Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: James Park
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Namyangju University Hospital.
"Hello, are you here to check in?"
"No. Excuse me for a moment."
"...?"
Kang Hyun flashed his prosecutor ID.
As he did, he spoke to the reception desk staff in a grave tone.
"I'm investigating the traffic accident at Namyangju Intersection. Everyone was brought here, right? I appreciate your cooperation."
"Yes? Um... hold on a second."
The startled staff member whispered briefly with the nurse next to her, then rushed off to another employee.
The staff huddled together as if consulting.
In this busy hospital, one or two people gathered, and soon four or five were chatting.
Then one approached with a stern expression.
"May I see the warrant?"
"...Hah."
Kang Hyun stepped closer to her, explaining slowly in a gentle tone.
"Under Article 199 of the Criminal Procedure Act, for investigations, we can request information from public offices or other public organizations without a warrant."
"Oh... is that so? Still..."
As the staff member tried to continue, her eyes narrowed. She scrutinized Kang Hyun's face, then clapped as if remembering something.
"But... Prosecutor Kang Hyun, by any chance?"
"Yes?"
"Kang Hyun?"
It's Kang Hyun! The shout drew all eyes to the center of the reception desk.
Murmurs spread.
"Who's Kang Hyun?"
"That famous guy."
"The one handling this accident investigation?"
Everyone chimed in about Kang Hyun, and someone even raised their phone.
A passing doctor even turned around to gawk at him.
"Right? It is you, isn't it?"
"Ah... yes."
At his response, she squealed softly in excitement.
"Eek, I've been a fan forever. I follow you on SNS! Look at this."
Unable to hide her thrill, she thrust her phone at him like she'd spotted a celebrity.
"Ah, thank you."
"Oh my gosh, listen to that voice!"
"I've been talking this whole time..."
"Can I get a photo?"
"The case isn't looking great, so if you help me out, I'll take one later."
"Oh, right. What was it? Cooperation with the investigation? Of course! You'll solve this case brilliantly, right?"
"Ah... yes, I'll do my best."
"This way!"
Embarrassed by her sudden change in attitude, Kang Hyun gave an awkward smile and followed her to an internal office in the medical administration department on the opposite side of the hospital building.
"Have a seat here, and the head of medical administration will come."
"Thank you."
Passing through the bustling office, Kang Hyun settled into an empty conference room deeper inside.
Tweet, tweet.
Birds flapped their wings happily in the sky visible outside the window, as if the accident had never happened.
The world seemed to be turning just fine.
'Even accidents like this will fade away eventually. But we can't let it slip by like that...'
After waiting with a heavy heart, a staff member appeared.
The door swung open.
"Hello, Prosecutor."
The head of medical administration bowed deeply.
Unlike the earlier glimpse, he looked haggard and exhausted, as if recalling something unpleasant.
Kang Hyun knew why.
"I heard you were at the scene at the time of the incident. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's right. I saw your face there too."
"You worked hard that day."
Kang Hyun's sincere words.
In response, the man spoke slowly in a hollow tone with a faintly sad expression.
"It would've been better if we could have saved more people, but after something this big passes, it's always tough."
"I feel the same. That's when we need to push harder."
"Yes, we do our best, just like you, Prosecutor. What do you need?"
Before getting to the point, Kang Hyun paused thoughtfully.
'It has to line up perfectly.'
At this stage, the most crucial was the personal details of the initial cause.
Unless the country was run by fools, his identity would eventually come out, but by then it would be far too late.
He couldn't just sit idle waiting for the primary suspect's identity to surface on its own.
That's why this idea had come to him.
'An accident of this scale—even if he fled, he'd need hospitalization-level injuries or at least treatment. The pain wouldn't be minor. So, the closest and largest hospital in the area.'
Exactly.
Assuming the A6 driver he was hunting had visited a local hospital in Namyangju with 100% certainty.
What were the odds he was admitted or at least treated at Namyangju University Hospital?
'The biggest in the region, and right by the accident scene.'
If so, his name would very likely be in the treatment records. In other words, in the medical administration department's admission and discharge procedures.
But even if the name was there, with all evidence gone, how to pinpoint him?
That's where the car owner being KW Construction corporation came in.
'The A6 01ga 1357 is a company vehicle. Only a high-ranking executive at KW Construction could drive a corporate vehicle like this without usage logs.'
It was a challenge possible because he understood large corporations' inner workings and had insight into related cases.
Kang Hyun was currently involved in the Namyangju KW Construction building collapse case.
Thus, he had info on KW Construction affiliates: chairman, president, directors, division heads, site personnel—all of them.
In short, everyone who could freely use corporate vehicles unofficially.
'If the name's here, it'll match someone I know or point to them. I'm sure of it.'
Fleshing out a lead turns it into certainty.
Kang Hyun was a prosecutor well-versed in the basics of investigation.
"I assume the list of fatalities and damaged vehicles from the accident has been shared."
