The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 44

#44. Wintering (3)

I told Jin Jaehee about the overall plan for the hunt.

Her expression was consistently blank at first.

Then, she gradually frowned, put her fist to her chin as if serious, and finally nodded, saying it made sense.

“Actually, it’s a bit surprising because I didn’t know this in my past life.”

“You didn’t think about using monsters in your past life?”

“Yeah. In your past life, you just used citizens.”

“Citizens?”

After that, Jin Jaehee was silent, then mumbled.

“Ah, no. No. Nothing.”

Jin Jaehee denied it with more fuss than necessary.

Whatever I was like in my past life, the important thing was the present.

All those stories were useless.

I needed to replenish my strength to restart the boiler tomorrow.

“Are you going to sleep?”

She asked, and I got up from the bed again.

“No way.”

Now that the report was over, it was time to work again.

I only came here to check on Jin Jaehee’s condition.

The time was now 7 PM.

I would focus on internal inspection until at least 12 AM.

I turned the doorknob and went back into the hallway.

* * *

Sion continued to work with the technicians.

Kang Sion discussed the realistic aspects of the boiler restart issue that Lee Jongcheol was considering.

They kept thinking and kept planning.

Because they were pressed for time.

Because Sion knew it would get even colder.

They couldn’t rest easy.

The night grew deep.

Their work continued until after 3 AM, and Sion woke up at 6 AM after a short nap.

Sion woke up in the morning, splashed his face with cold water, and went out the door.

* * *

The next day dawned after being appointed as manager.

Washing my face with the water I received the day before made my cheeks tingle.

My skin was cracked because it was cold and dry.

I went outside and looked around the hallway.

The police station was dark because the sun hadn’t fully risen yet.

Nevertheless, some workers were seen moving busily.

They were the workers from the lowest level who had received instructions for the previous day’s work.

“Amazing. It’s changed so much in just one day.”

Jin Jaehee, who was standing behind me, muttered.

She had been in the room all day, so it was understandable that she was surprised.

The police station regained its vitality overnight.

I took out a piece of paper from my pocket and looked at what I had to do today.

Today was going to be incredibly busy as well.

“Let’s go.”

I put the paper in my inside pocket and took the lead.

I headed to the underground detention center.

The police officers guarding the basement recognized me at once and hurriedly opened the door.

We passed through the door opened by the police officers and walked down the dark hallway.

“Are they inmates?”

Jin Jaehee, who was following me, asked, and I nodded silently.

Even if they were inmates, that was only in the world before the League; according to the previous constitution, I was still a criminal.

Because I had killed many people to get here.

It was all the same anyway.

Beams of light from flashlights were spreading in all directions from the inside.

The inspectors from headquarters were already there, sorting out the personnel.

It was the process of selecting inmates.

The inmates in the detention center were disoriented by the light they hadn’t seen in a long time.

Only one person was holding his ground, staring intently at this place.

It was the gangster I met yesterday.

“Kim Gisu, Ahn Changseok, Woo Taeheon, come out.”

Three men trembled and came out of the detention center.

There were already several inmates out.

They were all handcuffed and controlled by police officers.

I stood next to the inspector who was calling out the names and looked at the list.

The inspector found me and bowed slightly.

“Manager, you’ve arrived.”

“Is that person subject to management?”

I immediately got to the point and pointed to the gangster sitting against the opposite wall, and the inspector shook his head, flipping through the files.

“No, but… Choi Myeongjun has eight previous convictions and was brought in for special assault. Most of the inmates being released now are minor offenders, but it seems difficult for Choi Myeongjun.”

As expected, Choi Myeongjun was excluded from the selection process.

I approached the bars.

Choi Myeongjun also noticed me and raised his head slightly.

“Have you thought about it?”

I pulled a folding chair from one side of the detention center and sat down in front of the bars.

Choi Myeongjun was looking at me.

We maintained a moment of silence.

Then Choi Myeongjun spoke first.

“But, there’s a condition.”

I answered immediately.

“Tell me.”

I would accept it if it was a condition I could accept.

But if he insisted on an absurd or arrogant attitude, I would mercilessly abandon him.

If he couldn’t get out of the detention center this time, he would freeze to death inside.

