episode_0076

The conversation with Chairman Choi concluded pleasantly.

To get straight to the point, I only accepted part of the proposal.

The reason was nothing special, just personal.

First of all, this shelter, whose ownership he offered to transfer, isn’t to my taste.

I haven’t heard about its functions yet, but from the perspective of a safe base, it’s definitely an excellent property.

Its sturdiness protects against external dangers.

A location difficult for others or zombies to access.

Accessibility to the city area, in case of an unforeseen outing.

This shelter, strongly resembling a secret base, seems to directly reflect Chairman Choi’s taste, from its exterior to its interior.

‘It’s not really my thing…’

Furthermore, there was an important issue.

Why are landlords called “god-lords”?

It’s because money flows in steadily even without working, allowing for liberation from labor. Although various conditions follow, an ideal life is possible if those conditions are met.

If a building is in a good location and usable, people will quickly fill it.

Building management? Just entrust it to a professional company.

Thus, a landlord liberated from labor lives a qualitatively different life.

Not everyone lives such a wonderful life.

But most of them live quite well.

‘I was so damn envious.’

I once saw a documentary-like broadcast quite a while ago.

It was a program that investigated the reality of landlord abuse incidents that were emerging at the time.

Although there were differences in degree, they were all wealthy.

Especially the owner who possessed three small buildings on a famous street in Sinsa-dong.

He was a man living luxuriously, receiving more than five years of my annual salary in monthly rent.

The life of a middle-aged man who enjoyed golf and hobbies, and easily met women.

All he did was give instructions for building management and listen to briefings on asset management.

Since it was a broadcast, there must have been some sensationalism and embellishment, but at the time, it triggered such a deep sense of disillusionment in me that I began to contemplate the meaning of life.

Of course, it was fortunate that I wasn’t the only one who felt disillusioned.

Anyway, from that perspective, this shelter that Chairman Choi was pushing wasn’t something to snap up immediately. It wouldn’t generate additional profit, and it would only be full of people I’d have to protect.

I might end up struggling as a landlord to protect the residents.

When it came to safety, it was second to none, but it had no other appeal.

Explaining these points, I subtly rejected Chairman Choi’s proposal.

The condition of being a landlord was so tempting that I had to subtly and politely decline, as the situation and the property didn’t align.

Instead of refusing, we agreed to stay together here for the time being.

And once again, I received a promise to get cash and goods equivalent to 5 billion won, as per the initial proposal. The tax issue being handled by Chairman Choi was a bonus.

In addition, instead of taking the building, I promised three wishes.

This was a little different from the promise I made with Jihyeok hyung before.

“…Wishes, you say?”

“Whatever the matter, whatever it may be, you must receive and grant my request.”

“Hmm~ there shouldn’t be a prob—”

“Anything.”

At my heavy voice, Chairman Choi and Dong-woo flinched.

“It could violate laws, or be an act that abandons human ethics.”

“H-Hyung.”

“…”

“Regarding that, Chairman-nim, you might be able to refuse, but if I bring up the wish right, you’ll have to grant it.”

“…What if I don’t grant it? Even if I promise now, there’s no guarantee I’ll keep it in the future, is there?”

It was an assumption that could be easily made.

Seriousness could be felt from his rigid demeanor and speech.

But it wasn’t the look or feeling of a businessman calculating profit and loss.

‘I thought he wasn’t the type to take a loss…’

Regardless, I answered Chairman Choi’s question.

“…?”

I silently stared at Chairman Choi, and his puzzled expression lasted only a moment.

Chairman Choi soon shivered violently and froze.

His startled eyes turned to horror, and cold sweat dripped from his entire body.

I wore a gentle smile.

Slowly, I unleashed my killing intent.

I compressed the killing intent that would normally have filled and overflowed the room.

I projected my killing intent towards only one person.

“…Gah! Cough! H-huh-”

“…?? Hyung? Chairman-nim, why are you like this?”

A concentrated killing intent so thick it felt like a noose tightening around the neck.

Though only for a very brief moment, Chairman Choi, who faced the killing intent defencelessly, panted severely.

“Gasping! Panting heavily! Panting for air!”

“C-Chairman-nim! Why are you suddenly like this?!”

There was a momentary commotion from Chairman Choi, who was gasping for a long time, and a flustered Dong-woo, but the atmosphere soon settled.

“If you’re curious, you can try it.”

“…Hoo~ No. I asked a foolish question.”

Chairman Choi smiled bitterly and waved his hand dismissively.

He stated that the promise would definitely be fulfilled and left the details in a simple document.

Jihyeok hyung is a good person, but he’s just an entertainer.

His influence is minimal.

Chairman Choi is an agency CEO, but he has something more he can do beyond that.

It’s rare to find businessmen without connections or networks.

Chairman Choi, whether now or in the distant future, likely has the potential to offer a wide range of options when requesting help.

That’s why I received a promise with somewhat harsh terms.

