Chapter 19.
Chapter 19.
"What kind of help?"
The man continued his explanation.
"There is a large supermarket nearby. We need the supplies there."
"A large supermarket?"
"Yes. The population of the subway shelter is gradually increasing. New survivors arrive every day."
The man sighed.
"But we are short on food. The nearby convenience stores and small shops have already been looted... but there should still be plenty of supplies left at the large supermarket."
"And?"
"It is crawling with zombies. We can't even dream of tackling it on our own. We tried a few times, but only ended up with casualties."
In the end, he was asking to borrow my strength to raid the supermarket together.
I glanced at Yerin. She still had a wary look toward them. However, she seemed willing to follow my decision.
I thought for a moment.
Can I fully trust them? What is the possibility of a knife flying into my back?
But honestly, they are no match for me. Even if all ten of them combined. If I wanted to kill them right now, it would be over in a few seconds.
And I also need a friendly faction. I can't do everything alone. There will be times when I need information, supplies, and sometimes manpower.
Besides, I have to keep killing zombies anyway. If it's a large supermarket, there will be quite a lot of zombies.
And I need a lot more food to fill the camper.
After thinking for a moment, I said to them.
"Fine."
The man's expression brightened.
"Are you serious?"
"But there are conditions."
"Conditions?"
"First, once we take over the supermarket, I will have priority on the supplies. It's enough if I can fill that camper. Since there are only two of us, we don't eat that much anyway."
"I think that's only natural."
"Second, you must accept my request the next time I need help."
"Of course. As long as it's not an unreasonable request, I will do my best to help."
"Third, the new leader must not engage in the same vicious management as the previous Kim Tae-ho."
The man nodded.
"Of course. My name is Park Jung-su. I am currently serving as the leader of the shelter."
He introduced himself.
"I don't make decisions arbitrarily on my own; all 6 administrators make decisions through meetings. There will be no dictatorship like Kim Tae-ho's."
"I see."
"I accept the conditions. Thank you, really."
Park Jung-su bowed his head. The others also looked relieved.
"Then, let's move to the subway first. I think it would be better to make a detailed plan there."
"Understood."
I turned to Yerin.
"Yerin-ssi, let's go to the subway. Will you be okay?"
"Yes, I understand."
Before leaving for the subway, I handed Yerin a mask.
"Wear this."
"A mask?"
"You're a famous celebrity. It could get troublesome if you stand out."
Yerin nodded and took the mask.
"Wear a hat and pull your hood down, too."
"Okay."
She put on a baseball cap, pulled up her hood, and even put on the mask.
Her face was completely covered. Only her eyes were barely visible.
"How is it?"
"Good. No one will recognize you like this."
"Let's go."
We headed to the subway shelter with them.
A barricade had been installed at the subway entrance. It was made by stacking shopping carts, chairs, and metal shelves. Two guards were standing in front of it.
"Representative Park, have you returned?"
"Yes. These people are collaborators. They will be coming in with us."
The guards cleared part of the barricade. We went inside.
We went down the stairs. With every step we took, the air changed. It was humid, heavy, and a musty smell pierced my nose.
We entered the waiting room.
It was dark. A few emergency lights on the ceiling and lanterns and flashlights placed here and there were all there was. Quite a few people could be seen under the faint light.
Mattresses and blankets were spread out on the floor. They were living in divided areas by family and by group. There were also places where partitions were made with boxes and cloth.
Exhausted faces. Anxious eyes. A woman holding a child. An old man staring blankly at the wall. A young man curled up, hugging his knees.
It was an atmosphere where no hope could be seen.
The sound of murmuring, coughing, and a baby crying from somewhere. All of that mixed together to create a gloomy atmosphere.
"This way."
Park Jung-su pointed inside. It seemed to be the way to the conference room.
I walked following him. We passed between the people. A few looked up at us. Half curiosity, half wariness.
Yerin walked close to my side. She had an uncomfortable expression. I understood. The atmosphere here was heavy.
When we reached the innermost part, I saw a bathroom.
A few young women were standing next to the bathroom entrance. Young women who looked like they had good figures. Their attire was... different. Short skirts, tight-fitting clothes. They were also wearing makeup.
And a sound was heard from inside the bathroom.
"Ah... ah... ugh..."
It was a moan. A woman's moan. And a man's rough breathing.
