The Cop Is Too Strong [EN]: Chapter 81

The police were too strong – Episode 81

Although the Chungnam Police Chief actually attended the trial, the judge didn’t acknowledge him because he hadn’t announced his presence beforehand.

However, given the high profile of the case, the trial moved swiftly, and the sentence was delivered to the Chief’s satisfaction.

The convicts were admitted to Hyosung Prison, known for its formidable walls.

The prison guard led them into separate rooms, one by one, ensuring he remembered his instructions.

“This guy attacked a police substation and roughed up some cops. Take out your frustrations on him, I won’t interfere as long as you don’t kill him.”

Squeak – Bang!

As the door slammed shut, the leader of the gangsters who had attacked the police substation frowned and glared at the inmates in the room.

“Try to mess with me, and I’ll show you what hell is like.”

Thud!

At his words, a man sitting in the corner closed his book, signaling the other men in the room to jump up and line up.

The man who had closed the book slowly rose from his seat and approached the young boss, extending a hand.

His hand was mangled, almost monstrous, twisted and crooked. It was questionable whether he could even feed himself properly with it. And both of his hands were in the same condition.

The young boss stared at the man’s hand, hesitant to take it. The man offered a bitter smile and spoke.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Mo Chang-gui.”

***

Chungnam Provincial Police Agency, Chief’s office.

The Chief Secretary was in the middle of reporting to the Chief.

“…I’m looking into stab-proof vests, but there are rumors that detectives at the Gangjin Police Station are wearing something unusual.”

“Something unusual?”

“The rumors spread because they were bragging about it to other detectives and police officers. It’s like a simplified stab-proof vest.”

“Why does it always have to be Gangjin? Is it such a dangerous place that they got a group order of something like that?”

“I heard that Detective Shin Hae-soo handed them out for free. The price was said to be 50 million won [approximately $38,000 USD] per vest, but it’s expected that the detectives exaggerated to show off.”

“Detective Shin? Where did he get the money?”

“It’s not certain, but it’s estimated that Detective Shin has quite a lot of assets. Should I investigate it more closely?”

The Chief waved his hand dismissively.

“No, no, I don’t want to investigate him, ha… I knew I had a good eye for talent. He’s a true talent. I need to meet Detective Shin.”

“Yes, I’ll arrange it.”

***

Lead Building Penthouse.

It wasn’t until the next day that Shin Hae-soo handed Hari the box of special stab-proof vests.

Hari received it with sparkling eyes and an expectant expression.

“What is this?”

“Open it.”

She quickly opened the box and froze for a moment. As luxurious as the box was, she had expected something amazing inside, but all that was there was a set of black clothes.

“What is this?”

Hae-soo rolled up his sleeve, showed her the stab-proof vest he was wearing, and said.

“A stab-proof vest made of a special material. Try it on.”

“Ah…”

Hari’s eyes quickly shifted to an expression of excitement. She nodded her head vigorously and went straight into her room.

“Yes!”

A few minutes later, the door opened, and Hari walked out shyly.

But she came out wearing nothing but the special stab-proof vest. It was so tightly woven that it wasn’t noticeable from a distance, but it was essentially a full-body mesh.

The lines of her body were clearly revealed, creating a dizzying sight. Hae-soo quickly averted his gaze.

“You should put something on.”

“It’s okay to wear just this.”

“It’s not okay. How does it feel?”

Hari rubbed her arms and answered.

“It’s soft. I think I can wear it on my bare skin like this.”

“You’ll have to wear it for a long time to know. Wear it longer, and if it’s uncomfortable, wear thin clothes underneath.”

“Yes, but this part is a little strange.”

“Where?”

Hae-soo had no choice but to approach Hari.

Without hesitation, she raised one arm and pointed to her armpit with her index finger.

“This place.”

“That area, the inside of your elbows, and the popliteal fossa [the hollow at the back of the knee] are made of different materials. They said they paid special attention to the folding areas, so it’s natural that the texture is different.”