Chairman Choi didn’t hesitate or refuse regarding it.

The witness to this conversation is Dong-woo, a third party.

Dong-woo, who suddenly found himself involved in our conversation, seemed awkward, but he was the right person to be a witness.

‘He’s good at keeping secrets.’

Honestly, I thought he might tip off my grandparents about me or make a slip of the tongue.

But surprisingly, Dong-woo was tight-lipped and discreet.

That’s why I put him forward as a witness.

‘This should ensure they don’t treat him carelessly.’

Chairman Choi doesn’t seem like the kind of person to do that, but it’s just in case.

For now, it’s a meaningless promise.

However, I’m the type who believes the world will stabilize someday.

It’s a stepping stone for that day, which will surely come.

It’s an uncharacteristic mindset to burn with fervent hope, but I want to believe.

I’ve suffered terribly my whole life, and I don’t want to live and die entangled with zombies in this ruined world.

‘That would be too unfair.’

I’m confident I can survive alone even if the world ends.

But I don’t want to be the last survivor, starring in some desolate apocalypse story.

If I live like that and eventually die, I feel I wouldn’t be able to close my eyes due to the unfairness.

I’m willing to hunker down for a few years until the world becomes peaceful again.

My judgment is that it would be fine to live together for a while until that day comes.

And having suffered so much, I also feel like resting a bit.

So, the conversation concluded, and now.

More than an hour had passed since we entered Chairman Choi’s personal study.

“Oh my. It’s gotten so late already. Everyone must be waiting.”

At Chairman Choi’s words, we slowly rose from our seats.

“But Hyung, why didn’t you take the building? Isn’t it good enough to just accept it?”

“…Do you want it?”

“It’s not that. It’s just that making a similar promise with Jihyeok hyung also felt… I was just curious.”

“It’s nothing special. Just getting insurance, in case you never know.”

“Insurance?”

“Wherever I go, I try to build connections if possible.”

It’s a type of networking.

The content is slightly different given the current situation.

One of the few things I did well, despite having nothing, was this.

Whether for good or ill, if I judged it worthwhile, I built connections.

It wasn’t difficult at all.

I just needed to leverage my youth, do what I was told well, and maintain a friendly attitude.

If there was a drinking gathering, I’d go along and temporarily let everything go.

That habit paid off quite well, both back then and now.

As a result, I at least didn’t starve to death.

It wasn’t just once or twice that I easily overcame difficulties or problems others struggled with, even on the other side.

The outcome is a bit different, but the context is similar.

It’s not normal, but Chairman Choi and I are, in a way, connected by a thread.

“Is it like networking? Isn’t it the same thing?”

“Similar, yet different. It’s good for you to do it too. Remember that.”

“Hmm… I understand.”

“Normally, it’s the kind of human relationship that Dong-woo-gun would gradually learn as he gets older, but given the situation…”

Dong-woo silently nodded at Chairman Choi’s words, who was walking ahead.

We left the study, enveloped in a quiet, contemplative atmosphere.

Arriving at the reception room where we were supposed to meet, a delicious aroma wafted to us.

“Where have you all been? We’ve been looking for ages.”

“We were really surprised, thinking you had disappeared.”

“Haha~ Sorry, sorry. We just had something to talk about.”

Jihyeok hyung and Shia looked a bit sulky, as if they had been worried.

Everyone had showered and was waiting for us, looking neat and clean.

On the reception room table, dinner was cooling down.

“You should have eaten first…”

“It’s our first meal together, so we should eat together.”

To the Grandfather and Grandmother, who apologized for setting out food on their own accord in what wasn’t even a dining room, we waved our hands and instead expressed our gratitude.

“We apologize for making you wait. Please, start eating.”

At Chairman Choi’s words, everyone who had waited for a long time picked up their spoons and started eating.

We hadn’t properly eaten lunch and had skipped dinner.

Perhaps hungry from their long activities, everyone ate in silence.

Only the clattering of utensils and the sounds of swallowing food could be heard.

Simple dishes cooked using the portable burners from our backpacks.

It was already cold and lukewarm, with oil floating on top.

‘…It’s delicious.’

A relaxed meal enjoyed in a safe and proper space.

Perhaps that’s why even the standardized taste of instant meals felt delicious.

Or perhaps it was because there were people eating deliciously and voraciously next to me.

Everyone who had eaten their fill didn’t move from their seats.

Not even a finger twitched; they were like drained batteries.

“Let’s call it a night. This is a safe place, so you can sleep soundly.”

At my words, everyone nodded and struggled to get up from their seats.

Perhaps overcome by fatigue, everyone mumbled their goodnight greetings.

They staggered back to their respective rooms, looking just like zombies.

Everyone scattered to rest, but Chairman Choi and Jihyeok hyung remained.

“Would you like a cup?”

Chairman Choi offered a cup of steaming instant coffee, having prepared it at some point.

