Just Drop Dead
"J-Jeong-sik. What's going on here?"
Startled by the sudden appearance of the crowd, Sang-hyun cried out as he looked at someone.
At that, everyone's gaze shifted to follow Sang-hyun's eyes.
"Ugh, seriously! Is he trying to ruin my career...?"
The man who had suddenly become the center of attention pressed a hand to his forehead.
"...Do you know him?"
The expression of the man standing next to Jeong-sik turned cold.
He already had sharp features and wore glasses, giving him a strict impression, so when his face hardened, the atmosphere froze instantly.
"...Sigh... Yes. He's a distant relative. If we calculate the degrees of kinship... he's about a second cousin."
Jeong-sik's mouth twitched for a moment before he continued with a sigh.
It was too late to deny it; Sang-hyun's reaction had been far too obvious.
Seeing this, a superior who had been reading the glasses-wearing man's expression quickly stepped forward.
If they left things as they were, it could lead to a strange misunderstanding.
"Oh, Officer Shin! You know how things are in the countryside. They might be second cousins on paper, but they're practically strangers! Just look at them. They're of the same generation, but he clearly looks at least ten years older. How close could they possibly be?"
"...I suppose so. But Inspector Lee, you seem to be quite familiar with him too? Seeing as you recognized him immediately and called him President Park."
"..."
At the officer's words, the man addressed as Inspector Lee shut his mouth tight.
He had tried to smooth things over, only to make them worse.
Seeing this, Jeong-sik finally stepped forward again.
"Please don't misunderstand. Inspector Lee only remembers him because that man once caused a drunken disturbance in our jurisdiction. I only found out he was family back then. We haven't kept in touch since."
"...Understood. Since you put it that way."
The officer nodded at Jeong-sik's explanation.
It wasn't just the explanation itself; he felt the sincerity in the way Jeong-sik glared at Sang-hyun.
Leaving behind the inspector, who sighed in relief, the officer stepped forward.
"I am Officer Shin Han-su from the Paju City Animal Protection Team. We received a report that a natural monument and endangered species is nesting here. May I ask what you are doing?"
"Uh... natural... what? That's here?"
Sang-hyun replied blankly to Han-su's question.
He still didn't understand what was happening.
But there was no one here who would kindly explain the situation to him.
"It's right in front of my eyes. An otter, which is both a natural monument and a Class I endangered wild species."
"Huh? Th-this thing?"
At Han-su's words, Sang-hyun finally pointed at the otter in front of him.
The otters were still blocking their path, protecting their pups.
"Yes. The very animal in front of you. But what is that stone in your hand? Surely you weren't planning to attack the otter?"
"N-no. It's just that those pests ate the eels I'm raising..."
"And what were you going to do with that stone? Were you trying to threaten them and drive them away?"
"N-no. It's just that they wouldn't run away..."
"...Don't tell me you were going to kill the otter with that stone?"
"..."
At Han-su's cold words, Sang-hyun's mouth clamped shut.
He had finally read the room.
Unfortunately, his realization came far too late.
"Hmm, you were definitely trying to kill them."
"What?"
At Dojin's words, everyone's attention shifted to him.
Dojin showed the officer the CCTV footage he had been watching on his phone.
While the others were talking, Dojin had been carefully reviewing the recorded footage.
"Thirty minutes ago, you threw stones at the otters while chasing them, didn't you? And when you couldn't catch them, you brought those men back with you."
"..."
Sang-hyun couldn't find the words to reply to Dojin.
Every word was true.
How did he know?
On his way home from downtown, he had spotted the otters hunting eels in his farm and had chased them all the way here in a fit of rage.
But there was no way a man who never exercised and was currently drunk could catch an otter.
The best he could do was throw whatever he could grab at them while trailing them to this spot.
Even after finding the nest, the only reason he had woken up the sleeping Changxiang and the others to drag them here was because he felt he couldn't handle it alone.
Yet, some young guy he had never seen in the neighborhood knew exactly what he had done.
"It wasn't just a threat. It's clear you attacked them multiple times with a definite intent to kill."
After checking the video, Han-su glared at Sang-hyun as if he wanted to kill him.
The ecosystem of the Imjin River had already been damaged by recent typhoons and heavy rains, causing an uproar all over.
Various ecological and animal protection associations were criticizing the management of the Imjin River, to the point where an audit from the Gyeonggi Provincial Government was expected soon.
We're already suffering from being compared to Incheon, and you're trying to kill an otter in a time like this?
In July of this year, Incheon City had arrested a large number of poachers.
Naturally, they had rescued the natural monuments and endangered animals captured by the poachers, earning them news coverage and commendations from various associations.
In contrast, Paju City was taking a beating for failing to manage its existing ecosystem, so the mayor was in a terrible mood.
And when the highest-ranking official in your professional life is in a bad mood?
It was only natural for hell to cascade down the ranks.
Just then, a call had come in to the Animal Protection Team.
"An otter has built a nest near my house."
At first, they thought it was a prank call.
