The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 197

< #197. Sudden Acceleration (3) >

Screech-

In a residential street.

A black sedan stood still after hitting a flower bed. A long scratch marked the adjacent wall, leaving a black streak on the white surface.

“Ugh…”

The driver lifted his head from the steering wheel. It was KD Motors’ most expensive car, and surprisingly, the airbags hadn’t deployed in such an accident.

Realizing he was unharmed, the driver immediately became aware of the situation. He wasn’t the only one in the car.

“Ugh…”

Looking in the rearview mirror, Executive Director Yang frowned as he raised his head. When he met the driver’s eyes, his gaze turned savage.

Bang!!

“You son of a bitch!!”

He kicked the driver’s seat wildly, cursing.

Bang, bang! Bang!!

“I almost died, you bastard! How the hell do you drive!”

The driver covered his head with his hands, muttering in a faint voice.

“I, I think it was a sudden acceleration…”

“…What?”

Executive Director Yang was particularly sensitive to the term ‘sudden acceleration.’ Just then.

Thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump!

Someone ran up and started banging on the car like crazy.

“Are you okay? Are you alright?”

A familiar voice; turning his head, it was the reporter he had encountered at the headquarters entrance.

“Why a reporter, of all people? Ah, were we supposed to meet today? God damn it…”

Click, click.

To make matters worse, the reporter was snapping photos. Suddenly, he slapped his head and said.

“Oh, right, 911, I need to call 911!”

“Hey, hey! Stop!”

Executive Director Yang hurriedly opened the car door, stopping Hwang Jang-soo.

If an ambulance arrived and the incident was properly reported, things would escalate. The aftermath would become complicated.

Reporting sudden acceleration would indirectly acknowledge the incident from two years ago. That would be a disaster for Executive Director Yang himself.

At Yang’s call, Hwang Jang-soo asked back with a blank expression.

“Huh? But there was an accident, why…?”

Executive Director Yang roughly snatched his phone.

“Haa, haa, what accident? It’s, it’s driver negligence, negligence.”

“Huh?”

Executive Director Yang rummaged through his phone, ignoring the bewildered Hwang Jang-soo. There were even photos of himself getting into the car before the accident in the photo album.

If he had been watching, he might suspect sudden acceleration.

As if confirming Executive Director Yang’s suspicion, Hwang Jang-soo asked the driver.

“Mister, was this a sudden acceleration accident? I saw the car lurch forward as soon as you got in?”

“Yes? Well, that’s…”

Seeing the driver’s lukewarm response, Executive Director Yang rolled his eyes and suddenly clutched the back of his neck, collapsing.

“Ah, aagh!”

“Oh no, are you alright?! I should call 911!”

“No, no, insurance, call insurance, damn it.”

“Yes? Yes, Executive Director.”

Executive Director Yang immediately called the insurance company to take the car away and went to the hospital.

Hwang Jang-soo, true to his role as a reporter, relentlessly pressed, not wanting to let go of his prey.

“Was that sudden acceleration earlier? There was a woman protesting in front, also a victim of sudden acceleration, wasn’t she?”

“Hey, what sudden acceleration! Can’t you see someone’s hurt? Why are you sticking so close? Get lost! I’ll report you!”

Hwang Jang-soo reluctantly took a step back, saying.

“Ah… Then I’ll have to write what I saw. Suspected sudden acceleration… I’ll have to watch the future results…”

Executive Director Yang’s face paled.

The scary thing about articles is that they can write articles that avoid responsibility without clear evidence, based on hearsay.

And the public takes it as a given. Even if a correction article comes out later, they distort the facts due to confirmation bias or believe it’s a false article.

“Ha… Hey, Reporter Hwang.”

Hwang Jang-soo stopped and turned his head, flashing a smile.

“Yes?”

“I’ll tell you the details about that later, let’s do it later.”

“Later when…?”

“Hoo… Later, I’ll contact you today.”

Hwang Jang-soo immediately snapped to attention, giving a salute.

“Yes, understood! Then get well soon!”

Screech- Thump

The hospital room door closed, and Executive Director Yang frowned, picking up his phone.

