Approaching Disaster (3)
I clear out the warehouse. I load the cart, starting with the items closest to their expiration dates. I take all of them outside and pack them into the truck, then head to the nearby orphanage.
"Oh my. You've come again."
The people at the orphanage unload what I've brought. For me, it’s just disposing of things I no longer need, but their expressions are bright. It makes sense, given the sheer volume. With this much, the kids will be fed for a good while. I drop off all the goods I loaded and return immediately. The people at the orphanage always want to give me something in return, but I have no desire to receive anything. Zucchini, eggplants, things grown in their garden. I don't really cook, so there's no reason for me to take them. They’d just become a burden. They’d turn into food waste and just waste my trash bags. But why do they keep trying to give them to me even though I refuse every time? They should know better by now and stop.
It’s not that I don’t understand. That’s just what affection is. But receiving everything they offer is a different matter. I’m not exactly in need. Anyway, since I’ve emptied it, I have to fill it back up. That’s what a food warehouse is for. I don’t know when the world will collapse, but I need to make sure that even if it happens right now, it can fulfill its purpose from that moment on.
The problem is that no matter how much food I stockpile, there’s a limit. The expiration date. Eventually, everything will reach a point where it can’t be eaten and must be thrown away. I’ve stuffed the place with plenty of powders and canned goods, but that alone isn't enough. It means that relying solely on stored food has its limits.
I don’t know how the world will end. I don’t know how many people will die. Therefore, the best-case scenario is that the ruined world can stabilize once again. At least to the point where I don't have to worry about food. That is the biggest reason I drew Baek Jin-ho into this. I can manage survival on my own. However, what comes after is impossible to handle alone. No matter how much I prepare and plan, the end will eventually come. So, I must at least prepare the possibility of overcoming the crisis and rebuilding. That is the Seonyang Group, and that is Baek Jin-ho.
But even so, there is a problem. When such a situation actually arises, will Baek Jin-ho really show me favor? Of course, since he was able to prepare thanks to me, if he knows the gratitude he owes, he will treat me with some level of respect. But is it right to rely solely on that and hold out until then? No. That is not the case. People's hearts are fickle. I cannot entrust everything to a faith that guarantees nothing. A contract? It’s meaningless. What use is a contract when there’s no one to enforce it?
So, I must possess a weapon. There was a time when I thought that meant a gun, but that’s too barbaric. It’s meaningless, too. Once you point a gun at someone, that relationship is beyond repair. That would be the stupidest thing to do. It would be pathetic.
Utility. Or necessity. Even if the world ends, those who are meant to live will live. That must be because those people have value. I need to become a person so important that even if heavily armed men point weapons at me and threaten me, they won't even blink. I need to make it so they can’t harm me even by mistake, and instead, they’ll be crawling at my feet.
Antihistamines will be that weapon of mine. If the acidic mucus spores get worse in the future, they will only get worse, not better. Therefore, antihistamines that are effective for respiratory diseases are essential. But that alone isn't enough. So, I need to buy and collect other things as well. But what would be good? Nothing comes to mind immediately. Maybe alcohol and cigarettes? Even if the world ends and people are worrying about what to eat the next day, there will definitely be people looking for alcohol and cigarettes. I can guarantee it. There’s no way there won’t be. So, stockpiling alcohol and cigarettes isn't a bad choice. First of all, both are easy to store. The older the alcohol, the better. Even just soju has no expiration date. Foreign liquor is even more so. So, as long as I store them well, it’s fine. I don’t have to worry about direct sunlight or anything like that, so I’m not concerned. Cigarettes shouldn't be a problem either, as long as I’m careful about humidity. Well, they might get a little weird if left for a long time, but I doubt the guys smoking them will care by then. They’ll just be grateful that they exist. They’ll desperately beg for just one stick.
But alcohol and cigarettes aren't enough. They can be powerful tools for negotiation, but they aren't items you’d die without. Well, some might feel like they’re dying, though. Medicine is definitely better. The problem is that medicine has a short shelf life. Besides, I’ve already prepared as much as I could while preparing the antihistamines. I’ve stockpiled most disposable items and hygiene tools as well. I need something directly linked to survival.
For now, nothing comes to mind. Maybe water? Groundwater pumped from deep within the bedrock will do its job even when the water supply is contaminated and it becomes difficult to obtain proper water. So, what I can do now is drill for extra groundwater. The problem is that to do that, I have to buy the land in that area, right? Besides, if it gets too far from where I am, that’s meaningless too. It would just be a one-time trading tool.
