The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 140

140. Joining Chin-Jjang

The thin, bony fingertips trembled like dry twigs, trying to move. But giving up as it didn’t work as intended, Shin Hae-soo held out a handkerchief to the mouth that was moving slightly.

Though the shape of the mouth and the sounds were not audible, Hae-soo could understand what she was trying to convey.

‘Th,a,nk… yo,u….’

Hae-soo leaned in a little closer, made eye contact, and nodded deeply.

Soon, paramedics arrived, and she was carried away on a stretcher.

* * *

Gangjin Police Station Violent Crimes Unit Headquarters.

Haru brought Park Ji-won in. His hands were completely mangled.

His eyes were half-glazed over, but they regained their focus upon entering the police station.

Hae-soo spotted him as soon as she walked in and approached him with a terrifying momentum.

“I’m going to, I’m going to report all of you bastards-”

Before he could finish, Hae-soo’s hand, as big as a pot lid, smacked Park Ji-won across the face.

Smack-! Crash!

He fell off the chair and tumbled to the floor.

Murderous intent overflowed from Hae-soo’s eyes as she looked down at him.

Seeing him reminded her of the despair of the victim who had withered away and died.

Future Vision not only shares the victim’s perspective but also makes one feel all the emotions, such as pain, fear, and despair.

It’s impossible not to empathize with the victim. Uncontrollable anger surged.

“Why did you do it?”

Hae-soo approached him, grabbed him by the collar, lifted his upper body, and slapped him again.

Slap-! Thud.

Something that looked like teeth fell to the floor along with blood from his mouth.

“Why did you do it!!”

Slap! Smack! Splat!

Blood, flesh, and teeth, presumably belonging to Park Ji-won, were scattered on the floor of the Violent Crimes Unit. Nevertheless, Hae-soo’s violence did not stop.

It all happened in a matter of seconds.

The team leader, noticing Hae-soo’s unusual state, nudged Muscle Monster and pushed him forward.

“Hey, hey, stop her, stop her!”

Oh Geng and Muscle Monster rushed to Hae-soo and desperately tried to pull her away.

Even without technique or dynamic visual acuity, the youngest was not inferior to Hae-soo in terms of strength.

Hae-soo, startled by the strong force grabbing her arm, finally saw Park Ji-won’s condition and shook her head.

Park Ji-won’s face was revealed as they lifted him up. His eyes were swollen shut, and his mouth and nose were completely mangled beyond recognition.

“Hoo, hoo… I’m sorry.”

The team leader raised his index finger and shook it from side to side as he replied.

“Um, no, I wanted to hit him too, there’s nothing to be sorry about… but this could be a problem….”

His face became troubled.

Beating a restrained opponent to a pulp at the police station could really become a problem of excessive force if the other party sued.

Haru tried to approach Hae-soo but turned her feet towards the team leader after seeing his condition.

“Chief Kwak Soo-cheol, we also found out where he hid the bodies of the other two victims.”

“O, other victims?”

At her words, Hae-soo, as well as Oh Geng and the youngest, all turned their heads in unison.

They had speculated that he might be a serial killer because his methods were so meticulous, but they couldn’t help but feel bitter when they learned that there were already two more victims.

Including the attempted murder, there were a total of five victims. Excluding Haru and Han Seo-young, who was rescued this time, the deceased were two men and one woman.

He had killed a total of three people so far.

“This crazy bastard… we should have just killed this bastard at the scene….”

Based on Park Ji-won’s confession, the Violent Crimes Unit found the bodies of the deceased. The first was a man living alone in a detached house, whom he buried in his backyard. The woman was wrapped tightly in plastic and placed in a travel bag, which was left in her closet.

Although there was a lot of decay, no missing person report had been filed yet, so the investigation had not progressed.

“I, I was implementing justice… when it becomes known, everyone will praise me.”

The motive was belatedly revealed through Park Ji-won’s confession, who was now completely subdued.

His family environment was not bad, and he himself had a pretty appearance. He was teased a little when he was in school, but it didn’t become a big problem.

