I'll Go Easy on You
Except for a few members of the perimeter guard, everyone had gathered in the village hall. The hall, which had been neglected for a long time, smelled dirty and musty.
“Manager, wouldn't it be better to just head straight to the resort? I don't see why we need to talk here of all places….”
At the KW Cops employee’s remark, Yoon Seol-hee shook her head.
“We haven't finished sorting things out with those people yet, so we can't just take them to the resort. It seems Lee Jun-ho wants to settle things here first and decide on a direction moving forward.”
“I mean, until an hour ago, those people were shooting at you, telling you to die, right? Damn it… I don't know what kind of conversation we’re supposed to have with bastards like that.”
As the employee glanced at Jun-ho and the people he had brought with him, Yoon Seol-hee turned a cold gaze toward him.
“Bae In-gyu. If it weren't for Lee Jun-ho, you and the others wouldn't be sitting here safely right now. Don't you know that?”
“Oh, that’s… Manager, I didn't mean it like that….”
“What do you mean, it’s not like that? He is our savior who helped us. Besides, he’s a close friend of the Representative. He came all the way here in this world purely because of the Representative, to help him. Can you do that, In-gyu?”
“…I’m sorry, Manager. I had a slip of the tongue.”
“It wasn't a slip of the tongue; it’s that you shouldn't have such thoughts in the first place. The same goes for everyone else. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Understood, Manager.”
The employees, wary of Yoon Seol-hee, answered hurriedly. The KW Cops staff, who had been through thick and thin with her for over half a year, knew exactly what kind of person she was. Even their direct superiors—the team leader and the department head, who were not present—could not stand up to her. In particular, the team leader had tried to challenge her early on, but after she told him to take off his rank insignia and fight, they really did clash. The staff had witnessed firsthand what it meant to be beaten like a dog on a dog-day or like dust on a rainy day. If Yoon Seol-hee hadn't gone easy on him, he might have ended up with broken bones or even dead.
Although he was from the Marine Special Reconnaissance Unit, the team leader, who had lived comfortably as a middle manager at a security firm like KW Cops, was no match for Yoon Seol-hee, a former Special Forces NCO and current bodyguard to the Representative who trained without rest. Moreover, the firearms and ammunition the employees were currently holding were almost all brought back by her after she took down the gangsters. Even setting aside the man she treated with such respect, if it weren't for her, some of them might not even be here.
“Manager Yoon Seol-hee.”
Jun-ho called out to Yoon Seol-hee, who had neatly settled the atmosphere.
“For now, use this to provide first aid to the wounded.”
Jun-ho pulled a first-aid kit from the backpack he had hidden in the vinyl greenhouse and handed it to her.
“Thank you. I can breathe a sigh of relief now. In-gyu.”
There were no fatalities, but since two employees had suffered gunshot wounds, Yoon Seol-hee accepted it with relief and handed it to Bae In-gyu.
“You said there were gunshot victims, right? Do you know how to remove bullet fragments?”
“Yes, yes. We have a former medic, so we can do it.”
“That’s good. Tell them to be careful when using antibiotics.”
“Yes. Th-thank you.”
When viewed from afar, he hadn't noticed, but standing right in front of him, Jun-ho’s physique and aura were truly overwhelming, so Bae In-gyu was momentarily intimidated and bowed his head deeply. Of course, his gratitude for being given two sets of the precious first-aid kits in this world without a second thought was even greater.
“Then, Manager, please come this way.”
“Yes.”
As Jun-ho and Yoon Seol-hee entered the small room where Kim Sun-woo’s group was waiting, the KW Cops employees finally let out the breath they had been holding.
“Whoa… look at those eyes and that aura. He looks like he could really kill a few people.”
“He actually did. The number of gangsters that guy shot dead today is over ten.”
“Thirteen, to be exact. And most of them were headshots.”
“He’s truly insane… he must be from the Special Forces like Manager Yoon Seol-hee, right?”
“I heard he’s from a special unit that works with the NIS and even goes into North Korea. I heard he killed dozens of gangsters in Namyangju all by himself. He also caught a ton of zombies.”
“He’s crazy, seriously….”
