Chapter 26: The Shrimp
"That's the building."
Gong Jin-cheol, the investigator from the Incheon Central District Prosecutors' Office, cautiously scanned the surroundings after receiving a tip from reporter Yun Ha-young that the target 'suspicious vehicle' still hadn't emerged. It was just an ordinary agency building, but an eerie atmosphere hung in the air.
Am I imagining it...? Or is there really something off...
His assigned mission was to identify the make and license plate of the suspicious vehicle. Of course, using a prosecutor-exclusive implant could read the vehicle's info and reveal the owner. But would someone rolling with police escorts lack even that basic precaution? So, for now, the goal was the make and plate.
"...Yeah, just walking in ain't gonna fly."
Rainbow Miracle's security was airtight. Agencies handling celebrities already had tight security, but this one was on another level. Flashing his prosecutor ID might get him inside, but that would blow In Ae-un's probe into the guy they called 'Young Master' wide open.
So, he'd have to sneak in incognito or wait for 'Young Master's' car to roll out.
Miss that, and it's game over. Time to move in.
Stepping out of his car, he activated his implant. In an instant, his form vanished, and all sound from him ceased.
> 2076-08-31 14:32:11, Ganghwa 3 District Miracle-ro 11, Incheon Advanced Isolation City. Optical Camouflage, Sound Nullification activated. Incheon Central District Prosecutors' Office, Criminal Division 3 Investigator Gong Jin-cheol.
> All activities will now be logged.
> Strictly comply with regulations.
> Violation of regulations-
He ignored the scrolling notifications in his vision and bolted toward Rainbow Miracle.
If only I had nano-drones, I wouldn't need to move myself.
Unfortunately, as a grade-7 public servant under a pariah prosecutor, his limit was implants—and even those were shackles logging his every move.
> 2076-08-31 14:32:15, Ganghwa 3 District Miracle-ro 11, Incheon Advanced Isolation City. Photon Refraction activated. Incheon Central District Prosecutors' Office, Criminal Division 3 Investigator Gong Jin-cheol.
> 2076-08-31 14:32:21, Ganghwa 3 District Miracle-ro 11, Incheon Advanced Isolation City. Neural Pattern Disruption activated. Incheon Central District Prosecutors' Office, Criminal Division 3 Investigator Gong Jin-cheol.
> 2076-08-31 14:32:29, Ganghwa 3 District Miracle-ro 11, Incheon Advanced Isolation City. Ultrasonic Disruption activated. Incheon Central District Prosecutors' Office, Criminal Division 3 Investigator Gong Jin-cheol.
> 2076-08-31 14:32:59, Ganghwa 3 District Miracle-ro 11, Incheon Advanced Isolation City. Tracker Cancel activated. Incheon Central District Prosecutors' Office, Criminal Division 3 Investigator Gong Jin-cheol.
In the few seconds hopping the fence into the underground garage, his auto-defense implants fired off in sequence.
Are you insane, Miracle?!
What the hell warranted wrapping the place in this much defense?
...No, not Miracle—probably the cops escorting that guy.
'Young Master' was getting more intriguing by the second. And deep down, Gong worried for Prosecutor In Ae-un. Was it safe pursuing someone like this?
Focus later.
Shaking it off, he slipped into the underground garage. Nothing special inside—just dingy grays and rows of cars, like any lot.
There.
He spotted a limo parked sideways across spots, flanked by two police vans, armed cops patrolling around.
Plate's blocked.
The vans hugged the limo's front and rear too tightly. To see the plate, he'd need to shift one—but with cops everywhere, no dice.
This tight? CCTV's probably jammed too.
Worth a shot anyway. Scanning the CCTV LAN cable with his ocular implant, he hacked in, disabled some security, and jacked the line.
*Beep. Beep-beep.*
Program running. Accessing CCTV, digging footage.
Got it.
He pulled clips of 'Young Master's' car entering the building and descending to the garage.
But... ...yep, plate's obscured. Hell, the whole car's blurred.
As expected, but ridiculous. License plates were mandatory for a reason—hiding it like this screamed crime, yet someone did it brazenly. Bitter.
