Rust - Chapter 28



Only Krnovel

RUST-28

It seemed like Kim Yang had sensed something too. Fortunately, she was a woman with some intuition.

Maru dragged Kim Yang’s face, which had been shiny from eating well, out of the restaurant before it turned pale.

Maru, who silently pointed to the Starbucks with the tip of his chin, went down to the subway station.

When I went into a public phone booth and called Ki-sun, I was ignored. Ki-sun answered the phone only after the first, second, and third time.

[hello.]

“It’s me. Maru.”

[Who are you? Are you the great Lord Maru who forces his friends into PC rooms all day and treats them like slaves?]

“S-Sorry. But you’re the only one I have. The only person I can rely on right now.”

At those words, the person on the other end of the phone seemed to become quiet.

[This is a bumper crop. Where are you going to start talking? Don’t ruin the mood and tell me. What’s your request this time? What’s some grand errand you’re running with your long tongue?]

Yeah. That’s the kind of kid he was. Maru also chuckled.

“No, that’s not it. You were in the yacht club, right?”

[That’s right. He even has a yacht license. He also has experience in long-distance driving from Incheon to Jeju and back five times, and from Busan to Incheon and back three times.]

“Fuck, Ki-soon, you saved my life. What should I do for you? Should I give you cash with both hands?”

[Why are you overdoing it again? What’s going on?]

“Ha- I have to go to Japan tomorrow or within 3-4 days at the latest.”

[What? Are you crazy? You escaped from Japan at dawn today and you’re going back to Japan? There’s a mess in Japan right now because of the earthquake. It’s not just a mess, there’s a total fucking apocalypse, and you’re going? Don’t you even watch the news?]

Maru’s face became pale.

“It’s not just Japan that’s fucked up, my life’s fucked up too. Sigh- If there’s a yacht that can travel from Incheon to Busan, it must be a pretty big yacht, right? Can I rent that?”

[It’s mid-October, so I have some free time before winter fishing, but I’ve done a lot of fall fishing as well. More than that, when renting a yacht, you shouldn’t just think about renting a car. It’s freaking expensive. Yacht rental fees.]

“They said they would pay in cash and rented it for two months, so please do something about it.”

[Crazy. Rent a yacht for two months that should be a week at most for two or three days? Is that real? Is this true?]

“I’m planning to stop by Japan and then go to Canada or the western United States.”

[Oh shit – you’re crazy? To sail that long distance, the yacht would have to be at least 100ft (about 30m) long, and you’d need 3-4 people who know how to handle it? In documentaries and such, they show people crossing the Atlantic and the Pacific alone. That’s all bullshit.]

“Just you and me, ah- isn’t there a way we can do it in three shifts, with one more person?”

[I’m the only one with yacht experience, the other two are just beginners, Japan and America? What kind of Newtube did you watch? If you’re thinking of following along after watching something like that, I’m absolutely against it. Long distance sailing is really dangerous. Who is that woman who went on a solo backpacking trip? Is that the woman of the wind? If you were to put all those women who followed along on a backpacking trip and never came back in a truck, you wouldn’t even have enough dump trucks.]

“I know, but I’m screwed right now and there’s no other way. I can’t fly to Japan and then go to the US or Canada.”

[That’s right. It’s difficult to come from Japan to our country now.]

“We can talk about the details when we meet up, either in the morning or tomorrow. Oh, by the way, your cat, Cash. Do you have a vet that he goes to?”

[Yes.]

“Is the director of that animal hospital skilled? Does he perform surgeries himself?”

[Then, the director there is really good, the facilities are good, and they even do emergency surgeries late at night.]

“You have big X-rays and stuff like that?”

[What is an X-ray? There is an X-ray, CT, and MRI. In addition to that, there are ultrasounds, endoscopes, and other machines that can examine most people. These days, many animal hospitals have better facilities than rural hospitals.]

Maru’s expression relaxed significantly. From now on, it was right to assume the worst.

“Okay, tell me the location and phone number. And also file an emergency report in your name.”

[What? In my name? No, but you don’t have a pet.]

“I picked one up around lunchtime today, but it needs urgent treatment because its right front leg looks like it’s going to become crippled.”

[What. Is that a stray cat that got into a car accident? I know because I raised a cat···, most cats are really like kitties, even though they are strays. That’s their charm···]

After listening to a sermon that was either a praise for cats, a complaint, or a regret for over five minutes, Ki-sun finally gave me the number and location of the animal hospital.

After Maru finished talking to Gi-sun, he walked around Starbucks where Kim Yang was waiting. He checked to see if there were any delivery motorcycles wandering around the area, or if there were any taxis waiting with ‘reservations’ without taking any customers.

Fortunately, there was nothing particularly bothersome. Still, Maru went to the back seat where Kim Yang was sitting. With their backs facing each other, he pretended not to know her and handed her a napkin.

-I’m sure you have a rough idea, but there’s a high chance that your location is being tracked or wiretapped-

-So, go to the address written here. I’ll take a taxi first, and you can take public transportation.-

-Don’t go near the hospital entrance, I’ll meet you there-

Ms. Kim looked pale and disgusted at the napkin Maru had given her.

Are you saying that the company is tracking you?

Kim Yang-do also moved while thinking about CCTV, and when Detective Ahn was organizing, he worked according to the time when the string instrument academy was ending. He also said that he avoided tracking by using public transportation.

But you’re saying there’s a bug on me? Where? How? Where? There’s even a location tracker attached to it?

How did Maru know? No, why didn’t a company that tracks my location and even wiretap me catch me? If they had wanted to, they would have caught me long ago.

Kim Yang had a lot to ask. But if there really was a wiretapping device, talking would be like certifying a retard.

