Chapter 84
Chapter 84
“When are we going to be stuck here?”
Lee Si-hyun asked.
They were seated in a blue makeshift tent set up near the scene.
The inquiry had roughly come to an end, but the police showed no signs of letting them go.
“Please wait until the fingerprint results come back.”
A sturdy-looking detective politely replied.
“When will that be?”
“It will be soon.”
“Alright, I understand. But aren’t we supposed to be witnesses? Is it really okay to detain witnesses like this?”
“Well… it’s the Chief’s orders…”
“Since when does the Chief’s orders mean everything? Is there a law about that?”
Si-hyun challenged, invoking the law.
It was a tactic he learned from the Problematic Inmates who would constantly throw legalese into every argument, and it was surprisingly effective.
“Well…”
The detective stumbled over his words, clearly caught off guard and unsure how to respond.
Just then, an uproar erupted outside.
“That’s him!”
Someone shouted.
“It’s Kang Tae-eun!”
“What? It’s really Kang Tae-eun?”
“They say it’s him, Kang Tae-eun.”
“Shit! That bastard Kang Tae-eun is finally…”
“What a relief! Now I can sleep easy.”
Amid the commotion, various reactions erupted around them.
No wonder, really. They had finally captured the escaped death row inmate who had been on the loose for over 11 months—even if he was just a corpse now.
The detective inside the tent wore a look of astonishment.
Although he had listened to Si-hyun’s testimony, he had somewhat doubted it.
“It seems the fingerprint results just came in. Can we go back now?”
Si-hyun stood up from his chair.
“Please wait a moment.”
With that, the detective stepped outside the tent.
Si-hyun took a seat again, watching the detective leave.
“Um… about that, hyung,”
Kang Baek cautiously spoke, eyeing Si-hyun.
“What is it?”
“Shouldn’t we call the detention center?”
They were on duty because of Kang Tae-eun.
Now that Kang Tae-eun was dead, it was only natural to report to their superiors, which is why Kang Baek suggested it.
“Yeah, I should. Why not do it right now?”
Si-hyun pulled out his phone.
What set correctional facilities apart from other workplaces was the fact that they had staff on duty even at night.
Therefore, making an emergency call at night wouldn’t raise any issues.
Soon, a staff member from the Security Department answered the phone.
“Thank you for your hard work. This is Chief Lee Si-hyun. I’m calling about Kang Tae-eun. Today, Kang Tae-eun was caught by me and Chief Na Kang-baek here. However, I’m not sure why, but Kang Tae-eun has died on the spot not long after. Yes, it’s true. Of course. Yes, it’s real. The scene isn’t fully processed yet, but everything will be sorted tomorrow. Yes, understood. Please keep up the good work.”
Though he had caught Kang Tae-eun essentially on his own, Si-hyun mentioned Na Kang-baek’s name to share some credit for their joint effort.
As Si-hyun hung up, he was asked, “What did they say, hyung?”
“They said they’d report it to the duty section chief.”
“Right, the supervisor probably isn’t around at night.”
“Exactly. But with a big incident like this, it’ll be reported to higher-ups quickly.”
As they exchanged words, someone pulled back the tent flap and entered.
It was the middle-aged man referred to as the Chief earlier.
Next to him was the detective who had conducted the inquiry and an older man with white hair and glasses.
Chief Park Cheol-gon’s expression was significantly better than before.
His troublesome toothache seemed to have finally been pulled.
They hadn’t been able to prevent two murders, but at least they had managed to solve the case, avoiding the worst outcomes.
However, his gaze lingered on Si-hyun, sharp and unyielding.
He seemed to blame Si-hyun for missing out on the opportunity to uncover how Kang Tae-eun had escaped.
He knew that Kang Tae-eun had awakened.
It was a troubling thought.
A perfectly normal man, an Awakened Being at that, dying suddenly would raise eyebrows even for a dog passing by.
It was clear that there had to be some connection to the beating Si-hyun had delivered.
Before the autopsy results even came in, Park Cheol-gon had already concluded that Si-hyun was the cause of Kang Tae-eun’s death.
“How many times did you hit him?” Park Cheol-gon asked as he seated himself across from Si-hyun.
His informal tone had not changed.
He still treated Si-hyun as if he were one of his subordinates, even though they worked in entirely different organizations.
Alternatively, he might see Si-hyun as the one who had ruined all opportunities to clarify the truth by killing Kang Tae-eun.
“I already explained everything to that detective.”
Si-hyun replied, staring directly at him without flinching.
“I’m asking how many times did you hit him?”
“I already said I told him everything. There’s no reason to repeat myself.”
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Everyone except Si-hyun and Park Cheol-gon remained silently tense.
