Motherfucker!
"G-Golden Heights itself is a luxury apartment complex. The smallest units start at 135 square meters, or about 40 pyeong. There are over a hundred units that are 50 pyeong or larger, and twelve royal-tier units that are 80 pyeong."
"One of those royal units was purchased by Yoo Young-jae, the CEO of Selenix. Do you know the bio-company Selenix? It’s the one researching anti-aging and cell regeneration or something. It was all over the news for hitting a market cap of over a trillion won the moment it went public."
"Anyway, Yoo Young-jae was super close with the VIP room, so he was on good terms with our big boss, too. That’s how he got a royal unit at Golden Heights for cheap. But after the world went to hell, Yoo Young-jae started saying he needed Alpha zombies. He said we might be able to control them... that if we played our cards right, we could even achieve eternal life without turning into zombies."
Jun-ho recalled the story he’d heard from An Jun-tae, the information chief he’d captured at the Cheongsan Building in Mok-uri.
"Yoo Young-jae! Yoo Young-jae is actually doing something! The boss listened to that bastard and told us to go catch zombies. P-please, spare me."
Lee Woo-jung, the action leader who handled the field work and was captured today, didn’t know the technical details. But he knew about the CEO of Selenix, Yoo Young-jae, and the fact that he was doing something at a certain location in Golden Heights with the support of the syndicate. It meant it was true: this man named Yoo Young-jae was plotting something using Alphas. Jun-ho relayed a summary of this to Kang Baek-ho, who was, naturally, horrified.
"I’ve never met him, but I know of Selenix... Is he a lunatic?"
"He’s a lunatic, alright."
Researching Alphas to achieve evolution and eternal life? If that were possible, the massive pharmaceutical companies in the U.S.—the so-called 'Big Pharma'—would have succeeded first. A bio-company with a market cap of a trillion won is nothing more than a child’s plaything compared to overseas giants worth hundreds of billions of dollars. In terms of performance, research standards, and technology, they are leagues apart.
"I think he just lost his mind because of how the world turned out. It’s a mix of fear and baseless confidence. If I’m being generous, it might make sense if he were at his company’s headquarters or a lab. But in an apartment complex? He’s out of his mind."
"I suppose so. The ignorant gangsters must have been swayed because an expert like Yoo Young-jae was spouting nonsense about cells and bio-tech."
"Nine times out of ten, that’s exactly it."
Jun-ho concluded that Yoo Young-jae and his leadership were just another group of insane people common in the apocalypse. Even before his regression, there were other groups and individuals just like them. The cult that had encountered Baek Ha-il was a prime example. They were madmen who believed the zombie apocalypse was divine punishment and that Alphas were God’s Apostles, and that we, as sinners, ought to serve them and offer sacrifices. So, the absurd pipe dreams of the syndicate didn't surprise him.
"The problem is that these psychopaths are targeting Alphas in the countryside and stirring up trouble. In the city, it’s hard to even fire a gun, and the Alphas are stronger, so it’s much more dangerous."
"Ha! So that’s why those sons of bitches came all the way down here?"
"Yes. Of course, they took a big hit this time, so they won’t come back for a while. Their goal is survival, and Alpha hunting is just a side gig for them. But as time passes, they will definitely return."
"I bet. You can’t change the nature of trashy gangsters. Tsk."
Kang Baek-ho clicked his tongue, then tilted his head.
"But tell me. Regardless of their motives, isn’t it true that those gangsters are killing zombies to catch Alphas? If Alphas disappear from places like rural villages, it’ll be safer, right? So, is there really a downside?"
It was a reasonable point at first glance. But that was a thought one could only have if they didn’t know much about Alphas.
"That’s true. But Alphas communicate with each other, Hyung-nim."
"What? For real?"
"Yes. I don’t know the mechanism, but just as they use zombies as slaves, they communicate among themselves. They fight each other, but they also cooperate. Now, tell me, do you think the Daeseonghoe gangsters haven’t missed a single Alpha they’ve targeted so far?"
"There’s no way they haven’t."
