Segyeong Department Store, Centum City Branch.
“…That is all, President.”
The general business report for the buying department had concluded. However, just as the main character always appears last, the most important matter remained.
“And about the Ice Valley Farm brand planning proposal you mentioned before.”
“!”
As expected, life returned to the expressionless boss’s eyes.
“Was there any contact?”
“There has been no separate contact from their side.”
President Han Yu-jin’s face was instantly clouded with disappointment. It was always fascinating to see. In the company, she was known as the Ice Queen, yet her expressions were surprisingly diverse.
“That is why I am bringing this up. Don’t you think it is about time we contacted them first? We should at least coordinate the rough delivery schedule.”
“No.”
President Han Yu-jin shook her head without a moment’s hesitation.
“Leave Ice Valley Farm alone.”
“But…”
“A promise is a promise. We agreed that the delivery timing would be entirely up to them. Our contact itself might feel like unnecessary pressure or a burden. That would be a breach of our agreement.”
Manager Lee Do-gyeong gave a bitter smile.
“I am well aware of that, but the inquiries from customers lately have been unusual.”
At the same time, he politely held out the approval folder in his hand.
“…Hmm…”
Immediately after scanning the contents, a low groan escaped President Han Yu-jin’s lips.
[ How long has it been since I left an inquiry? Why haven’t you even announced the delivery schedule yet!? There’s a limit to looking down on customers. I’m talking about the Ice Valley carrots! Tell me if they’re coming or not! Just give me an answer! I’m going crazy from the frustration! ]
[ I. Am. Not. Fa-miliar. With. Com-pu-ters. But. I. Am. Leaving. A. Mes-sage. Any-way. Ice Valley. Wild Yam… Please. Bring. It. In. Soon… ]
[ Ice Valley Farm cabbage. Ice Valley Farm cabbage. Ice Valley Farm cabbage. Ice Valley Farm cabbage. Ice Valley Farm cabbage. Ice Valley Farm cabbage. Ice Valley Farm cabbage. Ice Valley Farm cabbage. Ice Valley Farm cabbage. Ice Valley Farm cabbage. ]
Why did the writing feel so elderly? Regardless, it was clear from these messages that the age range of customers demanding Ice Valley produce was incredibly diverse. Of course, this was a massive windfall for a seller. It meant this wasn’t just a temporary interest from a specific demographic. Crucially, something like this had happened recently.
“Yujin.”
“Yes, Sister.”
“My mother has been talking about your department store’s cucumbers since last month… Is there any way you have some stock set aside? I’ll pay triple, no, six times the price.”
President Han Yu-jin wore a sorry expression.
“Sister, the stock itself hasn’t come in, so there’s nothing I can do about that.”
“Huh? You really have none?”
“Yes.”
“Then, even just some wild yam…”
“…? Why? Is your mother looking for wild yam too?”
“Not my mother, it’s for my husband. These days, he runs away just from the sound of water dripping from the showerhead. He even pretends to snore on purpose in bed. Honestly, I just want to kill him! It’s really hurting my pride.”
“….”
President Han Yu-jin smiled awkwardly. This woman was definitely from the provinces; the moment she got excited, her dialect came flying out.
“Mmm…”
Returning to reality, a deep furrow formed between Han Yu-jin’s eyebrows. The problem was that these cries from those around her were getting worse by the day.
“…Should we take a business trip to Goseong soon when we have some time?”
“!”
Manager Lee Do-gyeong’s face instantly brightened.
“I’ll be on standby at any time, President.”
***
*Vroooooom!*
The engine rotated fiercely. I drove the tractor myself and parked it right at the edge of the field.
“I don’t know if I’m making this too big of a deal.”
“Ah, what are you saying now? Are you just going to let all these workers sit around and play?”
“I told you to watch your words, didn’t I? And they aren’t ‘workers,’ they’re customers who are technically giving us money.”
“Ahem. I’m sure our smart Seo-jun has a plan…”
“You only praise your son at times like this. Do it again, and you’re getting a slap on the back.”
“…Alright.”
Using my parents’ bickering conversation as a background, I naturally gathered the people together.
“Alright. Let’s start the reclamation work right away.”
I calmly continued the explanation.
