93. Sabotage (2)
That way, Lee Hyun-ah successfully made contact with Go Jun-woo under the alias of Kim Ha-yeon and even managed to hand over the supplies to him.
"Th-the supplies we handed over... If used sparingly, they should last a whole month. And yet, this is enough to dominate Daegu? No... Even more than that, can you really seize control or expand your influence with this?"
Lee Su-ah reviewed the quantity and inventory list of the supplies passed to Go Jun-woo. For the size of his faction, if rationed carefully, they could easily hold out for a month. But that assumed maximum thriftiness. If he squandered them without a second thought...
"What if he burns through them recklessly?"
"If he skimps even a little, two weeks. If he splurges without thinking, they'll be gone within a week."
In this apocalypse of endless brutal fights, food consumption rates defied imagination. Even truckloads could vanish in the blink of an eye. So even five trucks' worth from Lee Hyun-ah would evaporate within a week if a sizable camp went on a binge.
That's why Lee Su-ah pegged it at two weeks with some restraint—but drove home the cold truth: utter recklessness would wipe it out in under seven days.
"Which way do you think it'll go, Su-ah?"
"The latter, obviously. Considering what the community says about his personality."
"Heh heh. Spot on. In a week, he'll come crawling back, begging me for more."
Given Go Jun-woo's nature, Lee Su-ah figured he'd blow through it all in days. She shot her sister a resentful glare for wasting such precious resources on him.
Truth be told, with trade flowing steadily from America, these supplies were a drop in the bucket for the Balhut Cult. Food pouring into Pohang Harbor was beyond imagination, and factories now processed it into packaged goods. The cult had largely escaped its supply woes.
"Still... handing over canned tuna and ham? That was too much. Those are basically hard currency elsewhere."
Supplies were supplies, and in this end times, the value of physical goods only climbed. It stung to think they'd become key currency in other regions—only to vanish on Go Jun-woo's whims.
They weren't freebies, either. The Balhut Cult had invested real time and effort to procure them.
"Sorry about that. Think of it as necessary expenses? I siphoned off the canned goods usable as currency for us, and filled it mostly with ramen on the verge of expiring."
Lee Hyun-ah knew she'd slipped up there, offering the excuse that most was near-expired ramen. Half a year in, ramen's shelf life was at its limit anyway—noodles rancid and inedible, or outright trashed for livestock feed. Only the dried blocks held quality, but even those would sour soon.
Handing it off wasn't a loss; it turned waste into utility elsewhere. A win, even.
"Sigh. Fine, I'll let it slide. But with junk like that, he can't do more than spread some influence. Daegu's provisional government isn't full of pushovers. Heo Jin-ho's got real support and leadership to pull that off."
"Heh heh. Which means they'll come demanding supplies next. Can't wait for next week. Wonder what excuses and bullshit he'll feed me."
Daegu's provisional government wasn't to be underestimated—they'd formed a functioning interim regime. Go Jun-woo's junk wouldn't let him go beyond minor intrigue. But if they were that strong, he'd have no choice but to cling to her, Lee Hyun-ah said smugly.
Yes, the government needed to show some spine.
"You enjoying this?"
"Yeah. He's a hilarious clown to listen to. I plan to turn him into our loyal dog."
"Ruthless. You're a total villain, sis."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
That was how she'd make Go Jun-woo Kim Ha-yeon's dog—not the Balhut Cult's, technically, but hers under the stolen identity. Lee Su-ah just closed her eyes and called it vicious.
"M-more food? You got none left?"
And Go Jun-woo didn't exceed expectations. Human greed knew no bounds. Sudden windfall supplies? He blew through them on waste and luxury, no thought spared.
Like the saying: ghosts who gorge before dying have the rosiest cheeks. In an apocalypse where death lurked tomorrow, instant gratification trumped uncertain futures. Especially when trigger fingers itched less on the living—but restraint on pleasure had long snapped.
Better feast now and die stuffed than starve later.
"Ah, of course. We can prepare more."
Lee Hyun-ah had banked on that psychology. A week later, back in Daegu, she inwardly sneered at his shameless demand for more—but smiled sweetly, feigning delight at his outrageous ask.
Calmly. Not too eagerly. Time to train him.
The initial batch wasn't abundant, as Lee Su-ah noted—designed to burn out in a week without thrift. Mostly short-shelf-life ramen and perishables, no long-lasting cans.
"R-really!? Gr-great! I'll repay you big when I make it big!"
Shed prepped for this: supplies rigged so rationing for a month was impossible. From Go Jun-woo's desperate view, it was manna from heaven—he'd never spot the sabotage.
