Cutting Out the Rotten Flesh - 3
"Excuse me."
Yeonhyeon stepped back into the base. The base ruled by that man. Her heart grew complicated.
...
If not for his mercy, she wouldn't be able to breathe and walk around so casually like this. If he weren't so strong, she wouldn't be entering this base in peace. They would have shoved guns and blades in her face, pouring every effort into dominating and conquering them. This visit, this peace—it wasn't a given.
"Come on in. You must be tired from the trip."
He rushed out to greet Yeonhyeon. She bowed her head in greeting.
Did he think it would turn out like this from the start?
Now she understood. The reason he'd subtly probed her lust for power. He'd planned to topple Seven Seed from the beginning. And he intended to install Yeonhyeon—the one person who'd treated him kindly—as the next ruler. Though whether shoving a gun in her face and kidnapping her counted as "kind" was open to interpretation.
Hoo.
No matter how they dressed it up in fine words, the fact remained: Seven Seed had lost to Kim Sunwoo. They couldn't survive without submitting to him. Which made this visit feel a bit strange.
"Take your time looking around."
"Yes..."
This was a kind of mutual "external audit." Outsiders with no ties to the organization coming in to dig up internal issues or injustices.
Why the hell are we even doing this...
Surprisingly, his side—Sunwoo's organization—had volunteered for it first. She couldn't understand it. They held overwhelming superiority; even if they unilaterally audited Seven Seed, no one left would dare complain. They could just formally walk around and call it done. Even if she found real problems, she couldn't point them out. And even if she did, he wouldn't change a thing.
"I've got a lot on my plate right now, so forgive me if the hospitality's a bit rough."
"Understood."
Yeonhyeon nodded briefly. She thought it an inefficient, ridiculous charade, but in the end, the victor was that man. If he wanted theater, she'd have to play along.
With that in mind, Yeonhyeon began wandering the base.
"Hey, you! I told you to clean this shit up! Seven Seed's coming, and you wanna advertise we live like beggars or what?!"
"No, boss! This wasn't us—it was that Seohee bitch's lackeys..."
"If they did it, tell them to clean it, or at least report it to me if they didn't! Don't make me take all the heat, got it?!"
Intrigued by the commotion, Yeonhyeon and her entourage wandered inside like moths to a flame. It was a small room like a break room, with a comfy sofa for lounging, a mini-fridge, and a table.
"Oh, you guys are already here. Kids, clean this up—now!"
The red-haired mercenary, Soi, hurriedly scolded her subordinates.
What the hell is this?
Yeonhyeon was still lost in confusion. She couldn't gauge the power dynamics. Seven Seed hadn't lost anyone to death, but they'd suffered an overwhelming defeat. She figured this "audit" was just for show, and everyone would scorn her, not take her seriously.
But they treated her with deference, as if she were their superior.
"Uh, excuse me... have you experienced any discomfort or injustices since arriving here?"
Soi's subordinates stared blankly at Soi.
"Hey, what're you looking at me for?!"
"Well, even if there was something, we can't just say it in front of Boss Soi..."
"Wait, what the hell does that mean?!"
Yeonhyeon nodded with a smile.
"I see. There's an issue, then. If you wouldn't mind stepping outside for a moment?"
"This is bullshit! Slander! Don't fall for these guys' crap!"
Despite Soi's protests, Yeonhyeon and one of Soi's subordinates each grabbed an arm and gently dragged her out.
"Now, you can speak freely. Have you faced any injustices or discomforts in this settlement?"
Soi's subordinates let out awkward chuckles.
"You're so serious it kinda makes us feel bad... but nah, nothing like that."
Yeonhyeon could only nod. They wouldn't tell the truth anyway. And even if they did, Sunwoo wouldn't care about their gripes.
"From the start, we got to keep our lives after pulling a knife on our master—what more could we want?"
"...You pulled a knife on him?"
Yeonhyeon had assumed they were the only ones who'd foolishly picked a fight without realizing the gap in strength and lost embarrassingly.
"And if you're slaves... does that mean everyone here is a slave?"
"Yeah, yeah. We were gonna just lock 'em in jail at first, but they're so damn stubborn."
"What happened?"
"Well, see..."
Soi's subordinates spilled the truth to Yeonhyeon. Hearing how she'd tried to burn the entire base down, Yeonhyeon gaped and shook her head.
"How are you even alive?"
"Why don't you ask the guy who let us live?"
"Fair enough, but..."
There were minor complaints after that, but nothing serious.
"Hmm..."
Tilting her head, Yeonhyeon left the break room and checked elsewhere.
"Watch the front!"
Sunwoo, now changed into work clothes, was hauling a mountain of lumber.
"Finish this quick, then we rebuild the barricade—get ready, everyone!"
He was truly leading by example, directing the construction—or rather, doing almost all of it himself.
"Song-song-ah! See that? Don't slack off!"
"Muuu..."
"What the hell's with her lately! Was the load too light? I didn't raise you to be a lazy kid, sis!"
Behind him, a merchant hauled wood with an ox cart, but it paled compared to his overwhelming strength.
No conflicts, no anger or bickering you’d expect in any human settlement. Like a paradise from a dream, everyone worked in harmony with their roles.
"Mm..."
Yeonhyeon toured more spots. But in the cafeteria, the workshops—nowhere did she find real issues.
Everyone seems... too at ease.
Except for Soi's recent arrivals, the others acted like this was just natural daily life.
And amid it all, the bicycle generator sat unused, gathering dust.
"Alright, that's done for now! Short break."
The women wiped sweat and sighed in relief.
"Thirsty... Sis, if you're not drinking that juice, can I have it?"
"Go ahead."
"Thanks! I'll pay you back with chocolate later!"
No squabbles over supplies, either. Maybe a luxury of a small group. At Seven Seed's scale, they relied on homegrown produce from gardens and farms, not supply points—dirty, bland stuff compared to the stimulating rations from marts.
Even accounting for that, they seemed to share food pretty equally.
...
Yeonhyeon knew: in this world, food was power. Those in charge hoarded preserved goods as a matter of course, denying others while securing their own survival. Luxuries were the same—their value lay not just in themselves, but in the superiority of who could indulge and who couldn't.
But not here. It was pristine. No nitpicks to grab, even if she tried.
"Well, if you find any problem spots... please let me know. I'd appreciate it."
He looked at her. Yeonhyeon shook her head weakly.
"None. At least... from what I've seen so far, nothing at all."
"That's a relief."
"But."
Yeonhyeon tossed out a question, just in case.
"Who uses that generator?"
At first glance, it seemed a red flag for the settlement. She knew of no humanitarian way to use it. But given how he ran things, she doubted he'd stoop to that.
Which made it even more baffling. Why keep it? How did they power the place without it?
"Oh, curious about that? Want me to show you?"
"Show me? What do you mean?"
And the man sat on the generator.
Ah.
In that moment, Yeonhyeon got it. No need to watch further, really. His sturdy legs pumped the pedals. Soon, with a massive whir, the bicycle generator spun to life.
Yeonhyeon stared blankly, drawn in.
The audit could end now. It felt like enough.