Chapter 73
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: After the Rain, Fort Roberts (3)
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The scenery on the way back to Fort Roberts was vastly different from before. The vast nearby lands were crisscrossed by thousands of straight furrows dug deep into the dark soil, giving the sensation of entering a massive farm field.
The farmland's area was expanding in real time. Dozens of U.S. military trucks towing seeders crawled along at a sluggish two miles per hour, drawing lines relentlessly. Of course, they weren't actually farming. What they were planting weren't seeds, but mines. As the large, thick plows sliced through the earth, mines dropped into the deep furrows, and wide metal plates pushed soil over to fill them.
An infantryman who had dismounted followed behind at a normal walking pace. His role was to visually confirm that the mines were properly buried.
‘Farmers sowing death.’
Winter found the odd metaphor he came up with amusing.
How many flames were waiting to sprout across that vast land?
A single automated mine-laying vehicle (M57 ATMDS) buried 2,300 mines in half a day. 「Combat Sense」 invoked 「Insight」. An estimate appeared on the augmented reality UI. Just in the visible range, around 27,000 were already planted.
All of them were anti-tank mines. Primarily a means to deny 「Grumbles」 access. With power to shatter tanks and blow apart armored vehicles, even a 「Grumble」 would die instantly if it stepped on one. They would threaten other special variants too. Most had considerable weight.
In Winter's view, there were pros and cons. Defense was certainly solidified. But escape routes would be limited in an emergency. The possibility was slim, but if the defensive line collapsed or infection spread inside the fortress, it would cause all sorts of problems.
The driver grinned and asked.
“Is that a love letter by any chance?”
Hm? Winter blinked, then looked down at his hand following the driver's mischievous glance. Oops. Unconsciously, he had been fiddling with the neatly folded letter paper the whole way here.
“It’s not that romantic.”
“Come on, don’t be like that. You seemed pretty seriously lost in thought while reading it. Who’s it from?”
All the fellow passengers showed curiosity. In current America, few were more famous than Winter. And a celebrity’s private life made for juicy gossip. Especially if it involved romance.
This could spark weird rumors. Winter shook his head.
“I told you, it’s not like that. For starters, it’s not even from a woman.”
“No way! So you’re into guys?”
“……”
It was a lame joke.
The sender of the letter introduced himself as a member of the 「Triad Society」 and the joint representative of survivors from Wah Sing Wo (和勝和) and Sui Fong Bong (水房幇).
In the letter, he lavishly praised Winter’s virtue and achievements with florid rhetoric before getting to the main point.
「Big Brother! We no longer wish to recognize Li Chenjian. It’s true he was once the Dragon Head of New Yi On (新義安), but to become Dragon Head again, he must go through the formal election process as per tradition.」
「Moreover, we were originally separate organizations from New Yi On. We know Big Brother sees us as the same bunch. Yes, broadly speaking, we fall under the Triad umbrella. But we hope you understand that even within that, there are divisions into organizations and lineages. Just as Triads exist within the Black Society.」
「However, we were few in number here, and we needed a place to entrust our families. That’s precisely why Li Chenjian has discriminated against us all this time. He broke his oath first to treat us as equal brothers. I hear Big Brother also stayed away from the Triad for that very reason. Truly wise.」
「Despite such discrimination, we had no choice but to endure. Because while under the Triad, we had turned our backs on our fellow countrymen. Independence would require sacrifices, and it was questionable if we could stand alone after our numbers dwindled.」
「What’s more, many among us are orphans and widows. When the Corpse Plague spread, other brothers stepped up to save our countrymen but never returned. As the White Paper Fan of Wah Sing Wo, I promised to take responsibility for their families in their stead. Sui Fong Bong’s situation is the same. Please don’t think we’re just thugs. In Chinese, refugees and gangsters share the same word (流氓).」
「Big Brother! Take us in. We wish to follow you, who always upholds righteousness (義), benevolence (仁), and chivalry (俠). You could become the inaugural Dragon Head of 「Harmony Water (和水)」, or fold us into your 「Winter Alliance」. We will repay the favor. We beg you.」
At the end of the letter, packed tightly with small writing to save paper, a postscript-like method for secretly contacting them was attached.
