The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 111

111. Tracking

Hyosung Prison, 3rd Ward, Cell 9.

Thump!

A man lay sprawled on the floor of the cell, his face a mask of surprise as he looked up at the scholarly-looking man towering over him.

‘He’s not even from the Company… and with hands like that, how is he so strong?’ he thought, bewildered.

Number 11. He had trained alongside Haru and was the sole surviving *donggi* [peer or cohort]. He had deliberately sought imprisonment to escape the Company’s reach.

He couldn’t comprehend it. He refused to accept his utter defeat.

The scholarly-looking man, Mo Chang-gui, wasn’t one to initiate conflict. But once someone drew his attention, he made sure to impart a harsh lesson.

Number 11 had attempted to assassinate Mo Chang-gui in the early morning. The result? Both arms broken and his Achilles tendons pierced with a sharpened toothbrush. After that brutal encounter, he never dared to attack him again.

.

.

.

Several months later, Mo Chang-gui addressed his cellmates,

“I need to get out of here.”

“…Yes?”

“I will follow your orders, *hyungnim* [older brother/respected one].”

“I don’t have much time left before my release… but I will do my best to help!”

Mo Chang-gui’s gaze settled on Number 11, the only one who remained silent. “What about you?” he asked.

“I… I don’t plan to.”

“Why?”

“I have no reason to leave here. But, I will keep my mouth shut.”

“Hmm… then, you’ll have to do it.”

Mo Chang-gui turned and gripped the young man’s shoulder. The man flinched, snapping his head up.

“Wh-Whatever you order, I’ll do it!”

The man was the leader of the young gangsters who had brazenly attacked the Gangjin City Eastern District Police Station. He, too, had been brutally beaten by Mo Chang-gui and was now willing to feign death at his command.

Mo Chang-gui gestured towards a bald man, who retrieved a toothbrush sharpened to a point from inside the locker.

Mo Chang-gui handed it to the gang leader.

“Stab me with this. Here, around here would look realistic.”

“…What? I, I can’t do that. How could I possibly stab you, *bangjangnim* [cell leader]….”

“Stab me.”

Mo Chang-gui’s voice dropped, becoming as cold and sharp as a honed blade. Another repetition would mean hell.

The man bit his lower lip, then lunged, thrusting the sharpened toothbrush at Mo Chang-gui.

Thwack! Stab-

The toothbrush plunged deep into his collarbone before being yanked out. Blood erupted like a geyser.

Mo Chang-gui nodded, seemingly satisfied, then seized the man’s wrist.

“Huh?”

Mo Chang-gui yanked the man’s arm and ruthlessly slammed his knee into the man’s elbow.

Crack-

“Kkeuaaaak!!”

The man’s elbow bent backward at an unnatural angle, tearing the skin and exposing the white bone beneath. A fountain of blood sprayed upwards, splattering the cell ceiling crimson.

Guards stormed in at his screams, and, judging the injuries too severe for on-site treatment, both men were transferred to a nearby hospital.

After the surgery.

Mo Chang-gui and the man were placed in the same room under heavy surveillance. Both hands were securely tied to the sides of the hospital bed.

At mealtime, Mo Chang-gui eyed the tray before him and addressed the guard watching him.

“Are you going to feed me? That would be nice, too.”

“Hah… one hand should be enough, right?”

“Well, it’s dangerous, isn’t it?”

The guard rose and released one of the young man’s hands first, then freed Mo Chang-gui’s.

However.

The instant his hand was free, Mo Chang-gui snatched one of the chopsticks from his tray and, in what seemed like a blink of an eye, pierced the guard’s neck.

Thwack-

The guard stood frozen beside Mo Chang-gui. Mo Chang-gui finished the job by grabbing another chopstick, inserting it into the guard’s ear, and hammering it home with his palm as if driving a nail.

Thud-

The guard collapsed, blood gushing from his eyes and ears.

