Chapter 16
Last year, the total number of crimes in the Gyeonggi Southern Region was approximately 250,000.
This accounted for 19% of all incidents, the highest number nationwide.
And within that Gyeonggi Southern Region, the place with the most notorious reputation was Annam City, specifically the Macheon Precinct, where entertainment districts and abandoned/empty houses were concentrated.
Everyone was puzzled.
By the fact that the Top Graduate was going to Annam, a place everyone avoided.
"Isn't there a mistake in the system?"
At Lee Seung-ho's words, Songtan shook his head.-ho's words, Songtan shook his head.
"No, it's correct. I applied there myself."
"What? No!? Why...?"
His grades were good enough to go to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency if he wanted to.
They couldn't understand why he would willingly walk into such a *demon's den*.
But Songtan hadn't chosen the Macheon Precinct without reason.
"To catch a lot of fish, you have to go where the water is deep."
From the moment he decided to become a Police Officer, he had no intention of slacking off, not even a tiny bit.
Now that he was a Police Officer, he would uphold order, protect the weak, and prioritize responsibility and honor.
He would pursue true *Hyeop*, which he couldn't fully achieve in his previous life.
That was his resolve.
In that sense, Annam City was a very appealing place to work.
Since they were reportedly unable to keep up with public safety demands due to a shortage of Police Officers.
"To accumulate as many achievements as possible in a short time and move directly to the Detective Division."
This was Songtan's first goal.
***
The long-awaited first day of work.
Two new Probationary Police Officers assigned to the Annam Macheon Police Substation were facing the Precinct Chief.
"Hmm..."
The Precinct Chief, with a warm impression like a neighborhood dumpling shop Mr. President / CEO, scanned the personnel records of the new Probationary Police Officers.
As he indifferently flipped through the documents, his eyes widened slightly.
"Huh? Top Graduate?"
The Precinct Chief tilted his head and looked at the two Probationary Police Officers.
"Who's Songtan?"
"Yes, that's me."
The Precinct Chief's languid eyes swept over Songtan's entire body.
"Why did a Top Graduate like you come here?"
It was a question laden with many meanings.
"Let's see, a Presidential Award... Huh? How can someone just appointed receive a National Police Agency Commissioner's Commendation? Wait a minute..."
The Precinct Chief, staring intently at Songtan's personnel record, let out a low exclamation of surprise.
"Oh my, you were the Trainee who subdued the Weapon Rampage Perpetrator at Chungju Station?"
The Precinct Chief put down the documents and looked at Songtan with a bewildered expression.
But he quickly composed himself and continued in a calm tone.
"Well... whether you're a Top Graduate or the grandfather of Top Graduates, once you're here at the Macheon Precinct, it's all the same. You generally know what kind of place this is, right?"
"Yes, I know!"
Woo Seung-tae answered crisply, and the Precinct Chief chuckled and asked.
"What have you heard?"
"Pardon?"
"Tell me what you know. It's fine."
"Well, it's... that public safety demand is high... and work is very busy..."
"Bullshit."
"S-sorry."
"Public safety demand isn't just high, it's *fucking* high, and work isn't just busy, it'll be busy enough to make you *shit blood*. You'd better be prepared."
"Gasp."
At the Precinct Chief's threat, Woo Seung-tae's face turned pale.
"But don't be too scared. One good thing is that because it's so busy, there's a 'we're all in this together' atmosphere, so new recruits won't be intimidated."
It was a comfort that offered no comfort at all.
"Other Police Substations might have welcome parties, but unfortunately, our Police Substation has no such luxury. We're already short-staffed, and our people are being ground to dust. You two will probably be deployed to the Field immediately today. Listen carefully to what your Senior Officers say. Never act alone. If things get tough, try to tough it out, but if you absolutely can't stand it, tell me."
The Precinct Chief, having rattled off his instructions like a machine gun, smoothly rose from his seat.
