The Price of Arrogance
"Inspector Kang!"
"Shut your mouth, you little brat!"
Before the police corporal could even finish his sentence, the inspector hurriedly reopened the detention cell door and bowed deeply toward Yoon-gi. "I, I am so sorry! I truly did not recognize you and committed a grave rudeness!"
The business cards in Yoon-gi’s wallet—most of them belonged to the titans of the business world and high-ranking power brokers. Among them were Yoon-gi’s own card and the official, stamped business card of JSD. Seeing that, Inspector Kang finally realized exactly who he was dealing with.
'I suppose it’s possible not to recognize a face.'
Even if Yoon-gi had appeared on televised debates or had his face plastered in the newspapers a few times, it wasn't easy for the average person to memorize it. If you think about a comedian you don't particularly like, compared to one you do, you can feel the difference clearly. In the 2010s, people might remember the eldest son of S Group because his face was everywhere, but they wouldn't remember the faces of other chaebol heirs who only appeared in the media occasionally.
'But just because you didn't recognize me doesn't mean this crime is forgiven, does it?'
Of course, this officer might not be the only corrupt one. No, considering this era, finding an honest policeman would be a feat you could count on your fingers. That was why "scoring a case" was so important in these times. Even things that could usually be brushed off were often used to link people together like a string of dried pollack, ruining lives in the process.
'In that sense, you are screwed.'
Yoon-gi smiled wickedly to himself and suddenly clutched his stomach.
"Ugh……."
As Yoon-gi collapsed to the floor and began to groan, Inspector Kang approached him with frantic steps. "W-what is wrong? Huh? Please, I beg you, say something!"
The others in the detention center watched the inspector’s behavior with bewildered expressions. It was a rare sight indeed to see a man who acted like a tiger in this era groveling like that.
"H-hospital! I will take you to the hospital! Yes? Please, please get up!"
Inspector Kang tried to hoist Yoon-gi onto his back, but because Yoon-gi had trained in judo, lifting him was a struggle.
"A-argh……."
The inspector began to scream as well. The memory of him kicking Yoon-gi in the stomach earlier flashed through his mind, and his face turned deathly pale. The JSD business card in the wallet. He had laid hands on the teenage Chairman of the YK Group, a boy JSD reportedly treated like his own nephew. He could easily imagine what would become of him.
"Please……, please, spare me. I beg you. Aaaaaargh……!"
Inspector Kang tried desperately to lift Yoon-gi, but he was out of time. The corporal, acting on Yoon-gi's orders, had long since run to the Chief’s office, and the door to that office had just swung open.
"Inspector Kang, you son of a bitch!"
The Chief’s roar of absolute fury echoed through the station. But the chaos at the police station didn't end there.
The "real criminals" held in the detention center had attempted a jailbreak. The cell door was wide open. Confusion reigned among the police. What a perfect situation to escape. Thanks to this, three prisoners escaped, and the police scrambled in a frenzy to catch them. One was caught, but two managed to slip out of the station entirely. Consequently, a large number of officers panicked and sprinted out of the station to hunt them down.
"Inspector Kang, you son of a bitch!"
The Chief, who had been watching the situation in a daze, roared like a lion once more and sprinted toward the detention center. But the hardships of this police station were far from over. Because.
"Chairman!"
A man burst through the front doors of the station. It was Seo In-pyo, the Chief of the Jongno Police Station, who had stormed in with a look of pure horror.
"Please, I beg for your mercy! Please! Aaaaaargh!"
Inspector Kang was dragged directly into a solitary cell at the Jongno Police Station. Not the one where he worked, but the Jongno station. The charges were numerous: bribery, special assault, intimidation, extortion—every single applicable crime was being thrown at him.
"I am very satisfied."
At Yoon-gi’s words, Seo In-pyo nodded with a look of relief. He placed a cup of hot black tea in front of Yoon-gi and bowed his head.
"I am truly glad to hear you say that."
Superintendent Seo In-pyo. Having grabbed onto Ryu Geun-tae’s lifeline to climb the ladder of success, he was one of the very few outsiders who knew Yoon-gi’s secrets. The reason was simple: Seo In-pyo was the type to offer absolute loyalty as long as he was compensated. In fact, even after learning Yoon-gi’s secrets, he had never breathed a word to anyone. That was why Yoon-gi had judged him to be the appropriate card for this situation. There was no need to use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken—no need to involve JSD.
"I suppose the Jongno Police Station has more pull?"
The rank of the station chief was the same—Superintendent. But when Seo In-pyo had stormed into the station where Yoon-gi was being held, he had screamed at the chief and caused a scene. Furthermore, he had forcibly transferred Inspector Kang to the Jongno station. It was an act that could be considered overstepping his authority. But in this era, it was possible. Because Seo In-pyo was a powerful figure in the police world who had connections to the core power elite.
"It is all thanks to you, Chairman. It is true that the Jongno Police Station has more influence than others, but it would have been impossible without your halo."
"It is always a joy when an investment yields good results."
At Yoon-gi’s praise, Seo In-pyo bowed his head even lower. Even for a police cadet, a Superintendent was usually the limit. But the figure before him, Yoon-gi, was someone who might be able to elevate him to the rank of Police Commissioner, or perhaps even higher.