Assuming the letter’s contents were true, there was room for salvation. A gangster’s sins are the gangster’s responsibility. No need to hold their families jointly liable. If they were in dire straits, accepting their request was worth considering.
There were suspicious parts. Corpse Plague (屍瘡) was the Chinese name for the Morgellons plague. Meaning a disease that rotted skin like a corpse. In other words, during the North American West Coast infection spread, Wah Sing Wo and Sui Fong Bong criminals stepped up to save Chinese people? Really? Did human traffickers running gambling dens, selling women in brothels, and smuggling drugs have that kind of humanity?
Winter judged it fully possible.
‘Gangsters... what can you do. Image is everything for them. They might have really stepped up just to show off internally. They’d have collected protection money, right? Probably planned to hole up in some safe spot, bide their time, and come back.」
Or, with extremely slim odds, it could be a dramatic change in people facing a massive disaster.
In any case, it wasn’t a decision for Winter alone. He needed to consult at least the two deputy leaders. If only to show respect for them.
There was no rush.
Some vehicles entering the base headed straight to the construction site. The lumber dried by kilns and processed to spec was ready to use without further work.
Winter oversaw the material distribution process. At the request of cooperative organizations under the Alliance’s protection, to ensure no irregularities occurred. Whether the boy officer had oversight authority or not was irrelevant.
As he went around by sector watching materials unload, most people saw Winter as the one in charge. Even the engineer unit meant to supervise did.
“Gwam-eon! Gwam-eon!”
People here to receive materials expressed thanks to Winter. The Americans found it odd.
“What’re they calling you?”
“It means ‘thank you’ in their language. Not ‘come on.’”
“Ah.”
The refugee zone’s ethnic diversity was tremendous. Flooded with people from East Asia and Oceania, dozens of nationalities by citizenship alone.
But the population skewed heavily toward Korean, Chinese, and Japanese, with Australian and New Zealand refugees shipped to entirely different bases, and other nationalities just a handful. Most extremely, there was only one family from Tuvalu.
With so few, they were lumped into one residential area, across from the Chinese one. No chance of running into them normally.
Only after that did Winter head to the Alliance area. The Alliance’s sphere of influence was where construction started first. The groundbreaking ceremony had been here too.
“Boss, back now? You worked hard again today. Hahaha.”
An unfamiliar man approached. Dressed in thick clothes, with the Alliance’s snowflake knot armband on his right arm like a sash. It denoted mid-level executives. His smile had a slightly servile feel, his back naturally hunched.
“Ah, yes. Someone I’ve seen a few times... Sorry, what’s your name again?”
Winter asked even though he knew. The man’s mouth twitched faintly. For a moment. Then he grinned till his eyes vanished and introduced himself.
“Oh come on, no need to apologize. Busy with construction, easy to forget. Name’s Baek San-ho.”
“I see. Mind if I borrow your radio for a sec?”
“Sure! Here you go!”
Construction sites didn’t use military channels. Easier for Winter to borrow on-site than reconfigure his own. The man handed over the radio with exaggerated politeness. Meanwhile, workers on scaffolding above greeted Winter. Hello, sir. Hello, sir. The boy replied with a few simple nods, then radioed the deputies.
“Deputy Leader Jang Yeoncheol, Deputy Leader Min Wan-gi. This is Han Gyeowol. Do you read?”
「Yes. Go ahead.」
「Hearing you!」
“We need to discuss something, so please return to HQ for a bit.”
「On my way immediately.」 「Right away!」
The replies came almost simultaneously, overlapping. HQ was the very tent where Winter and Alliance members first met. Most residents had rotated out now. It served as the Alliance’s management office.
Winter returned the radio to Baek San-ho. Then he stared quietly at the man’s attire before offering a handshake.
“Then keep up the good work.”
“Haha, yes. You too, Boss.”
Baek San-ho’s bare hand was warm. Soft, without any roughness.
