06:10 AM
5th floor of Shenyang Hospital, in a ward.
There was a man lying down with a haggard face.
It was Lee Myeong, the leader of the 3rd squad.
As the emergency room surgeon said, he underwent thorough examination, and even though he suffered gunshot wounds, he only needed a week to recover.
[Since there's no infection and you've received regenerative treatment, you can return to work after a week of rest in the hospital.]
After a week, he would be discharged and asked to work at a desk.
He was called lucky.
'Ah… shut up.'
The sound of a TV playing loudly annoyed him.
He couldn't tell them to turn down the volume because he shared the room with 6 other people.
And the room was mostly filled with elderly people.
'Not a single person is asleep.'
The elderly women and men were all awake.
'Damn it. I have gunshot wounds. At least put me in a single-person room!'
He groaned.
As soon as a week of rest was put down, he was put into a multi-person ward.
Crck!
He moved for food.
After not eating last night and getting treatment, he woke up at dawn because of sleeping on an empty stomach.
A nurse entered.
"How is everyone feeling?"
Lee Myeong asked the nurse.
"When can I have a meal?"
"Ah. Meal? Give me a second."
The nurse looked down at the chart.
"If the doctor comes for his rounds and then declares you are in good condition, I think you will be given porridge."
"Ugh."
Lee Myeong looked like he was going to die.
He was starving, and he couldn't wait until lunch.
He knew he shouldn't, but he still asked.
"Then, can I smoke…"
Then, he heard it from the TV.
-Breaking News. We have unfortunate news. Around dawn, the authorities announced that Son Mang-dal and the other members of the Fire Head organization who were arrested for drug sales escaped from the Public Safety Bureau.
"What?"
Lee Myeong's face stiffened.
On the screen, the director's press conference began, starting with CCTV footage.
-… Song Wei-kang, was killed as he was fleeing with the video copy of the crimes. The Public Security Bureau will not ignore this…
"Damn it!"
The news of the escape was absurd, and his direct boss had died.
'What the hell happened?'
Something happened within the 12 hours of him being hospitalized.
Lee Myeong jumped up out of the bed.
"Patient!"
The nurse panicked.
Pushing her aside, Lee Myeong spoke.
"I need to be discharged immediately."
"That can't…"
Pak!
Despite the nurse's words, Lee Myeong pulled the infusion needle out of his arm.
He staggered out of the room while blood dripped from the spot where the needle was inserted.
The nurse shouted.
"Patient Lee Myeong!"
06:45 AM
Shenyang City Public Security Bureau.
The gate wasn't even opened, but the atmosphere of the Public Security Bureau was close to a funeral home.
And the staff which belonged to it were summoned early to deal with the situation.
"Oh my! Oh my!"
"Wail. Wail…. Does it make sense that I can't even see the body of my husband after being told the news?"
The families of the deceased were crying and wailing in front of the office. Due to how the bodies were being sent to autopsy, they weren't shown to the families.
Originally, civilians would need to give permission for an autopsy, but when police risk their lives, they receive an autopsy right away.
The access to the bureau was blocked with a tape prohibiting the entry of the families.
"Was that the only CCTV footage, or is the bureau hiding something?"
"Why are they controlling the press?"
Reporters were gathered outside.
After the press conference, the reporters of each media group came to ask numerous questions.
And because of them, the people of the bureau who were summoned in the morning were having a hard time.
"Once the results of the investigation are released, an announcement will be made to the press. Until then, reporters! Step back!"
The police, controlling them, shouted.
Despite repeating the same line for the last 30 minutes, the reporters showed no signs of backing down.
That was when a reporter shouted while pointing to a black sedan entering through the side driveway.
"I don't get it. You said that no one should pass except for the people related to it, then that car which doesn't even belong to the bureau. Why did you let it in?"
"What is this? Let us in too!"
Thanks to one person's scream, the other reporters shouted.
The police officers who were blocking the reporters were shocked.
Meanwhile, on the 1st floor of the bureau.
Someone was looking at the confused faces of his men.
The man with sparse grey hair was Sang Yu-geun, the Director of Shenyang City Public Security Bureau.
He looked at someone and spoke.
"So what you want to say is that the Fire Head gang and the person in the interrogation room in a weird costume are on a team? Deputy Director?"
He was talking to Ho Il-kyung.
His posture while sitting on the sofa was extremely uncomfortable.
