Chapter 176
Chapter 176
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 176
Chapter Title: Capturing James Park
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"Damn it."
A man hobbled awkwardly on crutches up to the railing of a rooftop in a quiet residential neighborhood.
He exhaled.
Cigarette smoke billowed out, and he stared at it for a moment before muttering softly.
"That was close."
The man's name was James Park.
He had been cooped up in this house on the outskirts of Namyangju on his father's orders to lay low for a while, and damn if it wasn't a stroke of luck.
His father was there to protect him, and even if he screwed up, there was power to make it all go away.
"You ever drive after popping a pill again, you're really done for, James. Never do that shit."
Heh.
Pat pat.
Pleased with himself for dodging a bullet, he muttered to himself, then puffed out another cloud of smoke with a satisfied grin.
He hadn't planned to run after the accident. But he had no choice.
After drinks in Gangnam, he'd headed to the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province for a secret drug-fueled party.
Grabbing the wheel was the mistake.
"Fuck... We were having a good time, and then they call me back to Gangnam. Ow ow ow!"
Unfortunately, a glowing ember from his cigarette fell onto his clothes. He brushed it off hastily, but a tiny hole had burned through.
"Sigh. Shit, nothing goes right."
Amid his good fortune came this bad luck. James Park spat out a curse toward the street below, when a man walking by caught his eye.
For some reason, he suddenly felt like picking a fight with the passerby.
James stared down at the man blankly, and as if sensing his gaze, the man looked up at James Park.
Then, strangely enough, the man below called out to James Park first.
"Hello! James Park! Can you hear me?"
"...?"
'What the hell? How does he know my name?'
James Park scowled warily.
"The hideout your father, Chairman Park Jeong-seok, hastily arranged for you must be pretty uncomfortable, huh?"
"...Who the fuck is this guy?"
Mumbling to himself, a thought flashed in his mind.
'Oh, is he a watchdog sent by Dad? Or maybe his secretary?'
Hearing his father's name mentioned, James Park relaxed a bit, assuming it was just some errand boy, and called down.
"Hey. How do you know my dad? He send you?"
"Nope."
The man grinned mischievously, like he was playing a prank. Irritated by the smile, James responded rudely.
"Then who the hell are you? Wanna see what happens if you piss me off? You think I'm a joke?"
"You kinda look like one. Come on down for a sec. It's about to get fun."
"...?"
"You already look uncomfortable. If you don't want to get hurt more, come down nice and easy."
"What the—?"
"We've confirmed you're inside the house, so forcing the door open won't be breaking and entering. If you keep resisting, we'll have a locksmith bust it open. Come down, get arrested, and we'll read you your rights nice and slow."
"What bullshit is this? You crazy bastard...!"
Flash!
No sooner had the man finished speaking than lights blazed from both ends of the alley.
Pop!
Blue and red sirens.
Only when the searchlight hit him did James Park realize how fucked he was.
"What... Po, police?"
Cars blocking both sides of the street in front of his house, cops pouring out.
On the outskirts of Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province, a tiny rural villa complex owned by Chairman Park Jeong-seok.
James Park's hideout was completely surrounded by every available investigator from the Namyangju Southern Division, Traffic Crime Investigation Division, and the Namyangju Branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office.
And the one directing the whole operation.
Prosecutor Kang Hyun of the Criminal Division at the Namyangju Branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office under the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office.
"Come down now while I'm asking nicely."
"You fuck...!"
James Park scrambled off the railing and bolted inside the building. As if expecting it, Kang Hyun calmly radioed the situation.
"Suspect's gone inside. Focus on ABC sectors. Entry team, breach the door as planned."
-Roger that. Sector A, Southern Team 1 entering. Teams 2 and 3, move!
The entire force sprang into swift action under Kang Hyun's command.
Thus began the on-site arrest operation for James Park in this case packed with suspicions—from fleeing the scene of a fatal accident under aggravated traffic laws, hit-and-run without reporting, DUI, all the way to drugs.
Not long after the orders went out, James Park was inevitably flushed out by the coordinated police and prosecutors.
Crash! Thud!
"Let go! Get off me!"
Dragged out with his arms bound.
"Let go! This is human rights abuse, you fucking dogs!"
"Human rights abuse, my ass."
Kang Hyun walked up to James, who was half-kneeling in an awkward position.
"Nice to meet you. Prosecutor Kang Hyun."
"Get lost! Ptoo! Do you know who my father is!"
"Hong, take a hair sample first. We'll calculate DUI from CCTV footage. Drugs—we'll know right now. No need for consent... It's mandatory."
"Wait! Drugs? Got proof?!"
Caught off guard by the drug mention, James Park stammered desperately, and Kang Hyun leaned in close.
"You got investigated a few years back for meth possession under the Narcotics Control Act, right?"
"That was not guilty! Not guilty!"
"Not guilty? Nah, it was just closed without charges. Point is, priors mean mandatory drug test. Cute."
"Bullshit."
"You're the bullshit. You're a dog. Got wasted in Gangnam, came out to the Namyangju outskirts, rented a room, did drugs. Then got behind the wheel wasted."
"Gasp... Don't talk crazy. You fuck! Fine, I drove! I crashed by accident and bolted, but no drugs!"