Park Cheol-gon smirked disdainfully.
“You’ve heard of that famous case, right? The one where a homeowner was convicted for killing a burglar? You can’t just beat a criminal to death and expect to get away with it, you know? Ah, but as a correctional officer, you must already know that. If a correctional officer just beat a death row inmate to death, it’s guilty, right?”
Si-hyun suppressed the boiling rage within him.
He didn’t want to show weakness to the provocation.
He knew very well that Park Cheol-gon viewed him with contempt.
He had that much sense.
But he never expected they would even consider framing him with charges.
If it were just a simple provocation, he could endure it.
But if they actually intended to link him to a crime, he was determined to fight back.
“Did you not hear? Kang Tae-eun attacked me with a sharp knife, intending to kill me. Are you saying I shouldn’t defend myself?”
“Ah, yes, of course. You obviously should. But you can’t go overboard.”
“Overboard? Isn’t it obvious that it was self-defense?”
“Do you even know the conditions for self-defense? I can break it down for you if you don’t.”
Just then, Si-hyun’s phone rang.
“Just a moment.”
Without waiting for a response, Si-hyun answered.
Park Cheol-gon slightly frowned at the interruption but didn’t comment.
“Hello? Oh… Yes! Hello, Warden! I didn’t recognize the number. Yes, just as reported. I caught Kang Tae-eun for sure. The fingerprint check confirmed it. Yes, absolutely. Right now, I’m being questioned as a witness. It’s near Cheonggye Mountain… It’s a side road, so it might be hard to find. You should see a place called Cheongma Garden as you approach. Yes, understood. Yes, please come in.”
As he hung up, Park Cheol-gon immediately chimed in, “Sounds like you reported to the higher-ups?”
“I did, what’s the problem?”
“Oh, none at all. Subordinates should make sure to report to their superiors!”
He couldn’t stop the report to the higher-ups.
That wasn’t an issue.
After all, Park Cheol-gon was convinced Si-hyun was involved in Kang Tae-eun’s death.
“Seems like that’s it for now. Should we proceed?”
“Do as you please.”
“You were about to explain the conditions for self-defense, weren’t you? Listen carefully. First, the action must be defensive. Second, you must not provoke the other party. Third… up to seventh, the damage inflicted on the other party must not exceed your own injury. Eighth, you can’t cause injuries that result in more than three weeks of recovery. How does that sound? Does it all fit?”
Park Cheol-gon said with a smirk, tirelessly continuing his verbal assault.
His stern demeanor only softened when he provoked or mocked others.
Si-hyun bit his lips hard.
Given the way he was behaving, he was apparently aiming to make a real case against him.
Rage boiled within him.
He had finally captured Kang Tae-eun, who had eluded them for 11 long months, yet they offered no thanks and instead showed blatant hostility.
What a pathetic human being.
It made sense why someone like him would lead the Special Investigation Department without any results.
Whether he knew it or not, Park Cheol-gon continued his taunts.
“Of course, it can’t all fit. You killed a person.”
“I never killed anyone.”
“Ha, what do you mean you didn’t kill? Don’t go falsely accusing someone!”
Kang Baek, who had been beside them, raised his voice angrily.
Seeing Si-hyun signal him to calm down, Kang Baek finally quieted down, though he still wore an obvious scowl.
Park Cheol-gon didn’t even blink at his expression.
He had the confidence of one who stood above in a world where power ruled, fully aware that any resentment from those below was merely the echo of the powerless.
If you feel unfair about it, rise up, right?
That’s just how the world operates, and what can you do about it?
With a smug grin, Park Cheol-gon continued.
“Ah, of course, you probably had no intention to kill. Not all murders are committed with intent, right? There are plenty without. Well, it’s clear enough. You must have hit him a few times in self-defense. But wow, being an Awakened Being, you must have hit him pretty hard, huh? In other words, you hit him, and he went ‘ugh’ and just died, huh?”
“….”
Si-hyun fell silent for a moment.
It wasn’t that he was intimidated by Park Cheol-gon’s words.
He suddenly realized why Park Cheol-gon was so aggressive towards him.
The police had been completely incompetent in the Kang Tae-eun case.
Sure, the correctional organization would also be seen as incompetent for failing to prevent his escape.
But in the end, the one who discovered and captured Kang Tae-eun was himself—the correctional officer.
Media would headline this news, and Si-hyun, who had caught the elusive Kang Tae-eun, would become a hero.
Naturally, negative perceptions of the correctional organization would at least be somewhat mitigated.
That was likely what Park Cheol-gon found so displeasing.
When he first took over as chief of the Special Investigation Department, he likely dreamed of quickly resolving the case, boosting the police’s reputation, and making a significant career achievement for himself.