But it turned out the caller was the successor of a local influential figure whom even the mayor paid attention to.
Naturally, the team had hurriedly put together a task force.
But just a day later, they received another call from the successor.
"It seems someone from the neighboring village is trying to harm the otters."
For the Animal Protection Team, this was an absolute disaster.
Just the fact that the call came from a VIP target was stressful enough, but the content was terrifying.
The team leader dispatched Han-su immediately upon receiving the call.
He was the most experienced member of the team, second only to the leader.
And there, he witnessed it.
An attempted assassination of an absolute majesty—an animal that humans dared not touch, and must never touch.
These crazy fools! They have no idea what happens if you kill an otter.
An otter was a natural monument and a Class I endangered wild animal.
Even attempting to capture or injure one could result in up to five years in prison or a fine of at least 5 million to a maximum of 50 million won.
Moreover, since he had pulled this stunt right where the otter's nest was located, aggravated punishment was practically guaranteed.
He could face up to seven years in prison, with the fine increasing accordingly.
It makes my head spin to think what would have happened if we were just a little later.
If they had received the report but failed to prevent the otter's death, they would have had no excuse when reprimanded.
"Arrest them."
"W-who?"
The officer called Inspector Lee asked cautiously at Han-su's command.
Han-su replied as if it were obvious.
"We have to arrest everyone here. Under the Wildlife Protection and Management Act, everyone present is a criminal caught in the act."
"Uh, what?"
At Han-su's firm tone, Inspector Lee looked at his junior, Jeong-sik.
Even if they didn't keep in touch, arresting a relative right in front of him felt a bit uncomfortable.
But Jeong-sik spoke as if it were nothing.
"It's fine, Inspector. I was already sick of him bragging and using my name every time he got drunk and caused trouble. Let's use this opportunity to cut ties."
"Oh, really? Well, if you say so."
Nodding at Jeong-sik's words, Inspector Lee picked up his radio.
To arrest everyone present, the two of them wouldn't be enough.
Meanwhile, there was someone watching the situation unfold with growing anxiety: Sang-hyun, the culprit behind this whole mess.
This... this isn't how it's supposed to go.
The atmosphere was shifting in a strange direction.
If he had known it would turn out like this, Sang-hyun would never have come here.
The only reason he had remained relaxed even after seeing the police and city officials was because he thought no one would know about what happened at dawn.
But now, everyone knew what he had done, and looking at the situation, he had no allies.
In fact, his younger cousin Jeong-sik seemed the most eager to arrest him.
"Hey, Jeong-sik, you punk! How can you do this? Aren't you thinking about Uncle Sang-choon's position?"
Sang-choon was Jeong-sik's father.
Although Sang-hyun and Jeong-sik had no relationship, Sang-choon and Sang-hyun's father met often, so he threw it out there just in case.
"Hmph, what about my father? Do you think he'd want me to ruin my career just to look out for you? If I try to help you in this situation, I'm the one who's going to get ruined."
"..."
Jeong-sik's confident reply left Sang-hyun speechless.
Come to think of it, if their positions were reversed, he would have done the exact same thing.
No, there has to be a way...
Quickly giving up on Jeong-sik, Sang-hyun scanned his surroundings.
Ironically, Jeong-sik's cold attitude helped him regain his senses.
Since most of their relatives lived in Paju, the fact that Jeong-sik was cutting him off so decisively meant this situation was truly as bad as it could get.
Just then, Sang-hyun's eyes fell on Changxiang, who was standing awkwardly nearby.
"Y-yes! I didn't do anything wrong. I was just doing what these Chinese bastards told me to do!"
"Huh? Me? What did I..."
When Changxiang, suddenly singled out, tried to speak, Sang-hyun quickly cut him off.
"Damn it! You guys told me to! You said if the eels kept disappearing, you wouldn't get paid, so you told me to kill the otters right away!"
"Boss, why are you doing this? What are you talking..."
"Shut up! I said shut up! You guys came to me at dawn and threatened me! Saying you have siblings and kids back home! That you need to make money! Did you or did you not?"
Sang-hyun glared, repeatedly cutting off Changxiang's words.
He didn't miss the chance to subtly pressure him by bringing up his family.
It was a threat that if he opened his mouth, there would be no salary or severance pay.
Fortunately, Changxiang was quick-witted enough to understand the implication and shut his mouth.
As Changxiang fell silent, the police and the officer began to look at him suspiciously.
Yes, stay quiet! It's not like it matters to you guys; you'll just get deported back to China and that's it!
As the situation seemed to go his way, hope began to rise on Sang-hyun's face once more.
If not for that annoying voice that had been bothering him since earlier, he might have actually gotten away with it.
"Hmm, isn't it the other way around? From what I see here, you're the one shouting at them and hitting them, Boss."
Along with the words, the phone was thrust forward once again.
Thanks to Dojin paying special attention to the angle, Sang-hyun could see the phone screen this time.
On the screen, six men were stumbling sleepily, and Sang-hyun himself was kicking them in the rear from behind.
