Chapter 1122: Welcome to Alaska (8)

Seventeen years of surviving in the wilderness.

Alex Corbin liked to think he'd seen just about everything.

He'd taken volleys of arrows from hostile indigenous tribes (after paying them to shoot at him), survived a face-to-face encounter with a well-fed bear, and even spent three days pretending to starve while secretly eating every time the cameras stopped rolling.

But this...

This was something he'd never seen before.

Who built an entire village in just two days?

Of course, it wasn't impossible.

If you gathered enough people and organized them well, it could be done.

It was the kind of project that required at least ten workers.

The problem was that no one at a survival camp had that kind of spare labor.

Everyone was usually too busy keeping themselves alive. No one had ever gone so far as to build an actual village.

Alex Corbin turned to Nick.

"How is this even possible?"

"On the surface it looks like an egalitarian society, but in reality it's operating under a class system. It's pretty similar to the Bronze Age."

Nick pointed toward the campfire.

Biju was happily humming while cooking.

"NewBlack is the ruling class. They have a monopoly on private property—in this case grilled fish and limpet soup."

"Oh?"

"Moonlight provides labor in exchange for grilled fish."

Jacob from Moonlight sat nearby, his face smeared with soot as he happily munched on grilled fish.

Nick pointed toward the staff.

"And the people working over there are an outside labor force employed by NewBlack."

"Employed?"

"They're being paid at the exchange rate of one gram of pyrite for one gram of gold."

Ri Hyuk was writing something down while Jiho, acting as treasurer, carefully broke off appropriately sized pieces of pyrite and handed them out to the staff.

Alex found himself impressed.

Remarkable.

Jiho didn't exactly look like someone gifted with financial instincts, yet he was setting wages with incredible precision.

As little as possible—but not so little that anyone would think, I'm not working for this.

Alex said,

"So NewBlack is basically directing laborers the way people built Stonehenge?"

"Exactly."

Their eyes drifted toward one particular figure.

The tribal chief wandered through the village with his cloak fluttering over his shoulders.

Wooju carried a long staff like Gandalf, wielding it as a symbol of authority.

The image felt strangely familiar.

"Um..."

Alex hesitated before asking,

"I'm sure the answer is no... but NewBlack doesn't happen to have any connection to North Korea, does it?"

"Uh... probably not."

Nick answered without sounding entirely convinced.

The scene somehow felt as though a news anchor in traditional Korean dress might suddenly announce, The Great Leader has graciously provided on-site guidance!

Regardless, Wooju continued making his rounds through the settlement.

He comforted the Moonlight members by handing out sugar-coated snacks.

He walked over to a camera director who was hammering nails incorrectly, demonstrated the proper technique, and cracked a joke.

Wherever he went, laughter followed.

He's like a politician.

NewBlack's leader charmed everyone with a warm smile and an impossibly handsome face.

Anyone could immediately tell who the center of the camp was.

Nick said,

"The most remarkable thing about Wooju is how well he handles people. He understands exactly what each person wants. He figures out what they need... and uses that to persuade them. And somehow everyone falls for it."

"Hm. Is that so?"

"You'll see soon enough, Alex."

Watching Wooju laugh with everyone in the distance, Alex stepped forward.

Unfortunately, it was time to wrap things up.

"All right, everyone—that's enough!"

Dropping back into survival-instructor mode, Alex raised his voice.

"The survival camp is coming to an end. The sun will be setting soon, so everyone should prepare to head back!"

"Awwwwww!"

"Booing won't change anything!"

The NewBlack staff immediately shouted back in English.

"We want work!"

"We work more!"

"Make money!"

"Wife happy!"

"Good!"

Only the Moonlight members looked delighted that it was over.

The Koreans wanted to keep working.

Alex blinked in confusion.

Isn't finishing a survival exercise supposed to be a good thing?

Ri Hyuk chuckled.

"Koreans actually enjoy working... as long as they're paid fairly. The problem is that most of the time they aren't."

What strange people...

