1979, Manager Kim is Inheriting Dictatorship! - Chapter 35



Only Krnovel

Episode 35

We passed Nakseongdae Station smoothly and arrived near Sadang Station, our first stop.

But today, because the weather was very clear, the infected people were very active.

I had no choice but to get off my bike every now and then and deal with guys who rushed at me.

Kwajik!

Sergeant Park swung the baseball bat with all his might and hit the head of the infected man who was rushing at him.

My brain burst with a loud crash, and I soon fell limply to the floor, stopping moving.

“… … You fight well.”

Corporal Oh Chan-il, who was watching this from behind, nodded his head in pure admiration.

It was certainly not the first or second time he had done this skill to crush someone’s head with one blow.

“I definitely have a lot of experience.”

Each member of the squad, including Sergeant Park, carried a separate melee weapon.

Of course, they weren’t unified, and each had their own unique weapons, such as a baseball bat with nails in it, or a jungle sword.

This meant that the commander was flexible and had a lot of combat experience.

“Are we just going to watch like this?”

“Please be patient for a moment.”

Accordingly, both Private Kim Jin-kyung and Private Oh Chan-il were anxious to properly demonstrate their skills.

But I stopped those two and just quietly followed the path the search team had taken.

Fighting in a situation where the odds are not right is only dangerous and never beneficial.

For now, I just needed to wait patiently, because there would definitely be an opportunity to show it someday.

As we were moving at such a fast pace, before we knew it, Namtaeryeong Station began to appear in the distance.

Now, if you keep going down Gwacheon-daero, you will finally reach Gyeonggi-do, not Seoul.

“Whew, this is no joke.”

Gwacheon-daero was filled with lines of cars trying to leave Seoul during the outbreak.

Of course, in the meantime, there were countless more infected people wandering around than before.

I gradually began to feel that this was Gyeonggi-do.

Recognizing this, Sergeant Park and his squad members quickly turned around and ran to find a detour.

“Let’s go too.”

I made a right turn in front of the gate intersection and entered a village where the road became narrow.

Fortunately, this direction was relatively quiet, so I was able to cross without any problems.

If you go 1~2km further, you will reach your destination, the logistics center in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do.

My companions and I started pedaling our bikes busily, looking around busily.

Squeak!

But at the moment when they were about to cross the Yangjae Stream, Sergeant Park and his squad suddenly stopped.

Right in front of the small Gwacheon Bridge, there was a temporary outpost that appeared to be a military checkpoint.

What does this mean?

The search team, now that they had reached the actual boundary, stopped and took something out.

‘Drone?’

The object was none other than a cute and adorable drone, barely the size of half the palm of one’s hand.

A famous brand of aftermarket drone that is quiet and fast, although its flight range is short.

The search team skillfully piloted the drone to see what was beyond Gwacheon Bridge.

“The atmosphere is serious?”

But as time passed, the expressions on Sergeant Park and his squad members’ faces began to become serious.

In particular, one soldier wearing the rank of private was so distressed that he covered his head.

We approached the search team in front of the checkpoint, wondering what on earth was going on.

Chijijik, chijik!

The drone camera broadcasted a video showing an infected person wandering around.

“Sangcheol… … .”

“It’ll be okay. Okay? Please come to your senses.”

What’s unusual is that he’s wearing a familiar military uniform and carrying a military radio on his back.

Judging by the distressed private’s reaction, he was clearly one of the missing people we were looking for.

“Can you see anything else?”

“Yes, that’s all.”

Contrary to reports that a total of eight people were missing, only one reconnaissance team member was visible.

Sergeant Park and his squad members began to worry as they were in a completely helpless situation.

“… …Can’t Coco find it?”

At that moment, Private Oh Chan-il, who was watching this with me, muttered absentmindedly.

But because the surroundings were so quiet, everyone could clearly hear the muttering.

“What did you just say?”

Corporal Ohchanil, probably not expecting anyone to hear, tried to cover it up by pretending it was nothing.

Hehe!

But Coco, who recognized her name, came over as if she was Coco and wagged her tail.

I sighed deeply and had no choice but to pat his head and say,

“He is an experienced hunting dog. He can track the scent of your belongings or clothing.”

“Really?”

Coco’s results thus far have proven that he is an excellent hunting dog.

As I nodded silently, the private who had been sitting down suddenly got up and came over to me.

“Please! My classmate is among the missing kids. He’s a really good guy… … .”

But instead of looking at him as he pleaded, I turned my gaze towards Sergeant Park.

“But I am just an observer.”

Don’t mind, don’t bother, that’s what he clearly told us before he left.

At this, Sergeant Park frowned and looked back and forth between my face and the private.

The life of a comrade?

Or is it just your pride?

I waited for his ‘please’ answer by remaining silent.

“……please.”

Sergeant Park finally gave in and bowed his head toward us with difficulty.

Yeah, what does prejudice or pride have to do with something that involves people’s lives?

I answered by tapping Corporal Park’s left shoulder, who lowered his head.