"Exactly. There’s no way. Quite a few of them must have escaped. And they would have told the other Alphas what was happening. If other Alphas find out about this, how do you think they’ll act?"
"......!"
"There are humans targeting their own kind, and those humans only try to catch the weak ones. Once an Alpha realizes that... what choice do you think they’ll make?"
Kang Baek-ho’s expression stiffened instantly and turned dark. There was no need to think about it.
"They’ll try to get stronger. By eating a lot of people."
"Yes. Eventually, the territorial disputes between Alphas will become fierce. And it’s not like they’ll all fight their own kind to secure territory and food. Some will head to new regions. And the ones that win those fights will keep trying to get stronger. By eating even more."
"So, in the end, they’ll all head to new places where people are gathered?"
"Yes. Like this resort, for example."
"Ha..."
Only then did Kang Baek-ho realize what kind of catastrophe the syndicate’s actions would bring. Driven by delusional greed, they were accelerating the destruction of a world that was already hell on earth.
"Hearing you say that, I definitely can’t leave those bastards alone. Alright. I’ll cooperate for now. But, uh..."
As if something had occurred to him, Kang Baek-ho smacked his lips and continued.
"Even though I’m the representative here, I can’t just do whatever I want, you know? I have to discuss it with Manager Cheol-woo, Manager Seol-hui, and the head of the KW Cops. I also need to talk to the representatives of the people living in our resort."
"Yes."
"Well, most of the time they just follow what I tell them... Ugh! Anyway, I’ll handle it. You just need to show up and talk. Anyway, that’s that. Juno-Juno, I don’t think you came all the way here just because of the Daeseonghoe gangsters. Am I right?"
"You’re right, Hyung-nim. I have other business."
The reason he hadn't tried to pull Kang Baek-ho into his camp from the start, and had only sought him out now that some time had passed.
"You’re lacking a lot of things here, right? I can help you. In exchange, I need you to help me, too."
"Ho-oh? So we’re making a deal? A win-win?"
As expected of someone who had long managed a business as a third-generation chaebol, Kang Baek-ho understood exactly what Jun-ho was saying.
"Yes. It’s definitely a win-win. I heard from Manager Yoon Seol-hui and Manager Park Cheol-woo on my way here that you’re short on firearms? I can provide some excellent air rifles. They’re much more powerful than the ones your staff is using now. They have an effective range of about 150 meters."
"Whoa? For real?"
"Yes. Manager Yoon Seol-hui told me you only need 30 of them for now. I’ll also give you the tungsten and metal materials for the ammunition."
"Tungsten?"
"Yes. Tungsten pellets are much more powerful than lead ones. Whether it’s a zombie or a human, if you hit them in the head within the effective range, they’re dead. Plus, the report is quiet, so they’re often better than standard rifles that draw all the aggro with a single shot."
"Wow! Then I’d be really grateful. But Juno-Juno, do you have anything else besides guns?"
Jun-ho grinned at Kang Baek-ho, who was asking just in case.
"Of course I do. What do you need?"
"Hmm?"
"Machinery, equipment, medicine. And I heard you don’t have many seeds here, I can give you those, too. But there’s something I really need in return—would that be okay?"
"......"
At the offer that he could give him almost anything he needed, Kang Baek-ho grew a bit worried about what he would have to give in return. But what he’d just heard was too important and necessary for this place to refuse. Above all else:
'My gut isn't wrong.'
Ultimately, Kang Baek-ho nodded readily.
"I can’t exactly 'double down' on that... but let’s hear it. What do you want?"
"Is this the place?"
"Yes. The celebrities usually stay on this floor. No one can come up here without the permission of the CEO or Somi-ssi."
The KW Cops employee guided Park Deok-cheol with great kindness. While Jun-ho had played the biggest role, it was true that they had easily struck the remnants of the gangsters thanks to Park Deok-cheol’s sniping from the rooftop. In a way, he was a lifesaver and a comrade-in-arms. Moreover, since he had the permission of the CEO, Kang Baek-ho, he guided Park Deok-cheol directly to the front of the lodging on the resort’s top floor.
