Infected - Chapter 561



Only Noblemtl

Side story episode 48

The next day.

Finance returned to their temporary shelter around sunset.

As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, I suddenly felt a surge of fatigue.

It was a busy day with all-day operation meetings and a tour of the torture chamber.

I walk through the well-maintained yard towards the front door.

I saw a small stone placed in front of the door.

Beneath it was a small note.

“… … ?”

Finance looked around slowly.

Dust on the windowsill, water-soaked dirt in the yard.

There was no sign of intrusion.

If it were anyone else, they would probably have checked the note without any suspicion and gone home.

But finances were different.

I took out the gloves from my pocket and put them on, then started wiping the doorknob.

Fortunately, there was nothing special about the handle.

Here’s a note.

Carefully unfold it and check the contents.

“Under the sunset on the full moon, at the clock tower. Come alone for a conversation.”

A smile flowed from Jae-Yeong’s mouth as he read silently.

It’s only been a day since I heard the results of Beomsik’s interrogation.

The enemies contacted us as if by appointment.

Seeing it left so openly like this, you could tell how weak the security here was.

As soon as he entered the house, he checked every nook and cranny.

In fact, it couldn’t help but be a bit uncomfortable.

This is not just a simple notification.

It was a warning that it could infiltrate and permeate wherever I live and work.

But the finances didn’t get involved.

If you look at the score alone.

Rather, it was the enemies who were being chased.

“It seems like it’s a bit urgent.”

He opened the window wide, muttering to himself.

Until yesterday, it rained all day, but then the sunny weather continued as if nothing had happened.

I stare blankly outside, and various thoughts cross my mind.

In the past, you only had to think about your group.

Of course, even that wasn’t easy.

Having someone else to protect besides yourself is like having chains on your ankles.

No matter what you do, you can’t do it as you wish.

He who had been like that now had it all.

Safe zones, survivors, outside forces, and even children.

There were times when I felt burdened, but before I knew it, 10 years had passed.

Meanwhile, Jae-jae suffered a trauma.

Kim Chae-min, station staff, Jeong I-jin, Kang Young-man… … .

Names that are still unforgettable even after so many years have passed.

People who couldn’t keep it until the end.

Maybe that’s why.

Every time a new enemy appeared, I worried that history would repeat itself.

This time it was the same.

It was on a different level from the enemies I had faced in the past.

They were deeply embedded in our lives, and could take away precious things at any time if they wanted to.

Should I back off now?

If it’s the full moon, it’s tomorrow.

Clearly, the opponent will try to shake things up by taking advantage of your financial weaknesses.

I would advise them to back off at this point, risking their lives.

It was a plain story.

That was more than enough reason to step down.

Jae-jae sighs as he blows cigarette smoke out the window.

I couldn’t back down.

Because I’ve never lived that kind of life, nor have I ever intended to live it.

For Jae-jae, life was like climbing a staircase of hardship.

The process of climbing without stopping towards a summit with no end in sight.

Even if the end was death, Jae-jae did not want to avoid the danger that was coming to him.

A place where the lives of thousands, tens of thousands of people depend on my one choice.

Paradoxically, that is why it had to be even more solid.

As the decision maker, as the person in charge of everything.

I could not just watch the actions of my enemies infringing on my personal free will.

Only then will Gaon and Seonwoo’s generation and the next generation continue to fight and resist endlessly.

Like Young-man, who left behind the knowledge of not giving up.

The eyes of Jae-jae, who had crushed the butt of the cigarette, became lonely.

Because Youngman’s face came to mind.

The life he taught his group was not ordinary.

No, a normal person wouldn’t even be able to imitate it.

Isn’t he the one who survived for decades on a battlefield where bullets were flying?

I wanted my finances to remain like that too.

Death is something we will all experience at least once anyway.

What mattered was death and what happened after that.

A person named Han Jae-jeong lived in this world, what he did to protect something, and what choices he made.

All of that would become history and be passed down to future generations.

“mister…….”

Jaejae, who was about to ask if things were going well, lowered his head with a snort.

I really missed Youngman today.

At times like this, he would pat me on the shoulder and say various things to me.

Even though it’s been 10 years since we last met, it wasn’t even a year.

Young-man was still alive and breathing in Jae-jae’s heart.

* * *

The next day, late afternoon.

In front of the clock tower, finances were loitering around.

The sunset was just beginning, but there was no real contact.

Jae-jae, who was smoking a cigarette, looks around the surrounding buildings.

The muzzles of snipers positioned here and there were visible.

Actually, it was just one thing.

This is near the safe zone under the mountain.

If you put your mind to it, you can capture as many enemies as you want.

The other party will also know that fact.

They will probably come up with a corresponding measure.

Of course, the group was absolutely opposed to this contact.

Because we couldn’t know the enemies’ intentions.

But it was a more possible conversation because we didn’t know each other’s patterns.

I’m spending my time thinking about this and that.

The enemies did not reveal themselves until the sunset turned into a spider’s web.

Did I break my promise?

At that time, I was starting to get annoyed with the waiting.

Someone appeared from behind the store.

The opponent who appeared against the backdrop of the ground spider was an old man.

He was approaching alone, without any attendants or subordinates to assist him.

He was extraordinary, with a white beard that reached down to his chin. He naturally passed the finance department and stood in the middle of the intersection.

Finance followed him.

It seemed like they wanted to have a conversation in an open space.

