Chapter 37: Decree (2)
The highest authority in the police station was undoubtedly the chief.
Most organizations retained their existing hierarchical structures even after the upheaval.
Kim Dong-gil had done so, and the same applied to the chief here.
However, relying solely on the old hierarchy wouldn’t be enough to survive in this world.
How a leader from the old system managed to maintain influence in this changed world was a mystery.
“Will you be alright? Should I go with you?”
Jin Jae-hee, standing next to me, asked.
I didn’t think she needed to follow me for something like this.
I turned to her and replied.
“No, you should go ahead.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
She asked again, sounding concerned.
I looked at her for a moment, then turned my head and nodded.
“Yes.”
Leaving her concerns behind, I followed Lee Chung-chun up the stairs.
Jin Jae-hee quietly watched me walk away.
Manan Police Station, 5th Floor.
“This way.”
Lee Chung-chun led the way.
I followed him.
As we walked, the surrounding officers glanced at us.
They weren’t looking at me but at Inspector Lee Chung-chun.
We headed toward the conference room on the fifth floor.
At the end of the long hallway was a single meeting room.
A constable stood guard at the door.
When he spotted Lee Chung-chun, the constable was startled and rushed over.
“Inspector! You’re alive. Thank goodness.”
“Yes, I am. Is the chief inside?”
“Yes, he’s in a meeting.”
Lee Chung-chun straightened his uniform in front of the chief’s office.
It seemed to be a habit of his.
Afterward, he glanced at me and opened the door to the chief’s office.
Creak—.
It was a conference room.
The chairs were filled with senior police officers.
The whiteboard was covered with names, and the desks were piled with documents detailing personnel information.
Not just from Manan Police Station but also from nearby precincts, whose leaders had gathered here, along with citizen representatives.
Some faces were quite familiar.
Councilman Gil In-ho of Anyang City.
Gil In-ho was sitting next to the chief, quietly observing the room.
It seemed that most of the influential figures in Anyang City were here.
Lee Chung-chun saluted the chief.
“Loyalty.”
“Oh, Chung-chun! You’re safe! Thank goodness!”
The chief, seated in the center, jumped up and ran over.
The chief embraced Inspector Lee Chung-chun tightly and patted his shoulder as he looked at him again.
“Do you know how worried I was? I’m so relieved. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No issues, sir.”
“Good. Sit down. I’d like to offer you something warm, but I’m sorry. The situation isn’t great right now.”
“It’s alright, sir. No problem.”
“Thank you. …But who’s this?”
Only then did the chief’s gaze turn to me.
Inspector Lee Chung-chun introduced me to the chief.
“This is one of the reconnaissance team members. He was a tremendous help during the recent scouting mission.”
“Oh, thank you. Thank you so much for protecting my subordinate. What’s your name?”
The chief extended his hand to me, and I shook it.
It was cold.
Thinking about how he was someone I’d eventually need to remove, the hand I was holding felt unfamiliar.
Of course, that was just my feeling.
“Kang Sion.”
“Sion, please come in. I’ll find you a seat.”
The chief hurriedly dragged his chair over and seated me at the table near the entrance.
He then brought a folding plastic chair and sat across from me.
The room was still slightly chaotic, but soon the chief spoke to me.
“So, Mr. Sion, what brings you here?”
The chief asked as he sat down.
Before I could respond, Lee Chung-chun spoke first.
“I brought Kang Sion here to suggest appointing him as an internal manager.”
“A manager?”
I silently listened to the two police officers talk.
“Him?”
The chief asked with a hint of doubt, but Lee Chung-chun was firm.
“Yes. He’s more than capable. His composure, problem-solving skills, and leadership are all exceptional. Didn’t you mention wanting to select a manager from among the citizens recently?”
“Oh, yes, I did. If it’s your recommendation, I trust you without question, but…”
The chief still seemed hesitant and kept glancing at the councilman.
