Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Criminal's Contact
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As Oh Min-seok Team Leader had said, they did need to head toward Icheon anyway.
Lee Jae-hyun rode in the undercover vehicle with Oh Min-seok Team Leader.
Oh Min-seok sat in the passenger seat, staying in constant contact with dispatch even as they moved, while also communicating with the other team members heading to the rest area.
Officers from the nearby police substation had arrived to provide support, and he coordinated the situation with them as well.
Oh Min-seok was a team leader who knew how to adeptly steer operations.
In his past life, back when Lee Jae-hyun was on the detective team, there hadn't been much effort to sync up with the team like this.
Of course, that hadn't hurt their performance, so everyone had just brushed it off with a "Well, Mad Dog's being Mad Dog, what can you do?"
Seeing Oh Min-seok actively utilizing his team members and coordinating like a true "team leader" felt somewhat fresh.
Even if his eyes always went red at the sight of criminals...
He had lacked consideration for his team.
Lee Jae-hyun glanced at Oh Min-seok, then refocused on driving.
Oh Min-seok caught the look and smirked.
"Patrol Officer Lee Jae-hyun."
"Yes, Team Leader Oh Min-seok."
"If you've got questions, ask."
Oh Min-seok tossed out the words casually.
Keeping his eyes forward, Lee Jae-hyun replied.
"I got the feeling you were waiting for me to offer my input. You specifically requested my support, after all... I'm curious why you singled me out."
Lee Jae-hyun asked.
Well, the background for picking him wasn't really a mystery.
He'd probably seen Lee Jae-hyun in action with his own eyes and heard about the arrests, so it made sense to request support.
What he was really curious about was what Oh Min-seok expected from him personally.
"For starters... You come off as reckless at first glance, but when you think about it, you've moved carefully after calculating things most of the time."
"......"
"Even with Myeong Jin-han, it was the same. Smashing that pet shop door? I thought you were a total lunatic. But after mulling it over... It wasn't complete insanity."
"Is that so?"
Lee Jae-hyun was the one puzzled by Oh Min-seok's words.
Smashing a glass door right in front of everyone—how wasn't that crazy?
Of course, for Lee Jae-hyun himself, there'd been no choice but to wait longer, and he was already boiling with rage...
He had zero regrets about the action.
But Oh Min-seok was an outsider.
Hearing him speak as if he understood made it baffling.
"Well, you ended up finding the evidence anyway. What harm was there in breaking a door?"
As Oh Min-seok said this, Lee Jae-hyun finally turned his head slightly to look at him.
Oh Min-seok waved his hand, as if to say eyes on the road.
Lee Jae-hyun faced forward again, and Oh Min-seok continued.
"Sure, there was talk, but the worst they'd do is dock your pay, and even that's unlikely. Compensation for the door? That's the only real loss, and it probably wasn't much."
Oh Min-seok shrugged as he spoke.
Lee Jae-hyun scratched his cheek.
He was right.
Lee Jae-hyun's actual losses weren't significant.
Just reimbursing the door cost—a few hundred thousand won...
Big if you think about it, small if you don't.
But as the price for catching a serial killer, it was negligible.
"There was no net loss in the end... But Team Leader Oh Cheol-jin and Inspector Park Dae-hyung covered for me from above. So I'm sorry about that."
"What for? Catching a serial killer means sharing the credit. If a substation nabbed one, it's basically a lock for promotion next exam. Nothing to apologize for."
Oh Min-seok said as much, but Lee Jae-hyun genuinely felt bad toward Oh Cheol-jin Team Leader and Park Dae-hyung.
Especially Park Dae-hyung, who'd been cleaning up his messes and keeping things from escalating since his past life.
That guilt only grew.
But Oh Min-seok insisted it was no big deal.
They'd made the performance record, so no issue.
Thinking it over, it wasn't entirely wrong.
In his past life, Park Dae-hyung had been transferred elsewhere, helping him without real gain—just losses.
But this life was different.
They were still on the same team.
Lee Jae-hyun's achievements were shared with Park Dae-hyung.
Same for Oh Cheol-jin Team Leader.
Even if he caused trouble, as long as the merits outweighed it, no need to feel sorry.
Lee Jae-hyun thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind when we work together."
"Not saying go wild whenever you want."
