The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 45

Underground interrogation room.

While the team leader went to find evidence, Section Chief Ha described in detail how he broke into Shin Ira’s house, at what time, and how he killed her.

But the most important thing was missing.

“Why did you kill her?”

“It’s simple. I judged that she was harmful to Red Moon because she focused the police’s attention on Assemblyman Kim Sang-tae and idol Kang Min, so I handled it independently.”

This isn’t Section Chief Ha’s sole opinion, but Red Moon’s official position. It’s the real motive for murder, not a lie.

“Then Kim Sang-tae would have been next, right?”

“Yes, but you already smuggled him out.”

“I saved a criminal’s life.”

Based on Section Chief Ha’s confession, they found the clothes he was wearing at the time of the crime and confirmed that the suspicious man seen on CCTV was Section Chief Ha. They also found what appeared to be Shin Ira’s hair on the clothes and sent it for testing.

However, as expected, there was no evidence that Madam Yoo had ordered the hit anywhere.

*

Hae-soo went straight up to the ground floor and interrogated Madam Yoo.

“Section Chief Ha told me everything.”

“Haha.”

Madam Yoo gave a bitter smile, as if that was impossible.

“It was an independent action. CEO Yoo has nothing to do with it.”

Madam Yoo’s brow furrowed slightly.

Hae-soo told her everything, from the location of the evidence Section Chief Ha had revealed to the reason why he killed Shin Ira.

Madam Yoo’s relaxed face gradually contorted.

“That stupid bastard…”

“Since you were together every day, there won’t be any direct evidence that you ordered him to do it. But Section Chief Ha is a guy who doesn’t even shake hands without your orders. Such a guy committed murder independently? It’s absurd. Based on the video of you shaking hands with me, I will add charges of incitement to murder to you based on the hierarchical relationship and numerous circumstances.”

“Okay, I understand.”

She maintained a surprisingly calm attitude. She seemed to have already given up.

Hae-soo glanced out of the interrogation room, turned off the microphone, and spoke intently.

“Shin Jung-seok, do you remember him?”

“Shin Jung-seok? Who is that? I was wondering what you were trying to say so secretly.”

“You killed him 13 years ago, in the same way as Shin Ira.”

“How can I remember all that? I don’t know.”

Her tone is strange. It’s not that she doesn’t remember because it was a long time ago, but rather that it’s hard to remember because she killed more than one or two people.

“The police officer who went to Red Moon during the Lee Seong-jin murder case.”

“Lee Seong-jin…”

At Hae-soo’s words, Madam Yoo mulled over Lee Seong-jin’s name, rolled her eyes, and raised her index finger.

“Ah, that cop? I didn’t kill him?”

“Don’t play dumb. The method is the same, even the noose knot…”

“That method is all of them…”

Madam Yoo stopped talking, looked at Hae-soo for a moment, and changed her words.

“Why don’t you ask that talkative Section Chief Ha?”

“Okay.”

There are two things I learned from Madam Yoo’s reaction just now.

The methods of murder are the same for section chief-level figures, and my father’s death is related to Red Moon. However, Madam Yoo’s statement that Red Moon didn’t kill him also seemed to be true, which made my head spin.

Among the Red Moon section chief-level figures identified so far, the man Hae-soo saw in the elevator wasn’t there.

As Madam Yoo said, Section Chief Ha may know better.

Hae-soo went back downstairs and confronted Section Chief Ha.

“…It wasn’t us. I remember that cop. He approached Red Moon while investigating Lee Seong-jin’s case and became a nuisance, but we didn’t touch him because he could become a target for the police.”

“There are more section chief-level people than you’re letting on.”

Section Chief Ha’s eyes flickered for a moment. He didn’t know that Hae-soo knew his father’s killer, so he answered willingly.

Then he suddenly closed his mouth.

“I see, it’s not just one or two people. It’s not that Red Moon raised you, but that another group sent you to Red Moon. Then Red Moon is not the body, but the tail.”

Section Chief Ha’s eyebrows twitched.

Hae-soo’s head became even more confused by his positive reaction. Red Moon alone is enough to shake South Korea, but what is the group that has them under its control?

“What the hell are you guys?”

Section Chief Ha’s mouth remained tightly closed, not thinking of opening it like the first time. The reason he opened his mouth was because of Madam Yoo. The reason he closed his mouth again now?

“Madam Yoo is in danger.”

As if he had been hit right on the mark, Section Chief Ha raised his head again.

“The reason why you guys dealt with Shin Ira would be the same. Throw away any petty hope. Do you think they won’t deal with Madam Yoo if you keep your mouth shut now? If you tell me, I promise to protect Madam Yoo. You saw Kim Sang-tae, right?”

Section Chief Ha stared at the table for a moment before opening his mouth.

“The police cannot protect the president [Madam Yoo].”

His eyes were filled with firm determination. With those words, Section Chief Ha’s mouth was completely closed.

*

When Hae-soo stopped the interrogation and went up to the ground floor, she ran into Oh Geng on the stairs.

“Oh, it’s so hard to find you.”

“What’s going on?”

“This is bigger than expected. Police, prosecutors, and even politicians are lined up… It looks like we’re going to lose this case soon. No matter how hard we struggle, if there’s no solid evidence, it’s all for nothing. Give me some protection.”

It’s an open secret that Hae-soo is backed by Daesung’s power [a powerful corporation].

“I’ll look into it.”

“Okay, I trust you.”

