Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 213

213. Good Cop, Bad Cop (3)

The black van, traveling along a quiet national highway, pulled up to a farmhouse on the outskirts.

The person watching from the farmhouse’s second-floor windowsill signaled the van’s arrival and then disappeared from sight.

Song Yeo-un and Seo Ji-hoo forcibly dragged Robert Lee out of the back seat.

Robert Lee, with a sack over his head, grumbled as they hauled him along.

“Come on, damn it. I have feet, you know? Why don’t you just let me walk? Unless that woman cut off my legs while I wasn’t looking.”

Song Yeo-un gave Robert Lee a look of disbelief, then turned to Seo Ji-hoo with a pleading expression. But Seo Ji-hoo shook his head firmly.

“Why? You said it’s okay to lose four or five legs, right?”

“That doesn’t mean we can go around chopping off the legs of someone who’s surrendered. I’ll subtly loosen his restraints later, so if he tries to escape, take advantage of that. Then it’s self-defense.”

“Wait, why do you say things like that when I can hear you?”

Robert Lee was horrified to overhear their conspiracy to create a situation where it would be justifiable to cut off his legs.

It was actually a roundabout warning not to even think about escaping, but it was clear they wouldn’t hesitate to maim him if the opportunity presented itself.

“Let’s finish this quickly and get out of here tonight. We’ve come as far as we can, but the police will expand their search area. It’s not good if word gets out that an Awakened [a person with supernatural abilities] is involved.”

America gets sensitive when an Awakened is involved in a crime. It was better to wrap things up quickly and leave before getting caught up in unnecessary international disputes. That’s why they had mobilized two large vehicles for this operation.

Seo Ji-hoo dragged Robert Lee into the warehouse.

The warehouse reeked of dry manure, as if it had been used as a barn. Seo Ji-hoo unceremoniously threw Robert Lee onto the straw-covered floor.

Robert Lee spat out a piece of straw that had gotten into his mouth and said,

“You need to learn how to treat guests more politely. I’m a valuable asset, you know.”

“It’s impossible to treat you any more politely than this right now.”

“First, tell me what you’re here for. Judging by the racial combination, is it Congressman Kim Seong-hong? Or Jang Heung-deok’s gang? Is it about the Imperial Tower?”

“You seem to have a lot of skeletons in your closet.”

“Those are just high-end information. Keep in mind that my consultation fee is quite expensive.”

At that moment, Song Yeo-un, who had been gone for a while, returned.

Her hands were full of towels, a water bottle, a car battery, clips, a saw, and all sorts of tools.

Robert Lee was silent for a moment, then barely managed to speak.

“Ah, so that woman is going to interrogate me, and you’re going to soothe and comfort me to get information. Good cop, bad cop strategy. You seem to know how to interrogate…”

“No, we’re both bad cops. You’re going to be tortured non-stop.”

Robert Lee fell silent again. After rolling his eyes for a while, he spoke again.

“…I may be a valuable asset, but I sometimes do volunteer work for our Korean community. What are you curious about?”

“What’s wrong, Seo Ji-hoo? Did all the fun parts end while I was gone?”

“No. The torture hasn’t even started yet. He’s just blabbering on his own.”

While Song Yeo-un was setting up the equipment, Seo Ji-hoo sat down in the opposite seat and turned on the tablet PC. In the meantime, Robert Lee continued to say something as if trying to persuade them, but no one was listening.

Only after Song Yeo-un put Robert Lee’s feet in the water bucket did she tap Seo Ji-hoo’s shoulder with a relieved expression.

“Basic setup is complete. Questions first, or torture first?”

“No, wait. How can I answer if I don’t know what the questions are? Why are you trying to torture me right away!”

Seo Ji-hoo and Song Yeo-un exchanged annoyed glances.

“You’re going to do it anyway…”

“We’re in trouble if you look too healthy.”

“We should have left you as bloody as you were before. Should we beat you up one more time?”

“Let’s hit him once, and leave the rest to the Commander.”

