Good news (3)
on the living room table.
The tray the agent brought is full of lunch.
Beef, onions, and mushrooms are mixed in a creamy sauce, giving off a fragrant scent. Fish soup was placed on a luxurious platter, besides honey cakes and date tea.
“Could you hand over the video material too?”
“I didn’t wear an action cam on this operation. I remember that it was a request from the Russian side.”
“… It was. I forgot.”
And in the midst of this.
Park Yoo-jin, the manager who reluctantly made her open the front door, continues to argue over the guidelines for reporting.
The Russian government tried to publicize the subjugation of Allamandra before the expedition returned home, and the HT group wanted to receive a reasonable price.
A three-way conversation was taking place, including an agent and an interpreter.
“Please take care of the media coverage. Whether it’s illustrations or photos, it doesn’t matter if you supplement with battle-related content. However, we need to clarify our rights, right? The one who subdued Allamandra was HT Group’s B-7, especially Lee Yong-soo. Please be careful not to make strange noises.”
“If it sounds strange, what?”
“The spoon was added at the end, or the authority to dispose of the monster’s corpse-”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. Because the media in Korea is under government control. You have to get permission even to put a period.”
“… … .”
For a while, I was speechless at the expression full of confidence.
One after another, visitors from the central government come to the fore.
“Then, what is the next schedule? I want to make my departure as early as possible. After one more week, the contract period ends.
“In six days, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will come. Since the restoration of the Trans-Siberian train is over, they said that it will take about five days to test run and stabilize the route.”
“It’s taking longer than expected.”
“Don’t look at it too negatively. This is a win-win for everyone. Didn’t HT Group also want to enter the Korean market?”
“… I won’t deny it. However, I want to expand my influence in the market rather than advance. It would be nice to be able to beat BBA (a German construction company).”
“Then it would be better to proceed with the meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister. In Russia, politics takes precedence over business. To be precise, the government does business.”
The name… Was it Nina Alexi?
The woman with light green eyes mixed with chestnut brown hair overwhelms her allies with her splendid speech.
A total of three fortresses will be built at the place where the incident occurred, and all of them will be awarded to HT Construction.
“I know that at least 4.6 billion rubles (about 100 billion won) will be invested.”
“… To be honest, it’s not a big deal.”
“Yes? But for the price of the meeting, it will be a decent level. More than that… It depends on the capabilities of the HT group.”
“You said you would give me a project worth 100 billion, no, 4.6 billion rubles, just by meeting you? Without any other conditions?”
“Yes.”
As a result, one employee… went over the hole
“What is the detailed schedule? Kko, I don’t mean to do it, I just want to hear it.”
“We will hold a victory celebration at Artumsi Square. Allamandra’s corpse is publicly disclosed, and it signals that the Far East has been stabilized. We are planning to mobilize about a thousand people, and you can attend the dinner after the event. Excluding the consultation process with related parties, it is all over in one day.”
Eyes fly towards me at my short and complicated request.
Just as I was about to open my mouth, the agent took one step ahead of me.
“I think we can discuss the details later. Rather now… I want to have a private meeting with Lee Yong-soo.”
“Is there anything I shouldn’t say?”
“Yes. It contains confidential information, so please understand.”
“uh… … .”
Would it be strange if the look of not wanting to go out was stepped on in the eyes?
After weak hesitation, I directly took Park Yu-jin’s side.
“She will find out anyway. just tell me.”
“no. It won’t.”
“… Are you sure?”
“Yes. As I said, it contains confidential information.”
But when the confident tone returns, the astute manager stands up before he can speak.
If it’s not a big deal, it means to tell me later.
and after a while
rattle!
Sipping jujube tea while even the interpreter is being kicked out the door… The other person took out the iron case and held it.
What came out of it were five or six pictures.
The first chapter contained the scenery of the battlefield, but as we went to the back, a group of strangers came out.
“It’s a picture taken by a reconnaissance spy satellite.”
“… Can you take clear pictures in the middle of the night?”
“Because it has an infrared camera. It’s not as sharp as an optical lens, but it’s good enough to tell things apart. But this time… I discovered a monster that cooperates with humans.”
In an instant, I understood.
Why did you want to let Park Yoo-jin go?
“Venetus, right?”
“… Don’t ask if you know.”
“I apologize if I felt like I was pressuring you. I didn’t mean to pry. We already know the facts.”
I thought there was no proof because I didn’t have a camera hanging from my chest, but I thought I’d take a picture from the top of my head.
However, there is no need to go weak.
Behind the scenes, there is a lot of displeasure.
“If you’re going to threaten me, I got the wrong street number.”
“A threat?”
“I’m not telling you because I want something.”
“Uhm, I have something I want.”
As he pushed the teacup away from his appetite, the agent from the General Intelligence Agency smiled inappropriately.
“The Russian government wants to become close with Lee Yong-soo. My visit today and showing you the satellite photos are deeply related to this.”
