Hiding a House in the Apocalypse - Chapter 2



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2. The thug

Firearms are probably the most effective weapon ever invented by humans.

It is especially effective against humans.

It’s not just about shooting and killing or injuring people.

When a situation arises where you must interact with humans or reveal yourself, the very act of holding a gun has the effect of restricting the other person’s actions.

You could say that it’s a manners instillation device that makes the other person’s behavior humble just by having it.

There is no need to even mention the interpersonal attack power.

Aren’t guns originally designed to kill people?

There is a saying that the power is halved against monsters or zombies, and I agree to some extent, but I can’t completely agree. Everything depends on how you use it.

Anyway, to survive in the post-apocalyptic era, you need guns.

As I have said many times, man’s greatest enemy is man.

But this is Korea.

In Korea, like in the United States, it is difficult to obtain guns and even obtaining them is illegal.

You could go to America and prepare for the apocalypse, but there are pros and cons there too.

The initial difficulty level of a country armed with guns and guns falling is very different from a country that prohibits gun ownership.

Think of the once popular battle royale games.

What fun would it be to start shooting the moment you land on a plane?

There must be a time when we fight, farming, and throwing punches.

Of course, it would be more fun for me if I had a gun from the start.

This happened when Mr. Kim was still alive.

Mr. Kim had a hunting gun.

During normal times, he would keep it in the police station, but during the rescue season, he would inevitably take it out and show off his sloppy shooting skills.

“When I was in the army, the communist bastards infiltrated. I hid behind an acacia bush, and when the communist bastard appeared from behind the tree, I put a bullet between his eyebrows to destroy him!”

Later, I found out through personal connections that Mr. Kim was a defense officer and did not participate in the anti-guerrilla operation, but Mr. Kim’s pistol itself was a useful weapon.

Because it is a shotgun, it has high stopping power and can be handled appropriately by people who are not good at shooting.

But that level of weaponry is not enough to prepare for the future.

My eyes were always on the nearby air force base.

Since it is a base shared with the US military, there is US military equipment and according to the flyer, there seem to be several Hunters, a special unit that specializes in dealing with monsters, stationed there.

If I could get Hunter gear that would be the best outcome, but all I want is a bunch of ammo and a few battle rifles.

But that’s not easy.

How can they infiltrate an air force base guarded by both Korean and American troops and steal weapons and ammunition?

The original plan was a bit rough.

If war breaks out with China, that air force base will be the number one target.

Because the US military base in Korea is right next door.

According to the Chinese war plans I have seen, the US military base next to my house is a target for a preemptive nuclear strike.

Once the nuke is detonated and the base is in shambles, you can leisurely put on your protective gear and collect guns and other useful items.

This was the first rough plan.

It may seem absurd, but I thought this was the most realistic way to obtain quality weapons.

There are ways to obtain weapons through Southeast Asian gangs or Russian sailors, but the most they have are pistols.

But when the reality I faced was harsher than I thought and the flow of the world was different from what I had expected, I, Park Gyu, began to feel impatient.

SKELTON: In countries like Korea or Japan where public safety is stable and guns are banned, how can you obtain a proper weapon like an assault rifle?

This is a world where everything is a group chat room, creating a community.

There are also Internet communities for those preparing for the coming apocalypse.

It is a community of doomsday enthusiasts, ‘Viva! Apocalypse!’, made up of people from the same world as me.

Not just anyone can join.

You need to have the satellite internet equipment ‘Galaxy Link’ developed by global businessman Melon Mask, and in addition, you have to pay a huge monthly fee of $100.

Although the cost of luxurious pre-registration equipment is not cheap, it has quite a large number of users and enjoys unique popularity to the point that there is a separate Korean-language bulletin board.

I posted a question on the Korean bulletin board.

Soon several replies followed, but none of them contained any nutritious content.

Most of the suggestions are irresponsible, such as raiding a police station or small military unit with like-minded comrades and raiding the armory.

The advice of my spiritual mentor, “Jon Nae-non,” whom I usually respected, was also of no help.

Because public security in South Korea is not that good.

You can steal weapons if you want, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll be safe doing that in a country where every street corner is covered in high-resolution CCTV.

At a time when even the community I had joined for a hefty $100 monthly fee was not providing a clear answer, a proposal came from an unexpected place.

“Is this a bunker? That’s what doomsday theorists are building these days.”

The proposer’s name was Kim Wang-su, an employee of the construction company that was in charge of building the first bunker.

His nationality is Chinese, or Korean.

Before Kim Wang-su revealed his identity, I thought he was a person born and raised in Korea.

Because he looked younger than me, dressed better, was more stylish, and spoke in a trendy way.

