episode_0059

The proverb, “A word can pay back a debt of a thousand nyang,” is true. I know because I’ve witnessed cases where people gained enormous benefits through their eloquence. It was the first time I’d envied someone’s seemingly divine and brilliant way with words.

Conversely, there are also cases where a single word sends someone plunging into the abyss. If it ended in the abyss, that would be fortunate; I’ve also seen heads roll. While such a thing would have been absurd just a while ago, when laws, order, and systems were alive, it has now become a feasible scenario in the current situation.

Not quite the abyss or losing his head, but CEO Choi, who nearly ended up in an uncomfortable relationship with me. I had turned my back, thinking I’d never speak to him again. But CEO Choi spoke ‘well’ enough to make me withdraw that thought. Not a flowery display of words, but plain and sincere communication. His words, mixed with surprise and desperation, also contained self-deprecation.

Bowing is no big deal. Kneeling, bowing one’s head, and shedding a few tears is a performance anyone with a bit of acting skill can manage. So, I don’t attach much meaning to it. What I judge is sincerity. Everyone pays at least a minimum of attention to words spoken from the heart.

In that short time, CEO Choi genuinely apologized for his mistake. The moment I heard it, I vaguely felt that it was true. Perhaps because I’ve survived roughly in the wilderness, my sense of a person’s presence? Or intuition? I can’t explain it exactly, but such senses have developed a bit. That is, I can at least faintly discern whether the person in front of me is sincere or lying. The fact that I was able to remain safe from people who tried to exploit me was also due to the advantage this gave me.

In that sense, the beginning of my conversation with CEO Choi felt bad, but the words themselves were sincere. His gratitude towards me was sincere, and his concern for his companions was also sincere. And his apology to me was also genuine, not an act.

So, I turned my back, but I didn’t cut ties sharply. He said something or other, but I let it pass through one ear. For now, there’s no point in listening. I don’t hold onto words from someone whose trustworthiness was severely diminished from the start.

CEO Choi’s mention of a base where we could hide didn’t resonate much with me. However, it piqued my interest, so I decided to listen a bit more. Perhaps CEO Choi read my feelings, as he didn’t offer any further explanations. Instead, he treated me with quite respectful manners.

‘There’s no need to go this far, really.’

Since they are acquaintances of my companions, their joining is fine. It’s just that my relationship with him isn’t comfortable. From CEO Choi’s perspective, there’s no need to carry a debt of gratitude. Still, if he wants to do it, I have no reason to stop him.

Thinking that, I continued the conversation with CEO Choi a little longer. Surprisingly, the content was worth listening to.

“…Myeonmok-dong, you mean?”

At my question, CEO Choi nodded lightly.

“The building itself isn’t large. It’s more like a safe house.”

“Can it accommodate everyone?”

“Of course. It’s more than enough.”

Seeing CEO Choi speak with confidence, it seemed like ten people, including myself, could fit inside.

“But was its original purpose a safe house?”

“Halfway, yes.”

“What does ‘halfway’ mean?”

“Well… it’s not for a very good reason.”

CEO Choi gave a bitter laugh and glanced at Jihyeok hyung and Shia. Something related to—

“It was a kind of secret place for high-ranking individuals.”

“Ah…”

I vaguely remembered hearing about such places. Secret locations for people who wanted to avoid public attention and truly let loose. It would be fine if they just played, but it was also an abyss where all sorts of vulgar activities unfolded.

‘…Is he suggesting *that* place as a base now?’

In the current situation, as long as it’s safe and functional, it’s fine. But it certainly leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If Shia and Bomi had heard that, they would have been quite uncomfortable. Surprisingly, Jihyeok hyung showed no particular reaction. I wondered if CEO Choi was just spewing nonsense right now.

“That was just how it was in the past. It’s completely different now.”

“…Really?”

“I completely renovated it after it came into my hands.”

“It wasn’t originally yours, CEO Choi?”

CEO Choi gave a faint smile at my question. It didn’t suit him; he seemed almost like a mischievous child.

“It just ended up that way. It’s not exactly money laundering, but I renovated it with a lot of my personal desires.”

“…Personal desires? What kind…?”

“Hmph.”

“Ah!”

My hyung exclaimed in surprise beside me, and CEO Choi reacted as if he’d been waiting for it. As CEO Choi began to unravel the story of his personal desires, I realized I had made a mistake.

‘Was this why hyung was so surprised?’

CEO Choi in front of me talked so much it made me wonder if he was the same person. He spoke without taking a breath, his voice full of vigor. After listening for a bit, I soon felt my mind getting blurry. It was my fault. My ill-fated curiosity had flicked the disaster switch. To stop CEO Choi now, the only way was to smash that mouth of his. The moment genuine irritation began to well up.

“Seonghan-ssi. Let’s save those stories for later…”

“Huh? Ah! M-my apologies. I just got carried away…”

Jihyeok hyung, at the perfect timing, managed to cut him off. He truly is a man who acts when it’s needed. If hyung hadn’t cut him off, I would have considered cutting ties, let alone joining them. That thought crossed my mind in that brief moment… I wondered if he was the same person who had been apologetic and crestfallen just moments ago.

Still, amidst the machine-gun torrent of words, there were some things worth hearing. CEO Choi’s personal desires were his personal tastes. His hobbies were camping and survival. If survival was a deep interest, then camping was a full-fledged hobby, he said. So, he had remodeled the “adult playground” to his own liking.

And the subsequent details were not something to simply dismiss. First, the location itself was isolated, rarely visited by people. It was equipped with a self-generation system and water facilities using groundwater. Most importantly, he had created a 5,000-pyeong plot of unused land into a forest. The base CEO Choi was talking about was in the middle of that forest.