“Ah… but it feels a little rough. I think I smell something strange too. Is it a rubber smell…?”

“Smell? Could it be your smell?”

Hari shook her head vigorously.

“No. Smell it.”

“Um…”

Ziiiiing Ziiiiing

As Hae-soo was troubled and contemplating with a difficult expression, his phone vibrated. Hae-soo quickly picked up his phone.

“This is Detective Shin Hae-soo.”

-Detective Shin Hae-soo, hello? This is Lee Si-won, the Chief’s secretary.

“Yes, I remember.”

-I was wondering if you would be available to meet sometime.

“Are you talking about the Chief?”

-Yes, there are things I want to discuss…

“Um, today is a holiday, so I’ll check my schedule when I get to work tomorrow.”

-Yes, please contact me tomorrow. Is the place we met last time okay?

“Are you talking about the short rib restaurant we went to last time?”

-Yes, that’s right.

Hae-soo turned his head to look at Hari and continued.

“I’m available now.”

-Yes? Ah, haha, oh really? Then I’ll tell the Chief first… Ah, he says it’s okay now. Then I’ll see you there.

Hae-soo checked Hari’s face just before hanging up. Saliva was practically dripping from her mouth.

“Secretary, is it okay if one more person joins us?”

-Yes? Ah, yes, he says it’s okay.

“Yes, then I’ll see you later.”

Hae-soo hung up and asked Hari.

“Do you want to go with me?”

“Yes!”

It didn’t matter where they were going or who they were meeting. For Hari, only the words “short rib” filled her head.

“Okay, take that off first and put on some other clothes.”

“Yes? Yes! I understand.”

Hari quickly took off the stab-proof vest, put on functional sportswear with leggings, and a windbreaker jacket. Hae-soo stared at her, and Hari opened her mouth.

“I was told not to wear clothes that easily absorb odors when eating meat.”

“Okay, you’ve learned well.”

As Hae-soo moved, Hari followed closely behind him.

*

A high-end short rib restaurant on the outskirts of Gangjin City.

The Chief and his secretary’s eyes widened slightly. They were speechless and just stared at the person Hae-soo brought with him.

They assumed that bringing one more person meant one of the detectives who wanted to connect with the Chief.

But they never imagined that a young woman would come instead of a detective.

Hae-soo looked at the Chief and Secretary Lee, who had blank expressions, introduced Hari, and continued his explanation.

“This is Hari. She likes short ribs.”

“We share the same address. The house is big, so she’s planning to pay rent starting next month.”

At Hae-soo’s explanation, the Chief nodded his head vigorously as if he understood.

“I see. Is this what young people call a ‘wafer’? Is that it?”

Secretary Lee said quietly at the Chief’s words.

“Chief, it’s a shared house.”

“That or that, oh my, now I understand. Living with such a beauty, it’s no wonder my daughter doesn’t even think about seeing me or getting introduced. It can’t be helped.”

The Chief held a grudge when it came to his daughter.

“Anyway… Hari, nice to meet you. My name is Jo Gam-chan.”

“Yes, thank you for buying me short ribs.”

“Ah, haha!! What an interesting young lady.”

Hari’s greeting was so blunt that it was almost cold. After a brief greeting, Hari took her seat and waited for the short ribs to cook with a reverent expression.

The Chief, who quickly realized that Hari had a unique personality, stared at her intently before turning his head to the employee grilling the short ribs.

“Please add two servings of short ribs, no, four servings.”

“Yes, I understand.”

At the generous order, Hari looked at the Chief and nodded her head.

Hari ate the short ribs with a happy expression without saying a word, and the Chief stared at her curiously before turning his head to Hae-soo and getting to the point.

“I’m watching your performance closely. I’m very busy these days thanks to Detective Shin.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for? Keep doing what you’re doing while I’m here. I’ll take responsibility for making sure you don’t get hurt even after I leave.”

Hae-soo read passion and sincerity in the Chief’s eyes. There was ambition, but not the dirty kind driven by power and money. It was clear that he was craving talent.

