The Regressor Only Protects Me Chapter 53

#Episode 53. Construction: Bridge (1)

Early morning.

“shield!”

Chuck, chuck!

Police officers wore protective gear and thrust their shields forward.

The leader of the arrest team deployed in this operation to suppress terrorists was Lee Cheong-chun.

They planned to advance to the Dongangu area under the orders of the chief.

108 police officers.

213 honorary police officers.

Total troops: 321 men.

It was the only combat unit within the police force other than those drafted as labor.

The chief shouted at them.

“We will definitely catch the terrorist. Do you understand?”

“evil!”

“evil!”

The police officers in full uniform shouted.

A blizzard swept through the city, and police officers wearing only hazmat suits stood staring at the chief on the podium, enduring the cold.

The chief continued to press him.

“He is a terrorist who killed your colleagues. There is no need to show mercy! Get out there.”

“evil!”

“evil!”

The police officers were easily moved by the news of their colleagues’ deaths.

They left the police station to head toward Dongangu, following the chief’s orders.

Lee Cheong-chun was worried even as he led them from the front lines.

I wonder if the police station will be safe even if this many combat troops are deployed.

If a riot were to break out in a situation where there are no troops to maintain internal order, the power would completely collapse.

Lee Cheong-chun went out into the street and looked at the rooftop of the building adjacent to the police station.

There, workers drafted by the manager were building a ‘bridge’.

In order to safely travel through the collapsed city, a bridge was built by gathering miscellaneous materials from the rooftops of buildings.

Dozens of people were walking up and down the precarious building.

‘It’ll be okay since Mr. Zion is here.’

Since he already enjoys the enthusiastic trust of the citizens, order will not collapse in an instant.

But Lee Cheong-chun, who was going on an expedition, did not know.

The very same Kang Shi-on that the police believe is preparing a coup.

And after gaining the police’s enthusiastic trust and being free from suspicion, he was unaware of his plans to take over the force.

Lee Cheong-chun walked down the street.

Even with the arrest warrant in place, the road from the snow-covered city to Dongangu was rough.

* * *

Rooftop near the police station.

I watched the police force leave from the rooftop railing.

Police forces were clearing the road to Dongangu together with snow removal crews.

They mobilized all their snow removal equipment to try to clear the road.

I turned my head to watch them.

There, workers were building a bridge between the rooftops of the buildings using long iron plates and ladders.

“Be careful out there.”

“Pull it a little more this way. Okay.”

The labor force that had been mobilized to run the boilers was now mobilized to build bridges.

Building the bridge was easier than I thought.

The gap between the rooftops was filled with solid iron plates or ladders, which were then firmly fixed to the railing.

There were also sufficient tools for basic construction.

Hammer, nails, saw, cable ties, etc.

From the police station to First Avenue.

As long as you install a bridge on the roof of the building leading to that point, you will have no trouble moving around no matter how high the snow piles up.

Above all, it was safe from the threat of Nepenthes and alligator snapping turtles.

The number of workers mobilized to build the bridge is approximately 100.

Originally, this task did not require 100 people, but we intentionally took out more people.

I’m here not just for bridge construction work.

Preparations for a coup.

The rooftop of this building was used as a secret base.

I gathered them together to secure a map of the inside of the police station and to understand public opinion and the movements of the chief and the members of the National Assembly.

The rooftop of the bridge entrance building had a clear view of the police station, and more than anything, the chief would think we were just building a bridge.

The workers and raiders who had gathered around me gathered weapons from various places.

It was something like a hammer, a knife, a portable light, or a battery.

“There is no need for this.”

My role was to supervise and manage their collection activities.

I picked up a hammer from the weapons I had collected and pulled it aside.

The hammer hit the rooftop with a loud crash.

“The police station hallways are very narrow, so you don’t need a big weapon like a hammer. Something like this would be better.”

He explained, holding the driver.

I had already experienced small-scale combat.

Large blunt objects such as hammers are actually poisonous in narrow passages.

Indoors, a weapon that could attack quickly and escape quickly was important.

“The most important thing is to kill only what is necessary. If the ruling class of the power is changed, the ruled class will become valuable labor for the new power anyway.”

Even as my explanation continued, the sounds of construction could be heard here and there.

It was a long time since I heard that.

