Chapter 5

It looks like it will take about an hour to leave the pier and get to the island.

Since it was a remote island, he thought it would be deserted and uninhabited since there was only one branch office there. But it was surprisingly large, so he had to take a car back from the island's pier and walk along the beach for a long distance.

The sun had just set so the forest on the island looked unusually dark and dense.

"If there were wild animals or poisonous snakes appearing here, it wouldn't be strange at all."

Jeong Taeui muttered to himself, his uncle calmly nodded.

"There are many poisonous snakes, so you should look carefully at your feet at night. – – But there is nothing to worry about. None of them are poisonous enough to kill a person instantly, so if you can give first aid in time, you won't die."

Jeong Taeui looked at him speechlessly. He reassured him once again not to worry.

It seemed like he had really come to the wrong place. Even half a year was enough time for someone to die unjustly. In any case, he would wait until the following weekend and run to Hong Kong Island. But he had already jumped on him.

"Ah, that's right. No one will be able to go out for another month. The joint training with the European branch will start in 15 days. Within 15 days. Before that is a special training period, so going out is prohibited. And during the joint training period, going out is also prohibited, so… A month will pass quickly, I hope you can adapt in time."

Before wondering how far this guy could read his mind, even if it was just for a moment, he really wanted to strangle this man.

Jeong Taeui stared at his uncle's neck with regret. Suddenly, he felt a gaze and glanced at the rearview mirror and met the driver's eyes. The driver squinted at him. It seemed like it was just a fleeting smile.

That was the man who picked him up at the airport. Did he drive from the airport to the pier, then slowly drive the boat across the water and onto this island….I bet I didn't see him on that boat….

This person also had a similar smell. The smell of a soldier. Uncle had said many times that they were not soldiers, but he still had the distinctive smell of a soldier who had lived a difficult life. Perhaps when they arrived on that island, everyone there would have the same smell of guilt.

Thinking that, Jeong Taeui sighed again and turned his head back. The strength to strangle him also disappeared.

"Bringing you here just in time for the joint training with that unlucky and infamous European branch….. So you really hate me."

"No way."

The uncle laughed. Jeong Taeui looked at him suspiciously, not quite believing him.

Jeong Taeui was already used to this kind of joint training. He had been doing this kind of training every day for the past few years. Until four months ago, he was still an army officer. I wonder what kind of training they do here?

No matter how tiring it is, as long as you don't die, you will get used to it soon. Every time you experience it, it takes a little time to adapt to it, and then you will get used to the same new pain over and over again… Then at some point, the worm will turn, you will not be able to control your anger anymore and explode, at that time the problem will be a matter of personal choice.

Jeong Taeui suddenly got frustrated and scratched his head.

Until now, he has never regretted anything he has done. No matter what it is, he always engraves in his heart that he must not do things that he will regret later.

So, he didn't regret beating that unlucky fellow soldier to death. He had endured for five and a half years before that happened. So he thought that was more than enough. In fact, it was also the result of many complicated things, even though he thought that being discharged from the army would make his life fall into a deep abyss for the rest of his life, but he didn't regret being discharged.

However, thinking about that time and his mood at that time, he still couldn't help but feel a pain in his heart.

The other guy was someone who had never fallen behind anyone, but when he saw him surpass him, his face became extremely ugly. And that was the reason why the two of them had to lie next to each other in the military hospital right before they were discharged. Along with that motive, Jeong Taeui's sexual orientation was also a perfect reason.

Tsk tsk. Jeong Taeui stretched awkwardly in the car. He had been stuck in planes, cars, and trains all day, from air to land and then back to sea. His body was exhausted. Even if it was a training ground, he had to stretch a few times first to warm up his body.

The car suddenly stopped.

Under the dark sky as the sun had set, surrounded by dense forests. Jeong Taeui didn't know if he had ever been in such a dense forest before.

"Here we are."

The driver got out of the car. The uncle spoke briefly, and Jeong Taeui opened the door. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw a building ahead.

