A Senior's Tough Love
I took off my coat, wrapped it around the child, and continuously massaged her arms and legs to help her sluggish circulation.
Meanwhile, Team Leader Na was on his radio, listening to updates from the dispatch center.
"They found the getaway car in an underpass," Na Sangdo said.
"What about the kidnappers?" I asked.
"It was empty. Looks like they ditched the car to slip past the checkpoints. They might have had an accomplice waiting outside."
"Did they run the plates?"
"Of course they did. It's a burner car with cloned plates."
"They're pretty organized."
"Their methods are vicious. We have to catch these bastards. What's the plan?"
"First, let's get Sarang to the hospital."
The paramedic ambulance was just passing through the main gates of Taepyeong Fisheries.
We met Sarang's parents in front of the emergency room.
Jin Jiman, the representative of Gukil, one of the nation's top three law firms, rushed over looking haggard and asked about his daughter's condition.
"Doctor, is my child going to be okay?"
The attending physician reassured him in a calm voice.
"She was exposed to hypothermia for quite a while, but fortunately, her temperature and blood pressure have returned to normal."
"Ah, thank you. Thank you so much."
"Since she has been through a physically and mentally traumatic ordeal, visitation will be strictly restricted until she fully recovers."
"I understand. Thank you, Doctor."
"You should thank the detectives here. If it weren't for them, you might not have seen your daughter again."
As the doctor credited us, Jin Jiman grabbed Team Leader Na Sangdo, who looked the oldest, and bowed repeatedly in gratitude.
"I will make sure to repay this debt."
"Please, there's no debt to repay. We were just doing our job," Na Sangdo replied.
Jin Jiman stared intently at Team Leader Na, then at Detective Jeong and me, committing our faces to memory.
Even the head of a giant law firm was just a helpless father in front of his child.
The emotional reunion was over. Now, it was time to catch the culprits.
"Excuse me, Mr. Jin."
"Yes?"
"Could we speak for a moment?"
While Sarang's mother watched over the sleeping child, I called Representative Jin out of the hospital room.
"Have you spoken to your brother?"
"Not yet. He must be going through hell right now. He probably thinks it's his fault his niece went missing."
Jin Jiman hadn't heard where the child was found yet. I didn't bother telling him either. I wanted to hear his statement without any bias.
"Have you two been together ever since she was kidnapped?"
"No. My brother has his own business, so he's out there mobilizing everyone he knows to search for her."
"Do you happen to know where he is right now?"
"Should I call him?"
"No, that's alright. By the way, did you know your brother's business is practically bankrupt?"
"...No. I never heard anything about that."
It seemed even the older brother didn't know everything about his sibling.
"Is there something wrong with my brother?"
"It's not certain yet, but we have to consider him a suspect."
"No, that can't be. There's no way. My brother adores Sarang. He has no reason to do such a thing to his own niece."
"Normally, yes."
But sometimes, blood relatives can be more terrifying than strangers.
I didn't elaborate.
The full truth of the case would be revealed in a few hours anyway.
Team Leader Na Sangdo walked out of the hospital and patted Detective Jeong and me on the back.
"Good work, everyone. If it weren't for you two, that kid would have died. Especially you, Detective Min. You actually looked pretty cool today."
"Save the praise for after we catch the culprits."
"Where are we going to catch them? Besides, this is a case handled by the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency's Investigation Division. If we meddle carelessly, it'll cause friction."
"Why stop halfway through a job?"
"Huh? What do you mean halfway? We don't even have a suspect. What are we supposed to do on our own in the middle of the night?"
"Who says we don't have a suspect?"
"Who? The kid's uncle?"
"He was the last person with her when she went missing, and she was found in the cold storage facility he owns. On top of that, he hasn't shown his face even now that she's been rescued. Isn't that enough?"
"I already passed all of that to the Gyeongnam Investigation Division. They'll ask for backup if they need it."
"Sometimes, you really lack a sense of responsibility."
"What did you say, you punk?!"
"If you want to back out, go ahead. I'll keep going with the rookie."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Go on home. Leave catching the criminals to those of us who actually have a sense of duty."
"You really have a million ways to piss off your team leader."
Conducting an independent investigation when another jurisdiction is officially in charge is a breach of professional etiquette.
