My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 300

They should have been managing things effectively, but the police were neglecting road safety, claiming it fell under the local government’s responsibility, while the local government ignored the speeding issue, stating it was a police matter.

“So, is there a lot of illegal street racing there?”

“I don’t know. But I’d say there’s a fair bit.”

“How do you know?”

“When we replace the guardrails damaged in accidents, they’re all different colors.”

When a car slides and scrapes along the guardrail, paint from the vehicle naturally transfers onto it.

“So, we’re pulling our hair out over this.”

“Then ask them to install speed bumps. Wouldn’t that be possible?”

“I’m considering that, but as you know, money talks. And that road… it’s a sensitive issue. Even mentioning it makes people uneasy…”

I understood the underlying problem. The former county commissioner had built the road with the intention to embezzle funds, a scheme that ultimately led to his and others’ imprisonment.

Given that history, it’s understandable that current officials would be hesitant to invest in that road.

It’s become an unspoken taboo.

‘Seriously. If that’s the case, they should just shut it down.’

If they can’t control it and won’t manage it, chaos is inevitable.

“Okay, I understand.”

I had some information, but it didn’t solve everything.

“It sounds like street racing is definitely happening there.”

Ji Sang-hwan was stunned. He couldn’t believe this had been going on for years without his knowledge.

“These guys have connections to organized crime. Some even eavesdrop on police radio.”

“Police radio?”

“Yes, it’s not that difficult to do. Even tow truck drivers do it.”

“Ugh.”

The reason tow trucks arrive at accident scenes faster than the police is precisely because of that. They monitor police radio frequencies.

The police have discussed implementing secure radios to prevent this, but the allocated funds seem to vanish every year. They’re still using unprotected radios, making it easy to intercept their communications.

“Now that we know the situation, we just need to address it.”

“But how will we know when they’ll race?”

“They’ll probably do it tonight.”

“Tonight? Just like that?”

“It’s not random. Street racers prefer certain weather conditions. They usually like nights with a bright moon, especially in areas like this without streetlights.”

That provides better visibility. Of course, some prefer moonless nights for the added thrill, but generally, they favor a bright moon.

“So, we’ll raid the location tonight. But if we just raid it, they’ll all scatter.”

“Then?”

“We need to block the exits, of course.”

It’s a straight road. One side is a reservoir, and the other is a mountain. There’s nowhere for the cars to escape.

“Let them try to escape.”

“Wow, the moon is amazing!”

Cars gathered in the middle of the road, engines revving, and more began to arrive.

“Hey, the Jaguar guys are here too.”

Eight cars were assembled on one side. A man emerged from one of the newly arrived cars and sneered at the man at the front.

“Hey, Pussycat, ready to give up your car?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you bastard. And I told you, it’s Cheetah.”

“Still a cat.”

“Crazy bastard, isn’t a Jaguar a cat too?”

“Yanmar, why would a Jaguar be a cat? A Jaguar is a leopard.”

“Is that so?”

“You’re an idiot, your head is full of crap.”

Of course, they were both wrong. Both Jaguars and Cheetahs are members of the cat family (Felidae).

“So, are you ready to hand over your car?”

“Where do you think you’re looking at my car?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Are you scared?”

“I think you’re the one who’s scared.”

While the two were trash-talking, the others started lining up their cars. The rule was simple: the first one to the finish line wins the loser’s car.

It was a common wager in this scene.

Vroom, vroom.

And more cars kept arriving.

“I heard the Jaguar and Cheetah are going head-to-head tonight?”

“Cats flirting with each other.”

“It’s a leopard.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Aren’t they both cats?”

“Isn’t a Cheetah a dog?”

The gathered spectators smirked, listening to the roaring exhaust sounds of the cars. Originally, cars have mufflers to reduce these sounds, but these cars had them removed for show, making it hard to even hear each other speak.

“Still, one of them will be broke today.”

“This is fun.”

Then the guys chugged down bottles of soju [Korean distilled rice liquor]. Some daring individuals even pulled out soju and beer from their cars and drank while snickering.

“Tonight’s race will be worth watching?”

“Let’s hope one of them dies, hahaha!”

While they were hyping each other up, another guy stepped forward and started taking bets.

“Come on, come on, you can’t have a race without bets. Place your bets, place your bets. I’m betting 1 million [Korean Won, approximately $750 USD] on the Cheetah.”

“I’m betting 2 million on the Jaguar.”

“I’m betting 300,000 on the Cheetah.”

“Chicken?”

“Damn it! 1 million!”

Bets were being placed, and the leaders of the Cheetah team and the Jaguar team, who had wagered their cars, gritted their teeth.

“I’ll take good care of your car.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Your car is only good for parts.”