“Hey, it’s me, get that car scrapped quickly, and what inspection! Shut up and scrap it before it gets more annoying, yeah, and… give that reporter some honey.”

Executive Director Yang hung up and lay back on the bed, closing his eyes tightly. His jaw was clenched.

* * *

Ding

[K Motors Drive-in Theater. H-11]

Hwang Jang-soo tilted his head at the suddenly arrived drive-in movie ticket.

“What’s this? An unknown number?”

Hae-soo saw it and nodded as if she knew.

“Looks like they’re trying to bribe you, secretly.”

“Ah… Those bastards with kids are even worse, what should I do, should I take it?”

There was no greed in Jang-soo’s eyes as he said that. After coming back from the dead, he was reborn. Knowing that, Hae-soo trusted him and entrusted him with the center of the work.

Hae-soo shook her head.

“No, ask for more, show them you’re greedy enough to suck them dry this time.”

“Ah, okay, this *hyung* [older brother/male friend] is a pro at that.”

* * *

The appointed time arrived, and Hwang Jang-soo packed his clothes and headed to the drive-in theater.

“H eleven, H eleven… It’s in the corner, those shady bastards.”

It was late, so it was dark, and it seemed like you could do anything in the car without being noticed.

Screech-

About five minutes after waiting there, a black car parked next to him and lowered the passenger window. It was the driver who was supposed to be hospitalized.

Jang-soo also lowered the driver’s window, and the driver threw a black bag.

Thump

“Oh my, what’s this?”

Whirr-

The driver raised the window without saying a word, and the car drove away.

Hwang Jang-soo immediately checked the plastic bag.

“Heh, really.”

A stack of 50,000 won bills, 50 million won [approximately $37,500 USD], enough to shut up a mere reporter.

“Hoo…”

Hwang Jang-soo was intoxicated by the smell of money for a while. Then, a vibration rang.

Whirr, whirr

It wasn’t his phone. Looking, there was a small flip phone in the black bag.

A call was coming from someone saved as [1].

“Yes.”

-Did you receive the sincerity well?

It was Executive Director Yang’s voice.

“What is this? You disappeared without explanation, this reporter is at a loss?”

-Since the reporter is working hard for the development of our country, I am expressing my gratitude as a member of society. Don’t feel burdened. Throw the phone in the sewer right away.

“Ah… I understand for now.”

Hwang Jang-soo hung up immediately.

His white teeth were reflected on the turned-off phone screen.

* * *

Thud-

The call was cut off abruptly before he could even finish speaking.

Executive Director Yang stared at the flip phone he was holding with a dumbfounded expression.

“What, this rude bastard??”

50 million won was more than enough to keep an article from being written. He should be bowing and thanking him. But Executive Director Yang was embarrassed by the unilateral hang-up.

And a little later.

Screech-!

Hwang Jang-soo appeared as the hospital room door was opened roughly. He was holding a black bag in his right hand.

Executive Director Yang, biting his lip, glared at him.

The very act of bringing this secret thing out in the open was giving the answer.

Thump

Hwang Jang-soo put the black bag on Executive Director Yang’s bed and said.

“What is this?”

“I don’t know, what is it?”

“Don’t know? Even with this?”

Hwang Jang-soo took out his phone and played the recording of the conversation from just now.

-…Throw it in the sewer right away.

Even if it has no legal effect, it is enough for blackmail. Executive Director Yang narrowed his brows and asked.

“What do you want?”

“Don’t people all want the same thing? But I’m annoyed that you threw this ridiculous price at me while acting all high and mighty.”

It’s a twist. He thought he was either crazy about something other than money or justice, but he simply didn’t have enough money.

Executive Director Yang held up two fingers.

“Double, no more.”

“Too stingy. Isn’t this enough to decide whether or not Executive Director’s head will be cut off?”

“…What are you?”

Executive Director Yang felt goosebumps on the back of his neck.

He sees through the reason why this case needs to be covered up. He’s not just a simple reporter.

“That’s not important, give me ten times that much, and I’ll put down my pen without worry, don’t you think?”