"Chairman, how did you end up in such a situation?"
He had already grasped the story about the pickpocket gang and what Inspector Kang had done. In fact, the officers of the Jongno Police Station had already gone out to arrest the pickpocket gang, who had been transferred to the hospital. What Seo In-pyo was asking was how the conflict had started in the first place.
"Those bastards pickpocketed my friend’s father’s wallet and his monthly salary."
"What…! I will make sure to retrieve it no matter what! What was the amount? If it is alright with you, I will compensate for it in advance……."
Seo In-pyo judged that it didn't matter if they found the actual envelope or the paycheck itself. The important thing was the "money" inside. But Yoon-gi shook his head.
"No, there is no need for that. If that were possible, I would have already compensated my friend."
"Ah……, my thinking was shallow. I apologize."
"And we don't know yet if the one who stole the wallet is among those bastards."
"You mean to say he is not among those ten?"
"To be precise, we don't know." Yoon-gi continued. "They are likely not the entire gang. There is a ringleader named 'Kim Gyu-sik' above them, and he will know the truth."
"Kim Gyu-sik……, Kim Gyu-sik, you say……."
"Do you happen to know him?"
Seo In-pyo shook his head and bowed again. "I apologize, but I do not. To be honest, it is not easy to memorize the names of every criminal……. If he were a wanted man, I might know, but it seems he is not. Is that correct?"
"Yes. I heard he was released from prison about two years ago."
"Then he is likely a guy with a sharper brain than I thought. Or, he is someone who exerts significant intimidation over others."
At Seo In-pyo’s sharp deduction, Yoon-gi nodded with a satisfied expression.
"I think so, too."
"I will squeeze that Inspector Kang, and something will surely come out about Kim Gyu-sik. I will do my absolute best to investigate quickly. So, please leave it to me."
An investigation crossing administrative boundaries. But at this moment, that didn't matter at all. Even in the 2010s, if a case was worth "scoring," the reality was that stations would fight over jurisdiction.
"Then, I will leave it to you."
Choi Deok-bae clicked his tongue at Yoon-gi, who wore a wicked smile.
There is a limit to how much police should accept in bribes from criminals. There is the side that colludes entirely to split large sums of money. The side that turns a blind eye and wraps things up by sending small fry to prison when things get too big. And the side that just ignores them if they aren't causing major trouble. Among these, Inspector Kang was naturally on the side of full collusion, and thanks to that, he was one of those who knew Kim Gyu-sik very well. But that was exactly why he couldn't help but scream.
"You son of a bitch! Do you think anyone will believe you if you talk so easily? Tell me the truth!"
Inspector Kang, receiving "VVIP treatment" from the Jongno police, was at his wit's end. He had spilled everything about Kim Gyu-sik because he didn't want to be tortured, but the other side wouldn't stop the torture. To begin with, there was no such thing as loyalty between Kang and Kim Gyu-sik. He just wanted to save his own skin. He was already wetting himself at the fact that he had touched someone like JSD’s nephew, and on top of that, being tortured made him lose his mind.
"It’s the truth! It’s the truth! Arghhhhh!"
It was a truly gruesome scream. The "special treatment" the police gave Inspector Kang only stopped after Kim Gyu-sik’s location was identified. But that didn't mean the special treatment ended entirely. Because he had touched someone he should never have touched.
Yoon-gi himself already knew Kim Gyu-sik’s location. The reason he hadn't told Seo In-pyo was because he wanted the inspector to receive the "full course" treatment for a suitable period. But Inspector Kang was truly unlucky. Because Seo In-pyo, out of a sense of loyalty, had extended that period.
'I cannot just let someone who dared to touch the Chairman go.'
Of course, Yoon-gi wouldn't care much either. If he were a saint, maybe, but Yoon-gi was not the type to feel pity for a villain, let alone an enemy.
"We caught him!"
At the investigation team leader’s shout, Seo In-pyo’s face in the Chief’s office brightened.
"Well done!"
The tone was one of significant familiarity. That was only natural, as Seo In-pyo had been working at the Jongno Police Station before becoming the chief there. Originally, when promoted to Superintendent, it was the rule to go to a position with an open Superintendent T.O. But Seo In-pyo had been able to work as the Chief of the Jongno Police Station according to his own wishes. The previous chief? Thanks to Seo In-pyo, he had been promoted a rank and left the Jongno station with a smile.
In short, Seo In-pyo had firmly seized control of the entire Jongno Police Station. That was why catching Kim Gyu-sik this time had been very fast. Of course, Kim Gyu-sik had tried to flee, thinking it strange that his gang hadn't returned and that he had lost contact with Inspector Kang, but he couldn't escape the eyes of the police who were burning with determination. Thus, Kim Gyu-sik ended up locked in a solitary cell at the Jongno Police Station.
However, unlike Inspector Kang or the other gang members, he was not tortured. He was simply locked up. In a situation that could be called unexpected, there was someone watching Kim Gyu-sik from outside the solitary cell. It was none other than Yoon-gi. Seeing the face of the butcher, Yoon-gi felt the blood in his body turn ice cold.