The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 217

216

Gang Unit of Pohang Southern Police Station.

Violent Crimes Unit 2, office.

“Hey, confirm this today and start the investigation from tomorrow.”

Chief Go Bae-soo said, slamming a file on Detective Min Yoo-jin’s desk.

Min Yoo-jin picked up the file and looked at Chief Go while still seated.

“What’s this…?”

“It’s a robbery-homicide case at a commercial building. No CCTV, no witnesses. First, meet with the bereaved family and investigate the people around them.”

“…….”

It was a routine work order, but for some reason, Min Yoo-jin’s expression wasn’t good.

Well, that’s understandable.

“I’m still investigating the missing CEO Joo Se-hoon case.”

“Ah… that Se-hoon Chemical CEO?”

The case she was in charge of was still ongoing.

Of course, Chief Go Bae-soo couldn’t have been unaware of that fact.

But he couldn’t help it either.

“They’re telling me to close the investigation.”

“…What?!”

As Chief Go spoke with a sullen expression, Detective Min Yoo-jin’s eyebrows twitched.

“It’s been almost a month since he went missing, and there are no clues. The search hasn’t yielded anything either.”

“It’s only been a month.”

“Exactly! We haven’t gained anything during that month, so how can we continue, huh?”

“From the beginning, there are one or two suspicious things about the circumstances of his disappearance! We need to focus on retaliatory kidnapping and reinvestigate the people around him…….”

“Don’t say ridiculous things. Do we have manpower to spare?”

“Even if it’s just me…….”

“Ha, this kid watches too many movies.”

Chief Go openly let out a scoff as if he was dumbfounded.

“Hey, are you the only detective? Are you going to investigate alone and catch the criminal alone? Where did you learn this…….”

“…….”

“……Haa.”

Chief Go sighed in annoyance at her firm gaze.

Yeah, he knows very well that it’s a ridiculous situation to be in.

So how much more would she feel that way?

Chief Go, as if he had no intention of getting angry, let out a deep sigh and spoke again.

“Anyway, close the Joo CEO case and take on the robbery-homicide case.”

“Chief…!”

“It’s an order from above. Don’t argue. Find the suspect by the end of this week and put it on my desk.”

Chief Go turned away immediately, as if he wouldn’t listen to any more objections.

But Detective Min Yoo-jin continued to bother him.

“How high up is this order from?”

“…….”

“Is it the police chief? Or someone higher?”

Chief Go turned his head and glared at her.

But he couldn’t give her the answer she wanted.

The only thing he could say was.

“What are you going to do knowing that?”

That was all.

“…….”

Detective Min Yoo-jin stood still with a very displeased expression for a moment.

Soon, she grabbed her coat.

“Hey, hey! Where are you going!”

“To investigate Se-hoon Chemical employees.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said?! I won’t let you get away with it if you go! Hey! Hey, you little punk!!”

Chief Go kept yelling, but Detective Min Yoo-jin left the office without paying attention.

Chief Go looked at her back and lowered his head.

“Damn it, where did that psycho come from…….”

As he muttered to himself, another detective next to him cautiously spoke.

“Chief, just pretend you don’t know. She’s been sensitive lately.”

“…What’s wrong?”

“Her boyfriend suddenly disappeared one day and went completely off the grid. For a year now.”

“Ha!”

Chief Go was at a loss for words.

He wondered if she couldn’t control her emotions because of such a personal matter.

But the fellow detective continued, as if that wasn’t all.

“But she recently saw her boyfriend on TV. He’s super famous now, apparently? I guess she has a reason to be angry. They were lovers, but he disappeared without a word and is doing well on his own.”

“……How famous is he? Do I know him?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t tell me that far.”

The fellow detective shrugged and replied.

“Well, it’s a case with no clues or suspects anyway. She’ll give up in a day or two.”

“Haa… it’s a mess, really.”

Chief Go shook his head with his hands on his hips.

And the word ‘mess’ didn’t just mean Min Yoo-jin, who had stormed out of her seat.

Order to close the investigation.

Of course, Chief Go also doesn’t know who gave that order.

