The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 227

< #227. Performance >

A gentle breeze drifts through the open window, filling the room with the refreshing scent of the outdoors.

The black cloth was pulled from Assemblyman Oh Sung-ju’s head.

“It’s been a while, Assemblyman.”

Sitting across from Oh Sung-ju, legs crossed with a relaxed smile, was a middle-aged man with striking white hair.

“Teacher Cheon…”

Teacher Cheon was flanked by four men who radiated a palpable, dangerous aura. Each of them was a formidable fighter, capable of taking down a dozen men with ease.

Escape was an impossibility.

“You’ve been keeping busy. Actively supporting the Violent Crimes Unit in Gangjin, where Shin Hae-soo is stationed, and even sending your daughter there. Isn’t that a slight overreach of your authority?”

“I simply corrected those who were abusing their power and reset the situation.”

Teacher Cheon studied Oh Sung-ju in silence for a moment before nodding slowly.

“I, too, use my power to stop those who do wrong. In a way, our goals align. I had high hopes when you joined the Society.”

“If I had known what it truly was, I would never have become a member.”

Teacher Cheon’s eyebrow flickered almost imperceptibly at the remark, but he quickly regained his composure and continued, “What it is, and what it isn’t, are matters of perspective. History will be the ultimate judge of whose perspective is correct.”

Oh Sung-ju frowned, bracing himself for what was to come. Teacher Cheon had always preached that power is the ultimate law and truth, a philosophy deeply ingrained within the Chilseong Society.

Pour, pour, pour-

A graceful woman in a cheongsam [a traditional Chinese dress] approached and refilled the teacups on the small glass table between Oh Sung-ju and Teacher Cheon.

Teacher Cheon raised his teacup, inviting Oh Sung-ju to partake.

“What do you want?” Oh Sung-ju asked bluntly.

Teacher Cheon shrugged.

“I want nothing. You, Assemblyman, are of no further use.”

“There’s nothing left to squeeze from an old, worn-out assemblyman.”

Teacher Cheon smirked.

“I know. Did you think I didn’t?”

The corner of his lips curled into a menacing twist.

Sip.

Teacher Cheon savored a sip of tea, then set the cup down and fixed his gaze on Oh Sung-ju.

He chuckled softly, adding an explanation with false kindness.

“The mere fact that a three-term assemblyman was kidnapped in the heart of Seoul carries significant weight.”

“……”

“It serves as a warning to the few disloyal individuals who dare to act out while the master is temporarily away.”

At Teacher Cheon’s words, Oh Sung-ju felt a sudden, chilling premonition.

Teacher Cheon continued, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

“I would prefer to let you live, if possible. But for the warning to be truly effective, it seems your death would be far more impactful. In a fitting location, at a fitting time.”

* * *

-Assemblyman Oh Kidnapped Around 2:30 PM Today from Central Familie Hotel Parking Garage-

The fact that a three-term assemblyman had been abducted in broad daylight, from a location teeming with people and security cameras, was a major scandal.

The chief secretary, realizing something was amiss, immediately alerted the police, who launched a discreet investigation.

However, someone leaked the information, and news outlets were suddenly flooded with reports of Assemblyman Oh’s kidnapping. The almost unbelievable event of a National Assembly member being kidnapped was more than enough to grip the public’s attention.

On YouTube, breaking news videos about the incident quickly surpassed a million views within hours.

* * *

Gangjin Police Station, Violent Crimes Unit office.

“Wow, they’re kidnapping National Assembly members in broad daylight now. It’s like the end of the world.”

The words “National Assembly member” caused one of the female detectives to wince.

“I know, right? This assemblyman has been a great help to us with police matters, hasn’t he?”

“That’s why it’s so unfortunate. I was actually happy that a decent assemblyman who supports the police had finally emerged after all this time.”

“Team Leader, he’s still just kidnapped, but you’re already talking about him like he’s dead?”

The team leader gave a self-deprecating smile.

“You know how it is, the survival rate in kidnapping cases is…”

Creak-

Just then, the female detective abruptly pushed back her chair and stood up.

She was well-liked by the other detectives for her cute face, friendly demeanor, easygoing personality, and, above all, her dedication to her work.

“Hey, what’s wrong, what’s up with our maknae [youngest member of the group]?”

“What… what’s the name of that National Assembly member?”

“Ah, the kidnapping? Oh… Sung-ju? Oh! Mi-yeon!”

Oh Mi-yeon’s legs buckled, and another detective caught her. She was only now learning about the kidnapping.