[Royal Blue Animal Hospital]

But why are you telling me to go here?

Miss Kim was anxious and strange.

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Maru dug around the drainage area behind the neighborhood playground. Lifting the screen and brushing away some dirt, he could see a thickly wrapped black envelope. It contained nearly $90,000 in cash that he had taken with him when he escaped from Japan.

If Ki-soon hadn’t been there, it would have been really hard. Ki-soon had taken Maru’s cell phone that he had buried in the playground and killed him at the PC room, so he had an alibi. He also buried money in it, so Maru’s house was not caught by the police who were raiding it.

It’s the same now. I asked Kim Yang to search for the ship, but if there was a wiretapping device or a location tracking device, it would have been caught. It was really a stroke of luck that Ki-sun was in the yacht club and had a yacht license.

I asked Ki-sun to arrange for two four-wheel drive motorcycles, one or two jet skis, and a yacht that could sail to North America with enough water and fuel. I just needed to arrange it within two or three days. I thought I could get a lot of money with the money I had brought from World Livestock.

If he went to Japan and found money on the floor, the amount would increase, so he didn’t have to worry about money. While he was making his identity, shouldn’t he make one for Ki-soon too? With that in mind, he headed to the PC room.

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[Royal Blue Animal Hospital]

It was a veterinary hospital that occupied the first and second floors of a neat nine-story building. Perhaps because Ki-sun had made a reservation, the sign that said emergency treatment was in progress was lit up.

Maru saw Miss Kim doing pendulum exercises near the animal hospital. He looked around like he did before entering Starbucks. After looking around for about 10 minutes, Maru thought there was no problem and sent a text message to Miss Kim.

[I’ll go into the hospital first. If you don’t come out after you go in, come in 10 minutes.]

[But why a vet?]

Miss Kim sent a text message right away. There was no time to explain in detail.

[I’ll explain that later. You know what a deaf person is? Someone who can’t speak. That’s the concept. Keep your mouth shut and look at the doctor with tearful eyes.]

[No, why?]

[Do you have a wiretapping device? Are you trying to make sure the organization can hear everything you say? Let me just check. If there are no wiretapping devices or location tracking devices, you can tell me then. There is no time.]

[okay.]

[I tell you again, you’re dumb. You’re deaf. Okay?]

[yep]

Maru, who had been assured by Kim Yang, went into the animal hospital.

Charles Park, the director of the animal hospital, was in a difficult position. A regular customer, Kim Ki-sun, called and said that a close friend of his was going to take in a stray cat that had been in a traffic accident, so he prepared for emergency surgery and waited.

There was no stray cat in the accident, and instead a healthy young man came in and bowed his head.

“Oh, I got the call in advance. Did the stray cat that got into a traffic accident get away?”

Director Park spoke cautiously. He knew that it would be better to ask cat lovers indirectly if their cat had passed away rather than directly telling them about the death of their cat.

[Teacher. I can hear, but I couldn’t speak because of an accident, so I printed it out on paper. Teacher. Please take care of my wife.]

Maru took out one of the printed pieces of paper and handed it to Director Park.

“Your wife?”

Director Park, who received the paper, made a face like, “What is this?” Indeed, there were many people who called their pets their children. Sometimes, among the women, there were those who called a medium-sized male dog their own, and there were also those who called a cat their wife, husband, or lover.

“Hmm- no. No. So where does it hurt?”

In response to Director Park’s question, Maru took out a piece of paper from a bundle of papers.

[I injured my right arm and had it stitched up and put in a cast, but it looks like something got stuck inside the stitches.]

Director Park nodded mechanically. How much pain must the mute cat have felt?

“Please bring him in. We’ll take off the cast and prepare for an X-ray.”

[Thank you, teacher.]

Maru bowed his head and waist, showing a piece of paper written in large, bold font.

After a while, Director Park looked embarrassed.

A cute, innocent-looking girl with short hair was looking at Director Park with tearful eyes.

“No, sir. Isn’t it a person, not a cat?”

Maru rummaged through the stack of printed materials he was holding. He took out a long piece of paper with some writing on it.

[My wife is deaf and mute. When I went to the hospital during the day, they said she couldn’t speak and sent her out. When I texted 119, they said it was a coronavirus situation and told me to get a PCR test and wait for a day. If she’s not in a situation where she’s going to die right now, they can’t even go to the emergency room. Even though she can’t hear or speak, there’s something stuck in her arm. How can this be?]

“Ha- It is illegal to treat animals at a veterinary hospital. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do for you.”

Director Charles Park was cold-hearted. He could have helped out by saying he was sorry, but he could have taken down the sign.

[When I called the hospital that treated me, they said there was nothing wrong or abnormal, and asked if I had any evidence. I don’t want anything big. Just take an X-ray. If you can confirm that there is something in my arm, you can report it right away or come up with some kind of countermeasure, right? Please, doctor.]

Kim Yang looked surprised when she saw the paper Maru had taken out, then started to cry and cast the skill Seonjuppilseung.

Director Park sighed deeply and nodded.

“I’m just taking an X-ray.”

[Thank you, teacher.]

Maru took out a piece of paper with large, bold letters written on it.

Director Park used an electric tool to cut the cast off. Maru helped him. Maru took the cast off from Director Park, who was trying to put it away, and placed it around Ms. Kim’s torso.

Jiiing-

After the sound of the X-ray machine spinning, Kim Yang’s arm appeared on the monitor.

“Hmm. What is this?”

Director Park frowned. There was definitely something in the X-ray of Ms. Kim’s right arm.

There was something stuck there, about the size of a large pill.

It’s a matter of the account.