Yes, It's A Miracle (7)
"Hmm. As I thought, it's information. Food or daily necessities are nice, but I can't take those with me right now. So, I have to take what is both the lightest and the heaviest."
"That's an interesting way to put it. The lightest yet heaviest thing, you say."
"You could also call it the most useless yet most important thing."
"True. I agree."
This man, the Team Leader, has a certain level of manners. That makes talking to him easy. However, I have to be just as cautious. Being this calm could also mean he's incredibly cunning.
"However, since this is our first trade, I think I need to be a bit cautious. I was acting a bit bold earlier, but in reality, I don't want to get shot and die either. To be honest, I was trembling quite a bit inside. I was genuinely worried you might actually pull the trigger."
"You didn't look like that at all."
"I had to, because momentum is important in those moments. Who could be composed in front of a gun barrel? Even now, just thinking about a gun barrel pointed at me from somewhere makes my knees weak."
At that, the corners of the Team Leader's eyes twitched slightly. Right. Having a rifle means sniping is also possible. The distance between where I am and where they emerged from is only a few dozen meters. At this range, there would be plenty of guys who could accurately shoot me in the forehead with a rifle. Any sergeant who finished their service in the Republic of Korea Army could do that easily.
"You're being overly humble."
"Well, I'm just being honest. I don't particularly like recklessness either. So, I don't want to be shot dead the moment I hand over all the information. And it's hard to be certain about that. It's not like I can verify it myself."
The Team Leader stared at me for a moment, then held his gun out to me, grip-first.
"What is this?"
"Take it. And aim it at me."
Hearing that, I was quite impressed inside. It's not easy to do something like this. Is he really using himself as a hostage to force trust?
"I won't refuse. I'm not in a position to be picky."
I took the rifle. I checked the magazine once, loaded it immediately, confirmed the selector was on single-fire, and fired a shot into the sky. A clean gunshot rang out: Bang! Having confirmed the gun was in working order, I immediately handed it to Arjun. Arjun would be much better at this than me. I'm just a guy who talks; I'm not exactly a sharpshooter.
Arjun took the gun and aimed it at the Team Leader with a very familiar posture. Wow. That stance is killer. He looks like some kind of special agent. It would be hard to pull off this kind of atmosphere with just a jungle knife at his waist and a rifle, but he does it.
The Team Leader also seemed impressed by Arjun's stance. He probably feels it more clearly than I do. Seeing that movement and this posture, he must know Arjun isn't an ordinary human.
"Is it a bit fairer now?"
"Actually, I'm satisfied just with this bold proposal of yours, Team Leader. Unless we're in a truly worst-case scenario, I doubt fire will be spewing from that muzzle."
"I hope so too. There's no need for the few people left to be aiming for each other's lives. We're busy enough just trying to survive by working together."
"I agree. I like talking to you, Team Leader; we understand each other well. If it weren't for that friend earlier, our conversation would have been much smoother."
"When this is over, I'll have to give him a stern warning. I'll reflect on it myself, too."
This is enough. The introduction seems appropriate. So, now I'll get to the main point.
"Hmm. Good. Then let's make the price of the information this rifle and the ammunition you gave me. And one question. Do you have more ammunition?"
"There's plenty of ammunition. How much do you need?"
Did they really raid a military base? If so, ammunition would be overflowing. Enough that I wouldn't have to worry about bullets for a while.
"Give me a reasonable amount. Anyway, bullets are only used on people. Zombies don't die from being shot."
"Yes. That's true."
If zombies died from guns, they wouldn't be driving trucks out or cowering like this right now. They would have already wiped everything out.
"Alright. Then, here is my question. How many people are here?"
The Team Leader couldn't answer immediately. That's expected. Answering honestly would feel like revealing his hand, and hiding the number would leave a bad taste in his mouth. Lying requires skill, too. And since he hesitated like this, he won't be able to lie.
"If you're asking for the total headcount, it's 32."
32 people. That's more than I thought. Were the men clearing the snow not everyone? Were there shift workers too?
"Understood. Thank you for answering. Then, it's my turn, right?"
"That's right."
"I was able to walk among the zombies as if it were nothing because of this item. I don't know what it is either. However, if you open this and wear it around your neck, you can walk among zombies for about a day. Like magic."
As I pointed to the lymph node pouch hanging around my neck, the Team Leader examined Arjun's neck as well, nodded, and asked again.
"It's hard to believe, but I saw it with my own eyes, so I can't deny it. Since you said you don't know what it is, I assume you're getting it from somewhere?"
