Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 371

Ring!

The phone rang again.

Hyun-sung’s gaze went to the wall clock. There were still about five minutes to spare before 6 o’clock.

Whoosh!

Just then, Lee Seung-chul reached out to answer the phone.

“Wait a minute!”

Hyun-sung instantly reached out and stopped Lee Seung-chul’s hand as he was about to pick up the phone.

Lee Seung-chul looked at Hyun-sung with an angry expression and said,

“What are you doing now?”

“Just a moment. Please answer the phone in a little bit.”

“Why? What if the call gets cut off?”

“No, that won’t happen. As you can see, there’s still some time left before 6 o’clock. What does that mean?”

Lee Seung-chul had said earlier that the culprit would call again at 6 o’clock. But there were still about five minutes left before 6 o’clock.

What does it mean to call before the appointed time?

It probably means that the culprit, like Son Mi-jung and Lee Seung-chul, is also feeling quite anxious and nervous. Hyun-sung was planning to use the culprit’s psychology right now.

Lee Seung-chul asked with a desperate expression,

“What do you mean? What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know who it is, but this guy is just as anxious and nervous as we are. That means he wants to finish this quickly. So, we should go the opposite way. To catch the culprit, we need to lead at our pace. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Lee Seung-chul nodded quickly as if he understood.

Then, Hyun-sung pointed to the speakerphone button with his finger and said immediately,

“And press this button here to talk.”

Again, Lee Seung-chul nodded as if he understood right away.

Ring, ring.

The phone kept ringing.

“And…”

Thump!

Just as Hyun-sung was about to say something more, Lee Seung-chul couldn’t stand it any longer and pressed the speakerphone button.

“Hello, hello!”

-…….

“Hello!”

-……You didn’t do anything stupid, did you?

The culprit’s voice, which had been silent for a moment, was heard through the speakerphone.

Lee Seung-chul quickly looked at Hyun-sung. Then, Hyun-sung spread out both hands, palms facing down, and shook them slowly up and down.

It meant not to rush and talk slowly.

Then, Lee Seung-chul nodded slightly as if he understood and said into the speakerphone,

“Why would I do anything stupid? It’s not like it’s the first time.”

-The first time? Don’t say useless things. I’m telling you again, the moment you report this, your daughter is finished.

“Don’t worry about that. Please just send our Hye-sun back safely. Please, I beg you.”

-Don’t worry. I keep my promises.

Toc, toc, toc…

Hyun-sung started tapping his head with his fingers at a rapid pace. It meant he was thinking a lot.

The culprit was speaking with a distorted voice.

Why is he hiding his voice?

The culprit probably thinks that they haven’t reported it anyway, so it’s not to prepare for recording. Then there must be another reason.

Another reason to hide his voice……?

‘That’s it!’

After thinking for a moment, Hyun-sung clenched his fist without realizing it.

The only reason the culprit is hiding his voice is probably because Lee Seung-chul or Son Mi-jung know the culprit’s voice.

Otherwise, there would be no need to distort his voice.

Hyun-sung looked at Lee Seung-chul, who was on the phone.

Fortunately, Lee Seung-chul seemed to have regained his composure and was responding well to the culprit’s words.

“We will definitely keep our promise too. So, please just keep our Hye-sun safe…”

-Is the money ready?

It was the moment when the culprit finally started talking about money.

Click!

At that moment, Hyun-sung hung up the phone. Then he immediately put down the receiver.

The surprised culprit will redial. But since the receiver is down, it will continue to show as busy.

“What are you doing?”

Lee Seung-chul shouted.

But Hyun-sung didn’t care and instead started explaining in a calm voice.

“Listen carefully. From now on, we will lead the conversation. First, postpone the talk about money and say that you want to confirm that Hye-sun is safe first.”

“Do you think he’ll listen to that?”

“Yes, he will definitely listen. Please trust me.”

The culprit’s goal is money anyway. Of course, the amount is not ridiculously large, but the culprit needs money right now.

Besides, the fact that he distorted his voice means that he is likely someone nearby. If so, he won’t be able to harm Hye-sun easily, and if our request is not unreasonable, he will listen, that was Hyun-sung’s thought.

