Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Fugitive Executive
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"Oh dear, I told you not to touch that either? It's trash, I tell you?"
Jeong Yun-ja was strutting around the office, screeching noisily this way and that.
'She's not an arrest target, so I can't restrain her physically, and this is tricky...'
Kang Hyun furrowed his brow.
Since Jeong Yun-ja wasn't subject to arrest, he couldn't restrict her movements, and during a search and seizure, the manager of the premises had the right to observe, so he couldn't order her to leave.
"Out of my way—this belongs to me!"
"Teacher... please don't do this. Haah..."
As a result, she was boldly weaving between the prosecutors conducting the search, constantly disrupting the already complicated evidence-gathering process.
'This is serious.'
Seeing the prosecutors looking embarrassed, Kang Hyun paused his work and approached her directly.
"Hello, ma'am."
Kang Hyun approached and greeted her, but she gave him a quick once-over and ignored him completely.
"Ma'am? Who're you calling ma'am, you ugly punk? Who let you come in here making a fuss?"
"Pardon?"
"Don't talk to me—go over there and stand with your arms crossed! Or I'll sue you for sexual harassment!"
"Wait, ma'am..."
Off she shuffled.
She waddled hurriedly in the opposite direction and naturally slipped out of the office.
She'd been yelling and interfering nonstop, but the moment Kang Hyun approached, it was like a ghost possessed her—she spat out whatever came to mind and flailed her way to the next office over like she was fleeing.
In one hand, she clutched a trash bag stuffed full of miscellaneous junk.
'What the hell.'
It was as if she'd recognized him as a prosecutor and tucked tail to avoid him. It felt suspiciously deliberate, and it left a bad taste in his mouth.
'An executive at a company like this, acting like that.'
Kang Hyun scowled at the pathetic sight.
"...Uh, Prosecutor. Sorry about that. She's no joke when it comes to interfering. Her phone's on the seizure list, but she refused to hand it over to the end and just bolted."
Turning at the dejected voice, Kang Hyun saw the assigned staffer who'd momentarily lost her, looking mortified and bowing his head in apology.
Kang Hyun gave a slight smile and waved it off.
"No need to apologize. I'll go after her. Join back up with the office search."
"Ah, is that okay? Thank you, Prosecutor. We even got a call requesting backup..."
"Of course. Anything else noteworthy?"
"Hmm, well... she's got this pushy way of talking, really unique. Keeps wandering around with that trash bag, picking stuff up and stuffing it in... feels like she's a bit off mentally..."
"Got it. Thanks."
As the staffer hurried back to the search area at Kang Hyun's words, Kang Hyun scanned the surroundings for Jeong Yun-ja.
But.
'Where'd she go?'
Surprisingly, in that short time, Jeong Yun-ja had vanished.
"She couldn't have gone far."
She wasn't in the conference room next to the office, marked by a large "Korea Manpower" banner.
Nor in the large container that looked like a warehouse for managing materials inside.
He flung open doors.
Even after rummaging through dusty, unused rooms, she was nowhere to be seen.
'What?'
Of course, from the investigation team's perspective, her disappearance didn't matter much.
The search and seizure was being conducted on a massive, all-encompassing scale, so securing 100% of the evidence would be ideal but unrealistic. Jeong Yun-ja was somewhat peripheral to the main suspects—sticking to other executives, site managers, or the president to extract info would be more efficient.
In other words, she was low priority.
But for some reason, Jeong Yun-ja had caught Kang Hyun's eye. It wasn't just her cheap appearance or her weird, unresponsive vibe.
'Jeong Yun-ja... something's off about her.'
She wasn't in charge of headquarters operations, so there was no reason for her to be here. She'd be in Namyangju or out on-site.
Yet she'd shown up early that morning and kept lurking around the office.
Kang Hyun's instincts were tingling.
'I need to find Jeong Yun-ja fast.'
As Kang Hyun finished his thought and took a step, someone appeared behind him.
"What're you doing?"
It was Prosecutor Hwang Jae-eun. Her sleeves were rolled up, and her face was covered in dust from searching the materials warehouse.
"There's this headquarters executive named Jeong Yun-ja—she's rubbing me the wrong way."
"Oh, Jeong Yun-ja."
Hwang Jae-eun acknowledged her casually, as if she weren't important.
"She's the president's mistress at Korea Manpower. Total figurehead—knows zilch about the work, just collects a paycheck for the title. No need to worry about her."
"I see."
"So come on, help me search the warehouse... What, she bugging you?"
When Kang Hyun's expression didn't soften, Hwang Jae-eun looked puzzled.
"Yeah. Something's weird."
"What?"
"Jeong Yun-ja—no vehicle registered in her name from the vehicle inquiry lists secured via police reports on the vehicle registration targets or personal info lookups from the police terminal."
"Oh, right."
She replied while sifting through document lists in her white gloves, and Kang Hyun nodded.
"Yeah. But how'd she get to the Seoul headquarters office so early in the morning, and why? Her registered address is in Namyangju."
"Huh, true. Was she with someone?"
"No clue."
Hwang Jae-eun's expression shifted subtly at Kang Hyun's words, sensing the suspicion too.
Something was up.
"Guess I need to check the underground parking again."
"Yeah. Call if anything happens. Safety first—don't push it, follow protocol."
"Got it."
Kang Hyun quickly left the area, circling around the headquarters building to the opposite side, then trudged into the prominent underground parking entrance for vehicles.
Up to this point, it had been mild suspicion, but as he ventured deeper, conviction began to form in Kang Hyun's mind.
