Chapter 2135 – 2135. Eternal Eden
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Single gunshots echoed through the factory.
The security team was clearing out the enemies hiding within. The gunfire didn’t last long. The enemies, realizing they had no chance, dropped their weapons and surrendered.
I surveyed the factory. From the outside, it looked like any ordinary factory. Even when I scouted with a reconnaissance drone before coming here, there weren’t many signs of people.
‘I didn’t thoroughly scout the inside of the factory with the drone… I never imagined this many people would be inside.’
What surprised me the most was that they had guns. Unlike the United States, where you can buy guns at the mart, obtaining a gun in South Korea is as difficult as finding water in the desert. It should be that way.
‘There are some usable trucks and cars outside the factory. We can use the trucks… and the cars should be put into the disassembler to extract resources.’
Na Chae-young, our technologist, is getting better every day. She’s growing too. Her capabilities are increasing, but the problem is technology. Technologists and bionics can’t just use their abilities without research. They need to complete the technology through research.
‘The current research speed is too slow. Stealing other people’s technology is the best way… but that’s not easy.’
I ordered some of the subjugation team to secure the perimeter of the factory and went inside.
A wood interior factory. Naturally, I expected piles of wood and a mess of sawdust and dust. But the inside of the factory was completely different. There was no wood at all. The machinery was also far more complex than I had anticipated.
“Boss, we found a stockpile of guns and bullets inside. The workers said that they started producing guns and bullets in this factory two weeks ago.”
“Ilwoo Group. Those crazy bastards. They openly modified a factory in Korea to make guns and bullets?”
I chuckled.
An unexpected jackpot. I needed a machine to make guns and bullets anyway. Right now, the firearms at Sungak Elementary School are being made by Na Chae-young by hand.
There was only one production line for each. It’s a shame, but I’ll take what I can get.
‘We need to be careful taking this machine since we’ll be using it. I need to bring the workers from Sungak Elementary School.’
In one corner of the factory, I saw prisoners kneeling with their hands and feet tied. I scanned them and clicked my tongue. Most of them were men. The women were mostly middle-aged women over 40. There were some young women, but they were unattractive.
Just then, the security team dragged someone from a corner of the factory. It was a middle-aged man in clean work clothes. Instead of being intimidated, the middle-aged man puffed up his chest and tried to act tough.
He must believe in the saying that if you keep your wits about you, you can survive even in a tiger’s den. In reality, whether you live or die depends on the tiger’s mood.
“Who’s this guy?”
“He’s the factory manager. We thought he might know something, so we brought him.”
“Good job. I was just wondering how to move the machines. If this guy cooperates, it’ll be easier.”
“Do you think I’d cooperate with you looters?!”
The factory manager shouted.
Slap!
My hand struck his cheek. Blood trickled from his nose, and his lip split open.
“Ah. You were so loud that I slapped you without thinking. If you’re going to talk, talk quietly. Okay?”
Slap!
“Cough! W-Why this time…?”
“You have two cheeks, so you get two slaps. You say you don’t want to cooperate with us? Fine. I’ll respect that opinion and give you a choice. Do you want to die round? Or square?”
The factory manager gasped. The fire in his eyes died down. He wasn’t completely subdued. It seemed like he had something he was relying on.
I was too lazy to deal with him. Should I just cut off his limbs? I placed my hand on the hilt of my knife. Then the factory manager spoke urgently.
“T-This is Ilwoo Group! Do you think Ilwoo Group will just stand by if you mess with this place? Ilwoo Group will retaliate against you!”
“Oh. You’re threatening us even in this situation? I commend your spirit. But you’ll pay the price first.”
The knife was swung lightly. The factory manager’s left arm fell to the floor with a thud.
“Aaaaaaaaah!”
“You’re too loud. Next is your right arm… or should I go for your eyes?”
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please spare me! Please! I’ll do whatever you say!”
He knelt, crying and begging for his life.
“If you had just knelt and begged from the start instead of acting tough, it would have been easier. You’re so stupid.”
“I-I was just following orders from headquarters! I-I never thought of resisting!”
“From headquarters? You were in contact with Ilwoo Group. Well, the telecommunications network isn’t completely down, so you could make calls. Give me your smartphone.”
“We don’t use smartphones to contact headquarters. We use military communication equipment.”
“Why?”
“It was an order from headquarters. They said to use military communication equipment to avoid the risk of being tapped…”
“That’s quite thorough. So, who did you sell the guns to?”
