The Shark Prepares to Ascend
"Each of us has one of the Four Heavenly Kings—Jiguk, Jeungjang, Gwangmok, and Damun—inked on our backs, and the Four Guardian Beasts—the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise—etched onto our chests."
Seo Gidong's face was graver than ever as he explained the tattoos.
He looked so solemn he might have been mistaken for an ancient hero founding a new dynasty.
But in reality, they were just gangsters.
"Brothers, the youngest is joining you!"
Stripping off his shirt, Seo Gidong joined them, revealing the Heavenly King Damun inked across his back.
With that, the Shark Gang was complete.
At that moment, Cha Donbaek took a step toward Gangbuk Jordan, who was pointing a knife at him.
"You think you can stab me with that?"
The Azure Dragon on his chest seemed to writhe as he took another step toward the blade.
He seemed like a man who didn't know the meaning of fear.
Gangbuk Jordan, who had stepped forward so confidently, instinctively took a step back.
"D-don't come any closer! I'll really stab you!"
"Go ahead, stab me. If you're going to do it, aim straight for the heart. Because if you don't kill me in one shot, you're dead. It only takes me a second to snap your neck."
He looked like he meant it, too.
One look at his chest—twice as thick as an average man's—and his rough, heavily calloused fists was enough to tell.
Messing with him meant a one-way ticket to the grave.
Gangbuk Jordan's resistance crumbled in a matter of seconds.
The other gigolos, who had been watching and trying to read the room, turned their heads away, making it clear they had no intention of fighting back.
"Well, at least you've got some loyalty. I like loyal people. I'll let you off just this once because I'm feeling generous. Step aside."
Jordan's knife-wielding hand and gaze dropped to the floor simultaneously. The human shield protecting Mo Pilsang had dwindled down to just Director Choi of the dance academy.
"Mercy is a one-time offer. There won't be a second."
When Cha Donbaek raised a fist, Director Choi threw up his hands in sheer terror.
"I-I'm not a gigolo! I used to dance, but I hurt my leg... I just rented out the space!"
"I get it, so move."
"Yes, sir!"
Director Choi scrambled out of the way.
Now, only a trembling Mo Pilsang stood before Cha Donbaek.
Watching this unfold, I suddenly recalled a conversation I'd had with my seniors.
"Hey, rookie. Do you know how a truly skilled homicide detective catches a criminal?"
"By beating them down with their bare fists?"
"And that's why you're still a greenhorn."
"What, do they hold their hand and drag them to church? Make them repent after listening to a sermon?"
"As if that would work."
"Then what's the answer?"
"A detective who makes them so terrified that they drop to their knees on their own."
"Come on. Who are those guys going to be scared of? They're violent criminals."
"Do you know why homicide detectives walk around with buzz cuts?"
"Don't tell me it's to scare them. That can't be it, right?"
"Why do you think it isn't?"
"Because that sounds ridiculous."
"Forget it. There's no point talking to you. A pretty boy like you wouldn't get it in a million years."
"So you're telling me to shave my head like a mobster? No way. Absolutely not!"
"Suit yourself."
Back then, I hadn't believed it. The idea that you could subdue a criminal through looks alone seemed absurd.
I had never done it, nor had I ever thought to try.
But now, I believed. The proof was standing right in front of me.
"Perfect."
An overwhelming physique, intimidating tattoos, and bloodcurdling threats that would make anyone lose their nerve.
They swore and spat, but they never actually threw a punch.
It was exactly how homicide detectives subdued suspects without resorting to violence.
"I want to learn how to do that."
Of course, I knew it wasn't something you could just learn.
Nine out of ten criminals I chased lunged at me like they wanted to die.
While that made them much easier to arrest than the ones who ran, watching these guys in action left me feeling a bit hollow.
I guess some people are just born with it.
Even if I started bulking up and shaved my head right now, I wouldn't even come close to matching their presence.
I had really lucked out with my choice of partners.
Feeling grateful, I decided to give them a little present.
"President Cha! Catch."
I unclipped the handcuffs from my belt and tossed them to Cha Donbaek.
