Episode 77: Training
Professor Kim Hak-do came forward and bowed his head.
“Hello, I am Kim Hak-do, and I will be in charge of the basic mountain training for the next three weeks. The assistants here with me are also from the Forest Development Team. We will continue to provide consultation even after the training, so please take care of us.”
As soon as Kim Hak-do finished his introduction, the employees gave a half-hearted applause.
Clap clap clap…
The people who needed this class were not the engineers but the heavy equipment operators who would actually carry out the work.
To employees with a minimum of 7 years of practical experience, it wasn’t very appealing to be taught by professors with master’s and doctorate degrees.
Although no one openly expressed dissatisfaction, there was a pervasive atmosphere of “let’s see how they teach.”
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Kim Hak-do clapped his hands to draw attention.
“Then, how about we do a simple test before the practice? How about arm wrestling? If anyone defeats me, they can skip the theory classes.”
As soon as Kim Hak-do finished speaking, the employees’ eyes glinted like hyenas.
The previous disinterested expressions disappeared, and everyone seemed motivated.
“Are you serious? No backing out?”
“Of course. It’s my discretion. Is that okay, President Lee?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Lee Chang-jin. Seeing the earnest looks in the employees’ eyes, Lee Chang-jin nodded reluctantly.
“Of course. The professor has full discretion over the proceedings.”
“Then, no backing out.”
Confident construction company employees who were good at using their strength rolled up their sleeves.
They were confident that they could easily beat a professor like him.
But soon, the atmosphere changed 180 degrees.
As Kim Hak-do took off his outerwear, hidden muscles were revealed.
Professor Kim’s body, with his shirt off, was incredibly muscular.
His muscles, chiseled like a sculpture, exuded a wild charm.
On his abs, the character “王” (king) was distinctly carved.
As the confident employees hesitated, Kim Hak-do smiled gently and urged them.
“What are you doing? Come on, one by one.”
As he straightened his back and beckoned with his fingers, the nervous employees hesitated.
Then, one of the earlier employees boldly took off his shirt.
“Well, you’re not as bookish as you look. Alright, let’s have a match!”
The employee, in a tank top, was burly. With muscles honed by labor, he and Kim Hak-do clasped hands and sat opposite each other.
The referee was Manager Koo Chang-dong.
As employees surrounded them with interest, the match began.
“Ready, go!”
As soon as it started, the construction employee applied force first.
Veins bulged on his arms as he exerted his strength.
Despite his effort, which made the veins on his forehead protrude, Kim Hak-do didn’t budge.
When his opponent was about to exhaust himself, Kim Hak-do’s hand decisively overpowered him.
“Next!”
Many people challenged him, but no one could beat Kim Hak-do.
Even Manager Seo, confident in his strength, took up the challenge but was utterly defeated in less than a minute.
Shaking his wrist, Manager Seo shook his head.
“No way, that’s totally unfair. He looks like a geek, but his body is a total weapon.”
Lee Chang-jin replied with a smile.
“He was famous for his mountain climbing activities. He has never lost in arm wrestling since his college days.”
Kim Hak-do was a senior in the same university’s mountaineering club and was like a big brother to Lee Chang-jin. He had even tutored Lee Chang-jin for free during high school when he was self-studying.
Originally a law student at Korea University, Kim Hak-do was a quirky individual who switched his major to forestry due to his obsession with mountain climbing.
He had wanted to become a mountaineer, but had to give up that path after showing symptoms of altitude sickness during an Everest expedition.
However, his passion for mountains did not fade easily.
When his dream of becoming a mountaineer was dashed, his enthusiasm turned towards the mountains themselves.
The year the Korea Forest Service was established, Kim Hak-do joined the Forest Soil Department at the Forestry Research Institute, pursued a doctoral course, and built his career by studying various fields such as geology, geomorphology, soil science, and climatology.
His belief and goal were to eventually pave paths even in high mountains like Everest.
Watching Kim Hak-do easily handle all the challengers, Lee Chang-jin smirked.
“See, not all PhDs are bookworms.”
To make training easier, it was necessary to break the spirits of the construction workers.
Even after facing more than 50 people in succession, Kim Hak-do showed no signs of exhaustion.