“… … .”
She continues her insignificant tone, then suddenly pulls an ashtray from one side of the table.
Then, after holding the photo in his right hand, he turned on the lighter with his left hand.
profit!
In an instant, a piece of paper caught fire, and traces of flame landed on an ashtray that had never been used.
“Be careful when using monsters. The country is not the only one with reconnaissance and spy satellites. Right now, there is a guy called ‘Keyhole’ in America. I’m not sure, but they probably gathered the same information. So in the future… Wouldn’t it be better to avoid moving close to the monster?”
intimate relationship.
Just looking at the words makes me feel very good.
But that’s also a story when there is something to be exchanged with each other. That being said, there was no advantage I could offer Russia to accept and move on.
“Tell me more. what do you want from me Short term or long term, what do you want from me?”
“You are calculating.”
“… … .”
“But it’s not bad. In the long run… We want some advice on some things. It would be great if we could talk regularly. For example, something like this.”
Again, the picture lifts out of the same steel case.
If the previous one was a satellite photo, this one resembles a portrait of a person.
“Can you recognize who it is?”
“no. do not know.”
As if the time had been right, the wrinkled face and white hair caught the eye.
The blank eyes and eyes of different colors showed that he was a dangerous person.
“Thecla Nikitan. A terrorist from the Czech Republic.”
“… Ural Federal District.”
I may not know the face, but I’ve heard the name, so as I instinctively mumbled to myself, a meaningful look came back.
“that’s right. Among them, I am active in the Sverdlovsk region. He is an impure element who incites tramps and peasants to revolt against the system.”
“therefore?”
“Because of this, the government of the country is arguing over the issue of hard-line suppression. While the military is on the side of hiring people with special abilities and wiping them out, the General Intelligence Agency prefers a cautious approach.”
I felt like I knew it without hearing the back story.
Thekla Nikitan was a nobleman who was called a ‘dwarf revolutionary’ by the civilians.
Contrary to his cute nickname, in his previous life, he provoked a monster breeding ground and caused a mess. It wouldn’t have been such a mess if it hadn’t been for the strong suppression.
“What do you think? You may not be sure. Just a hint… … .”
If I were a government leader, I would have chosen secret arrest rather than hard suppression. He’s a human wandering around in places where there are no barriers, but he’ll die someday even if he doesn’t use his hands.
However, it takes a lot of things to answer meekly.
In the first place-
“… Why are you asking me this?”
“… … .”
I couldn’t understand the intent of the question.
* * *
Around the end of April 2029, Siheung City, Gyeonggi Province.
8 p.m. While all parts of the city are immersed in darkness, the designated shelter in area 3 is bustling with elderly people gathered in groups of two or three.
The monster wasn’t haunted, but because of the expensive electricity bill, he chose a place with an oil lamp.
In the meantime, diluted soju and dried anchovies were placed on the plastic table, providing small comfort.
“Because I benefit from Mr. Pyo In-seok. I’m glad you work at the shelter, I’ll meet you anywhere else if not here.”
“I am sorry to say that. Everyone is helping and living, am I doing something great?”
“Ah, but there is no job like this! Is it easy to find jobs for the elderly? Even with Youngnam, yes. As soon as I turned 70, I was cut off from the body disposal unit, huh? Even the right to residency has been revoked.”
When the eerie reply came back to the formal greeting, the man in the fluorescent vest interrupted in a puzzled voice.
“… How come you haven’t been seen lately, are you kicked out?”
“Well, it’s deportation.”
“What about the children? Aren’t there three sons and daughters together?”
“The current situation is dire, but will the parent-child relationship be okay? You gave up your identity guarantee. He said he would go down to where his second son lives… … .”
“Where do you live?”
“Boryeong, Chungcheongnam-do.”
“How do I get there?”
“I don’t know, man.”
For a while, the silence prevails, and the old people pour out their worries.
“It is time for the country to perish. Isn’t the president installed to relocate the capital to the south, but the number of heroes decreases as the years go by? did you see the news? They say that the north is teeming with monsters.”
“How long have you been here? It wasn’t even a fuss last winter.”
“It just came out of the breeding grounds again. Because the world turns strange.”
“… Yeah.”
The moment when depressing content was pouring in succession.
The woman who had been silently listening suddenly bruised the two old men.
“Just go there. Why do you keep saying things that are uncomfortable to hear?”
“It’s because I’m worried. Heroes died out in droves last year. If even a meteorite falls inside the barrier, the end of the world will be like that-”
“shut up! If you only want to talk nonsense, read the newspaper.”
“I’m afraid someone isn’t a collector of waste paper… … .”
For a while, I didn’t want to lose until the end.
The attention of the elderly is drawn to the shreds of newspapers covering their heads on the desk.
Someone nodded as if they knew it well, and those who didn’t know spat out short exclamations.
[Hero Lee Yong-su, level 2 Allamandra subjugation success.]
Belatedly, the news from Russia reached me.