Chapter 60

EP 11 - That's Our Crazy Dog (4)

During the coalition government of the Cha Jae-geun military and the Won Ok-bun cabinet,

More precisely, when the test subjects of the stimulant experiments went berserk.

There was an operation that Won Ok-bun carried out to contain the situation.

According to Cha Jae-geun, the People's Armed Forces Minister of North Korea, Ri Yong-su, had provided us with the coordinates of the bunker where the State Affairs Commissioner was hiding.

An indirect coup.

A scheme of using someone else’s knife to kill.

[We would blame the berserk test subjects on North Korea’s terrorism and then, as a form of retaliation, blow up the State Affairs Commissioner with a bunker buster.]

[Minister of People's Armed Forces Ri Yong-su would be enraged by South Korea’s ‘assassination’ and seize the power vacuum.]

[Later, both countries would continue to spread hostile propaganda against each other, raising the approval ratings of their respective governments.]

“......”

This was the plan that Won Ok-bun had set. Even though I had exposed that Cha Jae-geun was the mastermind behind the biological experiments.

“......You have a wide network.”

It wasn’t strange that Won Ok-bun had connections in North Korea.

* * *

In a VIP room in a hospital in Sokcho, a port city in Gangwon Province.

It was practically a hotel. I looked down from the terrace.

The vast, dark blue East Sea, numerous container ships entering and leaving the port, and refugees densely packed on the ground.

I could hear the sound of boat horns, and I saw people crammed on the decks of container ships. The refugees who had barely managed to escape to Sokcho were fleeing south through the coastal route.

Suddenly, the sea breeze blew my bangs.

“......”

It had been a while since I had my hair cut. When I touched the hair that had grown down to my eyes, it felt slightly gray, and I frowned.

“What are you doing out here in the cold?”

Yang Pan-seok, wearing a shabby suit with a luxurious down jacket, sauntered out to the terrace. Steam rose from the mugs in his hands.

“Are you here? Oh? It’s hard for an old man to wear a down jacket......”

“Don’t flatter me so obviously. Take the cup.”

Yang Pan-seok smirked and handed me a latte. It felt natural to receive coffee from the gentleman I had served for years.

Leaning against the terrace railing, Yang Pan-seok smiled faintly and surveyed the world. After taking a sip of coffee, he looked at me.

“So, why did you call me? Everyone else is downstairs.”

“Just. I wanted to talk about some political matters.”

“Is there anything that isn’t political?” He joked and sat down in front of me. I asked him.

“Wasn’t Dr. Cheon Hwa’s due date next week?”

“It’s about ten days away. I’m a bit worried about premature birth.”

“She’s suffered a lot during her pregnancy......”

“Hey, that’s a bad omen.”

“Ah, sorry.”

Yang Pan-seok wagged his finger at me and advised.

“Gang Ji-yun is traveling around the country with his daughter, taking care of her. His wife is left alone, and it’s hard on her. He should at least call her.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Remember this. Checking in by phone is our basic courtesy. How good would it feel to boast at a drinking party that I received a call from a National Assembly member?”

“Oh......”

Our group was staying in a VIP room, just like when we lived in the north of the river. Back then, it was because of the hospital’s affiliated research institute, but now it’s for Cheon Hwa’s delivery and my rehabilitation.

Like any politician, we exchanged information through casual conversation.

“General Kim Doo-sik seems to be under a lot of stress.”

“He’s been doing well lately, why?”

“The western front is overwhelmed by the monsters pushing down from Chungcheong Province, and the eastern front is engaged in guerrilla warfare with the monsters hiding in the Taebaek Mountains.”

“I heard that too.”

“It’s getting really bad.”

“Tsk......”

Yang Pan-seok raised his white eyebrows.

“Do you remember Yoo Hyun-jong? The one who fought with you in Uijeongbu.”

“Ah, yes. That person. He’s a bit...”

“He’s been promoted to major general and has become a key figure in the Northern Army.”

“What? How did that happen?”

......That guy?

“He’s in the south, where there’s a clear front line, the Chungcheong Defense Line. General Kim Doo-sik has reorganized it.”

“......Ah, the north doesn’t have that.”

Due to the spread of the gates, many divisions are fighting individually. In reality, the northern part of Gangwon Province is the actual isolated area, and Gyeonggi Province is no longer habitable.

In other words, about 7 million people are concentrated in the northern part of Gangwon Province. If you include those isolated in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province and waiting to be rescued, the number would be even higher.

“The military is operating in the form of an emergency communication network among division commanders. There is a central command, but it’s useless. How can they command without understanding the situation on the ground? There’s no front line.”

“......Division commanders are at most major generals, right? There must be higher-ranking generals,”

“They’ve all evacuated to the south. They moved the headquarters to Jeju Island a long time ago...”

