Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 203

203. The Devil Dances (4)

While Hyun-woo was busy reclaiming Pyongyang and disrupting Xiaojie’s plans, no one paid any attention to Yoo-min. Thanks to this, she was able to complete Hyun-woo’s plan with ease.

Driving the truck loaded with the nuclear backpack to the predicted route of the Chinese army, returning on foot, and then pressing the button.

Seo Ji-hoo felt a fresh wave of chills. As a member of Hyun-woo’s faction, Seo Ji-hoo already knew the plan. But knowing and doing are different things.

Moreover, Yoo-min wasn’t even a member of Hyun-woo’s faction. No one forced her.

Yoo-min sensed his gaze and smiled at Seo Ji-hoo.

“You look like you have a lot of questions, Mr. Seo Ji-hoo.”

“…No, I don’t.”

“Then go outside. Someone will be here soon.”

“Yes? Who are you talking about?”

At Seo Ji-hoo’s words, Yoo-min stared at him intently. She looked like she was about to open her mouth, but soon she shrugged her shoulders as if she thought it would be more fun not to say anything.

“Anyway, it’s an important person. Go out and check, and report any unusual activity.”

Instead of asking more questions, Seo Ji-hoo went outside as he was told. Someone must be coming.

But there was no need to go looking for them.

Before he could take a few steps, he saw people running towards the outskirts. Seo Ji-hoo felt a sense of absurdity, but he quickly grabbed a hunter who was passing by.

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“Hunter Kang Hyun-woo is back!”

***

The Almighty League retreated to the rear with the refugees and wounded.

There were still people who hadn’t been rescued around the epicenter, but Johan, who had been maintaining his ultimate skill, had reached his limit and couldn’t hold on any longer.

Even though ability users were more resistant to radiation, there was a limit.

No one blamed the Almighty League, which had already retreated with numerous wounded.

But the real reason the Almighty League retreated was nothing special.

It was because Hyun-woo had returned ‘as planned’.

East of Pyongyang, South Korean Army 3rd Camp.

The South Korean Army 3rd Camp, located on high ground close to Chrome Camp, offered a clear view of Pyongyang.

Night fell, but the northern horizon was still bright. It was due to the massive fire caused by the nuclear explosion. The fire, combined with the dry spring air, showed no signs of dying down unless it rained.

“Is the rescue operation still underway?”

Hyun-woo, who had just taken a shower, approached Yoo-min, who was watching the sea of fire. Their tents were set up separately in a remote area.

Around the epicenter, there were many people who were willing to risk radiation to search for the wounded and missing.

Even some of the hunters from the Almighty League participated. Hyun-woo didn’t bother to stop them.

“Yes, I guess they want to let them die in a bed at least, since most of them will die from radiation poisoning anyway?”

“Well, people want to save someone who looks like they’re in danger right in front of them.”

Hyun-woo said calmly. He even joined the Almighty League camp and rescued a few wounded people.

Even though he was the one who ordered the nuclear explosion.

‘No, it’s a little different.’

Hyun-woo didn’t order the nuclear explosion. He was planning to steal the nuke and use it as a reserve weapon.

But Yoo-min’s judgment was different.

The day Hyun-woo received the alliance proposal from Xiaojie, he explained his plan to Yoo-min.

But Yoo-min modified the plan for the first time when Hyun-woo mentioned the nuclear removal stage, which was the final step of the plan.

‘Let’s detonate just one.’

‘Just one? Why?’

‘Monsters and hunters are still a joke to the country, but nukes are a real threat.’

She meant that it would be more effective to show them 확실하게 [clearly, definitively] rather than just threatening them with nukes.

Yoo-min even pointed out the location to detonate the nuke. It was an area where a large amount of Chinese military supplies were stockpiled.

The magic bullets Hyun-woo had sold to China and the supplies to be sent in the future were also to be stockpiled here.

A place where there were few people but could inflict a 확실하게 [decisive] painful blow.

They received the money, but they got rid of the goods.

It was against commercial ethics, but Hyun-woo applauded. China wouldn’t even know how much of the goods they had received.

“Where’s Johan?”

“He fainted as soon as he stopped using his ultimate skill. He was holding on with his mental strength; he’s an amazing person.”

“He is an amazing person.”

Hyun-woo praised him honestly. Johan will play an important role in the future.

A role as a tool that can decide who to kill and who to save.

And in the same vein, Hyun-woo thought of Lee Ji-tae.

He didn’t know who took Lee Ji-tae, or whether Lee Ji-tae was dead or alive. But looking at his condition, it didn’t seem like he would recover easily.

There was no concern that Lee Ji-tae would come back and reveal the truth. From now on, the situation would spiral out of control.

‘Even if he comes back, there will be no place for him. Lee Ji-tae.’

Hyun-woo hoped that Lee Ji-tae would never appear again, even if he was alive.