The two, burning with fierce competitive spirit, sneered at each other.

“Okay, okay, get ready.”

When the betting was mostly settled, one person stepped up and gave a signal. The two drivers moved their cars to the starting line and waved at the crowd.

“The winner tonight gets a hot night with me.”

“Wow, the winner is lucky.”

With cheers from some of the women, the two waited for the signal. The moment the guy in the middle gave the signal, they shot off like lightning.

“Wow, that’s fast.”

“As expected of the Cheetah.”

“The Jaguar is faster.”

The guys who were sneering as they watched the two red taillights disappear into the distance drank the remaining alcohol and snickered.

“Let’s go. The race will be over by the time we get there.”

Just as they were about to follow and see the outcome, they heard the sound of approaching cars from behind.

“What? Are some guys late?”

“They missed a good show.”

“Racers being late? They’re idiots.”

Everyone assumed the same and looked in the direction of the approaching cars. But their faces paled. It wasn’t a regular passenger car, but a police car.

“It’s the cops!”

“Run!”

“Aaaah!”

“Take me with you!”

When the police arrived, the cars hurriedly started and sped away.

Park Do-joon clicked his tongue as he watched.

“Well, I understand. There’s no way to escape this way anyway.”

There weren’t just one or two police cars; they were filling the road, blocking any escape.

There was only one option: to go forward.

“They knew we were coming, so they must have blocked the front too, right?”

Of course, the front was also blocked. They had even used police buses to create a double blockade. The police have the authority to block roads when necessary. These guys were trapped.

“Okay. Everyone, proceed slowly. Oh, check with the water rescue team to ensure they’re ready for rescues.”

Park Do-joon clicked his tongue, looking at the scattered soju and beer bottles.

“Some of them might jump in the reservoir.”

“I will. But shouldn’t we hurry?”

“Of course, we could. But if we chase them too aggressively, some will later complain that the police’s reckless pursuit caused the accidents.”

Park Do-joon planned to follow slowly and let them crash on their own.

“Let’s follow too.”

The police left the cars blocking the rear just in case and got out of four cars to completely block the road. As they approached, they heard screams.

“Save me! Glug, glug!”

“My car… my car!”

The stopped cars and the cars that crashed into them in a chain reaction.

And screams coming from the reservoir.

“Save me!”

“Mom, save me!”

“Wait!”

As Park Do-joon had anticipated, several cars couldn’t stop in time and plunged into the reservoir. Fortunately, the police had deployed rescue personnel, including divers, in preparation for such an emergency, and they were pulling people from the water.

“It’s a complete mess.”

The cars in the back slammed on their brakes when the cars in front fell into the reservoir, causing a pile-up. The fleeing drivers couldn’t stop and ended up crashing into each other.

“We need to call several ambulances first.”

The scene was chaotic: people getting out of their cars and trying to run, others climbing the mountain, some lying down and screaming in pain, etc.

“What about my car! Pay me back!”

…Even a drunk guy, oblivious to the situation, demanded compensation for his car, only to be tackled and dragged away in handcuffs.

“They were posing so cool, but what’s with the condition of these cars?”

Lee Ji-soo clicked her tongue as she surveyed the scene.

“I expected cool cars at a street race, but what’s with the condition of these things…”

“Well, it depends. It depends on the team. But usually, guys who show off like this aren’t very rich. There are two reasons why they race with their cars on the line: either they have too much money, or the cars aren’t worth much.”

And this was the latter.

“An old Avante [Hyundai compact car] and a Sentia [Kia luxury sedan]? Do these even still exist?”

“They’ve been modified, but even if you sell them, would it cover the fine?”

“Forget the fine, this is illegal tuning, so I think they’ll be scrapped.”

The police were inspecting the cars and dragging out the drunk drivers.

“Don’t, don’t, don’t…! No, I can’t hold my breath, so I’ll tell you everything!”

Guys holding their breath to avoid drunk driving charges, guys begging for forgiveness…

“Ugh!”

Guys throwing up from the shock of the accident and the alcohol.

“Waaaaah, my car…”

A young guy wailing as he watched his car sink into the water.

“You’re unlicensed! It hasn’t even been two months since your license was revoked for drunk driving, and you’re doing this.”

Even unlicensed drivers.

It was utter chaos.

Then the radio crackled.

-Aaa, this is the blocking team. We’ve apprehended two cars. Is that correct?

“That’s correct. Two cars went into the reservoir.”

-That’s a relief. Should we release the blockade?

“No, leave it in place. There’s a multiple collision accident here. It’ll take all night to handle this, so prevent anyone else from coming in.”

-Understood.

Park Do-joon finished the radio communication and turned to look at the still chaotic scene.

“Okay, let’s see what they know.”

Profiler by trade