episode_0219

After gently tending to Dong-woo and Hyung’s bodies, the next morning.

We had an early breakfast and prepared to go out.

Aside from packing a few supplies, all the preparations were personal.

Everyone somewhat skillfully donned the defensive gear I had distributed.

It made me proud to see them doing it habitually without being told.

Aware of the considerably cold weather, warm coats and hot packs were also prepared.

Each person had at least two hot packs.

Frankly, one hot pack is nowhere near enough on a cold winter day.

Working outside, holding just one hot pack and trembling, I felt miserable.

Our group shouldn’t be like that, so two each.

Seeing them check each other’s gear and finish their inspections, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they had learned something.

Sohee-ssi, noticing my gaze, gave an awkward laugh.

“While you were away, I taught them a little. Everyone wanted to learn…”

“Oh… you’ve worked hard.”

I couldn’t help but be a little impressed; even if they weren’t completely skilled, they had a certain air about them.

I could strongly feel the effort Sohee-ssi had put in during that mere half-month.

‘It looks like she incorporated various training exercises, huh?’

I thought I understood the reason for the calluses on Hyung’s hands.

And I also got a sense of why everyone wanted to go out.

“How did you manage to hold it in, feeling so antsy?”

I grinned and spoke slyly to Hyung.

“Well, I learned it and wanted to try it out… and it’s safe when I’m with you, isn’t it?”

“It’s scary, but Seonghan-ssi is here too, and we’re all going together.”

“I also wanted to see what it’s like outside.”

Each person spoke a short phrase, and the atmosphere was subtle.

There was a definite sense of excitement, but also mixed with nervousness…

It was like watching a rookie boxer stepping into their first match.

“Don’t let your guard down.”

“Of course.”

“Yes!”

Hearing their firm replies, I glanced at Sohee-ssi and saw a satisfied expression.

Though I don’t know for sure, it seemed she was satisfied with the results of having put them through their paces quite a bit…

…It’s a good thing she did it when I wasn’t around.

“Let’s go.”

Having prepared even our individual weapons, we stepped out of the entrance.

It was slightly dark, just before the morning sun rose.

A good time to head out for work.

Three Porter trucks were idling to warm up, and ten jerrycans were loaded.

“You need to be careful.”

“Uh, thanks.”

“Come back quickly.”

“Alright, so listen to Grandma and be good.”

“Okay.”

I chuckled softly, looking at Shia and Heize, who were worried.

Heize wanted to come along, but she was out due to a doctor’s stop.

With Dr. Jang’s diagnosis that she needed rest and Grandma’s stern warning, Heize relented.

“I wish I could go with you, but I can’t, which is a shame.”

“Still, don’t you think there should be some ‘men’ at home?”

“Haha~ That’s true.”

Grandfather laughed jovially.

“I’m not overly worried, but please be careful on your trip.”

“Yes. Then, we’ll be back.”

We left the shelter, receiving send-offs from those who remained.

Perhaps because there had been heavy snow and strong rain, much of the snow had melted.

However, thanks to the sharply lowered temperature, the ground was covered with a thin layer of ice mixed with snow.

The Porter we were in slowly, steadily, and carefully moved forward.

“Will this be okay?”

“If it were colder, I don’t know, but this much is fine. It’ll probably get slushy once the sun starts to rise.”

“Hmm. I see.”

Having experienced winter conditions for years, I knew to some extent.

On days like today, where it’s cold but not windy, the ground thaws and turns slushy once the sun rises.

We could move until sunset.

For that reason, we decided to operate only during daylight hours.

Hyung continued to drive skillfully at the front.

And then we arrived at the gas station at the intersection right ahead.

【SP Yongma-ro Self-Service Gas Station】

『Designated Public Institution Gas Station』

Hyung skillfully parked the car in front of the pump.

While the other vehicles lined up behind, I surveyed the interior.

It was a small business, with just a small lot, three gas pumps, and a self-service car wash in the corner.