Catching them, Cha Donbaek looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you giving me this?"
"Put them on him yourself. You know how, right? Read him his rights while you're at it."
"M-me?"
"Go on."
I wanted him to experience the thrill of making an arrest, like playing cop.
The feeling of snapping steel cuffs onto a criminal's wrists was something you never forgot. I certainly hadn't.
"Ahem. Right. Mo Pilsang, I am placing you under arrest."
Having the role thrust upon him so suddenly, the fake detective Cha Donbaek read his lines like a textbook. He needed a bit of coaching.
"You have to tell him the charges. Illegal filming and blackmail."
"Ah! Mo Pilsang, you are under emergency arrest on charges of illegal filming and blackmail. You have the right to an attorney..."
"I do?"
"Why, you got a problem with that?"
"No. It's just the first time I've heard it phrased like that."
"Shut up and just listen. You have the right to an attorney, and you can learn the right to remain silent..."
"What are you even saying?"
"Hey, you bastard! You made me forget my lines again!"
I guess it was too much to ask. Oh well, it didn't matter. I was going to read him his rights properly anyway. I was just glad we made the arrest without a fight.
In the end, Cha Donbaek skipped the rest of the speech and just slapped the cuffs on Mo Pilsang's wrists.
The 15th wanted fugitive had been successfully apprehended.
"What should we do with the rest of them?"
"Let them go. Even if we bring them in, they'll be released immediately since there are no charges against them."
They were just fresh-faced gigolo wannabes or rookies. Baby gigolos who had a long way to go before they could make any real money.
"Let's wrap this up and head down."
Heading down to the first floor, I opened the back door of the Commando and waited for Cha Donbaek.
The way he dragged Mo Pilsang down like a seasoned detective looked surprisingly convincing.
"Put him in the back."
"Yes, Detective. Wait, where did the other guys go?"
The backseat, which should have held the other two fugitives, was completely empty.
"Mr. Seo Gidong. Where are they?"
"I moved them to the van."
I peered through the windows of the van, but the fugitives were nowhere to be seen.
"I don't see them."
"They're in the trunk. I thought it might look suspicious if someone walked by and saw them."
"Ah..."
If the National Human Rights Commission ever found out about this, they'd probably petition for my execution.
Seo Gidong asked, carefully reading my expression.
"Should I move them to the seats?"
I really should have, but I didn't want to.
"No, leave them. Let them suffer a bit."
I wanted them to feel at least a fraction of the terror their victims must have felt, rattling around in that dark trunk.
With that in mind, the Gangnam gigolo who had been in the backseat was also moved to the Commando's trunk.
It was time to head to our next destination.
"We had a late breakfast, so let's grab dinner once we arrive in Namhae. You guys aren't hungry yet, right?"
"No, I don't have much of an appetite right now."
"Then let's go."
"Give me the keys. I'll drive."
Seo Gidong held out his hand, offering to keep me company so I wouldn't get bored.
I needed to scan the surroundings using Beomjappa anyway, so a driver was exactly what I needed.
"We'll switch if you get tired along the way."
Before Seo Gidong took the keys and started the Commando, I pulled out my phone and launched the Beomjappa app.
The Beomjappa app and the vehicle's navigation system couldn't run at the same time. That was the real reason I handed the keys over to Seo Gidong.
The Beomjappa app was an item that could only be obtained by exchanging Citizen's Staff points.
And those points were rewards given for public service or volunteer work.
Inspector Son Daesan, who had spent his entire career at Seongam Police Station, likely never had the chance to earn them. That place was far too busy for anyone to go out on public service details.
The reason he always made me run coffee errands and insisted on driving himself whenever we got in the car was probably because he didn't have the Beomjappa app.
If only he'd had it, he wouldn't have walked into that tiger's den all alone...
"We're heading out."
"Right."
Our destination was a four-star hotel in Namhae. Since it was a weekend and traffic was heavy, we wouldn't arrive until after 8:00 PM, even if we made good time.
"You've been up since dawn, so you must be tired. Why don't you get some shut-eye?"
"I'm not really sleepy."
