His officers nodded in agreement again, seeing that it was a reasonable explanation.
"Now, if you have any further questions, you can find me in my office. I will be there most of the time but if I am not, you can reach out to me through radio. That will be all, dismissed."
As Advik Bhardwaj dismissed the meeting, Sandeep went into the room and saluted.
"Pardon for the interruptions, ladies and gentlemen, but can I borrow our Supreme Commander for a few seconds?"
"What's this about Sandeep?" Advik Bhardwaj asked.
"I'd like to discuss it in private."
"Don't worry, you can have our Supreme Commander as we have just finished our meeting," Leshanasaid as she smiled warmly.
"Thank you, ma'am?" Sandeep asked.
"Leshana, Leshana Langley. I'm the newly summoned official of Mr. Bhardwaj. I am the Director of Civilian Affairs."
"Director of Civilian Affairs?" Sandeep repeated as if pondering something. "Very well, I think you should come with me as well Ms. Langley. The concern is related to yourposition."
Advik Bhardwaj glanced at Leshana and then back to Sandeep. "Very well, let's convene in my office."
The two followed Advik Bhardwaj to his office. They entered the office with Sandeep closing the door behind him.
"Have a seat you two," Advik Bhardwaj gestured to the two vacant chairs.
"Thank you sir, but this won't take long," Sandeep said as he gathered his thoughts.
Leshana looked at Sandeep, waiting for him to reveal what he wanted to tell.
"Sir, we have a situation with a group of survivors," Sandeep began. "They're causing a bit of trouble and demanding to speak with you directly."
Advik Bhardwaj leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "What kind of trouble?"
Leshana observed silently, waiting for more details.
"They're a group of South Korean survivors," Sandeep explained. "Apparently, they were part of an event at the V3S Mall Complex when the outbreak started. They've been stuck here ever since, and now that they see the place getting rebuilt, they're demanding immediate repatriation to Korea."
Advik Bhardwaj frowned. "Koreans? Who are they exactly?"
Sandeep sighed. "They call themselves 9NE5. A K-pop group. Four members, all women, plus their manager."
Advik Bhardwaj blinked. "A K-pop group? You're telling me that out of all the survivors, a bunch of idols have somehow managed to survive in V3S Mall all this time?"
Sandeep nodded. "Yes, sir. Apparently, they locked themselves inside a VIP suite at one of the hotels when things went to hell and had enough supplies to last a while. Eventually, they ran out of food and had to start scavenging. They linked up with other survivors before we found them."
Advik Bhardwaj crossed his arms. "So, what's the problem?"
"The problem isn't them, sir. It's their manager," Sandeep said, his jaw tightening. "He's loud, aggressive, and incredibly entitled. The moment we processed them at the survivor intake, he started demanding to meet with the 'person in charge.'"
Leshana raised an eyebrow. "Demanding?"
Sandeep exhaled sharply. "Yeah. He's convinced that since we're rebuilding, we have the means to send them back to Korea. He's been yelling at my men, cursing in both Korean and English, calling us incompetent,and treating my soldiers like they're his personal staff. I nearly lost my patience and punched him."
Advik Bhardwaj smirked. "I would've paid to see that."
Sandeep snorted. "Well, I would've enjoyed it, sir, but I didn't want to set a bad example in front of the other survivors."
Leshana tapped her fingers on the desk. "So, to be clear, the idols themselves aren't the problem? Just their manager?"
Sandeep nodded. "Correct. The four members of 9NE5 seem fine, a bit shaken but grateful to be alive. It's just their manager who's making things difficult."
Advik Bhardwaj sighed. "Great. Another headache."
Sandeep glanced at him. "Orders, sir?"
Advik Bhardwaj thought for a moment before standing up. "Let's go meet them. If their manager tries anything stupid, I'll handle it myself."
Leshana stood as well. "I'll come along. If they're civilians, it falls under my jurisdiction."
Sandeep smirked. "This is gonna be fun."
Advik Bhardwaj rolled hiseyes. "Let's get this over with."
Advik Bhardwaj, Sandeep, and Leshana walked through the streets of the V3S Mall Complex, heading towards the buildings where the survivors were assigned. As they moved, Advik Bhardwaj took a moment to observe the surroundings.
The streets, once desolate, were now alive with activity. Military trucks rumbled past, delivering supplies, while construction workers reinforced barricades and set up additional fortifications. The sounds of welding, hammering, and heavy machinery echoed across the district.
Among the survivors walking around, Advik Bhardwaj noticed something peculiar—there were a lot of foreigners. Americans, Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans—people from different nationalities were present. It made sense; before the outbreak, New Delhi had been a hotspot for international tourists, business travelers, and entertainment events. Many of them must have been stranded when society collapsed.
No wonder I raked in so many Blood Coins from saving them, Advik Bhardwaj mused.
Phillip, walking beside him, cleared his throat. "Sir, you should probably be prepared for whatever nonsense that manager is going to pull."
Leshana sighed. "I don't understand why people still act entitled after everything that's happened. They're lucky to be alive."
Advik Bhardwaj smirked. "Some people don't change, no matter the circumstances."
The trio arrived at Shore Residences – Tower B, where the South Korean survivors had been housed. Two armed guards were stationed outside one of the rooms, standing firm with their rifles slung over their shoulders.
One of the guards, a burly-looking soldier, saluted as they approached. "Sir, the group is inside. The manager has been shouting for the past hour, demanding to see you."
Advik Bhardwaj exchanged glances with Sandeep, who simply shook his head in irritation.
"Alright, let's get this over with," Advik Bhardwaj muttered before stepping forward.
The soldier opened the door, and as soon as it swung wide, a voice erupted from inside.
"What the hell is taking so long?! Do you people even know who you're dealing with?! This is unacceptable! I demand to speak to your leader—"