However, there was one notable thing. His younger sister was sexually assaulted at a university festival. Since then, she had been confined to her room for several years.

That was the tipping point.

The first deceased male was the perpetrator who had sexually assaulted his younger sister.

The second was a hostess, and the third was a man trying to engage in prostitution through a chatting app.

“…Then what about Han Seo-young? Han Seo-young is a company employee who goes to work normally? Why did you try to kill her?”

At Hae-soo’s question, Park Ji-won tilted his head, trying to remember who Han Seo-young was, and then opened his mouth.

“Ah, that bitch, she wears clothes so short that her ass is practically showing at night? Isn’t that the same as a hostess?”

It turned out that Areum, whose home password he had found out in advance, was also a woman with a normal job. Like Han Seo-young, she had the commonality of enjoying wearing revealing clothes.

Hae-soo looked into his eyes and slowly shook her head.

It was a typical excuse of a serial killer. The delusion that he was a savior purifying the world.

“No, if you were really doing it for your sister, you would have only targeted the men who were messing around there. You’re just addicted to killing and using your sister to rationalize it.”

“No, no, no!!”

The docile man slammed the table and jumped up.

Bang!

At that moment, Haru came in just in time, and he sat back down as if nothing had happened.

Park Ji-won, who was better at controlling his anger in front of Haru than Hae-soo.

* * *

[Serial Adhesive Killer Park Arrested]

(Partially mosaicked video of Han rescued)

-Park, who killed three people in the last two months, was arrested for attempting to commit a crime against the police.

Ms. Han, who was about to become the fourth victim, was rescued and is currently receiving treatment.

Park’s method of killing was truly shocking. He suffocated them by applying super glue to their eyes, nose, and mouth.

In response, Congressman Kang Jung-hoon proposed a law banning the use of super glue.

┗Janggeum: Huh?

┗Miracle: Why the sudden ban on adhesive after doing so well?

┗Ryolai: Is this right, guys? Did I see it wrong?

┗DreamNow: As expected of a congressman, so smart? If you can’t use adhesive, murder won’t happen.

┗Hanbun10: Committing a crime against the police ㄷㄷㄷ A true man.

┗SolitaryMan: This is the only female officer in the Chungnam Violent Crimes Unit, Officer Shin

┗FutureCop: Ah, seriously… A female cop entered the sacred sanctuary of real men, the Violent Crimes Unit? What’s the deal with a female cop in the Violent Crimes Unit?!

┗SolitaryMan: If you see that female detective catching criminals, you won’t say that (link)

┗FutureCop: I can do this kind of catching elementary schoolers too

┗tdc02057: It seems like the Violent Crimes Unit of Korea catches all the criminals

┗Cube: It seems like all the criminals in Korea are in Gangjin City

┗HwioreC: Can’t argue with that

┗LoveLoveAh: But the silhouette is artistic? Are there any videos or photos with her face properly shown?

┗SolitaryMan: There isn’t, but there is/ Collection of the best ones (link)/

┗LoveLoveAh: Your loyalty is amazing ㄳㄳ So pretty, it’s even more regrettable that there aren’t any that show her face properly, makes me want to find more

There’s a strange phenomenon these days. When an article about a case solved by the Violent Crimes Unit comes out, it starts with the case details but ends with ‘The Violent Crimes Unit’s only female officer is pretty.’

This time was no different.

* * *

Serial adhesive killer Park Ji-won was sentenced to life imprisonment.

However, separately from that, Haru was reported for excessive force, and Hae-soo was reported for assault.

[Serial Killer Park, Who Was Arrested, Sues Police for Assault]

┗Janggeum: Tear that bastard to pieces

“A bastard to tear to pieces….”

The Chungnam Police Agency Commissioner’s office.

Commissioner Jo Gam-chan closed the article window and looked at the CCTV screen.

-Smack smack!

The screen he was watching showed Hae-soo slapping Park Ji-won in the Violent Crimes Unit headquarters.