“…It looks like there’s nothing here, doesn’t it?”

“It does, but…”

As Hyung said, there were no suspicious sounds or presences.

All that was visible were tattered and decayed banners.

Maintaining my posture of surveying the gas station, I pressed the car horn firmly.

The horn blared loudly.

“!!”

“It’s clear. Let’s get out.”

Since there was no response after blowing the horn, I got out without hesitation.

“At least say something first!”

“Heh heh heh~”

Hyung, who got out after me, seemed very surprised and playfully hit my shoulder, complaining.

Seeing Hyung and me get out, everyone else got out of their vehicles and approached.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything unusual, so let’s just finish confirming and then start.”

Seeing everyone nod, I gave instructions.

“Young-cheol-ssi and Dong-woo, please guard the vehicles. If you see anything, just honk the horn or give a signal.”

“Yes.”

“Sohee-ssi, coordinate with Incheol and those two to stand guard. I’ll leave the minor decisions to you.”

“Understood.”

“Reporter Kim, once safety is secured, move slowly. However, you must absolutely not get separated. Anyone is fine, just don’t stray far from them.”

“I will bear that in mind.”

“Hyung, come with me.”

“Okay.”

Everyone naturally put their hands on their guns and began to move.

Sohee-ssi adjusted their positions and spacing, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

I, without hesitation, walked straight into the gas station.

Perhaps because the morning sun was rising slowly, my vision wasn’t strained.

The main gas station building, being old, was somewhat dilapidated and dirty.

All the windows were broken, and the front door was shattered, adding to its grotesque appearance.

Shattered glass crunched.

Shattered glass fragments made an irritating noise.

I slowly moved my steps into the office.

Hyung followed behind me, maintaining his firing stance.

The old door creaked open.

Pushing open the old door, the office inside was a mess.

However, there were no bloodstains or anything that caused discomfort.

I gave a quiet hand signal, changed direction, and thoroughly searched the building.

The restrooms, the stairs, and even the upstairs storage room.

As I moved, Hyung followed behind, supporting me.

『Leave the rear to me.』

Though unspoken, his aura clearly conveyed that plea.

It was a reassuring feeling, different from when I moved alone.

A reliable atmosphere, different even from when we were together before.

I relaxed my stance and slowly turned around.

“…Nothing unusual.”

“Phew…”

“Why are you so tense?”

“No, it’s just… as soon as I started moving, it just happened naturally. Hah hah.”

We chuckled softly and looked around the interior.

There was nothing particularly special in the storage room.

The storage room was filled with discarded materials and jerrycans wrapped in cheap plastic, with only a few boxes of urea solution.

I went outside the building, announced that it was safe, and began to move.

First, I had the two who were guarding the vehicles join Hyung and asked them to take out all the jerrycans.

Meanwhile, I inspected the gas station’s ground and retrieved tools from the truck’s cargo bed.

“Hyung-nim, what are you doing?”

Incheol, who had subtly approached without letting his guard down, couldn’t hide his curiosity.

“To get the oil out.”

“…Huh?”

I briefly explained to Incheol, who was making a dazed sound.

“There’s a storage tank under here. The gas pump is connected to the tank to extract it.”

“Oh…”

“The gas pump works with a motor. It needs electricity, but we don’t have it now. So, we’ll have to do it manually.”

“…This is how it works?”

“…I don’t know either. It’s my first time trying this. We’ll just have to hope it works out.”

I gave Incheol a suitable reply while pushing aside the rubber mat on the ground.

And then, the manhole cover was revealed.

It scraped.

It grated.

When I lifted the tightly fitted lid, a space just the size of the lid was filled with water. It was a bit disappointing that there was also some ice.

Since I had found what I wanted, I brought out the tools I had loaded in the cargo bed.

Two tools contained in a long box.

『WorldClean Rotary Hand Oil Pump for Drums』

『ToolGuy Battery Oil Pump for Drums』

These were the tools I had taken out of my inventory last night and assembled in advance for this very moment.

