Communication
After Jang Young-min left, the atmosphere in the room was no longer suitable for continuing the meeting.
Some muttered curses under their breath, while others let out sighs with weary, troubled expressions. The conflict between the Guard Detail and the Search Team was reaching a breaking point.
“Is there no other way?” Oh Jung-hwan asked me.
A method feasible with only 15 people… I shook my head.
“With this many people, our firepower is insufficient.”
“What if we set up the obstacles more meticulously, or try to lure them out in small groups?”
“I’ve already accounted for all of that. You said we shouldn't drag this out, didn't you?”
I pointed to a spot on the map and added, “The point I’m looking at is here.”
“The underground roadway?”
“It connects directly to the university. If we block off the opposite side, they’ll have no choice but to come at us from the front.”
Han Jiyoung raised her hand sharply.
“Senior. By saying that, do you mean you intend to block our own retreat?”
“That’s right.”
“And if we fail…?”
“That’s exactly why we need sufficient firepower.”
“But this is a two-lane road. Isn’t 15 people enough to give it a try?”
“The barrels won’t hold up.”
Rifles generate heat every time they are fired. If you don’t give them time to cool down, the barrels will melt and the weapons will break.
Perhaps she understood the implication, as Han Jiyoung nodded in agreement.
“I suppose… we’d need a reloading rotation as well.”
“Exactly. We need two shifts to ensure there’s no gap in our firepower.”
“Hmm……”
I looked at Oh Jung-hwan, and he nodded as if he understood.
“So, for this plan to succeed, the help of the Guard Detail is essential.”
“Yes.”
“Understood. I’ll handle this.”
Several people voiced their dissatisfaction. Most of them didn't seem happy about the Shelter Leader having to beg the Guard Detail for help.
“Leader, do we really have to go this far? How are we supposed to watch those Guard Detail bastards act all high and mighty after using this as an excuse?”
“Exactly. It’s already frustrating enough that we have to give them half our supplies.”
“Alright, alright. Let’s stop here. Let’s go get some air and have a smoke.”
As Hwang Gyunam spoke, the smokers followed him with sour expressions. I followed them toward the rooftop, but the bald man gave me a look.
“You don’t even smoke, so why are you tagging along?”
“It’s my business.”
“We have things to discuss among ourselves, so get lost.”
Look at the attitude on this guy. I lightly ignored him and climbed the stairs, and Hwang Gyunam patted my back as if to encourage me.
“I told you to stop. Cheonsa is one of our members, too.”
“Member, my foot. If you think about it, isn’t everything that happened because of this guy? Is it even sensible to try and clear out the university?”
“It’s a valid point. We only left it alone because we didn’t have a way, but if there’s a way, clearing it out is the right thing to do.”
“Brother, do you really believe those Guard Detail bastards will help us?”
Hwang Gyunam lit his cigarette without a word. The men who followed gathered in a corner around the bald man, and naturally, only Hwang Gyunam and I were left standing apart.
“I didn’t know there was internal conflict.”
“It’s been a while.”
“I thought you had a tight grip on things since Oh Jung-hwan is the Shelter Leader. He had incredible charisma even when he was active.”
“It’s only maintained to this degree because he’s the leader.”
Hwang Gyunam exhaled a cloud of smoke. In the direction the smoke drifted, I could see Oh Jung-hwan talking with the Jang brothers. I couldn't hear what was being said, but I could gauge the flow of the conversation from Jang Young-min’s fortress-like attitude.
“For a shelter to be maintained, it has to be one of two things. Either you have overwhelming power, or you have abundant supplies. Our shelter doesn’t really fit either.”
“So you mean their interests have to align.”
“It looks like cooperation on the surface, but in reality, it’s selfishness. If there’s no profit, they leave immediately. There isn't just one or two shelters that collapsed like that.”
“I guess that’s why you’re aiming for the vaccine.”
Hwang Gyunam looked at me and smirked.
“You’re really sharp. I knew I brought in a good one.”
“Regardless, it’s a difficult situation.”
“Once we get the vaccine, everything will get better.”
Whether it’s power or supplies, they can’t surpass the Gusan Shelter. For them to survive, the vaccine is the most realistic path.
“I don’t want to talk anymore, so leave!”
Jang Young-min’s shout echoed from below. It seemed Oh Jung-hwan’s persuasion hadn’t worked. His back, as he turned away reluctantly, looked desolate.
“Why is the Guard Detail acting like that?”
“There are many reasons… but the raid issue is the biggest one. A lot of the Guard Detail members have died recently.”
“They’re trying to solve the cause of that, so why won’t they cooperate?”
It was hard to understand. If they lost their comrades to the university zombies’ raids, shouldn’t they have built up some resentment?
“They just hate helping the Search Team. Honestly, our guys have looked down on them quite a bit. You could say they don’t understand each other’s positions.”
The weather had warmed up a bit now, but just a few weeks ago, it was sub-zero. People standing guard all day in that weather versus people facing the threat of zombies outside.
‘They probably both think they’re the ones getting the short end of the stick.’
