Deal (2)
"A base? You mean you're offering us a place to stay? And you're asking us to come with you?"
"Yes, but first, Mr. Kim Jungshik... no, Director Kim, why don't you tell the rest of the group what we talked about."
I switched up the way I addressed him. It was a good move to respect his position in front of the others. And as expected, Kim Jungshik looked a bit uncomfortable but didn't push back with any objections.
"You mean what I talked about with you, Mr. Kim Junyoung?"
He just asked why, nothing more.
"Yes."
Kim Jungshik hesitated. Yeah, spilling this to everyone probably felt awkward.
"You really have to?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"Haa."
But this was a necessary step. And so the explanation began.
The men sat quietly and listened to Kim Jungshik.
......
"That's how it went. Got it?"
"...You're saying Park the deputy did something like that?"
"That bastard..."
"So this guy here was literally hired to commit murder? In the 21st century?"
"These are the end times. The end times."
Once he finished, they started grumbling. One of them even shot me a hostile glare, but Kim Jungshik caught it and quickly spoke up to me.
"I've said my piece. Now tell us why you wanted this out in the open."
He wanted to hear the reason. So I turned the question back on him.
"So what do you plan to do now, Director Kim? No, what about everyone here?"
"...Well..."
Kim Jungshik's crew exchanged glances. Men ranging from late twenties to fifties. But none of them spoke up first. Makes sense—their leader had just tried to have them killed. Plus, they had to watch Kim Jungshik's reaction.
"Don't worry about Director Kim's feelings. You there, the one with glasses."
"Me? M-me?"
So I pointed him out directly. The glasses guy who'd guided me here. Kim Inho, I think? Or was it Jin-ho?
"Yeah, what do you think we should do?"
He glanced nervously between me and Kim Jungshik, then spoke once Kim nodded.
"We should probably go confront him, right?"
"...The guy's the one who wanted you dead."
"Uh, um. It was probably just talk, right? Deputy Park wouldn't actually do that."
The naive response matched his looks perfectly.
Haa, sighs rippled through the men.
"Uh, yeah."
I could only give a half-hearted reply myself.
"Then you, the one sitting there."
"Yes."
Just as I pointed to someone else, Kim Jungshik waved his hand dismissively, cutting me off.
"Hey, no need to drag our guys into this. Just tell us about that base already."
"But there's an order to things. Jumping ahead like this isn't polite."
"Polite my ass. You already seem to have the whole plan in your head, that's why you're saying this stuff. Right, guys?"
The men nodded in agreement.
I chuckled and replied.
"Yeah, exactly. If I didn't have a plan, why would I pull this in a situation like this?"
I cut straight to the chase.
"Anyway, things are broken between your group and Park Donghyuk's now. From the start, you invited me in, and Park Donghyuk ordered your... disposal. Calling it 'processing' feels off. The moment he commissioned the hit."
Of course, Park Donghyuk might not have meant it that way exactly, but that's what he implied.
"So?"
"But is confronting him like Inho said gonna settle it? Or are you just gonna pretend nothing happened and keep getting along?"
"...No."
The men fell silent. They knew how ridiculous that was. If they hadn't known, maybe, but now that they did, the rift with Park Donghyuk was only going to widen.
"You basically have two options. First: Go kill them all."
"......"
The men clamped their mouths shut.
"Why's everyone so quiet? Isn't that the surefire way?"
"...You serious?"
Kim Jungshik asked me.
"If you want it, it's totally doable. From what I heard, the others weren't even involved. Just off Park Donghyuk, Lee Euna, and whoever else you hate, take over Northdong Station, and build your own kingdom."
"No."
Why couldn't I have predicted this? The men stared at me in horror. Even Kim Jungshik, who'd talked with me before.
"Even if they tried to kill us, we can't just go around murdering people. You're a dangerous one."
"You guys are too soft-hearted."
"Hah..."
"That's why I'm making the offer. Build a new base outside. Your own base."
"...Just ours?"
"Yeah. You don't wanna kill, confronting them feels awkward, but getting along is impossible since they're flipping out."