Honestly, I realized the moment I saw him sitting there.
Councilman Gil In-ho.
The face of a politician who smiled broadly while greeting citizens during Liberation Day or New Year’s celebrations came to mind.
As someone tied to the government, he would likely believe the government would solve the current situation.
Politicians like him would never accept our circumstances as part of a divine game; they would dismiss it as a mere disaster until their dying breath.
And in this place, the councilman seemed to hold significant influence.
“Well, what do you think?”
Screech—.
Gil In-ho adjusted his posture, and the chair’s hinges squeaked loudly.
The councilman addressed me.
“How old are you this year, Kang Sion?”
“Twenty.”
“Are you in college?”
“I dropped out of high school.”
The moment he heard I was a dropout, Gil In-ho began speaking to me informally.
So, I responded in kind.
“What’s your job?”
“A day laborer.”
“What about your parents?”
“They passed away.”
“Can someone without experience in managing people take on a managerial position? Accounting, operations, IT—oh, but you wouldn’t know anything about those. What could a high school dropout possibly do? Hmm, can you even do math? Addition? Subtraction? You might be useful for securing food supplies. Or fetching drinking water? All you’d have to do is shovel snow and melt it. Day laborers are good at shoveling, aren’t they?”
“…”
I remained silent at his final remark.
Orphan. High school dropout. Day laborer.
The words used to describe me.
To the older generation before me, they were reasons to frown.
Most of them were former senior police officers.
The person sitting on the left, wearing a doctor’s coat, was likely a physician.
The councilman went without saying.
Even the citizen representative’s attire and watch hinted at their former position.
I didn’t fit in with these elders of society.
I had come to talk to them, but they didn’t seem interested in listening to me.
Well, it didn’t matter.
Even if they didn’t listen, I would get what I wanted.
However, there was one person here who defended me.
“Councilman, Kang Sion has exceptional crisis management skills and quick thinking. I experienced it firsthand just moments ago. With the artifact activation only a few hours away—"
"--I believe he is the perfect candidate to handle this role efficiently."
Inspector Lee Chung-chun's voice carried conviction as he addressed the councilman.
"Artifact activation..." Gil In-ho muttered, tapping his fingers on the table as he seemed to consider the weight of those words.
Others in the room exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of uncertainty and intrigue.
The councilman leaned back in his chair, folding his arms, and shot a skeptical glance in my direction.
“Alright. Let’s assume for a moment that what Inspector Lee says is true. Even so, we can’t hand over such an important role without a proper assessment."
"Assessment?" I asked, meeting his gaze directly.
Gil In-ho smirked faintly, as though amused by my question.
"Yes, an assessment. Show us that you're as capable as they claim. Prove to us that you're fit to manage lives, resources, and decisions in this station."
The chief, who had been silent until now, glanced between the two of us before nodding slowly.
"That seems reasonable. A fair evaluation wouldn't hurt," the chief said, his tone neutral.
Inspector Lee frowned slightly, clearly displeased by the idea, but he said nothing.
"Fine." I spoke up, my voice calm but firm. "What kind of assessment are you suggesting?"
The councilman leaned forward, a gleam of challenge in his eyes.
"Simple. Let's put your decision-making skills and problem-solving abilities to the test. There’s a group of refugees outside the station waiting to be processed. Figure out how to allocate resources for them while addressing their complaints. And do it efficiently."
It was a clear attempt to put me in a difficult position, but I didn't flinch.
"Alright," I replied. "But I have one condition."
The councilman raised an eyebrow. "A condition?"
"Yes. If I succeed, you will publicly acknowledge my qualifications and stop questioning my role here. Agreed?"
A brief silence fell over the room.
Gil In-ho studied me, his expression unreadable, before finally nodding.
"Agreed. Let’s see if you’re as good as they claim, Kang Sion."
“At this point, I’m confident that no one else could manage the internal situation as efficiently as Kang Sion.”