"Yes. That's right."
"Can you tell me where you get it? Could we get it too?"
"To answer that, I'd have to ask another question. The previous trade ended with me answering."
"You're stingy. I think you could afford to be a little more generous."
"A trade must be certain. Generosity only comes when trust has been built between parties."
"Whew. Is that so? Understood. If I get greedy for no reason, my hair, which is already starting to recede, will probably fall out even faster."
The Team Leader seemed to think he was making a joke, but it didn't sound like one at all. If anything, I felt a bit of pity. No, wait—was this his plan all along?
"Then, may I ask a question?"
"It's one question for one answer, right? Taking turns?"
"That's correct."
"Understood. Go ahead and ask."
I pondered for a moment. Then, I asked something I'd been curious about since I first discovered this place.
"Do you know Baek Jin-ho?"
As soon as the name Baek Jin-ho left my lips, the Team Leader's eyes narrowed. He knows him. And his reaction isn't friendly.
"How do you know that name?"
"The answer comes first. Answering a question with a question is a foul."
The Team Leader took a deep breath, nodded, and spoke.
"I see. My mistake. Baek Jin-ho. I know him. Now, it's my turn, right? How do you know Baek Jin-ho?"
"Since the world ended, I've survived by wandering around and meeting survivors, so I've heard various stories. Information is the same. That's how I came to know. Then, it's my turn again. In that case, this means there's a secret bunker for Samyang built by Baek Jin-ho here, right? A bunker with an AI smart farm or an AI ranch?"
Come to think of it, Suwon was where I saw his smart farm and ranch before. So it's not strange that there's one here. This Suwon facility is practically Samyang's headquarters.
"I'm curious just how much you know. That's right. This place is the bunker you mentioned. Now, it's my turn. That thing you have around your neck. Can we get it too?"
"I'd have to ask the Doctor about that. It's not something I can decide."
"Doctor? Is that the person who sells those items?"
"Yes. That's right."
Is 'Doctor' a bit weird? But I couldn't think of a better title. So, it can't be helped.
"Hmm... If we can buy it, what do we have to buy it with?"
"That depends on the situation. I have to get what the Doctor demands to receive these."
"It doesn't seem like the items are impossibly hard to get."
"Yes. That's right. Then, it's my turn again. Where did Baek Jin-ho go?"
"Baek Jin-ho ran away as soon as the first zombie appeared in the bunker. The entire Samyang family ran away."
"They ran away?"
"Yes. Leaving countless people behind. Then, how many of those items can we get? Is there a limit to the quantity?"
"I don't know exactly. I've only traded one or two at a time."
"Hmm..."
The Team Leader stared at the distant mountains, lost in thought. However, I didn't give him the chance and spoke immediately.
"Do you have any more questions? If not, may I ask my final question?"
The Team Leader looked at me blankly for a moment before answering.
"Go ahead."
"Your bunker. Would it be possible for me to take a look around?"
"There's nothing impossible about it, but I'd have to receive a price for that as well."
"We have to go back out anyway. So, while we're leaving, we'll clear out plenty of zombies for you. Enough for you to pass through safely."
At my words, the Team Leader pondered for a moment. Only then did he realize the situation again. We had asked questions fairly, one by one, but we are still the ones in power. They are the ones in a subordinate position. We could just walk away right now and that would be the end of it, but they can't move an inch from here.
"And as a service, I'll give you this too."
When I took out the medicine bottle, the Team Leader asked with a suspicious expression.
"What is that?"
"It's a medicine that prevents you from turning into a zombie if you take it."
The Team Leader's eyes widened. Then, he spoke in a voice full of suspicion.
"Is there... such a thing?"
"I don't know exactly. But considering we're walking among zombies like this and haven't turned yet, wouldn't it have some effect?"
The conflict was clearly visible. That's why the Team Leader couldn't answer right away. In any case, Arjun and I had walked among the zombies with confidence. Since that alone explains so much, this man has no choice but to believe me.
"Amazing. Truly amazing. But why do you want to see the bunker?"
"I'm not trying to sell information anywhere. I need to see how much capacity you have so I can add items to my trade list. If I need something, I can just come to you to get it, can't I?"
"...That makes sense. Alright. Understood. Let's make the trade."
"A good decision. Then, please lead the way. Oh, and I'll maintain this state until I've seen the whole bunker. That way, I can feel at ease."
"Let's do that. That's not difficult."
Saying that, the Team Leader turned around. And Arjun and I followed him inside.