The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 13

The police are too strong – Episode 13 (13/255)

Daesung Hospital Main Entrance, a crowd had gathered.

Shin Haesoo handed over the large man he had subdued to the hospital security guards.

Chief Gu, witnessing Haesoo’s takedown for the first time, gaped and gave a thumbs up.

“Let’s go.”

“How did you handle that big guy? Amazing. You’re truly a Korean police officer!”

“Keep your voice down…”

At that moment, a crisp voice stopped them. “Just a moment.”

Turning around, a woman in a luxurious black suit approached Haesoo. She placed a hand on her chest and bowed slightly. “Thank you.”

Haesoo replied nonchalantly, “I just did what I had to do.”

“There are many people who can’t do what they have to do. I’m Ahn Seoeun.”

She took out a business card from her handbag and handed it to Haesoo. It was a sleek card with silver lettering engraved on a white metal background.

[Ahn Seoeun, CEO of Daemyung E&M (Entertainment & Media)]

While he was examining the business card, Chief Gu sidled up to him and whispered, “The youngest daughter of the Daemyung Group. From the owner’s family.”

When he looked up, she seemed to be waiting, so Haesoo also took out his business card and handed it over. He was a little awkward with business card etiquette since he didn’t use them often.

“Shin Haesoo.”

She took the business card, placed it in her handbag, and met Haesoo’s gaze again. Her eyes were very clear.

“You subdued him easily, and I don’t think it’s a small thing. I want to show my gratitude.”

She began to take out her wallet. Before anything came out, Haesoo reached out and stopped her. “As I said before, I just did what I had to do. As my business card says, I am a police officer. I can’t accept something like this.”

“Yes… I was rude to someone with such firm principles. I apologize. I sincerely appreciate your help today.”

Ahn Seoeun bowed her head politely again.

She looked to be in her late 20s at most, but her actions exuded a sense of dignity. Even as she bowed, her poise only increased.

‘Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, I guess.’

That made Haesoo uncomfortable – the sense of alienation from someone who lives in a different world, even though they are standing on the same ground.

Haesoo gave a quick bow and turned away. “No problem. Then, goodbye.”

As soon as he got into a taxi away from them, Chief Gu started chattering. “That’s amazing. It’s my first time seeing her in person, but she’s as good-looking as a celebrity. Director Ahn Seoeun – she only has a business card in the entertainment field, but she actually has a tight grip on Daemyung Hotel and the hospital. She’s so young, but she’s also very capable, right?”

“You know her well.”

Chief Gu shrugged. “I’m an expert in that field, aren’t I?”

“Let’s go to the police station.”

“Ah, but still, the police station is scary.”

Chief Gu’s raised shoulders quickly drooped.

*

Daesung Hospital Main Entrance.

Ahn Seoeun stared at Shin Haesoo’s back for a long while.

“Chief Kang, please find out about that person.”

“Are you talking about the police officer? I understand.”

Seoeun turned, stopped, and looked at her bodyguard. “Ah, Chief Kim, you don’t have to come to work from tomorrow.”

“…Yes, I’m sorry.”

The bodyguard bowed his head deeply and didn’t follow her.

***

Gangjin Police Station, Criminal Affairs Division.

Chief Gu’s hit-and-run case was not a simple accident, so Violent Crimes Unit 1 took charge.

Outside the interrogation room, Shin Haesoo showed Chief Gu the face of the hit-and-run driver who was being interrogated.

“…Well. I think I’ve seen him before… I’m not sure.”

“Hmm…”

The hit-and-run driver only repeated frustrating claims.

“I’m telling you, it was just a mistake! And I was scared, so I ran away, but I realized it wouldn’t work…”

“Then what about the knife? How are you going to explain that?”

“That was just there for hiking, hiking! I don’t know, I’m not saying anything until my lawyer comes.”

Haesoo urgently called a detective who was standing idly by outside the interrogation room.