A doctor from the medical team who came to work early relocated his shoulders and bones, which were dislocated, but it was just a temporary measure because his cartilage was damaged.
However, he was the only survivor of the night. He couldn't even go to the hospital because he was called for interrogation.
"Didn't I say that before? Director. The 5th team was ordered to isolate that Murim…"
Step! Step!
The sound of the director's shoes.
With a small light beam, a 3D image began to appear on the table.
The CCTV footage of the 4th and 5th interrogation rooms in the basement.
"Oh?"
In that video, Ho Il-kyung was sitting on a chair in the interrogation room as if he lost his soul.
Drool! Drool!
And he was snoring too!
He was told that all of the footage was deleted, but that didn't seem to be the case.
'Do I sleep like that?'
Even he couldn't understand how he slept peacefully amid the chaos.
Flustered, he tried to explain.
"Di-Director…"
Bang!
Director Sang Yu-geun slammed the desk with his fist.
"There are a total of two CCTV images of chief Song Wei-kang! It's this video and then the one given to the media. I can't show this video to the media because the prestige of the bureau will fall. Do you understand what I'm talking about?"
He could.
There was a USB in Song Wei-kang's mouth.
Which made the officers guess that the accident occurred when Song Wei-kang was running away with the USB.
Thanks to that, Song Wei-kang was being praised.
"Even the head of the violent crimes, who was such an honest man, made such sacrifices. Does it make sense for the Deputy Director of Public Security to be sleeping inside the interrogation room?"
"Ah, Director. You're mistaken! It's…"
"I don't want to hear it! After the interrogation by squad 3 is done, there will be an indefinite suspension until the higher-ups give any instructions."
At that, Ho Il-kyung jumped up.
And hurriedly knelt in front of the Director and spoke with teary eyes.
"Director. You're really mistaken. Look at me. My shoulders and arms are gone. I was caught by the Murim warrior, and I suffered all kinds of humiliation…"
Knock! Knock!
Then someone knocked on the door.
Since the Deputy Director was in the room, the director said,
"I don't know what it is, but come back later."
-Director, this is urgent.
Saying that it was urgent allowed the man to come in.
In the meantime, as if nothing happened, Ho Il-kyung went back to the sofa nonchalantly and whistled as he looked to his right.
A male detective hurried into the room with an envelope.
"What is urgent… hm?"
The Director's expression stiffened at the mark of Shenyang City Hall on the documents which were taken out of the envelope.
At the bottom were a name and seal.
At the same time, in the Public Security violent crimes squad room.
On the sofa was a man in a neat suit having coffee.
It was Jo Yu-seong who promised to get Chun Yeowun out within 12 hours.
"Phew."
There was a man in his early forties with a beard in front of him.
He was Oh Yu-bong, the 1st team leader of the violent crimes squad.
Oh Yu-bong spoke to Jo Yu-seong, who was drinking coffee.
"I see there's something you want to believe in. Will you wake up from that dream? As you know, the current situation isn't that good, and our director is a wonderful man who does not give in to external pressure or any kind of request. It will not go your way."
It was because Jo Yu-seong brought an official letter requesting the release of 'that person' who was imprisoned in the interrogation room.
He even brought a lawyer from a well-known law firm in Shenyang City.
"I know right. Let's wait and see."
Jo Yu-seong smiled.
Team leader Oh Yu-bong clicked his tongue, looking at how the man was speaking provocatively.
'That young man.'
But this time, Oh Yu-bong knew that things wouldn't happen the way the man wanted them to.
The current situation of the bureau was messed up, but the person in the interrogation room was someone the City Hall ordered them to investigate.
So why would they want the man to leave?
"Huh. Are you done with your coffee? Pack your papers, and let me escort you out. It's hard with all the reporters and the barricades…"
It was then.
"Team leader!"
The detective who was sent to the director's office came back into the room.
But that wasn't it.
'Why?'
Director Sang Yu-geun followed him.
"S-Salute!"
Oh Yu-bong immediately got up and saluted.
Sang Yu-geun lightly nodded and looked at Jo Yu-seong.
"Chief Jo. It has been a long time."
"Have you been well? Director, you must have been working hard. Sorry for suddenly coming in."
Jo Yu-seong got up and bowed.
Judging from their conversation and the tone, it seemed they were acquainted.
"I apologize in advance for not being able to properly entertain you in this situation. But fine. Was the request letter written by Director Yoon?"