After the match, Kim Hak-do casually buttoned up his shirt again.
“Unfortunately, no one could beat me. Let’s start the class now. Those who lost to me in arm wrestling, please actively participate in the lessons.”
Perhaps due to the earlier display of power, the employees subdued by his aura all quieted down.
Facing the suddenly quiet students, Kim Hak-do took out a piece of chalk and stood in front of the blackboard.
“Let me start by explaining the basics. In the mountains, unforeseen emergencies frequently occur. You need to understand map reading, compass directions, and slopes according to contour lines to safely descend in emergencies. Think of this theoretical education as survival training, and take it seriously.”
Manager Koo Chang-dong raised his hand and asked Kim Hak-do a question.
“Will the theory lessons end after we finish basic geography education?”
“That’s just the beginning. After basic map reading education, we will distribute individual compasses. We will then proceed with site surveys according to the construction sections.”
Then another construction company employee asked again.
“I don’t quite understand. We came for site surveys, but why are we receiving training first? Isn’t this excessive preparation? Won’t this delay the construction period?”
“On the contrary, this method is a shortcut to shortening the construction period. There are significant differences between the construction data provided by the client and the actual site. As such, the purpose of this training includes finding the most economical and efficient route through site surveys. You will also have opportunities to undertake more challenging projects in the future. President Lee Chang-jin specially arranged this training course to ensure safety and work efficiency, so please understand it as a consideration for safety and efficiency. Are there any additional questions?”
Seeing the employees of Daese Construction all silent, Kim Hak-do nodded.
“Since there are no questions, let’s start with a brief briefing before the main course. The most important thing in constructing forest roads is layout efficiency. Positive points are favorable terrains for construction, while negative points are areas where difficult or impossible construction is expected. Constructing forest roads begins with identifying these two points.”
At Kim Hak-do’s signal, the Forest Development Team employees brought something over.
It was a scale model.
The employees were amazed at the detailed scale model, almost identical to reality.
“This is…!”
“Wow, it’s almost like the real thing!”
As the employees marveled and murmured, Kim Hak-do proudly explained.
“Haha, are you surprised? We made this model with the help of locals before arriving here. It’s made at a scale of one-thousandth of the actual size. We prepared this because it’s easier to understand visually than through blueprints. Our President Lee put a lot of effort into making this. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Not at all.”
As Lee Chang-jin slightly bowed his head, Kim Hak-do, who also bowed his head, continued.
“Now, let me explain the positive points I mentioned earlier. Positive points are places where the mountain slope changes or where it’s easy to cross to adjacent areas. For example, sections where the road naturally curves into a U-shape, terrains suitable for raising livestock like cows, or junctions between roads and mountains are positive points. On the other hand, places to avoid constructing forest roads are called negative points. These include areas where rocks are exposed, places classified as wetlands with poor drainage, and regions with vertical cliffs or valleys, as well as village backwoods cemeteries that pose significant obstacles to forest road construction.”
Kim Hak-do conducted the class while showing the scale model.
The employees listened attentively with interest.
Using visual aids made information transmission much easier.
Manager Koo Chang-dong, diligently taking notes, nodded his head.
“So, finding gentle mountain slopes is the key to construction.”
“Exactly. If the mountain slope is steep, the difficulty of construction increases, right? Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s end the morning class here and check the overall basic route for the actual construction section. In the afternoon, we will go on a hiking experience to directly check the site.”
Right after the class ended, the team had bulgogi lunch boxes they had brought.
After lunch, the employees prepared for the hiking practice.
Dressed in hiking clothes, Lee Chang-jin looked around at the team and spoke.
“Today’s hike will start from the wildfire lookout post. The first section has a very gentle slope, so there should be no problems going up, but the area beyond that is unmaintained and a bit rough. Don’t step on anything else, and follow only the path the person ahead of you takes. Understood, everyone?”
“Yes, President!!!”
Satisfied with their loud responses, Lee Chang-jin nodded.
“Good. Let me give you a few precautions. The area we will be exploring has existing forest roads, but many are old and poorly maintained. Be careful of areas covered with rotten leaves or different-colored soil, as they may indicate ground subsidence.”
Manager Koo raised his hand out of curiosity.