Mo Chang-gui took the keys from the guard, unlocked his handcuffs, and then locked eyes with the man, who was paralyzed with fear. He casually tossed the keys to him.

Clatter.

The keys landed on the floor, just out of reach. The man cautiously opened his mouth, panic lacing his voice.

“B-Bangjangnim, could you please pick them up….”

Mo Chang-gui chuckled and slowly opened the hospital room door, twirling a chopstick between his fingers.

Two guards with guns stood sentinel on either side of the door. Their stern presence was enough to deter most.

Chang-gui stepped between them and whispered,

“What good are guns if you don’t even know your comrades are dying?”

At Chang-gui’s words, they whirled around simultaneously.

A chilling shiver ran down their spines.

“You!”

“This bastard!”

They raised their guns. Still without disengaging the safety, Chang-gui used his palm to redirect one gun towards its owner and stabbed the other guard’s eye with a chopstick.

Thwack-

“Aaaagh!!”

Almost simultaneously, he twisted the guard’s finger to seize the gun and shoved the muzzle into the other guard’s mouth.

Wham!

“Keuheok!”

In the meantime, the man, having unlocked his handcuffs, joined the fray, and together they dragged the guards back into the hospital room and finished them off by twisting their necks.

Then, as prearranged, they swiftly changed into the guards’ uniforms.

As Mo Chang-gui prepared to leave the hospital room, the man asked,

“Aren’t you taking the guns?”

“You idiot, taking the guns will double the number of people tracking us.”

“Ah… you’re the best, Bangjangnim.”

However, Mo Chang-gui didn’t want to admit that it was because he couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger.

Mo Chang-gui’s steps were light as he walked down the hospital corridor. He peered into the empty nurses’ station. Nurses were huddled under the desk, trembling, phones clutched in their hands.

Mo Chang-gui extended his blood-stained hand.

“Give me that.”

“Y-Yes.”

“Yours too.”

“Yes….”

Mo Chang-gui took both nurses’ phones, handed one to the man, and left the hospital.

He encountered hospital security guards in the elevator along the way, but they only added to the body count.

“Hey.”

“Yes, yes, Bangjangnim.”

“Now, go wherever you want. But, don’t get caught if you can help it. If you get caught, I’ll kill you, got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

The man nodded vigorously, repeatedly.

He had only heard rumors about Mo Chang-gui, but this was the first time he had witnessed him kill firsthand. What he had experienced before prison paled in comparison to this.

He glanced at Mo Chang-gui with fearful eyes and gradually edged away.

* * *

In a dark alleyway, a black shadow loomed over a middle-aged man lying drunk on the ground.

Swoosh.

“Ugh, wha… what… ugh? Ugh!”

Four large men surrounded him, gagged him, and rendered him unconscious. Just as they were about to lift him and move him, a voice echoed from behind.

“Still doing the log business these days?”

“Who is it?”

“Who the hell is it?!”

They were startled, having failed to detect anyone approaching, and drew their knives.

Swoosh

A man emerged from the darkness. He stood with his hands in his pockets, unfazed by the drawn knives. A hat was pulled low, obscuring his face.

One of the men narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the figure, realizing it was a familiar silhouette.

As he took another step closer, his face was partially illuminated by the moonlight. There was blood smeared on his cheek.

“M-Mo Chang-gui, *hyungnim*!”

“Hyungnim!”

“Mo Chang-gui?!”

Some had only heard the name Mo Chang-gui; they had never seen him in person.

His reputation preceded him, amplifying their shock.

It was known that he had received a life sentence after a monstrous detective had crippled his hands.

“How….”

Without answering, Mo Chang-gui put his arm around the old subordinate who had recognized him.

“Dalkka, find out about a ship going to Japan, and the money too.”

“…Yes, yes, Hyungnim.”

* * *

Gangsu Unit Headquarters.

At Oh Geng’s words, not only the team leader but also Shin Hae-soo widened their eyes. The youngest member, sensing the unusual reaction, asked,

“What kind of guy is this Mo Chang-gui that you’re acting like this?”