‘This Chief is the real deal.’ Since there were no ulterior motives, Hae-soo felt comfortable meeting with the Chief.

“Thank you. It’s a pity that the Chief’s term is short.”

“Haha!! I didn’t know Detective Shin could make such flattering remarks? I hate flattery so much, but strangely, it sounds good.”

“It’s because it’s sincere. Power is like a drug. Once you have it in your hand, you can’t let go until you get something bigger, even if you have to cut off your wrist, right? I don’t think I’ll be able to meet someone like the Chief again.”

“Um… that’s true, there’s no one like me, so before my term ends, I’m going to do one thing. I heard that the Gangjin Police Station detectives are wearing simplified stab-proof vests?”

The Chief asked about the special stab-proof vest? Hae-soo had a very positive thought and jumped up from his seat and took off his outer garment.

The special stab-proof vest, clinging to his steel-like muscles, was revealed.

“It’s a stab-proof vest made of special material. I was the first to order it, and after that, I ordered and distributed stab-proof vests to the Gangjin Police Station that were less durable and protective than this, but much better than nothing.”

“Oh… when I only heard about it, I thought it was just a slightly simplified version of the current stab-proof vest, but it’s completely different. This just looks like sportswear?”

“You can touch it.”

The Chief was impressed by Hae-soo’s proactive attitude and tried to touch it, poke it with a fork, and cut it with scissors. He was amazed to see that it only made a slight scratch even when he cut it very hard.

“It’s so thin, but it’s quite tough? This should be able to block not only cutting attacks, but also stabbing attacks to some extent.”

“I’ve experienced it myself. I’m very satisfied. The defense power is not comparable to a regular stab-proof vest, but it’s very portable and comfortable to wear, so I always wear it.”

“Oh, good, good, good.”

The Chief repeatedly said that it was good while looking at Hae-soo’s stab-proof vest. Hae-soo was secretly disappointed that he hadn’t brought Hari’s stab-proof vest.

The meeting with the Chief was a discussion in which they expressed their thoughts on stab-proof vests and police safety without reservation.

*

On the way back after finishing the meal with Hae-soo, the Chief looked out the window with an excited face and said incoherently.

“My head is clear, my heart is full, my passion is soaring.”

“Yes, Chief.”

“When I meet Detective Shin, I feel like that.”

“That’s right.”

“What do you mean ‘that’s right’? Is Secretary Lee the same as me?”

“Yes? Ah, no.”

“No? Then is Secretary Lee one of those people who constantly compromise with power and money?”

“Ah, no. The Chief is always right.”

The Chief laughed and turned his head again.

“You’ve been through a lot too. Anyway, let’s proceed with this, so that all the police officers working in the field across the country can be supplied with it.”

“The budget won’t be easy.”

“We have to make a fuss and ask for it. If they say they won’t give it to us no matter what, let’s try to make it somehow, even if it’s just for us, with the local government budget.”

“We’ll have to desperately get it.”

“Good attitude.”

***

Back to everyday life. Shin Hae-soo was diligently writing a report on a drunken offender at the Violent Crimes Unit headquarters.

Ring ring ring ring

The internal line is from the situation room. Hae-soo immediately stopped what he was doing and answered the phone.

“This is Detective Shin Hae-soo of the Violent Crimes Unit. Yes, yes, I’ll check.”

“What is it? What kind of case is it?”

Hae-soo opened the file sent from the situation room and explained to Oh Gaeng, who came up and asked.

“There is a person who claims to have killed missing people by posting a video on YouTube showing their belongings.”

“What a crazy bastard. Nine out of ten of these are nonsense. Who reported it?”

Hae-soo closed the internet window and said while doing a background check.

“It’s the family of the missing person. They say that the belongings he showed are those of the missing person.”

Realizing that this was no ordinary case at Hae-soo’s words, the youngest member and the team leader also stopped what they were doing and approached.

< #81. Simplified Stab-Proof Vest > End