"I have to go to the Southern Regional Police Agency, so you two wait here. A Team Leader will come soon to tell you various things."
"Yes, understood!"
"Alright, keep up the good work."
Click-
After the Precinct Chief left.
"Phew..."
Only then did Woo Seung-tae, his shoulders slumped, let out the breath he'd been holding.
"I came prepared... but it seems I'm even more *fucked* than I thought?"
Woo Seung-tae clutched his head.
"Ah, I prayed and prayed not to get stuck here, damn it. God clearly doesn't exist. Should I switch to being a firefighter now...?"
After agonizing for a while, Woo Seung-tae slowly raised his head and looked at Songtan.
"Tani, be honest with me. You're thinking of quitting soon, aren't you?"
"Hmm? I don't plan to."
"You said you're twenty-three this year. You've done your military service. You're just going to try it out, quit, and then prepare for the police superintendent exam, right? Right? Your *hyung* can tell just by looking."
"I haven't thought about that at all."
"Come on, you can be honest with your *hyung*."
Just then, the door burst open.
"Hey, you Probationer nobodies."
"Ugh."
Woo Seung-tae flinched at the sudden appearance of the man.
"No time. Come out now."
Bang!
The man, having said his piece, slammed the door shut roughly.
Songtan smoothly stood up and followed the man, and Woo Seung-tae stammered as he chased after Songtan.
***
Patrol Team 3 Patrol Team 3 Leader Kang Tae-won led the two around, distributing equipment, introducing the Police Substation facilities, and conveying important instructions.-won led the two around, distributing equipment, introducing the Police Substation facilities, and conveying important instructions.
"Even if you forget everything else, you *must* memorize how to change the radio channel. If you can't use this when you're out on a call, you'll get cursed out for the rest of your life."
"Yes, understood."
Woo Seung-tae was on the verge of going crazy because the Team Leader just kept rattling off his instructions.
There was too much to memorize, but nothing was actually sinking in.
"Normally, I'd want to keep you on indoor duty for your first day, but unfortunately, this isn't a place with that luxury. You two will be deployed to the Field immediately today, so be aware of that."
"Immediately?"
"Why? You've done all your practical training at the Central Police Academy, haven't you? What's so difficult?"
"Ah, no, nothing."
Seeing Woo Seung-tae hesitate, Kang Tae-won let out a small laugh, as if he knew what was going on inside.-tae hesitate, Kang Tae-won let out a small laugh, as if he knew what was going on inside.
"Don't be too scared. It's not like I'm going to make you do anything. Just follow your Senior Officer around and do what you're told. Today, just get a feel for what the Field is like."
At the Team Leader's slightly reassuring words, Woo Seung-tae swallowed a sigh of relief.
Kang Tae-won, looking at the duty roster on the wall, shouted to someone.
"Hey, Jeong-tae. You take this one today."
"Me? Even so, taking a rookie around... I have junior officers too..."
"They're all out on calls. And his name is Seung-tae. Jeong-tae, Seung-tae. How nice, like brothers, right? Stop complaining and take him to the traffic accident scene that just came in."
"Y-yes..."
Sergeant Oh Jeong-tae, reluctantly nodding, said in a gruff voice.
"Hey. Probationer. Follow me."
"Y-yes!"
Woo Seung-tae, moving stiffly, followed his Senior Officer.
Kang Tae-won looked at Songtan, who was left alone, and said.
"Just wait a bit. You'll be going out soon too."
"Yes, understood."
With those words, Kang Tae-won returned to his seat, and Songtan stood alone, idle as a sack of grain.
How much time had passed?
The Police Substation Situation Room radio crackled briefly.
"This is Macheon Precinct, 112 call coming in."
The Situation Room officer checked the monitor and typed on the keyboard.
"Taewon-dong alley area within our jurisdiction, resident request: increased patrol in abandoned/empty house concentrated area. Concerns about unauthorized entry by juveniles and fire hazards."