Hyun-sung continued.

“And get angry and say that he was the one who hung up the phone.”

“Alright.”

Lee Seung-chul nodded.

Hyun-sung put the receiver back in place.

Then the phone rang immediately.

Ring.

Hyun-sung started counting to three with his fingers.

And after the bell rang exactly three times, he pressed the speakerphone button.

Then Lee Seung-chul, who was next to him, said loudly,

“Hello!”

-What are you doing now?

“Why do you keep hanging up the phone? Do you know how surprised I was?”

-What?

“Don’t do that again. I almost had a heart attack.”

-Didn’t you hang up?

“Why would I do that? Am I crazy in this situation?”

Lee Seung-chul started speaking even louder as Hyun-sung had instructed.

Then the culprit’s voice was heard again.

-Okay, is the money ready, of course?

“Please let us hear our Hye-sun’s voice first. Otherwise, I’m too anxious to die.”

-What is this nonsense again? So you’re saying you don’t trust me now?

“It’s not that, I just want to hear our Hye-sun’s voice. If you do that, I’ll do whatever you tell me to do unconditionally.”

-…….

The culprit was silent for a moment, as if contemplating.

Hyun-sung was also nervous.

Only 1 or 2 seconds had passed, but it felt like an hour.

Just then, the culprit’s voice was heard through the speakerphone.

-Just once. Let’s not waste time.

“Thank you! Thank you! Of course.”

Lee Seung-chul was deliberately repeating the same words and leading the conversation as Hyun-sung had instructed.

Then he looked at Hyun-sung and nodded. It was a sign of gratitude. Hyun-sung also slightly bowed his head to Lee Seung-chul. It meant thank you for trusting me.

-Dad!

Just then, Lee Hye-sun’s voice was heard through the speakerphone.

Hyun-sung let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

Because now that he heard her voice, he confirmed that Lee Hye-sun was safe. Of course, based on the amount the culprit demanded and the fact that this was not the first time, he had somewhat expected that the culprit would not be very vicious. But since there are always variables in human affairs, he couldn’t be 100% sure. So he deliberately checked Lee Hye-sun’s safety first.

“Hye-sun! Hye-sun!”

As soon as Lee Hye-sun’s voice was heard from the speakerphone, Lee Seung-chul and Son Min-jung called her name loudly at the same time as if they had promised.

Then the culprit’s voice was heard immediately.

-Okay? Shall we get down to business now?

Click!

Hyun-sung hung up the phone again.

Then Lee Seung-chul looked at Hyun-sung. But his eyes were clearly different from when Hyun-sung hung up the phone for the first time. At first, he was surprised and angry, but now he looked curious as to why he hung up the phone.

“Why again this time?”

“Say that you haven’t prepared the money yet. Say that it will be ready in 30 minutes. Right now, we need to maximize his anxiety. Then there will definitely be a gap somewhere. We have to aim for that moment to catch the culprit.”

“Alright.”

Lee Seung-chul nodded as if he understood.

Lee Seung-chul seemed to have gained some confidence as the culprit was falling into our pace.

Hyun-sung put the receiver back on.

Then the bell rang immediately.

Ring.

This time, Lee Seung-chul knew to slowly press the speakerphone button.

Then, before the culprit could even speak, he shouted loudly as if he was angry.

“Why do you keep hanging up the phone? Please don’t do this!”

-What? Isn’t it you again this time?

“I even heard Hye-sun’s voice, why would I do that? Oh, come to think of it, the phone condition has been strange all day…….”

-Anyway, those damn phone company guys are the problem!

The culprit cursed even before Lee Seung-chul finished speaking.

‘Huh?’

Hyun-sung’s head suddenly turned to the side. Clearly, this time it was not a distorted voice but a normal voice. It was his mistake brought about by anxiety. As his emotions became heightened, he forgot to distort his voice without realizing it.

It was the moment Hyun-sung’s eyes sparkled.

Click!

Hyun-sung hung up the phone and immediately asked Lee Seung-chul.

“Did you hear it?”

“Hear what?”

“I’m talking about the voice of the culprit cursing a little while ago. It wasn’t a distorted voice but his original voice, didn’t you hear it?”