However, it’s clear that the person has quite a bit of influence, enough to cover up the disappearance of a small to medium-sized company CEO.

But why…?

What happened that made the higher-ups tell them to cover up the disappearance?

‘Tsk…….’

Chief Go felt very uneasy.

***

“Is this the place?”

“Yes.”

In front of the company building, arriving around lunchtime.

The company of CEO Joo Se-hoon, whose business was overturned and protested, and then suddenly disappeared one day.

Se-hoon Chemical.

I and Director Lee Ah-young were standing in front of it, taking a moment to gather our thoughts.

The site where the factory was scheduled to be built.

The sudden overturning of the business.

GT Construction, which immediately pushed forward with the resort construction project.

A district representative of the Future Democratic Party, deeply connected to the GT Group in many ways.

In addition, the suddenly disappeared CEO and the former hunter organization being fostered by ‘that person’ of the Future Democratic Party.

Even just listing the incidents creates a certain connection.

Even if it’s just speculation, it’s at a level where you can’t help but think they’re related.

If all these incidents are really being interfered with by ‘that person’ we’re looking for…… there must be a clue left here.

“Let’s go in.”

I opened my mouth and moved my feet.

The inside of the company was empty, perhaps because it was lunchtime.

We continued to look around the offices along the hallway, and in the process, we found a young man in front of an office labeled ‘Sales Team.’

“Oh… how did you get here?”

The young man also found us and asked in a rather flustered voice.

“I’m Kim Jun-woo, CEO of Karma Corporation. I came because I have some business to take care of.”

As I handed over my business card, he bowed deeply with a surprised expression.

“I, I’m sorry! I didn’t hear that the CEO was coming…!”

“No, it’s okay. I didn’t contact you separately because I came on personal business. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“Pe, Personal business?”

“Yes. Regarding CEO Joo Se-hoon…… I had some connection with the CEO.”

“What? Our CEO with Karma Corporation…?”

“Ah, that’s…”

I quickly scanned the office at the employee’s question and looked for something to make up an excuse.

Then, a product brochure caught my eye.

“Medicine! I met him a few times for a medicine contract for the cleaning team to use.”

“Ah…….”

The employee nodded his head only then.

“I’d like to meet the person in charge, but it seems like everyone went to lunch.”

“Ah… I, I’m the person in charge. Hahaha…….”

“…Yes?”

The employee scratched his head with an awkward expression.

This person is the person in charge?

He looks like he’s only in his mid-20s at best?

“After the CEO… after what happened to him, the employees left in droves. I guess it’s because of what happened……. Now, only me, the development team leader, and the executive director are left.”

“Can the company be run with three people?”

“So… well, I think we’ll be wrapping things up within the next week.”

“I see…….”

I couldn’t think of anything to say to the rather heavy news.

Then, the employee spoke first.

“By the way, I was surprised. The CEO is such an introverted person, he doesn’t have many people around him…… I never thought he would be an acquaintance of CEO Kim.”

“……Is there still no news about CEO Joo?”

“Yes… the police are saying they’re searching, but not yet…….”

His gaze turned to the ground.

I paused for a moment and continued to speak.

“Actually, I came to ask you a few things about CEO Joo’s situation. If you don’t mind, could you spare some time for me?”

“Ah, of course! I’m Lee Sang-woo, the sales team leader. Just a moment. Would you like a cup of tea…….”

“No, it’s okay. It’ll be over soon.”

I said that and sat down on a messy office chair.

Then, he, who introduced himself as Lee Sang-woo, cautiously brought up the topic with a serious expression.

“Well… I’m telling you in advance, but I probably won’t be of any help regarding the disappearance. He disappeared without any contact with us either.”

“That part is okay.”

I waved my hand and immediately got to the point.

“What kind of person was CEO Joo Se-hoon usually?”

“Well, to put it nicely, he was passionate, and to put it badly…… he wasn’t a fun person. He only worked or exercised on weekdays.”

“Did he have a good relationship with the employees?”

“Of course. He was such a role model that the employees trusted and followed him a lot.”

“I see.”

