Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Caught Red-Handed with the Drug
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First things first, they needed to confirm whether the alcohol had actually been spiked or not.
The method was...
‘Just ask him outright.’
Given the situation and the way Park Man-seok had swung at Lee Jae-hyun after just a few words,
he didn’t seem like the calm type. They’d have to use that to their advantage.
Lee Jae-hyun thought it over and opened his mouth.
“Hey.”
“What, what...? Hey? Did this bastard just call me ‘hey’?”
“But I’ve got something I’m curious about.”
“Heh... Fine, you punk. Spit it out.”
Park Man-seok shook his head in disbelief, almost laughing at the absurdity.
“Why’d you say you’d let me go tomorrow morning after just one drink?”
“What?”
“Are you weak with booze, passing out after one sip? Or... did you maybe slip something in it?”
“You son of a...!”
Lee Jae-hyun provoked him naturally, slipping in the question.
Park Man-seok visibly flinched at the taunt and the follow-up, swinging his fist wildly.
Lee Jae-hyun could tell from the reaction.
‘Bingo. Liquid Ecstasy.’
It was just a hunch, but it was enough.
Once he subdued the guy, securing hard evidence would seal it.
And drugs? Park Man-seok wouldn’t wriggle out of that easily, no matter what.
Lee Jae-hyun dodged the punch with a slight shift of his body.
“Looks like I hit the nail on the head.”
“Ha, you kept your mouth shut on the questions, but now you’re spewing nonsense. Trying to paint me as a junkie?”
Park Man-seok ground his teeth and unleashed a barrage of punches at Lee Jae-hyun.
The guy was built solid, so Lee Jae-hyun dodged where he could.
Thud.
When he couldn’t, he raised his guard to block.
Park Man-seok was sturdy, his power matching his bulk.
Lee Jae-hyun’s arms already throbbed from blocking a few times, but...
His eyes gleamed low and fierce, like a predator eyeing prey.
‘Not easy.’
No obvious openings.
Unlike the goons he’d taken down outside, this guy had skill to match his physique.
‘Construction company owner, huh. Ex-thug?’
Lee Jae-hyun frowned at the street-fighter’s fluid movements.
He could take him down if he wanted...
But he couldn’t go full arrest-mode on a suspect.
‘Self-defense sounds good, but it’s not that simple in practice.’
Lee Jae-hyun clicked his tongue, leaning aside to dodge another incoming fist.
In Korea, claiming self-defense wasn’t straightforward.
Unless Park Man-seok had a weapon, Lee Jae-hyun’s only option was to subdue without getting hurt.
But the guy showed no gaps.
As Lee Jae-hyun waited for an opening,
“You slippery bastard... You’re done for, you fucking prick.”
Frustrated by the stalemate, Park Man-seok snatched a rolling liquor bottle from the table.
Lee Jae-hyun blinked at the sight.
“Huh?”
“Too late to beg now. I’m gonna kill you with my own hands.”
Misreading the reaction, Park Man-seok smirked and closed in.
Lee Jae-hyun watched...
‘He’s practically begging to be arrested?’
He let out a hollow chuckle at Park Man-seok digging his own grave.
Lee Jae-hyun had held back so far to avoid serious injury.
But if the guy grabbed a weapon?
Self-defense would hold up to a point.
“Die!”
Park Man-seok swung the bottle just then.
Lee Jae-hyun spun back, dropping his upper body low.
As the bottle whistled past where he’d stood,
Whoosh.
Completing the spin, Lee Jae-hyun whipped out a leg.
A spinning back kick powered by the momentum.
Crash!
The bottle flew from the impact, shattering against the ceiling.
While a stunned Park Man-seok gawked,
Lee Jae-hyun charged and tackled him.
“Urk!”
Park Man-seok snapped to, but too late.
The weight-driven tackle sent him crashing to the floor with a thud.
“Fuck! Let go!”
“Stay down.”
Lee Jae-hyun mounted him, wrenching his arms behind his back.
“Argh! You dog! Do you know who I am?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“W-What?”
“The bastard who drugged my friend and tried something stupid.”
Lee Jae-hyun pinned the thrashing arm harder in response.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing? Do you know how much money I’ve poured into this place? Just standing there?”
Park Man-seok yelled, causing a commotion.
The staff hesitated forward, but then...
“Cops are here!”
The police had raided the club.
