Chapter 11

Chapter 11Old steel(1)

Beep-beepTak!

Jeong-woo abruptly turned off the alarm before it could startle him and rubbed his eyes before shaking his head vigorously.

Darn it. I overslept again.

It had been his fifth day at KG Chemical, and he felt like his sleep cycle had been disrupted since he started working there. The fact that he had been working overtime until yesterday was also taking its toll.

Dr. Moon is so cruel.

The only consolation was that tomorrow was Saturday.

If I can just hold on for today, I can sleep all day tomorrow Oh, wait. Does Dr. Moon expect us to work on weekends this week too?

He couldnt bring himself to ask. He raised his head and opened the door.

He had eagerly run up and down the stairs when he was younger, but now he had to hunch over slightly to descend the narrow stairs to the ground floor.

Something smells good.

He turned his head to follow the tempting aroma that stimulated his appetite and saw his mother cooking in the kitchen.

What are you making?

Muguk. (a Korean soup made with radish and beef)

With lots of beef in it? Awesome!

Im making it for Chan to eat, not for you. For good luck on the upcoming exams.

His mother was famous for being generous with meat when cooking at Jisook Restaurant, there was no way there wasnt enough meat in the soup.

What rank is he aiming for this time?

Jeong-woo picked up the water bottle on the dining table, about to take a sip, when Hong Ji-sook came up like a gust of wind and slapped his shoulder roughly.

I told you not to drink straight from the bottle.

Ah! I havent drunk from it yet.

Dont drink it!

She snatched the water bottle away, leaving Jeong-woo with a disappointed expression as he sat down at the dining table.

Youre so mean. When I was preparing for the college entrance exam, you only gave me plain rice to eat.

I fed you plain rice because you were only getting fifth place in your class. And what about you? I spent a lot of money to send you to college, but what are you doing now?

Umm working part-time?

Jeong-woo responded naturally, and Hong Ji-sook picked up an egg and was about to throw it at him. He quickly raised both hands in surrender.

I like mine sunny-side up.

Go wake up Chan and tell him to come down. He wont get up even if I call him.

Okay.

Jeong-woos mother had a strong habit of taking care of her smart little son who showed potential in his studies since he was young.

Jeong-woo wanted to say that he felt like he had become quite smart in the past few days, but he barely managed to suppress the itching sensation in his mouth.

He opened the door to his younger brothers room and lightly tapped him with his toes as he lay upside down on the floor.

Hey, wake up.

Umm.

If you dont get up quickly, your hyung will eat all your eggs.

At this, Jeong-chan lifted his head suddenly.

Dont eat them. Ill spit on your food.

Open your eyes and speak.

The method of waking him up all at once by stimulating his competitive spirit was effective again today. Jeong-chan, who yawned, emerged from under the blanket and asked Jeong-woo.

Why do you wake up so early these days, hyung?

I told you. The part-time job is tough.

Even if he were one of Jeong-woos friends, his brother, with his old-man-like appearance, could be trusted. Maybe because he ate well, their heights were similar.

Jeong-chan, who was wearing sweatpants, asked Jeong-woo.

Youre still doing it. Is the pay good? Can you buy me a Pentawatch skin box during winter break?

Jeong-woo, who had thought of the salary he would receive in a month, had a serious expression on his face. Game items cost a lot of money.

If it goes well, there will be good results. Dont wear my clothes. Clean my room and the living room thoroughly on the weekend.

Thats it? No problem! I promise!

Did I raise you to be so gullible?

The two friendly brothers finished their transaction and entered the kitchen. Hong Ji-sook served rice and soup on the table one by one and spoke to her two sons.

You know its not for free, right?

Um, we know. This eldest son will repay everything later.

I think I will be in the top five in this exam. Sang-beom and Joon-cheol didnt do well.

While Jeong-woo was talking, Jeong-chan interrupted.

Top five?

At that, Hong Ji-sook pushed a soup bowl with a different amount and quality of beef at her younger son.

It was like the motion sickness he had experienced when he tried virtual reality video on his phone. While feeling nauseous, Jeong-woo examined the chemical information in the enlarged world.