“Well, it was too quick, so I didn’t…….”

Lee Seung-chul only tilted his head and didn’t seem to grasp the culprit’s voice at all.

Hyun-sung looked at Lee Seung-chul and said again.

“Think carefully. Focus on the people you know around you…….”

“Well…….”

Lee Seung-chul still had a clueless expression.

“Wait a minute!”

At that time, Son Mi-jung shouted.

Then Hyun-sung asked immediately.

“Why? Do you have anyone in mind?”

“Well…… it seems right, but it also seems not…….”

“Who is it? It doesn’t matter, just say whatever comes to mind.”

“It seems similar to Mr. Choi from the laundromat in front of the house…… but I’m not sure.”

Son Mi-jung said, tilting her head.

Then Lee Seung-chul said immediately.

“It’s not Mr. Choi. Mr. Choi’s voice is not that thin. And Mr. Choi is in Danyang since yesterday because he had a funeral in his family, and he said he’ll come tomorrow.”

“I understand. Is there anyone else you can think of?”

“No. It’s not a normal conversation voice, it’s a cursing voice…….”

“Yes, I understand. Please listen carefully in the future, just in case.”

Hyun-sung put the receiver back on.

Then, as if waiting, the bell rang immediately, and Lee Seung-chul and the culprit cursed at each other, venting their anger on the phone company. The culprit seemed to be definitely paying attention to distorting his voice this time.

Lee Seung-chul said that he needed 30 more minutes to prepare the money as Hyun-sung had said. Then the culprit made a fuss but eventually hung up the phone, saying that he would call again in 30 minutes.

A little later.

Gulp, gulp.

Hyun-sung finished drinking a cup of water that Son Mi-jung handed him and asked Lee Seung-chul.

“How did you deliver the money?”

“By taxi.”

“Taxi? How by taxi?”

“If you go to the place I told you in advance, a taxi comes, and then you hand over the paper bag you’re holding, and that’s it.”

“Pardon?”

Hyun-sung’s voice came out louder than he realized because the method of delivering the money was too simple than he had expected.

Usually, in movies or TV shows, he had seen all sorts of extraordinary methods used for the culprit to receive the money. But Hyun-sung was dumbfounded because he said he had handed over the money in such a simple way.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“Was it the same method both times?”

“That’s right.”

“Then you must have seen the taxi driver’s face?”

“Of course. I handed the paper bag through the driver’s seat window.”

“Was the first and second driver’s face the same?”

“No, they were completely different. The first one was…….”

Lee Seung-chul’s explanation continued, but his words were no longer heard in Hyun-sung’s ears.

Hyun-sung’s head was getting more and more complicated.

According to Lee Seung-chul’s words, the taxi driver and the culprit are separate. Well, what fool would come to receive the money himself? He could only feel pathetic for his expectations.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“Then when will you release Hye-sun?”

“If you hand over the money, you’ll get a call from home in an hour.”

“From home? To whom?”

“Who else but Hye-sun. She said she woke up and was sitting on a chair in front of the house.”

What is this again.

It was a situation that was impossible to understand logically. According to Lee Seung-chul’s words, the culprit took the hostage to his house…… Does this make sense?

“What does Hye-sun say?”

“She said she fell asleep and doesn’t remember how she got home.”

“That means he gave her sleeping pills. This guy is more meticulous than I thought.”

At first, he thought he would be a simple guy because he committed the crime in the same way and periodically. But the more he knew about the method of the crime, the more he felt like he was falling into a maze.

“Did you install CCTV [closed-circuit television] in front of the house?”

“Even if I didn’t, after experiencing such a thing twice, I spent a lot of money to install one in front of the house, just in case.”

“Will he take Hye-sun to the front of the house again this time?”

“Well…… I’ll have to wait and see, but if I were him, I wouldn’t do that unless I was a fool…….”

“Ah, my head hurts.”

Toc toc.

Hyun-sung started tapping his head again.

It was then.

Ring.

Hyun-sung’s gaze immediately went to the wall clock. 6:40. There were still 20 minutes left until the promised time.

“What is this bastard?”

A curse automatically came out of Hyun-sung’s mouth.