Chapter 4 : Pork Belly Aftermath

The display cases were all overturned, feathers piled high, turning the interior into a complete mess.

In the very center, Shin Elder and Shin Jia sat slumped with defeated expressions.

The wings sprouting from Shin Jia’s back disappeared shortly after, but the bewilderment remained.

Silence stretched on for quite some time.

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, the Shin Elder exclaimed,

“Jia, you—you, didn’t you just get that Gift?”

“Me?”

“Yes! People don’t just sprout wings if they’re not angels. It’s definitely true.”

“No way…”

Though she trailed off as if she couldn’t quite believe it, a faint glimmer of hope flickered in Shin Jia’s eyes.

“Wings like that aren’t from an ordinary Gift. It has to be something extraordinary!”

There were many who had obtained Gifts.

If you gathered just ten random passersby on the street, a few would likely be Gift holders.

What mattered was how powerful the Gift was.

Most Gifts were merely small improvements—better night vision, slightly faster reflexes.

A Gift that caused wings to grow was quite remarkable.

If she put her mind to it, she might even become an Explorer, or at least secure a decent job.

“Quick, quick, try again, Jia. If you get a good Gift, they’ll even send you to university.”

“Y-yes!”

“Cheer up, our Jia!”

“Hngh, ugh, aaah!”

Shin Jia exerted herself so much her face flushed red, though no one knew where she was putting all that effort.

“Ugh, ugh, aaah!”

Yuseong appeared, unable to watch any longer.

“My head’s pounding; I think I’m going to pass out.”

The gaze of the old man and the young woman fixed on Yuseong.

They looked at him as if wondering why he suddenly showed no interest in the wings.

“Sorry, but the wings came from my Gift.”

“What? Th-that…”

The Shin Elder muttered in disbelief.

“A Gift isn’t something that suddenly appears just because you eat pork belly. Sorry.”

Of course, Yuseong had obtained a new Gift after eating pork belly, but his was a special case.

Still, Shin Jia’s expression darkened beyond expectation.

“That figures… Well, what do I know.”

From the ensuing conversation between the Shin Elder and Shin Jia, Yuseong roughly grasped the situation.

“It’s okay. That university, my grandfather can send you there.”

“No, I don’t want to go to university.”

“Ha, don’t worry. Do you think I can’t cover your tuition?”

“Forget it. I’m just going straight into a job.”

“Hey, hey!”

Watching the two bicker, Yuseong smiled bitterly.

Even nowadays, it’s not uncommon for civilians to receive university education.

They had their own reasons.

“You said you have to go to university to become an Operator, right?”

“Really, that’s what I thought back in middle school! I don’t even want that anymore.”

Yuseong thought their ages seemed about the same—both somewhere between middle school and now—but Shin Jia adamantly denied it.

“Hurry up and clean this up. The shop’s a total mess.”

“Ugh…”

Shin Jia, apparently tired of talking, began tidying up the wrecked shop.

Next to the Shin Elder, whose expression had also darkened, Yuseong spoke.

“Being an Operator is a good job.”

“Right. It’s one of the few paths where a nobody can become a somebody. Jia’s smart, so she’ll do well.”

If an Explorer clears the Abyss, the Operator makes money from the Abyss.

It’s much safer and better paid than the Explorer who repeatedly goes to the uncharted floors.

Nowadays, it’s the most desirable job for young people.

Yuseong took a step back.

“No matter what you do, Jia, you’ll do well. You’re a tough kid.”

“That’s true. Pfft, poor thing.”

It was sad for a young woman about to come of age to give up on her dreams, but it was inevitable.

Most people in the world had to worry about survival rather than dreams.

And Baek Yuseong himself was someone struggling to survive alone.

The world was harsh, and without energy bars, Yuseong was in no position to think about the future.

He wasn’t even truly family, so it wasn’t his place to interfere.

And he didn’t want to interfere in the first place.

“I ate the pork belly well.”

“Yeah, whatever happened, thanks for the delicious meal.”

“Well then, I’ll be off.”

“Ah, and hey.”

Suddenly, the Shin Elder tossed something at him.

Yuseong caught it with one hand—it was the 1.2 million won he had paid for the pork belly.

“I’m not the kind of petty person who takes money for shared meals.”