Before things got this way, these were the sounds you would hear at a work site.

“But, Administrator. Even if you take over the forces, what are you going to do about the provocative actions of the Dongangu forces?”

The middle-aged man sitting across from me asked.

I answered, throwing the driver I was holding back where I had gathered my weapons.

“Of course, we cannot tolerate it. What is important is the safety of the members within this force. If there is a force that threatens safety, we must deal with it. In any case, we need to grow our force in order to survive in this league.”

Everyone gathered here nodded as if they agreed with what I said.

“But, Administrator. If the size of Dongangu is larger than ours, wouldn’t we suffer more damage if we clash head-on?”

The young woman sitting on my left asked with concern.

I looked at the bridge on the other side as the woman spoke.

There, workers were still busy moving about, rushing to build the bridge.

The bridge will be completed by tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after tomorrow at the latest.

“We will do this before then. Before their power surpasses ours.”

An unfinished force is like an egg.

It looks sturdy on the outside, but in reality, it will crumble if you apply even the slightest force.

Sand castle in front of the waves.

A light in the wind.

It is easier for a small force to collapse than for a large force to form.

There are currently three main forces in the police department.

A work crew made up of police forces, special forces, and workers.

Most of the special forces were people who had been imprisoned in a detention center and were liberated thanks to Zion.

That much resentment towards the police existed.

The workers’ group was also a group that was united by me.

The majority are the most powerful and core young people within the force.

The plan is simple.

Take control of the police station and control the citizens inside.

Eliminate all existing forces and eliminate the leaders.

And after gaining their trust, they are recognized by the system as the new monarch.

It was a perfectly feasible plan, as the public’s trust in the police had already shifted away.

But this wasn’t enough.

‘I need more, more.’

There was a need to shake up the citizens more strongly.

I looked at the map of the inside of the police station that was roughly drawn on the rooftop floor.

“Listen carefully. This is a strategy to break down the police shield guards.”

I started explaining the operation to the ‘special forces’.

* * *

5th floor of the police station, inside the office.

The chief’s office was the largest room in the police station.

But now, it was completely transformed into the chief’s living space.

Thick mattress and cotton comforter.

There were three heating appliances placed throughout the room.

Thanks to this, the temperature inside the room where the chief resided was so hot that it was reminiscent of midsummer.

The chief enjoyed playing with his new lover in the same bed at the same time every day.

City Councilman Gil In-ho sat on the sofa and stared blankly at the chief’s family photo.

There was an elegant photo of his wife and daughter posted.

Gil In-ho turned his head and looked at the mattress while holding the pack of cigarettes.

Police Chief Park Geon-woo was there.

Gil In-ho didn’t show it, but he was feeling extremely uncomfortable right now.

Because the director pushed things forward unilaterally.

But he didn’t show it.

Gil In-ho spoke in a languid voice.

“But Chief. If you were to form an arrest team in Dongangu, there might be problems maintaining internal order. You should have discussed it with me. Why did you do it alone?”

The chief had no answer.

Gil In-ho took out a cigarette and lit it.

“I think it would be a good idea to take a defensive approach while waiting for communication from headquarters.”

Chick-.

Gil In-ho continued speaking, lighting the end of his cigarette.

“Don’t we have the weapon of legitimate public service in the first place? It is clear that terrorism is only happening within Anyang City, but the headquarters will soon form a special task force, and if we can hold out until then… … .”

Phew-.

Gil In-ho exhaled cigarette smoke.

Now he didn’t hide his unpleasant feelings.

‘Ha… … A salty bird is crawling.’

The chief was so busy playing with the woman that he didn’t even listen to what I was saying.

Gil In-ho thought he had the whole story under control until now.

After the provocation of the Dong-an forces, the chief seemed to have changed.

Before he knew it, the chief had come down from above the woman and was sitting on the mattress, breathing heavily.

His new lover was lying face down, quietly holding her breath.

“Haa… … Phew… … This is it. As I get older… … If only I were 10 years younger.”

The chief took a few more deep breaths, then picked up a bottle of soju nearby and drank it down, asking.

“What? Sir. Say it again.”

“I’m asking you to refrain from taking arbitrary action. It’s not too late to calmly wait for communication with headquarters and then take action.”

Gil In-ho said somewhat nervously.

Then the chief stared blankly at the assemblyman and then smiled and answered.