Rustle rustle.
A shadowy figure in the farthest corner behind a pillar was feverishly stuffing things into a trunk.
Stealthily.
Approaching without a sound, the figure came into view: none other than Jeong Yun-ja.
Sweating bullets, she was cramming filthy items overflowing from the trunk with both hands, even jamming in the trash bag she'd been carrying like a clone.
It was blatantly suspicious. Especially doing this in the company headquarters parking lot during a search and seizure.
"Ma'am."
"Eeek! What, what the—! Thought you were a ghost! No warning at all! Who the hell are you, trying to scare me to death?"
Kang Hyun closed in and spoke to her, and she made a huge fuss before instantly feigning nonchalance and slamming the trunk shut with a bang!
"Is this your vehicle?"
"Nope, don't have a car."
"Then whose is it?"
"No idea."
"How'd you open the trunk then?"
"Told you, no idea. You got a grudge or something? Why're you picking on me?"
"Just curious, ma'am. You vanished like the wind earlier."
"Whatever, go back upstairs! Upstairs!"
"No can do."
She turned the tables on the steadfast Kang Hyun.
"You're slacking off! Everyone else is diligently pulling stuff out and in at the office, but you're just following me around goofing off? I'll report you to the Labor Office and the Prosecutors' Office!"
"Go ahead. Labor Office won't help here—better contact the Korea Legal Aid Corporation, or file a complaint at the Namyangju District Prosecutors' Office or Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office."
"You crazy bastard, you wanna see me try? Huh!"
Jeong Yun-ja jabbed a finger accusingly, trying to derail the conversation. Kang Hyun had dealt with plenty like her before, so he had no intention or reason to play along.
"Vehicles are included in the search and seizure targets. Even if we didn't have the plate beforehand, if it's a vehicle in active use by someone involved, we can't overlook it. Could be a stolen car too. Mind if I take a look?"
"You nuts? Why search my car? Go upstairs and search the office!"
"So it is your car."
"Ah! I'm being sexually assaulted! Help!"
"No one's around. Useless anyway."
"Th-this... You think being a prosecutor lets you do anything! Dare lay a hand on me? Do you know who I am?"
"Pardon?"
And with that, Jeong Yun-ja suddenly went off-script.
Dash, smack!
Vroom!
"Huh?"
She had a real knack for escaping.
Before he could react, she jumped into the car and turned the ignition.
"Wait, Jeong Yun-ja? Jeong Yun-ja!"
Kang Hyun dashed to the back of the car and yanked open the rear door before it could lock.
Click, fling!
"Jeong Yun-ja, stop!"
"I'm driving off. You're on your own if you die."
Vroom! Screech!
For a split second, Hwang Jae-eun's words flashed: safety first, call ahead.
'Sshould I let go?'
If Kang Hyun gave up, he'd lose her.
If she was just some nutcase and the junk she was taking was truly nothing more, this was all wasted effort.
But her behavior was fishy. He couldn't just let it slide.
If those trunk odds and ends were key evidence in this case...
He couldn't arrest her, so letting her go now would mean weeks to track her down again—and by then, the evidence could be gone.
'Aw, screw it.'
A few seconds of hesitation.
Decision made, Kang Hyun gripped the flung-open door and, as the wheels began to roll, ran alongside the moving car.
"Yo-you-you're insane, wanna die?!"
"Keep accelerating and I'll really die!"
He could see Jeong Yun-ja's panicked face from the driver's seat, but she showed no sign of hitting the brakes.
Vroom!
The car picked up speed, heading up to ground level.
In the end, Jeong Yun-ja barreled forward regardless of whether Kang Hyun lived or died.
Once above ground, the car tore out of the Korea Manpower headquarters like a bat out of hell.
Screech, honk! Honk!
Indiscriminate on road or sidewalk, it shot toward the main gate via the nearest path.
"What the—?"
"Where's the prosecutor? Hurry!"
Oblivious to the frantic staffers' concerns, the car sped away from the Korea Manpower headquarters.
It had happened so abruptly that the other prosecutors and staff could only watch in stunned confusion.
Meanwhile.
Catching a glimpse in the rearview of prosecutors staring oddly at the fleeing car, Jeong Yun-ja let out a huge sigh.
"Hoo! Heh... hehehe."
The car hit the road and kept flying, showing no signs of slowing.
Vroooom!
Only after some distance did she relax, flashing a meaningful smirk.
"Hehehe! Mwahahaha, made it, made it."
Then, Jeong Yun-ja made a call somewhere.
Ring ring.
"Hey, oppa."
Her lover or whoever—"oppa." Voice too low to hear clearly, but likely the Korea Manpower president or at least a headquarters insider.
"I got everything out like you said, aww, don't worry. I'll burn it all nice at the incinerator."
Click.
"Heh, hehehe, stupid prosecutors."
Evidence destruction.
Still circumstantial, but blatant evidence tampering.
A middle-aged lady pulling this off was nauseatingly absurd, yet she looked thrilled.
"Come on, catch me if you can. Humph, hum!"
Her self-hype monologue had her humming along. Cigarette dangling from her lips, window down, she focused intently on driving.
But the merriment didn't last.
Slink.
"...?"
Jeong Yun-ja turned at a noise from the back seat.
What awaited her was unimaginable.
"Jeong... Yun-ja. Your driving's a bit rough."
"Wha—what the hell? Gaaah!"
Screeeeech!
That's right.
Kang Hyun had risked it all, hurling himself into the rear seat—packed with trunk overflow and trash—and miraculously wedged himself in, grinning.
Smirk.