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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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The motel, nestled within Seorae Village, which followed Seorae-ro, branching off from Banpo-daero near Seorae Park, served as the government’s base.
The motel doors were firmly shut.
Thick chains, wrapped around the handles, indicated a clear intention to keep everything out.
The special forces members unlocked the padlocks securing the chains and unwound them.
Then, cautiously scanning their surroundings, they opened the doors.
The doors opened quietly.
They entered the motel.
In the reception area in front of the motel counter.
Several people sat on sofas and on the floor.
They all stood up.
Their faces brightened at the sight of the special forces members entering with the duffel bags.
Among the mostly male group were Chief Secretary Ahn Jun-gyu, a benevolent-looking elderly gentleman, and President Min Jeong-woo.
They greeted the special forces members with cheerful expressions.
“My goodness, Ga-yeon! You’re alive!”
President Min Jeong-woo was the first to step forward and take Sung Ga-yeon’s hand.
“Yes, Mr. President. I apologize for causing you concern.”
“Not at all, not at all. You’ve been through a lot. You’ve done well.”
President Min Jeong-woo simply held Sung Ga-yeon’s hand tightly and nodded.
He didn’t ask about the other team members.
He must have known.
Chief Secretary Ahn Jun-gyu and other well-built and middle-aged men accepted the duffel bags, praising their accomplishments.
Sung Kyu-hyuk, basking in the welcoming atmosphere, said,
“We wouldn’t have been able to complete this mission without this gentleman here. He demonstrated truly exceptional skill. Even more impressive than what we saw in the video.”
Everyone’s attention turned to him.
He met their gazes and slowly lowered the duffel bag from his shoulder.
A sturdy man, likely another special forces member, approached him and politely took the bag.
President Min Jeong-woo approached him.
“…We finally meet.”
The president took his hand.
A wrinkled, age-spotted hand.
Its warmth radiated through his skin.
He was covered in blood.
His hand was no exception.
But that didn’t seem to matter to President Min Jeong-woo.
He grasped his hand firmly with both of his and said,
“You’ve done so much, Mr. Han Sung-hoon. To think that someone like you was in our country… perhaps heaven is helping us after all.”
He smiled and bowed his head slightly.
“Don’t mention it. Thank you.”
President Min Jeong-woo pulled him forward, saying,
“Come, let’s go inside. Let’s have some tea and talk. What do you say?”
He nodded.
“Yes, I’d appreciate that.”
The president led him into an empty room on the first floor of the motel.
The bed was gone.
The TV, the mirror, the small table—everything that should have been in a motel room was missing.
Instead, there were a few rough-looking chairs.
Plastic chairs, the kind you’d see at a convenience store’s outdoor tables.
This was…
…An office?
It seemed to be a makeshift space for the president to work or hold meetings, but even the shabbiest room in their hypermarket building was better than this.
The state of the room alone spoke volumes about their dire situation.
The president sat down on a plastic chair and gestured for him to do the same.
He sat down and took off his backpack, placing it on the floor. Might as well remove the lifting belt too.
With two swords, a bow, and a quiver of arrows attached, it was heavier than it looked.
Taking both off, he felt much lighter.
Several people were gathered in the room.
Him, the president, Sung Kyu-hyuk, two unfamiliar men, and another man in his early thirties.
He didn’t see the Chief Secretary.
Where had he gone?
As he was looking around, President Min Jeong-woo spoke,
“I imagine you’re unfamiliar with everyone. You’ve already met our special forces leader. This is Captain Park Dae-han. He pilots the helicopter.”
“Ah.”
Captain Park Dae-han. He looked to be in his late forties or early fifties. He had a slight belly but was solidly built.
The one who had cleared out the zombie wave near their neighborhood.
He smiled and bowed his head slightly.
“Thank you for that. My group sends their gratitude as well.”
Captain Park Dae-han smiled faintly but said nothing. He seemed to be a man of few words.
The president continued,
“And this is Captain Kim Min-jun. He’s the talented pilot of our light aircraft.”
Ah, the one who distributed the flyers.
Captain Kim Min-jun was tall and rather thin. Definitely not in his fifties.
Early forties?
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I received your flyer.”
“Welcome. Our Special Forces Leader Sung told me about your impressive work in the field. I wish I could have seen it myself.”
He glanced at Sung Kyu-hyuk.
Sung Kyu-hyuk said,
“I’ve never seen anything like it. Truly exceptional skill. It was like watching a movie.”
He chuckled.
Captain Kim Min-jun. He seemed like the cautious type.
President Min Jeong-woo gestured to the last remaining person.
He looked to be in his early thirties at most, or perhaps late twenties. Only a few years older than him.
“This is our mechanic, Sergeant Song Kyu-tae. He’s responsible for the light aircraft and the helicopter. We would be in dire straits without him.”
He nodded slightly towards Sergeant Song Kyu-tae.
Sergeant Song Kyu-tae was rather short.