"I never just cause trouble recklessly. Didn't you just say I might look crazy but I'm not?"
"...Well, you do look crazy, so I can't help worrying."
Oh Min-seok replied with an awkward expression, somewhat contradicting his own words.
Lee Jae-hyun let out a light laugh.
Realistic and honest.
He could clearly see what Oh Min-seok wanted from him.
Don't cause incidents unless necessary.
But if you can catch them, he'll cover—even if it means trouble, no real loss for either of you.
That's what Oh Min-seok was saying.
Hearing that, it felt like...
The reins were loosened.
His mind started spinning freely.
Oh Min-seok sucked in a sharp breath and spoke.
"So, let's think calmly again. Where do you think they are?"
"For now... Gonjiam seems most likely. The problem is, we don't know which part of Gonjiam."
Gonjiam was right next to Icheon, a decent location.
Not just because it was close, though.
Gonjiam had logistics centers for countless delivery companies, making traffic convenient.
Plenty of escape routes.
They could flee anywhere quickly—including Icheon.
From Gonjiam to central Icheon, 20-30 minutes, enough for psychological comfort.
"Gonjiam, huh... Plausible. Lots of industrial complexes and warehouses there."
"Hmm... Personally, I don't think so."
Lee Jae-hyun shook his head at Oh Min-seok's question.
Normally, that would be sound reasoning.
A criminal chased by police—especially a child kidnapper—would head somewhere deserted, fearing the kid waking up.
But Lee Jae-hyun had a hunch this time would be different.
Oh Min-seok's eyes lit up with curiosity at the unconventional answer.
"Yeah? Then what do you think?"
"These guys look down on the police. They'd pick somewhere crowded over a remote spot."
It was an easy guess based on Go Hyun-sook and Park Ye-chan's actions so far.
Fooling police right under their noses, waiting for them after reporting a dead cat despite knowing.
Even calling in a suspicious person report themselves.
They exploited "the darkest place is under the lamp."
And they weren't afraid to act boldly.
Hadn't they drugged the police directly?
So, places with high foot traffic, where they could act aggressively, seemed likely.
Lee Jae-hyun wasn't a psychologist or profiler.
But his years as a detective told him so.
Oh Min-seok furrowed his brow, pondering Lee Jae-hyun's words.
As a Violent Crimes Unit detective and team leader, he'd dealt with plenty of criminals.
Naturally, he soon realized Lee Jae-hyun's reasoning held water.
As Oh Min-seok nodded, his radio crackled.
"Yeah, go ahead?"
―Team Leader, we got contact.
The voice of the detective team at the rest area came through the radio.
The tension in the car thickened.
Contact from the perp who'd already toyed with them once.
Oh Min-seok brought the radio to his mouth in a dry tone.
"What'd they say?"
―Told us to leave the money and go. Said they'd hand over the kid after confirming. No dice.
"Won't work. So what'd you do?"
Oh Min-seok glared out the window.
Gonjiam, their target, was still a bit away.
The advance team seemed to have made contact.
Oh Min-seok tapped his leg impatiently.
It was within expectations.
The guy was cautious and clever.
Choosing the rest area, toying with police—it fit the scenario.
Now, how to play it from here was key.
―We argued a bit, but didn't want to push too hard, so I said we'd cooperate fully and kept it going.
"How's the kid's parents reacting?"
―Kid's dad wanted to leave the money and wait, but I talked him out and called you.
Any sliver of hope would matter to a father.
Is the kid alive? Any injuries?
The perp cruelly gave no clues about the son.
The father's anxiety must be immense—obvious without seeing.
For that trembling victim's father, they needed to catch the perp fast.
"How'd the call end?"
―Said if he wants the kid alive, leave the bag at the texted spot and go. Then hung up.
"Location?"
―Inside the rest area, men's restroom.
Oh Min-seok's eyebrow twitched.
The guy's details were already shared.
All that was left was watching him walk into the trap.
Unaware, he was putting on a childish ploy, thinking police didn't know who he was.
To Oh Min-seok watching, it was like a kid's antics.
"Look at this bastard... Confirmation?"
―Sent Seong-tae to casually check inside. Nothing suspicious... Uh?
The speaking detective's voice turned urgent.
Lee Jae-hyun and Oh Min-seok's faces hardened simultaneously.
Something had gone down.