When I heard this, my first thought was suspicion.

“A 5,000-pyeong forest in the middle of Seoul, with a building equipped with such systems in its center? Does that even make sense?”

At my incredulous words, CEO Choi showed a deep smile.

“I obtained it from someone who *could* make that possible.”

“Huh…”

Is the power of an entertainment agency CEO really that great? But if everything he said was true, CEO Choi’s resourcefulness was extraordinary.

“Though I call it a forest, before that, it was a pear orchard.”

“A fruit orchard in Seoul? That’s quite novel.”

“That neighborhood has a bit of a story, anyway. The landowner held onto the land until the very end, but it was taken from them.”

“You, CEO Choi, did that?”

“No. Not me. I obtained it much later.”

It seemed like a complicated and intertwined place, which felt unsettling. I was afraid of getting tangled in other affairs for no reason. If these were the kinds of people who played on such a scale, getting involved would be very troublesome.

“I didn’t want to get it either, but once I started working on it, I ended up creating a lot.”

Looking at CEO Choi, who spoke with an embarrassed expression, I roughly grasped the situation.

“…Were you planning to go there from the beginning?”

“That’s right. Originally, I was planning to go there alone or after finding people. But then I met all of you here.”

Seeing someone like CEO Choi, who seemed to have a lot, desperately trying to get there, it seemed the base’s existence was indeed certain. He nearly died before that, but he survived. He met his company colleagues, whom he thought were dead. They all wanted to go to a secret base-like place, but there was one problem. The problem was none other than…

“I was the problem, then.”

“Rather than a problem, I wanted to know if you were someone we could trust. I made a big mistake in my haste, but I never had ill intentions.”

Escaping a deadly crisis, he coincidentally met his precious company family. And a madman who blew up zombies was attached to them…

‘CEO Choi had good reason for that. Although he made a mistake.’

This is why honest communication from both sides is important. We almost became enemies over a single word, but it was resolved like this too. Putting myself in his shoes, if I thought someone like me was attached to my companions after not seeing them for a while, I’d probably be wary. Putting aside my ruined mood, since we understood each other, I decided to let it pass for now.

I took out a cigarette, lit it, and spoke to CEO Choi.

“Keeping you, CEO Choi, and your companions safe and moving to the base. Is that correct?”

CEO Choi nodded at my words.

‘Then why didn’t you just say so?’

He tried to test me and probe, only to come back around in circles. Now that I’ve heard CEO Choi’s thoughts, I should tell him mine.

“The base story is certainly appealing.”

I felt sorry for CEO Choi, whose eyes were gleaming, but my thoughts were a little different.

“However, I can secure a base by myself, can’t I?”

“That’s right. Seonghan-ssi, you could certainly do that.”

“Then why should we take the risk and move?”

It sounded like wordplay, but I could do it now. At my confident rebuttal, CEO Choi spoke softly.

“That’s why I want to make a trade… no, an offer.”

I rested my chin on my hand and quietly watched CEO Choi. A gesture for him to continue speaking.

“I’ll give you five billion won.”

“……”

It didn’t seem like CEO Choi was simply offering money. He seemed like someone quick-witted and sharp-minded, so just money?

“I believe we can overcome the current situation. When that time comes, everyone will be able to return to their daily lives.”

I couldn’t agree with CEO Choi’s serious words. I also hoped we would overcome the zombie apocalypse, but I had strong negative thoughts. And whether returning to daily life would truly be possible was questionable.

“When that time comes, money will be needed. And I will transfer the base to you, Seonghan-ssi.”

“…Aren’t you fond of that base?”

“I am. So wouldn’t that make it even more meaningful? And it’s not some trick to tie you down until that day comes.”

Seeing him quickly add to his words, he must have been quite surprised earlier. The offer itself was reasonable. The problem, if there was one, was having to stick around until I received that reward. If I accepted that offer, it would be a kind of contract. The contract period wasn’t fixed. But the “salary” would be paid all at once on the day the contract ended.

‘This is making my head spin.’

It wasn’t a bad offer. I also wanted to keep my companions, whom I liked, safe. CEO Choi made a bad first impression, but protecting him would be an added bonus. Leaving the military was an option, but I had no specific plans for a base. I was just planning to take over any usable place I found. It was an expectation that things would somehow work out. But if CEO Choi’s words were true, I should go to Myeonmok-dong. The fact that it had self-generated power alone was reason enough.

As I thought for a moment about what to do, CEO Choi spoke cautiously.

“This is just my thought, but it seems you, Seonghan-ssi, aren’t simply looking for money.”

“I like money.”

I liked it, but the problem was I didn’t have any. CEO Choi chuckled softly at my blunt reaction and continued calmly.

“It seems you pay a lot of attention to food, clothing, and shelter. A shelter… that is, a base, could satisfy those aspects to some extent. Though we’d still have to find food.”

The moment I heard those words, I blinked. My primary goal was to eat well and live well, after all. Hadn’t I diligently looted supermarkets for that very reason?

“It’s not fancy or luxurious, but it provides at least the basic living conditions—”

“I’ll do it.”

“What?”

There was no need to drag out the time any longer.

“Your offer. I’ll take it.”

CEO Choi’s words resonated precisely with me. And I liked it very much. A nagging problem that had been stuck without progress seemed to have found a solution in one go. The base CEO Choi was talking about seemed like it would be the key.

I gave a faint smile, looking at CEO Choi, who was flustered by my sudden acceptance. Anticipation was already bubbling up deep within my chest.