“Has the mobile phone record been checked?”

“Ah yes, there are many strange things. The last call overlaps with the time of the escape. He was talking on the phone while running away.”

At that time, another detective opened the door and came in. “They found the burner phone [a disposable phone used to avoid tracking] that was being used for the call in a trash can in the park near Ganghwa Four-way Intersection.”

“Damn it, I’m going to have my eyes fall out again. Did you start securing CCTV footage?”

“Yessir.”

Haesoo made eye contact with Chief Gu. “Chief Gu, do you have time to wait and analyze it together?”

“If it’s a request from Inspector Shin, of course, I have to.”

Chief Gu watched to help with the investigation. Since he was the target, there was a high possibility that it was someone he knew.

He was scared that his life was being targeted, so his greatest wish was to be caught as soon as possible.

Securing CCTV and black box footage from Ganghwa Four-way Intersection to the park proceeded smoothly.

Haesoo and Chief Gu began analyzing the CCTV footage with the detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit at the station.

Haesoo stopped at one scene. It was a scene of a woman at the crosswalk of Ganghwa Four-way Intersection before the accident happened.

“Please track this woman. I also confirmed it at the scene, but she turned around after seeing Chief Gu. Her lips also looked like she was on the phone.”

“Ah, well… she certainly looks suspicious. The accident happened right after she turned around. Okay, everyone! The suspect has been narrowed down!”

Following Haesoo’s lead, CCTV footage of the woman was found in succession, and her movements were being tracked.

“Oh, just a moment.”

Chief Gu stopped the scene where the woman’s face was best seen, squinted, and tilted his head. It was a silhouette he had seen before. He looked back and forth at the interrogation room where the caught hit-and-run driver was and opened his mouth. “Ah?”

“Did you remember something?”

“I think I remember. I only saw her once, so I’m not sure, but… she was so memorable at the time.”

At Chief Gu’s words, the detectives who were analyzing the CCTV footage gathered around. If he identified the suspect, there would be no need for painstaking analysis.

Haesoo asked, “Is she a client?”

“No, she’s the daughter of a client, Park Makryun, an old woman…”

Park Makryun is currently in a nursing hospital. Chief Gu had been managing her assets since he first worked as an asset manager, and out of gratitude, he often visited the nursing hospital. Once, he met her daughter.

But the strange thing was that the grandmother seemed to be afraid of her daughter. Later, he asked her about it, and he heard that she was violent and only took money away.

“…She became a 1.7 billion won asset holder from a 300 million won redevelopment, but she lived an unfortunate life. Ah! She’s donating all of that to a social welfare foundation today!”

“That’s it.”

“That’s her.”

“As expected, it was all because of money. Even if Park Makryun is killed, Chief Gu, who has been delegated [given power of attorney], can proceed with the donation.”

“Well… Kim Imsook, born in ’75, her face roughly matches the CCTV footage. Address: 20, 33beon-gil, Ogwan-dong, Room 103. Let’s go catch her before she runs away.”

The detectives prepared in an orderly manner and went out to arrest Kim Imsook.

*

Kim Imsook was caught after hiding under a car in the underground parking lot of her apartment for four hours.

The hit-and-run driver who was caught earlier was her lover.

It was revealed that the man was also the one who made Chief Gu drop his cell phone.

The fact that they meticulously planned the murder and that Haesoo, a police officer, was stabbed with a knife, compounded their crimes, and they each received 15 years in prison.

“Bad guys…”

On the way back after seeing the final sentence at the courthouse, Chief Gu muttered, recalling them.

From his expression and pronunciation, it seemed to be the worst thing he could say.

Haesoo got a ride in Chief Gu’s car. The motorcycle was completely destroyed by hitting the traffic light box on the day of the accident.

Haesoo stared at Chief Gu in the passenger seat and asked, “Chief Gu, how many clients do you currently have?”

“Um… currently five. Park Makryun will be finished soon after the donation, so four including the president.”

