Legitimacy and Lives
Han Jaejeong was in a private meeting with the President at his residence.
Before entering the house, soldiers stationed around had blocked Jaejeong's path, but they soon let him in on the President's orders.
A long while after that.
Having heard everything from Jaejeong about the warehouse and the current situation, the President sank into deep thought.
"Coming to me with a story like this means you want to help me, right?"
"Yes. That's correct."
Jaejeong nodded slowly.
The President then spoke with a look of incomprehension.
"To be honest, I don't quite understand why you're doing this. It's true I reached out to Team Leader Kang, but that was only for him. And now you suddenly show up and share such crucial information—it's hard for me not to suspect your intentions."
"We've already come too far to stay neutral."
"Why me, though? You could've just stayed in the Tower. From what I know, you've solved a lot of problems while affiliated with it."
"Can I speak frankly?"
"Of course."
The President waited for Jaejeong's response.
"In your view, President, what matters most to us?"
"Well."
Though Jaejeong phrased it indirectly, the President didn't bite back bluntly.
"Survival. That's the most important thing to us—nothing else matters."
"Go on."
"In my judgment, following you instead of the Tower is the rational choice for our survival. Because..."
"It's the international community's gaze, right? Negotiating with me, the nation's representative, is advantageous from any perspective over dealing with them directly."
"Yes. You understand well."
Jaejeong felt inwardly relieved at how quickly the President grasped his intent.
He was definitely different from the man on TV.
Often seeming stuffy and passive there, but face-to-face, he was anything but.
"Hmm..."
The President fell back into thought.
His neatly folded hands fidgeted several times before he finally spoke again.
"So, it doesn't matter if I choose to negotiate with China or the US?"
"As I said, our only concern is survival."
"I see."
Then the President clamped his mouth shut again.
For some reason, he stared intently at Jaejeong before crossing his arms and shifting in his seat.
"What do you think is left of our reason and intellect, Officer?"
"I don't get the point of the question."
"As you said, survival is paramount for people now. Providing me with info that could devastate the Tower is ultimately for survival, right?"
"Sure."
"But what happens if everyone chases only survival? Our collective intelligence, barely hanging on, would degenerate completely. So we must survive—but decide how we survive."
The President continued without breaking eye contact.
"That's why I escaped on the transport ship to come here. If I'd chased pure survival, what do you think I'd have done? Laughed it off with a handful of soldiers and sailed straight to China without a second thought."
"Probably. So what's your point?"
With the talk dragging, Jaejeong cut to the chase.
His mind was on Lee Beom-sik, who'd gone to meet the Production Manager, and the missing Kim Chan-yeol and Choi Hoon.
He needed to wrap this up fast and plan the next move.
"People think I want to negotiate with the US because I'm pro-American. Do you think that too, Officer?"
"Haven't really thought that far. If that's your inclination, then sure."
"Haha, I see. You could go into politics if you wanted—dodging vague questions like a pro."
"Maybe. But politics isn't for me."
The President nodded.
"Truth is, wanting to communicate with the US was purely political. You know the situation, right? Western nations can't intervene at all. That means they have zero grasp on the dynamics of neighboring countries around the peninsula."
"So you don't intend to negotiate with the US?"
"I do want to negotiate. But not necessarily with the US specifically. Don't you get it? The peninsula's situation is sealed off. If I open a negotiation channel to the outside—using the serum—what happens?"
Jaejeong mulled over the President's words.
Open a negotiation route outward...
It was so unexpected he couldn't quite grasp it.
"If word of the serum leaks, will only the US want to deal with us? Right now, China and Russia are demanding talks. Not giving us options—they're barking orders. But the moment I look outward, we hold the choices. We take the wheel."
"Ah..."
Only then did Jaejeong understand.
And all the preamble clicked into place.
The President hadn't mentioned 'America' just to push his political leanings, as people said.
Seeing Jaejeong's reaction, the President pressed on.
"That's why I asked—what's left of our reason and intellect? This is the last intellect we can protect. If we abandon more than that just for survival, we'll lose everything."
It was all spot-on.
Stunned for a moment, Jaejeong finally understood why Kang Youngman held such unwavering affection for the President.
But understanding didn't erase the surprise.
Time for a straight answer.
"So, does that ease your suspicions about me?"
Jaejeong steered back to the start.
Now to the core.