"Phew, feeling this tired means you must be old. That's right, I'm already over 40 so I can't be called young."

The uncle muttered to himself behind Jeong Taeui, he looked intently at the building in front and asked.

"Uncle."

"Huh?"

"The Asia branch…. is that all?"

"Yeah, one. Looks pretty simple, right?"

"So what are those fancy buildings in the brochure?"

"Ah, that's the headquarters in America. Our Asian branch's facilities are the least modern, but at the same time it's the best place to train your strength. Didn't I tell you?"

"Not at all…..you liar."

"No one cares about that brochure anyway."

He smiled and said. People would sign up for branches based on their names, not the guidebooks, but he was dragged there by his uncle without any choice. But the building in front of him was no different from a dilapidated one-story school building in the countryside that would soon be demolished and rebuilt. Even the places were cracked, peeling paint, and rusted.

No matter how you look at it, it just looks like a level 4 building about to collapse or a government agency abandoned decades ago.

Wait. If this is a building….

"How many people are there here…."

"One governor, two vice ministers, six instructors, ninety-six members, five logistics. A total of 110 people."

He counted on his fingers as he spoke.

"Is that so…?"

"How can 110 people fit in a place like this?"

"Get in. Even a compact car can fit a bunch of people."

"No, but the training ground and the place to eat and sleep…."

Jeong Taeui pointed at the building with a bewildered expression, but the driver had already passed by carrying his uncle's luggage and entered the building in front of him. The rusty hinges made an eerie sound as the door opened. It wasn't like a ghost would suddenly appear after being awakened by that sound…

Seeing Jeong Taeui's expression, he smiled and spoke seriously.

"It's the basement. There are seven floors in total. It's about 2,000 square feet (6,611 square meters) so 100 people shouldn't be a problem even though it's not that big."

Jeong Taeui looked at him again with a puzzled expression. Not that 2000p and 7 floors were too big for 100 people to stay in, but….

"How can a small island build a basement that is 7 stories high and 2000m wide…"

"That's why we chose this island. Do you think we just randomly picked an island in Asia and set up a branch there?"

The uncle said with satisfaction.

Jeong Taeui looked at his uncle's back suspiciously for a while, then went to the open door, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and followed his uncle.

His footsteps slowed down to wait for him to catch up. Suddenly, he turned around and patted his head. Jeong Taeui took a step back and looked at him in confusion.

"Don't die."

"....Yes?"

"This is not a place where the law outside has any place to step in. This is a place where the weak cannot complain even if they are unjustly treated. And in some cases, even if a few people die, the internal situation will soon be settled without any problems."

He paused for a moment. Jeong Taeui looked at his uncle without saying a word. Then, he laughed without any strength left.

"Uncle, why are you so unreasonable… You should have said that first, if I were suddenly dragged into the tiger's den, what would I do?"

"Even if I say it in advance, the result will be the same."

He laughed too. Jeong Taeui sighed and shrugged.

"In short, you will have to trust your feelings like I said to try to survive, right? But… if anything happens, please remember to come and collect the corpses and bones for me."

"Haha, well, it's not like it's completely lawless here."

"So should we be careful or not?"

"Wherever you are, it's better to be safe than sorry."

He smiled and turned to leave. This time he didn't stop or turn to watch him walk towards the building. Jeong Taeui shook his head. It was times like this that he envied his brother who was as unlucky as anyone else.

Although everything was in the basement, such as offices, meeting rooms, lecture halls, laboratories, break rooms, and cafeterias, he had no intention of leading him into the building, but only directed him toward the old door at the end of the deserted wooden hallway.

However, as the two were walking, a young man walked out from the door right next to Jeong Taeui. He immediately stopped.

"Also!"

The young elf stepped out through the open door and walked slowly, when he saw his uncle, he turned around.

"Officer."

When he saw him, he adjusted his posture and bowed slightly.

"Are you busy?"