But instead, two more murders had occurred, turning what could have been a quick resolution into a troublesome mess.
Finally, just as the case seemed to be resolving, all the spotlight was shining on one unimpressive correctional officer.
If the police had caught Kang Tae-eun, it wouldn’t matter at all.
But being a correctional officer was a different story.
Even if they were technically assisting the Special Investigation Department, people do not equate police with correctional officers.
If the police had caught him, it was considered a police resolution. But if a correctional officer caught him, it was not the same.
People would see it as the correctional officer’s accomplishment.
Moreover, it wasn’t during working hours but off-duty.
That made it resemble a personal achievement rather than a departmental one.
And on top of that…
Since the Kang Tae-eun case had now been resolved, the embargo on the two murder cases would soon be lifted.
The aftermath in public opinion would surely be fierce.
There would be a torrent of criticism.
Yet, due to Kang Tae-eun’s death, figuring out how he had escaped, or who had helped him would be nearly impossible.
In a demonstration of excessive administrative action, they would have hoped to capture an accomplice bustling about in the confusion to somewhat clean up the situation regarding the two murders, but that now seemed impossible.
So it seemed like Park Cheol-gon intended to pin the blame on Si-hyun for the overreaction that led to Kang Tae-eun’s carelessly caused death, while simultaneously trying to belittle him.
This was Si-hyun’s hypothesis based on the circumstances.
How accurate it was, he couldn’t say.
But he thought it was highly likely he was correct.
“You’re casually spewing absolute nonsense. The autopsy will reveal the cause of death, right? We just need to wait for that. Why is a police officer, of all people, so invested in crafting a story?”
Si-hyun retorted with a smirk of his own, keeping his expression neutral.
He was angry but refused to show it.
Having dealt with all types of personalities in the correctional facility, he understood well what kind of person Park Cheol-gon was.
People like him enjoyed seeing others lose their rationality and get worked up.
So Si-hyun had no intention of giving them the satisfaction of showing signs of getting riled up.
“Sure, right. Once the autopsy results come back, things will be clear. Well, I just know my guess will be right.”
Park Cheol-gon said with a smug expression.
He certainly hadn’t wasted a lifetime in the police force.
There was no way a perfectly normal Awakened Being would suddenly die for no reason.
The cause was obvious: a correctional officer had beaten him.
There weren’t any other possibilities.
He continued with a sneering smile.
“Ah, and by the way, let’s just say we need to talk late into the night.”
“Late-night questioning? Can you really interrogate a witness all night?”
Si-hyun glared at Park Cheol-gon fiercely.
However, Park Cheol-gon took the stare nonchalantly and continued speaking.
“Why? Is it forbidden? If it is, bring me the rulebook. And just who decides that you’re merely a witness, huh?”
“….”
Wow, this guy is serious.
Si-hyun barely kept a grip on his rationality.
He was definitely someone who shouldn’t be engaged in a verbal duel.
He desperately wanted to punch that irritating face.
“Is that so? That’s how it is, huh? Fine, go ahead with your interrogation. But I know a thing or two—whether it’s the accused, the victim, or even a witness, a lawyer can always participate during police questioning, right? Am I correct?”
“Correct. Call your lawyer if you want.”
Park Cheol-gon crossed his arms, looking like he dared Si-hyun to try.
What lawyer would come out in the middle of the night?
There wouldn’t be a single lawyer who would drop everything to come at such an hour for a correctional officer.
Ignoring Park Cheol-gon’s unimpressed face, Si-hyun picked up his phone.
He quickly pressed the speed dial for number 11.
The phone rang, and someone picked up.
“Yes, CEO Jang? It’s me. You need to come here immediately. I’m near Cheonggye Mountain. It’s a side road, but look for somewhere called Cheongma Garden on the way. I’m being subjected to unjust pressure from the police right now. So please hurry. Yes, yes.”
CEO Jang?
These days, even dogs and cats claim to be representatives.
Whether a representative or not, it was unlikely that a mere correctional officer would know anyone of real importance.
Park Cheol-gon snorted in disdain.
“He’ll be here within an hour, so I’ll just wait for him to get here and then I’ll be questioned. Sound good?”
“Do as you wish.”
Even if he pressed on, it didn’t really matter.
But he wanted to see the look of despair when Park Cheol-gon realized that the lifeline he had counted on was nothing but a weak thread.
“I’ll come back later.”
With a twisted grin, Park Cheol-gon left the tent.
The detectives beside him followed suit.
“Hyung, did you really call a lawyer?”
Kang Baek immediately asked as they left.
“No.”
“What? Then who did you call?”
“Someone we both know, and someone that Park Cheol-gon knows too.”
An inscrutable smile formed on Si-hyun’s lips.
