revenge anyway, we’ll handle it on our side.”
“You mean the people from yesterday?”
“Yes. They’re all former Special Forces.”
In truth, aside from Yoon Seolhee and Gu Jeongmok, the other two were from a front-line reconnaissance unit and the Marine Corps. But they had trained directly under Park Cheolwoo at Kangho Resort and had already gone through several real battles, so by now, they were no worse than Special Forces.
On top of that, now that they would be equipped with firearms and gear on the same level as Junho and Junhyeok, in a world like this, they were Special Forces in practice.
“Anyway, unless it’s something truly important, you don’t need to report every single thing to me anymore. By the way, could you spare some people?”
“People...?”
Song Gijun tilted his head.
“Yes. Workers. Three or four should be enough. I’ll compensate you properly.”
“That won’t be difficult... but what kind of work is it?”
“I’m going to move around outside Gahyeon-ri and do various installation jobs. We’ll be traveling along the Han River, but I’ll take responsibility for safety. I’ve already checked the route.”
“If you’re going personally, safety won’t be an issue. But what kind of compensation would...?”
When Song Gijun asked carefully, Junho showed him a grin.
“Once the work is done, I’ll give each person a box of Spam, canned tuna, and thirty packs of ramen. It’ll take about three or four days.”
“......!”
Song Gijun’s eyes widened for a moment, and then he spoke even more cautiously.
“By any chance... can I join too?”
Spam, canned tuna, and ramen were things no one could resist.
***
In the end, the support personnel for the relay installation work were decided by drawing lots.
And Song Gijun was lucky enough to win the draw.
The person in charge of the work was Choi Jeongwoo, and Junho, Park Deokcheol, and the newly joined Kim Jaemun would be going with them, so there was no need to worry about safety.
Still, they had to prepare various equipment and make a thorough plan, so they decided to leave Gahyeon-ri two days later.
And in the meantime, Junho personally visited Hanaareum Nursing Home for the first time in quite a while.
“How is the old man doing?”
Go Seokjin had long since stopped being a villain and had become an upright “true worker” who diligently and extremely competently did only the work he was told to do. Junho had come to acknowledge that inwardly now.
But that was Junho’s business. Go Seokjin still could not properly meet Junho’s eyes, and he flinched every time Junho spoke to him.
“Ah, yes. His body’s gotten a little better, but... he’s just dazed. He spends more and more time alone in his room too. No matter what my wife and I say, he just keeps saying okay, okay, and that’s it. It’s....”
Like the fiercely devoted son he was, Go Seokjin’s expression was very dark with worry for his father.
“At least when the kids talk to him or ask him for something, he listens. Seeing that, I almost think the kids are better for him than his own son. Tsk.”
“The kids? Ah, the high schoolers?”
“Yes. They’re really good kids. Hardworking too.”
The high school students and Lee Seulgi, whom they had rescued when crushing EoktenZ, had adjusted well to life at the nursing home.
At first, they had often cried when they were alone together and said they wanted to go home, but the children quickly grasped reality.
Just surviving that day had been a miracle, and outside this nursing home—outside Gahyeon-ri—was hell.
And that was true of the new town where their homes were as well. Right now, the safest place in the Republic of Korea was this place.
After that, the children worked hard without complaint, helping Go Seokjin’s couple and the nursing home staff.
And Choi Uisu and his wife, who often made house calls to the nursing home and throughout Gahyeon-ri, also played a large role in that.
“Ihyeon and Jiae usually keep my father company and act cute with him. And Youngjun, that kid... even in a world like this, he studies at night. Sometimes I just can’t believe it. Since the doctor teaches him personally, I know he must be really smart, but....”
Ihyeon and Jiae were the names of the two high school girls, and Oh Youngjun was the high school boy who had survived because Lee Seulgi stopped Junho when he had almost brought his machete down on him, mistaking him for one of the EoktenZ delinquents.
He had known from the start that they were model students, the kind who went to the academy to study even on holidays, but Oh Youngjun seemed to be something beyond an ordinary model student.
“But it looks like there are limits here, after all. I wouldn’t know, since I kept my distance from studying back when I was in school. Anyway, my father’s alone right now. Are you planning to see him privately?”
At Go Seokjin’s careful question after guiding him to the place where Go Jeongnam was staying, Junho nodded.
“For now. But after about ten minutes, tell everyone who isn’t busy to come over.”
“Yes...? Ah, yes.”
He looked as if he had no idea what this was about, but because it was Junho speaking and no «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» one else, Go Seokjin obediently nodded and left.
Knock, knock.
Since he had already told them he was coming, Junho knocked and entered the room.
“Oh, you’re here?”
“Yes. Have you been well?”
Old Man Go Jeongnam had continued staying in the same living room where he had been when Junho rescued him, Choi Uisu and his wife, and the nursing home staff in the past.
Unlike back then, however, the room had no smell and was extremely neat and clean.
“I heard you went somewhere far away and had quite a hard time. You weren’t hurt, were you? Come, sit down.”
Junho had heard that the old man had very little energy these days, but perhaps because Junho had visited, Go Jeongnam greeted him with deliberate cheer.
Junho sat in a chair, stared at the old man for a moment, and then spoke without preamble.
“Sir. Would you like to come live where I live?”
“What...?”
“The environment is much better than this nursing home. And there are a lot of children too. No—babies, I guess.”
“Ba-babies?”
What did this old man need most, now that the people he had lived with like friends in the nursing home had died one after another?
What could bring life back into an old man whose heart had gone empty, who thought he had lived long enough and was now ready to let go?
Especially in a world like this, where despair was far greater than hope and everything was slowly moving toward ruin?
“Yes. They’re much younger than the high schoolers here. But their fathers and I all have too much work to do, so it’s hard to look after them properly for long stretches. One is six years old now by international age, and one is eight. Please come and think of them as your grandson and granddaughter, and help take care of them.”
Junho was certain the answer was children.
“Children? You want to leave children to me?”
“Yes, sir. I’m asking you. And also....”
Junho did not need Go Jeongnam only because of young Kim Junseo and Choi Jiwoo.
“I think I’ll be getting cows or pigs soon. Live ones. I need someone to raise them, and no matter how much I think about it, you’re the only one.”
For the sake of their shelter’s long-term food supply, Junho wanted this old man, a master of farming and livestock, to live a long time.
As the first “official resident” of the container housing area.
