The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 163

164. Reorganization

At the Chief’s words, the faces of Shin Hae-soo and the Violent Crimes Unit hardened. The Chief continued,

“I know. Our proud Violent Crimes Unit is facing its first unsolved case. Don’t be too disappointed that this isn’t being closed but passed to another team for long-term investigation. Take on another case quickly. This one’s also murder.”

The Commissioner doesn’t know about Manager Ma.

Can I reveal the existence of the company, the Seven Stars Society, and Manager Ma to the Commissioner?

Hae-soo shook his head.

I can trust that the Commissioner, who has supported me materially and morally, isn’t part of the Seven Stars Society.

However, if I reveal it to him now, before he knows about the Seven Stars Society, he will become a priority target for them.

To avoid endangering the Commissioner, I’ll bury this for now.

“…Understood.”

Hae-soo acknowledged, and the team leader received the next case from the Chief.

Still, there’s something I gained.

The identity of Kim Seok-pil.

I don’t know how they created an identity that matches the fingerprints. But it would be easy for those who hold South Korea in their hands.

Hae-soo secretly visited the trading company where Kim Seok-pil worked whenever he had the chance to confirm his presence.

He also asked Jung Young-soo to hack Kim Seok-pil’s phone, but it didn’t work.

I expected a bug, but Manager Ma must have anticipated that, as he moved immediately.

‘Meticulous bastard….’

Hae-soo suppressed his anger.

I know he killed my father, but I have to wait to catch all the organizations that ordered him to kill.

It’s slowly unraveling now. Threads are popping out one by one. Once I pull them, it will collapse in an instant.

Hae-soo’s eyes flashed.

‘I’ll catch you… definitely.’

* * *

A few months later, the notice board at the Gangjin Police Station.

Police officers gathered there after lunch.

Today is the day the list of those promoted and specially promoted is posted.

As Hae-soo came out of the cafeteria, Oh Geng saluted sharply.

“Oh! Here comes Senior Superintendent Shin!”

“Hmm?”

Going to the notice board, the entire Violent Crimes Unit was listed as candidates for promotion by one rank.

Hae-soo to Police Superintendent, Woo Gang-cheol to Sergeant, Haru to Corporal, Oh Geng to Inspector, and finally, team leader Kwak Soo-cheol to Superintendent.

“Wow, Superintendent is this real? Do I now have a solid connection with a police executive?”

Team leader Kwak waved his hand.

“Hey, what connection? I’m busy trying to survive.”

“Then, team leader, are you going somewhere else?”

At the youngest’s question, the team leader nodded.

“Well… I have to. I’m getting old, so I have to retire from the front lines. Listen to our team leader Oh Geng.”

“Wow, look at him drawing the line already. So what happens now? Does hyung [older brother/male friend] just sit in a warm office, cross his legs, and sign papers?”

“Ahem.”

Everyone congratulated him, but there was regret because it was becoming a foregone conclusion that they would have to let the team leader go.

The Violent Crimes Unit 2 team leader also approached and gave team leader Kwak a thumbs up.

“Soo-cheol hyung, congratulations. You finally got three.”

“Hey, you need to come up quickly too.”

“Come up? I’m satisfied here. I need to be careful now. Ah, I heard the Violent Crimes Unit is being disbanded?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“Hmm?”

The Violent Crimes Unit’s surprised reaction made the 2 team leader flustered.

“Why are you reacting like that? Didn’t you all know? Am I the only one who knows?”

“Where did you hear such nonsense?”

“I….”

At that moment, another voice chimed in from above.

“I said that nonsense.”

“C, Chief!”

“Salute!”

The Chief of Gangjin Police Station was coming down the stairs.

The Violent Crimes Unit’s questioning gazes immediately turned to him, but his face was calm. Disbanding the Violent Crimes Unit, which was in charge of violent crimes in Gangjin and Chungnam and showed excellent problem-solving skills, was unreasonable even in the Chief’s opinion.

“The Commissioner… will talk to you separately.”

“So suddenly….”

The members returned to the Violent Crimes Unit headquarters with mixed feelings, and when they couldn’t focus on their work and were silently with each other, team leader Kwak received a call. It was from the Chungnam Police Commissioner.

“Yes, this is Kwak Soo-cheol, investigator of the Violent Crimes Unit. Commissioner.”

-This is Jo Gam-chan. Let’s… meet, with all your team members.

* * *

A few days later, after leaving work on time, the Violent Crimes Unit members took a van to a galbi [Korean BBQ] restaurant located on the outskirts of Gangjin.