"No, I was just going out for a smoke."

Jeong Taeui nodded, perhaps he understood the difference between the army and this place. He sighed as the world of English opened up before his eyes, this was the common language used in the branch. Even though he could speak it fluently, he didn't really want to use it. Then, his uncle's index finger suddenly pointed at him.

"Take this brat downstairs for a bit. Lead him to the room Kiyomi used and help me introduce him to the members below."

"Oh, yes."

The young man scratched his ear as if he found it annoying but not too uncomfortable and just nodded.

When he finished saying that, he didn't even look at Jeong Taeui, just waved his hand lightly and opened the old door and walked out. Only the young man and Jeong Taeui were left in the hallway.

However, as the two were walking, a young man walked out from the door right next to Jeong Taeui. He immediately stopped.

"Also!"

The young elf stepped out through the open door and walked slowly, when he saw his uncle, he turned around.

"Officer."

When he saw him, he adjusted his posture and bowed slightly.

"Are you busy?"

"No, I was just going out for a smoke."

Jeong Taeui nodded, perhaps he understood the difference between the army and this place. He sighed as the world of English opened up before his eyes, this was the common language used in the branch. Even though he could speak it fluently, he didn't really want to use it. Then, his uncle's index finger suddenly pointed at him.

"Take this brat downstairs for a bit. Lead him to the room Kiyomi used and help me introduce him to the members below."

"Oh, yes."

The young man scratched his ear as if he found it annoying but not too uncomfortable and just nodded.

When he finished saying that, he didn't even look at Jeong Taeui, just waved his hand lightly and opened the old door and walked out. Only the young man and Jeong Taeui were left in the hallway.

The young man looked Jeong Taeui up and down and then walked back through the door he had just come out of. He curled his finger in a gesture. Jeong Taeui also looked him up and down and followed. The young man smiled.

The wooden door he had just stepped out of was an elevator. It looked like an old elevator in an abandoned school that was about to collapse. But seeing it open and close smoothly without a sound, Jeong Taeui felt a new surprise. Stepping inside, he found that its functions were also nothing to complain about.

"They poured all their budget into making this look as old as possible…."

Looking inside, Jeong Taeui muttered to himself and then looked at the young man who had been watching him intently.

He looked like a Chinese person, but judging from his white skin and small frame, he didn't seem to be a pure Han Chinese, it seemed like he had the blood of some ethnic minority.

The young man looked at Jeong Taeui with curious eyes and tapped his index finger on his chest a few times.

"Tou. Tou Jing."

"..... Jeong Taeui. You can call me Taeui too."

"Taeil… , okay."

The pronunciation was a bit wrong but Jeong Taeui decided to stay silent because he thought it would be useless to correct it.

"Are you transferring from another branch? Or are you new?"

"I'm a new member. It seems like transferring members between branches is normal."

"Not common, but not rare either. Newcomers are arranged by the higher ups. What are you doing here? Aren't you from a company or something?"

"I am unemployed."

Jeong Taeui answered seriously but the young man named Tou laughed out loud as if he thought it was just a joke.

"Well, it doesn't have to be from the European branch. But it's good anyway. Welcome here."

Tou reached out his hand, Jeong Taeui took Tou's hand and shook it lightly."

"It seems like the relationship with the European branch is pretty bad."

He had heard from his uncle, but it seemed the relationship between the two branches was worse than that. It must have been as close as his old squad and that bastard Kim's squad when they were in the army.

"Pretty bad? Sigh, you'll find out early next month. I mean, we're having a joint training session with the European branch next month, so those bastards will be coming here. Let me tell you, if there's any particularly nasty ones, just bury one or two of them. All the teams in our branch will cooperate."

This sentence doesn't sound like a joke at all. It seems like the relationship is even worse than his squad and Kim So Yu.

"Thanks for the reminder."

"What? We have to help each other."

Tou smiled happily and stepped out of the elevator as soon as it stopped. Jeong Taeui followed behind.