No, I would make him die.

Choi Myeongjun showed his palm and said.

“One pack a day. Give me cigarettes. That’s all I need.”

Cigarettes.

I looked back at Jin Jaehee.

Then Jin Jaehee looked at me a little, and then handed me a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her inside pocket.

It was Africa Ice Jack [a brand of Korean cigarettes].

Choi Myeongjun got up from his seat and walked towards the bars.

Before handing him a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, I gave him one last warning.

“Just remember one thing. If you disobey me even once, you’re going back to the detention center. Do you understand?”

Whack-.

At that moment, Choi Myeongjun reached out of the bars and snatched the cigarettes from my hand.

As if suffering from withdrawal symptoms, Choi Myeongjun hurriedly tore off the cigarette cellophane and put one in his mouth.

Then he muttered.

“Tch, Ice Jack. The only thing that damn high school kids smoke.”

Chik-.

The lighter’s fire spread out in a circle inside the dark detention center.

Soon the fire subsided and he took a big puff of the cigarette.

His expression softened in real time depending on the amount of nicotine being inhaled.

“Sss-…… Hoo, ah…… Damn it. This is it. This is damn life. Sss-.”

Thick cigarette smoke scattered in the air.

Choi Myeongjun had a blissful expression and trembled.

He began to smoke cigarettes aggressively.

As if there was only one cigarette left in the world, he smoked it so hard that he didn’t even realize the filter was curling up.

Then he lit two more in a row and smoked them again.

I waited for him to regain his senses and said in a low voice.

“Answer me. If you disobey me.”

Tok-.

At that moment, with the sound of the Ice Jack capsule breaking, Choi Myeongjun smiled at me.

“Is there any doubt?”

He interrupted me, and then finished speaking, exhaling cigarette smoke.

“……Brother.”

As I was hit in the face with the cigarette smoke coming from his mouth, I smiled.

Maybe I recruited the best fighter in Anyang City with force.

Anyway, this huge man in front of me will surely be of great help to my plan.

That was for sure. But.

“You cocky bastard.”

It seemed that it would take some time to tame this gangster.

I ordered the police officer without looking.

“Open it.”

The police officer was startled.

He must have been terrified to face the crazy gangster who said he would kill him.

But there was nothing the police officer could do.

I had the power to temporarily control them, and above all, I am the manager of the citizens.

Daldal-.!

The police officer’s hand, opening the detention center door, trembled mercilessly.

Thump-! Squeak…….

The detention center door opened, and a huge man, nearly 2m tall [approximately 6’6″], walked out.

Shoulder-length long hair and firm muscles.

And even five cigarettes in his mouth.

“Please take care of me. Hyungnim [term for older brother or respected elder].”

Facing him in front of me, I felt like I was facing a giant.

“Let’s go. We have a lot to do.”

“Yes. Of course.”

Thud, thud.

Unlike my footsteps, his footsteps were heavy.

Choi Myeongjun approached the police officer who was frightened.

Then he put a lit cigarette on the police officer’s ear and smiled.

“I won’t eat you. Not right now.”

With those words, Choi Myeongjun followed behind me.

The remaining police officer sat down on the spot and trembled.

* * *

“Hey, woman. You’re damn pretty. How old are you? I’m 29.”

Choi Myeongjun slyly sidled up to Jin Jaehee, who was walking ahead, and said.

It was a voice so small that Sion, who was walking at the very front, couldn’t hear it.

They were walking down the dark underground hallway.

Tuk, tuk, tuk.

Choi Myeongjun said lewdly, hitting his fist on his palm with a cigarette in his mouth.

“Tonight, wanna date? I’ll treat you damn well.”

Jin Jaehee didn’t care about his provocation.

Jin Jaehee walked silently ahead.

Choi Myeongjun was even more attracted to her reaction.

“Are you Hyungnim’s? Wow-. Our Hyungnim is amazing. He looks like a middle schooler from some neighborhood. Is he good? Huh? What’s wrong. Damn. Or the three of us…”

Sss-.

At that moment, a dagger was pointed at Choi Myeongjun’s neck.

It was such a fast draw that Choi Myeongjun couldn’t even follow it with his eyes.