Still, I’ll do it. It’s not like I’m short on money. Why hesitate? Even if it’s not a lot, it’s worth doing in at least two places. I’ve scouted two rural villages a bit of a distance from my home. Fortunately, the house prices in those places are cheap. Even in Yongin, at this price, it’s well worth doing. I didn't tear down the houses or anything. I just installed a water tap in the yard. To anyone else, it looks like a dilapidated, abandoned house. But not many people know that the water here flows perfectly. So, I’ll just leave it be. I just need to wrap it well so it doesn't freeze in the winter. I’ll come by occasionally to turn it on once in a while.
I’m preparing like this, but the thought that something is still missing keeps nagging at me. Everything I’m preparing can be looted. Things that can be taken away even without me. In an urgent situation, they could even kill me to take them. That shouldn't happen. If possible, I must create a situation where they cannot kill me no matter what. The knowledge in my head. That cannot be taken unless I open my mouth. So, in the end, I must accumulate knowledge. So that even if the world ends, I can be treated as a valuable talent. So that anyone who wants to kill me will hesitate, even if only for a moment.
The best thing is medicine. However, it is too late to start medicine now. Six years of medical school. There is no guarantee that the world will be intact by then. Besides, medical school isn't a place you can just go to because you want to. It’s not like a neighborhood mart. Pharmacy is the same. It wouldn't be easy there either. So, I’m giving up on the regular curriculum. In fact, it’s true that doctors and pharmacists are valuable, but they aren't omnipotent just because the world has ended. You can’t save a dying person without sterile products or an operating room. It’s not for nothing that I gave information to Baek Jin-ho. You can just leave those things to the experts. If necessary, I can use them through negotiation and bargaining.
What I need to do is clear. The threats that will arise as plants increase in the future. Knowledge about them. Fortunately, I have the Doctor, an authority on molecular biology who is with numerous experts. I have the countless materials he sent me. And since I’m still in contact with him, I can get feedback on the materials at any time. So, I must know more about that side than anyone else. It’s also familiar since that’s what I’ve been looking at for the past few years.
I’m putting all the information I have into my head. So that I can know it without having to look up the materials. Even if I can’t refer to them in a worst-case scenario, I’ll remember everything. Memorization is hard. If I were good at that, I would have gone to a better university. If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have gone to the physics department, but at least to something like the biology department. I should have listened to the Doctor. Tsk.
My brain has stiffened, so studying again was quite difficult, but since I’m not doing it by force, it’s at least better. Studying for myself, for my survival. Memorization. So, I do it quietly. The motivation itself is different from when you’re forced to do it. Efficiency drops when you do something you hate. This is something I want to do. So, memorization is going pretty well. The question is how much I can remember.
Meanwhile, in my spare time, I practiced using a sling. A sling. The best long-range striking tool you can use if you just have a string and stones scattered everywhere. Since guns became impossible, I tried to bring in a hunting composite bow to use. However, that is also quite tricky to handle. Besides, I didn't like the fact that arrows are finite. So, I chose the sling. A string is easy to carry, and it’s hard to think of just a string as a weapon. Moreover, the power of a sling is tremendous. A stone spun around with a string can exceed 140 km/h even when thrown by an amateur. The range also easily exceeds 200 meters, and if it hits a direct target like the head, it can even lead to instant death. The problem is that you have to be able to hit the target. So, I practiced with the sling. Since stones are everywhere, practicing isn't difficult. If I find a pretty stone, I collect it. Ones that are round or oval and well-shaped. Those go further. And they hit harder when they land.
Whir, whir, whir! Whoosh! Thwack!
The sling I spun hit the target about three spans above and to the left of the center and bounced off. It’s hard, as expected. Aiming is difficult. Still, if it’s the size of a person, I can hit the body about six out of ten times. But this isn't enough. I have to be more accurate. I might not be given the time to throw twice. So, I must be able to hit it in one blow by surprise. To do that, there’s no choice but to throw it diligently. Even an aim-idiot like me will improve if I keep doing it.
Time passes like that again. My head gets hot, and calluses form on my hands. The orphanage received food a few more times, and I met Baek Jin-ho a few more times. A guy with a bright expression. He hasn't told me about the power source yet, but he’ll figure it out on his own. He’s not doing that for me, is he? He’s doing it to survive himself. And just as summer passed and autumn was coming, a truly serious incident finally occurred in the world.