The three of us who remained in our seats silently savored the aroma of the coffee.

It was cheap coffee, but the faint aroma wasn’t bad.

“High-end coffee is good too, but I prefer this kind of instant coffee.”

“I like all coffee. Seonghan, do you like coffee?”

At Jihyeok hyung’s words, I swallowed the mouthful of coffee I had been swirling in my mouth.

“If it’s there, I drink it; if not, I don’t. That kind of level?”

Saying that, I quickly emptied the remaining coffee with a gulp.

“I really like that sweet taste that gathers at the end.”

“Ah~ Haha~ That’s delicious, isn’t it?”

“Chairman-nim knows this taste.”

“But I couldn’t bring myself to slurp the paper cup in front of people.”

“Oh, that’s right. They say it looks crude.”

Jihyeok hyung, who had been watching the slightly more open conversation between Chairman Choi and me, subtly chimed in.

“What’s going on? What did you two talk about that the atmosphere is like this?”

“What’s our atmosphere like?”

“…It feels a bit more relaxed, doesn’t it?”

“We just talked about various things, that’s all.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

It seemed he had been continuously concerned about the awkward first meeting between Chairman Choi and me.

The fact that he immediately noticed the slight shift in our conversation, even though it hadn’t changed much, suggests that.

Everyone was silent for a moment.

“Seonghan. What are you thinking about?”

I lightly replied to hyung, who asked subtly while leaning back on the sofa.

“I was reminded of a movie I watched a long time ago.”

“A movie? What movie?”

“It was a crime action movie, the title was… *The Laughing Man*?”

“Ah~ That one!”

It was a movie released quite a long time ago.

…Although it utterly bombed.

Except for a few realistic action scenes, it was clumsy, if only in parts.

Even though I have no eye for film, I felt that way about it, but there was one scene that left a deep impression.

The final boss’s direct subordinate.

It was ambiguous whether he was the right-hand man or the field commander, but he was loyal.

Even when the boss treated him roughly, he just accepted it.

To put it nicely, he was the right-hand man; to put it badly, he was a hound.

That loyal man killed his boss in the latter half of the movie.

The reason was nothing other than money.

“My money? My 2 billion won?”

“Two billion won isn’t the problem now! My entire fortune vanished! Damn it!”

Their relationship was one of employment.

Two billion won, a large sum by common people’s standards, though not a huge amount for the wealthy.

He had endured all that humiliation, thinking only of that money, but it was gone.

The boss casually belittling the money that was his very purpose.

His compensation had vanished.

At that moment.

The subordinate’s eyes changed.

It wasn’t a dramatic transformation.

‘Ah! That person’s last shred of reason has snapped!’

There was no change in his expression, but a subtle shift in his eyes showed it.

The transformed subordinate, just as he had always done, this time brutally beat his boss to death.

The movie itself wasn’t great, but that scene was deeply etched in my mind.

The villain’s acting was amazing, but it also made me realize again how terrifying money could be.

Excluding my last thought, when I told them about the movie, the two reacted enthusiastically.

‘…Just like people in the industry.’

They were evaluating the movie with each other and expressing their own thoughts.

I wondered if such passionate engagement on a related topic was their usual everyday life.

Their professional demeanor was truly good to see.

“Later, I wonder if we should make our story into a movie.”

“…Hyung, are you serious? You bombed completely last time, didn’t you?”

“No, why do you have to bring that up!”

“Instead of that, let’s go with a drama. It’s too much to express everything in a movie.”

“…A drama? Do you have something in mind?”

Seeing the two of them, after all that suffering, still thinking about turning their experiences into a video, made my jaw drop. Was it because their mental fortitude was beyond ordinary?

I couldn’t fathom how to understand these two men, who immediately lit up after overcoming death’s door and becoming safe.

‘…Don’t people usually wail and cry over difficult memories?’

Wailing, my foot.

If left alone, they’d churn out a movie in no time.

“Now, let’s stop this—”

“Seonghan. You should appear too. You have to be in it.”

“That’s right. Please, definitely.”

“……Just go to sleep.”

I pushed the two men, who were spouting nonsense, into their room, and then I entered my own.

The room closest to the entrance we came through.

If there was any sign of trouble, it was the best position to react from.

A sigh escaped my lips.

Lying on the clean bed, I felt incredibly comfortable.

My body was clean, and my stomach was full.

My eyes naturally drifted shut.

“…”

The group I checked on earlier seemed fine.

They ate well without issue and seemed mentally stable.

Though I’d have to observe them a bit longer after tonight.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

‘What if Chairman Choi and Hyung don’t give me what they owe?’

How would I really react then?

What kind of relationship would we have then?

Would I change, like the boss’s subordinate in that disastrous movie?

Miscellaneous thoughts wandered through my mind.

After thinking for a while, I fell asleep as if blacking out, in the same position I was lying in.

And the next morning.

An emergency was declared.