“…Understood.”

Yuseong left the grocery store without hesitation.

As the Shin Elder, who had been about to wipe the floor clumsily, suddenly perked up as if recalling something,

“Hey! If it were you, you’d be helping clean up too…”

But by the time he looked up, Yuseong was already gone.

“Well, that was quick. Huh?”

Moreover, the 1.2 million won was still lying right there at the door.

In the end, the Shin Elder could only chuckle.

***

“Maybe I should’ve kept about 100,000 won.”

Though he muttered that, Yuseong’s heart wasn’t truly at ease.

Paying 1.2 million won for one pork belly did seem outrageous.

With that amount, you could buy 600 low-grade energy bars.

But Yuseong knew that even double that wouldn’t be enough to buy pork belly.

It wasn’t a matter of value, but supply.

About 20 years ago, individual security guards occasionally came across leftover food supplies from the past.

But after another ten years, even that disappeared completely.

Now, not even meat or canned goods appeared in the market.

“There must still be some.”

Those who knew, knew.

Among those who couldn’t forget their gourmet tastes were some powerful figures, including conglomerates.

They had swept up food stocks at the start of the Great Cataclysm with immense financial power.

Most likely, somewhere in huge warehouses in Bora, frozen beef, tuna, and various vegetables were preserved.

Yuseong had even been inside the warehouse of one such powerful figure.

Walking aimlessly, he found himself near the station.

“The closest Abyss entrance must be Dongdaemun.”

If he took the subway from here, he could arrive in about 20 minutes.

But right before the subway entrance, he changed his direction.

“Starting without anything is too late.”

Even if he entered the Abyss now, there wasn’t much he could do.

Without proper equipment and in his current state, even going to the fourth floor would be life-threatening.

On the safe first to third floors, the only edible creatures were disgusting beetles.

“The best I can do now is the 18th floor. There should still be plenty I can hunt.”

Either way, he wanted to start the expedition as soon as possible.

Ultimately, he had to clear the Abyss and reclaim the world’s bounty.

But before that, there was something closer at hand.

“Epic Monsters you can only taste once.”

Some monsters kept respawning, but others, once killed, never appeared again.

From Yuseong’s experience, those rare monsters had the most exquisite flavor.

To hunt them, he needed to join the lead group of an expedition as soon as possible.

The problem was, Yuseong had nothing on him… absolutely nothing.

Then, an idea struck him.

“I should thank Grandpa and Jia.”

A memory sparked because he had eaten pork belly.

He remembered the powerful figure who kept piles of those precious ingredients.

He remembered the one who had allowed him access to the warehouse.

“So that’s why Korea’s a society of connections.”

Connections.

It was a word that didn’t suit him at all, but Baek Yuseong had connections too.

He pulled out his phone.

Leisurely, he dialed a number and made a call.

“Is the old man still awake now…?”

He wasn’t talking about his biological grandfather—he had passed long ago.

But at least one person still supported him.

***

After the Great Cataclysm,

it wasn’t the military or governments that responded most sensitively.

Wall Street’s stock managers were the quickest.

Just before the 9/11 Terror, someone had already started manipulating stocks.

No one saw the Great Cataclysm coming, but once it happened, they immediately pulled money out of the market.

Naturally, the first companies to go bankrupt were those involved with food.

Livestock, food production, anything related—all suffered catastrophic blows.

It was the first time since the stock market was established that an entire industry sector collapsed.

And it didn’t just end with a stock price crash.

It was a chain bankruptcy.

Humanity was on the brink of extinction; the market was completely destroyed.

The world barely stabilized, and it wasn’t until five years after the Great Cataclysm that the stock market reopened.

After the volatile adjustment period ended, companies began to boom.

They were all in high-tech industries.

First, biotechnology.

Second, chemistry.

They succeeded in making Nectar the sole source of human sustenance.

Since the government controlled distribution, they led the charge, but the companies did the real work.

Energy bars of higher quality than government-issued Nectar were also sold separately.

Third were electronics and machinery.

In the Abyss, various resources were mined besides Nectar.

Coal replacing electricity, unique minerals not found on Earth.

The Abyss was a playground for scientists.

Naturally, companies specializing in advanced technologies emerged.

Korea had such companies too.