Something I had picked up from the Holy Sale’s sundries section was being used like this.

The group gradually gathered, curious about what I was doing.

Holding a pump similar in structure to a common bellows, I called Dong-woo over.

“Dong-woo. Come here for a second.”

“Yes, sir.”

I broke the thin ice, roughly cleared it away, and then set up the pump’s suction tube.

“I’ll hold it, so turn that handle.”

“Just turn it?”

“Yeah. Turn it hard.”

“Yes, sir!”

Swish- swish-

Being new, the handle moved smoothly.

And it immediately started working well.

Gurgle gurgle-

Slosh slosh-

Whoosh-

“Oh!!”

“It’s working well. Keep turning.”

“Yes, sir!”

Its original purpose was to transfer fuel from a drum to equipment, but…

A tool is a nose-ring if you hang it on your nose, an earring if you hang it on your ear [a proverb meaning a tool can be adapted for various purposes].

For now, it’s serving as a makeshift pump.

“Pant! Pant!”

“Incheol, switch.”

“I’ll do it.”

Young-cheol-ssi, who had been silently watching, slung his gun behind him and stepped in.

And he vigorously turned the handle.

Gush gush gush-

The water drained refreshingly, and we could see the water level lowering.

Thanks to a bit more effort, we were able to drain the water completely.

And then, the fuel storage tank was revealed.

A steel measuring stick was stuck into a lid about the size of a person’s torso.

We had found it properly, at least.

I put on a mask and spoke to the people.

“The smell is strong, so either stand back or put on a mask.”

At my words, everyone put on their masks and stayed put.

‘It must be hard for them.’

Everyone seemed curious about the work and didn’t move far away.

I chuckled inwardly and descended into the manhole.

The moment I opened the lid fixed to the bottom.

“Ugh!!”

“Cough!! Choke!”

A strong gasoline smell surged up.

People were overwhelmed by the intense smell.

I involuntarily twisted my head and frowned.

It was on a completely different level from the smell encountered when filling jerrycans or at a gas pump.

“Ugh!! Is this the smell of oil?”

“Yes.”

“Ugh… it smells like diesel?”

“You found it right away.”

Inside the tank, clean fuel was calmly stored.

Seeing that the level was quite high, the amount was considerable.

And judging by the smell, as Hyung said, this was diesel.

Since each tank stored different fuel, we had no choice but to find it one by one, so it was fortunate we found it at once.

I climbed back up and this time prepared the battery pump.

“Hyung. Please bring the car a little closer this way.”

“Uh, just a moment.”

As expected of Hyung, who likes cars and driving, he parked with good sense.

“More more more more more more~ All right! Perfect.”

I diligently began to move my hands.

There are scenes that occasionally appear in movies.

Scenes where they open the fuel cap of an abandoned car and siphon out fuel.

A method that supposedly uses the pressure difference based on height.

Unfortunately, we can’t use that now.

That’s why I prepared this pump.

These are going to be used very usefully for us.

Would I have even thought of draining oil from a gas station?

You never know what life will throw at you, and indeed, if you save anything, there will always be a use for it.

First, I connected the wires to the positive terminal of the Porter’s battery.

I attached a long hose to the insufficient suction tube and tightened it firmly with a hose clamp.

At the end of the long hose, I tied a stone of appropriate size tightly to serve as a counterweight.

Carefully lowering the hose into the tank, preparations were complete.

I snapped my fingers at the people standing blankly.

Snap!

“Set up the jerrycans.”

“Setting up!”

Dong-woo and Incheol moved quickly on their own.

‘…Will it work?’

If it didn’t work now, I’d probably be very annoyed.

I placed the nozzle against the jerrycan and gently turned on the power.

Whirrr-

It operated smoothly, with the motor humming at a lower noise level than expected.

Soon after, I felt the long hose gurgle.

Gush gush gush gush-

“Oh!!”

“Awesome~!”

Diesel, in the familiar manner, gushed out.