Even so, it really was time to end the camp.

They still had nighttime filming back at headquarters, and the scores needed to be finalized.

Just as Alex firmly shook his head, making it clear there would be no negotiations—

Every Korean simultaneously turned to look at Wooju.

Like members of a tribe looking toward their chief whenever something important happened.

Wooju slowly stepped forward.

...

Wrapped in a black blanket like the chief of a panther tribe, he approached with his long staff tapping against the ground.

Thunk.

Thunk.

Stopping right in front of Alex, Wooju leaned in slightly.

In a cheerful voice, he said,

"Mr. Corbin."

"Yes?"

Now that they had both dropped the act, Alex answered just as quietly.

"What is it?"

"Would it be possible for us to work just a little longer?"

"You know as well as I do that everyone has to return to camp so we can finish filming..."

"We're really close to finishing."

Wooju scratched his cheek and smiled.

"Honestly, I'd like to stop too. But I think our fans are probably going to come here."

"...Your fans?"

"Yeah. They're the type who visit every place we've ever been. So... I think it'd be better if they found a completed village instead of an unfinished one."

...

"I heard the Australian restaurant we visited saw almost a one-thousand-percent increase in sales afterward..."

Instantly, a calculator began spinning inside Alex Corbin's head.

Profit Calculation

NewBlack fans visiting = $$$$$

Moonlight fans visiting = $$$

Korean tourists = $$$$$

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Total: Infinite Profit!

The dollar signs practically appeared in Alex's eyes.

Seeing that, Wooju simply smiled and stepped back.

"Ahem."

The survival expert cleared his throat.

"Change of plans! Overtime is authorized! Once a person starts a job, they ought to see it through to the end!"

"WOOOOOOO!"

Everyone erupted into cheers.

As Wooju was triumphantly tossed into the air by the successful negotiators, Alex turned toward his coaches.

"Nick. Andrea."

"Yes, Alex."

"Let's help too."

"...?"

Repeating Wooju's reasoning almost word for word, Alex continued,

"If we develop this into a tourist destination that NewBlack's fans will visit..."

"...If we do?"

"We can make a fortune and retire within five years."

"...!!"

The survival experts immediately rolled up their sleeves and joined the construction.

Screen time!

Gold rings!

Unlimited money!

With each person dreaming of something different, NewBlack Town officially began its glorious rise.

The experts truly were experts.

"If things stay like this, you'll be extremely vulnerable to enemies or wild animals. You need a moat around the perimeter. Nick, grab a shovel."

"Yes!"

Once the professionals joined the construction effort, everything progressed at lightning speed.

A moat surrounded the palisade.

They pointed out weaknesses none of us had even considered and helped perfect every detail.

Before sunset, NewBlack Town was complete.

Wanting to show it off to Souffle, I picked up the reality camera and headed for the largest hut.

"Souffle! Our new home is finally complete. Shall we take a look together?"

I dramatically pulled aside the blanket covering the entrance.

Naturally, this called for the classic Love House background music.

"Dararararara~♪ Darararara~♬"

There would probably even be a dreamy soft-focus filter added in post.

Holding my hand like a microphone, I pointed it toward Junghyun.

"Sir, could you introduce this home for us?"

"First of all, this is a prime location surrounded by nature. There's a train station only about a hundred kilometers away, and you can enjoy the outdoors every single day. Do you ever get lonely when you're by yourself?"

"Sometimes."

"Well, you'll never be lonely here. Plenty of bugs come inside. Hah!"

"What a wonderful home!"

After proudly showing off the forge, the toilet, and every other feature of the village, we finally wrapped up the day's work and headed back to base camp together.

The silence that always came when everyone was utterly exhausted settled over us.

...

...

Stretching his neck, Ri Hyuk sighed.

"I seriously can't wait to take a shower."

"Me too."

"Just hang in there a little longer. Tomorrow morning we'll finally be back at the hotel."

I encouraged the younger members as we walked toward headquarters.

Sniff.

Junghyun suddenly stopped.