Cheonghwa Electronics, and the Cheonghwa Group.

Before the Great Cataclysm, it was known as Cheonghwa Electronics, and it was the undisputed leader in its field in Korea.

All of that was thanks to the Iron-blooded Chairman, Lee Woo Do.

Despite being 73, he still led the company with a firm hand.

And under the chairman was the Special Strategic Planning Office.

Park Assistant had just transferred there and was already overwhelmed.

“So, the problem is… I’m barely a monthly salaried employee.”

Though still a junior staff with limited experience, this was the Special Strategic Planning Office.

Those who entered had to be verified for outstanding abilities.

“Sir, no, please don’t hang up. Yes, yes, I understand. I won’t raise my voice.”

Still, he clung to the phone, stammering.

“Please, can you explain a bit more? This is important to us too.”

“Why are you still struggling like this?”

“Hyuk! Director. Uh, uh, please hold on. Don’t hang up.”

Eventually, the Planning Office Director intervened.

Park Assistant looked somewhat frightened but also relieved, as if meeting a savior.

“He’s an outsider, but he says he wants to meet the Chairman.”

“What? Who is it?”

“A man named Baek Yuseong.”

The Director pondered the name for a moment.

Though young, he was skilled enough to rise to the director’s position.

Still, the name Baek Yuseong didn’t ring any bells.

“I don’t know him. Who is he?”

“Just Baek Yuseong.”

“…Is this a joke?”

“No, really… He’s unemployed and just a resident of Seoul. I thought it might be a prank call.”

“Then just hang up, damn it!”

Beyond disbelief, the Director shouted.

Park Assistant gulped and hurriedly explained.

“I would have, too, but it’s the Chairman’s Hotline.”

“What?”

“It’s the number the Chairman personally gave for direct contact. I thought this person was connected directly to him.”

That couldn’t be ignored.

“Switch to speaker, I’ll talk to him.”

“Okay.”

In the end, the Director took the call himself.

“This is Special Strategic Planning Office Director Choi Jun Yeol.”

—“This is Baek Yuseong.”

“Excuse me, but could you tell me how you got this phone number?”

—“I got it before.”

“To the Chairman?”

—“Yes. It took a few tries because I kept confusing the numbers, but can you put the Chairman on?”

“I’m sorry, but what’s your relationship with the Chairman…?”

—“That’s a bit hard to explain right now.”

Director Choi realized why Park Assistant had been so awkward.

“This is suspicious as hell.”

Just from the voice, you could tell it was a young guy.

But it couldn’t be ignored.

This was the Chairman’s direct Hotline.

“The Chairman is currently busy with important work. It’s difficult to connect you. We usually pass on important messages for him. If you don’t mind, I can take your message.”

That was the clever move Director Choi came up with.

He wanted to get the other side to reveal more information first.

—“Hmm, well, I guess there’s no choice. Tell them Rakshik’s grandson wants to meet.”

“…Yes, then…”

—“Call this number again.”

“Are you talking about that ‘Rakshik’…?”

And the call abruptly ended.

“What the hell…!”

Just as Director Choi was about to curse, he noticed Park Assistant staring silently at him.

“Hmm, it went as you wanted.”

“Went as I wanted…?”

Still looking puzzled, the junior staff heard the Director explain casually.

“He knows the Hotline. We can’t ignore him. But I can’t just connect him to the Chairman either. As far as I know, this number was used by the Chairman a long time ago. Even if he gave the number to someone, that was decades ago, so it’s suspicious.”

“So what now…?”

“I’m going to the approval meeting anyway, so I’ll just tell the Chairman in person.”

Director Choi tapped the approval document in his hand.

Only then did a look of respect shine in Park Assistant’s face.

“If he turns out to be some weirdo or completely unrelated, I’ll connect the legal team and they’ll give him a hard time. We’ll find out where he got the Hotline and shake him down.”

Until then, the confident smile never left Director Choi’s face.

As he left with the approval form, Park Assistant returned to his work.

Suddenly, he remembered something he hadn’t said.

“Oh no, did he leave already…?”

But the Director had already gone to the Chairman’s office.

“That guy kept calling the Chairman ‘grandpa’… No need to mention how rude that is.”

Park Assistant refocused on his tasks.