Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Confrontation at the Morgue
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" Who the hell are you people, preventing us from even holding funerals for our kids! "
The police stood at a loss in front of the bereaved families, along with one male prosecutor.
He was Prosecutor Cheong Yuram from the 53rd class of Judicial Exam passers, who had temporarily taken over Kang Hyun's position in the Criminal Division 1.
Wearing thick glasses, he was known as a quiet prosecutor who always slicked back his hair neatly and dressed in impeccably wrinkle-free suits.
Yet there he was, hair disheveled, sweat streaming down his face uncontrollably, standing in evident distress.
"Ah, Prosecutor Kang. You've arrived."
"Prosecutor Cheong... the situation right now is..."
"As you can see."
His expression was half heavy-hearted and half frustrated at the stalled investigation, utterly businesslike.
An unnatural death case.
Article 222. When there is a corpse or a body suspected of unnatural death, the prosecutor of the competent district prosecutor's office shall conduct an examination and may order verification.
Kang Hyun recited the article to himself as he stood beside Cheong Yuram.
This case demanded clear accountability and the identification of any criminal suspicions.
Wrapping it up as a mere accident would fail to appease the spirits of the deceased.
They had to find the guilty parties.
Thus, they needed to pinpoint the cause of death—whether the victims were struck by another vehicle or struck someone else's, if someone was driving intoxicated, if another had used drugs making them guilty of a present offense under the Narcotics Control Act, or if survival was possible but negligence in emergency procedures led to death. What was their condition before dying?
All of it had to be preserved as evidence.
Yet to secure such evidence required an autopsy order after the initial examination, which would only delay the families' funerals further.
Not only that, the deceased's body would be dissected and fed into machines.
In the end, the bereaved families blocking their path wanted no autopsy. With their loved ones already gone in tragedy, they couldn't even hold a proper funeral, turning it into a tug-of-war.
Kang Hyun wanted to hand over the bodies out of sympathy for their plight, but the circumstances wouldn't allow it.
To even decide between "delivery to bereaved families" or referral to the National Forensic Service for autopsy, the prosecutors had to cross the morgue's iron doors first.
"What's your judgment, senior?"
When Kang Hyun quietly asked Cheong Yuram, he replied in a somewhat calm tone.
"In situations like this, we have no choice but to forcibly remove the families. On grounds of obstructing corpse examination."
"Yes... Criminal Code Article 163, for concealing or altering a corpse or suspected unnatural death body, or otherwise interfering with examination..."
Kang Hyun stopped reciting the Criminal Code midway.
' ... '
In cases involving fatalities, urgency often arose, making such standoffs commonplace.
The simplest way: use public authority to drag them out.
Detain the obstructing families first, proceed with the examination, then judge based on investigative eyes.
That was what Prosecutor Cheong Yuram was suggesting.
The families would be hauled away, and the bodies would head to the National Forensic Service.
The corpses would be fully dissected, run through machines to determine cause of death, and ultimately become evidence in the case files.
The bereaved families knelt on the floor, tears streaming down.
In the front row, an elderly woman collapsed in sobs caught his eye.
For them, this news must have been like a bolt from the blue, collapsing their skies and splitting the earth.
Be it the Prosecutor's Office, Police Agency, or courts.
None could soothe or heal such grief at its root.
They merely borrowed the power of the state to uncover the incident's cause and punish any criminals.
' Wait. '
But then, a sudden thought sparkled in Kang Hyun's mind.
' No need for routine autopsy. I was at the scene. I can resolve this another way. '
Unlike everyone else here, Kang Hyun had one scene etched in his mind.
The car that suddenly floored the accelerator, surging forward into the accident.
If its driver wasn't on the casualty list, there was no need to autopsy everyone.
It would be an abuse of investigative authority.
"Senior."
"Yes, Prosecutor Kang."
Cheong Yuram turned from speaking with the forensics team at Kang Hyun's call. He seemed to be discussing ways to minimally restrain the families with the police.
"May I ask one thing? Is there an A6 model on the casualty vehicle list?"
The vehicle type was crystal clear in his memory, surging in front of the bus.
Moreover, Kang Hyun remembered the license plate perfectly.
01ga 1357 A6.
"Of course, we have the data here."
Cheong Yuram handed over basic info like names, birthdates of the deceased, and the vehicle list. Kang Hyun scanned it.
" ... ! "
It wasn't there.
Neither 01ga 1357 nor the A6 model.
The initial causative driver's vehicle wasn't on the casualty list at all!
Prosecutor Cheong Yuram looked at Kang Hyun with mild puzzlement. Kang Hyun's face seemed resolute, as if he'd decided something.
"What are you thinking?"
Just a few seconds.
' Let's try this approach. '
Kang Hyun lifted his head, having weighed all possibilities and made his decision.
"Senior."
"Yes."
"For this case, release all the deceased bodies to the families. If you approve, I'll inform Chief Hwang myself."
"Pardon?"
Delivery to bereaved families.
This meant no autopsy—just let them hold the funerals.
Cheong Yuram showed a faint flicker of surprise at Kang Hyun's words.
" ... Then what about the case? "
"I'll take full responsibility for this incident. I'll handle everything personally so no harm comes to any office."
"Ah... really?"
' Prosecutor Cheong Yuram is mild-mannered but tends to judge cases bureaucratically, so he'll approve. '
Knowing this well, Kang Hyun knew there'd be no objections to his judgment.