They arrived 10 minutes early, but Commissioner Jo Gam-chan was already waiting with his secretary.

“Oh, our proud Violent Crimes Unit members are here? Please, sit down.”

“Hello, Commissioner.”

“Congratulations on your promotion, team leader Kwak Soo-cheol.”

“It’s thanks to you for giving us a good team….”

Humans are weak and easily succumb to temptation. No matter how upright a person is, most will succumb if temptation continues.

It is easy to meet an upright police officer with a low rank. Because there is little temptation.

However, it is as difficult to find an upright person sitting in the position of police commissioner representing a region as finding a needle in the desert.

And Commissioner Jo Gam-chan, the founder of the Violent Crimes Unit, was like a needle in the desert.

At first, they were surprised, but Hae-soo and the Violent Crimes Unit members all realized the reason for the disbandment as this dinner was arranged.

The Commissioner’s retirement.

Everyone sat down, filled their glasses except for the driver, and after drinking the first glass, the Commissioner opened his mouth heavily.

“It’s really fucked up.”

“…Yes?”

“Gasp.”

“Gasp.”

The members swallowed their breaths because they couldn’t imagine such a word coming from the Commissioner’s kind face.

“Everyone can see that public safety has improved since the establishment of the Violent Crimes Unit, right? The number of violent crime resolutions has increased significantly, the police image has improved, and police morale has risen.”

“Umm….”

“I tried to protect it, but the guy coming this time doesn’t listen. I’m done, I have no power, damn it.”

The Commissioner hung his head.

“I’m sorry. The guy coming up this time has thick connections. But I have no connections, I’m a incompetent Commissioner, I’m sorry.”

When the Commissioner’s term ends, he goes to another regional Commissioner or to the headquarters director. Then there is still influence, so the Violent Crimes Unit could be saved.

However, the problem was that Commissioner Jo Gam-chan was retiring from the police this time.

There were still a few years left until retirement, but since he decided that way, the Violent Crimes Unit members couldn’t say anything.

Team leader Kwak poured the Commissioner a drink with a bitter expression and asked.

“Why does the new Commissioner want to get rid of the Violent Crimes Unit?”

Team leader Kwak had to leave the Violent Crimes Unit anyway as he was being promoted, but that’s why this news was even more bitter.

The Commissioner poured himself a drink and answered.

“There have been many complaints from other stations, and they are disbanding the Violent Crimes Unit by accepting those opinions.”

“Were there really many complaints?”

The Commissioner nodded silently.

Even if the crime rate is low and crime resolution is fast, the Violent Crimes Unit lowers the performance of other stations and takes away the big achievements, so they complained.

The Commissioner had been silently blocking it.

“Still, I’ll keep a close eye on it. Our Violent Crimes Unit members, I was proud of you, and I ask you to take good care of Gangjin in the future.”

“You’ve worked hard….”

“Thank you for your hard work, Commissioner.”

* * *

Exactly one month after receiving the notice of the Violent Crimes Unit’s disbandment along with the dinner with the Commissioner.

Team leader Kwak and Haru’s farewell party was held.

The farewell party was held at a pub.

As soon as Oh Geng arrived, he mixed beer and soju [Korean distilled spirit] in a 500cc beer glass and poured it full, then immediately downed it.

“Keuh… it’s so bitter today.”

“Alcohol is always bitter, you idiot, why are you running so hard from the start?”

“I don’t know, just ignore those who are leaving.”

“Wow, now that you’re leaving, you’re treating me like a discharged soldier, making me do chores? Making me do chores?”

At team leader Kwak’s words, the youngest suddenly picked up a beer bottle and a soju bottle and stood up.

“That’s right. Chores.”

“Wow, I loved our youngest so much, and he’s giving me so much love like this.”

“I love you. Team leader.”

Pour, pour, pour

He poured soju and beer into the team leader’s glass and also poured it into Haru’s glass.

“A replacement is coming and you’re leaving in a year, it’s like a dream, ah, I wish it was a dream.”

“I’m sorry….”

“Ah, no, I’m just saying I’m sad, you don’t have to be sorry.”

Hae-soo quietly watched, made eye contact with Oh Geng, and raised his glass.

“Cheers, Violent Crimes Unit, everyone worked hard.”

“Okay, a word from the eldest hyung!”

“What, wherever we go, the Violent Crimes Unit lives on. Violent Crimes Unit fighting! Kwak Oh Shin Woo Ha fighting!”

“Huh? Did you just take our last names? It’s amazing that everyone has different last names!”

“Pfft, anyway, you old man, Police Constable Ha, no, Police Corporal Ha, say something.”

