The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 65

Friday arrived, and An Seo-eun called me on the day of our appointment.

-Any cases yet? Are you free to go?

“There are always cases, but none that would keep me from leaving work.”

-That’s a relief. Can I pick you up today?

“I don’t mind, but isn’t the appointment for 8 PM?”

-We have to wear party attire to the party.

Seo-eun was right; I didn’t have any clothes to wear to a party for the wealthy. I couldn’t exactly wear my police uniform.

As quitting time approached, Oh Gyeong put his arms around Shin Hae-soo and the youngest member.

“Fish cake and tteokbokki [spicy stir-fried rice cakes], anyone?”

“I’m in!”

“I have plans.”

“Oh, I’m meeting my girlfriend.”

Oh Gyeong narrowed his eyes at the youngest member’s sudden change.

“You little rascal, Hae-tun, you only care about Hae-soo; nothing else matters! I’ll go with the team leader!”

“Not team leader, Captain. I’m Captain Kwak Soo-cheol of the Violent Crimes Unit. Let’s go; you’re buying.”

“Hey, that’s not fair. A superior officer really…”

Oh Gyeong grumbled as he prepared to leave. The four members of the Violent Crimes Unit left the police station together.

A shiny black sedan was parked at the entrance of the police station. An Seo-eun, wearing a black see-through dress and a white jacket, was leaning against the car.

“What, what is it? Is there some filming at the station today?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Who is that celebrity… I feel like I should know.”

The officers flinched at her extraordinary appearance. Seo-eun spotted Hae-soo, pushed herself off the car, and gave him a smiling look.

“Is she smiling? At me?”

“She’s looking at me.”

“You pathetic guys, it’s me.”

“Have you been waiting long?”

At Hae-soo’s words, the team leader, Oh Gyeong, and the youngest member’s eyes darted back and forth. An Seo-eun looked around at the officers, placed her hand on her chest, and slightly bowed.

“Hello. I’m An Seo-eun, Hae-soo’s friend.”

“Ah, ah, Hae, Hae-soo’s friend.”

While Oh Gyeong was stuttering, the youngest member flexed his bicep and showed it off.

“I am your eternal right-hand man, Senior! Woo Gang-cheol!”

Then, the team leader stepped forward and extended his hand to Seo-eun.

“Charge, no, I mean, I’m Kwak Soo-cheol, the captain of the Violent Crimes Investigation Unit that has this guy Hae-soo. Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you too. Hae-soo must be happy. Your colleagues seem very reliable.”

The officers grinned, not thinking about leaving.

Hae-soo opened the back door first.

“Let’s go; I’ll see you on Monday. Let’s not meet on the weekends.”

“Why are you leaving already? Seo-eun, would you like to have some fish cake before you go?”

“Why are you holding onto someone who’s busy like that? How uncool.”

“Go in, Seniors!”

Thump.

As soon as Seo-eun finished greeting them, got into the car, and closed the door, the noisy voices of the officers ceased, and it became quiet.

Seo-eun smiled faintly as she watched the officers glancing at the car even while crossing the crosswalk.

“They’re interesting people.”

“They’re capable detectives.”

“I thought Hae-soo was capable, but was it because he was in a good team?”

Hae-soo nodded seriously at Seo-eun’s joking remark.

“That’s right. I am also capable.”

Seo-eun covered her mouth and chuckled. Her eyes curved softly, highlighting her long eyelashes.

“Let’s go. Mr. Kang, to the hair salon first.”

“Yes, Director.”

*

The hair salon that An Seo-eun took him to had a static atmosphere, unlike the neighborhood salon Hae-soo frequented.

From the entrance, a staff member in a neat suit opened the door and guided them to a VIP room.

The VIP room was reminiscent of a luxury bag store.

Shiny, long crystals cascaded down from the ceiling, creating a subtle harmony with the chandelier.

It seemed like an average person would be too intimidated to say a word and would just leave after coming to get their hair trimmed.

However, An Seo-eun sat comfortably as if it were her own home and spoke to the hairstylist.

“Then, we’ll start with the cut.”

“Yes.”

Hae-soo had the experience of having three people work on his hair for the first time in his life.

It is said that women visit hair salons when they feel down or have low self-esteem to feel pampered.

He didn’t know how much it cost, but he vaguely understood what that feeling was like.

Hae-soo got his hair trimmed and moved to the makeup room. He ran into An Seo-eun in the hallway on his way out.

She didn’t step aside and stared blankly at Hae-soo without saying a word.

That look reminded Hae-soo of what happened at the hospital, and he cleared his throat.

“Hmm, it’s good that they covered up the scar.”

“Ah, yes, it is. It’s seamless. Let’s go.”

For the clothes, he chose a dark navy double suit with black stripes from a dazzling store he had never seen before.

“I couldn’t get it custom-made because there wasn’t enough time.”

“This is practically custom-made. I’m glad there’s something that fits my shoulders.”

“It doesn’t seem like it fits perfectly even now, but…”

Hae-soo stopped trying to deny Seo-eun’s words as he lifted and turned his arm. If he turned it just a little more, there was a 100% chance it would tear.