I looked at Park Jung-su.
"What is that?"
Park Jung-su's expression darkened.
"The water is cut off, so that bathroom is no longer in use. Instead... it has turned into a place where women who sell their bodies trade for food."
Yerin looked in that direction with a stiff expression.
"Did women who sell their bodies come here too?"
When I asked, Park Jung-su shook his head.
"They were all ordinary people to begin with. Women who have no one to protect them and nothing to their names... to survive even like that..."
Park Jung-su sighed.
"Even if I try to stop it, I can't. Because that is their only means of survival. If I stop it by force, they will just starve to death. Rations are limited, and necessary items are obtained through individual transactions."
The moaning continued to flow from inside the bathroom. One of the women standing at the entrance looked at us. Our eyes met.
They were empty eyes. Eyes without any hope.
"Are you new here?"
She opened her mouth.
"If you have food... I'll do it for you. Anything you want is possible."
She pulled her clothes down slightly to show more of her cleavage, as if to appeal to us.
Maybe she was a college student. Just a week ago, she would have been an ordinary woman.
"No."
Park Jung-su answered instead.
"They aren't customers. They're just passing through."
The woman turned away as if disappointed and leaned back against the wall.
We followed Park Jung-su back to the conference room.
Inside the bathroom, the moaning continued to be heard. And I could also see a man bargaining with the women in front of it.
The conference room was a renovated subway station management office. There was a table and chairs in the small space.
Park Jung-su and five administrators sat facing us. A total of six. Yerin and I sat on the opposite side.
"Have you figured out how many zombies are inside the large supermarket?"
I asked.
"We don't know exactly. But there must be hundreds or more. Dozens were visible just at the entrance, and inside..."
Park Jung-su shook his head.
"The people who went in never came back."
"How much manpower can be mobilized?"
"About 30 young and strong men can support us. Most of the weapons are iron pipes or baseball bats... and there are also some bows and handmade crossbows."
"So you have ranged weapons too."
"Yes. But their skill in handling them... it's difficult to hit the zombies' heads accurately. If you don't hit the head, the arrows are consumed quickly."
30 people and some ranged weapons. Not bad.
"Fine. I can make it so there is almost no damage."
"Pardon?"
Park Jung-su's eyes widened. The other administrators also looked surprised.
"Almost no damage... How? There are hundreds of them..."
"I will take care of most of the zombies. Those personnel can handle defense and transporting supplies."
"Alone... is that possible?"
"It is possible."
I said firmly. Park Jung-su and the administrators exchanged glances. They looked like they found it hard to believe.
"Instead, I have one condition."
"What is it?"
"Make me 100 arrows."
"Arrows?"
"Yes. Wooden shafts with iron tips. To the specifications I order."
Park Jung-su looked flustered.
"Arrows... I wonder if we can make them..."
One of the administrators interrupted.
"Wait. There is a person among the subway personnel who used to do interior carpentry work. We also have some power tools. I think it's worth a try..."
"Really?"
Another administrator nodded.
"It should be possible if we have the materials. As for the arrowheads... we can process nails or iron plates brought from a hardware store."
Park Jung-su turned to the other administrators.
"What do you think?"
The administrators exchanged opinions with each other. They exchanged something in low voices.
It seemed like one of them went out to talk to the person who was a carpenter and came back.
A moment later, Park Jung-su summarized.
"If you give us two days, we will make them. We will try our best to meet the 100 count."
"Understood. Once the arrows are made, we will start the operation."
"Thank you. Truly."
Park Jung-su bowed his head. The other administrators also looked relieved.
The meeting ended. Yerin and I stood up from our seats.
"I will come back in two days."
"Yes. We will have them ready by then."
We left the conference room. We passed through the waiting room again. The moaning was still heard from the bathroom side.
Yerin turned her head. As if she didn't want to see it.
We left the gloomy subway station and returned to the camper.
When we arrived at the camper, Yerin sighed.
"It was heavy. The atmosphere there."
"It was."
"If I... hadn't met you, I don't know what would have happened to me..."
I couldn't find anything to say to her words.
"Thank you. Really."
Yerin said, taking off her mask.
"Nothing to thank me for. Yerin-ssi is being helpful."
She smiled slightly.
Now, in two days, it's the raid on the large supermarket.