Haru also raised a 500cc glass high with her slender hand and said.

“Don’t die, everyone. Fighting.”

“Uh, uh?”

“Ah, th, that’s right! Let’s all work safely, eujaeuja [fighting/let’s go]! Cheers!”

“Eujaeuja!!”

Clang, clang

Five glasses collided haphazardly in the air, making a clear sound.

Two people were leaving, and the situation was uncertain for the three remaining, so it was a place filled with regret rather than excitement for a new beginning.

“…I’m going to the Community Safety Division.”

“Community Safety Division? Then what’s your rank, hyung?”

“I’m going as a chief.”

“Chief, great, hyung should do easy work now, anyway, congratulations.”

The youngest also asked Haru why she was taking a leave of absence from police work.

Hae-soo also hadn’t heard exactly what Haru would do next, so he listened carefully.

“I don’t know what will happen, so it’s a leave of absence for now, but I’m taking a leave of absence with the intention of quitting the police. I’m going to try something I haven’t done before.”

“I see, you’re young, it’s a shame.”

“So is it back to a three-person system?”

When Hae-soo first came, team leader Kwak, Oh Geng, and Hae-soo had been together for quite a long time.

“Hey, I remember when Dolgyeok [nickname for Hae-soo meaning ‘Sudden Attack’] first came. Dolgyeok was so eager to join my team.”

“You’re saying whatever you want now that I’m leaving, hyung, I scouted Hae-soo. I met him during that Dying Night and talked so much.”

“Both of you are right. Cheers.”

Hae-soo kept drinking cider and clinking glasses with them.

“I almost took out handcuffs when the youngest came.”

“Ah, that’s right, I’m saying this now, but I was scared that some gangster was trying to stab a detective.”

“I’m only confirming now that everyone felt the same way. Youngest, I’m glad you’re on our team.”

The youngest nodded happily and squeezed his biceps.

“I remember the reaction of the other team members when Police Corporal Ha first came.”

“I’m saying this now, but I had a hard time rejecting the single detectives who asked me to introduce them to her.”

At Oh Geng’s words, Hae-soo narrowed his brows and asked.

“Who did?”

“Huh? Ah, no, it’s a joke, can you not frown like that? It’s scary.”

At Hae-soo’s reaction, Haru lowered her head and smiled.

The regretful farewell party passed, and they parted with regret.

* * *

After the Violent Crimes Unit was disbanded, the remaining three asked the Chief, since there was no Commissioner to ask, to keep them together as much as possible.

The Chief replied that he would naturally work hard to do so because the synergy of the three was good.

As a result, Oh Geng, Shin Hae-soo, and Woo Gang-cheol were assigned to the Gangjin Police Station’s Violent Crimes Unit 4.

Squeak

“Ugh, it’s musty. I’m coming into this smelly place again.”

“It’s comforting.”

As the three entered the Violent Crimes Unit, the other violent crime detectives welcomed them.

“Oh, who is this, I’m going to see your annoying faces even closer.”

“Welcome~ Violent Crimes Unit members~”

“Have you arrived, seniors!”

“Have you arrived!!”

The rookie detectives that Hae-soo taught as a special instructor at the police academy rushed over and saluted sharply.

Hae-soo simply returned the salute and made eye contact with each of them, greeting them with his eyes.

Among them were Kim Woong-min, the representative of the trainees, and Oh Mi-yeon, the daughter of National Assemblyman Oh Seong-joo.

“Oh, yeah, good work. Let’s work hard together in the future.”

“Yes, sir!”

“It’s an honor! Senior!”

The Violent Crimes Unit 4 team members were in the corner, and soon after, the Violent Crimes Unit 2 team leader, who had worked here the longest, appeared.

“Oh, Violent Crimes Unit 4 is here too? Oh, the visuals are so reassuring, okay everyone, pay attention! The newly appointed Violent Crimes Unit chief is coming!”

The detectives were taken aback by the Violent Crimes Unit 2 team leader’s bombshell.

“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden? It’s been years since we’ve been running without a chief, what chief?”

“Ah, one more person to approve above.”

“The toughest place in Korea is here, I can’t recognize anyone as chief unless they’re from here.”

“Another high-ranking official who only pushes pens is coming, to get a medal.”

“Agh….”

Thump!

At that moment, someone came in and slammed the door shut. The detectives sneered and turned their heads, fully intending to suppress the atmosphere.

There, a man in uniform, with three blooming rose of Sharons [Korean police rank insignia] on his shoulders, was smirking with a insignificant silhouette.

“Why are you cursing before you even see my face? You bastards?!”