It was a clear violation of protocol, and in worst-case scenarios, it could get a detective ostracized by their peers.
But when it came to Min Suho, the rules didn't apply.
"Do you even have a way to find him?"
"I found out where Sarang's uncle, Jin Jongguk, frequently hangs out."
"I'm not even surprised anymore. Where is it?"
"I'll tell you on the way."
The destination was already displayed on Beomjappa.
"Detective Jeong, do you want to drive again?"
"No way! I'm driving. Get out of the way!"
Team Leader Na had no desire to experience Detective Jeong's wild driving skills ever again.
"Where are we going?"
"It's not that far. Let's go!"
"Alright, let's roll!"
Na Sangdo had gotten excited without even realizing it.
It seemed my style of investigation suited the team leader just fine.
A basement salon with its sign turned off.
The dark entrance looked like any other defunct hostess bar, but opening the door revealed a whole new world.
It was an illegal private gambling den.
After stepping onto the gambling floor, Team Leader Na whispered in my ear.
"I notified the Gyeongnam Investigation Division. They said it'll take about twenty minutes to get here."
"Good job. The three of us wouldn't be enough to round up all these bastards anyway."
"Let's wait outside for now. People might start looking at us suspiciously."
"We can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Jin Jongguk might not be the mastermind."
"What does that matter? They're all in here anyway."
"They failed the kidnapping. That means someone has to take the fall. And that someone might be Jin Jongguk."
"So you want the three of us to strike first?"
"They're bound to be in the back office. You and Detective Jeong just block the door and make sure no one gets in or out."
"You're going in alone?"
"Yes. Rookie, you confident you can protect the team leader?"
"Just leave it to me, sir!"
"Ugh, my head..."
While Team Leader Na massaged his temples, I spotted an employee of the gambling den walking toward the back office.
"I'm going in."
I quietly slipped in behind the employee.
"Hey, President Jin. Did you call the cops to save your niece?"
"I've been here the whole time! How could I have called the police?"
"If it wasn't you, who else could it be? Did you and your brother plan this from the start to screw us over?"
"No! I swear I have nothing to do with this!"
Jin Jongguk was kneeling on the floor.
He had clearly been beaten multiple times; his face was covered in dark bruises, and his white shirt was stained with blood.
The two men who had barely escaped from the cold storage facility turned their gaze toward a man who appeared to be the boss.
Their eyes were asking for a decision on whether to kill him or let him live.
It was then.
Knock, knock.
An employee wearing a vest walked into the office and placed a humidor containing cigars on the boss's desk.
Nam Taeryeong, who had been glaring at Jin Jongguk like a judge, pulled a cigar from the humidor, placed it between his lips, and lit it.
"Phew. Look here, President Jin."
"Yes?"
"I'm someone who wanted you to succeed. You know that, right?"
"I know."
"I told you not to gamble. Luck only lasts so long. Didn't I tell you that if you keep playing, you'll lose it all in the end? When you made ten million won, if you had just walked away, we wouldn't be looking at each other like this. How nice would that have been, huh?"
"I-I'm sorry."
"Lift your head, man. Anyone watching would think we're the bad guys here. We're the ones about to lose our hard-earned money, so why are you acting like the victim? Man, the more I think about it, the madder I get."
"I'm sorry."
"You said your brother is obsessed with his daughter, right? You said if we just let him hear her crying, he'd hand over two billion won without a second thought. So how the hell did things end up like this?"
"I have no excuses..."
"Cut the shit. The fact that the cops raided the cold storage means you're under suspicion now too. Which means our chances of getting that money just went down the drain."
"N-No, that's not true. There's still the family burial ground, and Taepyeong Fisheries..."
"Hey, President Jin. Do I look like an idiot to you? The family land is under your brother's name, and once you subtract the bank loans, Taepyeong Fisheries is nothing but an empty shell. You son of a bitch, who do you think you're playing?!"
Having squandered his entire fortune on gambling, Jin Jongguk realized there was no hope left.
He would likely have his usable organs harvested and end up as a bloated corpse in some nameless reservoir.
"Tsk, look at that. There you go again, making that victim face. I told you to stop that. We're the victims here. Hey, do you think I'm a bad guy too?"
