The contaminated zone was dismantled, and the soldiers who had been controlling the Mukho Port area approached and greeted us.
"There is one civil servant who has been on duty at the community center from yesterday through today."
It seemed they had intended to just say good work and leave, but I had business with these soldiers.
"I'm listening. What happened?"
"He ignored the response procedures after the contaminated zone appeared."
The soldier listened in silence, pulled out a digital-pattern notebook, and began writing. At the same time, he contacted someone over the radio.
"We will contact the police and request appropriate measures for the wrongdoing."
At my words, the soldier's expression grew a bit complicated.
"Mr. Kim Sangseon, disciplinary action against civil servants is not the responsibility of the military or police..."
I understood perfectly what he was trying to say. Right. Discipline for civil servants is handled internally by a disciplinary committee, not a court.
I couldn't recall a single time proper punishment was actually carried out. There's a reason people say blood is thicker than water.
The civil servant who lowered the barrier must have had something to rely on as well.
"Is that so? Sorry. I think I got a bit worked up."
After offering a brief, insincere apology, I found the civil servant in question moving with the other survivors.
I approached him without saying anything else.
"If I kill you, would I be punished?"
The civil servant's body trembled slightly. What would happen if a janitor killed a civil servant?
The answer was nothing at all.
There was no way a janitor would be punished for smashing the head of an ordinary civil servant on duty at the Mukho Port Civic Center.
"Pray that the disciplinary committee gives you a proper punishment."
I placed a hand on his shoulder, grinned, and spoke in a low voice.
"Otherwise, you die by my hand."
There was nothing more to say. I brushed the dust off his shoulder and walked away. Checking the time, the hour hand was racing toward 3 p.m.
"Since we're here, I kind of want a bowl of sashimi..."
Han Sehee said regretfully. But sadly, there was no one in the state of mind to slice fish right now.
We boarded the helicopter again.
"There's the place we're staying, right? Once I remove the trainee tag, can I move?"
While in transit, I spoke to Yoo Sangchul.
"What, something bothering you?"
I shook my head. Nothing was uncomfortable.
"The house I used to live in feels more comfortable."
At that, he made a thoughtful sound.
"I get it, but janitors have to be maintained in appropriate numbers across regions. The rule is to live close to your assigned area."
It seemed I couldn't choose my residence freely. Same logic as a soldier stationed in Paju not being able to live in Sejong.
"Then can I at least buy a place?"
He answered my question.
"Buying is fine. We don't say anything about earning income through personal side jobs either."
"I see."
Buying the house I used to live in wasn't a problem. Still, it was probably already a mess, and that whole area including my place would go into redevelopment.
To make sure it didn't disappear, it might be better to buy the building itself.
The problem was that real estate transactions weren't as simple as buying a roll of gimbap at a restaurant.
As a janitor, loans would come through easily.
People say the three biggest bullies designated by the state are soldiers, police, and civil servants...
But compared to them, janitors are no less, and often even more, ruthless.
"Ah, we've arrived."
Tall buildings came into view beneath the helicopter. We had returned to Seoul.
"Don't go far. It's common to be called in twice a day to stand by."
With Yoo Sangchul's warning, we dispersed. I went straight to the bank for a loan consultation.
To skip to the result, I was told I could get up to 300 million won.
"A 500 million won unsecured loan."
That seemed to exceed the maximum one person could pull out as a credit loan.
And this was with no collateral, at an annual interest rate of 2.5 percent, even though I was still a trainee.
It was a stark contrast to the firm rejection I'd received back when I desperately needed money.
Just like you said, banks really are umbrella sellers who sell umbrellas on sunny days and take them back when it rains.
"Still, with this much money."
I could easily buy the house we lived in. If my memory was right...
"The sale price was 58 million won."
Property in Korea couldn't be expensive. Even apartments in the most expensive areas cost around 170 million won.
Why? Redevelopment. When damage occurs due to a contaminated zone, restoration through redevelopment is inevitable.
What redevelopment means is that the state confiscates land at a dirt-cheap price of up to 15,000 won per pyeong and then rebuilds.
If people protest this measure? The police come and fire their guns without hesitation.
"Of course, the ruling class is an exception."
They don't lose ownership of their property and still enjoy all the benefits of redevelopment.
As I was returning to my residence, lost in thoughts about house prices and loans...
"Mr. Kim Sangseon."
Someone spoke to me from behind. I turned my head and let out a bitter smile.
A black suit and sunglasses. An outfit that didn't even try to hide who he was.
"Here to collect something?"
"Ah, that's not my role."
The suited man shook his head at my words. If not that, then why come looking for me?
"The Korean government wants exclusive rights to the contaminated materials secured by Janitor Kim Sangseon."
