Faceless Killer (4)
“Bro! Found it!”
Everyone rushed to the monitor. A simple black background screen with no banners.
“The serial number at the end of the IP address matches. This site is definitely the dark web one the victims accessed!”
Lee Gyu-cheol, alternating between the printed paper and his laptop screen, shouted in a trembling voice.
“But.”
His gaze turned to me, his voice laced with bewilderment.
“How did you know this data encryption, bro?”
Everyone looked at me.
“...Well.”
It was a mistake. Excitement had gotten the better of me at the thought of closing in on the bastard. I cracked my knuckles and slowly opened my mouth.
“Back in the early 2010s, there was a similar case in Illinois, USA. A guy inducing suicides through the dark web—a nutjob who idolized Julius Robert Oppenheimer. J.R.O. That was his signature mark.”
I took a deep breath.
“This suicide case has a lot of similarities to that American one, so I took a shot. Copycats obsessively mimic the original perp’s patterns.”
“Aigoo! You’re always so diligent, bro. Analyzing American cases too.”
Unlike Kim Gwang-il, who stuck out his tongue in awe, Lee Gyu-cheol’s eyes sharpened. He nodded slowly, as if he knew something.
“If you say so, bro. Got it.”
“But who’s this Julius whatever Oppenheimer? And what’s this say?”
Kim Gwang-il pointed at the monitor. Yellow text on a black background. A common color scheme from presentations, but the content was anything but ordinary.
[If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky that would be like the splendour of the Mighty One… I am become Death, the Shatterer of Worlds.]
“Oppenheimer was a genius American physicist. He said this after the first nuclear bomb test in the New Mexico desert. It’s actually a quote from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita… but it gives off an excessively grandiose vibe. This site’s operator.”
Officer Heo Seon-sil’s response echoed flatly.
“So, bottom line…”
Kim Gwang-il’s eyes narrowed, then he scrunched his nose.
“The freak who made this weird site ‘made’ random strangers commit suicide? How the hell is that even possible?”
It wasn’t directed at anyone specific. But every eye in Violent Crimes Team 3 turned to Officer Heo Seon-sil.
“If you’re asking if a few words can kill someone… It depends on the target’s psychological state, but in principle, yes.”
Her signature emotionless voice rang out.
“People place unrealistically high expectations on the ‘mind.’ But the mind is just emotional fluctuations, and emotions stem from stimuli. A kind of chemical reaction. The brain region reacting to emotional changes is the amygdala in the limbic system. When it hyperactivates in tandem with the right prefrontal cortex…”
A faint crease formed between Officer Heo Seon-sil’s brows.
“The person is far more likely to act impulsively than usual. Meaning, you can stimulate someone’s psyche to induce suicide.”
No one in the office could easily speak up. This was a predator outside the ‘criminal ecosystem’ we’d dealt with before. No one had encountered this invasive species.
Except me.
“Keep everything we learned today under absolute secrecy. Not the press, not even other team members. I’ll find a way to approach the perp. I’ll be right back.”
The cursor on his dark web page blinked slowly, like an invitation.
* * *
“No way, Detective Kang Cheol-gu? What brings you here…?”
“Just passing by. Business looks good? Hiring new staff and all.”
It had been a while since I’d visited ‘Universe Computer,’ Park Jin-tae’s small shop in the Pungsan Electronics Market. A curious-eyed woman in her early twenties watched me from the office corner. Park Jin-tae’s delighted reaction seemed unfamiliar to her.
“Oh right! I saw you on the news with the salt farm slave case. You crushed it! I bragged to all my friends about being bros with that cop.”
“Cut it out. It’s not even lunchtime yet? Let’s grab a bite.”
“Haha, for real? Full-course set menu it is!”
A newspaper was spread over the small table in the shop. Jajangmyeon and tangsuyuk sets piled up one by one.
“Jajangmyeon at the shop—pure death! Youngran, come eat quick.”
“Yes. Thanks for the meal.”
The female employee squeezed into the cramped spot next to me. She dabbed her mouth with tissue after every bite. Park Jin-tae chuckled at the sight.
“Hey, hey! This guy’s not someone you can cozy up to. Scoot over.”
“What?!”
Her face flushed red, but she held her spot beside me.
“You know who this bro’s dating? Taehwa Group’s Hong Gye-young. Move it if you know what’s good for you!”
“...No way, for real? H-Hong Gye-young?”
