Organizational Overhaul
"Hmm..."
The Republic of Korea government had reached out to the Alliance. The reason was the rumors circulating that the Alliance was rounding up Muwol Church followers and had even captured the Muwol Church leader.
Of course, they weren't just rumors.
The Muwol Church leader had already spilled every bit of information under intense torture before being executed, and we were using that intel to drag in his followers. The newly captured ones were singing like birds just to save their skins. It looked like most of the Muwol Church members hiding in the Alliance had been wiped out.
Gangbuk wasn't even their main base to begin with, and they got unlucky running into us right when they were trying to expand there. Their organization fell apart completely. The moment we took out the leader and Seo I-rang, there was no need to watch out for Muwol Church anymore.
The Alliance figured the Muwol Church, now without its driving force, would naturally dissolve. It made sense—they'd been entirely dependent on Seo I-rang's abilities from the start. The second she was gone, the cult was finished.
I'd wondered why the Muwol Church leader had brought Seo I-rang to the Gangbuk worship site, but when I asked her, she said internal strife had broken out in the church, so the leader kept her close no matter where he went.
The reason the Republic of Korea government contacted the Alliance was to get info on wiping out the Muwol Church. They'd been struggling against the followers whose base was in Gangnam, and when rumors spread that Gangbuk had crushed them, they came sniffing around.
What the government wanted was a list of Muwol Church members hiding in their ranks. We'd already gotten that intel through various means. Unfortunately, there were no high-ranking officials among them.
The government offered food in exchange for the info, but the Alliance refused. More precisely, Gangbuk played dumb to the end, claiming they knew nothing about the Muwol Church.
Our policy toward the Republic of Korea government was set: "Neither hostile nor helpful."
The reconstruction of the Third Eastern Sector was complete. Jeong Su-hwan's permanent enhancement had wrapped up last month, and Han Byeol's was nearing its end. Han Seol was next in line.
I tried enhancing Seo I-rang once using Na Hye-won's ability, and surprisingly, it didn't boost her monster-taming power—it purely strengthened her physical stats. Go figure with these abilities.
Over the past month or so, I'd been grinding points using Seo I-rang's ability.
I decided to use reconstruction on a production building. Livestock pens or fisheries—which one first?
"Livestock pens."
For the newly reconstructed Third Eastern Sector building, I went with livestock pens. I'd check what meat came out and decide from there.
"About time this showed up."
I headed into the new livestock building with the executives. Like the First Livestock Pen, the first floor had ten vending machines. Pork shoulder, pork ribs, loin, tenderloin, belly, front leg, hind leg, neck, pork rind. Perfect.
In this world, it might sound like decadent blasphemy, but honestly, eating beef every damn day was starting to make me crave pork.
Out of all the pork cuts on the first floor, the one that caught my eye was the pork rind. Back in the day, I'd only have a single serving as a finisher at a barbecue joint now and then, but in this apocalypse, damn if I didn't miss it.
The territory produced white beans as a crop, so I could make roasted rice powder with those. And lately, pickled cabbage had become a staple on my table. Picturing pork simmered and wrapped in that—my mouth was watering.
"Shall we check the second floor?"
"Yes!"
The second floor of the First Livestock Pen—which did beef—had given milk and butter. Curious what pork would bring.
"No way..."
The Second Livestock Pen's second floor had four vending machines labeled 25/25. Pressing the first one's button dropped a long plastic container filled with dark brown liquid. One whiff after popping the lid, and I knew exactly what it was.
"Seasoned rib sauce..."
It had that sweet-and-savory aroma from the sauced pork ribs we'd order. Stockpiling this meant we could serve massive amounts of sauced pork at culture days or festivals.
The second machine dropped another plastic tub, brighter and more translucent than the sauce.
"Hmm..."
Even sniffing it didn't clue me in.
"Wanna taste?"
It didn't appeal to me, so I offered it to the executives. They nodded eagerly. I scooped a spoonful and dropped a drop on each of their hands. They tasted.
"This is...! That stuff!"
Han Byeol shouted.
"What?"
"You know! The sauce they give with onions at barbecue places! Or the bit they throw in when you buy meat at the butcher!"
