Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Dead of Night
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Deep into the night.
Crash! Bang!
Lights blazed throughout the police station, chaos erupting everywhere.
"Pro-Prosecutor! This is a problem!"
"Out of the way."
Step by step.
A group of men strode confidently through the massive doors of the towering police headquarters.
It was clear they weren't here by prior arrangement or for any friendly purpose.
Yet they moved without hesitation, as if it were routine, pushing past every security checkpoint inside without a hitch.
Even the cops trying to stop them were futile.
"Wa-Wait a minute..."
"Prosecutor! Please!"
Park Min-seong's crew.
Intimidating and overpowering, no officer could stand in their way.
"You can't go beyond this point! It's a secure area—no clearance, no entry...!"
Bang!
"Ugh, ack..."
When a young cop clumsily brushed against Park Min-seong, he was instantly slammed against the wall in retaliation.
"What's your unit?"
"S-Sorry."
"I'm asking your unit? Does a prosecutor need permission to enter a police investigation office?"
"No. Sorry."
"Move."
Whoosh.
"Huff."
Prosecutors personally storming the station wasn't common. It was shocking, and exactly what the police didn't want.
Even at this late hour, wide-eyed officers watched from afar, whispering among themselves.
"What do we do? This is bad."
"They're heading to Narcotics Team 1. Looks like the bomb finally went off."
And trailing confidently behind Park Min-seong's burly staff was one man.
Kang Hyun.
He had come along at the prosecutor's invitation.
"This way?"
"Yes, Prosecutor."
Just as the whispering cops predicted, the group's destination was Narcotics Team 1. The staff, terrified by their unyielding steps, were all hiding something.
An Kwang-hyeon's gang especially rushed at Park Min-seong, trying to block him or clasping hands in mock pleas.
The last cop blocked their path. But one against them all? No chance.
The outcome was obvious.
"Please, come back during business hours, Prosecutor! This is impossible!"
"What, burn all the files? Or swap them out with fakes?"
"Sorry. It's not that..."
Bang!
Park Min-seong kicked open the inner office door like it was nothing. The staff, dozing off after dinner, jolted awake and stared at the intruders.
"Where's Lieutenant An Kwang-hyeon."
Park Min-seong's hyena-like grin. His sharp features almost seemed scarred.
The staff, grasping the situation, froze like statues, not daring to utter a word as they sat rigid.
Only An Kwang-hyeon, dead asleep in the back corner with earplugs in, oblivious to it all, slowly lowered his legs from the desk and rose with an irritated grunt.
"What? Who's there? Bringing thugs in the dead of night?"
"..."
At An Kwang-hyeon's attitude, a vein bulged visibly on Park Min-seong's temple.
Cops like this. His words alone revealed stupidity, incompetence, corruption in an instant.
Park Min-seong seemed to despise this kind of "incompetence" above all. Without even pulling his hand from his suit pants pocket, he slowly approached Lieutenant An Kwang-hyeon.
"Lieutenant An Kwang-hyeon."
"...Wh-Who the hell are you?"
He hadn't even figured out who Park Min-seong was yet—his voice shrinking under the pressure.
Then his eyes landed on Kang Hyun standing expressionless nearby, and he startled back.
"Ah, ah! Prosecutor? Good to see you!"
"I'm Park Min-seong. With the district prosecutor's office investigation division chief position vacant, I'm handling it personally."
"Oh, really! Ah, at least have some coffee. Hey, you idiots! Coffee, now...!"
He blustered, raising his voice at his subordinates.
Thud.
A hand suddenly on An Kwang-hyeon's shoulder, ignoring him.
"...?"
Looking up, Lieutenant An Kwang-hyeon saw only the prosecutor's grim face.
"Cut the crap. Bring the records on the closed internal investigation."
"Th-That is, if you come suddenly like this, we aren't prepared..."
"What's to prepare? Regulations say everything must be ready on demand. Now!"
"Eek!"
He trembled and backed away. Then, regaining some wits, he rubbed his hands and spoke again.
Somewhere between sly fox and greedy pig—Kang Hyun couldn't help frowning.
"It's about Miss Kim Hana, right? I can explain that right now."
He stammered into his excuse. No one there needed to hear more; it was obvious bullshit.
But Park Min-seong smiled cruelly again.
"Go ahead."
"The seller using the ID 'Miss Kim Hana' is just some unidentified fictional person. Investigating that is pointless..."
"Pointless?"
"Yes! Exactly. No real gain. We don't even know who it is."
"But I hear there was a lead on their identity."
One person chimed in.
"A tip that they're a Korea University student. You're just going in circles."
The one who orchestrated all this.
Kang Hyun.
With Park Min-seong, then Kang Hyun piling on, An Kwang-hyeon glared murderously and mumbled more evasions.
"Da-Damn... Ah, and! Drug cases have no victims, right?"
"What?"