“The first step is removing weeds and stones. If you leave them on the ground, the tractor blades will break or get tangled. Everyone, grab a shovel, a pickaxe, or a hoe.”
“Yes, Boss!”
Moving as if in a choreographed dance, the Revive members moved in perfect order. Before I knew it, Shin Hye-seo and Min Ha-ru were wearing wide-brimmed hats and floral-patterned work pants. Looking at their outfits, they looked like professionals, but…
“Eek…!”
Watching them work, the answer was clearly ‘no.’ They were struggling just to cut through a single shrub with a sickle.
“Heave-ho!”
In comparison, the male Revive members were working together to pull out roots and pile them up on one side. Of course, the most unexpected person was someone else.
“Hah… I didn’t plan on working this hard.”
Chief Han Seo-jin was grumbling, yet he was weeding more skillfully than anyone else.
‘This is bad.’
Seeing him work so well made me want him more. Is there any way I can call him back tomorrow?
“Whoops. I shouldn’t just be standing around either.”
*Rumble, rumble, rumble!*
I drove the tractor onto the partially cleared land. The second step was tilling the soil. As the metal blades plowed deep into the ground, the dirt that had been packed for decades was overturned, revealing its dark red flesh. Much like exfoliating skin, the dry earth was crushed evenly, finally breathing out the air it had held in for so long.
“Wow… the smell of the soil is amazing.”
“So this is what real earth smells like.”
The Revive members sniffed the air. These were people who had spent most of their lives smelling acrid exhaust fumes and cosmetics mixed with various chemicals in Seoul. Naturally, this scent of nature felt fresh and new to them.
“The third step is organizing the drainage. No matter how good the land is, it becomes dead land quickly if the water paths are blocked.”
I picked up a shovel myself and stood at the very front.
“The men will handle the furrows. It takes quite a bit of strength.”
“Yes! Leave it to us!”
*Thud! Thud!*
The sound of shoveling echoed continuously. The Revive members were sweating profusely, faithfully following my instructions. It was somewhat awkward, but effective. Paths for the water to flow were opening up clearly. The late summer air, mixed with the smell of earth and sweat, grew thicker.
“Finally, we need to spread compost and lime to revive the soil’s strength…”
My voice trailed off as a faint smile formed on my lips. The furrow work was still in full swing. This alone would probably take half the day since the sun was already fully up. Even so,
“Too slow!”
“Waaaaah! I can’t lose!”
“This actually feels really good. It feels like a workout too.”
“Haha! Everyone, have a glass of cold water. It tastes like heaven!”
They were all immersed in the work without a single complaint.
*Thud!*
“What…”
*Thud!*
“On earth…”
*Thud!*
“Am I trying to gain…”
*Thud!*
“By saying such things with this cursed mouth of mine…”
Ah. Let’s exclude our Chief Han Seo-jin, who was working better than anyone else.
“That jerk. He told me to come for a vacation, then he makes me do all the hard work.”
…Right. Let’s also exclude Seok-gu, who was drenched in sweat over there.
“Everyone, let’s wash up and eat!”
I shouted loudly before those mouths could pout any further.
“Aaaaaah…!”
At those words, everyone collapsed where they stood. It was the result of everyone working hard for several hours without a single break.
“I had no idea farming was this hard.”
“We only got a little taste of it, but my whole body aches.”
“It’s because you used muscles you don’t usually use.”
“Starting today, I’m going to say a prayer of thanks to farmers before I eat.”
“Are you getting a indirect experience of boot camp already?”
“Amen…”
Leaving the noisy group behind, I quietly looked up at the blue sky.
“Mm. Refreshing.”
Great scenery, good people, and a body full of vitality. Today was a very good start.
***
It was around lunch that day when I received a call from Chief Han Seo-jin.
— Counselor. They said that thanks to you, they successfully arrested that Vietnamese woman, Le Thi Hanh.
“What!?”
A high-pitched voice escaped me before I could stop it. The news of the arrest was enough to make exclamation marks pop up in my head, but hearing it was thanks to me made it even more surprising.
“Could you tell me the details?”
— That woman, Le Thi Hanh. She entered the country eight years ago and was already living in a common-law marriage with a Korean man in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province.
I already had a bad feeling about this.
“Does that mean she broke up with that man and came here to get married again?”