Kim Jin-kyung and Private Oh Chan-il, who had been watching this scene, secretly laughed.

Hehe!

Of course, Coco was still smiling brightly and wagging her tail no matter what.

Why does my boss like me working?

Yeah, they say Coco usually shows off her talents and Daesu eats the rice cakes.

* * *

The infected soldier was sent away with courtesy and a few of his belongings and clothing were retrieved.

Then he let Coco sniff it and quickly followed the trail.

The tedious process of dealing with infected people when they appear and finding a detour when a path is blocked.

After pushing our way into Gwacheon like that, we finally reached our destination.

“Are you here?”

Hehe!

The place where the smell disappeared was none other than the logistics center in Gwacheon that the first reconnaissance team had discovered.

After stopping for a moment, we flew the drone again and started searching the area.

“It’s really big.”

“Still, it seems safer than I thought.”

As expected of a large logistics center that occupies the entire left side of the road, its scale was truly enormous.

However, compared to the large area, the number of infected people was only a few dozen at most.

At this point, it would be okay to confidently go through the main gate and inside.

“Raise it a little higher.”

“yes.”

Just in case, Sergeant Park raised the drone into the sky to take a closer look around.

The drone, which had been flying for a while, soon reached a point overlooking downtown Gwacheon.

Collapsed buildings, burning buildings, ruined cities and black smoke rising into the sky.

The Gwacheon blockade that Captain Kang had mentioned was dividing the city exactly in two.

And that huge brown band swaying in between was the cluster of infected people.

Gulp.

I knew it would be dangerous, but seeing it with my own eyes made it feel different.

The soldiers all swallowed dry saliva and fiddled with the melee weapons they were holding.

“Let’s go.”

Fearing that morale would be lowered, Sergeant Park quickly retrieved the drone and moved his men.

The current time is 3:00 PM.

In the next hour or two, the unusually short winter day will set and darkness will fall.

We slowly entered the logistics center, facing the sun hanging between the collapsed buildings.

Step, step.

The garage, which had been deserted for a long time, was filled with an eerie atmosphere.

My companions and I got off our bikes, picked up our weapons, and followed closely behind the search party.

Kyaaaaak!

Kwajik!

In the meantime, we quickly dealt with the infected people who appeared here and there and entered the logistics center.

The dark logistics center stretched on endlessly, beyond the reach of flashlights.

“Is it possible here too?”

“I will try.”

I made Coco sniff something else this time, while she was sniffing hard.

Then the guy flared his nostrils for a while and then ran off somewhere.

“This way.”

We quickly followed behind them, moving deeper and deeper into the logistics center.

The musty smell of dust, the darkness that makes it impossible to see even an inch ahead, and the flickering light of a flashlight.

When I thought about what might pop out from where and when, I automatically gained strength in my hands.

“Coco?”

Hehe.

How much time had passed like that, Coco, who was running forward, suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Instinctively, I picked up the flashlight and shined it into the darkness ahead.

“……oh my god.”

The stairs were piled high with the corpses of the infected, numbering at least a few hundred.

Shocked by this, we quickly looked around and began to examine the body and the scene.

“It’s a gunshot wound.”

The infected were all lying down with some part of their bodies pierced or cut off.

And on the floor were empty cartridge cases used by the military along with cartridge cases.

It’s clear.

This is what the reconnaissance team did.

“Get rid of the body! Quickly!”

Sergeant Park and his squad members, whose hearts were growing impatient, removed the bodies blocking the stairs.

After finding my way with great difficulty, I hurriedly walked towards the second floor of the logistics center.

Likewise, I walked through the hallway where many infected people were lying and stopped in front of the restaurant.

Squeak.

When I opened the half-torn door, I saw soldiers lying on the ground with dried brown blood.

It’s a reconnaissance team.

They all fled here to avoid the infected, and eventually ended their young lives by committing suicide.

“Sangcheol!”

At that moment, the private who had been desperately searching for his comrade screamed and ran towards the body.

Of course, the other agents who were with him also lowered their guns helplessly and made miserable expressions.

‘The numbers are small.’

But as I looked around the scene from one side, I soon noticed a few strange things.

That was the number of corpses that had just fallen down.

Obviously, there should be 8 people who set out, and excluding the 1 person discovered midway, there should be 7 people.

But no matter how much I searched inside the restaurant, there were only four corpses lying on the floor.

“We need more people.”

“yes?”

“I don’t see three people.”

The search team, who had been saddened by the news that three people were missing, simultaneously raised their heads.

Sergeant Park hurried over, checked the number of bodies, and then spoke to his men.

“Search from the second floor! Quickly!”

“yes!”

The soldiers, who had not given up on their last shred of hope, quickly began searching the logistics center.

But the three were nowhere to be found, and darkness soon fell upon the world.

* * *

The entire search team, including me and my companions, were exhausted from the forced march that started at dawn.

We had no choice but to find a staff break room on the third floor and take a seat.

And we decided to take turns doing night shifts and only sleep until exactly 6 in the morning.