Rumors, starting from who knows where, began to spread, mixed with the truth. Also, although they didn't know it, the stories they were sharing now would soon spread to the southern part of the metropolitan area, centered around Gwangju.
“I am Kim Sun-woo. My rank is Lieutenant, and I was… in the Police Special Forces.”
“I am Yoon Seol-hee. I am an employee at Kangho Resort.”
At Yoon Seol-hee’s cold expression, Kim Sun-woo bowed his head respectfully again.
“I am truly sorry. I have no words even if I had ten mouths. I apologize once again.”
Yoon Seol-hee’s expression softened slightly at Kim Sun-woo’s attitude of offering a polite apology without making any excuses.
“…Since you had your reasons, I will accept it.”
Yoon Seol-hee looked over Kim Sun-woo and his group and continued.
“You are all former or current police officers? Are you all from the Police Special Forces?”
“Ah, no. Only Lieutenant Kim is from the Police Special Forces, and we are just former detectives or riot police. We were trained by the Lieutenant.”
“I see.”
Yoon Seol-hee looked at Kim Sun-woo with renewed eyes. No matter how much they were former or current police, teaching tactical movements at a level applicable to real combat in a short period was by no means easy. This meant that Kim Sun-woo was an exceptionally capable person.
“Now then, let’s discuss the important matters.”
As the tension between Kim Sun-woo and Yoon Seol-hee eased, Jun-ho stepped in.
“As I mentioned, Lieutenant Kim Sun-woo will cooperate with us. And originally, we should have discussed this in the presence of Baek-ho, but since we are short on time and the matter is urgent, Manager Yoon Seol-hee will have to make the decision.”
“A decision? Me?”
“Yes. For now, the plan I proposed and that Lieutenant Kim Sun-woo and these people agreed to join is as follows.”
Jun-ho conveyed brief information about the situation, the circumstances these police officers were in, and the story about Major Lee Seok-jin’s unit to her. Although her eyes twitched occasionally, Yoon Seol-hee listened to Jun-ho’s words calmly. Then, at the last sentence, she raised her eyes and asked back.
“Are you really saying that the ROK Army unit will strike Daeseonghoe?”
“Yes. I think there is a very high probability of that. I fought alongside that unit and experienced their commander. Crucially, that unit also needs to settle down somewhere.”
“…….”
“The original destination was the border between Gwangju or Yangpyeong-gun here. I heard they planned to establish a base there, reorganize the unit, and then decide what to do.”
“But didn't you say it was a unit that was in Pocheon? Why did they leave there and come down?”
At Kim Sun-woo’s question, Jun-ho turned his head toward him.
“There are too many military units there. Besides, if you cross a few mountains, there is a remnant unit of the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division, but it’s already become a warlord faction. If they get absorbed, they’ll end up as cannon fodder for the most dangerous operations. Major Lee Seok-jin didn't want that.”
“Ah….”
“On the other hand, the northern part of Gwangju or Yangpyeong-gun near the Namhan River, which is attached to Paldang Lake, is convenient for getting drinking water, and since the Gyeongui-Jungang Line passes through, there is no problem moving in an emergency.”
“Indeed, that’s why we also tried to occupy this village. Because the Gyeongancheon Stream is right next to it.”
At Yoon Seol-hee’s words, Jun-ho nodded.
“Yes. Anyway, that’s why Major Lee Seok-jin’s unit decided to go to Deokso. The residents are being treated like slaves by the gangsters, and once they occupy it, self-sufficiency becomes possible.”
“It meets the duties of the ROK Army, and the food supply problem disappears. Besides, you said Yeongho-ri, right? I know there is a reserve unit near there. By any chance…?”
Even though he hadn't brought it up yet, Yoon Seol-hee, who had already guessed what he intended to suggest to Major Lee Seok-jin later, marveled at her, and Jun-ho said,
“That’s correct. Later, when the situation allows, I plan to take our people and the soldiers left in Yeongho-ri and visit the reserve unit. Because of the ammunition.”
