Walking Daddy

The leaders\' eyes were sunken, as most of them had been awoken from catnaps. They did their best to cover their mouths when they yawned.

To begin, I brought up the thoughts that I’d had the night before.

“I’m sorry for calling you all urgently in the early morning. I’m aware that everyone must be tired.”

“It’s alright. Please share what you have on your mind,” Lee Jeong-Uk replied in a calm voice.

Since the leader had stepped up and said that it was okay, all the other leaders straightened their backs and tried their best to school their emotions. I looked around at them, then began to speak.

"Then… I’ll get right to the point. Hyeong-Jun and I are thinking of going over to Gangnam right after this meeting to attack the Family.”

"Sorry? Right now?”

Lee Jeong-Uk’s eyes went wide, and he gave me a look of surprise. The other leaders offered similar reactions. He knew that this fight was coming to an end, but he seemed to be taken aback when I’d mentioned how soon it would be.

I looked over at Kim Hyeong-Jun, who was seated next to me, then spoke again.

“I talked to Hyeong-Jun all night. Mr. Kim Hyeong-Jun.”

"Yes."

“Please tell the leaders about the conversation we had.”

Kim Hyeong-Jun let out a breath and began to speak.

“We’re assuming that the boss has also killed a black creature. And we also think that, in the process of dealing with the black creature, many of the officers and dong leaders probably lost their lives. Given the forces they have right now, they stand no chance against us.”

"So you\'re saying you’re going to attack right now? Before they make another move?” repeated Lee Jeong-Uk.

Kim Hyeong-Jun nodded.

"Exactly. The boss is a cunning guy, full of tricks up his sleeve. He would surely be revising his strategy and coming up with new ways to get at us.”

“But we don’t know what they are.”

“Exactly, and that’s why I wanted to ask you folks a favor.”

The leaders all swallowed stared at Kim Hyeong-Jun. He took a deep breath.

“Let’s all go to Gangnam together.”

"Pardon?"

Lee Jeong-Uk looked back and forth between Kim Hyeong-Jun and me, his eyes full of surprise. The other leaders started protesting.

“How will we move all of our survivors?!”

“Are you saying we should split the survivors into groups? Like advance parties and secondary parties?”

“How long do the secondary parties have to wait?”

I calmed the leaders down and addressed Bae Jeong-Man, who was sitting in the corner.

“Mr. Bae Jeong-Man, what is the maximum number of people that can board the cruise ships?”

“If we fill all three ships… I think we can fit everyone somehow.”

“Is there enough fuel?”

“Where are you trying to get to?”

“Banghwa-dong.”

Bae Jeong-Man leaned back in his chair and quietly crossed his arms. While Bae Jeong-Man was organizing his thoughts, Lee Jeong-Uk asked me a question.

“Mr. Lee Hyun-Deok, is there a reason why you want all of us to go together?”

“If we attack Gangnam, they won\'t last long. The leader might throw the dong leaders at the shelter as a diversion to secure an escape route.”

“Hmm… a diversion…”

“When Hyeong-Jun and I enter Gangnam, the remaining dong leaders might attack Gwangjang-dong. That would make it harder for Hyeong-Jun and I to focus. And it’ll be difficult for Do Han-Sol to handle them all by himself.”

Lee Jeong-Uk’s expression grew complicated, and he touched his lips. Bae Jeong-Man spoke up.

“I think it’ll be doable. Banghwa-dong is the neighborhood north of Gimpo Airport, right?”

"Yes."

“There’s a park at the southern end of Banghwa Bridge, so we can disembark there.”

"And you\'re saying that everyone can move at the same time?"

"About that… I don’t think I’d be able to tell until everyone boards. There are over four hundred survivors here.”

“Let’s have Do Han-Sol’s underlings carry the remaining survivors that can’t get on board. We have to move as one, no matter what.”

Do Han-Sol, sitting in the corner, raised his right hand.

"So you’re saying that I take on a defensive role, while you and Mr. Kim Hyeong-Jun focus on offense?”

“Yes. The guys that belong to the Family would probably become more confused once they see cruise ships on Han River.”

“The boss probably hasn’t considered that we would attack first. If we confuse him enough, we might be able to avoid any bloodshed.”

Do Han-Sol nodded slowly and made a satisfied expression. I then looked over at Lee Jeong-Uk.

“The decision is in your hands, Mr. Lee Jeong-Uk.”

“The survivors will probably protest against the idea of relocating out of the blue. They just started getting used to life here…”

“Everything is difficult the first time, but it’s a lot easier the second time. Please consider this carefully and let us know.”

Lee Jeong-Uk pressed his hands against his temples and fell into deep thought. All eyes were focused on Lee Jeong-Uk.

I knew it was a hard decision to make. What I wanted from Lee Jeong-Uk… was for him to believe in me.

Lee Jeong-Uk used to rescue survivors with me back in the day. He probably knew deep down that what I was proposing was the most appropriate plan, given the current situation. Lee Jeong-Uk remained silent for a while, thinking long and hard about the best course of action. After a while, he sighed and broke the silence.

