Fill the Warehouse Generously - 5
The roar of the motor stimulated Seon Yeowon's survival instincts.
This is... That man. The guy who visited the orphanage not long ago—he was back.
A car? There wasn't anything like that until recently... She quickly assessed his identity. No matter how she thought about it, he had to be the leader—or at least the successor—of some massive organization. Otherwise, no one could casually drive around in a vehicle like that. And it wasn't some ramshackle thing cobbled together by engineers scavenging parts. This was a proper vehicle, bought with real money.
...Was I rude? There was no time. He was already out in the orphanage courtyard, and she had to make a choice.
Someone of that status... A regular player invading a base was next to impossible. But systemic restrictions could be crushed by equally systemic means. A man who drove something like that without a care couldn't be ruled out as someone capable of smashing her base either.
... Yeowon knew it all too well. How petty and trivial a reason could make a man like that furious—and what he might do to get revenge.
He doesn't seem like that type, but... Still, she couldn't let her guard down. From here on out, she couldn't do anything to offend him.
"Come on in. I'll grant you permission."
"You sure that's okay?"
"Of course."
Of course, this was an insanely dangerous move. The other two looked risky too... but that man could roam Anseongu without a worry. And he'd driven here. A car wasn't just a symbol of wealth—it was a symbol of power. Like moths drawn to a lit bulb at night, that massive engine noise was perfect bait for zombies.
He must have encountered all sorts of elite zombies and monsters along the way. And he'd kept the car spotless through it all. If a guy like that entered the orphanage, even Yeowon couldn't put up any real resistance. Everyone's lives here would be in his hands.
But she had no choice except to invite him in. Offending him seemed like the greater danger.
External access detected.
Grant apartment access permission?
Yeowon weakly tapped the [PERMIT] button.
"Haa..."
Letting out a sigh, Yeowon calmly prepared the tea. There were no calories in it, of course. No milk or sugar left for the car either. She got lucky. If this tea leaves could ease the kids' hunger even a little, they wouldn't have lasted otherwise. And then, he entered the building.
"Pardon the intrusion."
"Please, come in."
Just seeing the man made Yeowon's heart pound. The face of that kind visitor she'd glimpsed a few times before overlapped with him.
"Hello!"
"Hey, what's up?"
A few kids greeted him. Some were wary of the guest, but he didn't seem mean-spirited or cruel at heart.
"This should hold you over for now, at least."
"...Pardon?"
His shopping bag was stuffed with food. Snacks, cereal, meat—and even rice in one corner.
"That..."
Every eye in the orphanage, Yeowon included, locked onto the food. It wasn't a huge amount. But to these people, it was desperate. Forget hunger—they were at the point where not eating something right now meant starving to death.
"I didn't expect you'd want to make a 'deal' with me so quickly... Thank you."
Yeowon spoke carefully, her nerves on edge. This had to stay a transaction. He'd paid for her information with supplies. Under no circumstances could she let him see this as a favor.
"Don't sweat it. If you want, just think of it as a gift."
"No. I'll pay you back right away."
Among women surviving this world, there were a few principles that passed as 'right answers' in normal situations. One was, 'Never owe a man anything.' Even if your life was on the line—even if refusing his rescue meant certain death—it might be better to die clean.
"Then—"
And Seon Yeowon froze.
Wh-what do I do? What she'd told that man now seemed so crude and laughable. A sloppy deal: bring supplies, get info. No real value assigned to either side.
How far can I... She had no leverage to bargain with him. Nothing he'd find appealing. All Yeowon had was information. Lose that, and she had no way to get more supplies from him.
...Gotta gauge him first. Finishing her thoughts, Yeowon flashed a soft smile.
"Thank you. If it's okay, could I ask where you got these supplies?"
He might find it intrusive, but she had an excuse ready. If these are confiscated from some other big organization, a little orphanage taking them could be dangerous. That should work.
But luckily, he explained the source without hesitation.
"There's this big Supply Mart-like point near where I live."
"From there?"
"It's huge, and our group's only five people, so we can handle this much. Unless it's dire, I don't really want to keep pulling from it."
Yeowon desperately plastered on a warm smile. If her true feelings showed in her eyes, suspicion and shock would spill out.
This is ridiculous. A guy casually driving a passenger car, going on about his 'five-person group'...Should I test him a bit?
Taking a tense sip of tea, Yeowon realized how idiotic that fleeting thought had been.
...That was a crazy idea. I almost died.
A powerhouse like that—a man like him—was hiding his true status. That alone was dangerous. No matter how clumsy and obvious the lie, Yeowon had no choice but to play along.
If a Goliath buried its head in the ground like an ostrich thinking 'I'm hidden good!', the smart move wasn't yelling 'You idiot! You're exposed!' An enraged Goliath realizing it was busted would personally turn that kind soul into paste.
She had to believe him. He said it, so accept it as truth for now.
But... She'd asked about the supplies to check her bargaining range. If he had plenty, if he had food so abundant this haul seemed trivial, she could aim for more.
No info yet... but I have to choose carefully. Carefully.
Of course, it was a gamble. He might snap, 'Why bring supplies if you're not giving all the info?!' But if he saw her information as truly valuable—if he was ready to pay more—then her bet could let the kids survive two weeks longer.
Tough call. Small mercy: his gaze kept flicking to her chest. She didn't mind. She even hoped it dulled his aggression a bit.
"Hey, how long you gonna stare at that woman's tits? Weren't we talking?"
Han Seohee, sitting beside him, nudged his shoulder.
"Oh, sorry."
Seemed like normal banter, but Yeowon's mind raced. She talks to a man like that? Does she have two necks? Or maybe she and that guy can't treat each other casually—
"So, uh, how far did you get?"
He spoke up. Yeowon felt the moment of decision.
"I'll give you the Dungeon location. Most reliable info I have."
"Good."
Yeowon sighed inwardly with relief. "One thing upfront: I couldn't verify it myself. But at least two or three people spotted that Dungeon, so odds are high it's there."
At minimum, she could get another haul like this. Enough to keep the orphanage going quite a while.
After marking the spot on the map, the trio left with bright smiles.
"Thanks for your help. Take care!"
He waved. Yeowon bowed deeply, still tense.
"Oppa, bye-bye!"
"Come again!"
The kids waved wide-eyed at the visitors. The day ended.
The children stared at the food he'd brought.
"Kids, wash your hands first. Put away anything not for immediate eating in the fridge or pantry, then we eat."
"Yes!"
The kids laughed. Seon Yeowon smiled faintly. A lot had happened, but in the end, she'd survived.