He beamed at her promise, spouting baseless bravado, clueless to her game.
"But first... one piece of info I'd like."
"Wh-what is it?"
Before handing over more, she made a demand. Go Jun-woo startled but asked what.
"We have no idea how big your faction really is."
She claimed curiosity about his forces. Problem was...
I already know roughly.
Via Lee Su-ah's community data crunching, she had a solid map of Daegu's power blocs. That's how she'd calibrated the "generous" first drop to underwhelm.
It was a pointless ask—zero gain from confirming his setup. But...
"And sneaking in like this, we're blind on Daegu itself. To conquer it, you'd need inside intel, right? Got any?"
"S-sure, anything you want!"
She used it as bait, ramping up demands gradually. Frame it as his deal with her; make him feel entitled to the goods. Textbook gaslighting. Fresh off bingeing her "gifts," he dove deeper into her rhythm, demands unheeded.
"Any chance for docs on the provisional government?"
"Th-that... tough right now, but..."
She pushed boundaries, feigning hesitation...
"Aw, too bad! With that, we could've sent way more. Our investors in you would've loved it!"
"I can do it!"
...teasing bigger rewards to erode his restraint. Once the line crossed, greed snowballed. She hooked him on the drip.
"This intel means a lot. Here's your reward."
As he crossed lines, payouts swelled—from mild thirst to agonizing addiction. Soon, he'd wither without her fixes.
Thus, Lee Hyun-ah molded Go Jun-woo into Kim Ha-yeon's dog.
"H-here it is."
"Oh? That was a tall order, even for me. How'd you pull it off?"
"Heh heh. Bribes fix everything."
Line crossed, he even snagged internal provisional government files—unpublished community secrets. As a member, he had access; the fledgling regime's lax loyalty made copying a breeze. Bribe a buddy with scraps, get dossiers delivered.
"Thanks to you, we can supply even more efficiently!"
A few drops netted Daegu's guts: roster, enemies, blacklist, full sitrep. Go Jun-woo's job was done—discardable now. But...
"Haha, you're on the blacklist too, Go Jun-woo."
Perusing the files, Lee Hyun-ah spotted him listed. She and assisting Lee Su-ah chuckled at the irony—until the sister sighed.
"Do we really need to back Go Jun-woo?"
"We do. Used right, he can shatter the provisional government's pride."
"But if... by some miracle his gang wins, we just birth another Jo Sun-do."
Lee Su-ah feared spawning another tyrant. Jo Sun-do meant not rule, but reign of terror in cult circles.
"Even if negotiations drag... still, the provisional government..."
"They'll pitch fits over their turf like in Pohang."
"Bahamut-sama might tolerate the bullshit, but it makes me sick."
Another Jo Sun-do? Scary, sure—the cult still suffered his legacy. But the government defying them? Unbearable.
"We've shown such mercy. Why do they chase selfish gains? Always us yielding—it's ridiculous."
No more endless concessions. Pohang was first contact, lines fuzzy—fine. But every conquest ahead?
"That's why I want their arrogant pride broken."
She craved them begging the cult for survival.
"Until we take Daegu, I'll stir internal chaos."
Use saboteurs like Go Jun-woo to bleed them dry.
"I get the sentiment, but tyrants cross the line."
"Tyrant, huh. Yeah, a Jo Sun-do type would terrify."
Lee Su-ah voiced the fear again. Undeniably dreadful.
"I'll dominate even that tyrant."
"Hm?"
"Daegu's landlocked—no food self-sufficiency. Living off lotus roots is barely scraping by... and my contacts are all young."
But Lee Hyun-ah vowed control. Inland Daegu needed Gyeongju's aid to survive.
"Uh..."
"Plus, rabbit-hunt and stew him anyway."
Post-mission, discard the tool—tradition.
"Th-that's why you used that group's name?"
"Duh. Why else claim to be a criminal?"
She'd hijacked an anti-cult org's identity for the purge setup.
"But will domination be easy?"
"Yeah. Checked their ops lately?"
Weakening and controlling? Tricky. Bribes alone? Runners bolt with goods—eat-and-run scams existed.
But despite worries...
"What about them?"
"Found something juicy. Give it to Go Jun-woo, and hilarity ensues."
She grinned, ace up her sleeve.
"Wait, sis. That 'juicy' thing... opium poppies?"
"Yep. Problem?"
Lee Su-ah probed suspiciously. Her sister shrugged it off.
"...That's opium."
Lee Hyun-ah's trump card? Drugs. She planned to flood Daegu with narcotics. Madwoman.