The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 19

Mockery Gui grinned, dropping the knife from his broken hand and reaching out to Hae-soo with his left in a frighteningly fast switch.

Tuk-

The knife stopped a mere inch from Shin Hae-soo’s neck.

Hae-soo had caught the blade with his bare hand. His grip was cut, blood flowing down his wrist, and blood also streamed from his bullet-ridden back.

Even though the stab-proof vest had acted as a bulletproof vest, it hadn’t completely stopped the bullets.

“Kuh-uh-uh…”

The attacker had also been shot in his left arm, weakening him. He bit the knife handle and pushed harder.

Pteuk Deodeudeu-

Hae-soo’s grip tore, and the knife edged closer. If he released Mockery Gui’s collar with his right hand, the force of Gui’s body pushing would increase, and he would definitely be stabbed.

Hae-soo put all his strength into twisting the knife’s direction and let go of his hand.

Thwack!

The knife plunged deep into Hae-soo’s shoulder. Gui’s eyes widened at the unexpected move. Hae-soo swung his blood-soaked left hand, splashing blood into Gui’s eyes, obscuring his vision.

Chwaak-

In the moment Gui squeezed his eyes shut, Hae-soo struck his chin with the palm of his hand.

Bang!

It landed squarely for the first time. Gui’s body twitched slightly, and something unpleasant splattered on Hae-soo’s face. Gui’s mouth was forced shut, and part of his tongue was severed. His eyes rolled back, showing the whites.

Hae-soo grabbed Gui’s hair with his left hand—the one with the knife stuck in his shoulder—slammed his head against the wall, and punched him twice more.

Thwack, thwack!

Then, he kneed the face of the collapsing Gui.

Thud!

With a sickening crunch, Gui’s body went limp.

“A cop doesn’t die from a cop’s gun, you bastard…”

Hae-soo confirmed Gui had fallen, and then he collapsed in the same spot. Through his blurring vision, he saw the wide-eyed face of the detective.

“Huk, huff, here, in the basement, Mockery Gui… subdued, detective shot…”

***

Blink, blink.

A white ceiling, the smell of disinfectant, sunlight streaming through the window.

Shin Hae-soo tried to raise his upper body but felt his whole body scream in protest, so he only lifted his head slightly.

He saw someone’s back. The person was standing with arms crossed, watching the news.

[Mockery Gui, the leader of the violent Hook Gang that terrorized Gangjin City, and 27 of his gang members have been arrested. Due to fierce resistance, more than 10 police officers were injured. Among them, Officer Shin, who sustained serious injuries, has not yet regained consciousness, causing national concern.]

He felt inexplicably ashamed. Hae-soo opened his heavy, metallic-tasting mouth.

“Are there any fatalities?”

The man, Oh Kang-seok, turned around, looked at Hae-soo, and smiled.

“No, no police officers died.”

“…That’s a relief.”

Oh Kang-seok shook his head as if he couldn’t help it and continued.

“As soon as Officer Shin recovers, you’re scheduled for a commendation plus a special promotion. Don’t worry about anything else and just focus on recovering.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m the one who’s sorry, calling you out for no reason.”

“No, you called me out perfectly.”

The image of Mockery Gui standing over the corpses of four police officers before the reset, covered in their blood, flashed through his mind.

If he hadn’t gone, would Mockery Gui have been caught? It was uncertain. It was an emergency dispatch, so even the Special Forces weren’t deployed. It was horrifying to imagine how many detectives would have died.

“How is Mockery Gui?”

“He’s hospitalized right next door. He hasn’t regained consciousness yet either. He’s got a long lifeline, so he won’t die.”

“That’s a shame.”

Hae-soo got up with Oh Kang-seok’s help and went to the next room.

Mockery Gui was lying neatly, wrapped in bandages all over his body. Both hands were connected to the bed and handcuffed. Two detectives were inside, and one was guarding the entrance.

Mockery Gui’s intact hands were irritating. He wished he could crush all the bones in his hands so he could never hold a knife again, but it was a shame he couldn’t.

Hae-soo held back and left the room.

“…Take care of yourself, then I’ll be going.”