Including 5.56mm and 9mm, there were less than 3,000 rounds of subsonic ammunition left. Even though he had mostly used the modified air rifle, that was the case. So, Jun-ho needed 5.56mm and 9mm rounds, even if they weren't subsonic. If it were an operation requiring stealth like now, it would be different, but if a firefight were to break out near our shelter and Gahyeon-ri, there was no need to use subsonic ammunition. The most important reason for using silencers and subsonic ammunition on firearms was to avoid causing a ‘Zombie Wave.’ At least in Gahyeon-ri, there was no need to worry about a zombie wave anymore.
“Anyway, that’s a matter for later. Lieutenant Kim Sun-woo, you can return to Deokso as we discussed earlier. However, take only yourself and one other person.”
“Yes? Why is that?”
Kim Sun-woo narrowed his eyes, and his police colleagues’ expressions hardened. Anyone could tell that he was saying he would keep the others as ‘hostages.’
“What do you think will happen if only you all return alive?”
“…Ah.”
“Only two people barely survived and returned. You know what I mean, right?”
“Yes, I understand. Whew….”
“Why?”
When Jun-ho asked back, as if he still had complaints, Kim Sun-woo answered with a troubled face.
“Because of the other families. To deceive Daeseonghoe, don't we have to tell our families that they died? They’ll probably think they died because of them….”
That was it. These police officers were all cooperating with the gangsters because their families or precious people were held hostage. In the end, if they heard that they had died, their families would blame themselves greatly.
“It can't be helped. Still, since Major Lee Seok-jin’s unit will move quite quickly, they will be able to know the truth soon.”
“Yes. By the way, we need weapons to strike the leadership of Daeseonghoe from the inside, so what should we do about that?”
The gangsters only gave firearms to Kim Sun-woo and the police when they went outside, and they were thoroughly controlled and monitored inside.
“You know the location of the armory, right?”
“Yes? Ah, yes. But the gangsters are always guarding it, and the door lock requires a password and a fingerprint to open.”
At Kim Sun-woo’s words, Jun-ho took something out of his pocket and handed it to him.
“……!?”
Kim Sun-woo’s eyes widened as he received it in surprise. It was a finger that had been vacuum-packed with preservatives.
“It’s the thumb of that gangster bastard named Lee Woo-jung. The first six digits of the password are 696974, and the last two digits change from 1 to 7 depending on the day of the week. Today is Tuesday, so it would be 69697433.”
“6969…74.”
“Yes. As expected of gangster bastards, the password is quite cheap.”
At Jun-ho’s words, the former and current police officers chuckled. However, Jun-ho continued with a serious face.
“And Lieutenant Kim Sun-woo, please keep in mind what I said earlier.”
“……!”
Kim Sun-woo’s face stiffened. That was how important the words Jun-ho had given him earlier were, enough to be reminded of them like this again.
“Yes. I will… no, I must do so. No matter how I think about it, Lee Jun-ho’s words seem correct.”
“Your future depends on this. You’ve gone through the trouble of dealing with the gangsters, so there’s no need to live a hard life again.”
“…Understood.”
“Yes. Then, please decide who will return with the Lieutenant.”
“Sergeant Oh.”
“Yes.”
As Kim Sun-woo pointed without hesitation, a man with a sturdy impression stepped forward as if he had been waiting.
“I will go with him. He is from the Marine Reconnaissance Unit, so he is the best among us. They will believe it if we say we survived together with me.”
“I see. Then you two, please step forward a few paces.”
“Yes…?”
Kim Sun-woo and Oh Yong-mok looked puzzled. *Sreung.* Jun-ho held a commando dagger in his right hand and clenched his left fist, saying calmly,
“It would be a bit suspicious if you said you escaped without a single scratch. I’ll go easy on you.”
“Ah….”
Seeing Jun-ho’s thick forearms, his calloused fists, and the sharply honed commando dagger, the expressions of the two men darkened rapidly.
An hour later, Kim Sun-woo and Oh Yong-mok, whom Jun-ho had ‘gone easy on,’ left the village hall carrying firearms and various equipment. The remaining police colleagues saw off the two, who looked like defeated soldiers to anyone’s eyes, with eyes filled with worry and pity.
“Then shall we go now?”
“Yes. Please follow me.”
Jun-ho and Park Deok-cheol, led by Yoon Seol-hee, headed toward the resort with the KW Cops employees. Finally, the meeting with Kang Baek-ho, the biggest purpose of coming to Gwangju, was right before their eyes.