“Wow, she hit him hard. As expected of our Shin detective, so reliable.”

“I think I would die if I got hit.”

The commissioner, who had been satisfied for a while, glared at the clueless adjutant and said.

“You won’t die, and you shouldn’t do anything to get hit by a detective.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right.”

Tap tap

The commissioner rewound the screen and stopped it before Hae-soo hit Ji-won.

It was the moment when Park Ji-won was about to jump up.

Tap!

“L, look at this! Isn’t this him trying to headbutt Shin detective as she approaches?!”

“…Yes?”

“It is, isn’t it?! This is self-defense! Isn’t it?”

The adjutant looked at the screen and squeezed his eyes shut as he replied.

“I, I think that’s right.”

“Exactly, I need to talk about this, tell them.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The commissioner’s argument was almost far-fetched, but this case was not just a simple assault between ordinary people, so it was highly likely to be established. Especially now that public opinion was leaning towards the police even more.

The adjutant smiled wryly at the commissioner’s fanboying over Shin Hae-soo and left the commissioner’s office.

People are hundreds of times more interested in articles that provoke anger and allow them to vent their frustrations than in happy and heartwarming stories.

Coincidentally, the fact that a serial killer sued the police was perfect for causing public outrage, so reporters began to spread it without hesitation.

Without Ahn Seo-eun having to lift a finger, far more people saw the article than when he was arrested.

And cases where the public’s attention is focused and everyone’s opinion is leaning in one direction greatly influence the judge’s discretion.

The judge, who was already under unspoken pressure from the police commissioner, declared a complete acquittal.

* * *

“Vacation? Has it already come to that?”

Shin Hae-soo nodded at Team Leader Kwak’s question.

“Yes, it has come very slowly for me.”

Oh Geng, who was scratching his back with a back scratcher on the sofa, muttered.

“Oh, how will the Violent Crimes Unit function without our Hae-soo? I’m already worried.”

“What are you worried about, aren’t you using it together?”

The team leader glanced at Haru, who was sitting in the corner, and asked. Hae-soo also looked at Haru and replied.

This was something they had already discussed when Haru said she wanted to become a police officer.

“If we use it together, who will work?”

“That’s right.”

Haru quickly added and nodded.

“I see. You’re using it almost at the end of summer, what are you going to do alone?”

“I have a lot to do.”

“I feel like Dol-gyeok’s [nickname for Hae-soo, meaning ‘charge’] style is to be diligently active even during vacation, but don’t do that, take a good rest during your not-so-long vacation, you won’t be able to rest when you come back anyway.”

“Yes.”

* * *

First day of vacation.

Bbrrr- Thud

Shin Hae-soo turned off the alarm before the notification sound rang twice and started stretching on the spot.

The hour hand was pointing straight down.

Click Glug glug-

She drank a cup of water set to 40 degrees from the water purifier, washed her face simply, and drank a glass of milk and a sweet potato that she had boiled in advance from the refrigerator.

Then, she put on light workout clothes, put weight bands on her ankles, and went outside to start jogging.

The most important thing while living as a detective is endurance rather than strength. Time is always short, but you have to make time to build endurance.

Even on vacation, Hae-soo had no intention of slacking off.

After running for about an hour and a half and returning home, she discovered some burly men gathered in a newly built playground.

Hae-soo moved her steps towards them and examined them.

“…Fourteen, fifteen! Just one more!”

“Ahzua!!”

Familiar scapula, more raised trapezius muscles than before, latissimus dorsi muscles bursting out of their clothes. They were the members who had reformed from Mat-Jjang [a group known for fighting] to Chin-Jjang [a group focused on healthy exercise].

Unlike Mat-Jjang, which was full of dark energy, the Chin-Jjang gathering was overflowing with healthy energy.

There were also a few skinny people, and the founding members of Chin-Jjang were training them 1:1.

Hae-soo nodded contentedly and quietly approached an empty horizontal bar.

“Heup-”

“Oh!!”