Executive Director Yang glared at Hwang Jang-soo as if to kill him, then lowered his head and answered.

“Ha… I understand for now. But I don’t have that much cash on hand right now, give me some time.”

“I like that you’re so cool, two days will do? Contact me on that phone. This is for the trouble.”

Hwang Jang-soo snatched back the black bag he had given to Executive Director Yang and left the hospital room.

Executive Director Yang stared at his back for a long time.

A guy with endless greed, even if he shuts him up with 500 million won this time, he will definitely show up and bother him again when he needs money.

Those who don’t know their place and dare to play with the upper class must take appropriate measures.

Executive Director Yang picked up the flip phone with burning eyes.

“Hey… are Dongmak’s kids still working these days? Let’s educate one of them.”

* * *

The area where the Hae-soo team’s headquarters is located becomes deserted from early evening. Especially after 7 pm, the seafood street, which looks like an underground shopping mall, is dark and eerie.

Swish, swish, swish

Hwang Jang-soo walked there, dragging his slippers. In one hand, he held a black plastic bag containing a convenience store triangle kimbap [Korean rice ball] and banana milk.

After taking on the role of a reporter, the studio apartment on the 4th floor of the mixed-use building where the headquarters was located became his residence.

Swish

Hwang Jang-soo twitched his eyebrows.

A black figure appeared in front of him. Standing still without going forward or backward, it seemed like he was waiting for Jang-soo.

When they were about ten steps away, the opponent’s figure was illuminated by the faint moonlight coming from the end of the passage.

Ragged clothes and a hat pressed down, with a pipe wrench in one hand.

Swish

Another person appeared next to him. He had a hammer in his hand.

Thud, thud, thud

Hearing footsteps, he turned around and saw three men in similar clothes who had already appeared and were closing the distance.

Looking back, the man with the pipe wrench scratched his hat with it and said.

“Reporter Hwang? Shall we talk?”

Thump

Hwang Jang-soo put down the black bag, clasped his hands, loosened them, and grinned.

“That pretty bastard Executive Director Yang is working harder.”

There was no tension in his actions and eyes as he loosened his body as if he had been waiting for it.

The man frowned and raised the pipe wrench.

“Anyway, there are no guys who listen obediently from the beginning, they only know it hurts when they get hit? Hey, beat him up good.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, *hyung* [older brother/male friend].”

Whoong-

He was about to step back after giving the order when a hand stretched out. Faster reaction than expected, fast timing, long hand.

Thwack.

He was grabbed by the collar.

“Where are you going, you bastard.”

Hwang Jang-soo’s large fist slammed straight into his face.

Pow-

“Cough!”

The man felt the terrible pain of his nose bone shattering, closed his eyes tightly, and staggered backward.

Meanwhile, the guy with the hammer swung it at Jang-soo’s head.

But.

Thwack-

Jang-soo stuck his body to the hammer, took the hammer on his shoulder, and grabbed the guy’s chin with his hand. The tremendous grip momentarily stiffened the man, and Jang-soo said, looking at the men rushing in from behind.

“If you brought tools, you came prepared, right?”

“Die!”

Crack-

Jang-soo twisted the man’s jawbone, snatched the hammer in the guy’s right hand, hit the pelvis below his ribs, and pushed him into the oncoming men.

“Kkeuaak!!”

While the men were catching him as he fell, Jang-soo rushed at the man who was still staggering backward, smashed his elbow with the hammer, and snatched the pipe wrench as well.

With two tools in his hands, Hwang Jang-soo’s eyes were overflowing with murderous intent as he looked at the three men coming from behind.

At that moment, a heavy voice came from the darkness.

“Hwang.”

Jang-soo flinched at the voice, and the murderous intent disappeared from his eyes.

Swish-

A man with a similar build to Hwang Jang-soo appears from the darkness. A slender woman wearing a hat pulled down low appeared from the stairs.

The man, Shin Hae-soo, put on leather gloves and said to the thugs.

“*Hyungs* [older brothers/male friends]… I won’t kill you.”