Most of the Violent Crimes Unit detectives were unaware that Oh Mi-yeon’s father was Assemblyman Oh Sung-ju.

She shook her head, frantically scanning the news article. The National Assembly member’s full name was accurately reported. The chief secretary’s name was only listed by surname, but it matched the one she knew.

Unable to fully grasp the situation, she grabbed her phone and rushed out of the office.

“Maknae, are you okay? Where are you going?”

She immediately tried to call her father, but his phone was off. Her hands trembled. She knew all too well how slim the chances of survival were in a kidnapping.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve and bit her lip.

“I have to find him, I have to save him, somehow…!”

Just then, she spotted the special task force detectives entering the police station’s main gate in the distance. Without a second thought, she ran toward them.

“Isn’t that Team 2’s maknae?”

“She’s coming this way?”

“Uh, uh, uh!”

She sprinted at full speed and nearly collided with Shin Hae-soo. Grabbing Hae-soo’s clothes with both hands, she looked up with desperate, reddened eyes.

“M, my dad, my dad was kidnapped.”

While the other team members looked on in confusion, Hae-soo’s eyes narrowed, realizing who her father was.

* * *

The detectives in the Violent Crimes Unit office sat with serious expressions, deep in discussion.

Chief Kwak bit his lip and said, “…We can’t simply take over a case that the Metropolitan Investigation Unit is already handling. We’ll have to request cooperation or conduct a covert investigation…”

But he desperately wanted to jump into the investigation immediately. The initial investigation was crucial in kidnapping cases, and the information gathered by the Metropolitan Investigation Unit in these early stages was vital.

The rookie detective, glancing nervously at Oh Mi-yeon, blurted out, “C, can’t we just tell the Chief of Police?”

Oh Gyeong shook his head.

“It’s not about the Chief of Police’s permission. To get cooperation from the Metropolitan Investigation Unit, the Commissioner General has to be directly involved. But the current Commissioner General…”

The supportive Commissioner General who had readily provided assistance was gone, and the corrupt one who followed had resigned due to a lobbying scandal. Now, a stubbornly rigid Commissioner General who valued principles above all else had taken office, making things incredibly difficult.

Despite the challenging situation, Hae-soo remembered his meeting with Assemblyman Oh and the help he had provided, and he reached for his phone.

At that moment.

Vibrate

“This is Shin Hae-soo.”

Hae-soo answered the call before the vibration had even finished. It was Assemblyman Jo Gam-chan, the person he had been about to call. Before Hae-soo could speak, Assemblyman Jo continued.

-You answered quickly, Detective Shin. Are you busy?

-Even if you are, drop everything else and take this case. I’m pulling rank here, so you have to listen. Find Assemblyman Oh Sung-ju right now. I’ll handle everything else. I’ve already spoken to your Chief of Police.

The timing was perfect.

Hae-soo gritted his teeth and jumped to his feet.

“Yes, I understand!”

* * *

Oh Mi-yeon revealed to her team that Oh Sung-ju was her father and joined the special task force.

The special task force immediately traveled to Seoul and requested a joint investigation with the Metropolitan Investigation Unit.

However, the trail had gone cold.

The vehicle carrying Assemblyman Oh had left the underground parking lot and vanished in a blind spot. Assemblyman Oh’s abandoned vehicle was found nearby.

They had switched cars. There was no CCTV or dashcam footage in the vicinity of the abandoned vehicle that could offer any clues.

Assemblyman Oh Sung-ju’s cell phone had been discarded at the entrance to the underground parking lot.

There was only one dashcam video from the underground parking lot that captured the faces of the perpetrators.

Hae-soo’s eyebrows furrowed as he watched the video.

As Assemblyman Oh and his chief secretary exited the elevator, two men in black suits emerged from an unknown location and followed them.

While the chief secretary was helping Assemblyman Oh into the car, closing the back door, and walking to the driver’s seat, one of the men ambushed him just as he reached for the driver’s side door handle.

Thwack, Pow-

The sequence of movements—twisting the arm and striking the jaw with the palm—was swift and precise.

The clean, efficient skill and the indifferent expressions convinced Hae-soo that they were Company Men [professional enforcers or hitmen].

‘Teacher Cheon.’

If Teacher Cheon was involved, tracking them down would be incredibly difficult. They were people who had been doing this for decades.

Thinking that Teacher Cheon was the mastermind, he understood why the news had spread so quickly and why the case had become so high-profile without the police’s intention.