— To be precise, it wasn’t a breakup, but a bereavement.
“Bereavement?”
— Yes. The man she was in a common-law marriage with died seven years ago.
My gaze gradually deepened.
“What was the cause of death?”
— Poisoning.
“Pesticides?”
— Yes. Diaton. He ended up ingesting it through a drink he usually had.
Diaton was a type of insecticide. Naturally, it was fatal to humans as well. Even a very small amount could lead to respiratory distress, vomiting, convulsions, coma, and respiratory paralysis. In large doses, it leads to death.
“Based on the flow of the conversation, it sounds like murder. Is that right?”
— Well…
I felt a moment of hesitation on the other end of the line.
— …For now, it was processed as a standard unattended death at the time.
A voice tinged with shame soon reached my ears.
— The most likely suspect was the live-in partner, Le Thi Hanh, but at the time, she was in her home country, Vietnam.
In other words, she had created a perfect alibi.
— And there were no other suspects besides her.
I could roughly picture the scene in my head.
“…Since investigating everything was ambiguous, they just finished it as a regular unattended death, or suicide, by poisoning.”
— Yes. As you know, Counselor, we police are particularly sensitive to the arrest rate for murder cases. It’s the same for the politicians.
A murder occurs in a country surrounded by sea on three sides. However, they couldn’t catch the killer. Naturally, the police higher-ups, the media, and even politicians would lash out. South Korea must always be a safe country. But what if it’s processed as a simple unattended death?
‘It won’t affect the murder arrest rate at all.’
A sigh naturally escaped through my teeth.
— It seems she made several similar attempts after that, and this happened again recently. This time, she even officially married. Just as you said, Counselor, it seems she was trying to acquire citizenship as well while she was at it.
“Even so, since you succeeded in the arrest, something must have come up.”
— Yes. The investigators searched nearby stores, and they found that a Southeast Asian woman had purchased Diaton a few days ago. The CCTV confirmed the woman was Le Thi Hanh.
“…And?”
— Based on that, our investigators immediately searched Kim Min-sik’s house and found a large amount of Diaton in the oolong tea he drinks every morning. Fortunately, Kim Min-sik hadn’t even gone home because he was looking for his wife, so he was able to avoid disaster.
“….”
In other words, she was preparing for another murder here. As a result, I had essentially saved a person’s life.
‘What a relief.’
I didn’t even want to imagine something happening to Mr. Min-sik. I never want to see something like that happen around me again, especially if it’s someone close to me.
“She was definitely arrested, right?”
— She’s already been tied up and taken into custody. A notification of the facts will probably go to the family member, Kim Min-sik, as well…
“I’ll take care of passing that along to him.”
I was better suited for things like that.
— I’ll offer my thanks on his behalf. Oh, by the way! The investigators in charge said they wanted to come down here. They want to give their regards to the Counselor who provided the decisive testimony.
“Ah, that’s…”
— I cut them off at my level, of course. I told them the informant wasn’t the type to like that kind of thing.
This man. I felt it every time, but he was not only good at his job, he was also very sharp.
“I’m the one who’s grateful, Chief. I’ll treat you to a truly delicious meal…”
“No.”
“…Pardon?”
“I feel full these days even without eating.”
“…?”
“I’m a light eater. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but my digestion hasn’t been great lately.”
You weren’t a light eater at all, though? When we first met, you finished a whole platter of Hanwoo beef by yourself. Even this morning, you polished off three bowls of rice.
— Then, I’ll be going.
*Click.*
I stared blankly at my phone. The call had been completely disconnected before I knew it.
***
Around sunset.
“I should prepare a proper feast today.”
When I first arrived from Seoul, I was the one being treated, and if I wanted to keep using these workers in the future, I needed to put effort into the meals at the very least. While I was making such grand plans…
“…Senior.”
“…?”
As I just returned home, an incredibly familiar voice reached my ears.
At this time.
In this place.
At this moment. A voice that absolutely did not belong here.
“Seo-re…!?”
Startled, I stared blankly at the girl crouching in front of the gate.
“How did you get here without even calling? And at this time of night?”
“….”
Seo-re just kept her head down in silence.
*Flinch.*
‘Something’s wrong.’
An alarm instinctively went off in my head.
“…Is something going on?”
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