Chapter 125

Chapter 125

Just as I finished reflecting on my short and limited life in the underwater base, I realized that right next to me was someone who had been going around extracting people’s teeth and seemed to have quite complicated relationships.

If I were the type of person that armed individuals in the underwater base might not recognize and therefore pass by without bothering, this person might be the one most likely to be killed because they know him well. With a heavy heart, I asked Shin Hae-ryang,

“If you had to choose between encountering armed people or being trapped in the leaking South District, which would you choose?”

“...I’d choose the armed people.”

Unexpected. I thought he’d choose the leaking South District. Being an engineer, I thought he’d repair the escape pod or find another escape route within the South District. Seeing Engineer Team R shooting at the three people from Engineer Team A in front of the East District elevator earlier, their relationship didn’t seem particularly close.

Imagining based on the number of people who came to the dental clinic, it seems most dangerous for Shin Hae-ryang to encounter armed people. Even if the relationship was good normally, if someone had punched out a few of my teeth, we’d immediately become enemies.

“I’d like to know why.”

“I get lonely easily. I’ll take a few along as travel companions.”Vissit novelbin(.)com for new novels

Judging by how he said it without any change in expression, it seemed like a joke. I asked again,

“If they haven’t moved elsewhere, there are about twenty living researchers at the South District escape pod port. Which would be a better choice for them?”

“...There doesn’t seem to be a particularly better option. How about making the armed individuals go to the West District instead?”

“That would be much better. ...How do we make them go to the West District?”

“It’s not a particularly difficult method.”

It seems like an extremely difficult method to me. Although there were a few escape pods left in the West District, is there a way to manipulate armed individuals like that? Engineer Team R (China) would be waiting for people coming from the East District escape pod port.

The ones currently roaming around the Central Building and shooting must be Engineer Team N (Japan). How do we make these two teams come and go? Shin Hae-ryang received a pad from Lee Jihyun. Judging by its monotonous shape and color, it seemed to be Roarke’s pad.

The gunfire sounded close enough to be right next to us. We could hear someone falling with a scream, and soon after, someone approached the front of Ophion and was saying something.

Thump thump thump thump! My heart was beating like crazy. It felt like my heart might jump out of my chest from the tension. If an armed person comes in, will we be able to survive? The interior of the gym was dead silent, but my heartbeat was thundering in my ears.

Along with the muffled noises around the door, I only heard a rustling sound. Wondering what it was, I looked to the side and saw Yoo Geum-yi taking off the long-sleeved cardigan she was wearing, and carefully covering Henry’s body with it. Then she spread out the towel that had been covering her head and covered Henry’s face and chest, probably trying to hide the child from the eyes of potential intruders. Tumanako hesitated for a moment before taking off her jumper and draping it over Henry’s head. The two seemed to be hoping that with the gym being dark due to the lights being off, Henry’s presence would be mistaken for a pile of clothes in the corner.

I heard noises of someone trying to open the Ophion door, but it didn’t seem to be going well. [Why do I have to do this?] That tearful female voice was the clearest among the noises.

As I listened to the attempts to open the door from the outside, I saw Shin Hae-ryang pressing the broadcast button on Roarke’s pad next to me. Before anyone could stop him, Shin Hae-ryang spoke towards the pad.

“I heard that there are cowards with guns roaming around the 4th Underwater Base. How does it feel to go around shooting unarmed people? Does pulling the trigger with your index finger fill your disgusting sense of inferiority a little? It seems you’ve managed to procure guns from somewhere because you don’t have the guts to fight with your fists after getting beaten up usually, but do you think you can even graze my clothes with that?”

“What’s this about external communication being possible? Do we have some other reliable option?”

“No.”

“What about escaping through the escape pod port?”

“It’s just bait to lure the opponents to the West District.”

So it was all bluff. Kang Soojung pointed at the pad Shin Hae-ryang was holding and said,

“What about the CCTV recordings?”

“It seems all team leaders’ CCTV-related authorities have been revoked. Checking the pad, only Michael Roarke, the head engineer, has access.”

“That pad, it’s Michael’s, right? Did Michael give his pad to you directly?”

“No.”

“Then how did you get it?”

Shin Hae-ryang hesitated for the first time at Kang Soojung’s questioning. Then, looking troubled, he said sheepishly,

“...I swapped it with the deputy team leader’s pad when we accidentally met in the central elevator at dawn. I’m sorry. My pad was in my room at that time.”

Kang Soojung, hearing that her electronic pad was now in Roarke’s hands, looked dumbfounded and said to Shin Hae-ryang dejectedly,

“...I don’t know what to say to you, Team Leader.”

“Take mine.”

Then he politely handed over his own pad, which I had brought from the West District dormitory, to Kang Soojung with an apologetic look. Seo Jihyuk came over and added fuel to the fire.

“Team Leader, you threw away Li Wei’s pad and phone twice too, didn’t you? Why did you leave that out? And Suzuki, that bastard deserves whatever he gets, but poor Tamaki...”

When Kang Soojung looked at him, Seo Jihyuk hesitated and then said as if making an excuse,

“Don’t worry. There’s no evidence. No evidence!”

“You’re bragging. Really. Huh? You’re bragging!”