Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Did You See the News?

“I know everything inside so come out!”

Bark bark!

Woof woof woof!

Shouting from outside and banging bang bang, the dogs also got excited and it became a mess.

“I’ll go out.”

“Yes? Will it be okay? If just ignored he goes on his own but···.”

I gestured that it’s fine, then locked several doors thoroughly and went out.

Passed the container office and the vacant lot with the car then the gate.

Bang bang!

“People’s words don’t sound like words···!”

I also answered in a restaurant part-timer tone.

“Yes, going out!”

When I opened the locked gate, a grandfather was standing panting.

“Where did the director here go! Tell the director to come out!”

“The director is hospitalized. But what are you saying? The dogs here caught and ate your chickens?”

“Move! I’ll catch the dog bastards myself and···!”

I closed the gate behind and blocked. Took off the gloves and mask, and made as friendly an expression as possible.

“Please calm down and converse with me. I understand the feeling of wanting to confirm directly, but if you enter recklessly like this only you will be troubled. Yes?”

“······.”

“If there’s something unfair I’ll listen to everything.”

The grandfather’s face was red, but there was no alcohol smell.

“Do you think I’m doing this for nothing? Because it seems like a face seeing for the first time I’m telling you! Don’t believe all the words the guys here say. I’m not a crazy old man!”

The grandfather poured out the story on the spot.

About 3 years ago. Taking advantage of the shelter management becoming negligent, several dogs escaped. And those guys raided the grandfather’s poultry farm.

The dogs were caught soon and returned to the shelter, and the director and volunteers compensated the chicken value.

But recently, chickens are being raided by dogs again.

When going to the poultry farm at dawn, chicken corpses bitten and half eaten by beasts are rolling.

“Look at this! It’s the dog bastards!”

The grandfather showed the poultry farm CCTV video.

Really dogs digging holes under the poultry farm fence and entering was filmed.

Even if the quality is blurry, it could be known that they are the white dogs and yellow dogs types many at the shelter.

But with only this video, it doesn’t become evidence that these dogs are shelter dogs.

“Teacher. By any chance have you seen this shelter’s kennel? The kennel is also locked, and even to go to the kennel double triple···.”

“I know too! That’s why I’m more going crazy. The director here and the guys who often come, deliberately letting them loose at night to save feed money it’s clear?”

This is a situation where misunderstanding and emotions are firmly piled. He doesn’t seem to have any intention of believing at all.

Actually there’s even a record of being hit by shelter dogs and receiving compensation.

“Teacher.”

I seriously proposed.

“How about reporting to an animal program and finding the real culprit···. No, the raiders?”

“Are you telling me to get cursed nationwide?”

His gaze headed to the traces of lacquer painted red then erased.

He knows well that his own actions were excessive.

“Then···. ······?”

I stopped talking and focused dozens of meters beyond.

Becoming level 11 the [Contagious Disease Patient] detection distance increased, and at the end barely three [Contagious Disease Patient] were passing.

Beyond the thick bushes.

“By any chance.”

I focused a bit more and looked.

It was 3 dogs.

Two white dogs, one yellow dog.

“Isn’t there also the possibility it’s the doing of other stray dogs?”

“There are no stray dogs in this neighborhood. The original stray dogs the director also said they’re abandoned dogs and gathered them all!”

The grandfather laid out a long speech saying his suspicion is rational, then only after a call came he left the front of the shelter.

Another volunteer carefully opened the gate and came out.

“Doesn’t talk, right?”

“Haha···. But around here, haven’t you seen stray dogs?”

“Hmm. Dogs that seem to have no owner, often come near the shelter. By any chance I said earlier to the grandfather isn’t it those dogs’ doing, but he didn’t believe. Saying it’s clear it’s the shelter dogs’ doing.”

“Yes···.”

The dogs seen a little earlier were also carrying [Contagious Disease Patient].

Whether caught from here, or those guys transmitted to the shelter dogs. I became a bit curious.

“Then.”

I pointed to the sky.