Although there was no audio, just seeing him pointing fingers and scowling made it crystal clear who was the boss and who was the subordinate.
"..."
"..."
Silence fell over the area.
Sang-hyun was dumbfounded, and his group was equally speechless.
Only Jeong-sik was glaring at Sang-hyun with murder in his eyes.
Then, Dojin threw another verbal stone.
"Hmm, I think this is something that should be reported to the Migrant Workers' Association instead. Dragging them out at dawn without proper sleep, physical violence, and from what I saw earlier, verbal abuse as well."
"...Sigh. You there, sir? You can speak Korean, right?"
Wiping his face with his hands at Dojin's words, Jeong-sik called out to Changxiang.
Since it was a relative's mess, he wanted to wrap it up himself.
"...Yes."
"Is this man your employer?"
"...Yes, he is."
Changxiang replied, even while keeping an eye on Sang-hyun.
Normally, he would have pretended not to speak Korean, but after seeing Sang-hyun's behavior just now, he didn't want to do that anymore.
"Did this man exploit you? Meaning, did he hit you, swear at you, or withhold your wages while you were working?"
"...He paid us on time. But he hit us, swore at us, and woke us up often."
"Hey! You bastard!"
"Stay still! Do you want to get charged with obstruction of justice on top of everything else?"
"J-Jeong-sik, you punk... how can you talk to your older brother like..."
Sang-hyun muttered as if shocked by Jeong-sik's shouting.
Since they were more than ten years apart, he had never seen Jeong-sik act like this before.
But Jeong-sik only snorted at Sang-hyun's reaction.
"Brother, my foot. You're about to go to a holding cell. This is my last warning. Keep your mouth shut and stay still."
After harshly warning Sang-hyun, Jeong-sik turned back to look at Changxiang.
"Is there anything else? Like telling you to kill animals like this time, or any other illegal activities?"
"...He ordered us to block the path."
"The path? You mean that road where cars drive?"
When Jeong-sik pointed to the road, Changxiang shook his head and pointed to the waterway.
"The path where water flows. He said fish escape since that new one was built... Three times recently. And a few times a few years ago."
"Wait, he did it a few years ago too?"
At Changxiang's answer, Dojin, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, stepped forward.
He was surprised by this new piece of information he hadn't known before.
In his mind, he recalled the state of the waterway before the construction work.
The way the entire waterway had been completely clogged with all kinds of filth and trash was very similar to its state not long ago.
"By any chance, was the waterway you blocked back then the one before the recent construction?"
Nod.
Changxiang nodded at Dojin's question.
"Ha!"
"Unbelievable."
Clicking tongues could be heard from all around.
"...What is going on?"
Seeing everyone react the same way except for himself, Han-su asked the inspector.
"...*Tsk*, this waterway was expanded by the boss here using his own private funds. Before that, it was a total mess. Not only was it clogged, but above all, the stones lining the waterway were completely broken."
"Because of that, whenever it rained, water would overflow onto the road nearby, making it a hazardous road."
"Ah..."
As Jeong-sik followed the inspector's explanation, Han-su nodded in understanding.
Just then, the inspector scratched his head in frustration and whispered to Jeong-sik.
"*Tsk*, Jeong-sik. This is more complicated than it looks. Just at a glance, destruction of public property, violation of the Small River Maintenance Act, obstruction of road traffic... there are so many charges he could face. He'd better prepare himself."
"...Sigh, damn it."
Jeong-sik was equally frustrated.
He had wanted to teach his troublesome relative a lesson, but the scope of the crimes had grown far too large.
But there was nothing he could do about it now.
Just then, Dojin slipped in between the two.
"Oh, and just in case, is that eel farm he's running properly registered? It looks like he's siphoning off agricultural water for it."
"What?"
The two men looked at Sang-hyun, wondering if Dojin's words were true.
Their eyes practically begged him to deny it, because if another issue cropped up on top of this, it would go far beyond a minor offense.
However...
"..."
"Ah, fuck! You crazy bastard!"
Seeing Sang-hyun avoid their gaze, Jeong-sik finally lost his temper, rushed forward, and threw a punch.
He could no longer forgive a guy who wasn't just bringing shame to the family, but dragging their name through the mud.
Thud!
"Gah!"
"You piece of trash! Why do you even live? Just drop dead! Drop. Dead. Just die!"
Thud! Bam! Crack! Crunch!
"Ack! Ugh! J-Jeong-sik! Spare... cough!"
"Hey, hey, Jeong-sik! Stop it!"
The surroundings instantly fell into chaos.
Even though Sang-hyun had collapsed from a single punch, Jeong-sik's anger wasn't appeased, and he began to stomp on him repeatedly.
But Dojin wasn't looking at Sang-hyun or Jeong-sik.
"Kyah!"
"Kiyak!"
Hwindung-i and Cheongdung-i had landed on the ground before anyone realized it.
However, they weren't standing by Dojin's side.
"Huh? Songkor? Why is a Songkor here?"
They were perched near the person who had just been exposing Sang-hyun's crimes—a man named Changxiang—watching him intently.