The President smiled before replying.
"Truth is, I never doubted you, Officer. I just wanted to gauge your intentions. And the conclusion on the current situation? It'll have to wait until the man you mentioned—who went to meet the manager—returns."
That was when it happened.
Knock knock!
Both the President and Jaejeong's gazes snapped to the door at the knock.
A soldier stood at the slightly ajar entrance.
"Sorry to interrupt, but someone is here for the officer. You might need to step out—it's urgent, they said."
Jaejeong poked his head out to see Lee Beom-sik waiting in front of the house.
"That guy's hopeless."
At Jaejeong's mutter, the President gestured for him to go.
Stepping outside, Jaejeong walked a few paces with Beom-sik.
Mindful of the soldiers' ears.
Jaejeong asked, "How'd it go?"
"Those two are locked in the warehouse. But the story about it... it's shocking."
Beom-sik lit a cigarette with an anxious face.
"What's in the warehouse?"
Beom-sik explained everything he'd learned about the warehouse, his expression grave the whole time he smoked.
Jaejeong's face hardened more with every word.
No matter the angle, the warehouse screamed human experimentation.
Leave it like this, and...
Kim Chan-yeol and Choi Hoon were dead.
"I've got the so-called manager hidden good. No one's finding him. That's all I can do. I'll wait, so wrap up your talk."
Beom-sik patted Jaejeong's shoulder and headed to a bench some distance away.
Back inside, Jaejeong sat across from the President and relayed everything from Beom-sik.
The President was so shocked he couldn't speak for a while.
Then he regained his composure.
Watching, Jaejeong drove the point home.
"People like me support your will, President. And hearing it firsthand? Even more so. So... open the path. The path to save those two who trusted and followed me."
The President's face was troubled.
"For now... let's wait."
"Pardon?"
Jaejeong couldn't believe his ears.
Wait, just like that?
In this urgent crisis?
"If those two are captured, moving first is exactly what the Tower wants. Now we've got hostages too—let's see what they do."
"What if something happens in the meantime...?"
"We leave it to luck. There's nothing we can do right now."
"So we just let them die?"
"You think I don't worry about those two? The production zone is the safest, most vital area in the safe zone for food. If its manager vanishes, the Tower will notice within hours. Whatever they do next, we'll see."
Jaejeong pondered.
His group had handed the President a sword.
Yet the President had no intention of swinging it.
Or rather, not even deciding when to swing.
What hesitation, what reluctance dragged this out?
The landing op in two days would only disadvantage them.
Most soldiers would leave the safe zone.
Jaejeong had planned to resolve this before then.
"What the hell are you hesitating for?"
Jaejeong demanded, frustration clear.
The President raised his voice too.
"I'm not hesitating. We need justification. You want me to march the army in and seize the Tower right now?"
"Why not?"
"Then what next? After taking the Tower with the military, what about Congressman Kwon Jeong-woo and his cronies?"
"Make them pay accordingly."
"Pay? What payment? Locking people up and experimenting is a clear crime, sure. But if they claim it was for everyone's sake? Do the other survivors think like you, Officer? Without Kwon Jeong-woo's quick actions, they'd all be dead outside. Why ignore that?"
"What justification are you waiting for?"
The President spat fervor, but Jaejeong held firm.
Both sides had their righteousness; neither would yield like this.
"The Tower has to move first. Then I'll have justification. Protecting survivor witnesses matters more than crushing the enemy."
"What the...!"
"Think, Officer. Why did I agree to the landing op? They could've sent troops out blatantly and killed me. It's all about justification. If they act first, everything I do is legit. It's not over after the fight—we must think beyond."
"What about those dying in the wait? Dying to create your justification, dying in the fight?"
Jaejeong glared murderously.
"...No choice. But winning this fight saves more in the end. At least to me."
"People don't care about President or Tower. Just if they live or die. I can't agree winning saves more. If one side yields without fighting, more survive. So don't drag lives into justifying your greed, Mr. President."
As Jaejeong stood, the President rose and grabbed him.
"Trust me. Your support would be invaluable."
"Let go."
Jaejeong warned, but the President didn't flinch.
"Before President, I was Defense Minister and a military commander. Never dodged a fight in my life. Never lost, either."
"Sorry, but your grand cause and justification mean less to me than the lives of my captured people."
With that, Jaejeong shook him off roughly.
Infected People