Youngran’s jaw dropped as she stared at me. Then my chopsticks—and Park Jin-tae’s—froze mid-air.
My relationship with Hong Gye-young was just office gossip at Gangcheon Station; only a few knew the details. And Park Jin-tae knew?
Realizing his slip, he bowed his head. His knee trembled faintly.
“Explain. What’s the story?”
“Whew. Detective Kang Cheol-gu—no, bro. I’m sorry. No bad intentions, I swear. I’m a huge fan. I just wanted to know more about you, so I hacked the police secure page.”
He let out a long sigh.
“I’ll never do it again. I didn’t share or sell that info. Believe me.”
Unlike his dying voice, my lips curved up slightly. Detective Lee Gyu-cheol was skilled with computers, but he couldn’t replace Park Jin-tae—especially in the illegal stuff. With skills like this, he could definitely snag the bastard’s tail.
“A mistake only counts as one if it doesn’t repeat. I’ll let it slide today, assuming you get my meaning. And take this.”
“Th-thank you. But what’s this? Whoa!”
I handed him a white shopping bag. A low groan escaped as he peeked inside.
“Late payment for that portable repeater you gave me last time.”
‘So you need ten million won for the investigation?’
‘Yes.’
Dad’s voice had been heavy today.
‘For a legit investigation, request funds from upstairs. What you’re saying is you’ll run it privately…’
‘Beyond the case, I personally owe him thanks. Without that repeater from Park Jin-tae, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me or Gwang-il.’
‘Hold up! You’re giving ten million to that Park Jin-tae?’
‘Yes. It’s a necess—!’
‘Ridiculous!’
Dad’s rebuke rang in my ears. After heavy breathing, he handed me a card.
‘Ten million? Here’s thirty.’
‘What?!’
‘My son’s life ain’t worth a measly ten. People would laugh. Use more if you need it.’
A low mutter followed Dad into his room.
‘Hmph. Takes after his mom? The boy’s sneakily stingy.’
“Bro, this is too much. I can’t take it.”
“Repeater fee plus new commission. I need your help.”
I leaned toward Park Jin-tae, who was scratching his head. My low voice flowed into his ear.
His eyes widened slowly, veins pulsing in his neck.
“Holy shit! A real freak like that exists? I’m in! Absolutely!”
“You sure? Could be dangerous.”
“Yes. This is my chance to make up for all my screw-ups!”
His eyes gleamed like a boxer stepping into the ring against a longtime rival.
“I won’t stand for punks messing with computers in front of me. I’ll show you the real deal.”
It was the resurrection of genius hacker Park Jin-tae, who’d once breached the White House homepage in the original timeline.
* * *
His fingers danced. Three monitors up, incomprehensible calculations scrolling at breakneck speed. Like the back row numbers kicking the front symbols aside.
“Phew! Made what you asked for, bro.”
Rubbing his hands, Park Jin-tae exhaled deeply. Under thirty minutes.
A resume-like screen popped up on the monitor.
[Name: Park Pil-sang Age: 31 Resident ID: 820911-1037XXX Address: Samil-dong 331-4, Gangcheon-gu Military: 65th Division Combat Support Company, Sergeant Discharge Education: College grad Job: Samyoung Furniture Sales Dept. Agent]
Lines of various backgrounds followed.
“You know virtual accounts. This is a virtual person. Doesn’t exist in reality, but online, no one’ll doubt it.”
Park Jin-tae’s voice brimmed with confidence.
“Why’d you use your own face for the photo? Could’ve photoshopped any mug.”
“Haha. Gotta let the asshole who screwed me see my face—at least then he won’t feel so hard done by. Plus, for your plan, this is safer.”
“Good. Now, connect to his site.”
My heartbeat thrummed in my ears. Would the bastard bite?
Oppenheimer’s dark web site loaded. A thick, murderous aura poured from the screen, filling the tiny shop. I heard the female employee swallow.
“Going in now. What for the join request message?”
He used Oppenheimer as his ID. Father of the atomic bomb—140,000 dead in Hiroshima, 70,000 in Nagasaki. Genius physicist, humanity’s worst killer.
He needed bait to his taste. I pulled the keyboard and typed.
Hit enter.
[We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent.]
He saw himself as a genius. And geniuses never acknowledge other geniuses.
I cast the hook to drag the internet ghost into reality. He was a monstrous fish writhing in the deep abyss.
Now show your true form.
My eyes darkened deeply.