Episode 79: Cheonwangbong Hideout
Seo So-jang, who had belatedly chased after Goo Chang-dong, looked down the hillside.
“Chang-dong! Chang-dong! Where are you? Are you alive? Answer me!”
No matter how much he shouted, only echoes responded, with no other reactions.
Panicked, Seo So-jang ran straight to the base camp.
“This is a big problem… a huge problem!”
Inside the tent, Lee Chang-jin was discussing detailed construction sections with Professor Kim Hak-do. Startled by Seo So-jang’s frantic demeanor, Lee Chang-jin asked,
“What’s going on all of a sudden?”
“Manager Goo Chang-dong fell off the mountain. He seems to be missing now!”
“What do you mean? Explain slowly.”
“He was chasing a wild boar and fell off the hillside.”
Realizing the severity of the situation, Lee Chang-jin’s expression hardened like stone.
Upon receiving the report, Professor Kim Hak-do also sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“Mr. Seo So-jang, why were you chasing wild boars out there? I’ve emphasized several times to be cautious if you encounter wild animals. This is just too much.”
“I’m sorry. I have no excuse.”
Seo So-jang bowed his head like a sinner.
Lee Chang-jin was equally taken aback, but anger wouldn’t solve the problem.
“We can assign blame later; first, we need to address the situation. Where did Manager Goo fall?”
“At the foot of Cheonwangbong. He slipped while chasing the wild boar…”
If it’s Cheonwangbong, that’s about 1.2 km from the work site.
Looking at the map, Kim Hak-do had a troubled expression.
“This is a disaster. That area is undeveloped, and there are no paths. It’s quite an elevated spot, so if he fell around there, he might be seriously injured.”
Worried as well, Lee Chang-jin asked again,
“Did he take emergency supplies? Is there any way to contact him?”
“He always carried his backpack like it was part of his body, so he probably had water and emergency food. Unfortunately, he didn’t take a walkie-talkie.”
“Did he take a compass?”
“He seemed to have one, but I’m not sure if he can use it properly.”
The silver lining was that Manager Goo Chang-dong was thoroughly prepared for survival situations. Every time he hiked, he made sure to carry high-calorie emergency food like jerky and dried fruits.
To keep his load light, he didn’t carry ropes or other equipment, so his backpack likely only contained a lantern and matches. However, he had thoroughly learned survival guidelines, so as long as he wasn’t seriously injured, his chances of survival looked good.
Having roughly identified the location, Lee Chang-jin wasted no time. He opened the map and pointed to the valley below.
“If Manager Goo is unharmed, he will find his way to a rescue spot. We will conduct a two-way search from the 1.5 km section upstream of the valley to the entrance 2.2 km downstream.”
“What about the construction work?”
“Given the situation, rescuing the missing person is the priority. First, order the staff to stop the construction. Let’s divide the teams. Professor Kim Hak-do, you will take route A, and I will search route B with Seo So-jang. Make sure the search team moves in groups of 2-3 to avoid getting lost themselves. Thoroughly search the valley and hiking trails, focusing on accessible routes.”
“Yes, understood.”
A large-scale search began not far from the accident site.
The search continued day and night.
In addition to the fire department, police, marines, and mountain rescue teams, 60 people participated in the search. Lee Chang-jin spared no expense for the search.
In addition to military, police, and firefighters, two search dogs were also deployed.
But no matter how much they searched, they couldn’t find a single clue.
The area was so vast that narrowing down the search was challenging.
Then, it started to rain, temporarily halting the search.
As the bad weather continued, and the golden time passed, people became increasingly pessimistic.
Swoosh~~~
The team returned to their lodging, unpacked, and looked out the window at the pouring rain.
Thinking of Goo Chang-dong, who must be trembling in the cold and fear, weighed heavily on their hearts.
“How are the rescue teams doing? How much longer until they can resume operations?”
“They are waiting for the weather to improve. It will take about three more days to resume the search, due to the risk of landslides.”
“Everyone is suffering. Please accommodate their needs as much as possible.”
Lee Chang-sik, who was with them, asked worriedly.
“It’s been almost ten days since he went missing; do you think he’s still okay?”
“Manager Goo is known for his stamina. He should still be alive.”
Although he said this, Lee Chang-jin wasn’t entirely confident. However, he couldn’t give up on a founding member just like that.
“Let the staff rest for now. We’ll resume the search as soon as the rain stops.”
On the eleventh day, as the rain began to subside, Lee Chang-jin’s team decided to go further down the dangerous valley.
“No matter how much we search, he’s not here.”
“There’s no sign of anyone. No one is in sight.”
Just then, one of the search team members came running up, out of breath.
