1979, Manager Kim is Inheriting Dictatorship! - Chapter 4



Only Krnovel

Episode 4

Most of South Korea’s population is concentrated in the metropolitan area of ​​Incheon and Gyeonggi, including Seoul.

The moment an evacuation order is issued, citizens will head to shelters following established procedures.

But that only assumes that the system is fully operational.

If a virus spreads this rapidly, even a shelter is not safe.

There may be a great exodus taking place, with a high probability, towards the south and east.

Highway? That’s crazy.

Also, just because it’s a national road doesn’t mean it’s safe.

I took as many detours as possible along the straight route to avoid roads where traffic was likely to congest.

As a result, the distance that would normally take 1-2 hours ended up taking over half a day to run.

The days are short and the night is dark.

I was just leaving the border of North Chungcheong Province and slowly entering Gyeonggi Province.

But as I was speeding away, I noticed a light that seemed to be a searchlight in the distance.

I hastily slowed down and looked around at the halo of light that was illuminating the surroundings as if it were broad daylight.

It’s a checkpoint.

People believed to be soldiers were blocking the road and blocking all vehicles coming down.

The control was so strict that the middle of the road was completely blocked with barbed wire and barricades.

But that only applies to the downward direction, and the road I was driving on was deserted.

“stop!”

As I slow down, a soldier jumps out as if he had been waiting at the checkpoint.

I followed his instructions, turned off the engine, got out of the car, and raised both hands.

“Stay right there!”

The soldier first checked for any abnormalities by shining a flashlight on my face and eyes.

Judging from the fact that they are even wearing gas masks, it appears that testing is being conducted on carriers.

After confirming that there was nothing wrong, the soldier lowered his gun and looked at the car I had arrived in.

“Huh? Did you come up from below?”

“Yes. I’m on my way to Seoul.”

“No, Seoul? Why on earth are you there… … .”

When told that he was going to Seoul, the soldier with the rank of Private First Class reacted in disbelief.

But that didn’t last long, as he called out to another soldier who was struggling behind him.

“Sangbaem! I think you should come here!”

“I’m busy, kid!”

“This is really urgent!”

On the other side of the road, a long line of vehicles and refugees formed.

One of the corporals who had been busily controlling them came running over, throwing a tantrum.

“What’s going on!”

“This person. He came from the other side.”

“The other side? Not here, but to the south?”

“Yes, yes! You have to go to Seoul.”

When I told him I was going to Seoul, the sergeant looked at my face for a while without saying anything.

The look in his eyes was filled with bewilderment, as if he was looking at someone who had lost his mind.

“Are you really going to Seoul?”

“yes.”

Usually, you would have been instructed to stop refugees coming down from above.

But on the contrary, it seemed like I was the first person to go up to Seoul.

“Are you crazy?”

“Shut up, kid.”

The private seemed to be unable to make a decision, so he whispered in his ear next to him.

Then the sergeant nervously pushed his junior away and spoke to me with a troubled expression on his face.

“For now, passing through is impossible. All vehicles coming and going are currently being controlled.”

The situation was so dire that they were even blocking refugees from coming down to survive.

For them, going up to Seoul was no exception, as they had to follow orders from their superiors.

Not knowing that things would end here, I let out a small sigh and asked again.

“How could there be no way?”

“It’s probably going to be tough. Do you see the situation over there? Other roads are blocked like this too.”

If a single private is saying this, it means the situation is more serious than expected.

No matter how much you try to force things here, you’ll only tire them out and get nothing out of it.

I nodded obediently and took out half a pack of cigarettes from my pocket.

“Do you smoke?”

“ah!”

The corporal, who had been out of breath with a tired face, accepted the cigarette with a bright face.

So I gave him all my remaining cigarettes, not just one, meaning that we should all smoke together.

“thank you!”

The private who had been whispering to me a moment ago that I was crazy asked me if I was crazy and asked for a cigarette.

You must have already smoked everything you had. The thing you’re thinking about most right now is probably cigarettes.

Without saying who would go first, the two of them took their cigarettes and thanked me.

“Good luck.”

Even though they are carrying guns and wearing military uniforms, they are still young men in their early 20s.

I tried to quietly get back in the car, praying that they were safe.

“wait a minute!”

But at that moment, the sergeant who I thought had gone back came running urgently and grabbed me.

He stopped in front of the driver’s seat, looked around for a moment, then lowered his voice and whispered.

“Reinforcements from the company will probably arrive tomorrow morning. They seem to be planning to expand the cordon, so try sneaking out then. They won’t be too concerned about the vehicles heading to Seoul.”

When the heavy troops arrive, we will be able to control the refugees gathered in front of us.

At the sergeant’s words to aim for that moment, I turned my gaze and nodded.

That’s expensive information for half a pack of cigarettes.

The corporal who did me a favor quickly salutes and runs back to the checkpoint.

“Hey! Don’t cross the line!”

“Fuck! You guys are soldiers after doing that? I want to see all the people here die!”

“Isn’t this what we’re saying so we can all live together?”

“Stop it, kid! Call your boss!”

Furious refugees push against the barricade and swear at the soldiers.

The soldiers also seemed angry at the continued standoff and responded with fierce fire.

The atmosphere is ominous.

I petted Coco, who was growling, then backed the car out onto the side of the road.

I plan to spend the night here and wait for the company troops to arrive.

A scene of chaos beyond the boundary where searchlight and darkness meet exquisitely.