"The Blossom members stay in this room. A few other female idols are staying with them, too. As you know... so many people died or turned into zombies that day that there isn’t a single group with all its members intact."
"Yeah..."
Since his own group and his sister Park Seon-hui’s group were in the same boat, Park Deok-cheol nodded with a heavy heart.
"Then."
"W-wait a second."
As the employee was about to press the doorbell, Park Deok-cheol said hurriedly.
"Hey, do I look okay? Do I look presentable?"
"Huh? Oh, yes. Well... you look fine."
He didn’t look particularly great after the camping and fighting that had lasted from Namyangju to here. But the employee looked Park Deok-cheol up and down and smiled awkwardly, noting that he still had the aura of an idol.
"Phew, that’s a relief. T-then, please."
"Yes."
It wasn’t like it was hard to press a doorbell and help someone meet the people inside. But seeing Park Deok-cheol fidgeting with anticipation and nerves, the employee found himself getting nervous too, swallowing hard as he pressed the button.
Ding-dong. Ding-dong.
"......"
There was no answer. Ding-dong. Ding-dong. The employee had no choice but to press it again. Just as he was about to press it once more when there was still no reaction from the room:
BANG!
"Who is it? Don’t you know this is restricted to authorized personnel only... Huh? Why is the combat team here?"
The person who opened the door halfway—the lodging where only female idols, including the Blossom members, were supposed to live—was a man. And not just any man, but a thug-like guy still wearing dangling earrings, necklaces, and sunglasses in this day and age.
"...Why is LD-ssi here?"
"Me? I’m just here to comfort the girls because they said they were scared. I’m their senior singer, after all."
"Is that so? And did you get permission from the CEO or Somi-ssi?"
Since no one could enter without the permission of Kang Baek-ho or the singer-actress Somi (real name Kim Young-mi), who was his girlfriend and responsible for the celebrities, the employee asked in a sharp voice.
"Hey, what’s with the 'permission' between us? Besides, Somi-noona left the security of this floor to me. Celebrities should be protected by celebrities. There are already a ton of guys trying to hit on our juniors..."
- Stop it... please, stop...!
Just then, a woman’s voice, sounding as if she were crying, came from inside the room, and the rapper LD (Lab Dragon), who claimed to have a master’s degree in engineering, looked flustered.
"Ah, we’re playing a game, a game. Games are the best for lowering tension and setting the mood, right? We’re just arguing a bit while playing."
- Please. If you keep doing this...
- Hey, don’t you know how I feel? Why are you like this when you know?
- S-senior. Please stop. The unnie says she doesn’t like it.
Even in the meantime, voices that were not the tone or atmosphere of people playing a game continued to drift out from the room.
"I’ll check for myself."
The KW Cops employee, having heard it clearly, tried to open the door, but LD frowned and blocked the gap.
"Are you crazy? You know no one can come in here, right? Are you the one who got permission from the resort CEO and Somi-noona?"
"What? No, right now..."
"I got permission, though?"
"Huh?"
Park Deok-cheol, who had been standing outside the partially opened door and hadn't been seen, suddenly appeared.
"I got permission from the CEO here. So, I will enter."
"Wh-what? Who are you? No, this bastard!?"
As Park Deok-cheol pushed his body forward, LD spat out profanities and tried to block him. But LD, who was as thin as a dried anchovy, was no match for Park Deok-cheol, who was naturally tall, had good stamina, and had trained specifically for this expedition. With the employee joining in, the door opened easily, and the two entered the entryway.
And at that very moment.
"Senior, stop it. If you keep doing this, I’m going to tell Somi-sunbaenim..."
"You fucking bitch? Are you threatening me now? You want to die?"
A man who looked similar to LD in attire and impression raised his hand high toward a girl whose large eyes were brimming with tears.
"Cherry!?"
Seeing the woman he had wanted to meet so badly about to be assaulted, Park Deok-cheol’s eyes turned bloodshot.
"U Motherfucker! You fucking bastard!"
WHAM! THUD!
"Uh...? Kugh!"
Park Deok-cheol charged like a bull toward the man who was standing awkwardly with his eyes wide open and his hand raised, and delivered a dropkick.