Chapter 87
Episode 87
Kang Baek was still in a daze at the situation.
In front of him, Si-hyun and Jang Hak-ki were walking side by side.
Jang Hak-ki was a well-known figure, famous enough for even Kang Baek, who had little interest in politics, to recognize him.
He frequently appeared on political news, so it was hard to miss him.
In contrast, Si-hyun was just an ordinary correctional officer he saw every day at work.
Thus, it felt exceedingly strange to see the two of them together.
Especially since Si-hyun didn’t seem the least bit nervous.
Normally, when faced with someone much older and of higher social status, it would be normal to feel somewhat apprehensive, even if they were on familiar terms.
The more Kang Baek thought about it, the more questions began to pile up in his mind.
He wasn’t the only one watching them.
Nearby, the police were also looking at them with curious eyes.
It was already well-known among the officers present that Si-hyun was the correctional officer who had caught Kang Tae-eun.
But the sight of that officer now walking alongside the utterly unexpected Jang Hak-ki struck them as peculiar.
“What’s up? Are they relatives or something?”
“Could be, right?”
He could hear whispers coming from somewhere nearby.
They thought there might be a family relationship since they hadn’t heard the conversation from inside the tent.
It certainly looked that way, as they appeared to share a friendly rapport.
“I’m jealous. Turns out he had connections. How can someone without connections even survive in this world?”
“Seriously. It’s jealous-worthy that he caught Kang Tae-eun and that he has connections.”
Some officers were casting envious glances at Si-hyun.
“Thank you for your hard work today.”
Si-hyun said near Jang Hak-ki’s vehicle.
His tone was different from when they were inside the tent.
In there, he had to maintain Jang Hak-ki’s dignity, but now he could speak comfortably without such concerns.
“No worries, I just did my job.”
Jang Hak-ki replied politely.
“If you need anything in the future, feel free to call me and I’ll continue to help.”
“Just call me whenever, Supervisor.”
Jang Hak-ki’s demeanor was that of a new employee addressing the head of a group.
He didn’t lower his head as the other officers were watching; if not for that, he would have bowed multiple times already, so much was his respect.
“Well then, see you next time.”
As Si-hyun said that and turned to leave, Jang Hak-ki called out to him.
“Would you like to ride in my car, Supervisor? I can drive you home comfortably.”
“No, it’s fine. I drove here, and I have my little brother with me… See you next time.”
After waving to refuse, Si-hyun was about to approach Kang Baek.
Just then, a notification popped up.
[You have captured an escaped death row inmate and have restored the tarnished honor of the guards; Po-ahim’s foul mood has returned to normal.]
[Strength +40, Agility +40, Wisdom +20, Stamina +40, Mental Power +20 recovered.]
‘Finally, it appeared.’
As the quest completion notification flashed, it felt like wrapping up everything that had happened today.
Looking at it from any angle, it was undeniably a good outcome.
He had made a significant achievement and was finally able to wrap up the tedious stakeout so soon.
Indeed, he felt incredibly lucky.
He had anticipated that he would someday confront Kang Tae-eun because of the quest, but he never expected it would happen so swiftly.
Si-hyun resumed his steps that had briefly stopped.
“Let’s go, Kang Baek.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“How do you know Jang Hak-ki, Supervisor?”
As Si-hyun started the engine and drove off, Kang Baek asked with curiosity.
He had clearly been waiting for the opportunity to ask that question.
“Just stuff that happened.”
“Come on, that’s vague. Please tell me, brother. I’m really curious.”
“Are you that curious?”
“Yes, I genuinely am.”
Seated in the passenger seat, Kang Baek’s gaze intensified as he looked at Si-hyun’s profile.
“Fine, I got it, I got it.”
Si-hyun replied as if he had no choice.
Honestly, if he were in Kang Baek’s shoes, he would have been just as curious.
However, he couldn’t disclose the tumultuous incidents involving Jang Hak-ki in full detail, so he felt he needed to come up with a story.
Si-hyun continued.
“You know I worked at Daehan Correctional Facility, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
“Jang Hak-ki was an inmate there.”
“Oh, really?”
Kang Baek responded as if he had no idea.
He had heard about Jang Hak-ki’s arrest, but he didn’t know where he had been detained.