The old man bowed his head slightly towards the finances.

“This is my first time meeting you in person, Han Jae-jeong.”

Finance didn’t react and just stared into the old man’s eyes.

“I apologize for making you feel upset that I’m late for our appointment. I have so many things to worry about… .”

The old man didn’t seem nervous at all in front of him.

It could be his experience, or he has some kind of belief, or he could be deliberately being relaxed.

“Okay, say what you want to say.”

“Hahaha, this is really… … . Just like I heard, your personality is refreshing.”

“Tell me. Why I called you.”

The old man’s large eyes sparkled.

Then he wiped the smile off his face.

“What do you think about this balance we are calling for?”

“I think it’s pretty fucked up.”

“That could be possible. I don’t know the details.”

“The inside story?”

Finance tilted his head, pretending to be curious.

“I’ve lived to this age and I’ve realized that all problems start from balance. Our bodies are the same. When the balance is broken, illnesses come here and there.”

“so.”

“If your body is like that, what about the world? You fought against the soldiers who came from the south seven years ago, right?”

Finance blinked once instead of answering.

“Why do you think they came all the way to Seoul? The Jeonnam region has been a famous granary since ancient times. At least it is much richer than Seoul.”

“well.”

“That’s because of the technology you have. While everyone was spending the night in fear, avoiding the zombies, Seoul was still living its old life. The balance was broken from there.”

“Oh, so we upset the balance?”

“Of course you didn’t mean to, but that’s what happened in the end. I know it sounds a bit absurd. It’s because your efforts to live are being viewed differently. But that’s how history has always flowed.”

“Keep going.”

Finance muttered as he lit a cigarette.

There was no sign of courtesy towards the elderly in that attitude.

Because now we are meeting power against power, not age.

“A disturbed balance stimulates human desires. We want to satisfy what we lack, and with that excuse, we begin to covet what belongs to others. The balance we seek to restore also begins from there. We do not want to create the seeds of conflict in the first place. Do you understand?”

“That’s why I’ve been telling you on the radio all this time. Come to Seoul. If you come, I’ll give you the vaccine and let you live here.”

The old man shook his head.

“Who listens to the radio at this point, let alone in the early days of the virus?”

“Then what about the humans who have been looking for you? And the spies you sent as well.”

“I heard the rumor.”

“It’s not a rumor, it’s reconnaissance.”

The corners of the old man’s mouth twitched in a smile.

“You’re clouding the issue.”

“Oh, I’m not the type to talk much. I tend to use my hands before I speak. Keep going.”

“Please step back from here.”

“With this much? Is it too fast? Try to convince me more. Or threaten me.”

“If you thought threats would work, you would have shown me an example first and then asked to meet me. I have been watching you for a long time. Aren’t you a person with a strong and unyielding temperament in times of crisis?”

“I know right.”

“So let’s not create a crisis for ourselves. If we back down here, we will stop here too. And we will try to find a balance.”

“I’ve been wondering for a while now… … .”

Finance continued speaking, scratching the tip of his nose.

“What good does it do you guys to balance that fucking idiot?”

“Well… I guess that’s because there are good things about it. It’s such a basic question that I don’t feel it’s worth answering. What’s important is not what we gain, but the balance itself. If the various forces located on this land have equal conditions with Seoul, there can be no war.”

“How can you be sure?”

“The more you have, the greater your fear of losing it. Equal power creates a long-term peace that can bury even the smallest frictions. If you can get there, we will be good mediators. For a long time.”

Finance, who had sucked in the last sip, exhaled smoky breath.

The wrinkles between her eyebrows, which were as distorted as a piece of paper, were evidence that she was not very pleased with the situation.

“I didn’t want to say this, but it’s so absurd to hear. Humans grow by using competition as a springboard, but what you’re saying is that we should eliminate that competitive structure altogether. Right?”

“Similar.”

“What are you, you? Are you from North Korea? Why do you promote socialism? You say you know me well. Then you know what I did in the past. Do you want to die?”

The pupils of Jae-Yeong’s eyes became alive for a moment.

If he had just snapped his fingers, the old man’s head would have turned into a beehive.

The old man seemed to already be well aware of that fact.

He slowly looked around at the scenery and smiled broadly.

“Haha, how could that be? Just because you get older doesn’t mean your will to survive disappears. I heard what you just said. It’s all true. But… it’s not the time yet. Now is not the time to compete, but to coexist. It’s the time when those who are ahead should pull those who are falling behind.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Competition is only possible when there is a solid foundation to stand on. Have you ever seen poor people, who are busy living hand to mouth, compete constructively?”

The old man shook his head heavily.

“They have no choice but to choose war disguised as competition rather than competition in symbiosis. This is especially true when the opponent is overwhelmingly ahead. They cannot even think about catching up. They lose their motivation.”

“So you’re saying that I should step aside and spread some of the things we worked so hard to earn?”

“It’s similar, but I didn’t mean it in such a negative way. I told you, we’ll be good mediators. We’ll be the stepping stone.”

In that moment, Jae-yi’s face distorted like that of a beast.

His facial muscles spasm, as if he is barely holding it back.

I looked here and there, savoring the peace of my heart that was like a river, but it was no use.

“… What did I say again? Is that all you can do? You guys think you’re going to eat everything? Oh, shit. This can’t go on like this. Let’s just get beaten up.”

The long legs of finance moved forward, treading on the asphalt.

Infected people