Chapter 385 – Offering and Prayer
More than 95% of all money exists electronically, with only less than 5% in physical form such as banknotes or coins.
Of course, both of them became worse than a piece of toilet paper after the infection war broke out.
-Dad! How long are you going to carry around that heavy bag of money? Just throw it away!
-No! Never give up!
Among the people, there are those who believed in the government until the end and held on to cash.
They say that the infectious agents will definitely be repelled, and their precious property will also maintain its value.
In fact, your head would have already recognized that the world has come to an end.
The human mind simply cannot let go of things, even if it means self-hypnosis, when it has a lot.
At the last moment, these people realized the futility of ‘pre-war banknotes’ and threw them away as firewood.
-I’ll give you money, but please just keep your life…
-Fuck, are you kidding me?! There’s no need for that, so take off your clothes and shoes!
I almost got hit by an ax while holding out a bundle of money to the looters who came to rob me.
-How can I just make room for my family…
-Take it back and get out.
I tried to bribe the soldier guarding the shelter and got punched in the face! If you spray it, you have no choice but to acknowledge reality.
Nowadays, a new banknote called credit is being circulated.
Although the quantity is small, it is already traded beyond the Korean Peninsula and in Tsushima, Kyushu, Manchuria, and Vladivostok.
It is said to be the most preferred among local alternative currencies.
In return, the existing alternative currencies are shrinking in size, but their influence is also growing.
To find out what that is, I will quote a line from a famous American comedian.
‘Do you take pussy?’
‘Of course! We take pussy!’
Food, water, medicine, shelter, threats, politics in the camp, bribes to get yourself or your family out of dangerous work.
An incalculable amount of paid sex took place.
In addition, people’s sexual desire increased in proportion to the risk of life, and the proportion of physical play increased because there was no other entertainment.
With the supply of contraceptives and condoms halted, everyone just lived for today, and the result was obvious.
Even today, the shelter’s orphanages are booming, as many children lost their parents during the war.
“Are you here again?”
The director of an orphanage on the outskirts of Polis sighed in front of a carriage that came to visit after a long day.
“Don’t complain too much. “They are kids that I think I can manipulate quite a bit this time.”
When the coachman opened the curtain of the luggage compartment, there was a child in his early teens and two children in their mid-teens riding inside.
For the orphanage, a teenage orphan who lost his parents during the war is much better than a toddler who can’t stand properly.
Still, the dissatisfaction does not go away.
“Why do you always come towards us? How many are there in the next block?!”
“So you’re not going to take it? Should I go over there and tell the manager, Nari?”
The coachman smiled and pointed to the information screen installed across the road.
It usually provides public service announcements, weather and city information, but it also functions as a direct report to police guards.
“You damn bastard!”
“What are you doing, babies? Get down quickly. It’s a new home! “No matter what you’ve eaten so far, eating here will taste better.”
Ignoring the director who was cursing him, he let the coachman get off the children.
The owner of Polis generously supported children’s facilities. Even compared to war facilities, there is no shortage.
And in proportion to the amount given, it was also strict against sabotage or corruption.
When the orphanage operators refused on the grounds that they found it inconvenient to have more children to manage, it was met with fire.
“I guess the high-ranking person really likes children. “It’s good that we can live comfortably thanks to Uriya.”
“I guess you’re the only one who wants to carry everything that’s comfortable. I feel sick every day! I feel sick!”
Unlike the coachman, whose work is done by transporting children, the pressure felt by the director, who is responsible for numerous children, was different.
* * *
One day, as usual, I received a morning report from the central control room.
“I told you not to do this.”
I froze when I saw the pile of letters.
A serving robot even brought dozens of additional letters and poured them all over.
“You’re a bad leader to hate a fan letter.”
“What is a fan letter?”
I brush Artemis’s laughing scolding from my ear and pick up a letter.
It was a thank-you note written crookedly in pencil on the unique rough surface of recycled paper. The destination is police orphanages and schools.
“Then should I throw it all away?”
“You can’t do that.”
She glared at Artemis, who asked, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to throw it away anyway.
If someone greets you with gratitude, you have an obligation to respect and face it.
It’s so obvious that you can’t just throw it away without reading it.
“Then! Of course, you shouldn’t!”
She chuckled.
“Children put their sincerity into their fern-like hands, but are they just throwing it away? Jinsu: When you were watching overseas soccer, you used to criticize the players who left without even signing an autograph for the fans who stayed.”