One thing was certain: if we left the university alone, the problem would only grow. If another raid came tonight, this place wouldn’t hold out.
‘Should I look for another shelter?’
Honestly, I don’t have deep ties to these people. Of course, there are Han Jiyoung and Hwang Gyunam who recognize my worth, but that’s not enough of a reason to insist on staying here. I had a stronger desire to quickly acquire equipment and deal with the Alpha than to keep some sense of loyalty.
“It’s a lost cause to do anything today. You should head home early, too.”
“Is it possible to acquire firearm equipment?”
“Why do you need equipment?”
“Just because I need it.”
Hwang Gyunam stared at me blankly. Perhaps realizing my intentions, he answered with an ambiguous expression.
“You have to trade with Gusan.”
“Can I just go and visit them?”
“There are specific people who can visit. Our shelter’s leader goes himself at the end of the month.”
“So, not just anyone can go?”
“If you don’t adhere to the set date and time, they just shoot you. Just like how we use high-voltage electricity.”
A security system of sorts. The end of the month was five days away.
“Should I tell the leader? What is it that you need?”
Even if I went to another shelter, it wouldn’t be faster than here. In fact, it was only thanks to Han Jiyoung that my identity was guaranteed here; at other places, even introductions would be a hurdle. Above all, if the dates were set for each shelter, it was highly likely it would be delayed even longer than five days.
“It’s fine, just tell me.”
“A high-magnification scope and a sight.”
“For sniping?”
“Yes.”
Hwang Gyunam pulled a notebook from his pocket. The notebook, worn and stained with fingerprints, was filled with tiny handwriting.
“A scope and a sight… let’s see… a box of beer. Or two cartons of cigarettes.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s the barter market rate.”
“Ah….”
This is tricky. I’d only been gathering survival essentials, not luxury goods. I didn’t even know the shelter was operating, let alone that those things were being used as currency.
“You don’t have any?”
“…….”
“That’s how all the drifters are. Make sure to stock up from now on. In this changed world, that’s money.”
“Can’t I use other supplies? Like canned goods or bottled water?”
“Gusan even raises livestock. They say they have barbecue parties sometimes; do you think they’d accept canned food? They’re in the mountains, so they even have mineral springs.”
Damn it… The luxury goods I just passed by keep flickering before my eyes. If I had collected them all, I could have filled a whole warehouse.
“Should I lend you some?”
“Is that… possible?”
“Hey, of course. How could I not do that much for my partner?”
Hwang Gyunam laughed pleasantly. I had no shame, but for now, I nodded. If I went back and searched the places I’d already been, I could pay him back quickly.
“I’ll tell the leader. If you ask yourself, he might refuse. They usually keep an eye on new recruits for a certain period.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Don’t worry about it, let’s just call it a day for now. You must be tired, too.”
If he keeps doing this, I’m going to get attached, and that’s a big problem. I thought that as I watched Hwang Gyunam head down from the rooftop.
***
Thanks to getting off work early, I was able to help Cheonsa with her Korean studies for the first time in a while. The child seemed to cherish this time, sticking to me like a leech and refusing to let go. Do-jin was just staring at me with his tongue lolling out.
“Dad, how do you read this?”
“That’s a bit of a difficult word. Communication.”
“Communication?”
“It’s when Cheonsa and Dad talk to each other.”
“Wow! I like this word.”
The child copied it down in her crooked handwriting. Colored pencils, notebooks, sketchbooks. These were the things I’d brought back for Cheonsa instead of cigarettes and beer.
“Cheonsa, you like the color blue, right?”
“Yeah! I like this color the best. It looks like the sky.”
“Is that so?”
I inadvertently looked out the window. The sky had turned ash-gray, and it didn’t match the color blue at all. In my memory, it had always been that color, though.
“Dad! Look at this. I wrote it well, right?”
“My daughter is a genius, isn’t she?”
“Hehe. I’ll write it again.”
I stroked Cheonsa’s hair and watched endlessly as she wrote the word. Words written in different colors. Communication. Communication, communication.
“That’s right. There was a lack of communication.”
“No? Cheonsa and Dad talk a lot?”
“Not Cheonsa, Dad’s friends.”
“Why? Do they fight a lot?”
“Yeah. My friends only think about their own positions.”
Cheonsa looked at me with her bright, round eyes.
“Then they should just switch positions.”
“Switch?”
Sparks flew at the words the child had tossed out so casually. The inability to understand each other’s positions was the root cause of the internal conflict. What if the Search Team became the Guard Detail, and the Guard Detail became the Search Team? At the very least, they would come to know what the other’s grievances were.
“Maybe it could be solved easily.”
Why hadn’t I thought of this obvious thing? The answer was always close by. I hugged the child tightly.
“Cheonsa solved Dad’s problem again.”
“Really?”
“I should try telling Cheonsa everything from now on.”
“Then will you tell me stories about the outside every day?”
“Yeah. I will.”
The child giggled, clearly very happy. As I smiled contentedly, Do-jin’s tail-propeller started spinning. The moderately warm weather and the child’s laughter. It was happiness I couldn’t ask more of.