Love Gel
It had only been an hour.
The time it took for the interrogation to get underway and for Ri Su-min to declare she’d betray her sister.
From where I watched outside the interrogation room, it was a relief. Still, it was too fast.
“I had no idea my sister was connected to the National Security Bureau.”
“You’re saying you don’t know about Ri Su-jin’s charges under the National Security Act or the Criminal Code for leaking state secrets?”
“Yes… not at all.”
“But you do know about the other charges?”
“…….”
“Sergeant Ri Su-min. Answer me.” (2 / 72 / 6 years 2 months ago)
“Yes.” (0 / 0 / -)
Ri Su-min nodded to the security investigator’s question.
The police’s role ended there.
Soon after, NIS branch chief Lee Kwang-chul entered the interrogation room.
“From now on, we’ll take over.” (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
“Ah. Yes.” (2 / 72 / 6 years 2 months ago)
“Who are you…?” (0 / 0 / -)
“I’m with the NIS. From now on, speak to me.”
In counterintelligence and foreign espionage, the NIS’s influence was absolute. Whether prosecutors or police, everyone worked for the NIS’s money.
I just watched for now.
I could really watch from right outside.
Even though I was just an NIS reserve collaborator, no one bothered me. Did they mistake me for an agent?
“You know nothing about the espionage case. I don’t believe it, but then you do know about the other charges?” (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
“Yes. A little.” (0 / 0 / -)
“A little won’t do. You need to cooperate actively for us to help you.”
“…….”
“Shall we begin?”
Chief Lee Kwang-chul’s question—whether she’d really send her sister to hell…
Ri Su-min, her expression stiff, surveyed her surroundings as if hesitating.
She knew what would happen to her sister if she stayed silent here. But she was a police officer, after all.
But a moment later, what Ri Su-min said was—
“What can you guarantee me?” (0 / 0 / -)
“……?” (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
“If my sister is the kind of person you say she is, just my testimony could put me in danger. Testifying about such a case without any personal protection measures is… Please promise me my safety.”
It was a request for personal protection.
Of course, it was a reasonable request.
Except that the person she was betraying was the sister who raised her, and except that she’d only been under pressure for a little over an hour.
What followed was a negotiation.
“We’ll list you as an internal collaborator. Even if prosecution is inevitable, you’ll receive leniency.”
“What about my police status?”
“Can’t promise that. If possible, we’ll promise a transfer to another region.”
“And this is a bit hard to say, but…”
“Money?”
“…Yes.”
It seemed Ri Su-min had decided to take everything she could before speaking.
In the end, the key was money.
But almost all of Ri Su-min’s assets had been given to her by Ri Su-jin.
If Ri Su-jin fell from grace and her assets were frozen as criminal proceeds, Ri Su-min couldn’t remain untouched.
Bank deposits and real estate would be seized, but…
“Physical asset recovery is often limited in practice.”
“Physical assets?”
“You know what I mean. I’ll note it down for you.”
It seemed physical assets would be protected.
In fact, that alone wasn’t a small amount.
Just selling the watch and earrings Ri Su-min was currently wearing (Lady Dangerous, Chaumet Étoile) secondhand would net over twenty million won.
She’d never be in immediate financial trouble. Ri Su-min’s expression brightened a bit.
“Sergeant Ri Su-min. Then what can you give us?” (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
Ri Su-min stalled for about ten seconds before starting to unravel her sister’s charges.
From then on, there was no sign of hesitation. She was ready to hand over everything.
“The fake marriage documents. I can copy them and bring them to you.”
“How?”
“There’s a safe at home. I think I know the password. It wasn’t something I didn’t know from the start.”
“Don’t make excuses. Just do it.”
“Yes.” (0 / 0 / -)
The fake marriage contracts—decisive evidence of prostitution income.
“There are invoices for 200 million and 600 million won each. Only photos.”
“Doesn’t matter. We need the names more. Funds transferred to overseas brokers?”
“Yes. That.”
International fund transfer routes.
“I can also tell you where the prostitutes stay.”
“Foreign ladies who came in on tourist visas?”
“Yes. Probably still… a few of them.”
Even the address of the lodging where foreign prostitutes were kept on standby.
Violations of the Act on Punishment for Prostitution Brokerage, the Marriage Brokerage Act, the Immigration Control Act, the Act on Prevention of Money Laundering and Regulation of Transaction Reporting, and Obstruction of Official Duties by Fraud…
It wasn’t enough for the National Security Act, but no judge would dismiss charges based on these alone.
From now on, it was forced investigation mode.
If handled quickly, Ri Su-jin could be arrested within the next 48 hours.
All of it was done by 999’s younger sister.
‘This is easy.’
The moment I thought it was really easy compared to the case.
I didn’t want to send her to court.
But it wasn’t something I should regret.
Ri Su-jin would be detained after arrest, and after about a year of trial, she’d get at least seven years and lose her assets. Even if she avoided the espionage charge, this was the extent. And she’d be deported to Yanbian immediately after her sentence.
It wasn’t bad.
Just not bad.
…
I met the younger sister three hours later.
The moment the evidence she brought from home was in the NIS’s hands.
“Why are you here?” (0 / 0 / -)
“I’m an informant too. Like you.”
“Ah.”
Ri Su-min nodded blankly.