His nostrils flared.

"...This..."

"What?"

"I smell meat."

"...!!"

Our pupils instantly dilated.

The Moonlight members looked over.

"What is it?"

"What's going on?"

"It's meat."

"...?"

"Junghyun says he smells meat."

At first they looked confused.

Then, as we got closer to camp, excitement spread through everyone.

The exhausted members of both groups exchanged a glance.

Nod.

Then we all exploded into a sprint.

Moonlight got off to the faster start.

Hunter, his long hair tied back, laughed triumphantly.

"Ha! Try and catch us!"

"Oh yeah? Pyrite!"

"...!"

Jiho's comeback instantly turned Hunter's face bright red.

Then Junghyun burst forward.

He vaulted over fallen trees at incredible speed, leading the charge as we slipped through the terrain with effortless agility.

Soon we'd overtaken Moonlight.

"Wha...?"

"How are they that fast...?"

Junghyun smiled serenely.

"Running isn't done with your body."

"It's done with your heart."

"You have to possess a good heart if you want to run fast."

"What kind of nonsense is that?!"

With the peaceful smile of a Buddha, Junghyun continued sprinting as we all laughed and leapt over fallen trees behind him.

"Welcome to Alaska!"

"Hey! We're the Americans! You're the Koreans!"

Leaving the struggling Moonlight members behind, we reached camp first.

Catching our breath and wiping away sweat, Jiho smiled proudly.

"That jungle gym challenge on NewBlack TV really paid off."

"It sure did."

Even the camera directors laughed, saying it had been refreshing to get some real exercise for once.

Then our mouths all fell open.

"Woooooow...!"

The survival experts had prepared a barbecue feast just for us.

The smell alone made my mouth water.

"Come on, have a seat."

We gathered around a log table and accepted plates piled high with meat.

Moonlight arrived shortly afterward, and dinner finally began.

"Wow..."

"Seriously..."

We felt exactly the same.

"Meat..."

"How long has it been?"

"Forty-eight hours."

"Felt a lot longer than that."

The brisket practically melted in my mouth.

Nick, standing at the grill, laughed.

"I'm from Texas. You should come visit someday. You'll find barbecue places even better than this."

Coming from someone born in the home of barbecue, that was high praise.

Still...

I doubted Texas could ever replicate this taste.

After working nonstop for two straight days...

This final meal was something special.

It felt just like grilling pork belly late at night after finishing the last concert of a tour.

"Attention!"

Alex Corbin called out in a solemn voice.

Still eating, we turned toward the scoreboard where he stood smiling.

"You all worked incredibly hard over these two days. You survived the wilderness with flying colors!"

Everyone applauded and cheered.

"I'm sure you're wondering what your final scores are. To be honest, I struggled with that myself. No team in any previous survival camp has ever accomplished what the twelve of you did."

Everyone nodded.

"For that reason..."

"Your scores will not be posted here."

"...?"

"Instead..."

A new display board slid down over the normal scoreboard.

Each participant's photograph had been mounted beneath a large title.

Hall of Fame.

A phrase I was more used to seeing at the Grammys.

"So..."

"We've decided to induct all twelve of you into the Hall of Fame."

"WOOOOOOOO!"

The Moonlight members shouted "Yeah!" while we burst into delighted laughter.

Once the awards were over, the cameras were shut off and everyone relaxed over dinner.

After spending two full days together, even the Moonlight members had become noticeably friendlier.

"Honestly..."

Tyron spoke first.

"I'd misunderstood you guys for a long time."

"But after this trip, I finally got to know you better."

"And I came to one important realization."

"What realization?"

"...We're fundamentally incompatible."

It was meant as a joke.

Yet every one of us nodded.

We really were.

Our side wanted to work.

Their side wanted to enjoy themselves.

Tyron continued,

"But... that's not necessarily a bad thing."

"If we run into each other at award shows from now on..."

"Let's smile and say hello."

Ri Hyuk tilted his head.

"We've always smiled when greeting you."

"Nice try slipping that one past us."