I let out a low snort.
"It already seems exclusive enough."
Railin from Blue Barrel had contacted me, but I had no obligation to report that to the Korean government.
"You're not wrong, but the Korean government values contracts."
Ah, so they really didn't know I'd been in contact with Railin. That was good news.
"I don't see why a contract is necessary. I don't really like exclusivity anyway."
Why should I give contaminated materials only to Korea? Try bringing up patriotism and see what happens. I'd betray you in the most patriotic way possible.
"You have family in Korea, don't you?"
"Ah."
I should take this as a threat, right? Bringing up family here of all things. You're dead, but you weren't my only family. I have parents and siblings too.
And now this guy was asking if I'd be okay with something happening to my family in Korea. If the Korean government really moved, it would be nothing for my family to fall into misery in an instant.
So what should I do here?
"Do whatever you want."
"...What?"
He clearly hadn't expected that answer. When I casually told him to do as he pleased, he was the one flustered.
"If anything happens to people who have a certain level of relationship with me, there won't be even 1 gram of contaminated material provided to Korea from then on."
It wouldn't just be that I wouldn't sell.
"I'll sell everything I've secured to Japan and China and happily let their media broadcast it. Let's see what public opinion looks like then."
I'd become a traitorous bastard, and the Korean government would be idiots who let an opportunity slip through their fingers.
In games of intimidation, the side with more to lose is the one that bows its head. And judging the value of what's at stake is always subjective.
Me versus the Korean government. Who had more to lose?
"Mr. Kim Sangseon, do you really think you'd be fine after this?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine until the Korean government develops another way to obtain contaminated materials."
I'd already talked enough about my value in my argument with Director Oh Min. No need to repeat it.
"...I will convey Janitor Kim Sangseon's intentions accurately. You want us not to touch your family or acquaintances."
Finally, he backed down. I made a small sound of surprise and replied.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding."
"Yes?"
"Even if you don't touch them, if anything happens to those people, my relationship with Korea is over."
You start this mess and think it ends with a promise not to interfere?
"It doesn't matter if it's not your doing. A robber stabs them? They get hit by a car while buying beer at a convenience store?"
I don't need any of those excuses.
"No matter how it happens, if something happens to them, my relationship with the Korean government ends."
The man in front of me fell silent. It wasn't even complicated. Was this really that hard to understand?
Then I'd make it simpler.
"My family and acquaintances are to be protected by the Korean government by any means necessary."
That was it. I waved my hand dismissively.
"If you have nothing else to say, go. And make sure my intentions are conveyed clearly."
With that, I returned to my residence. Being threatened was one thing...
"But work still has to be done."
I activated the barrier generator and reached into my inventory to pull out the poison sting.
The moment it came out, the sting writhed like a living thing, frantically trying to stab my hand. Why is it so fresh? This feels less like a poison sting and more like a live fish in season.
"..."
How was I supposed to use this? Since it was a poison sting, it probably carried poison. I thought of the beef in the refrigerator.
I didn't know how it worked, but maybe I could try stabbing the beef? If it was a conventional poison, it might react.
I immediately took out the beef and stabbed it with the sting.
"Huh? What?"
The sting instantly swelled, then shrank sharply, injecting something into the beef. The spot it pierced bulged grotesquely.
The beef kept swelling until it turned into something like a balloon. Then, from inside that meat balloon, sharp scythe-like blades burst out and tore it apart.
"Unbelievable."
A miniature version of the wasp-like monster I'd fought in the contaminated zone flapped its wings violently and lunged at me. I grabbed it immediately and snapped its neck.
The bug fell to the floor, flapping its wings and swinging its scythes for a moment before curling its legs and going still.
"..."
I brought out the electronic scale at home and placed the small bug on it.
487 grams.
I checked the sticker on the beef package I'd bought at the supermarket.
491 grams.
The weights were almost identical. Excluding the thin membrane that had wrapped it before the bug was born, they were practically the same.
"So stabbing flesh turns it into a bug of equal weight?"
I'd thought it was poison, but it seemed more like an ovipositor of some kind. Just in case, I took out a slice of bread, weighed it, and stabbed it.
"..."
No good. Did it have to be meat? Or did it just need protein? I tried stabbing tofu next.
Same result, failure. But any kind of meat worked. Even ground meat clumped together was treated as one, producing a single bug with the same weight as the meat.
As I pondered how to use this, a bizarre thought crossed my mind and I scratched my head.
"If I clumped together about 50 tons of meat and stabbed it with this."
That would produce a 50-ton monster. Of course, it would attack me the moment it was born, so I couldn't control it. But just because I couldn't control it didn't mean it was useless.