I hid the pistol under the passenger seat as I watched what might have been a cross-section of the current situation.

The night deepens.

My gun is still loaded with live ammunition.

* * *

By about 3 a.m., the refugees, exhausted from raising their voices, returned to their cars one by one.

I realized that no matter how much I tried, the checkpoint would never open.

Thanks to this, a shelter village with vehicles and tents naturally formed in front of the barricade.

The soldiers continued to monitor the surroundings, seemingly having no intention of stopping it.

It finally became quiet.

Only then did I get out of the car, take out the portable gas stove, boil some water, and make some ramen noodles that I brought from the gas station.

I had been fasting for almost 12 hours, but I felt a little better after eating some warm food.

“Excuse me, are you there?”

“excuse me!”

At that moment, two men in military uniforms approached slowly, flashing red flashlights.

Those two were none other than the corporal and private first class who had handed out cigarettes in front of the checkpoint.

As I got up from my seat, the two of them held out the packages they were holding in their arms.

“Hehehe, just give me a taste of this… … .”

He is holding a bag of what appear to be combat rations and some dry crackers in his arms, and is smiling awkwardly.

It looks like he ran over to change his food as soon as he smelled ramen.

“Sit down.”

“thank you!”

Combat rations are only tasty if you eat them occasionally, but if you eat them continuously, they become toxic and even give off a strange smell.

I gladly gave them my seat and boiled two more bowls of ramen for them.

“Sangbaem, how long has it been since I’ve had ramen like this?”

“Shut your mouth and eat.”

“You did well to listen to me and come.”

Faces that haven’t been washed for days, arduous work at the guard post, and the rough treatment of refugees – these are all stresses that would be difficult for these young people, who are only in their 20s, to endure.

As I watched her being happy with just one ramen, I couldn’t help but feel a bitter taste in my mouth.

The sergeant who had finished a bag of ramen in an instant only then smiled awkwardly.

“I’m late in greeting you. I’m Corporal Oh Chan-il. This is my successor, Private First Class Lee Hyeon-su.”

“Nice to meet you. This is Jang Dae-su.”

“I saw the license plate number earlier, and it looks like you really came from Chungju. What the heck! But if you go all the way to Chungju, we’ll be safe now.”

When I asked if Chungju was safe, the private turned his gaze towards me without saying anything.

But instead of nodding, I remained silent and stared into the distance.

Denial of the statement that it is safe.

The mood that had improved thanks to the ramen quickly cooled down as if we were walking through an abyss.

“Are things really that bad?”

“I don’t know the details. The last information I got was that there was a shelter in Chungju.”

“Sir, sir! Are you sure this is okay? The platoon leader clearly said it wasn’t!”

These people may be professional soldiers, but just a year ago they were ordinary civilians.

It is highly likely that the higher-ups blocked some information from the private soldiers and only gave simple instructions.

If not, there’s no way I would have reacted like this, as if I knew absolutely nothing.

“… … .”

Both soldiers looked at the dirt floor with serious expressions on their faces, as if they were deep in thought.

Family, lovers, friends, countless things they had momentarily forgotten were lingering in their minds.

Growl!

But at that moment, Coco, who had been lying silently next to me, suddenly sat up.

Woof woof!

And then he started barking loudly, baring his teeth, in the direction where the checkpoint was visible.

Coco is a seasoned hunting dog who rarely shows any impulsive behavior due to long training.

If a guy like that suddenly starts barking, it means he sensed something was wrong.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

“… … Looks like something happened over there.”

“Huh? Work?”

The two soldiers, panicked at hearing that something had happened at the checkpoint, hurriedly ran toward the checkpoint.

“Hey, snake?”

“Follow me! Hurry up!”

But the checkpoint and the downhill road were too quiet for anything to have happened.

No, it just looks quiet.

I quickly ran towards the passenger seat of the car, calming down the excited Coco.

Jiyik!

He takes out the shotgun hidden in the gun case, checks the ammunition, and releases the safety.

And then he moved to the driver’s seat, pointing the gun straight ahead so he could shoot at any time.

“- – – – – – -!!”

That was the moment.

Suddenly, a loud noise broke the silence, coming from the direction of the checkpoint in the distance.

The noise is small and faint at first, but gradually begins to increase in size.

The sight was like watching a lit fuse running towards a bomb.

Gyaaaah!

Hey, save me! Save me!

It blew up.

An ominous wave of unknown identity slowly surges from the other end.

Screams began to be heard along the blocked road and people ran to the checkpoint.

Eeeeeeeeeee – – -!!

The siren wailing loudly.

The soldiers in the barracks rushed to the barricade and aimed their guns.

But at the end of that gun barrel, there was clearly someone running this way for their life.

No, maybe it’s not a person.

It’s like mixing paints, you can’t tell who’s infected and who’s not.

A soldier who appears to be a non-commissioned officer shouts, but no one pulls the trigger.

In the meantime, the infection spread rapidly and eventually revealed itself above the surface.

Kyaaaaah!

It’s a familiar roar.

An infected person climbed over the barricade, wedging his body into the barbed wire.

After that, one, two, dozens. No, hundreds of infected people came rushing in.

Aaaah!

Open fire! Shoot!

Only then did the soldiers come to their senses and begin to respond by pulling the triggers.

Taang! Bang!

Knock knock! Knock knock!

However, the number of infected people has already increased exponentially and it is already too late to respond.

A horde of infected people, like a tidal wave, engulfed the checkpoint in an instant.