The Walking Dead: I Sell Arms as a Sixth-Rate Seller in the Apocalypse

9:00 AM

In a hotel room in Woodbury

Rick held Mihoko in his arms as he listened to Park Miri recount her tragic past in the room.

"After that, things went peacefully for a few years. I ran that barbecue restaurant in North Atlanta, and business was getting better and better. Until one day, a white man brought a blonde girl a few years younger than you into my restaurant. When I first saw her, I saw your shadow in her, so much so that every time she came in, I treated her like you..."

Rick couldn't stand it anymore and immediately interrupted.

"Ms. Park Mi-ri, don't you think what you're doing is despicable? You're projecting your guilt and love for Mi-hye onto a complete stranger. Do you think your actions will lessen the debt you've owed Mi-hye over the years? While you were away, Mi-hye was forced to learn kendo by that old beast, Judge. Even now, she still has a scar on her arm from Judge's beating. Putting aside Judge's issues, don't you have any problems yourself?"

When Park Mi-ri heard Rick's question from the depths of his soul, she was speechless and didn't know how to refute it. She had never imagined that her departure would cause Mi-eko so much pain. She could even imagine the miserable state of Mi-eko being disciplined by Judge with a wooden sword and a stick.

Mieko tugged at Larrick's sleeve, her expression numb. Although she had many grievances, she had silently endured her father's beatings for so many years. Although she was beaten and insulted by her father as a good-for-nothing every day, she never gave up. She constantly honed her swordsmanship. While others slept, she trained. While others went on vacation, she practiced slashing at wooden dummy in the kendo dojo. While others enjoyed family reunions and delicious food, she was still practicing kendo. When she was hungry, she could only make a few bland rice balls to fill her stomach.

All of this forged Mihoko's steely will. She had fantasized about ending her life many times. She didn't know how to fight back when her classmates bullied her at school, which made her an easy target for bullying. Not only did the teachers at school discriminate against her, but even her other Asian classmates of the same skin color would choose to turn a blind eye when she was bullied.

Faced with pressure that most people could hardly bear, Mihoko did not choose to retaliate against this unjust society. She did not teach those classmates who bullied her a lesson. She turned all her hatred into practice. She practiced kendo day and night, to the point that even Nohara Gaji couldn't help but sigh when he saw her. She was such a girl, an introverted and strong girl, until she met her man Rick. For the first time, she felt the care from outsiders. The promise she made under the tree that day made her feel her own importance for the first time.

Thinking of all this, Mihoko's eyes were already brimming with tears. She looked at the man who was holding her, and then at her somewhat mentally unstable biological mother. She could no longer hold back her tears. Years of grievances had been weighing on her. The time she cried to Rick that day had only released a part of it, but today she was releasing all of her grievances.

The quiet hotel room was suddenly shattered by the sound of crying.

Rick sighed, hugged her, and stroked her back. Thinking about how much his woman had suffered, Rick felt a sense of helplessness. He even thought that if he could have been with her since she was a child, perhaps her personality wouldn't have become so withdrawn and introverted.

But Rick was also somewhat relieved. In this desperate post-apocalyptic environment, it was actually Mihoko's resilient and considerate personality that made her more suitable for survival. She was much better than those manipulative, scheming women who would do anything when they needed something. As long as he was there, Mihoko would never be bullied by anyone, no one at all!

A few dozen seconds later, Mihoko seemed to have cried herself to sleep and fell asleep in Rick's arms. Rick carefully put her on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

Rick gave Park Mi-ri a look, and the two of them left the room and went to the room across the street.

Meanwhile, in the next room, there was another man lying on the bed, smoking, his mind filled with the information he had just overheard from next door.

This man was none other than the governor, who had a penchant for eavesdropping. Although he was ruthless, he was also a loving father who cared deeply for his daughter before the apocalypse. When he heard Park Mi-ri recount the tragic events of her youth, his head instantly turned red with rage. He wanted nothing more than to tear that scumbag named Nohara Gaji to pieces. He originally planned to rush in, find out Nohara Gaji's location, and then lead his men to rip him to pieces. However, he heard Rick's soul asking a question. He had intended to extract the weapon's whereabouts from Rick before killing him. As for Mi-eko, he planned to treat her like a second Penny, to make up for his longing for his daughter and to compensate for Park Mi-ri's tragic past.

But as Mihoko's cries rang out, his thoughts were interrupted by the crying. He stopped thinking about these things and his mind was filled with his daughter Penny's smile and her childhood memories.