"Hmm. Don't change your story. Say that in court. Instant death penalty."
Kang Hyun fired back satisfyingly at James, then pulled back just as the cops stuffed the flailing, resistant man into a squad car.
"Ughhh! Stop! Enough!"
A perfect arrest scene, exactly as Kang Hyun had planned.
It showcased the investigative authorities' power in capturing a fleeing suspect.
"We really got him."
"No way he was really here."
"Kang Hyun was directing. Knew it."
Other cops marveled in awe at the result, and Team Leader Hong approached Kang Hyun.
"Prosecutor! Epic! Solving it this cleanly!"
"Good luck."
"No! It went perfectly as planned! How'd you know he'd be at that house owned by Park Jeong-seok on the Gyeonggi outskirts..."
"Property registry, security CCTV paths, phone tracking. Once we ID'd him, obvious."
"O-Of course! You'll get me promoted... Uh, never mind!"
Team Leader Hong beamed with emotion, but Kang Hyun replied stone-faced.
"Cut the crap."
"Yes, sir."
How was his tone so damn grating?
'Insolent. Just do your job.'
Kang Hyun's patience for Hong evaporated.
He issued the next order immediately.
"Prep the arrest warrant now. Report any new findings from interrogation right away."
"...Yes, sir! We'll do our best!"
Hong scampered off. Kang Hyun sighed softly and crossed his arms.
"Sigh."
Watching the police car drive away, Kang Hyun pondered what came next.
'Lawyers incoming right away. KW Construction's gonna flip.'
Either way, nabbing him was a huge win. Emergency arrest meant straight to detention and indictment.
Indicting and detaining the suspect in this case would be a stellar achievement in Kang Hyun's prosecutorial career.
'But still not enough.'
Kang Hyun tucked away a twinge of satisfaction and quietly headed to his car.
[Driver in Namyangju Intersection Crash Identified as KW Construction's Third Son 'James Park.']
[Evidence Emerges of Methamphetamine, Synthetic Drug Use at Time of Accident... Police Investigating Related Case.]
['James Park' Indicted and Detained on Aggravated Fleeing-the-Scene Charges, Etc.]
The biggest case cracked in the Namyangju area.
Kang Hyun's feat in dragging 'James Park' to court.
James Park refused to say a word post-arrest.
His silence couldn't be direct evidence anyway, but it was circumstantial. Forensic results showed positive for drugs, and evidence of post-drinking driving from Gangnam sealed it. He was swiftly detained.
Indictment followed at breakneck speed, sending the case to court.
While other prosecutors might team up for one mega-case every few years if lucky, Kang Hyun had soloed an indictment of a missing suspect in mere months.
But one final task remained for Kang Hyun.
Bang.
"Kang."
"Senior Cheong?"
Entering Kang Hyun's office was Prosecutor Cheong Yu-ram, who'd worked the case with him.
He carried a bundle of documents.
Thud.
"Senior, that's..."
"Petition for severe punishment. From the victims' families. Figured you should take it."
Kang Hyun stared blankly at Cheong Yu-ram for a moment, then carefully accepted the petition.
He began reading it, word by word.
"Ha..."
Scrawled in shaky, messy handwriting. As a formal petition, the content was polite, emotions restrained.
But Kang Hyun's heart ached as he read aloud the corner of the closing plea.
"We can't bring the child back, but..."
Each petition brimmed with desperate grief.
"The petitioners wish to charge the defendant with murder, but we've been told that's impossible. So, to prevent such heartbreak from repeating, we earnestly beg for the maximum penalty the law allows."
Heart-wrenching words filled every line. Kang Hyun bit his lip, unable to speak.
Seeing it, Cheong Yu-ram looked sympathetic.
"...Kang. Tough first case, huh."
"No. I chose it."
"You've done your duty here. File the petition with the Namyangju Branch records and attach to the back. Hand off to trial prosecutors after."
Cheong Yu-ram's praise meant recognition. And surprise.
Job well done. Kang Hyun just needed to nod.
But his response shocked Cheong Yu-ram.
"Senior. Can I participate in the trial too?"
"...Pardon?"
"I want to see this case through to the end. I know it's not standard for an investigator to join trial for special maintenance of public prosecution..."
It wasn't enough to soothe these grieving families.
A few months in jail, a year at most? No way this guy walks.
Kang Hyun knew it exceeded his role, but he had to ask Cheong Yu-ram.
Could he take full responsibility to the end?
"Of course."
"...?"
"Of course you can."
Before Kang Hyun finished, Cheong Yu-ram nodded readily.
"Really?"
"I'll clear it with assignment. Wrap up the first trial. If you nail first instance, appeals build on it..."
His trusting expression and gaze.
Who knew the always-punctual Cheong Yu-ram had this side.
"...Give it your best. Seeing you gets me emotional too."
Kang Hyun thought.
Maybe his actions, decisions, judgments ignited passion and trust in other prosecutors.
If so, perfect. Meant he was doing right.
So Kang Hyun met Cheong Yu-ram's eyes steadily.
Then, with a faint crack of a smile, he said softly.
"...Thank you, Senior. I'll wrap this case perfectly."