“That, do you know what bird it is?”

A bird carrying [Contagious Disease Patient] was flying again. Not one, several mixed in the flock as a group.

“Yes. That is a mallard.”

“By any chance those birds, do they catch bad viruses well?”

“Just catching?”

The volunteer shook her head.

“You know avian influenza? Those guys are one of the main culprits transmitting that.”

“······!”

Avian influenza.

News and articles seen before came to mind.

[○○ area avian flu emergency··· 1.46 million culled]

[○○ farm avian influenza confirmed, 30,000 culled]

[Shelter cat culled due to avian flu infection]

[Highly pathogenic avian flu spread··· egg price rises again]

I searched ‘mallard avian flu’ on the phone.

Information that mallards often have no symptoms even if infected, so grasping is not easy came into view.

“Do you know where the grandfather’s poultry farm from earlier is?”

“Yes. It’s the closest poultry farm from here.”

Just in time today’s work is all finished.

I changed clothes and brought the car out.

Before going to the poultry farm, I drove in the direction the mallard flock flew then got off.

“There.”

Far away, a mallard flock leisurely drinking water at a shallow waterside was visible.

I took out the phone, and filmed video centered on the [Contagious Disease Patient] mallards.

Most are asymptomatic, but just in case.

And while continuing to look, I also felt that the [Contagious Disease Patient] mallards seem a bit slower than other individuals.

“······?”

Then I briefly turned the camera.

Between the thick bushes not far from the mallard flock.

The 3 [Contagious Disease Patient] stray dogs seen a little earlier were slowly moving.

Toward the place where the mallard flock is.

If not for the [Contagious Disease Patient] text, it was so secretive that I couldn’t have captured it.

Are they trying to hunt the mallards now?

Future developments came to mind.

The stray dogs hunt the slow-moving [Contagious Disease Patient] mallards.

The virus sticks to or infects the stray dogs.

The stray dogs come to play at the abandoned dog shelter, and go to the poultry farm and catch and eat chickens.

That virus spreads to the poultry farm and shelter.

Poultry farm mass culling.

Shelter dogs also get infected one after another.

I ran shouting like a crazy guy.

“Uaaaaa···!”

Flap flap.

The mallard flock leisurely drinking water all flew up at once, and the stray dogs also startled and ran away.

***

Psss, psss.

I sprayed the disinfection spray prepared when going to Yeoncheon last time on the car. On shoes too, on clothes too.

Even after arriving at the poultry farm psss.

The grandfather loading feed sacks on a cart approached.

“Aren’t you that student from earlier? Why did you come here?”

“I think I found the poultry farm raiders.”

I showed the video filmed a little earlier.

“Do you see these dogs? Similar in color or size, appearance to the dogs in the CCTV video you showed earlier?”

“···They must be guys who came out of the shelter.”

“Aey, you also saw earlier. The shelter wall and gate were tightly closed. And me and another volunteer were giving food, would those guys refuse food dig a dog hole and jump out?”

“······.”

The poultry farm grandfather tightly closed his mouth, and focused on the dogs in the video.

“But, it seems a bigger problem than this has arisen.”

“···What.”

“These mallards. Especially this guy and this guy. Isn’t it a bit strange? The actions are slow, by any chance isn’t it that they caught some bad disease?”

I rewound the video to the beginning and showed the [Contagious Disease Patient] mallards.

The grandfather narrowed his eyes and looked for a long while, then frowned.

“I don’t know?”

“Look more carefully. Even preening the feathers looks somehow dumb. Like having a fever. Drinking water is also not refreshing. And this guy here too.”

“···I really don’t know?”

I said with a serious face.

“If by any chance it’s avian flu···.”

The grandfather’s expression hardened coldly.

“Don’t say unlucky words! If you’re going to say that kind of words go! Go!”

The appearance of the grandfather getting angry was extremely scary, so I gradually stepped back.

[Uaaaaa···!]

From the phone the sound I made while chasing the stray dogs flowed then cut off.