That was Kim Jungshik's group's situation. Or at least, how I saw it.
The rest doesn't matter.
Truth be told, I'd just come looking for people and a base, got dragged into Northdong Station drama, and now it was annoying. Whoever was right or wrong, I just needed what benefited me.
"From what I saw earlier, you have summoners for meat and grains, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Then just leave. No more booze or luxuries anyway, right?"
"......"
That's what they'd told me—Park Donghyuk's side had cut off fruits and treats under the excuse of kids and stirring trouble. And with their skills for meat and grains, self-sufficiency wouldn't be an issue. Plus, they'd fed thirty with just ten before; splitting in two should still work.
If they're short, they can trade with our camp.
"But where do we make the base? How do we even move?"
Then the deputy manager with the animal taming skill spoke up.
"This place is properly defended. Officer Euna blocks the front and back, we take night watches. But with only seven left, even watches won't cover it—the risk skyrockets. And in this ruined world, how do you find somewhere safe?"
Fair point. But.
"We'll figure that out together from now on."
"...Pardon?"
"If not, go take Park Donghyuk's head."
"....."
"I don't care what you decide. Whether you go after him, leave here, or even come at me. My offer's just goodwill."
Goodwill toward the outsiders who'd welcomed me—nothing more, nothing less.
The men's eyes narrowed. But they just scowled, no curses or attacks. Probably because Kim Jungshik stayed quiet.
"...Damn."
"Yes?"
Kim Jungshik spoke up instead.
He tapped the table he was sitting at.
"What do you want from us?"
Tap tap.
"You've been dancing around it. You're saying this because you want something, right? Goodwill? In this world? Bullshit."
"Right. Man to man, cut the crap and spit it out."
The others agreed. I smiled. I'd dragged it out on purpose to rile them up. But their age threw off my expectations.
Eh, no one's lunging at me.
Just a bunch of grumpy, booze-loving uncles. Butter them up, and they laugh it off.
"Help with escaping Seoul."
"......"
"And provide manpower to secure your base."
"...And the price?"
"Price? Your lives, escaping together later, a base—isn't that enough? Oh, and trade with my place."
"Haa... If you'd said that from the start. Young folks are so complicated."
Kim Jungshik sighed.
"Give us a minute. I'll talk it over with the guys."
"Should I step out?"
"Yeah, do that. Won't take long."
I left as he said. Maybe ten minutes killing time in the hallway with Kim Inho.
"Hey, Junyoung."
Kim Jungshik came out to me himself. With the others.
"We've decided to go with your plan. We're leaving this place."
"Faster than I thought."
"No need for more talk. We believe you're serious about escaping Seoul. All these guys have families. Can't stay holed up underground forever. Even low odds, better to move."
Fair. They'd all been on business trips, families out of touch—they had to find them.
"...No telling how long it'll take. And we just met today—sure about deciding this quick?"
"Exactly because we just met. Business is like that. Right, guys?"
"Yeah."
"Director's right."
"Plus, you talked all twisty, but it all made sense. Nothing to argue."
Kim Jungshik sighed again.
"We were gonna make do here somehow, but things turned out this way. No choice."
"Director Kim, what can you do?"
"Yeah. They tried to wipe us out—sitting ducks would be stupid. But we can't stoop to their level."
The men consoled him. First impressions weren't great, but they were just people surviving this world.
At least they're human.
I listened, then told Kim Jungshik.
"Get ready then. Gotta find a place for you all, so I need to prep too."
"Prep?"
"Yeah. To get you out smoothly, I'll need to talk to someone."
They knew who.
"......"
"No big deal. Just pack your stuff."
The grumpy-looking deputy manager spoke up.
"...When do we leave? Where to?"
"Dunno. Got any ideas?"
"Well, no, but..."
"Leave it for now. Prep for a fight too."
"F-fight?"
"Gotta fight for a base. I'll handle most of it."
"Deputy, no sense at all. Get over here and pack."
"Ah, no, Director?"
I already had a spot in mind for them. Whether it'd go smoothly was another story.