It would be nice if he could live out the rest of his life in a quiet place. Then Hyun-woo would be willing to visit him last.

To finish this game.

Yoo-min was silently watching the sea of fire. Her face flickered with crimson light.

Hyun-woo suddenly became worried. He wondered if she was regretting it.

“What are you thinking about right now?”

“Yes? Oh, just… I was wondering what kind of poem Nero wrote while watching the burning Rome?”

“That’s just a rumor.”

“Anyway, it’s cool.”

Hyun-woo smiled.

“Then shall we leave a cool record too?”

Yoo-min looked at Hyun-woo for a moment with a look that seemed to ask what he was talking about. Soon she asked suspiciously.

“Are you going to write a poem?”

“That’s an embarrassing record. Well, I don’t know how 후대 [future generations] will remember us, but it would be nice to create a plausible episode. If a movie is made, it would be nice to create a useful scene.”

“What on earth…”

Hyun-woo turned on his phone and tuned into a live jazz channel. Just in time, new music was playing.

Yoo-min smiled in disbelief, then was pulled away by Hyun-woo’s hand.

“Are we going to dance?”

“Why not? I have to use what I learned from you at times like this.”

Dancing was one of the cultural accomplishments Hyun-woo had learned from Yoo-min.

He didn’t know if it was okay to dance less than 12 hours after burning tens of thousands of people to death, but Yoo-min had no choice but to match Hyun-woo’s foot movements.

Beyond the horizon, the great fire was raging uncontrollably, and the ashes of things that were indistinguishable as trees or humans were mixed in with the scattering flames.

Somewhere, the desperate cries of the rescue team and the moans of the wounded continued.

In the meantime, only one song was worth listening to.

The two held hands and moved slowly, then looked at each other. Hyun-woo lightly kissed her lips first.

It wasn’t a passionate kiss like before, but a light peck.

Yoo-min felt strangely dazed.

It was strange that the smell of burning was terrible, and the feeling of kissing with ashes mixed with radiation made her feel better.

“How is it?”

“I’m just dazed.”

“Me too.”

Hyun-woo pulled Yoo-min’s hand and kissed the back of her hand again.

After repeating the kiss a few times, Yoo-min laughed as if tickled, and then felt something strange on her finger.

When she pulled her hand away, she saw a ring on her fourth finger. A unique gemstone she had never seen before was 박혀 [embedded] on the gold ring.

Yoo-min stared blankly at Hyun-woo.

“You’re not going to refuse, are you?”

“Aren’t you supposed to ask before putting it on?”

“I would have if I was even a little 불안했으면 [anxious].”

Yoo-min burst out laughing.

“You’re 불안해하는 [being anxious] even though you’re tying me up with something like this.”

Yoo-min punched Hyun-woo’s chest with her fist.

“You’re lazy if you think a ring like this will sustain our relationship. I told you, we’re more powerful partners than lovers. A stronger bond than this binds us. You remember, right? Not a pretty ring, not more money…”

Hyun-woo smiled and whispered.

“A shared ambition.”

It didn’t matter whether saving humanity was the priority or standing above it was the priority.

Anyway, it was important to Hyun-woo that it was what bound them together.

“But well, the old ways aren’t so bad either. The time, place, and atmosphere aren’t all appropriate, but.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Did you really think it would be a good idea to propose near the epicenter less than 12 hours after pressing the nuclear button?”

Hyun-woo also has common sense. He didn’t think so, but he was glad that Yoo-min seemed to feel better anyway.

That was enough.

Hyun-woo pulled Yoo-min close and hugged her. Yoo-min opened her mouth before being grabbed by Hyun-woo and entering the tent.

“Oh, and Agent Amini was looking for you, 오빠 [older brother, term of endearment].”

“Why wouldn’t she be? Tell her to wait.”

“She said she’s not going to sleep and wait.”

“Then she’ll have to stay up all night.”

***

The Pyongyang recovery operation ended in such a great failure.

The deaths of countless ability users and the consumption of huge budgets, and above all, the deaths of two great figures, Park Do-ryung and Lee Ji-tae.

Immediately, criticism of the reckless expedition and the 추모 행렬 [mourning procession] for Lee Ji-tae caused the approval rating of the regime to plummet.

But it was nothing compared to the damage China suffered.

More than 20,000 soldiers were 산화 [martyred] in the nuclear explosion and disappeared, and the same was true of hundreds of ability users who participated.

The biggest blow was that seven top-class ability users, including Xiaojie, were 날아간 [gone] overnight.

Immediately, its status as the country with the most ability users plummeted.

The South Korean government immediately bowed its head, apologized to the people, and began looking for scapegoats.

On the other hand, China was different. They were silent.

It was an amazing level of restraint compared to the enormous damage China had suffered.

But those who knew the internal situation knew that it was not restraint.