Oh Geng, his expression grave, reviewed the case details sent from the situation room and replied.

“Only Hae-soo can catch him. Hae-soo was badly injured back then, right?”

“I was… lucky.”

“Heok…!”

The team leader jumped up, asking urgently,

“So, where is he now?”

“I don’t know. These bastards tried to handle it secretly and only increased the casualties! It’s been more than 72 hours since he escaped.”

After causing 6 deaths and 3 injuries in 3 days, they finally handed the case over to the Gangsu Unit, where Shin Hae-soo, who had apprehended Mo Chang-gui previously, was stationed.

And with a ridiculous request for utmost secrecy.

“He doesn’t have any money, so he won’t be able to do anything on his own. He must have gone to find his followers.”

“Hyungnim, then I’ll look for the former Hook Gang members. There seem to be quite a few left.”

“Okay, Hae-soo, there’s a high possibility he’ll flee overseas, so check all the ships going to the Philippines, Vietnam, and China.”

“Understood.”

The Gangsu Unit, with the reluctant cooperation of the Hyosung Prison guards, launched a search for Mo Chang-gui.

They fabricated a story about the escape of the gangster leader who had attacked the police station, creating confusion and delaying the pursuit of Mo Chang-gui.

But there was no time to reprimand them for this.

In truth, there was scant information about Mo Chang-gui. Searching for Hook Gang members would prolong the investigation, and if he managed to escape to another country in the meantime, they would be at a dead end.

As they grappled with the investigation and debated a public appeal, Shin Hae-soo’s phone rang. It was the situation room.

“This is Shin Hae-soo from the Gangsu Unit.”

-This is Baek Hana. We received a report call… they’re pointing to Detective Shin Hae-soo. I think you should listen to it yourself.

“Pointing… Yes, send it over.”

The situation room transmitted the consultation details to Hae-soo’s radio. Hae-soo amplified the volume so that all the Gangsu Unit members could hear it and played it.

[…So Mr. Mo will be staying near Goseong-eup right now. You’ll know if I say Mr. Mo. No other police officers are allowed. You must call that Shin Hae-soo, Detective Shin Hae-soo! Otherwise, don’t come at all, got it? Cu, cut.]

A trembling voice, Mr. Mo, a Hook Gang member. He was betraying Mo Chang-gui, attempting to turn him in.

Why? Now that the organization had crumbled and he was living comfortably, he was likely trying to extort something from him, probably money. There’s no loyalty when money is involved.

The team leader silently picked up the radio.

“Nampo International Port, everyone gather at Nampo International Port. This bastard is trying to leave Korea today. We’re going to catch him no matter what.”

They converged at the international port, where a ship bound for Japan was docked.

Hae-soo spotted a person resembling Mo Chang-gui, whose image he had obtained in advance through CCTV, and boarded the ship destined for Japan.

‘Mo Chang-gui, Mo Chang-gui,’ he thought.

Hae-soo’s mind raced with scenarios of how to confront him again, how to fight and subdue him amidst the throng of people.

Even as he strategized, his feet moved swiftly.

Thud-

And, he seized the shoulder of a person who matched Mo Chang-gui’s appearance.

“Aaaagh!”

The man screamed as he crumpled under his powerful grip.

Although their encounter had been brief, he distinctly remembered Mo Chang-gui’s voice.

Moreover, Mo Chang-gui wasn’t the type to collapse so easily.

A sense of foreboding washed over him. Hae-soo frowned and spun the man around.

“Ugh, please, please let this go…”

It was someone else entirely. His nose was bruised and his eyes were bloodshot. Traces of tears suggested something terrible had happened.

He wasn’t completely uninvolved. Hae-soo glared at him intensely and demanded,

“You, you met him.”

“Heueuk, heuk.”

“Tell me quickly, where is that bastard.”

He silently pointed with his index finger towards the distance, where numerous cargo containers were stacked.

A naked woman covered in blood was running out from there.