“Ah, right.”

“That’s why the south has announced that they will respect the judgment of the on-site commanders. In this situation, Yoo Hyun-jong, who gave orders to other division commanders in Uijeongbu and successfully retreated...”

“......Is a faction forming?”

“More or less. The division commanders who performed well in Uijeongbu are leading the situation in the Northern Army. They have the results.”

“Hmm......”

As I frowned, Yang Pan-seok chuckled.

“Well, it’s a bit unsettling, but Yoo Hyun-jong is such an indecisive person. I don’t think we need to worry about a coup.”

“But we need to monitor it thoroughly, right?”

“Yes. Won Ok-bun has planted National Intelligence Service agents nearby.”

“Oh......”

“Anyway, that old lady has been in politics longer than I have. Don’t let your guard down just because she’s been quiet.”

“I understand.”

Yang Pan-seok stretched lazily.

“It’s getting chilly. Shall we go inside?”

“Ah, yes.”

The two elderly men slowly got up and went back into the room. Next to the luxurious hospital bed, there was a large sofa, and in front of it, a TV.

I groaned and walked to the bed, lying down, while Yang Pan-seok grumbled and sat on the sofa, turning on the TV.

[...Unstoppable! Following the Party’s military-first order!]

A distinctive ‘spirited voice’ came from the TV. The volume was at maximum, making the voice thunder through the room.

“Whoa!”

Yang Pan-seok jumped and dropped the remote.

[In response to the criminal schemes to shatter the peace of East Asia! The People’s Army will mercilessly kick and thoroughly punish!]

[Yes, as you can see from the footage, Professor. This time, North Korea’s—]

It was a JTVC news segment.

“Hmm... You... Seriously...”

Yang Pan-seok chuckled drowsily.

“Do you usually watch the Korean Central Television? Are you a left-wing sympathizer?”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you a left-wing sympathizer?”

“Me...?”

Yang Pan-seok looked shocked and couldn’t close his mouth.

“No, you. Don’t you know what a left-wing sympathizer is?”

“Excuse me?”

“If a politician doesn’t know, it’s a problem. Do you know what left-wing pro-North means?”

“Uh, hmm... From the word ‘left’...”

“Well, you are from the pro-North generation. You probably haven’t heard of left-wing pro-North...”

“Is it a generational difference?”

“Be quiet.”

“Yes.”

Both of us fell silent, and only the TV sound was heard. A professor from somewhere was saying something,

Wait, that’s my advisor. They must have called in a professor from Korea University’s Department of Political Science and International Relations.

The professor started making vague predictions like a fortune-telling octopus. Hearing his sleep-inducing voice from the TV was quite unfamiliar.

[Do not use propaganda to manipulate other countries. Reveal the true intentions of China. That, that, the level of warning is quite high. Yes... This is, a kind of. That. A gesture of reconciliation.]

[Is North Korea extending a hand to us?]

[Yes. In fact, after the mysterious death of the North Korean State Affairs Commissioner...]

It wasn’t a mysterious death. He was hit by a bunker buster.

[The North-South relations were in a very dangerous situation, weren’t they?]

No, they were good.

[However, in a situation where North Korea cannot guard the northern border without our air force’s help. They might be requesting additional support... Personally, I think—]

I asked Yang Pan-seok.

“Is this the work of Acting President Won Ok-bun?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, the movement of North Korea.”

“Why are you asking such an obvious question?”

I decided to get to the point.

“Do you know the current situation in North Korea?”

“Hmm. Originally, the biological experiments were said to be North Korea’s doing, and we should have assassinated the North Korean leader. But you revealed that the experiments were Cha Jae-geun’s doing, not North Korea’s.”

“That’s right.”

“Minister of People’s Armed Forces Ri Yong-su seemed to be in a precarious position. They declared that South Korea had killed the leader, but people didn’t believe it.”

Yang Pan-seok put his empty cup on the table next to the sofa.

“He managed to execute a few people as an example and seize power, but it doesn’t seem very stable. Ri Yong-su is not of the Baekdu bloodline. They usually pay a lot of attention to one’s background. Ri Yong-su’s background is a bit... lacking, shall we say?”

“It’s unstable.”

A military regime with a shaky foundation is the most terrifying form of government.

You never know what kind of crazy things they might do to maintain order.

I muttered as if in a trance.

“Anyway, we really owe a lot to North Korea.”

“China knows that North Korea is our puppet.”

“At least, we now have a reason to refuse. And China will have to clarify that their intentions are not what we think.”

“Yes.”

“North Korea might be feeling the pressure from China. Or, since they’ve been dealing with the monsters pushed by China, there might not be much change.”

“With the nuclear bomb, they won’t hesitate.”