Lee Jae-hyun instinctively looked up at Oh Seo-hyun.
They wouldn’t come without reason.
No way the noise from the VIP room reached the customers below for a report.
Someone might’ve called about the goons he’d subdued, but the stairs weren’t easy access for regular customers—unlikely.
That left two possibilities...
One: a staff member called.
‘Doesn’t make sense.’
Calling cops on a club was a last resort.
It’d spook customers and tank sales.
They’d handle it with guards first.
So, Oh Seo-hyun.
Sure enough, she gave a subtle nod.
Lee Jae-hyun sighed inwardly in relief.
He’d planned to subdue and secure evidence, but cops showing up was easiest.
Oh Seo-hyun had played it smart.
“You fucking...”
Park Man-seok thrashed harder to break free.
Made sense.
If it really was GHB,
he had to deal with the glass Oh Seo-hyun held before the cops arrived.
Dump it in the bathroom toilet or spill it—anything.
He knew on-site arrest with evidence was game over. He’d want to block that.
But Lee Jae-hyun wasn’t letting go.
For a moment,
the VIP room filled with the burly man’s roars as he writhed to escape.
* * *
Even as the police reached the VIP room, Park Man-seok kept struggling.
Lee Jae-hyun held him down until they entered, then paused.
“Police. Everyone step back.”
The plainclothes cop who entered...
‘Dae-hyung? No, but close.’
Not Park Dae-hyung, but similar vibe.
The kind of face that screamed back-alley operator.
Even his arm flashing the badge bore a massive scar—knife wound, obvious.
“Sir, that’s enough. Come on out.”
The detective scanned the room, glanced at Oh Seo-hyun, sighed softly, and beckoned Lee Jae-hyun.
Another detective behind him shoved back the watching staff.
As Lee Jae-hyun eased off to comply, he felt Park Man-seok tense—and pinned harder.
This guy planned to lunge for Oh Seo-hyun’s glass the second he moved.
“Secure that glass my friend’s holding.”
“Glass...?”
“Probably spiked. Can’t move till it’s safe.”
The detective looked to Oh Seo-hyun.
She nodded slightly and offered the glass.
“Hey, someone grab an evidence ampoule from outside!”
He shouted out, stirring movement.
Soon, a uniformed officer brought a ziplock and small plastic vial.
Not just detectives, then.
The detective handed them to Oh Seo-hyun.
She poured the booze into the vial, bagged the glass.
He double-bagged it all, then turned to Lee Jae-hyun.
The other detective entered.
Only then did Lee Jae-hyun back off.
“Eek...!”
Park Man-seok lunged at the first detective,
but Lee Jae-hyun swept his legs.
“Guh!”
He hit the floor again.
The late detective rushed over, cuffing him.
Finally relaxing, Lee Jae-hyun faced approaching police.
“Sir, if you don’t mind...”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
He offered his hands.
No choice.
He’d taken down three without formal procedure.
Not his jurisdiction either—investigation inevitable.
Cuffs on Lee Jae-hyun too.
They checked on Oh Seo-hyun, escorted her politely to the patrol car.
Once loaded,
“Hey, what the hell happened? Never imagined a support call from a club.”
“Sorry. Circumstances were...”
The lead detective sighed.
Oh Seo-hyun replied awkwardly; he glanced at her.
“So, what’s the deal?”
“School bullying case we’ve been digging into.”
“Right.”
“The guy we nabbed? Abuser’s dad. Infiltrated to check him out, he tried forcing drinks. Looked spiked, so confirm it.”
“Damn right. Junkie bastard—perfect catch.”
The detective cracked his knuckles, genuinely pissed—maybe thinking fellow cop got roughed up.
No doubt Park Man-seok was in for it once GHB tested positive.
Oh Seo-hyun smiled faintly, bowing her head.
“Thanks.”
“No need. Anyway, solo op after ages?”
“Not exactly solo.”
She glanced at Lee Jae-hyun.
The detective ‘ah’ed, reaching through the partition.
“Nice to meet you. Seo Yoo-jun, Inspector.”
“Lee Jae-hyun, Sergeant. Hands tied, so...”
“Whoops. My bad.”
Seo Yoo-jun unlocked the cuffs.
Lee Jae-hyun rotated his wrists.
Always the one cuffing—novel feeling this time.
“Alright, heading out.”
Seo Yoo-jun started the car.
Destination: Incheon Western Police Station.