"...Let's not dwell on that part."

As the curly-haired member scratched his head awkwardly, Hunter suddenly declared,

"Right! At least tonight let's all have a drink together!"

"We're filming again tomorrow."

"No alcohol."

"...Yeah, we really don't get along."

After two days together, we'd reached our conclusion.

We probably wouldn't become close friends.

But they weren't nearly as bad as we'd originally thought.

As everyone mingled and chatted, Colin came over and sat beside me.

"So..."

Brushing back his hair, he asked,

"So... where does that leave us?"

"Simple."

I smiled.

"Just like any other relationship."

"You apologize."

"I decide whether to accept it."

"Easy, right?"

...

"If not, that's fine too."

After a brief hesitation, Colin sighed.

"I was an ass back then."

"I was immature."

Looking embarrassed, he continued,

"To tell you the truth..."

"Kelly kept going around saying how ridiculously handsome you were."

"Your girlfriend?"

"Well..."

"Not at the time."

Kelly Nelson.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter.

So he'd been jealous because the woman he liked kept talking about me.

That finally solved part of the mystery.

"Everyone does stupid things once in a while."

"Yeah."

Colin stared awkwardly into the distance before asking,

"Since I've apologized..."

"Can I ask you one thing?"

"...?"

"What exactly does 'Bom Gam Za' mean?"

The American still hadn't escaped the curse of Bom Gam Za.

"'Bom Gam Za' literally means spring potato."

"...?"

"Spring potato."

"You know."

"The kind of potato you make French fries from."

...

Colin Evans's face slowly cycled through every imaginable shade of red.

"I'll be going now."

Apparently too embarrassed to stay, Potato Evans fled the scene with his face burning bright crimson.

Hmm...

Yeah.

I don't think we'll ever be friends.

After the barbecue party and one final night at camp—

"See you at next year's Billboard!"

"Take care!"

We waved goodbye to the Moonlight members.

As everyone exchanged cheerful farewells, Colin Evans and I briefly made eye contact.

He immediately snapped his head away.

I laughed to myself before climbing into the vehicle.

Jiho collapsed into his seat with a long sigh.

"Phew... the concept is finally over!"

"You worked hard."

"But I think it actually helped my acting."

"I've realized I'm definitely more Apocalypse Now than The Hunger Games."

Half-listening as Jiho enthusiastically analyzed his character, I gradually nodded off.

Bright Alaskan sunshine poured through the windows.

Our trip was finally over.

Today would be our free day before flying home.

"Wow..."

The moment we entered the hotel, all of us stared in amazement.

"Hyung."

"If you turn the faucet, clean water comes out."

"...There's hot water."

"And there's food in the refrigerator even though nobody hunted anything!"

We'd only spent two days in the wilderness.

Yet returning felt like coming back to civilization after an entire year.

For the first time, I felt I could vaguely understand why soldiers in American dramas sometimes struggled to readjust to ordinary life.

Enjoying the warmth and comfort of civilization, I reached a conclusion.

"Let's spend the rest of our lives living in civilization."

"Agreed."

We'd experienced quite enough of life in the wild.

After a simple hotel breakfast, we spent the day sightseeing around Anchorage.

Since it was our last day, we also stopped by the city's largest supermarket to buy snacks to take back to Korea.

That's when—

"Hmm..."

Junghyun was standing motionless in the middle of one aisle.

"What is it?"

"I don't know..."

"I've just got a strange feeling today."

"A feeling?"

"I can't really explain it."

"Something just feels... off."

"...?"

I looked around.

"I don't see anything."

"Maybe I'm just not used to being back yet."

Figuring he was still adjusting after two days in the wilderness, we continued pushing our shopping carts through the store.

Then—

Rumble...

A strange sound echoed through the building.

"Huh...?"

"Uh...?"

And then—

RUMBLE!

The ground began to shake.

Products crashed off the shelves.

The younger members and I exchanged a look.

Alaska lay on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

"...!"

"...!"

It was an earthquake.