“Mr. Kwak Dong-Won.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Tell the facility management team to pack the equipment they need and organize the completed solar panels. Tell them to throw away any unnecessary things and bring only the essentials.”

"Got it!"

“Let’s get going.”

Kwak Dong-Won got up from his seat and headed straight for the basement. Lee Jeong-Uk then looked over at Park Gi-Cheol.

“Mr. Park Gi-Cheol, please assemble the guards at the riverfront and pack all the remaining supplies, bullets, and firearms.”

"As you wish."

“Mr. Principal, could you take Ms. Han Seon-Hui with you and take care of the children first? Please tell Jeong-Hyuk and Da-Hye to gather the food, clothing and shelter management teams.”

"All right."

“Mr. Kim Beom-Jin, along with Ms. Ga-Bin, please gather the medical staff and pack up all the medical supplies. Ask Mr. Kim Seok-Won and the newcomers for help. It’ll be easier that way.”

"Got it!"

Lee Jeong-Uk gave all of them the appropriate orders. The leaders got up one by one. Hwang Deok-Rok, who had been reading the room, spoke up.

“What should I do?” he asked Lee Jeong-Uk.

“Mr. Hwang Deok-Rok, please inform each floor leader to get ready to move. We need everyone at the riverfront within ten minutes.”

“Got it!”

“And, sir… Please pack some food and seed varieties.”

"All right."

Lee Jeong-Uk had taken just a few moments to sort the situation out. He looked at me.

“This operation… You’re sure about this, right?”

"I’m sure.”

“You can’t let one thing go wrong. One mistake will bring us all down.”

"Don\'t worry."

Lee Jeong-Uk nodded vigorously and left the meeting room with Hwang Ji-Hye. I got up and went outside the hotel. After a moment, Do Han-Sol followed me.

“Mr. Lee Hyun-Deok.”

"What is it?"

“The dong leaders have to cross Sogang Bridge to get here. If you and Mr. Kim Hyeong-Jun are going across Sogang Bridge, doesn’t that make it virtually impossible for them to enter Gwangjang-dong?”

“Their men died on Sogang Bridge. I’m not sure if the boss will use Sogang Bridge again.”

“Then how do you think they’ll enter Gwangjang-dong…?”

“The boss is probably aware of what happened at Gangbyeonbuk-ro. They might be already preparing a plan to attack us from a different direction.”

Do Han-Sol listened to my reasoning, then nodded slowly and gently rubbed his chin. I scratched my head, then continued.

“They might have already sent the dong leaders to Hanam City and entered Guri City either through Gwalli Bridge or Paldang Bridge. The dong leaders don’t feel fatigue, so they can move around all night.”

“But didn’t you say that all the Han River bridges were down?”

“That’s only with regards to Seoul. I’m not aware of the conditions in Hanam City or Guri City.”

"Then… Considering every possible scenario, it’s best to move together?”

“Exactly.”

"Then… I’ll do as you say.”

Do Han-Sol nodded and gathered his underlings. I straightened out my clothes and headed toward where my mutants were.

I had lost five stage-one mutants, so I reorganized my underlings again. Each squad had ten zombies except for fourth squad, which had nine. I didn’t include Ji-Eun in any squad. Instead, JI-Eun only had one order.

“Prevent anyone from getting to the survivors.”

I knew Ji-Eun wouldn’t follow my orders if I asked her to attack. Since she was a mutant that specialized in defense, I gave her orders that she would probably follow.

Soon, hundreds of survivors began to pour out from the hotel en masse. They started muttering amongst themselves with eyes full of fear. Shortly, some of the survivors ran up to me, full of questions.

"What happened? Are the zombies coming again?”

“Is it the black creature?”

“Is it the gang members?”

I took a breath, then raised my voice toward the survivors.

"Everyone!!"

When I called for their attention, all the survivors that were mumbling fell silent and looked at me. I raised my right arm high and clenched my fist as I spoke.

“From this moment, we’ll begin moving to Gimpo Airport!”

The mumbling restarted. A woman who seemed to be in her mid-to-late fifties stepped out from the crowd.

“Gimpo Airport? Are we finally going ahead with the plan that you talked about the other day?”

She was one of the floor leaders. She was the gossipmonger that had been gossiping away with the other floor leaders deep into the night.

I knew that the floor leaders had the most knowledge about the grievances that the survivors were facing and that I had to take advantage of that. I knew I’d be able to calm the agitated survivors down if I won over the hearts of the floor leaders. And besides, since she knew about the Gimpo Airport plan, it would work to my advantage to get the plan rolling more quickly.

I nodded in response to her question.

"That\'s right, we\'re moving now."

“I heard that Mr. Kim Hyeong-Jun will be back after scouting… Is it safe now?”

“Yes, this is our chance.”

