A Detective's Duty

Just because I gained a special ability didn't mean I could solve every ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠case in the world.

It was both temporally and physically impossible.

I already had my hands full just trying to clear the missions thrown at me by Beomjappa.

Yet, this scientifically inexplicable system was telling me to make time to rescue a kidnapped child first.

"Representative Jin Jiman's daughter?"

"Yeah."

"How old did you say she was?"

"Twelve. Didn't you hear earlier?"

Twelve was old enough to communicate with.

If told to shut up, they shut up. If told to record a video message for their parents, they would plead for their lives with tears streaming down their faces.

A cooperative child was helpful in many ways during negotiations with the parents.

Because of that, the golden window was usually long.

Up to forty-eight hours.

But why only one hour? Why was it so short this time?

To resolve this sudden mission, I needed information to use as keywords.

I needed to call Officer Song to ask for Jin Sarang's resident registration number, but there were four eyes watching me inside the car.

The closer they were, the more careful I had to be.

"Do you guys want something to drink?"

"All of a sudden?"

"I really need to use the restroom, so I'm going to run to a convenience store. Can I get you anything on my way back?"

"Coffee for me. What about you, Detective Jeong?"

"Banana milk for me."

"Coffee and banana milk. I'll be right back."

There was no time to waste.

The golden window was ticking down in real-time.

Once fifty-five minutes passed, the kidnapped child would die.

I rounded the corner of the building and called Officer Song Hana of the Support Team.

It would be resolved quickly if I asked Team Leader Na, but to minimize the risk of rumors leaking, it was best to keep my information channel singular.

Someone tight-lipped and favorable toward me. For now, Officer Song was the perfect fit.

"Officer Song, are you still at the station?"

"I need a background check. Representative Jin Jiman of Gukil Law Firm and his family. I need their resident registration numbers and addresses. Make sure to include the child and the child's uncle."

"Yes. There's no time. Please hurry."

"Do you know what kind of kidnapping cases have the shortest golden windows?"

"A staged kidnapping by the parents."

"A wife disillusioned by her husband's infidelity might target the child he loves most. Or an uncle harboring resentment toward his older brother might commit a heinous act in a fit of rage."

"If the investigation is delayed and the child dies, will you take responsibility, Officer Song?"

"You're obstructing an investigation right now by refusing a detective's request for information..."

"Of course. I'll submit it as soon as I get to work tomorrow."

"Got it. Thank you."

Wait, didn't Officer Song like me?

Her cooperation is a bit more reluctant than I expected...

I bought the drinks at the convenience store and was waiting for Officer Song's reply.

My phone vibrated. I pulled it out to see a call from Cha Donbaek.

"Hello?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we can go today. A major case broke out in our district. We'll have to push the schedule back by a day."

"Thank you. I'll call you again tomorrow."

"Yes. Go ahead."

"They're on the public wanted list, so there's no reason you can't, but why?"

"And?"

He wasn't wrong.

A public wanted list meant the police couldn't handle it alone and were asking for citizens' cooperation.

But were all citizens the same?

A volunteer group made up of former gangsters could easily secure suspects, even if they couldn't formally arrest them.

"No matter how wanted they are, excessive violence and beatings are out of the question. You know that, right?"

Well...

Isn't ripping your shirt off, showing off a body full of tattoos, swearing, and spitting also a form of violence?

But as long as they didn't leave any evidence, it was fine.

If they could break the suspect's will to resist and apprehend them peacefully, that much was perfectly acceptable.

"Alright. I have their photos, so I'll send them over via KaTalk right now."

Is Representative Cha going through male menopause or something? Why is he crying over this?

"Let's talk again tomorrow. I'm busy right now, so I have to go."

I didn't have time to listen to a grown man's melodrama.

I sent the information of the four wanted suspects whose locations had been confirmed to Cha Donbaek.

When I stepped out of the convenience store with the drinks, the rookie had also gotten out of the car and was on the phone with someone.

"Yes, Grandma. Go to sleep first. It's nothing major, so don't worry."

Perhaps conscious of my presence, Detective Jeong quickly wrapped up his call.

"Your maternal grandmother?"

"Yes."

"She worries a lot, doesn't she?"

"Since I'm a homicide detective, naturally."

"That's why I lied and told my parents I have a desk job. Otherwise, they'd worry too much."

"Ah, that's a good idea. I should tell her that next time."

"Here, drink up. Banana milk."

"Thank you."

Ding.

Before I got into the car, a text message from Officer Song arrived.

It was Representative Jin Jiman's family information.

In the long string of text that required scrolling, the only thing I needed was Jin Sarang's resident registration number.

I knew there were many eyes watching me lately.

An unbelievable arrest record compared to my short career.

If they weren't curious about the secret, they wouldn't be detectives.

It was a kind of fake-out to confuse any observers who might be watching me from somewhere.

Until I raised my level and obtained other keywords, this inconvenience was unavoidable.

"Let's save the kid first. The culprit can wait."

Sitting in the back seat, I opened Beomjappa and entered Jin Sarang's resident registration number into the [Search Person Location] - [Keyword Input] field.

Forty-seven minutes? Then, what about the golden window?

If we drove at the normal speed limit, we would arrive only after the child was already dead.

I couldn't leave the wheel to Team Leader Na, who insisted on safe driving.

"Detective Jeong, you said you were a driver in the military, right?"

"Yes. I'm a good driver."

"Then you take the wheel."

"Says who?"

Team Leader Na objected.

"The driver's insurance for this car only covers me. Besides, we're in a Code Zero situation right now, where do you think you're going?"