He had secretly asked the employee about the price earlier, and this suit alone was worth the price of a mid-sized car.

Whether it was worth the expensive price or not, the same color and pattern somehow had a different aura. He had only changed his clothes, but his already overflowing confidence seemed to pierce the sky.

As Hae-soo checked his appearance in the full-length mirror, Seo-eun approached, looked in the mirror, and muttered softly.

“You look great.”

Hae-soo didn’t bother to deny it. Thanks to Seo-eun, he had a great new experience.

*

The inauguration party for the president of Geonyeong Corporation was held in the banquet hall on the top floor of the Geonyeong Hotel.

Kang left work, and Seo-eun gently placed her hand on Hae-soo’s arm in the elevator. Seo-eun winked as she made eye contact with Hae-soo.

“This is how it’s usually done.”

As they exited the elevator, they saw a huge double door like a wedding hall. Two men in black suits were receiving invitations in front of it.

Seo-eun handed over an invitation with a black background and gold sticker, and they opened the door.

Inside, a banquet hall with a ceiling height of three stories appeared. A red carpet was spread wide on the floor, and standing tables were sparsely arranged. Wine and fruit were placed on them.

Buffet-style food was lined up on both ends, and employees were carefully walking around with trays.

The men in sight were all burly, and the women were slender. It was a gathering of handsome and beautiful people.

Hae-soo rarely watched dramas or movies, so this place was very unfamiliar to him.

“That’s strange.”

“Did you notice?”

“They all have bodyguards with them. It’s not like we came to a dangerous place.”

“That’s right. If you wait, you’ll see how much they…”

At that moment, a woman in a passionate red dress approached Seo-eun.

“Oh my, Director An Seo-eun of Daesung Entertainment?”

With a high-pitched voice that seemed to run out of breath, Seo-eun narrowed her brows slightly and turned her head at her appearance.

As she spoke, other people who had been glancing around stealthily approached.

“It’s really An Seo-eun.”

“Why would the haughty princess attend a party for immature kids?”

“She never ages…”

An Seo-eun ignored the murmuring around her and said to the woman in the red dress.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, was it four years ago when I said you only knew how to sell your body to me…?”

“Three years.”

“Why is someone who lives only for herself here? Did your influence wane? Oh, I heard Ahn Ki-joon became a director at Daesung Electronics? Tell him congratulations. A daughter is only coddled when she’s young. Now is the time when the daughter’s influence will wear off.”

Seo-eun glanced at Hae-soo, narrowed her brows sharply, and brought her face close to the woman.

“Your mouth is as cheap as your body, as always. Aren’t you turning thirty next year? Hurry up and knock up any man and get married. That’s what you’re best at. You have no ability, and you’re only getting older. Will you even be able to sell yourself?”

The woman in the dress trembled at Seo-eun’s calm provocation. She eventually glared and raised her hand.

“What, what? You bitch!!”

Slap-!

Seo-eun, who had anticipated her outburst, slapped her first to block the attack.

Then, the bodyguard next to the woman in the dress frowned and stepped forward, reaching out to Seo-eun, and Hae-soo snatched the bodyguard’s wrist in the middle.

Thud-

The bodyguard tried to shake it off immediately but failed, glaring at Hae-soo as if to kill him.

“Won’t you let go?”

Hae-soo looked at him with calm eyes and increased his grip even more.

Crack-

The bodyguard’s face turned red in an instant, and he dropped his head and bent over. It was as if a silent scream could be heard.

“What are you doing? What are you doing! I just got slapped by that bitch!”

The woman in the dress chirped like a sparrow next to him, but the bodyguard couldn’t say anything.

At that moment, Seo-eun gently placed her hand on Hae-soo’s back. Only then did Hae-soo release the bodyguard’s wrist.

The bodyguard, now free, was about to pounce on Hae-soo with his face flushed red.

“I’m going to kill this bastard!”

Clap clap clap!!

At that moment, a man in a wine-colored suit appeared, clapping his hands. He was holding a microphone in one hand.

-Ah ah, stop, stop! Hello! The atmosphere is already heating up! Thank you to all the gentlemen and ladies who have called me again today, and to the president of Geonyeong Corporation. I’m lawyer Yong Ji-woong. Don’t call me Yongbyeon [a shortened, and potentially demeaning, form of his name], please use my full name!

People burst into laughter at Yongbyeon’s words.

As he appeared, the employees began to move the standing tables in the center of the banquet hall to the corner.

The guests began to move to the corner as if it were natural.

-I see a lot of great bodyguards today. My heart is already boiling. What is the flower of the party?

As he put his hand to his ear and induced a response, the guests shouted.

“Fight!”

“Fight!!”

He raised his hand and shouted.

-That’s right, it’s fight!! Let’s skip the formalities and start right away! Who will sponsor the first match? Ah, the protagonist of today’s party! The president of Geonyeong Corporation!

In the direction his hand was pointing, a young man in a blue suit was holding a wine glass and looking down at the people with arrogant eyes.

“Let’s start lightly with ten million won [approximately $7,500 USD].”

-Ten million won! As expected of the future of Geonyeong! It’s heavy from the start! Challenging players, please come forward!