“But they didn’t say it outright.”

Clearly, General Kim Doo-sik had said the military shouldn’t be used for political attacks.

So, we need to find another angle.

I smiled and looked at Yang Pan-seok.

“What did you offer North Korea to make them reveal their guts?”

Yang Pan-seok laughed bitterly.

“I knew you’d ask.”

“Just tell me.”

“I was worried you might be tired, so I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“So, what did you offer?”

“Do you really need to know?”

“Mr. Yang.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll tell you. It’s a top-secret, so don’t tell anyone except the National Assembly briefing room.”

Yang Pan-seok answered briefly.

“Defectors.”

And added,

“Plural.”

*

‘When the gates opened, North Korea moved almost all of its military to the north. Many people crossed the southern border during this gap. Especially after the system temporarily collapsed following the leader’s death. As far as I know, over 100,000 defectors have crossed into South Korea since the gate incident.’

‘......The media hasn’t said a word about it?’

‘Do you still watch the news...?’

‘Ah, right.’

‘Don’t watch that. Anyway, they are being housed in military facilities near the border. It’s a military-controlled area, and there’s plenty of land.’

‘Hmm. In exchange for returning the defectors, we provide diplomatic cover?’

‘Yes.’

‘Are the defectors worth that much...’

‘No, no. Even in an emergency, North Korea isn’t stupid. They had a significant number of troops stationed on the southern border as well.’

‘But...’

‘Most of the North Korean soldiers stationed near Kaesong were killed, and the defectors flooded in. About 20,000 on the same day?’

‘......’

‘A large-scale rebellion broke out in Kaesong. Led by superhumans. Besides superhumans, who else could cross a guarded border?’

‘......So, a high percentage of the 100,000 defectors are superhumans.’

‘Moreover, about 20,000 to 30,000 of them are from Kaesong, who rebelled and killed the soldiers before escaping.’

‘Full repatriation?’

‘Acting President Won Ok-bun decided that.’

‘......What about those who resist and don’t want to go back?’

‘Repatriation isn’t something we order.’

‘......’

‘The People’s Army will take them.’

‘......When?’

‘Next week.’

*

A massacre of 100,000 people will happen in North Korea.

I held the phone for a long time after hearing the news and returned to my room.

First, David Kim brought good news.

[Well, we found traces of your family. We’re tracking their escape route, but they went deep into the mountains, so it’s taking some time.]

“Is that so? At the gate, they, they didn’t...”

[Hmm. They seem to have escaped alive. The problem is we don’t know where they went. The mountains are full of monsters.]

“Phew... Thank you.”

[Yeah. I have to go monster hunting now. I’ll call you as soon as I get new reports. And I assigned a few combat teams to the tracking team. You owe me.]

“Thank you. Really, really thank you...”

I immediately called General Kim Doo-sik.

“I’m really sorry for bothering you every day.”

[No, no. I heard from Chun-sik. Is there anything today...]

“Yes, today...”

[No. We have a list of reported names, but there’s no report about your family yet.]

“Ah... I see. Thank you.”

[Sorry. I’ll contact you as soon as we identify them.]

“Yes. Thank you, General.”

Through Kim Chun-sik, I confirmed my family’s survival, and through Kim Doo-sik, I confirmed that their bodies hadn’t been found.

I made more calls after that. To the police, fire department, National Intelligence Service, and so on.

I finished all the calls I needed to make today.

That’s it.

I had no more will to do anything.

Refugees or whatever. Whether they are taken to North Korea or not, it’s none of my business.

I only wanted to know what Won Ok-bun had offered North Korea to prepare for any possible emergency, not to get involved in politics.

I stared at the dark city with a dull gaze. The port of Sokcho was twinkling with the lights of cell phones from people searching for their families.

“......Damn.”

I was fucking. Shaking hands as I slowly chewed and swallowed the antidepressants.

What the fuck. Politics. I. Fucking. Now.

Thud. Thud.

I quietly hit my head against the wall and picked at my fingernails.

This is a side of me that I never show to anyone.

I deliberately chose a room three floors away from Pi Chae-won.

I scratched my face with my fingernails. After taking painkillers for the persistent headache, I finally managed to fall asleep.

Being a National Assembly member was a good choice. I’m using all the power I have to find my family.

When I closed my eyes,

“......”

In the dimly lit room,

Someone appeared out of thin air.

I thought I was hallucinating.

“......Hello, comrade.”

The hallucination spoke.

“......I heard you were looking for Comrade Ryoo Do-yeon in the darkness.”

I jumped up from my seat and asked the hallucination.

“Where is he? Now.”

“......He has been taken.”

The hallucination grabbed my hand.

“......Here, Comrade Assemblyman.”

We were standing in a forest, not in the hospital room.