“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

Oh Kang-seok immediately returned to his station. He was probably busy with the Hook Gang member arrests anyway, but he had been waiting here for Hae-soo.

He heard that it had been a day and a half since the incident.

The doctor in charge came and went, and soon Chief Gu came with a fruit basket and made a fuss.

“President Shin, I was really worried that day… I’m so glad you woke up. I’m so glad!!”

“My head is ringing. Please speak quietly.”

“Also, isn’t the police’s defense equipment too flimsy? I’m going to look for a private company this time and order some better defense equipment… Oops.”

Hae-soo picked up a peeled apple that Chief Gu had prepared and put it in his mouth. He finally quieted down.

Knock knock.

At that moment, a knock was heard. Hae-soo tilted his head, wondering who else would come, and the door opened slightly.

At the same time, Chief Gu’s mouth dropped open.

“Hello? May I come in?”

It was Ahn Seo-eun. A pure white suit and red high heels, a style that could be overwhelming, but she pulled it off with her unique aura and face.

Behind her, Chief Kang came in carrying fruit and drinks. The packaging was more luxurious than what Chief Gu had brought.

Chief Kim, who he thought had been fired, also came in.

“I heard you woke up, so I came. I hope it’s not a bother?”

“You’re fast with the news.”

Seo-eun smiled and pointed to the Daesung logo on the hospital bed.

“It’s Daesung Hospital, after all.”

He didn’t know yet, but it seemed he had been brought to the nearby Daesung Hospital instead of the police hospital because of his critical condition.

Chief Gu looked back and forth between Hae-soo and Ahn Seo-eun, gauging the situation, and then stood up.

“I’ll be going now; I’m busy with work.”

Before leaving the door, Chief Gu made eye contact with Hae-soo, clenched his fist tightly, and silently shouted, “Fighting!”

Hae-soo subtly shook his head and met Ahn Seo-eun’s eyes.

“What brings you here? I don’t think we’re close enough for a hospital visit.”

“You wound me.”

At Hae-soo’s words, she pouted slightly as if she were sulking. Was she the type of woman who could make such expressions?

Chief Secretary Kang’s pupils were shaking, as if he was seeing that expression for the first time.

Hae-soo also made a troubled expression, and she chuckled.

“Of course, I had to come, especially since it’s our hospital.”

“You’re the CEO of Daesung E&M [Daesung Entertainment & Media], not the hospital director, are you?”

“The director is my person, so you can say it’s ours.”

“You’re a scary person.”

She covered her mouth with her hand and laughed silently. She didn’t even have a common manicure.

Then, suddenly, her laughter disappeared, and she looked at Hae-soo with those sparkling eyes.

“We’ll pay for the hospital bill.”

“Why would you pay for what the state provides?”

“Consider it paying more taxes, I guess.”

What was her real intention? Hae-soo pondered for a moment and then nodded. It was all the same to him since it wasn’t his money. It was better to use corporate money than taxes.

“Do as you please.”

“I’ll take that as permission.”

Ahn Seo-eun said something to Chief Kang, and he immediately left the room. He seemed to be trying to handle the hospital bill issue immediately.

“This incident—you went there personally because a violent crimes detective called you, even though you weren’t on duty, right?”

“That’s right. How did you know?”

Ahn Seo-eun smiled without answering and raised her chin slightly, as if saying, ‘I’m Ahn Seo-eun.’

“The wariness in your eyes doesn’t disappear. I understand. Let’s get to the point. I want to sponsor Shin Hae-soo. More precisely, Officer Shin Hae-soo’s police activities.”

Hae-soo narrowed his brow and asked.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly as it sounds. Anything needed for police activities, whether it’s money, protection from external pressure, power if you need power, or the media, I, Ahn Seo-eun of the Daesung Group, will help with anything I can.”

It was a great show of confidence. But because she had more than enough ability, it didn’t seem excessive at all.

“What do you want in return? Or why me of all people? Wouldn’t it be much more efficient to join hands with a high-ranking police officer? You should have the power to do that, right?”

“Shin Hae-soo can become a high-ranking officer.”

Hae-soo couldn’t understand Ahn Seo-eun’s intentions at all. When he couldn’t figure out the answer no matter how hard he thought, he used the direct approach.