“Brother, please have some of this.”

“thank you.”

While I was on night watch, Private Oh Chan-il brought me some pound cake and chocolate balls.

When I was in the military, there were a lot of different menus, but the market side dishes were quite tasty.

Private Oh Chan-il, whose tired expression was obvious, sighed and sat down next to me.

“Where did the three people who disappeared go?”

“If I can’t find it after searching this thoroughly, I guess it’s not here. Sergeant Park will probably be trying to return to his unit early in the morning.”

“It’s bitter. I can’t even find my military ID number… … .”

“That’s true.”

Since most of the reconnaissance team was found dead, we can assume the situation is already over.

If you don’t plan on searching the entire Gwacheon area, it would be the right decision to turn back here.

But even if you think like that, the human mind cannot be at ease.

We couldn’t bring ourselves to smoke, so we exhaled smoke instead to relieve our bitterness.

“The stars are really pretty.”

Whether or not they knew my feelings, the stars in the night sky were shining so beautifully.

Whenever I stand guard, I always get a strange feeling, and today was no exception.

“Do you miss your family?”

“Well, it always is.”

“We’ll see each other soon. I think Captain Kang will keep his promise once this is over.”

The original goal of searching for the missing person unfortunately failed, but on the contrary, the second goal of reconnaissance of the logistics center was successfully completed.

For a campus that was immediately short on food, this couldn’t be better news.

We kept our promise, so all we had to do was save my sister and go south to safety.

“But isn’t it a little strange?”

“yes?”

“Why on earth did they fire their guns? The soldiers must have known that gunfire was dangerous.”

“Wouldn’t that have been the case?”

“So, I wonder what the situation is. I don’t shoot unless it’s really something serious.”

In this city, firing a gun is either a last-ditch effort or a desperate plea to die.

The soldiers must have known this, but I couldn’t understand why they fired their guns.

Has there ever been a situation where you were at least able to draw a lot of aggro and had to use a gun?

No, but even so, it was strange that running away would have had a higher chance of survival.

As I continued to search and ponder this, I began to feel myself getting tired.

“You look tired, brother. I’ll take care of the rest, so you go in first.”

So, Private Oh Chan-il suggested that I go in first and rest, and I didn’t refuse.

I was thinking of closing my eyes for an hour or two and then suggesting to Sergeant Park that he return to his unit.

Growl!

“Coco?”

But at that moment, Coco, who had been sleeping soundly next to me, suddenly woke up and growled.

It’s a warning sign after a long time.

Private Oh Chan-il and I, who were both surprised, hurriedly gathered our weapons and started looking outside.

“Can you see something?”

“No, it’s quiet.”

There was nothing particularly visible.

In front of the logistics center, there was only a dimly lit streetlight and an empty, black space.

“uh?”

But at that moment, Private Oh Chan-il, who had been looking outside for a while, discovered something in the distance.

“… … Infected?”

There was an infected person with a broken ankle walking unsteadily towards me.

Is that why you reacted?

Squeak, squeak!

No, Coco looked so helpless and uneasy that it was hard to say that.

Crunch.

Feeling suspicious, I took out my crossbow and took aim at the approaching infected.

But as time passed, an uneasy feeling crept up my spine.

“Isn’t that a bit strange?”

Usually, infected people wander around and loiter for a certain distance.

But that entity was walking in a straight line, looking at the window we were in.

“Brother, Brother. Shoot me quickly.”

Unable to bear the feeling of alienation, I finally aimed for the bastard’s head and immediately pulled the trigger.

Kwajik!

A bolt flew through the air and pierced the head of an infected person 100 meters away.

The guy whose right eye was pierced just sat down and stopped moving.

Growl!

But instead of stopping her anxiety, Coco started to puff up her fur and even started to bark.

I quickly covered the guy’s mouth and was confused as to what on earth was going on.

Tingle!

But at that moment, a sudden goosebumps started running down my toes and it made my nerves tense.

I instinctively turned my head and looked at the infected person I had shot dead a moment ago.

Crack, crack!

The guy who had clearly died from a piercing wound to his right eye was moving with his joints twisted in a bizarre way.

And then, like a doll that had been forcibly raised, she looked up at the sky and opened her mouth wide.

Kkieeeeeeee-!!

It wasn’t a scream or a howl.

An indescribable high frequency sound spread in all directions, awakening this darkness.

Bam!

After making that weird noise for about two seconds, it collapsed and died again.

I still get goosebumps.

My ears were still ringing and my heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going crazy.

I barely came to my senses and hurriedly shook Private Oh Chan-il, who had lost his mind.

“… Mr. Chan-il.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Wake up everyone right now.”

In the darkness far away, where the boundaries could not be discerned, something began to stir.

The ripples that had been trembling like azaleas soon passed by one by one under the streetlights.

Kyaaaaaaaah-!!

I hear footsteps.

The screams gradually grow louder.

An uncountable number of infected people began to flock to the logistics center.

“hurry!”