A few Chin-Jjang members, feeling an unusual physique approaching, turned their heads, recognized Hae-soo, and were startled.

“D, Detective Shin, have you come?!!”

“Detective Shin, have you come!!”

Cloud, whose nickname was National Punch in Mat-Jjang, inadvertently started the chant, and the other members bowed in unison and repeated.

They were all big and had good bodies, so it was easy to misunderstand the scene.

Hae-soo replaced her answer by hanging on the horizontal bar and doing pull-ups.

“Oh, that clean posture without any unnecessary movements.”

“His chin accurately touched the horizontal bar!”

“I can’t miss this opportunity.”

Cloud was excited by Hae-soo’s pull-ups and couldn’t help but go next to him and hang on the horizontal bar.

“Oh, the leader is doing it together! A battle has naturally begun!”

“…Twenty-nine, thirty… Th, that is! He changed his grip to an overhand grip in the middle!”

Hae-soo slowly came down when she saw Cloud, called the leader, getting tired around 60.

It was his small consideration, even though he still had plenty of stamina left.

“Wow!!”

“As expected, you’re amazing!”

Cloud came over and politely extended his hand.

“It was an honor to be able to do pull-ups side by side with Detective Shin.”

Hae-soo lightly shook his calloused hand and nodded deeply.

“Pull-ups are the most perfect exercise among bodyweight exercises.”

The members were moved by Hae-soo’s praise and their eyes welled up with tears.

He was about to leave after saying that short and impactful word, but Cloud and a few members came over and grabbed him.

“Detective Shin! Please join our Chin-Jjang and brighten our place!”

“That’s right! If Detective Shin is with us, we will be able to have even brighter and healthier club activities!”

“Hmm….”

Hae-soo slightly nodded, looking at them with eyes that were clearer than before.

“What is the joining procedure?”

* * *

After a short meeting with the Chin-Jjang members, when he returned home, there was an invitation to a KakaoTalk [Korean messaging app] group chat they had sent on his phone.

When he entered, there were already over a hundred members. Gangjin City, where Cloud and the founding members were the most numerous, was the headquarters, and they were active nationwide.

Hae-soo wouldn’t be able to participate often, but he thought it would be okay to exercise with them when he had time.

Shuaaaaa-

Hae-soo’s eyes sank calmly after finishing the shower.

Now it was time to move according to the purpose of this vacation.

The people suspected of being the real culprits in his father’s suicide-disguised murder case were the company, he knew of their existence, but there was no way to find them, so he waited according to Madam Yoo’s advice.

But.

As time passed, the number of suspicious people decreased rather than increased.

Even during the Ilseong Group incident this time, he expected to see executives from the company with the skills of section chiefs, since they were chaebols [large family-owned conglomerates], but they did not appear.

Hae-soo thought this seemed unnatural. He speculated that they knew of his existence and were deliberately not showing up. Were they weak?

No, they were waiting for the time to hunt.

If this hypothesis was correct, he couldn’t wait until they had completed all the preparations and approached him.

He had to go find them first.

Starting from the very beginning, the starting point again.

Hae-soo took his motorcycle and went to the rural police substation where Park Young-cheol, his father’s team member who was the only one to investigate his father’s death, was working.

“I came to see Inspector Park Young-cheol. Is he here?”

At Hae-soo’s question, the police officer at the desk glanced at him and opened his mouth in a heavy voice.

“Inspector… why are you looking for him.”

“I’m a friend of his father. Where did he go?”

“He’s not here.”

“Ah, yes, thank you for your trouble.”

Since he knew his number anyway, he could just call if the police officer didn’t tell him.

When Hae-soo came out of the police substation and picked up his phone, the police officer from earlier followed him out and opened the door.

“Excuse me-”

“Yes.”

“Are you perhaps a police officer?”

Hae-soo took out his business card, gave it to him, and replied.

“Yes, I’m Detective Shin Hae-soo from the Violent Crimes Unit.”

“Ah, yes… Th, that, Inspector Park Young-cheol… passed away in an accident.”

“…Yes?”