Unlike the other employees who were shaking their heads at my request to build a bunker in an empty lot, Kim Wang-su showed great interest in the bunker.

“There are many people like that in China, too. Party cadres and capitalists with connections to the party are competing to build bunkers in rural areas. They are much bigger and more substantial than yours.”

It’s not just interest.

Kim Wang-su had considerable knowledge and insight, as well as information on China that I was not familiar with.

“War? Well, sooner or later, it will happen, right? It’s not on the news in the West, but the provinces surrounding Inner Mongolia have all been eaten by monsters. Even if it can’t happen, wouldn’t hundreds of millions of people have died? The party is desperately trying to stop it, but honestly, it’s all over. It’s just a matter of time.”

He seemed to envy my bunker and my ability to build it.

“It seems like you’re not that much older than me, but you must have made a lot of money. You’re able to buy all that equipment on such a large piece of land.”

“The coin hit the jackpot.”

In fact, I am an extremely conservative investor who has never invested in stocks, let alone coins.

Even though I did have some debt.

“Coin. Wow-.”

Kim Wang-su looked around and pushed his face toward me.

“Have you prepared anything like a gun?”

“Total?”

“Yes. If the world really were to end, wouldn’t you need at least a sturdy gun? Even if you build such a wonderful bunker and stockpile supplies, if you get mugged by robbers, wouldn’t it all be useless?”

Kim Wang-su spoke in the Yanbian dialect as if it were nothing.

That too, to the point of being awkward.

Perhaps it seemed like he was trying to show off his connection to you.

Within the company, Kim Wang-su is a person who is trusted because he is honest, cheerful, and smart.

To the extent that he is recognized more than a 10-year veteran outsider named Hong Bujang.

He was certainly a smart and sharp person.

I started trading with the mindset that I had to lose to get what I wanted.

The results were surprising.

“Type 56 set. 300 rounds of ammunition. 3 service magazines.”

The rifle alone offered a pretty decent number of bullets, 300 rounds per gun.

The price was quite high, but I had no reason to refuse.

If you want to prepare for the future, a good firearm is a must.

When the construction of the bunker was nearing its final stages, Kim Wang-su called me.

“Boss, everything is ready. Shall we set a date?”

At that point, I was a little wary of Kim Wang-su.

This is because, as a result of asking a private detective, it was discovered that Kim Wang-su was not a member of the Yanbian Korean gangsters, but rather a member of a triad organization centered around mainland Han Chinese.

I contacted Kim Wang-su to prepare for all situations.

“Please wait a moment. The group will come with the items.”

We stayed in silence for quite some time in that dark place hidden by industrial waste.

The weather was chilly.

The air itself wasn’t cold, but it was cloudy and windy.

Kim Wang-su’s gloomy background may also be the cause of the cold.

As the wait grew longer, Kim Wang-su checked his cell phone from time to time.

I glanced at the screen and saw a cute girl who looked like him smiling brightly.

“Is this your daughter?”

“Yes. She is my daughter.”

A faint smile appeared on Kim Wang-su’s face, which had been expressionless the whole time, along with a blush.

“He must be about seven years old. He’s cute.”

“Haha, it’s true that it’s cute, but it’s so weird, it really gives me a hard time.”

Kim Wang-su appeared to be exchanging messages with his daughter.

The familiar messenger screen displayed an emoticon that was presumed to have been sent by his daughter.

An emoticon of a penguin character tilting his head slightly and asking when he will come back.

Kim Wang-su answered in simplified Chinese characters that I couldn’t understand.

Maybe he meant to go back soon.

Soon a dump truck rumbled across Mr. Kim’s land.

“Me! Me!”

Mr. Kim, who was inside the house, ran out in a panic and tried to throw a tantrum, but when I showed up, he grumbled and went back inside.

There was only one man in the dump truck, and there were no signs of any particular attack or betrayal.

“Let’s get started.”

As per our prior arrangement, we loaded the dump truck with the industrial waste that was strewn across my land.

While I was busily moving the excavator and loading the waste into the dump truck, Kim Wang-su’s colleague put down the real object in the passenger seat.

The thing was certain.

300 rounds of 7.62mm bullets for three Type 56 rifles.

It was in good condition and worked without any problems.

There was no betrayal from Kim Wang-su and his group, which we were worried about.

But there was a little surprise waiting at the end.

As Kim Wang-su was about to get on the dump truck after finishing his work, he suddenly got out of the car and approached me with threateningly agile movements.

“!”

For a moment I expected an ambush and even grabbed a weapon hidden in my pocket just in case, but things went smoothly.

“Do you live alone?”

For a brief moment, I felt a creepy feeling from him, but I didn’t show it.