It was convenient right now. No reason to refuse.
"Then, why don't you talk to Chief Hwang? Seems like you have a lead... Declaring delivery to families should wrap this up smoothly today."
At his nod, Kang Hyun gave a light bow and stepped away. He even noticed the police, tense for detaining the families, slightly relax.
' That much is settled. But the real mountain to climb isn't Senior Cheong. '
In truth, from an investigative standpoint, Kang Hyun's proposal was utterly "unreasonable."
Claiming to uncover the substantive truth without cause of death results from full autopsies?
Unpredictable outcomes made it a massive gamble.
Declaring delivery to families was tantamount to judging it a "simple accident" from the start.
In other words, following his plan and letting it slide would be no different from burying the case.
But if his method worked...
' No need to abuse authority and despair the victims further. '
Images of the deceased flashed by. Then the accident scene.
They deserved their families' funerals as soon as possible—their final right.
And Kang Hyun knew one more thing than others.
01ga 1357 A6.
Step, step, click.
But then.
"Huh?"
The situation in the outer morgue corridor wasn't good.
Click.
Click, click!
Reporters.
Incredibly swift, there were more than a handful gathered.
They must have swarmed upon hearing prosecutors had arrived at the hospital.
-Over there, hey! Don't push!
-Fall back!
-What's this? Refusing interviews?
Police, investigators, and reporters were shoving each other.
And behind them, Hwang Jae-eun leaning against the wall, lost in deep thought with a complicated expression.
As Kang Hyun approached, she looked up and said,
"Started?"
"No. Families are blocking."
Fuming,
Hwang Jae-eun's face twisted slightly.
She'd never been this on edge.
"What's the holdup? Clear them out and order the autopsies now!"
"Senior, I think differently."
"What?"
"Permit delivery of the bodies... to the families."
"What?"
Her face contorted as if ready to devour anyone. Kang Hyun was the prime candidate.
"Where's this nonsense coming from!"
Whoosh!
As expected, Hwang Jae-eun bellowed at Kang Hyun's words and tried to brush past him. She'd probably force the autopsy order herself.
All for resolving the case—absolutely necessary.
Flash!
" ... ? What the hell? "
But she couldn't.
As Hwang Jae-eun shoved Kang Hyun aside to head into the morgue, he unexpectedly blocked her.
"Senior, we must deliver to families. They're pitiful people."
Kang Hyun.
He had grabbed the arm of a senior chief prosecutor several classes above him, physically barring her entry.
Her glare was fierce, her face full of betrayal toward him.
"You gone mad? Your actions are killing the families twice over."
"We can solve the case without autopsies."
"Impossible."
"Senior."
"Don't call me senior. Do you even grasp what you're saying?!"
"Yes. I do."
" ... What do you know? No sense of responsibility or duty. "
"No, that's not it. Trust me. I can do it."
"You're what, a few years in? Think you know how the prosecutor's world works?"
" ... No. "
"Handing over the bodies means burying the case. Where'll you get supplementary evidence? How to secure cooperation? What if it ends without indictment, but actually someone murdered or it was drunk driving? No autopsy means just suspicions piling up!"
Despite her sharp words, Kang Hyun calmly met Hwang Jae-eun's eyes. Their argument flashed under reporters' camera bursts.
In this chaotic scene, Kang Hyun had no time to explain.
Just trust him.
"There's a way. I'll take full responsibility."
" ... ? "
"I'll uncover the truth of the case. In line with our duty to reveal every substantive fact without falsehood. I'll resolve all injustices."
" ... What can you even do. Without autopsies. "
Whoosh.
She glared outright and shook off his arm.
Then thrust her face close to his.
Her breaths came ragged. She was more agitated than anyone, and her agitation would unsettle everyone present.
Everyone but Kang Hyun.
"What. Can. You. Do."
' What can you do? ' He'd heard it countless times before. Yet he'd always silenced their criticisms and achieved something.
"I'll show you."
Same as always. Even now, when Kang Hyun seemed powerless, he suddenly pivoted and stood firm.
" ... You, you don't mean right now? "
This time, Hwang Jae-eun grabbed him, but it wasn't enough.
Kang Hyun was advancing toward the reporters showering flashes.
"You... "
"Trust me."
Kang Hyun turned back to Hwang Jae-eun with a smile.
A relaxed, confident expression saying he could handle anything.
Hwang Jae-eun felt she'd seen this face before, somewhere, sometime.
' Ah...! '
Yes.
Back in school days. During mock trials, glimpsed briefly.
He was strong then, and even more so now.
The moment she loosened her grip, lost in memory, Kang Hyun stepped before the reporters.
"Whoa! It's Kang Hyun!"
"Kang Hyun the prosecutor?"
"Namyangju's Kang Hyun!"
Excited reporters shoved past police. Those blocking them fell back as a prosecutor took the lead.
Click, click!
"It's Kang Hyun!"
Dozens of mics surged toward him. With scratches on his face and soot-stained shirt, he greeted them.
"Hello. I'm Kang Hyun from Namyangju Criminal Division."
Click, click!
-How does the prosecution judge this accident?
-Families blocking examination—what's your call on autopsies?
-Is the suspect identified? Simple negligence? Vehicle defect?
Amid the barrage of questions, Hwang Jae-eun touched her forehead and vanished.
But Kang Hyun flashed a relaxed smile to them all. More assured than anyone.
And he began his briefing at the mics.