“Still just in case prepare! Be sure to!”

“Go, you bastard! Unlucky!”

I was chased out.

Wronged but what can I do.

I can’t inform that [Contagious Disease Patient] is visible to my eyes.

Even if I say he won’t believe.

I returned to the shelter again, and requested the volunteer guarding the shelter instead of the director.

The stray dogs seem infected with something, so it would be good to be careful not to contact the shelter dogs.

I also reported that the mallard flock here seems strange.

I explained the date and time, place in detail, but omitted the words that it seems avian influenza.

I can only know the fact that it’s a [Contagious Disease Patient], not exactly what disease. Since there’s also the possibility of another virus.

Before returning home I stopped by the car wash.

Shaaa.

Looking at the water stream soaking the car window I muttered.

“With this I’ve done as much as I can, Kang Bong-sik.”

If something happens a contact will come from another volunteer.

***

The next day.

Early in the morning I found the bank, and paid the tuition.

With the fee received from treatment prayer.

Now the realization that I’m returning to school soon is coming.

Buzz.

A call came from Mother.

“Yes, Mother.”

-[Earlier when eating I forgot and didn’t say. Don’t you have to pay the university tuition soon? Check the virtual account number and send by text.]

“I already paid, Mother.”

-[What? Did you by any chance pay with the money gathered in the military? Mom said. For just in case you have to have a lump sum.]

That money is also intact.

Please don’t worry.

“Hehe.”

-[Funny. You don’t have to be considerate of Mom and Dad like that already. There’s plenty of tuition I’ll give until you graduate.]

“Yes. Then see you in the evening, Mother.”

-[···Yeah.]

I got in the car parked in the bank parking lot. And when about to start the engine.

Ding.

Mother deposited 3 million won in my account.

You don’t have to give.

I scratched my head, then searched for a department store on the navigation.

That evening.

I got hit on the back by Mother who saw the hanwoo set bought at the department store, but whether the toughness also strengthened as the level rose it didn’t hurt that much.

“Kang Bong-sik you confess obediently. Did you win the lottery secretly from us?”

While grilling hanwoo.

I looked at Sister and opened my eyes and mouth roundly.

“Ah, caught.”

“Really? How much?”

Father also made a surprised expression.

“Really won the lottery? No wonder. How much did you receive?”

I lied brazenly.

“A bit under 1 million won. Because it’s an awkward amount to boast I didn’t tell.”

“Hmm. It is awkward.”

“With the money Mom gave buy clothes and shoes newly too. Soon returning to school too, have to show off coolly to juniors. Only then a girlfriend will appear right.”

“Yes.”

“When going to buy clothes I’ll go together too. I’ll choose for you.”

“Yeah, take Hyun-seo. Don’t go alone and buy only weird things a lot.”

“Yes. Arong, is hanwoo delicious?”

I grilled a non-greasy part blandly and shared a bit with Arong.

Bark!

Arong answered wagging his tail.

“Yeah, already all eaten.”

The contact from another volunteer at the abandoned dog shelter came, around noon the next day.

When about to go out with Sister.

-[Bong-sik, did you see the news? Here is in a mess now···!]

I picked up the TV remote, and turned on the news channel.

[Highly pathogenic AI virus detected in wild bird feces]

The place I filmed the mallard flock came out.

[In the feces of wild birds collected in the ○○ area, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected. Receiving a report that the wild birds’ condition looks strange and confirming the site···.]

It was really avian influenza.

“The shelter? Is it okay?”

-[Yes. People came and confirmed the dogs’ condition too, all healthy good. Also saying to be careful not to contact wild animals from now on. After hearing Bong-sik’s words the day before yesterday, it seems good that we didn’t let them out of the kennel.]

“Fortunate.”

-[And that grandfather you know? He said to convey sorry to Bong-sik, thank you. While also apologizing for the rowdy behavior at the shelter until now···.]

The volunteer burst into laughter.

-[He gave as many as 20 sacks of dog feed and left.]

I also laughed.

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