It was a different kind of madness. The Chinese people were silent with fear.

The target of that fear was none other than the Chinese government.

The Chinese government was 세우고 이를 바득바득 갈며 [setting up and grinding their teeth] looking for scapegoats.

A small-scale purge broke out.

Politicians from the faction that had advocated for participation in the North Korean War were the first to disappear or die in unexplained accidents.

The political map changed rapidly every day. Even a small objector was 몰려 [driven] as a reactionary and disappeared in an instant.

But even so, they lacked blood. They were far from enough.

Internal crackdowns alone could not quench their thirst.

But soon they were able to find an easy target for revenge.

***

“Xiaojie and her colleagues fought heroically.”

One week after the failure of the Pyongyang recovery operation, Kang Hyun-woo, the only survivor, spoke for the first time.

No, to be exact, Seo Ji-hoo, Kang Hyun-woo’s representative, stood on the witness stand.

Seo Ji-hoo, Hyun-woo’s representative who returned as the only survivor of the Pyongyang recovery operation, testified about the situation at the time at a press conference.

There were voices calling for Kang Hyun-woo to be brought in person, but it was rejected because he had suffered so much 심적 [mental] and physical trauma.

Instead, Hyun-woo promised to answer as sincerely as possible through Seo Ji-hoo.

Seo Ji-hoo knew that the entire Republic of Korea, as well as the world, was paying attention to his words. But his expression remained unchanged as he continued his testimony.

“But the Pyongyang operation was more difficult than expected. There were many things that held her back, including the unidentified fog, as well as new types of monsters, isolation, disruption, and political and diplomatic problems.”

Reporters watched Seo Ji-hoo’s remarks with bated breath. Depending on each word he said, a major upheaval could occur in the political landscape.

“Basically, the reason why Xiaojie was in such an unfortunate situation was due to external circumstances. Nevertheless, she struggled and laid the foundation for the Korean team to step in.”

Seo Ji-hoo said as if 박듯이 [driving a nail].

“She was a hero.”

People like heroes. Even more so if they are dead heroes.

Seo Ji-hoo slowly scanned the Chinese reporters among the reporters. China, which was 피에 굶주린 [bloodthirsty], would be enthusiastic about Xiaojie’s heroic story.

“Thanks to Xiaojie and her team, the Korean team was able to 목도 [witness] the unidentified monster that had occupied Pyongyang. Hunter Kang Hyun-woo testified that it was ‘a powerful monster that he had never seen before and that the world could not 함부로 [carelessly] handle.'”

“Then were Director Park Do-ryung and Commander Lee Ji-tae also 살해당한 [murdered] by that monster?”

Seo Ji-hoo stared intently at the reporter who asked the question.

“Director Park Do-ryung died in that battle, and it is presumed that Commander Lee Ji-tae also died. But I have not confirmed the body, so I only hope that he will reappear in good health.”

The reporter realized that he had made a mistake and blushed.

After the statement that Lee Ji-tae’s body had not been confirmed, Taesung was 감시 중 [monitoring] the area around Pyongyang with his eyes on fire.

In particular, Lee Seo-yeon, the current CEO of Taesung, was looking for a way to re-enter Pyongyang by any means.

Reporters raised their hands in a hurry. Seo Ji-hoo pointed to one of them.

“There have been rumors that Xiaojie 이송 [transferred] the nuke. Therefore, conspiracy theories related to this have also emerged. I am curious about Hunter Kang Hyun-woo’s position on this matter.”

Chinese reporters wore unpleasant expressions. The majority of the victims of the nuclear explosion were Chinese soldiers, but there were many witnesses among them who heard or saw Xiaojie 빼돌렸다는 [smuggled] the nuke.

But China would never admit it, nor did they want to admit it.

The world’s attention was focused on Seo Ji-hoo’s mouth.

“That is true. Xiaojie 빼돌려 [smuggled] the nuke hidden in North Korea’s bunker and installed it in Pyongyang. Hunter Kang Hyun-woo confirmed it himself.”

Shock and commotion erupted once again among the reporters.

The press conference became noisy with reporters 급하게 속보를 날리는 [urgently sending out breaking news]. But Seo Ji-hoo added another source of commotion there.

“However, I know that Xiaojie is acting as a member of Chrome and acting under instructions. We suspect that the ‘final means’ mentioned by the UN Special Inspection Department was the nuke installed by Xiaojie. And we also have a voice recording of Shiba Amini, the current Special Inspector, saying that she would use the ‘final means.'”

In other words, Chrome and the Special Inspection Department caused the nuclear explosion.

Hyun-woo, who was watching the press conference on TV, smiled.

Hyun-woo had 던져 준 [thrown] a bloody bait to a crazy tiger. Now it was up to China to 갈기갈기 찢어발기는 [tear it to shreds] it.