“How much does a personal asset manager make?”

“Personal? Are you talking about an asset manager who manages one-on-one without taking on multiple clients? Generally, the commission is a 3 percent increase [in assets managed], and the minimum commission is 40 million won per year. Perhaps… I don’t know when I’m going to die, so you’re thinking of changing managers…”

At his frightened expression, Haesoo chuckled and looked ahead, saying, “I don’t have anyone around me who would covet my money and kill Chief Gu. So, how about you only manage my money?”

“Ah… huh?”

Chief Gu’s eyes widened.

Haesoo asked, keeping in mind the possibility that he would refuse. Even if there is a minimum commission, it would be much less than his current income.

However, Chief Gu readily accepted Haesoo’s proposal after only discussing the adjustment period to connect other clients to other asset managers.

Rather, he was grateful. It’s less burdensome because Haesoo is very simple and has a lot of assets, unless he is a person who requires intensive care.

*

The next day, after work.

Ring ring ring ring

He changed into plain clothes and was about to leave the police box when the phone rang. It was Chief Gu.

“Yes, Chief.”

“President Shin, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me.”

“Can’t we meet and talk?”

“Okay. Where do we meet?”

“I’ll come to you.”

“Then let’s meet in front of my house.”

A little later, at the convenience store located on the first floor of Haesoo’s studio apartment.

Haesoo and Chief Gu sat facing each other at a wooden outdoor table in front of it. On the table were two cups of ramen, kimchi, and two cartons of banana milk.

Chief Gu looked up at the studio apartment building and muttered, “It’s very simple for someone with over 10 billion won in assets.”

“I don’t feel any inconvenience, so there’s no need to waste money on purpose.”

“That’s right, that’s very true…”

Chief Gu trailed off, unlike himself. Haesoo didn’t know what he was going to say, so he quietly ate his ramen.

“Um, I saw something strange.”

The chopsticks that were picking up another mouthful of ramen stopped. He adopted an attitude of concentrating on the story, thinking it was about a case.

“That time, during the accident…”

Chief Gu slowly recounted the memory of the reset before he died. He carefully watched Haesoo’s eyes, worried that he would be seen as strange.

“…It’s hard to dismiss it as a hallucination because the pain, emotions, and tactile sensations at that time are deeply ingrained in my mind, so I’m very confused.”

Haesoo knew exactly what he meant, so he didn’t argue that it was nonsense and quietly waited for the next words.

“Still, I thought it was a relief that I didn’t die and tried to just move on, but President Shin’s actions are just stuck in my head.”

At his words, Haesoo’s eyes flickered slightly.

“When I experienced death, everything was the same as before. The traffic lights, the people passing by, the clothes, everything, but! President Shin’s actions were different.”

When Haesoo showed an attitude of listening seriously, Chief Gu moistened his lips and continued to explain.

“Unlike that memory, I was waiting at the crosswalk and you called me before the accident to stop me, and if that wasn’t enough, you snatched me and saved me before the car came. As if you knew that the car would turn the steering wheel towards me.”

He raised his chopsticks and pointed to his eyes. “President’s eyes were also strange when I experienced death. It wasn’t the eyes of someone facing death. It was… a determination to save me. It didn’t fit the situation.”

He spread his hands and demanded an explanation from Haesoo. “What is this? I’m really confused. I was racking my brain all night, and I came to the conclusion that President Shin holds the key to these two memories. Please answer me!”

Haesoo was very embarrassed. He never thought that Chief Gu’s memory would be so good that he couldn’t even care that the ramen was getting soggy.

Listening to him, it’s really sloppy. He was too naive even though he knew that if there was consciousness before death, it would remain in his memory like a déjà vu.

It was because he didn’t have time to pay attention to that because it was urgent…

Haesoo stared at Chief Gu’s eyes and opened his mouth heavily. “That’s…”

< #13. Secret > End