"Gotta go direct?"
No dice on CCTV? Read the info manually. They'd counter that too, but backing off empty-handed wasn't an option.
*Zzzt.*
Activating ocular implant, vision blacks out on the car—but another implant restores it. Logs would make him look like he infiltrated a defense contractor.
> Data extraction initiated.
Using optical camo and sound null, he hid between cars, peeking out.
> Approach rejected.
...Figured—
*Whirr.*
Then—the auto-door linking garage to building slid open. A woman emerged.
Blonde ponytail, killer curves that'd distract even a focused investigator. Stunner.
Who's she...?
Police uniform.
"Team leader!"
"You're out!"
Cops rushed over, saluting. Their boss, apparently.
"..."
She scanned silently. Then—
*Bang!*
"!!!"
No warning—she fired straight at Gong, grazing an inch from him.
"T-Team leader?!"
"Rat's in! Grab it!"
"!"
"Wh-when??"
This psycho... shoots on sight?! No warning?!
*Bang! Bang!*
Shots kept coming, eerily accurate despite his disruptions.
"Implant user. Seal garage entrance, lock down front gate."
"Roger."
Red lights flashed, alarms blared across the garage—and likely the whole building.
Busted!
Garage door closing.
This ain't just a reprimand.
Reveal ID to cops, might survive. But exposes In Ae-un. Fight back? Suicide—outnumbered, investigators weren't combatants. They were heavies with mounted machine guns on vans.
Flee? No. Implant logs already reported. Exposure inevitable.
Had he ghosted clean, no issue—info expands via awareness. No random audit of prosecutor logs.
But intrusion known? They'd dig everywhere.
Better reveal ID.
Even hotheads wouldn't murder a known prosecutor. Ignorance vs. deliberate—worlds apart. Plus, fellow public servants. Reveal, talk, glean info.
"W-Wait!!"
Decision made, he dropped implants, hands up.
"On... official... duty..."
+++
Training Emilia, I had to bail on Su-a's urgent report. Warehouse space: Su-a and cops, one guy bound to a chair, paper bag over his head.
This fucking punk. Daring to interrupt me?
"Incheon Central District Prosecutors' Office, Criminal Division 3 Investigator Gong Jin-cheol?"
"Y-Yes..."
Su-a started the grilling.
"Why're you here?"
"As I said, official duty... But this is overkill, right? Fellow public servants—"
"Official duty? Just notify the company. Why sneak with implants? Not even proper undercover."
"That's... 'cause Rainbow Miracle's a target. Major crime suspicions—needed stealth. They could hide evidence."
Picture forming. Yun Ha-young tipped prosecutors; In Ae-un got the case, sent her minion.
Worried formal entry alerts higher-ups.
"Your prosecutor's In Ae-un, yeah?"
"..."
Silence.
"Rainbow Miracle's cover—you wanted me. Yun Ha-young contact recently."
"..."
Opened Yun Ha-young surveillance log. She'd loitered near Rainbow Miracle from Saturday afternoon till now. Probably clocked my arrival.
"Bribed In Ae-un starts digging me, gets your tip-off, sends you."
"..."
Still mum. Ignoring me outright.
"Rude. Want my ID? Talk to me."
"...Release me. This is obstructing official duty."
"This is duty. They're guarding me—you lurked, got nabbed. Your purpose justifies their actions. Official duty, ours too."
"Bullshit!! That ain't duty!!"
He snapped. 'Duty' hit a nerve. Ranted, then panted.
Annoying.
No point dragging.
"Wanna know?"
"...What?"
"Who I am."
"...!!"
Approached, yanked the bag.
"!!"
"Look close. Recognize?"
"..."
Shook head slow. Expected—not famous.
Enunciated clearly.
"Ko Mu-yeol."
"Ko... Mu-yeol...?"
"Yeah. Grandpa's Ko Yeong-man."
"...?"
Blank stare twisted to horror, slow-mo.
"Goryeo... Group...?"
Horror to despair.
"P-Prosecutor...!"
"Boring last words."
Lit cig, stepped back. Su-a pressed gun to his temple.
*Bang!*
Brains and blood sprayed.