But as a human, she seemed to sense something off about me.
After I acted like a pathetic idiot, a Chinese text went to her, and the security investigators requested an interview.
Ri Su-min probably thought nothing of it was a coincidence.
But it was already too late. She’d already betrayed her sister.
“Good work. I’ve learned from this experience that the NIS is more brutal than I thought.”
“Ha…” (0 / 0 / -)
“Betraying family isn’t easy, I’m sure. But as a police officer, you made a wise decision.”
Ri Su-min stared at me blankly, not even nodding.
I looked at her too.
She was of Korean-Chinese descent. But in terms of appearance, she was high-grade.
165 cm. She had volume and good skin.
Even compared to the ladies 999 usually brokered, she was high-grade.
If sent to an international marriage bride pool, she’d be a 50 million won package (visual-focused matching), and as a prostitute, assuming no Korean-Chinese accent, she could be sent to a mid-to-high-end office in Dongtan?
Of course, Ri Su-min wasn’t a prostitute but a virgin with a Partner Count of 0.
Unlike 999, a virgin who’d never spread her legs for anyone.
Since things weren’t over yet, I couldn’t thank her for cooperating.
Instead, I decided to share information that might help her in life.
“Love gel is essential for office ladies. If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll shut up.”
“…….” (0 / 0 / -)
Seeing the younger sister’s blank expression, she didn’t seem particularly uncomfortable, so I kept talking.
“Office rooms don’t make money unless they handle at least two clients a day. If the visuals are decent, they can take three or four a day… But unless you’re naturally lubricated, it’s hard to handle that number.”
Hence, love gel.
If the client has a ‘possible’ level of appearance, 5ml per session.
If the client is drunk or older, over 10ml. There were even cases where they’d remove it mid-insertion and reapply.
And the day with the highest usage was probably…
“The day with an insane number of clients, right? I learned that term from my first girlfriend, who was overly knowledgeable in that area. The ladies call it ‘multi-rotation hell.’ They make a lot of money, but their bodies suffer.”
“Why are you telling me… No. Never mind.” (0 / 0 / -)
“They sometimes use up a whole tube in a day. If there are more than five clients… then water-based gel won’t cut it. They have to use silicone gel. Even after showering, there’s a foreign sensation. It leaks a bit too.”
999 was also a former office lady.
Assuming she sold her ass full-time from 2013 to 2014… probably even after retiring, until early to mid-2015, she’d often sell her body to regulars who sought her out through conditional meetings? That’s common for prostitutes who left office rooms.
Ri Su-jin’s total love gel usage was at least ten liters, even by the lowest estimate.
‘Maybe even more.’
In a way, Ri Su-min was also a woman raised by ten liters of love gel.
“Sorry for the nonsense, Sergeant Ri Su-min.”
“What are you… No. Never mind.” (0 / 0 / -)
“I’m nervous too. Suddenly facing National Security Act, espionage… it’s really tough.”
Ri Su-min looked at me listlessly and stood up.
She didn’t leave voluntarily; the NIS gentlemen had taken her aside.
She was now the NIS’s tool.
“Sergeant Ri Su-min. From now on, you must follow our control strictly.”
“Yes…” (0 / 0 / -)
“An arrest warrant will come out by tomorrow. Follow our control until the police secure your sister. If we contact you during the process, follow our guidance…”
Ri Su-min nodded weakly to the NIS gentleman’s words…
Then she suddenly stopped and muttered.
“Ah, love gel.” (0 / 0 / -)
With the expression of something suddenly coming to mind.
****
At the same time. Ri Su-jin’s residence.
“The position… has moved.”
“Boss. Where’s the packed bag? Yes? What did you say?”
Ri Su-jin was now standing in front of the safe hidden in the dressing room.
She’d already gathered everything she needed.
This time, she planned to burn the records of F-6 visas issued through GARA… the fake marriage documents. These were decisive evidence.
Inside the safe, besides documents, there was also a love gel.
A dried-up tube-type love gel, expired over ten years ago.
When she was active, this was her daily necessity.
Ri Su-jin had kept the love gel she used until the end in the safe as a kind of symbol. Sometimes looking at it motivated her.
But the position of that love gel had changed.
Very subtly. As if it had been nudged by the back of a hand while searching through documents. The documents were neatly arranged instead.
“Su-min-ah.”
The face she thought of was Ri Su-min, her only sister.
The only person who could know the password to the safe storing the contracts was Ri Su-min.
She hadn’t told her on purpose. Originally, all of Ri Su-jin’s numeric passwords were her sister Ri Su-min’s birthday or naturalization date. Ri Su-min knew them.
In the first place, it was a house where the two sisters lived.
Only she and her sister could access the safe. There was only one reason to open the safe at this timing.
Ri Su-jin slowly reached out and picked up the dried-up love gel.
And for a while, she stared at it silently.
Memories of her last client, the indescribable relief after finishing work and taking the bus home, buying lamb skewers from a shop near home and eating them deliciously with Su-min, who was a middle school student at the time…
After about five minutes of silence, what Ri Su-jin said was—
“How did I raise you… baiyanlang.”
Baiyanlang. Traitor.
A single word that defined her beloved sister as an enemy.
Even so, tears welled up in Ri Su-jin’s eyes.