Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World-Chapter 330 : A Calm Winter’s Day Turns Uneasy

Kim Haru didn't notify anyone of his arrival, but everyone in the Pyeongseong Safe Zone was well-acquainted with him.

When they saw saw him, they would be stop for a moment and greeted him warmly, wished him a happy new year with an abundance of well-wishes and blessings.

Kim Haru accepted the greetings graciously.

Most people who greeted him received a handful of orange peel candy and dried sweet potatoes.

He even plucked a skewer of candied hawthorn from the bunch that Go Okrim was carrying and handed it over.

No matter how much they tried to refuse, Kim Haru would simply press the treats into their hands before moving on, leaving them behind, still thanking him profusely.

As they wandered around and giving out treats to those they encountered, they eventually arrived at the Fourth District Market.

The news of their presence soon reached Hwa Jian, who imm came over.

"Mr. Kim, what's all this about?" he asked.

"Just a small token of appreciation," Kim Haru replied, recalling the time he had sold vegetables here and been protected by the locals.

Kim Haru placed one of the bundles of candied hawthorn near the market entrance, attaching a small sign that read, "Take one skewer per person."

With that, he turned around and left.

The remaining orange peel candy, dried sweet potatoes, and candied hawthorn were brought to the central district to share with everyone there.

People gathered while eating snacks and chatting, enjoying a relaxed and pleasant time.

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Even Moon Baein who works as the Pyeongseong Safe Zone Commander found time to join the gathering.

Accompanied by Jang Dojang, he sat down with Kim Haru to enjoy the treats and conversation.

Their talk wasn't about serious matters; it was casual, filled with lighthearted chatter that flitted from one topic to the next.

"This winter has been the most comfortable one we've had since the founding of the Pyeongseong Safe Zone," Moon Baein remarked with a sigh. "There's only one month of winter left. Once spring comes, we'll be busy again."

The tasks awaiting them in spring weren't easy to sum up in a single word.

Beyond internal development projects in the safe zone, there were also critical interactions and negotiations with other safe zones—matters that required attention and effort.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do," Kim Haru offered plainly.

"Haha, that's exactly what I'd expect from Mr. Kim," Moon Baein laughed heartily, clearly pleased. "But don't worry. As I promised before, we won't burden you with miscellaneous matters. You're free to do whatever you want. If you need our support, just let us know."

"Alright. How's the greenhouse project coming along?" Kim Haru asked, shifting his focus to something he was familiar with.

"With the help of the Antharion Giant Ants, the installation of the heating pipes progressed much faster than we expected," Moon Baein replied. "Additionally, the coal we received from Gokmul County helped a lot. The greenhouse temperatures have risen, though not as high as we initially hoped. The seeds you taught us to plant are already sown, but it might take some time for them to sprout."

"Let me know if there are any issues," Kim Haru said.

"Rest assured, Mr. Kim. After the extensive planting you guided us through last autumn, everyone is skilled now. If there's any problem we can't solve, we'll let you know immediately."

"Good."

"By the way, Mr. Kim, what do you think about holding a trade fair in the spring?" Moon Baein asked, revealing a matter he had been mulling over for some time.

After the autumn trade event, the safe zones nearby would inevitably send people to gather information.

Given the current state of humanity's survival in the post-apocalypse, Moon Baein realized he couldn't afford to isolate the Pyeongseong Safe Zone entirely or keep the other safe zones at arm's length.

Instead of allowing others to sneak around in secret, it would be better for the Pyeongseong Safe Zone to openly host an event where such interactions could be monitored.

Besides, many of the resources Pyeongseong Safe Zone had weren't entirely unsharable.

Friendly trade that was free of underhanded tactics, was naturally the most desirable path forward.

"Do you think it's manageable?" Kim Haru understood Moon Baein's intent.

He had no objections to the idea of a trade fair, as long as the Pyeongseong Safe Zone could maintain the control.

Moon Baein nodded. "We weren't confident before, but with Song Hayoon from the Caeruleus Draco Squad here, the safe zone's combat capabilities have improved significantly. This is our territory, after all, so we have the upper hand."

"That's good."

Since they had confidence, Kim Haru didn't see any reason to oppose it.

As they chatted, a sudden commotion interrupted their conversation.

"What's going on?" Both Kim Haru and Moon Baein frowned.

Stepping out of the office building, they found the noise coming from the direction of the animal research facility.

Seeing this, Kim Haru instinctively looked toward his Cryo Wolf.

He almost thought the Cryo Wolf had caused trouble again, perhaps by crashing into something or releasing animals from their enclosures.

However, to his surprise, all the eleven giant fluffy Cryo Wolf were huddled around the office building very docile.

None of them were responsible for the uproar.

Strangely, the Cryo Wolf seemed unusually tense—each one shrinking into itself, their fur visibly trembling.

When the Cryo Wolf spotted Kim Haru, they immediately surrounded him.

Despite their massive size, they tried to squeeze behind him for protection.

Unable to fit, they jostled and leaned against one another, vying for space behind their tiny human guardian.

"What's wrong with them?" Moon Baein noticed the odd behavior too.

This time, Kim Haru hadn't brought the Ginseng Spirit along, so he couldn't get a direct verbal explanation from the Cryo Wolf.

As he tried to decipher their body language, someone came running from the animal research facility to report to Moon Baein.

"Safe Zone Commander, there's widespread agitation among the animals at the research facility. Preliminary analysis suggests the possibility of an earthquake!"