Song Yeo-un and Seo Ji-hoo talked casually, then Robert Lee interjected,

“Wait, don’t do that…”

“Take it easy. It’s better if you look a little roughed up. I think you’d prefer us doing it than our boss, right?”

Despite Robert Lee’s pleas, Song Yeo-un’s fist flew straight at him.

Two or three teeth flew out of his mouth.

Robert Lee groaned, blood dripping from his mouth. Seo Ji-hoo, who had turned on the tablet PC, pointed the screen straight at Robert Lee.

“Can you see the screen well?”

“…Yes.”

The tablet seemed to be on a video call, showing only an empty chair and a room. But after waiting a moment, someone appeared on the screen.

It was a man holding popcorn and a bottle of cola. The man sat in the chair with an excited expression, watching Robert Lee.

Robert Lee’s eyes widened when he saw the man’s face.

[Hello, Lawyer.]

Kang Hyun-mo poured popcorn into his mouth and greeted him.

[It’s been a while.]

The moment he heard those words, Robert Lee burst out laughing. It was a nervous and futile laugh, as if he couldn’t help but laugh because it was so absurd.

After laughing for a long time, Robert Lee coughed as if he was short of breath, and then he was finally able to stop.

Robert Lee stared at Hyun-moo with bloodshot eyes and shouted.

“You should have told me it was you earlier!”

[Me?]

“Why did I give you my business card! I gave it to you so you could contact me! If you wanted to talk, you could have called! Why did you suddenly ram me with a car, beat me up, and bring me to this secluded place to torture me!”

Hyun-moo listened to Robert Lee’s screams, then asked Seo Ji-hoo.

[Did you guys torture him?]

“Not yet.”

[Then why is he like that?]

“He got hit a bit by Song Yeo-un Hunter [referring to Song Yeo-un’s Awakened ability] right before the capture, and he seems upset about that.”

[Is that so?]

Hyun-moo put the popcorn back in his mouth and said,

[It’s unfair to say you’ve been tortured when you haven’t. So make it look like you’ve been tortured.]

“What? No, wait. Wait!”

“See? I told you we’d do it all anyway.”

Song Yeo-un smiled and picked up the car battery, approaching Robert Lee from behind.

***

[Ah, now that I think about it, there’s one thing I’m curious about.]

The torture stopped when Hyun-moo suddenly spoke.

Song Yeo-un stopped the electric torture, thinking that the interrogation was finally starting. But the question was directed at Song Yeo-un, not Robert Lee.

[Looking at him now, he’s not bald. But why did you give him the codename ‘Baldy’?]

Song Yeo-un answered Hyun-moo’s question.

“Ah, it’s like the goddess of fortune is bald, so you have to catch her without missing her, meaning that we shouldn’t miss the designated target either…”

[Was that such a trivial meaning? Then continue… No, never mind. Let’s stop here.]

“Already? Are you tired?”

[It’s a bit much because he’s just getting beat up without resistance. It’s more fun to hit someone who’s a bit tougher. Actually, what sin does he have? He’s just doing what he’s told from above.]

At that moment, Robert Lee, who had been dropping his head as if he had lost consciousness or fallen asleep, raised his head sharply.

“That’s right! I’m not guilty! The times made me this way!”

Hyun-moo’s lips curled up at Robert Lee’s cry.

[Oh, really? You’re not guilty?]

“What do you mean I’m not guilty! I was wrong! I’m sorry!”

[…It’s a bit different from what I expected, but it seems like he’s in a state where we can communicate to some extent.]

Robert Lee had said all sorts of things while being tortured, so he even revealed information that he didn’t really want to.

He learned that he works for the Korean community, but there are hidden funds for the Alliance [a clandestine organization] within it, that attempts to expand the Alliance’s influence are constantly being made in various countries around the world, and that some countries have already succeeded.

If you only listened to the explanation, it sounded like a shadow government, but Hyun-moo wasn’t interested in such things.