"Right? Murder has a corpse, assault has injuries, but drug sales? Just people who want drugs. How are they victims? So it's lower priority..."
"Closed the case because it's drugs and low priority?"
"Yes, yes!"
Shocking words. From a narcotics cop, no less.
"...Crazy bastard."
An Kwang-hyeon's statement was so outrageous most couldn't fathom it—no one could respond to Park Min-seong's curse.
No victims in drug cases. Disaster.
"Lieutenant An Kwang-hyeon. I've already recommended to the commissioner that you're off duty starting today."
"Wh-What?"
"I'll compile everything you just said and resubmit. Prepare for discipline."
"No, that's insane! Wait!"
Suddenly An Kwang-hyeon grabbed Park Min-seong's arm, groveling desperately.
"This isn't right. What did I do wrong? It's standard procedure."
"Standard to bury cases handed off from predecessors?"
"Predecessor's responsibility, so we were starting fresh!"
"No need to listen."
"You... shit."
Park Min-seong unmoved by the pitiful pleas—An Kwang-hyeon snapped, revealing his true colors.
"You dare, you damn regular prosecutor!"
An Kwang-hyeon's meltdown.
"You prosecutor or cop? This is trampling the law, punk! What can you do? Huh? All the staff here, even the commissioner—they're on my side. Want a prosecutor-police war?"
Whatever.
He stomped and yelled. Staff hesitantly moved stiff legs to restrain him one by one.
"Let go, I said let go!"
"Team leader... enough now..."
"Stop it."
"Shut up!"
Watching with a furrowed brow, Park Min-seong finally said to Kang Hyun,
"Hah. Junior."
"Yes."
"What do you call people like this."
"Ah. Um..."
Quiet question, met with Kang Hyun's dry reply.
"Assholes."
"Hm. Not bad."
"Wh-What? Asshole? You little shit!"
Hearing it, An Kwang-hyeon exploded, grabbing something to throw—but staff intervened, dragging him out.
"Whew. What a mess."
Park Min-seong brushed dust from his lapels and addressed the remaining staff.
"Starting today, I'm personally directing the 'Miss Kim Hana' case. Per the Criminal Procedure Act..."
"Prosecutor, it's Prosecution Office Act Article 4 Paragraph 2."
Kang Hyun whispered the correction; Park Min-seong paused but recovered.
"Right. Prosecution Office Act Article 4 Paragraph 2—authority to direct and supervise police investigations. Objections?"
Silence.
No one dared contradict; they sat frozen.
A glimpse of corrupt cops' fate. The team, stripped of all power, left penniless—something they'd feel to their bones.
"...None."
Only quiet Kim Cheol-min in the corner replied. The inspector who'd helped Kang Hyun since afternoon kept his eyes down but looked satisfied.
"Good. As soon as we get the suspect's details, track them down. Prep the investigation. Objections, call me direct at the office."
Step, step.
'Park Min-seong wrecks Narcotics Team.'
News to shake the station by morning—but he seemed unworried.
Instead, his mind was full of the case.
Only closing it would complete all this.
"Kang Hyun."
"Yes, Prosecutor."
"Now the case is the issue."
Park Min-seong called his name for the first time. A slightly commanding, stiff tone toward Kang Hyun.
"You're from the school too. Head back, dig into what you can on the 'Miss Kim Hana' ID."
"Got it."
"Need a formal request to the student council?"
"No need. I'll check right away."
"Quick and accurate. And."
He trailed off, so Kang Hyun turned.
Dawn was breaking. Park Min-seong's face softened slightly as he exited the building.
"Sudden meeting, but... not bad."
"Yes?"
Kang Hyun scratched his head awkwardly at the unexpected words.
"Praise?"
"Hm."
He pondered, then flashed his signature wolfish mischief.
"Not endorsing you yet. Don't think you can skate by."
"Didn't do much. Case isn't closed. But not bad for me either."
"What?"
"Your style, Prosecutor. Rational, fast, strong. I see why people call you the best."
"Huh."
He let out a dry laugh, pondered silently, then spoke.
"Junior, want a tip?"
"Yes."
"To push forward, you need two things."
"Two?"
"Steel heart to weather criticism, outstanding ability. Essential for the job. Think and act well."
Park Min-seong strode ahead. Maybe he could be helpful to Kang Hyun.
"I'll reflect deeply and strive hard."
Kang Hyun concluded. Park Min-seong wasn't so bad.
People have all sorts of traits—no one starts as enemy or evil. That was enough.
"Anyway, you all worked hard this late night. Head back and cooperate on the case."
"Yes, Prosecutor."
Both Park Min-seong and Kang Hyun seemed to have shifted views after this night together.
Park Min-seong corrected his rumor-based misconception of Kang Hyun, glimpsing his human side.
Kang Hyun saw the passion and conviction beneath the cold exterior.
The sun was rising.
Time to wrap the case for real.