I tried a tiny bit myself. Sweetness hit first, then tangy sharpness on the tongue, finishing with a subtle umami.
"Cham sauce..."
The third machine gave gochujang, the fourth ssamjang. Outstanding.
Just imagining how much richer our tables would get was thrilling. And with those massive tubs of ssamjang and gochujang, residents could dip their meat properly.
"Call the chefs. Pork party at the bathhouse tonight."
"Yes!"
The executives were grinning ear to ear at the thought of pork.
I had a rough idea where to spend the points now. I dumped the remaining 30P into the fisheries building for reconstruction. As soon as it finished, we headed to the third floor with the executives.
"Oh my."
"Hmm."
I'd half-expected it, but it was still confusing.
"Why are shrimp sauce and anchovy sauce coming from a farm?"
"Beats me..."
The reconstructed fisheries building's third floor had four 25/25 vending machines and a massive box with a spout taking up half the space. And for the first time, duplicates appeared.
The first and second machines dispensed shrimp sauce and anchovy sauce—but in way bigger quantities than the farm.
The third and fourth gave baby clam sauce and pollack roe sauce.
"No soy-marinated crab..."
A bit disappointing. But opening the giant box melted that away.
Pressing the button on the box auto-opened the lid, revealing it packed with pristine white salt.
"Oh...!"
We'd been short on salt, importing it through trades, but now the territory could produce a ton. Twisting the valve poured it out. I had them haul in sacks and fill them with every grain from the box.
With so much going on, the day for the long-delayed organizational overhaul finally arrived.
When resident numbers were low, fist-and-gut administration worked fine. But with more people and the Alliance forming, reform was necessary.
Han Byeol was intel director, Jeong Su-hwan First Guard captain, Lee Kyung-min First Hospital director, but the rest had fuzzy roles. Time to make official positions and assign them.
First, I appointed Han Seol—handling all my affairs—as chief of staff. No real change; just keep doing what she was. I told her to recruit capable staff and form a chief of staff office. Their titles would follow old Republic of Korea civil service ranks.
Next, I created a security office. Han Eun-ji, who'd wanted it most, became security chief.
Some residents—former civil servants—suggested "security ministry" over "office," but I shot it down. Mixing directors and ministers would get confusing as the territory grew, so I standardized on "chief."
Partly 'cause I'm thick-headed like that.
Han Eun-ji got ten more residents to join the awakeners who'd followed her, forming the security office. We allocated a room in the government housing for them.
Time to expand the government building soon; next points haul, reconstruct it.
"We'll lay down our lives."
Han Eun-ji and her team teared up, swearing loyalty anew. Next enhancement melon, one goes to her, plus a sword. Weird for a security chief guarding the lord to lack a blade.
I also divvied up ranks for the government office civil servants. With Han Seol as chief of staff overseeing admin, she'd handle it. Grades 1 through 9, just like the old regime.
Last was Im Jui. She held the territory's most crucial role, yet did nothing in peacetime—a living "nuke."
Just breathing here suppressed gates plenty. But she couldn't command or admin, nor lead in battle. Communicating only via notepad, better to let her rampage solo on the field.
So I created a do-nothing "security office." Im Jui became inaugural security chief—no extra duties, just keep chilling. Intel on security still fell to Han Byeol anyway.
Finally, each housing block would vote for a rep. With all residents watching, I called them up one by one on stage for the appointment ceremony.
Today doubled as a party. Production had exploded lately, and residents barely touched rations without me throwing one. I'd worried rice and flour from the farm were too little, but surplus was piling up.
Excluding me and executives, almost no one ate plain white rice. Standard was mixing in potatoes, sweet potatoes, whatever crops.
"Any leftovers tonight get divided equally by housing block, so eat up."
"Thank you!"
"Your Excellency!"
Residents gazed at me with misty eyes, worship kicking in. I gave a short speech, then returned to the mansion to share a cake from Ju Yong-cheol with Seo I-rang.
"C-can I g-go out and p-play with f-friends?"
"Huh? Of course."
"Th-thank you!"
Seo I-rang beamed and dashed out. Figures—a kid prefers playmates over some old guy. I finished the cake alone.