“Yeah. And his cell was in the area I was in charge of. So, our experiences there were how we got to know each other.”
“I see. So, it wasn’t a social connection but one formed in prison. But can a correctional officer get that close to an inmate? From what I’ve seen, it doesn’t really work like that.”
Kang Baek looked at him in wonder.
The relationship between a correctional officer and an inmate is fundamentally a professional one.
Moreover, most inmates preferred not to recall their life inside prison.
Therefore, many inmates recoiled at the thought of running into familiar correctional officers after their release.
So, it was indeed odd for a correctional officer to form a close relationship with an inmate—especially one like a prominent political figure.
“Everyone’s different. Since Jang Hak-ki had spent so much time in politics, he found prison life extremely difficult. I helped him adjust, but I didn’t give him any special treatment; I just taught him patiently how to survive in prison life, step by step.”
“Wow… So you practically rehabilitated him. That’s impressive.”
“Not that impressive.”
Si-hyun said with a chuckle.
In truth, they endured suffering and shared experiences throughout their time together.
One side requested an assassination while the other shouted for a relentless struggle.
Though the words were fabricated, it was amusing for him to hear the term ‘rehabilitation’ used regarding their relationship.
With that, Kang Baek chose not to pry further into the intricacies between him and Jang Hak-ki.
Instead, the topic shifted to the Kang Tae-eun incident.
“That ended well, right, brother?”
Kang Baek asked cautiously.
Having unexpectedly found himself released from police questioning, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his heart.
“Relax. We’re not criminals; what could he possibly do? Just don’t worry and be at ease.”
Si-hyun replied as if there was no need for concern.
“But that division chief guy seemed like he had a grudge against you. He kept asking about the assault and his gaze seemed filled with malice towards you.”
“Doesn’t matter. You saw how he looked when he left, right?”
Si-hyun recalled Park Cheol-gon’s crumpled expression and chuckled.
“Ha ha, that was definitely satisfying. He strutted around like a bigshot, throwing insults, and then his face turned pale and began to shake… It was so rewarding!”
It seemed that Kang Baek felt the tension within himself dissipate as they discussed it.
While chatting, a smile, full of satisfaction, adorned his face.
“Oh, but brother.”
“What?”
“Why did he act that way? I couldn’t figure it out. When he mentioned something about a nightclub, his expression soured instantly.”
“I don’t know either.”
“If you find out later, please let me know. I’m truly curious.”
“Yeah, got it.”
“Oh, and is there a chance his humiliation might lead to revenge? That’s been nagging at me.”
“Of course, that could happen. It definitely could, but you don’t need to worry about it at all this time. So, stop thinking about it.”
Si-hyun spoke as if there was no need for concern.
Park Cheol-gon was already in a position where he had essential weaknesses exposed.
In that state, even a more malicious person than Park Cheol-gon would hesitate to act.
“Can I really trust that?”
“You most certainly can. Don’t stress over that guy; just focus on your special promotion.”
“Hmm, understood. Promotion, promotion, promotion. Ah… If only that could happen, I’d have nothing more to wish for.”
Kang Baek muttered with a look of earnest aspiration.
◈ ◈ ◈
<00 News>
– The Tense Moments Leading up to the Capture and Death of Kang Tae-eun
Kang Tae-eun was apprehended after a lengthy 11 months on the run.
Kang’s escape came to an end when he was captured at 8:30 PM on the 17th by Officer Lee Mo and his colleague, Officer Nam Mo, at a restaurant near Baegun Lake in Uiwang City, and subsequently died at 8:45 PM.
The arrest of Kang was dramatically reminiscent of a movie.
When Officer Lee Mo first laid eyes on Kang, it was 7:56 PM.
At first, Officer Lee Mo didn’t recognize him.
Kang had altered his appearance with plastic surgery to escape notice from searches.
But it was at that moment that Officer Lee Mo’s keen insight and instincts kicked in.
While he didn’t completely recognize Kang, his extensive experience dealing with criminals in correctional facilities allowed him to sense the small things that indicated something was off about the person.
Kang had come alone to dine at a high-end restaurant, yet he bore a demeanor that completely disregarded the gazes of those around him.
That behavior reminded Officer Lee Mo of the characteristics of criminals who often lack empathy.