He dashed straight back to the construction site. People around turned to look once or twice. Some tilted their heads, others scowled alternating between him and Winter. It was far, but visible plainly with 「Personal Firearms Proficiency」 correction.
‘No sweat smell.’
Of course, work didn’t always mean sweating.
Winter gazed at his handshake hand. The late afternoon breeze between his fingers felt cold.
That guy, working outdoors on a windy, chilly day without gloves, hand warm, and moreover, no dirt or sawdust on it.
Winter looked at a drum barrel stuffed with firewood. Such rest spots were set up in several places, but few actually rested.
Even mid-level managers with snowflake knots were the same. All dressed lighter than the weather.
The boy shook his head.
‘I’ll tell him to cut it out before it goes too far.’
There was also the method of pointing it out and waiting for correction. That might be fairer. But the Alliance was a newborn organization. Trust in the initial executives was a key issue.
The line between what was fair and what to do was much like the limits Winter set for himself.
The HQ tent was nearly empty. A few men and women bowed their heads as Winter entered. In the corner sat a silent old man. Elder Kang Young-soon welcomed Winter’s return with a gentle smile. He signed with both hands, but it wasn’t sign language. It meant there was a note for him.
No need to fetch it right away. Winter gestured he’d see him shortly and went deeper in.
There stood a kerosene heater and a table. Winter dragged three chairs near the heater. As he sat by the fire to warm up, Jang Yeoncheol arrived first. Young and fit. Breathing rough, like he’d run. Winter pointed to the opposite chair.
“Have a seat. It’s a story that’ll take a little time.”
Min Wan-gi arrived a bit later. He gave Winter a slight nod and calmly took the last seat.
Winter explained the situation.
“……For those reasons, it seems we need to decide our stance. What do you two think?”
The replies diverged.
“I’m for it!” “I’m against.”
The former from Jang Yeoncheol, the latter from Min Wan-gi. Seeing the two deputies glance at each other, Winter naturally wore a faint smile.
============================ Author's Note ============================
1. Lately, the recommendation-to-view ratio feels off. Normally, 100 views should mean about 1000 recs, right?
What? Something weird?
No way. I learned math from a transparent dragon. I know subtracting 300 from 999 leaves 699.
I must be some kind of genius...
2. Now I can use sealbreaker. Only on page 3... Guess I just keep using till sunrise... Heh... *dramatic sob*...
3.
Q. Qing Liu Lian-nim: @No pure-hearted story from author yesterday, so I started a full reread of Hulkegnia. Read Hulkeg full seven times, Mausoleum seven too, but it feels fresh every time! You’ll announce new series in notices, right?
A. Whoa... Already expecting new work... But more than that, those reread counts... !!!
Won’t do notices for new series. When I started Mausoleum, I didn’t tell Hulkegnia readers for a while. Later they found it themselves and spread word via comments, so no point hiding anymore—announced in afterwords.
Q. Peach Blossom Garden-nim: @Thought innocence came from immature prefrontal cortex! Do all great ancients live in innocence world?!
A. Entrance to my Dreamland is in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Moving soon. :)
Q. RGZ95-nim: @I see... Guess I still lack innocence.. Will train more @[email protected]
A. Keep it up! Best way to cultivate innocence is textbook-focused study heavy on national language, English, math!
Q. Ajenjang-nim: Your mindset’s different from most authors lately. Usually they backstab readers for profit and go premium... Your content’s so good and voluminous I wanna tell you to go premium myself. (abridged)
A. No @ but wanted to address, so here.
Don’t think premium-switching authors are backstabbing... They have their own struggles.
Didn’t mention before as it’s not readers’ concern, but Joara recently revised terms, removing the settlement ratio clause. Instead of exact %, now “per service settlement policy.”
Asked, and they said revising terms every ratio change is a hassle. Meaning they’ll change ratios without term revisions henceforth.
They say they won’t disadvantage us, but who believes that.
Even if kept, unspecified revenue share contracts are invalid. Normal for authors to worry.