“……”
Gil In-ho raised his head slightly and looked at Lee Chung-chun with an arrogant expression.
He then tapped his fingers against the desk as if lost in thought, eventually pulling a cigarette from his suit pocket.
Lighting the cigarette, he exhaled smoke before speaking.
“What authority are you asking for?”
Gil In-ho shifted back to formal speech, addressing me directly.
This was his way of saying that I should prove my qualifications myself instead of relying on Lee Chung-chun to speak for me.
Just as I had hoped.
“Who currently manages internal operations?”
“This conference room handles it,” he replied immediately.
“Is there anyone assigned specifically to the role?”
“Officially, the chief takes full responsibility. However, the officers are all tasked with individual duties based on standard principles.”
The conference room gradually filled with smoke from Gil In-ho’s cigarette.
Only the voices of Gil In-ho and I echoed in the room.
“What is the protocol for police behavior during a disaster?”
I turned to the chief and asked.
The chief glanced at Gil In-ho for a moment before responding to me.
“You mean the disaster manual? Primarily, it emphasizes control. During a disaster, the police are tasked with ensuring order and safety for citizens, protecting them from riots and crime. Currently, our priority is citizen safety while also trying to establish communication with headquarters.”
“Then why are citizens being left idle instead of being utilized as a labor force?”
I asked directly, and the chief coughed awkwardly a few times before averting his gaze.
I understood immediately.
If citizens were forced into labor and an accident occurred, the responsibility would fall entirely on the chief or the councilman.
This was not an action the police could take under disaster conditions.
It would violate the law.
In a democratic nation, the police cannot issue direct orders to ordinary citizens.
Moreover, citizens have the right to refuse police orders.
This holds true even during a disaster.
The police can only make recommendations, not enforce them.
If they forcibly conscripted labor or punished citizens who ignored their advice, they would face legal consequences.
The police are a group governed by law.
In other words, they cannot think or act freely.
The chief and the councilman spoke almost in unison.
“…This is about adhering to principles that we, too, must uphold.”
“Do you even know what you’re talking about…?”
The police chief and Anyang City councilman.
Both were preoccupied with what would happen after the current situation was resolved.
Neither wanted to be held accountable for anything that transpired here once normalcy was restored.
Both of them still believed the government was functioning and that the law would continue to be enforced.
I clasped my hands together and interlocked my fingers.
Through a few exchanges, I had read their thoughts.
Things might proceed more easily than I expected.
“You don’t want to take responsibility, do you?”
At my words, both men turned to me, startled.
I alternated my gaze between them.
“You’re well aware that if this continues, we’re all going to die. The days are getting colder, unknown monsters could attack at any moment, and, most importantly, food. How long can we survive on the remaining food in the city? A year? No, from what I see, not even a month.”
Creak.
The chair squeaked as I shifted slightly.
“Waiting for rescue teams and government directives is fine. That’s part of the disaster manual, and as police officers, you’re obligated to follow it. I agree. But if you fail to show flexibility in this situation, this group will collapse.”
Of course, I didn’t believe in the existence of any “rescue teams” or “government” anymore.
Mentioning such terms was merely a tactic to reinforce their belief that their logic wasn’t entirely flawed.
To leverage their power, I first had to feign agreement with their methods to some extent.
“You can’t mistreat the citizens. After the rescue, the government will look for those responsible for this crisis, and during that process, you’ll want to avoid being held accountable.”
The people who had been staring at me until now coughed awkwardly and averted their gazes.
I had struck a nerve.
People with power but no idea how to wield it, too focused on escaping responsibility.
My words poked at their pride.
The councilman stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and spoke.
“What do you want? What are you trying to say? Judging by how confidently you’re speaking, you must have some kind of solution.”
His tone was slightly irritated.
For a man who had become a councilman, being lectured by someone like me—a high school dropout and day laborer—must have stung his pride.