“Boss, look! Isn’t this a bloodstain?”
Following the darkened blood trail, they found a large wild boar lying dead in a corner of a cave. The corpse, seemingly dead for a while, was heavily decomposed, with flies swarming around it and its entrails ripped out. Seo So-jang, excited and unsure of what to do, exclaimed,
“Ah, this is the one! The boar Manager Goo was chasing.”
Lee Chang-jin, looking at the foul-smelling carcass, nodded.
“Judging by the level of decomposition, it seems to have been dead for about five days. It held on longer than expected.”
“The machete stuck in its back is missing, so someone must have retrieved it.”
“There wouldn’t have been anyone else here, so it must be Manager Goo. It looks like he is still alive.”
This was encouraging news. Having found a clue, Lee Chang-jin focused the search efforts on the valley below.
However, due to the rain from the previous night, the additional search faced difficulties.
After scouring the area for a while, it was already around 4 PM. Given the short daylight in the mountainous terrain, extending the search was impractical.
“It will get dark soon, so let’s retreat for now and come back tomorrow.”
Everyone was exhausted, having been focused on the search without even having lunch.
Just as they were about to end the search for the day and retreat, they saw a figure running towards them from somewhere.
“Isn’t that Manager Goo?”
“Really?”
Thud, thud, thud!
Goo Chang-dong came running towards them.
As they were about to wave in delight, Goo Chang-dong shouted frantically,
“Move aside, move!!”
Looking back, they saw an angry bear chasing him. The ground shook with the bear’s thundering footsteps. The sight of the massive bear charging was intimidating.
“Damn it, it’s coming this way!”
Panicked by the sudden appearance of the bear, everyone was in chaos.
A startled hunter hastily fired his gun, but it only made the bear angrier.
The bear, hit by several bullets, roared and snorted, more enraged than ever.
Roar~~~~!
The bear, roaring, changed its direction and charged at the group. People, terrified, scattered in all directions. But Lee Chang-jin remained unfazed.
“Give me the gun.”
“What?”
“Give me the gun, quickly!”
Receiving the rifle from the hunter, Lee Chang-jin focused on the bear’s forehead. Aiming at the vital spot, Lee Chang-jin held his breath and stared at the bear.
“Get out of the way!”
“Boss! Get out of there!”
People shouted in alarm, but Lee Chang-jin paid no mind.
Thirty steps, ten steps, five steps.
Even with the bear almost upon him, Lee Chang-jin didn’t flinch.
Focusing intently, Lee Chang-jin aimed at the bear’s vital spot.
As his concentration peaked, each strand of the bear’s fur seemed to move individually.
Keeping his gaze steady, Lee Chang-jin gently squeezed the trigger.
Bang! Bang!
With the gunfire, startled birds flew up in a flurry.
The bear, trembling, halted abruptly.
The bullet had hit its forehead, penetrating its brain.
The bear, fatally wounded, stumbled a few steps before collapsing.
“Boss!!”
Seeing the bear fall, people gathered around again.
Goo Chang-dong, who had been running for his life, finally collapsed, his legs giving way.
Panting heavily, Goo Chang-dong looked up at Lee Chang-jin, who extended a hand to him.
“Are you okay, Manager Goo? Are you hurt?”
Tears and snot flowing, Goo Chang-dong threw himself into Lee Chang-jin’s arms.
“Sob… Boss… I thought I was going to die.”
“Oh dear, a grown man crying…”
Being chased by a bear must have been terrifying.
While Lee Chang-jin was consoling him, Goo Chang-dong, having calmed down a bit, looked around.
“Oh… did Mr. Seo So-jang also come to look for me?”
Seeing him approach with open arms, Seo So-jang, startled, pinched his nose.
“Ew, get away! You reek.”
Slightly embarrassed, Goo Chang-dong sniffed himself.
Having not washed for almost two weeks, Goo Chang-dong looked filthy, like a beggar. The medical staff accompanying Lee Chang-jin examined Goo Chang-dong.
“There are some abrasions and minor skin infections, but he’s in good health.”
Goo Chang-dong, who had fallen down the mountain, fortunately seemed okay. Thanks to the fallen leaves acting as a cushion, he avoided serious injuries.
“It’s sheer luck. How did you end up being chased by a bear?”
“After falling, I dug up some bellflower roots and rationed my food. But then it suddenly rained, so I looked for shelter and found an abandoned mine nearby. I went in to avoid the rain but ended up waking a sleeping bear… I almost died.”
The problem was that the place he went to avoid the rain was the bear’s den.
The bear, whose territory had been invaded, chased him in anger.
He had been running from the bear for half a day, so surviving made Goo Chang-dong seem remarkably resilient. Seo So-jang clicked his tongue in amazement.