“Professor Kim, is there a chance we might encounter wild animals while climbing?”
“Yes, although rare, you could encounter wild boars or deer. If an unexpected situation occurs, do not panic and shout loudly. Calmly send a distress signal. All Forest Development Team employees here are skilled hunters, so they will handle the rest. Do not fall more than 3 meters behind the person in front of you, and maintain a safe distance. Let’s depart now.”
Led by Lee Chang-jin, the Forest Development Team employees with duffle bags quickened their pace and started climbing.
Initially, the employees were puzzled about maintaining a 3-meter distance, but soon understood why.
“Damn, the distance is widening. Huff huff.”
“Why are they so fast?”
No matter how much the Daese Construction employees tried to speed up, they couldn’t keep up with the Forest Service employees.
Manager Seo and Koo Chang-dong gritted their teeth to keep up, but the gap widened.
“It’s not easy climbing mountains, is it?”
Glancing back, Kim Hak-do smiled subtly. He praised Lee Chang-jin, who was accompanying him.
“Oh, President Lee, you still seem energetic. It’s been quite a while since you graduated, but you must have been taking good care of your body.”
“Haha, I’m not in as good shape as I used to be. But you, Professor, still look like you’re in your twenties.”
“Thank you… It seems like the people behind us are struggling, so we should adjust our speed.”
“Shall we?”
Despite chatting, they showed no signs of breathing heavily, making Manager Seo look exhausted.
Behind them, Manager Koo Chang-dong, fully loaded, was sweating profusely.
Seeing his persistence, Manager Seo panted and scolded him.
“Huff huff… Why did you bring so much stuff for a simple hike? Did you bring full gear?”
“As a manager, I need to set an example. We’ll be going back and forth on this path with equipment, so I need to get used to it.”
Grinning at Manager Koo, Manager Seo made a weary face.
“You fool, fine, you’re very impressive.”
Though Manager Seo wanted to give up, his pride wouldn’t let him, so he kept going.
It was incredibly exhausting, but his pride wouldn’t let him quit.
Fortunately, Lee Chang-jin adjusted the pace appropriately, so everyone reached the summit without falling behind.
Exhausted, the employees lay sprawled, gasping for breath like frogs at the mountain top.
In contrast, the Forest Service employees, including Kim Hak-do, showed no signs of fatigue.
Looking at the people catching their breath, Lee Chang-jin began to help each employee up.
“Come on, everyone. Get up. We can’t just lie around in such a beautiful place.”
As the employees staggered to their feet, Kim Hak-do shouted loudly.
“Open your eyes wide and take a deep breath. Shout forward!!!”
Like a seasoned instructor, Kim Hak-do boomed out his order.
Following him, the people tensed their stomachs and shouted.
Aaaaaah!
“Is that all you got? Louder!”
Shouting at the top of their lungs, the people gave it their all, but Kim Hak-do was not satisfied.
“Is that the best you can do? This is an introduction to the mountain. We need to properly announce who’s here! Again!!”
Uwaaaaaaah!!
Shouting until their veins popped, the people felt their fatigue miraculously dissipate.
“Now, everyone, look over there. That’s the section where we’ll start our construction. We’ll benchmark this place as point number 1, and record coordinates on the topographic map in units of 100 to 500 meters, using this as the reference point.”
Standing at the mountain peak, they saw cliffs and thick forests spread out before them. The majestic scene looked like a movie.
The sheer cliffs with exposed rock looked like teeth of the earth.
The employees couldn’t help but be in awe of the picturesque landscape.
But the mountain wasn’t all beautiful. There were bald spots where trees were missing and dangerous-looking cliffs.
“Seeing it from here feels different, right? For the next three weeks, you need to get familiar with this terrain by climbing the mountain. Starting next week, you’ll go on two hikes daily to collect construction route and status data.”
“What? Twice a day?”
“Twice a day? You might have to climb all day, so be prepared.”
The employees looked horrified.
Just once was exhausting, but all day?
They had volunteered thinking it was a nice place with good scenery, but it felt like hell.
Manager Seo, exhausted, mumbled in resignation.
“Just my luck.”
Thus, the hell week began.
- To be continued in episode 78 -