He went to the bathroom to wash his face, looked at himself in the mirror, and made a silent vow: he, Philip Black, would protect Nohara Mieko, his stepdaughter with whom he had no blood relation.

With that thought in mind, he got up and left the hotel, heading towards his governor's mansion.

At this moment, with the help of his perception skills, Rick knew that the person who had been eavesdropping in the next room had left, and he said to Park Mi-ri.

“Ms. Park Mi-ri, no matter what, your daughter and I have already consummated our relationship. You have no right to interfere with our freedom of love. I don’t want to resort to violence against you in the future. That would not be good for you, Mi-eko, or Philip Black.”

“I’ve already said I disagree! I’ve already been through it once, and I don’t want Mieko to repeat my mistakes and go down the same path.”

Upon hearing this, Rick's anger flared up instantly, and he threatened Park Mi-ri fiercely.

“Park Miri, I don’t care how that scumbag Nohara Gaji treated you, but my feelings for Mieko remain unchanged. No one can bully her, not even you or your husband. If it has to come to this, I don’t mind transforming into a demon from hell and killing everyone who bullies her. I’m not as indecisive as your man. If you touch my sore spot, I don’t care even if it means risking the destruction of all humanity. If you think I don’t have the strength and am just bragging, then you can try. I just hope you won’t regret it later.”

Hearing Rick's blatant threat, Park Mi-ri thought that the young man in front of her, who was about to enter middle age, was just raging in a fit of impotence. She didn't take it seriously and rolled her eyes at Rick.

"Is that so? If you think you have that ability, then prove it to me. As long as you can leave here with Mieko by tonight and kill that bastard who hit my daughter on the head, I will allow you to be with Mieko. I can even persuade the governor to set you both free. How about it?"

Rick thought the deal was pretty good. Although he didn't want to use Mihoko as a bargaining chip, it was indeed a good opportunity. Besides, he could also use this opportunity to find out Woodbury's background and kill that bald guy. It wasn't a bad deal.

After weighing the pros and cons, Rick nodded and said.

"Alright, it's settled then. I hope you keep your word. Otherwise, even if it means risking everything, I will kill everyone here. Don't blame me for being ruthless then."

"Can"

Park Mi-ri nodded in agreement. Actually, she had a pretty good eye for people. She could tell at a glance that Rick was extraordinary. Although he was a bit impulsive and immature, she felt that since her daughter loved him, she should at least consider her daughter's feelings. So, she pretended to look down on Rick and even provoked him, just to give Rick a chance to prove with his actions whether he was worthy of Mi-eko.

Rick then returned to Mihoko's room, where he received information from Park Miri about the culprit who had knocked out his wife before they parted ways.

After Park Mi-ri left, Rick closed the door and began to speak.

"Silas, you dare to hit my wife? I'll make sure you experience the agony of being slowly sliced ​​to death."

After saying this to himself, Rick went back to bed to keep Mieko company while she slept.

A few minutes later.

Park Mi-ri returned to the governor's mansion and watched her man sitting at his desk smoking, his deep eyes revealing thoughts that even she couldn't understand.

Upon seeing her arrive, the governor stubbed out his cigarette and spoke.

"So? Did you reach an agreement?"

"Yes, it's settled. As long as he can take down Silas tonight, Thomas will be one less confidant, and then we can take him down more easily."

The governor walked over to Park Mi-ri, hugged her, and comforted her.

“Beautiful, I’m sorry about your daughter. I promise that after this is over, she can do whatever she wants. I will treat her the same way I treated Penny.”

Upon hearing the governor's words, Park Mi-ri's expressionless face softened slightly, and she responded.

"Yes, I believe she will understand. After all, she grew up in that kind of environment, so I believe she can understand you and me."

"By the way, what should we do with that man named Rick? If we kill her, Mieko will be very sad. I can tell that Mieko's love for him even surpasses that for me."

"As long as he can reveal the source of the weapons, I guarantee that after dealing with that disloyal bastard Thomas, I will put him in that position, and as his stepfather, I will also support his relationship with Mieko."

After receiving the governor's assurance, Park Mi-ri's tense face relaxed considerably. She breathed a sigh of relief and hugged the governor's head, asking him a question.

"Now that Mieko is back, should we continue with that plan?"

"Of course, this is Penny's wish, and we promised her."

"Since things have come to this, let's begin."

After Park Mi-ri finished speaking with the governor, the two walked hand in hand toward the bedroom behind the governor's office.