"Oh hmm… But everything just happened out of the blue. Everyone is still groggy after waking up…”

The floor leader in her mid-to-late fifties adjusted her glasses as she spoke. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Floor leader, what\'s your name?"

“Jeong Mi-Hye..."

Jeong Mi-Hye answered while glancing at my thick hand resting on her shoulder. I looked straight into her eyes and spoke in a low voice.

“Jeong Mi-Hye, listen to me carefully. From now on, I’m going to ask you a favor. You’ll have to do well in order for everything to work out smoothly.”

“Sorry? Oh yes, yes.”

Jeong Mi-Hye licked her lower lip and looked into my face, her eyes sparkling. She seemed to grow nervous at the fact that I was giving her a mission. I took a deep breath, then began to speak again.

“You know that there are members of the Family in Gangnam, right?”

“Oh, yes. Of course I know.”

“Hyeong-Jun and I killed their officers. Now, all there’s left is the boss. The odds are in our favor.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Today, we will put an end to the six-month war. But if Hyeong-Jun and I are away… I don’t know what kind of nasty plan the boss might come up with when they get cornered.”

"Yes, yes."

Jeong Mi-Hye nodded vigorously, her eyes shining. It felt as though her heart was pounding with excitement. Clearly, she found all of the things that I was telling her very interesting.

I could already tell that Jeong Mi-Hye had had a taste of how sweet power could be—though it might’ve been just a small taste—as the floor leader. And since I, the ultimate commander of the Survivor Rally Organization, was giving her something to do, she would feel several times more anxious than usual.

I let some confusion seep into my expression.

“While I’m away, what do you think will happen if they come here?”

"Of course it’ll, it’ll be dangerous…"

“That’s why all of us have to move together. While Hyeong-Jun and I hold off the boss, you have to get to Gimpo Airport and board the plane.”

“Oh, then what about you Mr. Lee Hyun-Deok?”

“I’ll follow after. Everyone else is more important than me.”

Jeong Mi-Hye covered her mouth with both hands. The thrill she felt was clearly written on her face. I gave her a slight smile.

“I need you to bring everyone together so that others don’t panic. Can I count on you?”

"Yes, yes."

“The most important thing about this operation is for everyone to stay calm.”

Jeong Mi-Hye nodded vigorously with her lips tightly closed. I patted her gently on the shoulder.

“I believe that you’ll do a good job.”

“...!”

“As the floor leader, could you please lead everyone else?”

“I don’t know if I can… Mr. Lee Jeong-Uk is here…”

Jeong Mi-Hye cleared her throat as she looked around at the people around her. She was subtly letting everyone know her role. I continued to smile at her.

“Lee Jeong-Uk has to be with the guards to protect you and everyone else. All the leaders will give their all to fight for you. It’s up to you to make sure the survivors move calmly. Do you understand?”

“Okay, just count on me.”

"Please."

I nodded vigorously, and Jeong Mi-Hye opened her eyes.

She looked around and addressed the survivors in a loud voice, “Everyone! We will be moving to a safe place from now on!”

“And where is that?”

“Let’s first get to Gimpo Airport first! No one panic, no rushing, and act like cultured beings, everyone! Please move calmly!”

“Where are we going after Gimpo Airport?”

“Hey, ahjussi! What are you going to do even if you knew the answer to that? Are you doubting our leaders?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Jeong Mi-Hye’s demeanor changed suddenly, and she began to shout furiously.

“Did any of us die after the leaders took charge? No, right? And has anyone starved? No, there wasn’t! How dare you talk back when you should be thankful that you get to live like a human being!”

All the survivors immediately looked at the person who had expressed his doubts. That person just happened to be a survivor from Gangnam. The survivors from Gangbuk clicked their tongues and began to whisper amongst themselves.

“How dare he say stuff like that to our leaders… “

“Why is that man talking so much... Just listen to the leaders, geez. It’s not like the leaders ever made us do something bad for us.”

“Why is he talking back when he’s going to follow the leaders anyway…”

Perhaps the survivors were too devoted to us. I wondered if their gossiping sessions had increased their unity.

Kim Hyeong-Jun had made it back alive from his previous mission, and had even brought more survivors. I had also rescued survivors from the medical center and stopped the black creature and the Family’s forces. And even when we encountered zombie waves, the survivors had been well-protected, and did not have to do anything to survive.

And this wasn’t all.

Not a single person had fallen in our march over to Gwangjang-dong.

All these incidents had built up the faith and trust that the survivors of Gangbuk had in us.

I understood all too well that they must’ve been tired from moving around so frequently. But this time, they were trying their best and following the leaders in order to show their appreciation toward the hard work the leaders had put in.

Their faith in us was so strong that it felt as though they were almost worshiping us. It also seemed like the floor leaders felt guilty about the fact that they doubted us for a moment.

Jeong Mi-Hye grabbed my hand.

“We trust Mr. Lee Hyun-Deok and the leaders,” she said.

“I will do my best so that no one gets hurt,” I answered from the bottom of my heart.