1979, Manager Kim is Inheriting Dictatorship! - Chapter 108



Only Krnovel

Episode 108

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

West Virginia, mountain mama

Take me home, country roads

The bus, having left Gwacheon, passed Ansan and entered a quiet local road.

The outside scenery changed from a city full of buildings to a countryside with mountains and trees.

At that moment, a lovely country song was playing on an old cassette player that Yebin had found.

I hummed this quietly and turned my gaze to the back seats where my companions were sitting.

“Sister, can I leave this here?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

At first, everyone sat there with nervous expressions for a while, not knowing what would happen.

But as the leisurely situation continued, everyone seemed to have adapted and went about their own business.

Maybe it’s because I’ve always traveled by bike and on foot, and this is my first time taking a bus.

I felt excitement without even realizing it from the busy group and family.

“Brother, it’s a crossroads.”

“Turn left.”

Meanwhile, Private Lee Hyeon-su took the wheel, and I volunteered to navigate the car.

Safety first, safety second, the bus continued to move forward slowly and slowly.

‘Not bad.’

I was worried that the road might be cut off in the middle, but it was in better condition than I thought.

Of course, there were empty checkpoints and infected people here and there, but those were minor incidents.

The trip to Dangjin was smooth sailing, except that the driver was a little tired.

“older brother.”

At that moment, Private Lee Hyeon-su, who was bored with the continuous driving, yawned briefly and spoke to me.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Is it important?”

“No, just some trivial stuff.”

“Okay, then.”

Another role of the passenger seat is to keep talking to the driver so that he or she does not become drowsy.

Since we continued to go straight for a while, I put down the map and talked to Private Lee Hyeon-su.

“You said you worked at the National Intelligence Service.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Are you by any chance a special agent or something? You know, like the 007 in the movies.”

“It’s similar, but a little different from the movie.”

“Right? Well… … .”

A movie is just a movie.

Because the reality was worse than that.

However, Private Lee Hyeon-su seemed to have understood it the other way around and smacked his lips in disappointment.

I chuckled at that sight, and while we were on the subject, we continued our chatter.

“But how did you end up in there?”

“National Intelligence Service?”

“Yes, I was just wondering if there was a reason.”

That’s why… What on earth was the reason that my classmates who came to the training center at that time had?

Patriotism? Money? Fame? Honestly, I never thought about what came first.

After thinking about it carefully for a while, I could only come to one conclusion.

“That was all I was good at.”

“I guess you’re a good fit.”

I just ran away from home and joined one of the best units in South Korea as a non-commissioned officer.

There, he ran better than others, fought better than others, and made quicker decisions than others.

Before I knew it, I was holding a letter of recommendation in one hand and heading to the training center.

There probably wasn’t a reason until then.

Because it just floated around helplessly like a buoy and naturally settled in one place.

Private Lee Hyeon-su, who had been listening to my story with a serious expression, glanced at me and asked.

“Do you have any regrets, hyung?”

“Regret… … .”

The day I first received my training, the day I was assigned my first mission, the day the project disappeared, the day I was threatened using my family as an excuse, every day was a day I regretted.

But ironically, now that I’ve met my family and friends, for the first time in my life, I don’t regret the past.

“well.”

Of course, I hid my true feelings and ended with a short answer of “Well, I guess” and a quiet smile.

Private Lee Hyeon-su tilted his head in disappointment at the ambiguous answer.

“Huh!”

Squeak!

“Whoa!”

While we were having such an interesting conversation, the bus suddenly stopped.

In an instant, my body tilted forward, and the people behind me let out a short scream.

Startled, I quickly grabbed the seat handle and turned my gaze toward the front of the bus.

“I’m sorry, bro. Over there in front… … .”

As expected, a large rock was blocking the road the bus was supposed to pass through.

I picked up the weapon I had left next to my seat and got off the bus with my companions.

And after looking around cautiously for a while, he slowly approached the road filled with mud.

“It’s a landslide.”

The road was filled with debris and rocks that had collapsed from the mountain right next door.

It appears that the landslide occurred as the snow and ground that had been frozen solid all winter melted.

The scale of the disaster was larger than expected, and the entire road and guardrail were sunk.

Clearing this away was beyond human power and would require heavy equipment such as an excavator.

I frowned, took out the map I had put away for a moment, and started looking for a detour.

“Is there a way?”

“No, there isn’t anything suitable.”

However, this road is currently the only provincial road that can pass through this area.

I thought things were going smoothly, but who would have thought they would end up blocked like this?

Should I clear it with a shovel?

Or should I go to a different area altogether?

My chest felt stuffy, so I put a cigarette in my mouth and started thinking of other options.

“older brother.”

But at that moment, Private Lee Hyeon-su, who was checking the condition of the bus, approached me.

“Do you remember that road?”

“yes?”

“About five minutes ago, I saw a side road next to the road. It looked like there was a village there. Is there a road that goes through there?”

A shortcut? It’s not on the map, so it must be a private road.

I followed Private Lee Hyeon-su’s testimony to determine the direction and soon found the location of the village.

“We’re passing through here.”

“Right?”

“Yes, Mr. Hyunsoo, you remembered well.”

“What brings you here?”

“Hey, Sang-baem. I do it when I have to.”

If you take the side road and go through the village, you may pass the accident site where the landslide occurred.

This was a route that the driver would never have found if he hadn’t been paying close attention.

As expected, Private Lee Hyeon-su was usually a bit reckless, but he always did something when needed.

“Let’s go.”

There is no time to delay.

The bus, having found its bearings, made a U-turn on the blocked road and began to move into the opposite lane.