Additionally, the suspect was about 170 cm tall, similar to Kang, and there was a distinct unease about his face.
Most people get plastic surgery to enhance their looks, but this individual appeared to have done it in a way that screamed, “I don’t want anyone to recognize me.”
At that moment, Officer Lee Mo wondered if he might be Kang.
Officer Nam Mo agreed with that assessment.
Eventually, they decided to pursue him.
As soon as Kang finished his meal and left, they halted their own meal and swiftly followed him.
The high-pressure tailing led all the way to Cheonggye Mountain.
There, they witnessed a shocking scene.
Kang was about to commit murder against a woman he had kidnapped.
Officer Lee Mo rushed in to stop Kang while Officer Nam Mo protected the woman.
Kang wielded a sharp knife as a weapon, and Officer Lee Mo stood bare-handed against him.
Later revealed, Kang had been in a state of awakening at the time, while Officer Lee Mo was a D-rank Awakened Being affiliated with the Ganghwa Island Special Detention Center.
Soon, Officer Lee Mo had to engage in a life-or-death struggle.
Fortunately, he managed to subdue Kang without sustaining any injuries.
After subduing Kang, Officer Lee Mo exchanged a few words with him.
It was then that Kang revealed his own identity.
But just then, an unexpected incident occurred.
Kang suddenly clutched his chest in pain and collapsed, unable to get back up.
Officer Lee Mo and Officer Nam Mo rushed over to perform CPR, but Kang did not regain consciousness.
The autopsy revealed the cause of death to be cardiac arrest.
The notorious serial killer and escapee met an unexpected end.
With Kang’s death, the mysterious truth behind his escape was also at risk of slipping into obscurity.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Congratulations!”
“Congratulations!”
“Really, congratulations!”
“Truly, congratulations!”
Si-hyun had never received so many congratulations in his life.
Thanks to the achievement he made, he was awarded a special promotion by one rank, a commendation from the Minister of Justice, a 5 million won incentive, and a 10-day reward vacation.
In his public service career, he had never experienced this outpouring of accolades nor had he thought he ever would.
Most importantly, unlike the 9th or 8th grade, a promotion from 7th to 6th grade was immense.
And he had only been in the 7th grade for less than a year.
Considering it generally takes over ten years for regular correctional officers to advance from 7th to 6th grade, he had surpassed that timeframe by at least a decade.
He was going to become a section chief at just 32 years of age.
Even if he wasn’t comparable to someone who passed the administrative exam, it was incredibly fast.
It was enough to draw the envy of other correctional officers.
“I’m really, really happy for you, brother.”
Kang Baek extended his congratulations.
He didn’t receive that coveted promotion he had longed for.
The higher-ups deemed that all the credit for capturing Kang Tae-eun belonged to Si-hyun.
However, he seemed somewhat resigned to that outcome, as if he had anticipated it to a degree, but he quickly returned to his usual self.
At least he was still receiving a commendation, an incentive, and a reward vacation, so he was relieved.
“I’m sorry if I seemed like I was blowing hot air.”
Si-hyun said with a bittersweet smile.
“Ha ha, not at all, brother. You did everything, so what could I possibly complain about? I’m completely satisfied with this level of reward.”
Kang Baek cheerfully accepted Si-hyun’s words.
“That’s a relief.”
“Really. Don’t worry about it at all. Besides, soon you’ll be called ‘Section Chief.'”
“Ah, that feels strange.”
Since he had always been the one calling others ‘Section Chief,’ hearing it directed at him felt odd.
“Why? It sounds good, right? Section Chief. Section Chief. Lee Si-hyun Section Chief.”
Kang Baek teased as if it were hilarious.
“…Hearing that makes me feel like I’ve aged suddenly.”
Si-hyun shook his head at the images of the section chiefs he had called by that title until now.
He couldn’t help but conjure up images of middle-aged men with thinning hair and wrinkles around their eyes and foreheads.
“Then I’ll keep saying it. Section Chief. Section Chief.”
Kang Baek continued his playful banter.
Si-hyun laughed and pointed to his watch.
“Good, it’s time to get to work.”
Si-hyun was the first to rise from the break room and headed back to the ward.
His steps were lighter than usual.