“I can’t believe a merchant who only loses money, can I? What’s the reason?”

At Hae-soo’s question, she lowered her eyes slightly and was silent. The sparkling eyes became entangled with complex emotions. When she raised her eyes again, they were filled with hatred.

“Because Korea is too dirty.”

She smiled, making the surroundings brighter, which didn’t match her eyes. She turned her head and continued.

“And it’s not that it doesn’t help business. These days, not only celebrities but also politicians and companies are all fighting for image. An article about Daesung Hospital covering the hospital bills for the police officers injured in this Hook Gang case was published, and Daesung Group’s stocks in various fields rose slightly. It’s a slight increase, but it’s hundreds of times the hospital bill.”

She was right. These days, companies also need a good image to do well. Image management through police sponsorship—a valid reason. But he thought the former was the real reason. It didn’t matter. He agreed with her intentions.

“A police officer backed by a company… I’ll have to be that much cleaner.”

Seo-eun shrugged with a confident face.

“At least the affiliates under my umbrella are clean. You can shake them down.”

“I understand. I don’t have to wear a police uniform with the Daesung logo on it, do I?”

“There’s only one thing I want. The Daesung name should be in the article for the cases that Daesung helps with.”

“Deal.”

“You’re so cool. It’s a deal. Let’s move you to the VIP room first.”

Hae-soo shook his head.

“No, I need to be next to that guy.”

“Then move him with you. There’s room.”

“I don’t want that either. I don’t want that guy to use the VIP room.”

She covered her mouth again and smiled. Her eyes curved softly like crescents.

“You’re funny. I understand. I gave you my direct line before, and when I don’t answer the phone…”

Chief Kang quickly approached and handed his business card to Hae-soo.

“If you contact Chief Kang, you’ll be able to handle things with the same authority as me.”

“Yes, I will.”

Ahn Seo-eun’s group left, and finally, before the bodyguard Chief Kim closed the door, he made eye contact with Hae-soo and bowed sharply.

Hae-soo nodded back.

*

The rumor that Ahn Seo-eun, who was on par with the hospital director, had come to Shin Hae-soo’s hospital room spread quickly.

In addition to the doctor in charge, doctors of the chief level or higher came frequently to ask if there was anything uncomfortable, and even the hospital director came.

“Patient Shin Hae-soo, is there anything uncomfortable? You can move to the VIP room if you wish. Of course, there are no additional costs.”

Hae-soo shook his head firmly and raised his hand.

“No, more than that, doctors other than the doctor in charge come too often. Is it usually like this?”

The hospital director’s eyes widened.

“No, I’m sorry if it caused any inconvenience. That won’t happen again in the future.”

He bowed his head and disappeared from the hospital room.

*

On the third day of his hospitalization, Mockery Gui was still unconscious, whether it was an act or not.

Hae-soo, unable to exercise, soothed his stiff body with light stretching and went to sleep.

That dawn.

Thud thud thud

“Who are you! You bastards!”

Thwack thwack Crash!!

A loud noise echoed. Hae-soo, who was sleeping, jumped up.

‘The Hook Gang?’

He pulled out the IV needle, grabbed the iron bar holding the IV drip, and went outside.

In the hallway, he saw about fifteen men wearing training suits. They were holding blunt weapons such as baseball bats, hammers, and iron pipes.

Detectives were lying on the floor.

Thud thud thud

A large man was carrying Mockery Gui on his shoulder. The handcuffs were cut with a cutter, and Gui’s hands were free.

Hae-soo frowned and asked.

“What are you doing?”

A low-pitched voice echoed in the hallway. They turned around, and their eyes widened when they saw Hae-soo.

“…A physical therapist.”

“There was no mention of a physical therapist.”

“…Shit.”

They recognized Hae-soo. The guys who were in Dying Night were all caught. Still, recognizing him meant they weren’t the Hook Gang but the Kang Muscle Gang.

After seeing a few familiar faces, it became clear. They were trying to avenge their boss, who had finally died a few days ago.

Hae-soo pointed to Mockery Gui with the end of the iron bar and said.

“Put him down; I caught him.”

< #19. A Police Officer Backed by a Company > End