There were about fifty or so heirs from wealthy families in the banquet hall, so there were about fifty bodyguards. Among them, six or seven came forward.

Hae-soo quickly looked at the faces of the bodyguards, and quite a few of them had slightly hardened expressions.

Several people belatedly came out at the command of their employers, filling the number to ten.

They decided on the two who would fight by playing rock-paper-scissors, and the rest stepped back from the stage.

The emcee took the two remaining on the stage to a table and had them put their fingerprints on some paper. Then he had them stand in the center again and shouted.

-Today’s first fight begins! On the right is Yu Gang Distribution! On the left is Hyesung Mart! Fight!!

At the same time, two bodyguards clashed. Without any protective gear, expensive-looking suits were torn, noses were broken, and teeth flew.

When one man dripped blood and raised his hand, shouting surrender, the game finally stopped.

-The protagonist of ten million won has been born! Yu Gang Distribution wins!

“Wow!! Good fight!”

“It’s boring, boring.”

“Quickly put on the next one!”

Flesh was torn and bones were broken, but the people in that place were ecstatic.

The third-generation chaebols [family-owned conglomerates] were using their bodyguards like fighting dogs.

As Hae-soo was speechless at the fresh shock, An Seo-eun said softly next to him.

“This kind of culture has emerged since some time ago. Bodyguards have become fighting dogs, and they started choosing them based on whether they can win at this time rather than how well they can guard.”

“Is this… what you wanted to show me?”

Seo-eun looked at Hae-soo and nodded in silence. In the meantime, the atmosphere became even hotter, and the chaebols threw checks at each other, increasing the stakes and stimulating the bodyguards.

“That blue suit is the eldest son of the Geonyeong Group, that’s the second son of the Hyesung Group, and that kid covering her mouth and laughing is the youngest daughter of the JL Group…”

Seo-eun pointed out the people who were enjoying this game more passionately than anyone else.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. Can you… punish all these people?”

“No.”

Hae-soo’s answer came immediately. Seo-eun looked quite surprised. It wasn’t disappointment, but the eyes that had been subtly expecting something faded.

“That’s right, even Hae-soo can’t punish those who make up Korea…”

“I don’t know about that, but I have to stop that nonsense right now.”

“Yes? What do you mean…”

At that moment, Hae-soo dashed out onto the stage before An Seo-eun could stop him. The employees were wiping the blood off the floor after the game had just ended.

At Hae-soo’s appearance, the emcee asked with a brightened expression.

“Oh, the next challenger! Where are you from?”

“Republic of Korea Police.”

“Yes?”

Hae-soo snatched the emcee’s microphone and stood in the very center of the stage.

Hae-soo slowly met the many eyes that were watching his sudden actions as if they were interesting and opened his mouth.

-Ah, ah, microphone test, only those who are okay with being crippled for life, those who are dog bastards who will go out and fight if their owner tells them to, even if they become morons who can’t control their bowels, come out.

-Phew phew!!

“Wow!!”

“He’s crazy!”

“That’s some spirit!”

Hae-soo’s words heated up the venue even more. Even the bodyguards who didn’t have much intention of going out were glaring with anger.

Meanwhile, An Seo-eun was pacing back and forth, restless.

In her opinion, no matter how good Hae-soo was, he was a detective who was busy with investigations. She thought it would be too much for him to face bodyguards who were martial arts athletes or special forces who studied fighting all day.

Click, click.

She eventually rolled up her skirt and strode to the center of the stage, grabbing Hae-soo’s sleeve.

“This isn’t right. Don’t do this. Let’s go down.”

Hae-soo turned his head and made eye contact with her.

Seo-eun felt as if her heart had been pierced by an icy thorn at that cold gaze.

“Stay there. This is the price for bringing me here.”

Hae-soo’s eyes were filled with unyielding determination and anger.

Seo-eun realized that she had misjudged. This man was not someone she could control in the first place.

At that moment, a man who had been watching An Seo-eun’s actions carefully slightly raised his hand.

“100 million [approximately $75,000 USD].”

-100 million won! Who will fight this spirited challenger!

The emcee slowly grabbed An Seo-eun, who had a worried and regretful look, and pushed her off the stage.

At the word 100 million, the bodyguards, ignoring Hae-soo’s words completely, rushed out, and one of them stood facing Hae-soo.

Before the start, the emcee took the two of them and had them put their fingerprints on a contract.

-I will not hold the other party responsible for anything that happens. Put your fingerprint on it, and I, as a lawyer, will notarize it. Okay, fight!

An Seo-eun didn’t know. Hae-soo was in an untouchable realm called talent.

Bang!

At the same time as the start, the bodyguard rushed at Hae-soo, and Hae-soo’s palm accurately hit his chin. He floated about a foot in the air and fell to the floor.

It was just one blow. As the game ended in one blow, a deadly silence momentarily filled the venue.

However, Hae-soo’s actions did not stop. He approached the bodyguard who was lying on the floor with his eyes rolled back, raised one of his arms, looked around at the others, and opened his mouth.

“My words are not a provocation, but a warning.”

Crack!

<#65. Not a Provocation, But a Warning.> End