Seo Gidong glanced at my face and tilted his head.
"You don't look so good."
"Do I?"
"Yes. Should we pull over at the next rest stop?"
"No, I'm fine. Just keep going."
It wasn't because of an upset stomach or a bad mood.
It was because it was Saturday. The day of the lottery drawing.
The lottery ticket I'd bought a few days ago was practically vibrating in my inner jacket pocket, keeping time with my racing heartbeat.
The next morning.
The diligent former gangsters had already made their beds, washed up, and brought the bound fugitives down to the hotel restaurant where breakfast was being served.
"Did he sleep late last night?"
Detective Min had yet to show up. Cha Donbaek was debating whether he should send his boys to wake him.
Seo Gidong spoke up hesitantly.
"Boss, the detective's expression was a bit strange in the car on the way here yesterday."
"What was wrong with it?"
"He looked like he either really needed to use the bathroom or was in a terrible mood."
"Are you sure you didn't do something rude?"
Cha Donbaek narrowed his eyes, and Seo Gidong quickly waved his hands in denial.
"No way! I was more polite and attentive than a host at a high-end club."
"Who drove?"
"I did, of course. Though we did switch once in the middle."
"You switched? You should have asked if he was tired first. He might have offered to drive out of politeness even if he wasn't feeling well. Why are you so dense?"
"Boss, I swear, that wasn't it."
"Then what was it?"
"Maybe he's anxious?"
"Anxious about what?"
"About us. No matter how clean our hands are now, we still have a colorful past. If word gets out that a detective is hanging around with guys like us, it could ruin his career."
"I suppose that's possible."
"You haven't told him about our decision yet, have you?"
"I need to. I didn't get a chance yesterday."
Detective Min was the only benefactor who had reached out to them when they were in a bind.
When a man driving a car on the verge of breakdown casually handed over 200 million won, they hadn't truly understood what kind of person he was.
It was only after seeing the letters "CP&PC" that they realized Detective Min was the one secretly helping those in need from the shadows.
From that moment on, Cha Donbaek had set a new goal for himself.
Even if he couldn't live as noble a life as the detective, he could at least serve by his side.
His boys had quickly recognized the detective's true worth as well.
When he confessed his desire to serve him as their boss, the boys had eagerly agreed.
Now, all they needed was the man's permission.
"Did everyone sleep well? Sorry I'm late."
It was a brilliant morning, the southern sea calm and windless.
Cha Donbaek's hero emerged from his room with a smile brighter than the morning sun.
Had something wonderful happened overnight?
In truth, I hadn't slept late—I hadn't slept at all.
Because I had won the first-place lottery prize.
I had never doubted that my ticket would win first place, but I never imagined I would be the only first-place winner.
I stared wide-eyed at the screen, checking it again.
[Number of Winning Tickets: 1]
No matter how many times I checked, the text indicating a single winner taking the entire jackpot didn't change.
I quickly clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle the shout of joy that threatened to escape.
If I had been a second slower, I would have woken up the entire hotel.
This is insane!
After taxes, the payout was over 20 billion won.
I was about to become the wealthiest police officer in South Korea.
Unless some eccentric billionaire decided to join the force as a hobby.
"Detective."
Cha Donbaek spoke to me in an unusually cautious tone.
"There is something I would like to discuss with you."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
The way he lowered his voice to create a serious atmosphere made it seem like he was about to ask for a difficult favor.
But since I was in such a great mood today, I was prepared to grant almost any request.
"You boys go and plate some food for the detective."
"Yes, Boss."
Cha Donbaek sent his boys to fetch food from the hotel buffet and sat across the table from me.
What on earth did he want to ask?
"We are planning to establish a civic organization."
"Pardon?"
"An organization like a vigilante group that supports the police in capturing criminals from behind the scenes, and sometimes takes the lead to realize a just society."
"That's basically what you're doing now. Are you worried because of your background as gangsters?"
"Yes. We want to establish a proper, legal framework so that we can be legitimate helpers without causing any trouble for you, Detective."
"..."
The shark was trying to ride my coattails and ascend like a dragon.