“As you can see, our company isn’t that big. It was very difficult until last year. But he never missed paying the employees’ salaries. He didn’t forget bonuses during holidays or special occasions either.”

Team Leader Lee Sang-woo continued to speak with a sincere expression.

“Fortunately, the situation has improved a bit as sales have increased this year. It’s not a huge amount of sales, but it’s enough to build a new factory.”

“Ah, on that resort site…….”

Team Leader Lee Sang-woo nodded his head greatly.

“That’s right. The employees were very happy too.”

“…….”

“But as the contract was suddenly overturned, the CEO had a very hard time. We tried our best to help him… but one day, when we came to work, he left only a piece of paper and disappeared.”

“Paper?”

“Yes. Just a moment.”

He immediately rummaged through the drawer for a moment.

Soon, he took out a piece of paper and handed it to me.

There were a few printed letters on the paper.

“It’s all my fault, I’m trash for not protecting the company, it’s too hard, I want to give up at this point…….”

I frowned at the rather pessimistic content.

Didn’t you say he was a passionate person……?

“Did you show this to the police too?”

“Yes, yes. The police said that based on this writing, he seems to have felt disillusioned with losing the site and disappeared…….”

He trailed off.

I immediately understood the meaning.

Team Leader Lee Sang-woo does not think that the CEO gave up everything and disappeared on his own.

And that’s the same for me too.

“Do you remember exactly when he went missing?”

“Yes, it was the 21st of last month.”

“Is there anyone around him who might have had a grudge against the CEO?”

“Not at all. As I said, the CEO doesn’t have many people around him. Even if he did, there’s no way he would have incurred a grudge.”

“Then, has anyone he doesn’t know ever come to the company?”

“Hmm…….”

He scratched his chin and pondered for a moment.

“Ah… come to think of it, there was!”

He raised his voice and continued to speak.

“So… that day was the day of the protest, so everyone except the minimum number of employees was outside, but a man came to see the CEO.”

“Who was it?”

“I asked for his name, but he didn’t answer. However… he looked like a hunter. You know, the clothes that hunters wear when they go out on missions.”

“……!”

“……!”

My and Director Lee Ah-young’s eyes widened at the same time at his statement.

“If it was a hunter uniform, there would have been an affiliation on the right shoulder. Do you remember?”

“I knew that too, so I took a quick look… but there was nothing.”

“…….”

I closed my mouth.

The uniform with no affiliation to be found.

There’s only one type of guy who can wear that.

A former operations team hunter who retired within the last month.

And as far as I know, there’s only one recent retiree from the operations team.

‘……Choi Jong-hyuk.’

It’s that bastard.

“Could it be that that human also joined the organization?”

“…It could be.”

I nodded heavily.

But that was only for a moment.

“Please check if there’s any information left on Hunter Choi Jong-hyuk right now. His residence, contact information, send me everything you have!”

“Yes, yes!”

“Let’s go by car. So we can go find him as soon as we get a call…!”

I was about to get up from my seat and leave the office when.

“I’m Detective Min Yoo-jin from the Pohang Southern Police Station’s Violent Crimes Unit. Can I have a moment of your time…….”

“……?”

I ran into a woman who was coming into the office.

‘……Oh, oh?!’

As soon as I saw the woman’s face and name, I couldn’t hide my embarrassment.

No, it wasn’t just embarrassment, it was to the point where my head was spinning.

Because that woman is…….

‘Mi, Min Yoo-jin…?!’

My ex-girlfriend who I fought like crazy with before regression [time travel/reincarnation].

‘Why is she here…?’

I knew her hometown was Pohang, but wasn’t her workplace in Seoul?

What business does she have here?

By the way, she was young at this time too.

All sorts of random thoughts messed up my head, but I tried to shake them off and calm down.

Right.

I’m back to 10 years ago now.

I’m the only one who remembers her, and she doesn’t know about me.

So there’s no need to panic…….

“Yo, You…….”

At that time, Min Yoo-jin opened her mouth with a trembling voice.

“You son of a bitch…!!”

Pow―!

She punched me right in the face.