“I-I don’t know. Once a week, a transport team from headquarters comes to pick up the guns and bullets, and they give us money and food.”
Money.
In this world, money wasn’t completely meaningless. The country wasn’t completely destroyed. But it wasn’t as important as food.
“Where is Ilwoo Group’s headquarters?”
“It’s in Busan.”
They come all the way from Busan to pick up guns and bullets? In this situation? That doesn’t make sense. According to the news, the highways are a mess. Cars stopped on the highway are scattered like trash, and infected people are roaming around. From Busan to Seoul? Traveling by car was impossible. Not to mention trains.
‘The guns produced here are being used in Seoul… Are they selling them to civilians? Or maybe…’
It was clear that they weren’t supplying the military.
The security team brought the military communication equipment.
“Boss, we received a call from Ilwoo Group headquarters. They know the situation and want to talk to you.”
The factory manager must have reported to headquarters immediately after the incident. I took the receiver from the security team.
“This is me.”
– …An impressive greeting. Are you Sung Yu-jin, the representative of Sungak Elementary School?
“Who are you?”
– I’m Jin Chung-hyun, a director at Ilwoo Group. Leave the factory and back off. Then we’ll forget about this incident.
“Oh. I see. You’ll forget about it. Okay, I understand. I’ll leave the factory and back off. I guess I can’t do anything against a big company.”
It was sarcasm that anyone could recognize.
– Don’t do anything stupid that would make us your enemy. South Korea is a country with strict gun control. Just possessing a gun is punishable. Not to mention a machine that makes guns? The police and military will kill you.
“Are you not in South Korea?”
I heard a low chuckle from the receiver.
– We’re in Busan.
What does that mean?
Does it mean that the power of South Korea doesn’t reach Busan? Or has Busan become a military state? I had no information.
It was impossible to know what was happening in the provinces outside of Seoul just by watching the news on TV.
‘Did Ilwoo Group take over Busan? Are they trying to declare a corporate state?’
With the world in this state, nothing was impossible. Besides, Korea was extremely busy both internally and externally. Just dealing with North Korea was a headache, and problems were constantly erupting within Korea due to infections and mutations. Ilwoo Group was well aware of this fact, which is why they could move so openly.
‘These bastards know that too. That’s why they’re moving so openly. And they probably have connections with high-ranking officials.’
So they’re telling me to stay quiet if I don’t want to die? Because they’re stronger than me?
‘Bullshit. This bastard isn’t stronger than me. Ilwoo Group is just bigger.’
They’re in Busan? I can just go there and kill them. I can ask Na Chae-young to prioritize making a means of transportation. Seoul to Busan. It’s only about 300km. Even if I walk, I’ll get there in a few days.
“And this is Seoul. I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’m warning you to back off.”
– You’re threatening us back? You must be blind with arrogance because the media is pushing you as an Awakened one? We can kill someone like you without anyone knowing. This is your last warning. Leave the factory. Then nothing will happen.
Just back off here? I can guarantee it. These bastards will definitely come to deal with me soon. It’s not like I haven’t seen this kind of guy before.
“This is mine now. The factory is mine, and the people I’ve captured are mine. I’ll make good use of the machines. And you, you better not cross my path. The moment you do, I’ll show you what hell is like. Oh, and take good care of your family. The moment I see your family, they’ll die too.”
– You damn bastard, how dare you!!
A sudden outburst. Was his family his weak point?
“Ah, not just your family, but all your relatives too.”
– You will regret your choice today.
Click.
I hung up the receiver. There was no need to listen anymore.
I pointed to the communication equipment to the security team.
“Ignore their calls and take the equipment. The equipment itself is a good resource.”
We could gain technology just by dismantling and examining the communication equipment. And not all objects give the same resources. The more advanced the equipment, and the stronger the creature, the more resources you can obtain.
“What do we do with the factory manager? Do we execute him?”
The security team was fiddling with their guns, looking at the factory manager. Executing people was one of the security team’s jobs. At first, they trembled, but now they were somewhat used to it.
“Let’s keep him alive for now. We need to know how to use the machines and how to move them. Have the prisoners clean the factory. And check out the rest of the equipment.”
After giving the orders, I went into the office and sat in the factory manager’s chair. The chair was cheap. I then took out my smartphone and contacted Lee Yeon-hee, the fourth deputy director of the National Intelligence Service.
I needed information about Ilwoo Group.