If there was a group with that much power, there was no way they couldn’t do anything to Korea in the first place.

[Lawyer. What I want to know is not such trivial things…]

Hyun-moo pulled the Return Stone hanging around his neck over his clothes.

[It’s the identity of this.]

Robert Lee only glanced at the Return Stone and didn’t pay much attention to it.

It was impossible to know whether it was intentional indifference or whether he genuinely didn’t know. Hyun-moo asked patiently.

[Who gave this to you?]

“Didn’t you say that it was your father’s keepsake, Kang Hyun-moo… I’m just the executor of the inheritance. I don’t even know what it is.”

[Is it a coincidence that my father was involved with you Alliance guys? You’re only active in the United States. If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll just give up and kill you. Because honestly, it doesn’t matter if I don’t know the truth.]

“…”

Robert Lee let out a hollow laugh.

“Why didn’t you just contact me on my business card? Then I could have flown there myself and had a face-to-face consultation. For free.”

[It’s not my taste to torture someone who comes crawling in on their own. Then why didn’t you contact me in the first place? Weren’t you originally planning to control me while contacting me? What’s changed?]

“Nothing has changed. There are changes, but the main framework is going well.”

[Main framework?]

“You were playing your role better than you thought. Even more than when the Teacher [leader of the Alliance] tried to control you.”

When the Teacher was mentioned, Hyun-moo felt that the interrogation was progressing. But apart from that, he felt unpleasant at the implication that he was being played like a piece on a chessboard.

And Hyun-moo was the type to immediately resolve his displeasure.

When Hyun-moo gave a signal, Song Yeo-un covered Robert Lee’s face with a towel. Seo Ji-hoo lifted the water bucket that Robert Lee’s feet were in and slowly poured it over his face.

Robert Lee tried to struggle, but Song Yeo-un roughly twisted his arm and prevented him from moving.

[Water knows the answer.]

After the water ran out, Hyun-moo opened his mouth.

[Don’t talk in riddles, just tell me straight.]

“…”

[Ah, are you scared because there are only strangers? Should I send someone you might know?]

Hyun-moo gave an order on another cell phone. Soon after, someone opened the warehouse door and entered.

It was Park Hwi-so.

Park Hwi-so had also participated in this operation. He was Plan B in case the capture operation failed.

Robert Lee didn’t look surprised.

“Who are you?”

“…I am Park Hwi-so. I am also an Alliance member who owes a debt to the Teacher.”

***

After briefly introducing himself, Park Hwi-so asked Seo Ji-hoo and Song Yeo-un to step back.

Knowing that Park Hwi-so was already stronger than the two of them combined, they quietly went outside the warehouse without worry.

As the surroundings became quiet, Park Hwi-so released the restraints that were binding Robert Lee one by one.

“Huh, there are gentlemen on that side too. Anyway, I like it. So, dinner?”

[If you don’t want to eat your own teeth or what you ate for lunch again, answer well.]

Hyun-moo said while chuckling, but Park Hwi-so took out a sandwich from his coat.

Robert Lee seemed hungry, as he began to eat the sandwich ravenously.

Park Hwi-so looked at him with a complicated expression.

“Robert. May I call you Robert? Both you and I think that we owe the Teacher an unpayable debt. So no matter what happens, we can’t betray the Teacher.”

Robert Lee looked at Park Hwi-so while eating the sandwich.

“But the reason we follow the Teacher is not just to repay a simple debt. It’s because we think it’s the salvation of mankind that he has presented.”

At Park Hwi-so’s words, Robert Lee closed his mouth as if something had come to mind.

“The salvation we received from the Teacher is just a debt, but saving all of humanity is the salvation that we, who were once trash, are giving ourselves.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Robert Lee opened his mouth.

“You seem to have received grace as well.”

“Are there any among the Alliance who have not received his grace?”

“No. Those who have not received grace cannot become Alliance members.”

Robert Lee said that and glanced at Hyun-moo.

“It seems that one more person has recently received ‘grace’ thanks to you.”