His goal was to ensure that the entire nation knew that Assemblyman Oh Sung-ju had been kidnapped.

But that wasn’t the immediate concern.

Kidnapping was a race against time. He would let the Metropolitan Investigation Unit focus on finding the physical traces, while the special task force would try to predict where the perpetrators had taken him and find him, now that they had been identified.

“Detective Oh, have you received any separate calls?”

“No…”

“We need a call to properly direct the investigation, but this is…”

Kidnappings are usually motivated by a demand for something. Nine times out of ten, it’s money, but in the case of a high-profile figure like Assemblyman Oh Sung-ju, it becomes more complex.

Hae-soo had never met Teacher Cheon in person, but he knew the kind of person he was.

“There won’t be a call.”

“What? What do you mean?”

Hae-soo explained his theory to the special task force in response to Oh Gyeong’s question. They had investigated Teacher Cheon and the Company Men together, and they trusted each other after working together for several years.

The special task force put their heads together, trying to determine where Teacher Cheon had taken Assemblyman Oh, his motives for the kidnapping, and his ultimate goal.

Oh Gyeong tore at his hair in frustration.

“Ugh… I don’t get it at all. That rich guy wouldn’t do this for money. I can’t understand what that high-ranking bastard is thinking.”

“Me neither… I have no idea where they took him.”

“Detective Oh, do you have any guesses?”

Oh Mi-yeon frowned, deep in thought.

“I don’t know. I don’t know that Teacher Cheon person well…”

Swoosh

“Ah, geez, you scared me!”

At her words, Hae-soo jumped up. Leaving the startled Oh Gyeong behind, he left the temporary headquarters and pulled out a burner phone, calling someone.

“Yes… Please deliver this right away.”

-Yes, yes, of course, just a moment…

The sound of hurried footsteps and heavy breathing could be heard over the receiver. Then, a familiar, deep voice spoke.

-What is it.

A cavernous voice that seemed to come from the depths of the earth; it was Manager Ma.

Hae-soo explained the situation. Manager Ma, as Teacher Cheon’s closest aide, knew Assemblyman Oh well.

And his answer was:

-You can’t find him.

“What?”

-Even now, you’ve been trying to find Teacher Cheon and the Company Men, but you haven’t been able to, have you? In this small country, if Teacher Cheon is determined to disappear, no one can find him.

“……”

Hae-soo’s face twisted in frustration.

He already felt like he was banging his head against a brick wall, but Manager Ma’s words made him feel like it was truly hopeless, and despair washed over him.

Hae-soo was disappointed and started to hang up.

-But

“But?”

-If he kidnapped Oh Sung-ju without anything to gain, the purpose is obvious: a performance.

“A performance?”

-He’s trying to warn other members. Seeing that he spread the news as soon as he kidnapped him, he’ll try to make the end of this kidnapping as public as possible. Look for places where many people gather; you might find the body there.

It was a shocking thought, but it made sense.

‘Performance, the end of the kidnapping.’

* * *

That night, in the heart of downtown Seoul, a tall building was under construction near a busy street.

A crane installed at the edge of the building began to move.

Screech-

“W, what is that?”

“Isn’t that a person?”

“Crazy… Hey, film it, film it!”

“Shouldn’t we report it first?”

“I, it’s moving?”

People began recording videos and taking photos of what was dangling from the end of the crane hook.

It was Oh Sung-ju, with a gag in his mouth.

“Move! Please move!!”

Honk Honk!!

“Ah, damn it! I want to move too!”

Someone reported it to 119 [emergency services] and 112 [police], and they were dispatched urgently, but they couldn’t get through due to the massive crowd and traffic.

“It’s crazy here! That Oh Sang-ju? Oh Sung-ju? That National Assembly member is hanging there! Can the viewers see?”

People quickly gathered, and reporters and YouTubers were broadcasting live.

“Please, please move, everyone!!”

Honk Honk!

Oh Mi-yeon, who had arrived late, pleaded with the crowd while crying, but it was no use.

The special task force drove as far as they could, then got out and ran toward the building site.

Screech-

At first glance, the crane operator’s seat appeared to be empty. But the crane was moving.

The end of the crane was being raised, and the hook was slowly ascending.

“Uh, uh, uh!”

The angle was gradually increasing, and the rope supporting Assemblyman Oh Sung-ju, who was hanging from the hook, was slowly slipping.

“Kyaaaa!”

Mi-yeon’s scream echoed sharply in the middle of the city.