“When are we talking about this?”
Before the infection broke out, I was interested in overseas soccer when construction was in full swing.
Like women in general, Artemis hated watching soccer.
While I was watching a game on the other side of the world, she stayed up until dawn, so I had to watch my circadian rhythm go to pieces in real time.
She is already looking at the 20th letter, but the remaining letters have not decreased at all.
“The content is all there anyway.”
‘Thank you for feeding me well and keeping me warm.’
‘I will study hard and repay you by becoming a great person.’
It is roughly a repetition of this content.
‘You will definitely find Grandpa Solaver and Echo! I will pray hard!’
Sometimes there are unique variations.
“By the way, I read everything?”
Artemis said, flipping her hair.
This is because she is concerned about possible poisonous terrorism contained in her letterhead, so she inspects all the items she brings in.
“Don’t compare me to you, who processes dozens of pages in one scan, and me, who has to roll your eyes and read each one by one.”
After reading the letter and throwing it to the side, the waiting serving robot folded it neatly. It is classified as a permanent storage document and placed in a box.
Artemis picked one from the pile of letters.
“It’s not just children. There is also something sent by an adult.”
Long content in neatly folded letters. You can clearly see that it was written by employees of related facilities.
Artemis began to read in a sonorous voice.
“The world is full of children who are separated from their unhappy parents and abandoned by irresponsible parents. There is no place on this earth that the administrator’s eyes do not touch, and you will be praised forever for raising children with infinite love. To the manager, he is the next Bang Jeong-hwan, no, he is more than that.”
“Love is a piece of shit. And what kind of historical drama are you uploading? “What’s so big?”
“It was sent by a former and current Korean language teacher.”
As I read the 40th chapter of a letter with almost the same content, I feel like my brain is starting to cramp.
“Jinsu, you seem to consider yourself cynical, but the image spread to the public is much more positive than you think. He is especially famous for caring very much for children.”
“I hate kids. “I have a lot of hands, but I whine all the time, my voice is loud, and I can’t use it for anything.”
“It’s strange that they give it to children’s facilities. “I feel good when you are praised for being merciful.”
“It’s just self-satisfaction and consideration for my fellow countrymen.”
I first grew up in an orphanage as a child. And with quite irresponsible staff and poor facilities.
I understand better than anyone what a crappy experience that is.
At the very least, I don’t want children in the area under my supervision to taste the same things as me.
If only I could solve it with just a few signatures.
Being an absolute leader who does not need to explain things to shareholders or review the budget is very convenient in times like this.
“Huh?”
As I was reading and transferring letters over and over as if I was standing on a factory rail, there was one thing that caught my eye.
It is a letter written in Russian. Judging from the messy handwriting, it appears to have been written by a child, with Korean letters mixed in here and there.
This is limited to simple but essential phrases such as ‘Hello’ or ‘Thank you.’
“Looking at the sender’s school and name, I see that he is the child of those who defected in a tank last time.”
Artemis said, peeking out from my shoulder.
She translated and read the part in Russian.
“Thank you for saving my dad. I heard that the manager appeared from the sky with cool robots and saved everyone. I want to grow up quickly and become a soldier like you! “They say?”
“Just farm or learn a skill. Don’t act like a soldier these days.”
This is probably the common thought held by most soldiers of this era.
The situation may be different for those like warlord commanders who want to pass on power.
“Next is Japanese. Would you like me to read this too?”
“Okay.”
Children who are not yet proficient in Korean write letters in their native language.
There were more letters written in foreign languages than expected, especially Russian, and judging by the handwriting, it seems that many of them were teenagers.
“And send an official letter to prevent sending things like this in the future.”
“No. “Why do I have to block praise for you?”
I was rejected outright.
“It’s annoying to read, and it feels like some kind of 3rd world military president?”
“It’s not exactly wrong. “The Korean Peninsula today is worse than the 3rd world, and you are a soldier and a leader.”
Artemis’ eyes were full of joy.
It seems she is not at all bored with similar appreciation and praise.
As if each letter was an offering and a prayer offered at the altar.
“There is also a letter from Peter’s son. There are also ones sent by Alexei and Mikhail’s daughters.”
“… Read it.”
I was curious about that too.
Artemis’ sonorous voice rang constantly in the quiet central control room.