At that moment, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and for spring, thick raindrops poured down.

* * *

The bus slowly approached a rural village with rice fields along a side road connected to the road.

The name written on the sign was Budeok-ri, a common name that could be seen anywhere in the province.

But, since the countryside is not free of infected people, we diligently kept a close watch on all sides.

“… … It’s quiet.”

“Thanks to the sound of the rain.”

The sudden downpour was so heavy that even the sound of the bus’ engine was drowned out.

In addition, the visibility was poor and the sky was dark as evening due to dark clouds.

The bus, which had been moving slowly, eventually turned on its headlights, which had been off, and illuminated the road ahead.

Then, the entrance to the village, shrouded in darkness and falling rain, came into view.

“older brother.”

“Shh! I saw it too.”

It’s a variable.

At the entrance to the village, where I thought there was no one, there was a thick barricade installed.

And it wasn’t a temporary barrier, it was a real barrier made by welding steel bars.

Even the surrounding area is lined with barbed wire to prevent access.

The bus, which had been running slowly for a while, slowly stopped 50 meters in front of the barricade.

“… … .”

As soon as I turned off the engine, the rattling engine sound and the headlights naturally went off.

The sky soon became gloomy and the loud sound of rain filled the surroundings.

We sat in the bus, holding our breath, staring at the barricade enveloped in darkness.

“Who might be inside?”

“Could they be the villagers who used to live here?”

“It’s dark so what can I see… … .”

Unlike cities where the concept of neighbors is rare, rural villages like this have a strong sense of community.

This barricade was probably built by the residents in cooperation to protect the village.

What mattered was their attitude toward strangers like us.

After thinking about it for a while, I put down the weapon I was holding and put on the raincoat I had brought.

“I will try to contact you.”

“Brother, but… … .”

“This is better than pouring down. Don’t come out until everyone calls.”

No matter how many guns we have, we can’t break through a door welded with steel bars.

Compromise was the priority right now, so I slowly got off the bus and approached the barricade.

Swish.

The raindrops are getting heavier.

The rain quickly soaked my hat, and the surrounding scenery became gloomy as darkness fell.

I quietly stood at the barricade with both hands raised, waiting for a reaction.

Flash!

At that moment, a light came on in a makeshift building that looked like a guard post and soon illuminated this direction.

I squinted my eyes.

On top of the outpost, two men wearing raincoats were aiming something at me.

“Who’s there!”

Having handled a lot of guns, I could tell it was a hunting gun.

It was a good thing I didn’t approach him so carelessly.

I shouted at the men on the outpost to make it clear that I had no intention of fighting.

“We are survivors who came down from Seoul! We had no choice but to come here because our way was blocked! We have no intention of harming you!”

When he told them he was from Seoul, the two men looked at each other for a moment and talked quietly.

But that was only for a moment, as he still aimed his gun and shouted in a voice full of doubt.

“You came here because the road was blocked?”

“Do you see a local road next to the village? It’s impassable due to a landslide! You should check it out yourself!”

If there was a landslide on the road, the villagers would have known about it before we did.

And as if that prediction had come true, the two men paused for a moment, visibly embarrassed.

There is no need to provoke it.

I stood quietly in the rain in the middle of the road while I waited for them to finish their discussion.

After some time had passed, a man who had been heading somewhere for a while came up to the guard post.

“This way, slowly!”

When I was told to approach the barricade, I raised both hands and walked towards it step by step.

Then two men came down from the guard post and opened one of the tightly closed doors.

Squeak!

The man holding the gun was an old man with a white beard, and the other man was a young high school student.

They only let their guard down when they saw that I had not heard anything.

“Are you alone?”

“There are people on the bus.”

“The village chief is out of the office right now, so I need some time. I need to talk to the people first, so please wait inside for a moment.”

“Am I the only one talking?”

“Don’t worry, I don’t mean any harm. It’s just a normal verification procedure.”

I hesitated for a moment when I was told to come in alone, but then slowly nodded.

Then, after giving a brief signal to the bus, she followed the two men inside.

When I obediently cooperated, a high school student who still looked young offered small words of comfort.

“I’m sorry. I think Grandpa is a little worried because there are a lot of strange people these days.”

“If you are a strange person… … .”

“You know, there are people who come in pretending to be refugees and steal things. Usually, we just accept them, but if this happens once or twice, the losses become too great.”

The high school student was naturally cheerful and chatted well even to me, who was meeting him for the first time.

On the other hand, the old man silently took off his raincoat and even searched his body, paying close attention to safety.

“This way.”

After completing all the procedures, I followed the two men into the village outpost.

In contrast to the dreary atmosphere outside, the inside was just like an ordinary country village.

What’s unusual is that some houses still have their lights on even though the electricity is out.

“Please sit here.”

I sat down on the chair they recommended and began to examine the terrain and roads of the village.

The old man, who had just finished talking on the radio with someone, stared blankly at me with his arms crossed.

“I came from Seoul.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“How are things there?”

“It’s much more dangerous than here. There are only a few shelters left.”

“The military… … .”

“It’s been a long time since we went down south. There are only a few units left.”

I don’t know about Gyeonggi-do, but I think I was the first survivor from Seoul.

The old man, who had been asking about news from Seoul for a while, soon let out a sigh with a dark expression.

“Grandpa! Come on!”

At that moment, a high school student who had been outside the guard post came in and pointed to the road toward the village.

There, a vehicle that appeared to be a porter truck was slowly approaching us.

“… … It looks like the village chief has arrived.”

The old man looked at the truck with a displeased expression and shook his head.

Is it because of my mood?

It was a town that seemed to have a lot of circumstances.