Squid Game: A New game 7
*********** Things Become Clearer ***********
Gi-hun was sitting in front of the television inside of his apartment again.
"Thirty minutes"…..he was thinking.
He had just thirty minutes before the next "Squid Game" or "Gladiator Game" (whatever name they wanted to brand it with in this country)….was to commence.
His heart was pounding, but not in a good way. He wasn't looking forward to this.
Although it wasn't called murder (by those who wagered and were entertained by the carnage, or by those who were the workers and the overseers), that's still what it was. Shooting people or causing their death by other means. It was murder.
Gi-hun had not totally agreed to Sae-Byeok's proposition (agreeing to join "The Group"). He had left himself an opening for backing-out. Still, what he had consented to was to assist further with helping their cause (a way to end the games and bring those responsible to justice)… at least for now he was going to try.
Gi-hun had to make sure that he retained his sanity. What good would it do if he lost his sense of self while in the process of saving others? He wanted to see his daughter again, but not at the cost of his soul.
Anyway, the next game would begin shortly. The visit to his hotel room by Sae-bueok had been very informational. He had learned a lot from his ex-Squid Game companion. She had told him that "The Group" had brought her here to America. That they had helped her to infiltrate the "Game" here.
There was a core organization who were dedicated in stopping these events. Events of this nature which were held around the world. Homicide for hire was still a crime no matter what rationale was used to justify it.
"America is more of an equal-opportunity employer," Sae-byeok had told him. "There are women allowed into the soldier ranks. While in Korea it is all men. The soldiers of the game are labeled as "A, B & C"….in accordance with their duties."
Gi-hun had noticed that she had a "C" printed on her face-guard.
"The "C" is the lowest rank," Sae-Byeok continued. "Which means that my job consist only of the basic duties. I cook, clean and help remove bodies sometime. I do not have to participate in any of the eliminations. I would not have agreed to this if I would have had to do that. Anyway, right now, at the Coliseum, the scoreboard is being tallied. The eliminations are being counted and the money is being distributed into a giant treasure chest…it's what they use here. If you haven't become aware already…these games are all about visual impact. What the eye sees, it remembers. The giant doll at our first game….the giant arm in this one. It's all about striking fear and showing control. They are in control. They know that after the first game the participants will usually vote to end it. The Game Master (Front Man in Korea), is counting on that. However, they also know that dropping all of that cash into a big treasure chest or a piggy bank wets people's appetite. Just the idea of seeing all that currency dropping down and knowing that it could be yours. Well, it messes with people's heads. Many of them will agree to return within a short time to finish the game. The operators of this contest know how the human mind works." She stopped here a moment.
"However, that is not how it works for you," she continued. "You've been a witness to the first game Gi-hun. Although the outside world would just think that you were crazy if you tried to publicly speak about this…. reality is that the masterminds of the games are in constant fear of any light being shed on their contest. Its attention they don't want. They diligently guard their secret."
(Gi-hun remembered when he'd first went to the police department after his involvement in the first game in his country. The time he'd tried to bring awareness to what was going on. He remembered the criticism and the ridicule. No one would believe him)
"They can't just let you walk away. And they have no intensions of doing so for now. They have to maintain the concealment and covertness of what they are doing. There is someone outside watching for you right now. Your comings and goings are being observed. Should you choose to run…then you will be met with an unfortunate accident. Still, with your participation in each game their confidence in you grows stronger. You will be considered more like one of them. You are only a low-level VIP at the moment. However, by the end of it all there will be a vote. A vote to keep you or another to "rub" you out. The term they use. Either way…the game has to be protected and they will decide if you can be trusted."
Gi-hun was stunned.
"My gosh I'm in deeper than I knew," he thought.
"However, under "The Group" we can protection you. We can get you out." Sae-Byeok said. "Still we would need time to do that. For now you're involved…whether you like it or not. So, you just have to deal with it."
Gi-hun was not happy. However, as they say here in America "he was between a rock and a hard place", or in other words…he was f**ked. At least for now. He felt like he was back in Korea again. And being hounded by loan "collectors".
Before leaving Sae-Byeok had told him that he needed to begin watching the contestants. That he needed to mentally make a list of players and then choose a few that he considered to be "champions". These would be candidates that he thought possibly could win. Be the last person standing. That was where the VIPs got their jollies (excitement). The competition of the players and their competition with each other. It was why they were willing to invest loads of money into these games. The rush and exhilaration they got. It was exactly what Oh Il-nam had explained to him while lying on his death-bed.
The thought made Gi-hun's stomach turn. He felt stuck. Still, there was no turning back. He was committed. He would do as Sae-Byeok had instructed…and then he would find a way out.
END PART 7