“Wow… you’re really something. Your luck is incredible…”
“What about the bear?”
“Well… it’s a waste to just leave it. If we don’t deal with it now, it will rot.”
The bear, struck fatally, lay lifeless.
Seeing the people hesitate about what to do next, Lee Chang-jin rolled up his sleeves.
“What’s there to hesitate about? Let’s skin it. Move aside.”
Removing the bullet from the bear’s forehead, Lee Chang-jin skillfully skinned it.
After taking a short break, Lee Chang-jin turned to the others.
Everyone was staring at him with their mouths open.
“What are you all doing? Help me out?”
“Oh, yes!”
Snapping back to their senses, the staff rushed to help. It didn’t take long to skin the bear, remove the innards, and extract the gallbladder.
Returning to the lodging after finishing the work, they found Professor Kim Hak-do waiting with a prepared pig barbecue.
“Oh, you’ve been through a lot. I’ve prepared a whole roast for dinner. It’s not wild boar, but it was raised on acorns for six months, so it should be delicious.”
The roasting meat looked quite appetizing. Tasting the wood-fired meat, everyone gave it a thumbs up.
“Wow, this is tender and tasty. No gamey smell at all.”
“How is the meat this delicate? This is a real treat.”
“Look at this belly fat. The marbling is amazing.”
Whatever it had been fed, the meat was exceptional. Having not eaten properly for days, Goo Chang-dong devoured the meat ravenously.
Seeing this, Seo So-jang scolded him.
“Hey, take it easy. Someone might think you did something huge.”
“Why are you being like that? We won’t be able to finish all this anyway.”
Feeling wronged, Goo Chang-dong was watched fondly by Lee Chang-jin.
As the stored soju and makgeolli came out, the atmosphere lifted even more.
Drunk, Goo Chang-dong asked Lee Chang-jin,
“Boss, you’re good with a gun and know how to handle meat. Is there anything you can’t do?”
“It’s amazing. Where did you learn butchering?”
“Oh, stop exaggerating. I just learned a bit while serving as a ROTC officer.”
Lee Chang-jin’s humble comment made Kim Hak-do laugh incredulously.
“Haha, that’s hard to believe. Not everyone can become a special warrior.”
“Special warrior?”
Goo Chang-dong perked up his ears as Kim Hak-do continued.
“Oh, didn’t you know? This boss was a big shot in the 25th Division. Whenever they needed meat, he was the first one called. I was his senior back then. Once, he even almost caught a spy.”
“Really?”
“That was then; now I’m older and not as fit.”
“If you’re rusty, does that mean the rest of us should just die?”
As the meal was wrapping up, Lee Chang-jin called Goo Chang-dong aside and asked,
“You mentioned you entered a mine that the bear used as a den. Do you remember the location?”
“Yes, I remember the place. Why do you ask?”
“I think we need a secondary field camp between the main base and the work sites because the distances are too far. We need a place to store equipment and materials, and maybe even a lodging.”
Currently, the work sites were only protected by temporary fences and tents. If it rained and equipment or materials were washed away or if there was an accident, it would be disastrous.
Goo Chang-dong nodded in agreement.
“Of course. I’ll guide you there early tomorrow morning.”
After camping overnight, Lee Chang-jin’s team set out early in the morning to find the location.
“Wow… I can’t believe a place like this exists…”
The staff, looking around the abandoned mine, expressed their amazement in unison. The mine had stacked stone walls, and a drainage channel connected to a stream with clean water flowing through it.
Surprisingly, there was even a concrete dormitory nearby.
Despite having been abandoned for a long time, the building seemed still usable.
“Judging by the architectural style, this building seems to have been built during the Japanese occupation.”
“Then let’s go up to the mine.”
The inside of the mine was quite spacious and deep. From the entrance, the unused rail tracks stretched far inside. Everyone was surprised by the unexpectedly large space.
“It’s surprising to find such a large abandoned mine here.”
“It seems perfect for a storage facility. Additionally, the water pipes are still intact. Look, the water is running.”
Seo So-jang laughed incredulously.
“Wow, that bear was living in a hotel. Unbelievable.”
“It’s amazing that such a place exists. We should have looked into it and started working here sooner.”
“Good. We need to meet the owner of this mine first.”
Though the place had been abandoned for a long time, using it without permission could lead to legal problems. Checking the registry at the county office, they found that the owner lived in a nearby mountain village.
“Luckily, the owner isn’t far away.”
Following the address, they found a spacious log cabin with a triangular roof in the middle of the mountains. An elderly man, seemingly in his 70s with white hair, was watering the garden in front of the house.
- To be continued in Episode 80 -