But more than his wounded pride, his immediate concern was his lust for power as a councilman.
I intended to exploit that greed.
“I’ll take responsibility. So give me full authority over internal operations.”
I unclasped my hands and let them rest naturally on the table as I spoke.
Gil In-ho stared at me for a moment before letting out a faint chuckle.
“And who exactly is Sion? Are you saying you’ll take responsibility for everything that happens from now on?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Fine, then. Listen closely, Sion. I don’t mean to belittle you, but…”
When someone starts with “I don’t mean to belittle you,” it usually means they fully intend to belittle you.
“You’re a high school dropout, young, a day laborer with no parents. How can we trust you? How much influence have you ever had in society? How can someone who’s been a nobody up until now suddenly claim they can handle this responsibility? Do you think the media or the citizens will believe you if you’re named the one in charge of everything here? Convince us, Kang Sion.”
Everyone in the room turned their eyes to me.
I looked at the small cut on my finger.
I didn’t even remember when I got it.
It had been scratched by something, though no blood had flowed.
I stared at it for a moment before muttering quietly.
“Convince you…”
They were saying something amusing.
From the moment I entered this conference room, to the days they had spent in endless meetings, did they think I hadn’t noticed?
This wasn’t a situation where I needed to convince them.
Survivor lists were spread across the table.
A few names were written on the whiteboard as well.
They had already selected someone to bear responsibility.
Dozens had died by now.
Internally, even among the police, something must have happened during the first round.
From their perspective, it was likely a violation of the law.
Outwardly, they appeared to be organizing and protecting people, but in truth, this was just a form of insurance.
The police leadership was afraid.
Afraid of the crimes they had committed and the responsibilities they couldn’t bear.
Among the names on the whiteboard, I noticed one familiar one—Inspector Lee Chung-chun, the man who had brought me here.
“Aren’t you the ones who should be asking me for a favor?”
The expressions of everyone in the conference room shifted as if they had been struck by lightning.
It was as if they were wondering how I knew.
It was simple.
The names of the citizens written on the whiteboard.
The meetings.
The survivor lists.
Their methods of leading conversations.
Gil In-ho held a position of responsibility but sought to deflect that responsibility onto someone else.
No one here wanted to take responsibility.
And picking a random citizen could lead to abuses of the power granted.
In the midst of it all, I was the person recommended by Inspector Lee Chung-chun—a figure they somewhat trusted.
From their perspective, I was a godsend.
A lucky break.
An arrogant brat.
Nothing more, nothing less.
“This is a disaster situation. It doesn’t matter what I was or where I stood before. Outside, monsters roam the streets, killing indiscriminately, regardless of power or status. In times like this, someone like me is better suited to lead. What’s needed now isn’t a high education or noble status, but the ability to find food and resources to survive. All you need to do is recognize my capabilities. If someone with a high position and a good education like you acknowledges my abilities, everyone else will accept it. Then I’ll gain authority and be able to take full responsibility for everything I do.”
I deliberately elevated him.
For someone in a high position, the most unbearable thing is being disrespected in front of subordinates.
Pretending to respect him was part of my strategy to achieve the outcome I wanted.
Finally, I looked directly at Gil In-ho.
By now, he was holding another cigarette between his lips.
He was smoking so much that the cigarette was curling at the tip without him noticing.
I gazed at him and calmly concluded my argument.
“Let’s be honest. All you need is a scapegoat, right? Someone to take the blame for everything. I’ll be that scapegoat.”
The room fell silent.
No one seemed to have anything to say.
I waited for Gil In-ho’s answer.
That was all I needed.
From the moment I entered this room, I had known.
The police chief might hold surface-level authority, but the true power in this place belonged to Councilman Gil In-ho.
Gil In-ho stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray with a few forceful presses.
His ashtray was already piled high with cigarette butts.
Creak.
He leaned back arrogantly in his chair, staring at me.
Then, at last, he opened his mouth.