Oh Geng patted Hae-soo on the shoulder.

No matter how many articles are published and covered in video media, if the case is wrongly handed over to the prosecution, only the cut-off tails will be caught and it will be roughly concluded.

It means that the case is noisy but has no real substance.

Hae-soo went straight up to the roof.

“…So, to make sure they get properly punished, I need Ms. Ahn Seo-eun’s help.”

-This time it’s a bit big. I’m scared too?

“You don’t have to do it. There are three people in Daesung who could be implicated, so the damage will be great.”

-Hey, you can’t pick and choose cases. We’re on the same boat. I’ll find a reliable prosecutor and attach him to you.

“Okay.”

-It looks like it’s going to be a tough fight this time, so I’ll push as much as I can.

Hae-soo suddenly had a question. I’m a police officer, so that’s fine, but I didn’t understand what sense of justice Ahn Seo-eun, a businesswoman, was moving with, even though the group could be harmed.

Suddenly, the words she spat out when signing the contract and the empty look in her eyes at that time came to mind.

‘South Korea is too dirty.’

What did she see in South Korea from her position?

*

Not long after being assigned to the violent crimes unit, the chief of police came to visit in person.

“…Chief.”

“The chief of police all the way here…”

I didn’t need to ask why. It’s a case involving the commissioner general. The chief of police would have received the strongest external pressure.

The detectives stared at the chief of police with nervous faces.

“Okay, everyone stop what you’re doing.”

“Chief…”

“Let’s pray.”

“…Huh?”

At the unexpected words, the detectives were bewildered, while the chief of police stood in the middle of the violent crimes unit, clenched his fists, and closed his eyes.

“I just unplugged the phone lines and muted the cell phones. Please protect our Gangjin Police Station from external pressure and give us the power to let the bad bastards know that they did wrong and punish them! Amen!”

“Amen!”

“Aja [fighting/let’s go]!”

The detectives’ voices are louder than ever. The chief of police clapped his hands strongly once and continued.

“We may not have money, but we have justice, right? From now on, anyone who puts pressure on us, even if it’s the President’s Chief of Staff, put them on the list and prepare for investigation. If we all get fired, I’ll open a chicken restaurant and use you as employees, so don’t worry and go for it, got it?!”

“Yes, I understand!”

“Yes, I understand!!”

The detectives’ answers echoed loudly in Gangjin Police Station.

The chief of police ignited the detectives’ fighting spirit with a determined resolve and left the violent crimes unit.

The detectives were once again preparing to screw over the trash of South Korea.

*

Not many hours passed like that.

Squeak-

A man in a suit entered as the office door opened. Knowing that someone would come, the detectives’ eyes quickly turned to the office entrance.

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

A man with a neat hairstyle and sharp features. One of the detectives recognized him and opened his mouth.

“Prosecutor Kang Ji-tae?”

Kang Ji-tae, nicknamed Hwang Si-mok. Hwang Si-mok is the name of a righteous prosecutor in a popular drama. He is famous as a prosecutor who never bows to power and handles everything according to principles.

He should have been buried a long time ago, but he survived because of his good abilities, and he rose to become a star prosecutor by taking the lead in reforming the prosecution and overturning the prosecution during the prosecution reform two years ago.

“I am Kang Ji-tae, a prosecutor from the 5th Criminal Division of the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office. Where is Detective Shin Hae-soo?”

“That’s me.”

When Hae-soo stepped forward, he first extended his hand and asked for a handshake. His grip is strong compared to his sunken cheeks.

“I have been assigned to this Red Moon case. I heard that I should receive the data directly from Detective Shin Hae-soo.”

“That’s fast. We haven’t even sent it yet.”

“Because this case is a case where there is a high possibility that shit will get on everything.”

Kang Ji-tae smiled. Compared to his sharp impression, his smile looked refreshing. Hae-soo smiled back at him.

*

Tteok tteok tteok [sound of footsteps]

Not even an hour had passed since Prosecutor Kang Ji-tae had swept through, when a black crowd appeared.

“Okay, everyone stop what you’re doing now. I am Kim In-cheol, the chief prosecutor of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office. From now on, the Central District Prosecutors’ Office will be in charge of this Red Moon Gate case…”

He’s a prosecutor who looks like a raccoon. The leader of Team 1 cut off his words, tilting his head crookedly while sitting on the desk.

“Oh, we handed it over already?”

“…Yes?”

“What was it called, who took the charge?”

“We handed it over to Kang Ji-tae, a prosecutor from the 5th Criminal Division of the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office.”

“Kang Ji-tae…”

Chief Prosecutor Kim In-cheol’s face turned sour. He had heard of Kang Ji-tae’s reputation.

“No! How could you accept something like that… Ha… Let’s go!”

He turned around quickly. At that time, the team leader took his butt off the desk.

“Wait a minute, Chief Prosecutor Kim In-cheol?”

When Kim In-cheol’s group stopped, the team leader approached and sniffed his nose.

Sniff sniff

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, I smell shit, so let’s wash up a bit. Well, there’s no time to erase it now anyway.”

“What, what?!”

When Kim In-cheol got angry, Hae-soo and Oh Geng got up and stuck to the team leader’s sides. The team leader crossed his arms and raised his chin triumphantly.

Kim In-cheol paused at the energy emanating from their bodies and impressions, then gritted his teeth and turned back around. Then, as he moved his steps, he muttered softly.

“Are those cops? They’re gangsters…”

< #45. Are those cops? They're gangsters. > End