“Wow, this is great, isn’t it? It’s faster than a gas pump.”

Starting with Young-cheol-ssi’s exclamation, everyone looked at the current scene with wonder.

But it wasn’t just a matter of admiring.

“Next.”

“Yup!”

The 20-liter jerrycans filled up quickly.

“Hyung. How many jerrycans are left above?”

“Still many.”

“Then let’s just take out as much as we can load into the car.”

“Okay.”

We decided that only Sohee-ssi and Incheol would stand guard, and the remaining personnel moved all the jerrycans.

I diligently filled the jerrycans that were brought to me, over and over.

The repetition of simple labor.

In the world, this is called ‘manual labor.’

Even though it was manual labor that started at dawn, everyone moved diligently.

When the results are clearly abundant, it makes the work feel more satisfying.

How much would the diesel we’re collecting now be worth if converted to money?

“Today’s daily wage is hefty.”

“It’s a good start.”

“And luck is on our side too.”

Sohee-ssi, watching with intrigued eyes from the side, seemed to have something she wanted to ask, but she held her tongue.

The personnel who had been putting down jerrycans now moved the full jerrycans to the car.

Young-cheol-ssi climbed into the cargo bed and received them from above, while the rest lifted them from below.

‘Oh… has he done this kind of work before?’

Young-cheol-ssi’s good work sense exuded the scent of an experienced worker.

Still, labor is labor, and labor is hard.

We had to keep moving to transport the jerrycans that filled up faster than expected.

Everyone who was moving was lightly sweating.

In the middle, I switched places with Dong-woo and joined in carrying the load.

Despite the cold weather, everyone took off their coats.

Heat radiated to the point that beads of sweat dripped down.

The irony of seeking coolness in the dead of winter.

This is precisely the infuriating charm of manual labor.

We were able to finish the labor only after moving for nearly three full hours.

“Ugh…”

“Gasp! Gasp!”

“……”

Everyone was out of breath and couldn’t think straight.

Thanks to the men who worked hard, the Porter’s cargo beds were packed tightly and densely with jerrycans full of diesel.

It was such an accomplishment that the cargo beds had slightly sunken due to the weight.

And that was the equivalent of three vehicles’ worth.

In addition, we even filled each car’s fuel tank to the brim.

“…This isn’t some job experience reality show, is it?”

“Wouldn’t we be arrested before it became a reality show? Clink clank.”

“Oh, right. Heh heh heh~ Hey, then how much did we earn today, really?”

“I don’t know. I’m not good with numbers.”

“Seonghan-ssi, where did you learn all this?”

Sohee-ssi, who had been on high alert, standing guard, relaxed a little and approached.

Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, which was a bit…

“I’ve been to clean these kinds of storage tanks before.”

“Do they teach you things like this there?”

“No, not really. I just observed and used my quick wit.”

“Huh…”

What I learned when I went to clean them was that things like this exist underground, that there’s a hole big enough for a person to enter, and that the smell is incredibly strong.

The rest was just relying on tools plus improvisation based on experience.

For quick thinking adapted to the situation, the results were good.

“Let’s get up now.”

After enough jokes, I started cleaning up while everyone else took a breather.

We put away the pump, closed the tank lid, closed the manhole cover, and concealed it.

We don’t know how many people would use the same method as us.

However, we should be the ones to extract and use the oil from here again.

The gas station, which instantly returned to its original state, was quiet as if nothing had happened.

“Let’s go back, unload the cars, and come out again.”

“……”

Hyung, who had been cooling down, froze solid.

“Jihyeok Hyung. It’s still a long way until lunchtime.”

“…Hyung-nim. But why does it feel like we’re done?”

“Uh, it’s just your imagination.”

“Oh no…”

Dong-woo also froze, and Young-cheol-ssi flinched slightly.

“Today’s weather is good, so let’s keep moving diligently.”

The sun was still up, and we had only just finished one thing.

Now, with the remaining schedule waiting for us.

It felt like today would be a long day.