“Haha. Right. There is no headquarters.”

“… … What did you say?”

And the prologue’s subsequent words were truly shocking.

The chief smiled as if he was very refreshed and was wiping the sweat off his forehead with a towel.

Gil In-ho frowned and glared at the chief.

“No, there is no headquarters. How should I take that, Chief of Police?”

From Gil In-ho’s perspective, he cannot help but feel betrayed by the police chief’s words.

That would be the case because Gil In-ho was waiting for communication with headquarters along with the chief.

Gil In-ho’s thoughts were simple.

The government is still in effect, and the terrorists’ actions are limited to Anyang City.

That is, they believe that if only the unidentified protective shield on the outskirts could be dealt with, they could return to the 21st century Republic of Korea.

But that was only Gil In-ho’s thought.

And the chief knew.

“How do you take that, Congressman? If the headquarters is invalid, you are nothing here~ Just take that as what I am saying.”

Snap-!

The chief grabbed the hair of the woman who was lying face down and holding her breath.

The woman’s head was lifted up by the chief’s hand.

The woman just turned her eyes and looked at the chief.

There were tears in her eyes.

The chief spoke gently to her.

“Honey, let’s go out~ Let’s talk to the adults.”

“… … .”

The woman gathered up her clothes and left, her eyes half-dead.

Squeak- thud.

She carefully closed the door and went out.

Now, only City Councilor Gil In-ho and the police chief remained in the chief’s office.

From then on, Gil In-ho’s heart started pounding like crazy.

Something has changed.

The police chief’s smiling eyes completely changed the atmosphere between the two.

Chick, chick-.

The chief lit a cigarette and began to smoke it.

Phew-.

The chief sat naked at his desk and looked at the congressman as he spoke.

“Sir. The world is indeed destroyed, and the government you depend on is in ruins. Of course, there is no police headquarters. I tried to contact headquarters at first, but something was strange. There are no helicopters, and the radio is a mess… … Sigh… … Hoo-. What does that mean? What does that mean? Your power, your position? Your city council? It means that none of it is worth a hair’s breadth here.”

“S, Chief… …! You now!!”

Gil In-ho shouted in surprise, but the chief cut him off.

“You’re stupid. You idiot.”

The chief continued speaking in a sarcastic tone, shaking off the ash from his cigarette.

He said, scratching the inside of his groin as if it was itchy.

“Oh my, Congressman. Do you know why I have such a high opinion of you and let you be the leader here? It’s because you are the material for torture of hope. You are a tool for torture of people’s hopes. Huh? I don’t believe that the government is still intact… … but some police officers and citizens still believe that the government is still intact. In order to take good care of those people so that they don’t riot, we need to use our great congressman of the Republic of Korea. Huh?”

Buck buck.

The police chief was still scratching the inside of his hairy groin.

The police chief pointed at Gil In-ho with a cigarette between his two fingers and said.

Every time the chief spoke, smoke would burst out from between his lips.

“You’re the one who’s right for it, Mr. Gil In-ho. That’s why I’m telling you not to climb too high in the future.”

Gil In-ho answered those words with a slightly trembling voice.

“All of you. Chae, can you take responsibility? How could you do something like this to me… …! Do you think you’ll be okay!!!! Do you know how many high-ranking officials I know at the National Police Agency Headquarters?!?!!! I told you!!!”

Bam!

Gil In-ho got excited as he spoke and stood up from his seat.

Then he walked over and started shouting at the police chief sitting at his desk.

“Just do as I say!!! If you listen to me carefully, I’ll promote you after this is over. Transfer to headquarters? Executive level? Huh? I can do it all, you idiot. Just listen to me carefully!!!… … .”

“Haa~ Our city councilman. Didn’t I just tell you not to climb too high? But you still haven’t come to your senses.”

The police chief stood up from his seat, still smoking a cigarette.

And then he stood up from his desk and looked down at Assemblyman Gil In-ho.

The pupils of City Councilor Gil In-ho, who was looking at the president, were trembling uncontrollably.

The chief whispered quietly to the city councilman.

“Here, I am the king, the president, and the god.”

And the chief concluded his speech by looking into the city councilman’s eyes with his usual good-natured smile again.

“I’ll show you what happens if you disobey me.”

(Continued in the next episode)