"That's right."
"I brought the seal, so let's get this moving."
'What?'
Oh Yu-bong was shocked.
He thought his director would never accept that request.
But this was something he never expected.
The director came down to his room to approve the letter.
'What the hell…'
While he was shocked, Jo Yu-seong looked at him and smiled.
A smile which said that he won.
Ding-dong!
The elevator door opened, and Chun Yeowun appeared along with Oh Yu-bong.
Jo Yu-seong, who was waiting in the lobby, bowed to the man.
"You have been through a lot. Mr. Mu-seong."
"Mu-seong?"
Jo Yu-seong sent a message to Chun Yeowun, who was puzzled.
[I didn't know your name while creating the ID, so I put a temporary name. Once you let me know your actual name, we will edit it.]
Chun Yeowun nodded.
But on the inside, he thought it was a clever name.
The temporary name he was given was similar to his descendant's name, Chun Mu-seong.
"Who's the one next to you?"
"This is Lee Hyun, a lawyer at KD Law Firm, who is serving as an advisor at our headquarters. He struggled a lot with the paperwork last night."
"I'm Lee Hyun."
Lawyer Lee Hyun gave a light bow.
After introducing him, Jo Yu-seong pointed to the outside of the building.
"Let's get out of this place now, so I'll take you to the head office right away."
As Jo Yu-seong said, the lobby was full of staff and detectives.
They were all conducting an investigation, drawing white lines on the lobby floor, and collecting the blood.
To Chun Yeowun, who was about to follow Jo Yu-seong out, the 1st team leader of the crimes squad spoke.
"Oye, historical costume. I don't know who you are, but know that this isn't the end. Be careful. I, the 1st team leader of the violent crimes squad. Oh Yu-song is warning you."
It was a warning as he was leaving.
When Chun Yeowun tried to speak up, Jo Yu-seong and the lawyer said there was no need to deal with the man and led him to a black sedan.
Even when Chun Yeowun got into the car, Oh Yu-bong stared at him with an angry goblin-like face.
The car door closed, and Jo Yu-seong, who was sitting next to him, calmly said.
"You have been very patient. Many eyes are watching you, so it wouldn't look good if you got into an argument with the leader of the violent crimes squad within the bureau…"
That was when Chun Yeowun, who was looking out the window, pretended to grab something.
"Ugh!"
Oh Yu-bong, who turned around to enter the building, grabbed his stomach and fell down.
The investigators were shocked and tried to support him.
'This…'
No matter how you looked at it, it must have been something Chun Yeowun did.
Flustered, Jo Yu-seong told the driver.
"Start the car. Let's go."
The quick-witted driver started the car and stepped on the gas.
When they got on the road after barely passing through the barricades and the reporters, Jo Yu-seong took a deep breath and said,
"I understand your feelings, but if you do tha…"
"What time is it?"
"Huh? What time?"
Jo Yu-seong, who was about to speak, went stiff at Chun Yeowun's question.
He was puzzled, thinking that Chun Yeowun would hold him accountable for being late.
"If it's because of the promise I made, I apologize. I tried to deal with it as quickly as possible."
Jo Yu-seong touched the smartphone on his wrist.
[07:17 AM]
"It's 07:17. We arrived at around 6, but we had to wait inside for it to get approved…"
"So many excuses."
'Ha…'
At Chun Yeowun's cold words, Jo Yu-seong sighed.
While working in the Human Resources Department, he experienced many different types of people when recruiting talents.
'Is he trying to aim for something higher? He's a lot smarter than I thought.'
For a second, he wanted to ignore Chun Yeowun and walk away, but he invested a lot into him.
And he already reported to the director.
"Yes, yes. I lost. I can't help it. Obviously, there's the thing where I broke the appointment time, so I will tell the director when negotiating your salary…"
Slash!
It was before his words even finished.
The flexible smartphone that Jo Yu-seong had on his left wrist cracked.
In the moment of shock, his left wrist had fallen on the car's floor.
"Kuaak!"
Jo Yu-seong screamed in pain.
In his usual cold voice, Chun Yeowun said,
"I was trying to tone it down, but you talk a lot."
"Haa… haaa…"
"Since you said you worked all night for me, I ended this with your wrist and not your arm."
Chun Yeowun's way of showing mercy.
However, Jo Yu-seong couldn't say anything.
'Ugh, he… really cut…'
He regretted not taking the warning seriously.