He asked the employee who had brought the cigars.
"Yeah."
"See? Even he—wait, what?"
Nam Taeryeong turned his head toward the employee who had just answered.
He had assumed it was one of his underlings, but looking closer, the face was completely unfamiliar.
"Who the hell are you?"
"The cop who's here to lock you up."
"...What?"
"I'm a detective. I just recorded your entire conversation, so whether you hire a lawyer to make excuses or keep your mouths shut, it's up to you."
"Hey, what is this bastard talking about?"
"I'm not finished yet, so don't interrupt. You also have the right to request a review of the legality of your arrest..."
When a large thug standing nearby raised his arm, I extended my index and middle fingers and jabbed them straight into his eyes.
"Aaargh! My eyes!"
"...South Korea is a great country, isn't it? Guaranteeing all kinds of rights to scum like you."
Two more thugs lunged at me, throwing punches, but they collapsed backward, foaming at the mouth, after taking strikes to the solar plexus and windpipe respectively.
When dealing with multiple opponents, I always target vital points.
If the opponent is armed, I don't bother holding back my strength.
If you don't take them down in a single blow, they might get back up and stab you in the back.
As six of his men fell to my short, sharp punches and showed no signs of getting back up, the once-relaxed Nam Taeryeong raised his guard.
"Who are you?"
"I told you, I'm a detective."
"Don't screw with me. What kind of cop fights like you? Who sent you? I don't know how much they promised you, but I'll double it—no, triple it. Let's work together."
"Sure, let's shake on it."
"...Really?"
"If you don't want to, then forget it."
"No, no! Let's shake. Shake hands."
Click. Clack.
The sound of handcuffs locking is always music to my ears.
"You son of a bitch!"
"I wonder if you'll still be talking trash after I knock your teeth out."
"..."
In Nam Taeryeong's eyes, I looked like someone who would absolutely follow through on that threat.
I pulled another pair of handcuffs from my waist and tossed them to the terrified Jin Jongguk.
"Put them on yourself. Pathetic bastard. How could you do that to your own niece?"
"..."
That wrapped things up inside the office.
Outside, where Team Leader Na Sangdo and Detective Jeong Uijeong were holding the line, a chaotic brawl was already underway.
"Stay back! I said stay back!"
Team Leader Na was struggling with a massive thug who was lunging at him like a zombie.
On the other hand, Jeong Uijeong was performing far beyond expectations.
Facing gang members armed with knives and wooden clubs, he wasn't backing down at all; instead, he was slowly cornering them against the wall.
"Hehehe. I told you to come at me, so why are you running? Come on, bring it!"
I had heard he trained in martial arts for a long time, but this was my first time seeing him in action.
I decided to watch from behind for a moment to catch my breath.
"Die!"
One thug lunged at Detective Jeong, slashing a knife.
Completely ignoring the blade, Detective Jeong leaped toward him.
He stepped on the opponent's knee with his right foot and shattered the man's jaw with his left knee.
Blood splattered in all directions as the gang member's head snapped back.
"I'm not done yet."
Detective Jeong grabbed the man's head again and locked in a rear-naked choke.
It was a seamless, fluid transition.
It was a display of high-level techniques that even I would find difficult to replicate.
"C-cough... I... I yield... gasp..."
Suffocating, the gang member tapped frantically, begging for his life.
"Did you think I'd let you go just because you tapped out? Hehehe."
Watching this, my brow furrowed.
The choked gang member's arm went limp and dropped.
He had already passed out.
If left like that, he could suffocate to death.
It had reached a point where I had to intervene.
"Stop it."
"Drop your weapons if you don't want to die, you bastards!"
"Detective Jeong. I said stop."
"Let go!"
Detective Jeong snapped back sharply, even at the sound of my voice trying to stop him from behind.
"Detective Jeong. It's me. He's already unconscious, let him go!"
"Fuck, don't tell me what to do!"
"...What?"
As Detective Jeong turned his head back, his eyes were half-crazed.
In times like this, you have to shock them back to their senses.
"Who do you think you're talking to, you rookie? Wake the hell up!"
With all the love a senior officer could muster for his junior.
I delivered a clean, solid headbutt. Bam!
Situation resolved here, too.