"Yes. Anything else? Among the patients admitted for this accident, could I see the list of those diagnosed with less than 4 weeks' treatment?"
"Patient list? Right after the accident?"
"No, not just immediately after. I need the full records of everyone who came in normally after the casualties were processed—not ER cases, but for bruises, fractures, etc."
"Ah... that much?"
The records Kang Hyun requested were massive.
This was a university hospital.
Hundreds of treatments and admissions/discharges happened daily.
Searching for someone this way was incredibly tough. No one would even attempt it.
"We have over 1,500 beds. It might be a bit..."
"It's fine. Just provide them, and I'll handle the rest."
"Got it. I'll inform the director—just send a formal request later."
"Thank you."
In truth, admission details were just names, birthdates, and reasons for admission.
No info on what car they drove, if they were accident-related, or which collision they caused.
None at all.
Yet Kang Hyun brimmed with energy and confidence.
He had strong, absolute conviction.
The door swung open.
"This way, this way."
Several men brought stacks of A4 paper.
Rustle!
Several boxes worth of printouts, but Kang Hyun didn't blink, just nodded thanks to the director.
"And there's a fax from the prosecutor's office."
"That's the one I requested. Thank you."
It bore the Namyangju branch criminal division's shared fax number.
The 'KW Construction executive list' he'd asked his clerk Kim to send.
"...But you really think you can find it here?"
"Yes, I can."
Clunk.
Thanks to their courtesy, in the small conference room.
Kang Hyun planned to root it out here before leaving.
"Alright, let's do this."
Crack.
Kang Hyun cracked his knuckles and rubbed his hands.
Left: Hospital treatment and admission records.
Right: KW Construction executive personnel details.
"If not here, I'll check every hospital in Namyangju. Please be here."
Kang Hyun closed his eyes briefly.
For an ordinary person, it'd take days. Even with a team, half a day.
His estimated time: three hours.
"Let's go."
After murmuring lowly to himself with eyes squeezed shut.
Snap!
Thus began Kang Hyun's hunt for the initial cause provider, the A6 vehicle's owner.
A battle between the mountain of documents and Kang Hyun.
The victor would be decided in a few hours.
Rustle!
"Kim Cheol-su, contusion, 4 weeks—unrelated."
Flip!
"Lee Ho-jung, unrelated."
Five minutes, ten.
As Kang Hyun flipped pages, his hands sped up, his mind racing faster.
Snap!
"Kim So-hee, bystander, Baek Hyun-do—nope."
Snap!
Cross-check left with right, move on if no matches.
Simple work, but tricky at first.
Even just HQ executives numbered double digits; nationwide, dozens.
Matching against hundreds of names.
No ordinary person could handle it alone, but Kang Hyun was.
Tweet. Tweet tweet!
The sun had climbed midday; people enjoyed the late afternoon.
The hospital felt quieter, less hectic.
But in Kang Hyun's small conference room, tension burned like fire.
Snap!
"Next."
Snap!
"Whew..."
After over an hour of cross-checking, Kang Hyun stretched.
Just under half done.
'No promising leads.'
No correlations between KW executives and patient names.
Time passed; 80% complete.
Two hours gone, sun beating down thickly on the city—no gains.
"Not this hospital?"
Too straightforward? Or dead wrong?
His pen flew faster; stacks of checked papers piled up.
Now, stubbornness kicked in.
"No. It's here."
Investigation had common sense. Instinct.
The 'legal mindset.'
The systematic principles for resolving legal issues.
Kang Hyun hadn't judged randomly.
Under that 'legal mindset' framework, it was the most efficient, effective choice—so he held firm.
Assuming the culprit fled impulsively, not planned—like an average person with basic legal sense—they wouldn't think their hospital record could be used against them post-escape.
So, after fleeing, once things quieted, they'd seek nearby treatment.
Vehicle started in Namyangju, so local hospital—most accessible with the only ER.
Starting here was right.
But.
"Nothing."
All records precisely checked. No errors.
No related persons, not even same names.
"Whew. Failure?"
Of course possible. Another hospital, not local, accomplices.
'Would've been nice if the first hunch panned out.'
As he picked up the last 'admission records.'
Right then.
"Hm...? James Park?"
James Park.
Foreign-affiliated Korean name. Likely Korean with foreign citizenship.
He'd heard it somewhere; Kang Hyun folded his arms, racking his brain.
'Who is it? So familiar. James Park...'
Not on the KW executive list, but something nagged at the edge of memory.
Lost in thought like a statue, time slipped by.
Tweet, tweet. Flap!
A bird spread wings toward the sky from a tree outside.
Then.
"Ah!"
Kang Hyun suddenly recalled who it was.
"James Park. Age 29, American citizen, mid-sized firm—KW chairman's third son. KW Construction's... chairman's youngest."
That's right. He was the troublemaking youngest son of the KW Construction chairman.