Or maybe everyone else was just tall.
Perhaps a little under 170cm.
He was slightly plump, with an air of confidence and vitality about him.
Sergeant Song Kyu-tae looked at him and bowed his head slightly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He’d offered a greeting, but his expression seemed troubled.
Why?
Just then, Chief Secretary Ahn Jun-gyu entered carrying a tray. Steam rose from the paper cups on it.
…It was hot enough to die. Why couldn’t they just offer some Fanta or Coke instead of whatever this steaming concoction was…
“Here. Have a cup, Sung-hoon. You’ve worked hard today.”
“Ah, thank you.”
He accepted the paper cup.
…The color was rather pale and watery.
He took a sip. Green tea…?
How much water had they added to this?
They must have steeped a single tea bag in a gallon of tap water multiple times.
…This was bad.
They were trying to treat him as a VIP, but if this was the best they could offer, he could clearly see how dire their situation was.
The Chief Secretary distributed the cups and sat down on a plastic chair.
…He didn’t have a cup for himself.
They didn’t even have enough of this weak tea to go around?
…This was crazy.
Even the Cockroaches had been raiding convenience stores…
No…
Their situations were different.
The helicopter and light aircraft practically guaranteed a zombie wave every time they flew.
Unlike the Cockroaches, who had swarmed and ransacked convenience stores, beating and even killing each other in their frenzy, these people operated differently.
President Min Jeong-woo smiled at him and said,
“So, Sung-hoon, I hear you have a large group as well. How are things on your end?”
He smiled.
“We’re doing alright. We’re living in a building that used to be a hypermarket.”
“Oh, a hypermarket… is everyone healthy?”
“Yes, everyone is safe.”
He smiled faintly.
The president shouldn’t be worrying about them.
The elderly gentleman’s eyes lit up.
He seemed pleased to hear about other survivors who were doing well.
“That’s good to hear. It’s fortunate for them to have someone like you, Sung-hoon.”
He nodded and asked,
“Thank you. I was wondering, Special Forces Agent Sung Ga-yeon’s ankle is badly injured. Do you have any medical supplies here?”
“Just some cold medicine and painkillers. And we’re running low on those as well.”
It was Sergeant Song Kyu-tae who answered.
He’d looked distressed since he’d arrived.
He asked,
“No medicine?”
Sergeant Song Kyu-tae glanced at the president and Chief Secretary and then closed his mouth.
President Min Jeong-woo said,
“It’s alright. Tell him.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sergeant Song Kyu-tae nodded and said,
“It’s not just medicine. We’re also out of fuel. One box left.”
Captain Park and Captain Kim sighed softly.
He tilted his head.
“…One box of fuel? What do you mean?”
“Octane booster.”
Sergeant Song Kyu-tae sighed and continued,
“The helicopter and the light aircraft need aviation fuel. But we’re running them on regular gasoline. I don’t know if there are a lot of sports cars in this area, but fortunately, there were a few boxes of octane booster at a nearby gas station. We’ve been mixing it in. Barely keeping them running.”
Sergeant Song Kyu-tae shook his head, looking at the captains.
“We only have one box left, enough for maybe three or four refuels. More importantly, it’s dangerous. We really shouldn’t fly anymore. They’re going to crash at some point.”
He stared at the sergeant and the captains in surprise.
“…Is that true?”
Captain Park remained silent.
Captain Kim looked into space, sighed, and said,
“We have to fly when we need to fly. If that day comes when we crash, then… it’s just my time. These days, who isn’t dying?”
…This was serious.
Not only were they lacking weapons, but they were also short on food and medicine. They had a helicopter and a light aircraft but were fueling them with gasoline and additives.
…They were walking a tightrope.
He looked at them.
These weren’t Cockroaches.
These were people trying to do something, to make things better.
He slowly spoke,
“What do you plan to do now?”
Sung Kyu-hyuk replied,
“Now that the team is armed, things will improve. We need to secure essential supplies first. After that, we will attack the Pyeongtaek US military base.”
“…Pyeongtaek?”
Sung Kyu-hyuk nodded.
“Yes. Other ROK military bases could be an option, but Pyeongtaek offers the greatest potential. Aircraft, explosives, a runway… it’s the largest military base in the country, practically self-sufficient. Even better since the Yongsan base relocated there. It’s our top priority.”
…Pyeongtaek US military base.
Chief Secretary Ahn Jun-gyu added,
“After that, we need to secure the nuclear power plant and the water purification facilities. We may have to make some sacrifices, but if the national utilities collapse, it’s all over. We need electricity and water.”
He crossed his arms and nodded slowly.
…The light aircraft and helicopter.
Operational, but risky.
They were lacking everything.
And the power plant and water supply.
…They had only just managed to acquire weapons.
He sighed softly and looked around at them.
President Min Jeong-woo asked,
“What do you think, Sung-hoon?”
He replied,
“…Let’s take it one step at a time.”
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