Choi Myeongjun smiled awkwardly, raised both hands, and said.

“Haha. Why are you doing this?”

Choi Myeongjun tried to laugh it off, but Jin Jaehee still pointed the dagger at his neck, her eyes filled with murderous intent, and said.

“Shut your mouth and follow quietly. And remember one thing. I can overlook insults to me, but I can never tolerate insults to that person. Don’t forget that Kang Sion is the one who took you out of there, showed you mercy, gave you life. The reason why Sion recognized you, it doesn’t mean I trust you. The moment you try to do something stupid, I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you without hesitation. Because Sion recognized you, not because I trust you. Do you understand?”

“……Haha. Yes, yes. I understand.”

When Choi Myeongjun lowered his tail, Jin Jaehee put the dagger back and walked ahead.

Choi Myeongjun still had both hands raised, smiling awkwardly.

It seemed that the person Kang Sion said could kill him was that woman.

“Ptoo-. I’m gonna piss my pants. I’m gonna piss.”

Choi Myeongjun spat on the floor and followed them.

* * *

1F. Lobby floor.

The workers who had finished roll call were gathered at the place where they had been yesterday.

As Sion approached them, Kim Sookyung, who had been investigating manpower all night, approached.

Dark circles were clear under Kim Sookyung’s eyes.

She hadn’t eaten properly or washed for several days, so her condition was the worst, but Kim Sookyung had carried out Kang Sion’s orders all night.

“Excluding the 56 people who came in additionally yesterday and the 12 people who deserted without permission, the total number is 856… As a result of the total survey, the number of people available for labor is only about 410. Ah, and here’s a bottle of soju [Korean distilled spirit] you asked for yesterday.”

Kim Sookyung continued to speak in a low voice, as if she was tired.

Sion accepted the bottle of soju that Kim Sookyung handed him and asked about the survey results.

“What’s the condition of the remaining 446 people?”

“Well, most of them have mental problems or frostbite.”

Sion thought that the labor force that could not be used yet would be resolved when the cold was resolved.

Kim Sookyung was glancing at the two people behind Sion.

One was a woman with beautiful looks.

She didn’t have a single speck of dirt and maintained her beauty even in this place.

The other was a huge man who had been smoking cigarettes since earlier.

He didn’t seem interested in this story and kept looking at the snowy scenery outside the glass door.

“Thank you for your hard work. Go and rest. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Sion said to Kim Sookyung while looking at the list.

Only then did Kim Sookyung wipe away a corner of her heart and nodded.

It was a relief that she could finally rest.

Kim Sookyung took off her police hat and slowly tried to go up to the dormitory.

But Sion stopped her again.

“Ah, wait a minute. Could you make one more table dividing the people who are not going to work today and the people who are going to work?”

There is no complete equality.

The people who go to work today had to have the right allowance.

Kim Sookyung’s expression began to distort at Sion’s words.

“Yes……?”

“Please.”

Sion said those words and went outside with the workers.

Kim Sookyung stood there blankly, just watching Sion leave the building.

The workers gathered again under the roll call platform.

Sion went up to the platform.

In his left hand was a small plastic chair, and in his right hand was an unopened soju.

There were nearly 400 people under his gaze.

They were all silent, and everyone was looking up at Sion.

In the past, in any case, so many people had never listened to Sion’s story.

But now they only followed Sion’s words and moved according to his will.

It was a power and a responsibility.

But even though it was the first time he stood in front of everyone, Sion didn’t tremble at all.

Jin Jaehee looked at his back on the platform and recalled the monarch Kang Sion from her past life.

Clang-.

Sion shook the soju once.

The soju swayed from side to side.

Thud.

Sion put the soju bottle on the plastic chair and continued calmly.

This was a stimulant that allowed Sion to exert the maximum labor force from them.

He put the soju on the plastic chair so that anyone could see it well at any time.

Sion’s voice rang out.

“The freezing point of soju is -17 degrees Celsius [1.4 degrees Fahrenheit].”

Every time he spoke, breath endlessly came out between his lips.

The people stared at the soju bottle placed on the chair.

Everyone’s attention was focused on one soju bottle.