“No. The party will be here soon.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, I just thought the bunker was too big for me to use alone.”

“Because I like big houses.”

“I think I could afford to live in a goshiwon.”

“If you have any problems, please come.”

“Is that okay?”

“We have to help each other and live.”

Although he was called a gangster, he seemed like a fundamentally good person.

I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have him on the same side as someone who was quite skilled at carpentry and could even be a gangster.

Above all, he is a caring father to one child.

The sight of him smiling after seeing the text his daughter sent him was so warm that it made him want to see that person again, no matter who he was.

“I appreciate your consideration, but I would like to decline.”

“why?”

“Oh, I’m planning on returning to my home country soon.”

“China?”

“It’s Shanghai.”

I still didn’t know what kind of person Kim Wang-su was, but when he spoke so emphatically about the place called Shanghai, I felt like I understood a little bit about what kind of person he was and what kind of thoughts he had in his life.

It was three years later that I received a call from Kim Wang-su.

It was a time when war was becoming more visible and it was almost certain that the world would be ruined.

The first call came on my cell phone.

It’s an unknown number.

The first cell phone I used was about 3 years ago and I have not used it since then, only maintaining a contract.

After the call was disconnected, I got a call from the same number again.

It feels cheap.

I checked the CCTV cameras inside the bunker and discovered an unknown vehicle within my area.

In front of the car, a man was smoking a cigarette with a fiery expression on his face and one hand in his pocket.

The moment I saw his face, I fell into thought for a moment.

Should I meet him or should I ignore him?

Kim Wang-su’s choice was faster than mine.

He opened the car door, said something to the unseen interior, and then ran towards the bunker with frightening agility.

In his hand he held an axe wrapped in a leather case.

by the way,

Why an axe?

“······.”

I picked up the first cell phone and called the number that rang twice.

“Oh. Boss?”

Kim Wang-su answered the phone cheerfully.

Even while running at full speed, he didn’t lose his breath.

“Aren’t you Mr. Kim Wang-su? What’s going on? All of a sudden.”

“I just wanted to say hello before I leave Korea.”

“Hello?”

“Where are you?”

Appeared before him.

From afar, Kim Wang-su was seen smiling brightly with his signature sad and cool mask.

He quickly closed the distance.

10 steps away.

He suddenly kicked his feet and rushed forward.

The axe that I had hidden inside my wrist was revealed, and the leather case that had been covering the blade was tossed away.

I let out a shallow sigh as I watched the axe fly in a parabolic trajectory.

Phew!

The axe was deeply embedded between the man’s shoulder and neck.

It’s not Kim Wang-su’s.

It’s mine.

Kim Wang-su was barely able to turn his head towards me, who had stabbed the axe blade into his body, with a face of shock.

But already his neck was not listening to him.

Every time his muscles twitched, fresh blood would spurt out from between the chunks of flesh and bone the axe had torn apart.

He took his hand off the axe and took a step to the side so that he could look at me.

Kim Wang-su moved convulsively and swung his axe carelessly.

His axe, however, just missed me by a hair’s breadth.

“Old, soldier······?”

He shook his head.

“A, a gangster?! No······!!”

“Why are you doing this?”

I glared at him as he died, letting out a shallow sigh.

“I could have given you my seat if you wanted.”

The corners of Kim Wang-su’s mouth went up.

“Sigh, Sigh Dimey······.”

Those were his last words.

His cell phone popped out of his pocket as he fell forward.

As I unlocked his face, which had not yet cooled down, the messenger screen I had seen before appeared.

The chat window full of Simplified Chinese characters was unreadable, but the emoticons released in Korea gave me a sense of deja vu.

A penguin character tilting his head and asking, “When are you coming?”

“······after.”

There was no time to indulge in sentimentality.

The siren announcing a nuclear attack was roaring so loud it seemed as if it would rip our eardrums.

At that time, our old man Kim was still alive.

*

How long has it been since the storm passed?

The Geiger counter beeped to indicate that it was safe to go out.

We headed toward the air force base on an old four-wheeler that we had hidden away in a bunker.

Just in case.

however.

“This······ is there such a thing as a fucking dog..”

A bitter sound comes out of my mouth without me realizing it.

Beyond the collapsed building, guns and weapons are strewn about.

Although it doesn’t have the hunter gear I was expecting, this is still a total hit. It was enough to form a one-man army.

It turned out that my rough plan to seize weapons from the military base after the world was ruined was the right answer.

I looked in the direction where the vehicle Kim Wang-su had arrived in was.

A blackened, charred vehicle lay there, looking unsightly.

I still think about it sometimes.

If he had not made a deal with me, would he and his family have survived?

I don’t think so.