The dark green film, which was attached to the ground like oil, turned out to be paint.

Due to the coating function of the paint that bounced off droplets of water, no compound that scratched the ground of the iron was visible.

Clunk clunk.

The small world that Jeongwoo was looking at also started to shake as the subway gradually began to accelerate.

He looked at the part where the large bolt was hammered in and saw it being shaken violently, then he saw it being further enlarged.

You free electrons, causing trouble even over there?

He could now see the dust speck that seemed like a neighborhood friend.

Those things that were eagerly moving back and forth between the bolt and the iron frame, gradually eating away at the surrounding ground, were indeed the crazy guys in this area.

Fortunately, the free electrons were only the size of a handful of sand compared to the bolt, which was the size of a 63-story building.

Even if they caused chaos for decades, it would be difficult to scratch the surface of the bolt. It was like digging in a mountain, but the mountain would not disappear right away.

I dont think we have to worry too much.

Jeongwoo, who was turning his gaze, blinked and looked at the opposite window, then flinched. The surface of the bolt there was considerably worn and rough.

Thats quite dangerous, isnt it?

If that structure falls, the train heading to Uijeongbu will come to a stop. The probability of that happening may be low, but if there is a problem when hes going home, hell have to wait again. He might have to wait longer at night.

Jeong-woo glanced at the Seoul Metro Customer Center phone number attached to the subway entrance.

Um.

After much consideration, he picked up his phone.

The signal went through, and an automatic response voice came out. After following the guidance and pressing the button to connect with other counselors, a signal to wait came out. It seemed that there were many complaints from customers because the subway was delayed.

-Seoul Metro Counselor Kim Hojeong here.

Eventually, the call was connected.

Its nothing. Im passing through the Han River Bridge, and there seems to be a crack in the upper structure of the top.

-Yes, a crack Yes?

The bolt is severely corroded due to the large potential difference between the iron frame and the metal. The rain gutter may fall off again, so I think you should check it out.

-Can you tell me the exact location, sir?

It was the southern end of the Han River Bridge. Its above the subway heading to Uijeongbu.

Jeongwoo revealed the exact location he remembered in detail. When the counselor asked for his information, he gave his name as well.

-Thank you, Mr. Han Jeong-woo.

Dont mention it.

-By the way, can you explain the cause once again?

Well, you see, electrons move from weakly conductive metals to strongly conductive ones

Even after explaining it again, it was clear that he didnt understand. The counselor was probably just as surprised as anyone else. After all, he was probably the first person to call and report a dangerous situation due to rust on a specific structure on the bridge. Its a relief that it wasnt a prank call.

At least I did what I could.

Anyway, satisfied that he had fulfilled his civic duty, Jeong-woo got off at the transfer station.

Friday morning at KG Chemical Research Institute.

The door of Research Lab 1 opened and Research Supervisor Oh Seung-ju walked in.

Pay attention for a moment.

The ten or so researchers sitting in their seats turned their heads.

The Electronic Materials Center needs two senior researchers. There are vacancies due to the year-end vacation. Jeong Hee and Yoon Jae will go. Just work hard until the weekend.

The two senior researchers got up from their seats.

Thats what Team Leader Park Gil-soo said. The Metal Center is still recruiting new project researchers, so they are asking for support from Research Lab 1

The researchers who had no relevant schedules lost interest and began to focus on their own work.

Song Boyeong, who was sitting on a chair near the entrance, smiled as she opened her bag, thinking that she could spend the day reading papers.

Bo-young.

Uh-huh.

But she had to get up immediately at Oh Seung-jus call.

You participated in the Quasi-crystal coating research in the summer, right? The one that was commissioned by Korea Railroad Corporation.

Yes, senior.

They are looking for that researcher at City Hall right now. They say theres a seminar on corrosion-related issues.

Me? What about Team Leader Park?

Hes busy with the new project. Oh, and when you meet Kim, the head of the railway construction, please give him my regards.

Anyway, Song Boyeong had to move right away, so she closed her bag and put it on her shoulder.

Take a few new recruits with you. It will show them how to work outside.

Should I do that?

Song Boyeongs eyes sparkled at Oh Seung-jus instruction.