"I got a tip. They know where the kid is."

"Who?"

"Does that matter right now?"

"Is the information reliable?"

"How much more do I have to prove myself?"

"..."

In the homicide division, results were king, and performance was god.

Team Leader Na didn't press me further.

"Just tell me the destination. I'll drive."

"No. We'll never make it in time at your snail's pace. Let Detective Jeong drive, and you get in the back, Team Leader."

"If we get into an accident, are you going to take responsibility?"

"I'll buy you a brand-new car. Happy?"

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"You promised, right?"

"We don't have time to stand around. Hurry!"

"Alright. Detective Jeong, swap seats."

Within just five minutes, Team Leader Na regretted letting the rookie take the wheel.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! C-Careful! Oh, my god!"

Detective Jeong's driving, which looked like a textbook display of stunt driving, was reminiscent of professional racing.

Seeing the team leader's fuss, Detective Jeong asked me.

"Should I slow down a bit?"

"No, keep going. This is perfect. Turn right up ahead."

"Understood."

Thanks to Detective Jeong's stellar performance, the estimated arrival time rapidly decreased.

"Keep going straight. The destination is one kilometer ahead... Wait, is that?"

It was the outer road of Yonghyeon-si, adjacent to Seongam-si.

Bordering the Gyeongbu Line, the area was noticeably dense with logistics warehouses.

Among them, one signboard stood out in particular.

"Taepyeong Fisheries..."

Taepyeong Fisheries, run by Jin Sarang's uncle.

A massive cold storage and freezing warehouse was the first thing to catch the eye.

"Team Leader."

"Ugh, slow down a bit, I'm going to wet myself."

"Team Leader!"

"Ah, what?"

"Didn't you say the kidnapped kid's uncle was the representative of Taepyeong Fisheries?"

"Yeah. But why?"

"I think the kid is at her uncle's company."

"...Huh?"

Slowing down, Detective Jeong asked.

"I don't see any security, and the main gate is wide open. Should we go inside?"

"Yeah. Go in."

According to the team leader, half of the lobsters imported into the country were stored here.

He said they didn't just handle lobsters, but also high-end fish species like tuna.

Perhaps because of that, the storage warehouse was as large as a decent-sized outlet mall.

The storage warehouse was incredibly spacious.

"Senior, the office building seems to be further inside. Where should we go?"

The arrow guiding us to the destination stopped right between the cold storage and the freezing warehouse.

Since the two entrances to the warehouses were almost side-by-side, it was difficult to tell them apart just by looking at the phone screen.

I had to make the right choice.

The golden window displayed on Beomjappa was down to just five minutes.

Detective Jeong asked me again where to stop.

"Senior? Where to..."

"Hold on."

Cold storage or freezing warehouse.

Sarang was definitely in one of the two.

Which one was more dangerous?

"Go to the freezing warehouse."

My gut told me so.

An instinctive premonition that was hard to explain.

All the lights were off, but the moonlight was bright enough that finding the entrance wasn't too difficult.

"Huh? Over there!"

Team Leader Na spotted a sedan parked in front of the office building suddenly speeding away.

It was a suspicious vehicle by any standard.

Team Leader Na ordered the rookie.

"Detective Jeong, chase that car!"

"No. Don't chase it. The kid comes first."

The fleeing vehicle sped out of the company's main gate, but the arrow on Beomjappa didn't budge at all.

It meant the child was still here.

Team Leader Na stomped his feet anxiously.

"What do you mean? We have to chase that car first. What if they ran off with the kid?"

"There were only two adult men in the car."

"Are you sure?"

"I saw the license plate too. 978 Ha 4785."

Team Leader Na immediately grabbed his radio and requested assistance from the 112 dispatch room.

"Vehicle number 978 Ha 4785. Requesting vehicle location tracking from the control center and backup to set up checkpoints and search the surrounding area."

While Team Leader Na was talking to dispatch, I opened the trunk.

The trunk of a homicide detective's car was filled with all kinds of junk.

Iron pipes, aluminum baseball bats, and what I needed most right now.

"Perfect, there are three flashlights. Detective Jeong, open the warehouse door!"

"Yes, sir!"

As soon as the heavy iron door opened, a blast of freezing air rushed out.

Having finished his call with dispatch, Team Leader Na quickly caught up to my side.

"It's weird that only the freezing warehouse is running for no reason in a company with no security."

"She's definitely in here. Sarang! Jin Sarang!"

"Sarang! It's the police. Can you hear us?"

"Sarang! The police are here to rescue you... Wait, everyone quiet!"

Team Leader Na, who was famous for having exceptionally sharp ears, finally put his specialty to good use.

"Don't you hear something? Shine the light over there."

We shone our flashlights simultaneously in the direction Team ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Leader Na pointed.

"Mmph! Mmmph! Mph."

Gagged and bound hand and foot, the twelve-year-old girl was struggling, pleading to be saved.

"Over there!"

Without a second thought, we all rushed over and rescued the child.

The child, cold as ice, was already completely exhausted.

"I'll call 119."

"Let's get out of here first."

While Detective Jeong called emergency services, I scooped the child up in my arms.

"Team Leader, turn on the car heater."

"Huh? Oh, right."

The moment I laid the child down in the back seat of the car, a notification sound chimed from my inner pocket where my phone was.

Ding.

Mission success with only thirty seconds left on the golden window.

I was extremely curious about what kind of reward I would receive, but now was not the time to check such things.

I had completed the mission thrown at me by Beomjappa, but my duty as a detective was only just beginning.