“The freezer of a normal household refrigerator is about -18 degrees Celsius [-0.4 degrees Fahrenheit].”

With those words, Sion took another step and stood at the end of the platform.

“Therefore, if the soju starts to freeze, everyone here will die. You, me, the survivors upstairs, the police, the children, the elderly, and everyone you love will all freeze to death. Nothing else is needed. Concentrate all your actions, thoughts, senses, knowledge, and labor here. You must only follow the words of me and the technicians. We can’t all die here. We will definitely survive here. Before the soju freezes, let’s do it.”

At Sion’s one word to start, everyone here moved almost simultaneously.

Roar-.

As soon as his words were finished, the workers hurriedly started working as if they had promised.

“Hey-! Collect the flues! People who talked about it yesterday, gather here!”

“Technicians, and tool managers!”

“Come here for drinking water!”

“Just move as we talked about yesterday! As we talked about! Ma’am! What was your role yesterday?”

“So listen carefully. You’re good at handcrafts. Or you’re good at ironing. That’s all good.”

Centered around about 30 technicians, the workers began to move in an orderly manner.

It was all as planned, staying up all night.

Sion watched them from the platform for a while and then came down.

It was just the beginning.

The change in the hellish police station.

* * *

The workers began to move quickly.

People classified as general laborers collected flues [ducts for exhaust gases] from the nearby villa village.

Fortunately, the villa village only lacked food, but other items of labor value remained.

It was a villa village located right in front of the police station, and the distance was not far.

I don’t know how much flue will come out of one villa, but they moved.

Lee Jongcheol, who was appointed as the boiler manager, told the workers firmly.

“Most of them will be wall-mounted or flues that go inside the apartment. Fortunately, the villas in the Manan area are newly built buildings. But there are not enough manpower and time to tear down all the floor coverings inside, so we only collect the parts that are exposed outside. Cut out the circle with a knife, but there must never be a hole in the middle of the passage.”

The workers nodded and headed to the villa in a row.

They crossed the barricade located at the front gate of the police station.

It was the first time they had crossed the barricade since coming here.

The collection team divided into groups of four and entered the villa to collect all the flues.

In addition, they also took care of industrial woodworking glue for connecting the flues and tools necessary for general work.

They were miners.

Miners entering a huge jewel cave called a villa.

The procession of miners was busy going back and forth, but no one was resting.

The boiler manager was directing them and supplying the necessary supplies.

The day passed quickly.

The workers hardly slept.

Lee Jongcheol and key experts went around inside the police station and started the approximate production facilities.

The most important thing was the work of the heating tank to hold the flues and hot water.

Kang Sion and Lee Jongcheol stayed together throughout the work and talked.

Numerous workers came and went and moved busily at the site where they were walking.

They put their heads together.

The thoughts of the boiler expert and the manager collided, leading to a higher level of answer.

Kang Sion continued to think about efficiency and effectiveness and suggested his opinions, and Lee Jongcheol suggested his opinions from a more realistic perspective.

It had only been three days.

In just three days since Kang Sion took power, a big change had taken place inside the police station.

The citizens were carrying the collected flues, and technicians were placed in various places to set the direction for detailed work.

Since a major construction was inevitable for the flues to enter the building, they were connected to the outside.

Starting from the stairs, the flues were connected while leaving them in the hallway.

The citizens who lived on the 3rd floor went down to the 2nd floor in order, and numerous workers came in and carried out construction on the 3rd floor.

The police station regained its vitality.

And everything was proceeding according to Kang Sion’s plan.

Even City Councilor Gilinho, who had been holed up in the conference room until now, occasionally came out into the hallway and looked at the situation.

The police chief followed him and said.

“Oh. Are they trying to do something? It’s amazing. This in a day or two.”

“…….”

Gilinho smoked a cigarette and looked at the flues lined up in the center of the hallway.

Then he smiled a little and answered.

“Let’s see… How well the kid will do, I mean.”

The work was smooth.

Since there was no room for trial and error, the success or failure could not be known immediately.

Almost all the personnel inside the police station were moved by Sion and processed the work according to his plan.

In that way, a week had passed.

It had been a month since the 2nd round started.

The soju that had been on the plastic chair on the platform, which had been in place for a while, began to freeze.