Kang Tae-won, frowning, looked at the Situation Room officer.
"How many calls have come in?"
"This is the fourth today. It's a complaint about the same location."
"Ugh, this is relentless."
Kang Tae-won scratched his head vigorously and called out to someone.
"Hey, Gyeong-ho. You go. Take the Probationer with you."
"Yes, understood."
A man in his thirties with a friendly-looking face smiled at Songtan.
"Follow me out."
"Yes."
"We'll be back."
"Alright, just bear with it for a bit."
The moment they left the Police Substation and got into the patrol car.
"Ugh, *fuck*."
Yoo Gyeong-ho, his smile gone, suddenly swore.
"There's a heatwave warning, and what kind of *dog-shit* patrol is this?"
Yoo Gyeong-ho sighed, started the engine, and drove off.
Only then did Yoo Gyeong-ho glance sideways.
"Hey, Probationer. What's your name? How old are you?"
"It's my first time greeting you, Senior Officer. My name is Songtan, and I'm twenty-three this year."
"Twenty-three?"
Yoo Gyeong-ho looked back, surprised.
"What? Why do you look so old for your age? I thought you were at least twenty-eight. Can *hyung* speak informally to you?"
"Of course."
When the car stopped at a traffic light, Yoo Gyeong-ho stretched his arms out.
"Ugh, on such a nice day, I'm stuck doing this *shitty* work. Haa... I should be out *hunting* in Daecheon... Oh, my fate."
After complaining about his lot for a while, Yoo Gyeong-ho asked Songtan.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No, I don't."
"Yeah, it's better not to have one. Even if you did, you'd definitely break up if you worked here."
"Is that so?"
"Shall *Hyung* give you some advice that'll be good for your blood and flesh?"
"I'll engrave it in my heart."
"Never try to stand out. Don't try to do anything. You've been to the military, so you know, right? Just exist as if you're not there, just casually. Understand?"
As the light turned green, the car started moving again.
"This is a place where you just *endure* for a while and then leave. I've seen plenty of kids who tried to show off early on and burned themselves out."
"Is that so?"
"You'll understand what *Hyung* is saying later. Even now, we just pretend to patrol, then hide in the car and kill some time before going back. You're really lucky to have a Mentor like me, you *bastard*."
Yoo Gyeong-ho endlessly spouted words that bordered on self-praise, and before long, the patrol car entered the vicinity of Taewon-dong.
Taewon-dong was a neighborhood notorious for having the worst public safety in Annam City, with many old multi-family homes and empty houses from stalled redevelopment, creating a desolate and eerie atmosphere.
Because of this, it was a favorite hideout for runaway teenagers to commit delinquent acts.
"Every time I come here, it puts me in a bad mood. *Ptui*."
Yoo Gyeong-ho, scanning the neighborhood filled with cobweb-laden empty houses, spat a thick glob of saliva.
"We'll just quickly check the places with open doors, so follow me closely."
"Yes, Senior Officer."
Yoo Gyeong-ho, flashlight in hand, walked ahead, and Songtan quietly followed behind him.
***
Creak-
When he pushed open the broken door, it creaked, revealing the interior of the Abandoned Factory.
It was filled with liquor bottles, cigarette butts, and red spray paint graffiti.
"Ugh, these high school punks. Looks like they were drinking and messing around here again. Hey, take a picture of this."
"Yes."
Songtan, phone in hand, took pictures of the interior.
"Let's just check a few more places up ahead and then head back. There's probably nothing else to see."
The last place they visited was a two-story Abandoned House.
The door was half-open, and a faint light seeped out from inside.
"Who's in there?"
Yoo Gyeong-ho lowered his voice and quietly pushed the door open.
The scene revealed a man in his forties, dressed in a shabby short-sleeved shirt, chugging soju from a bottle in the middle of the living room.
"Sir? What are you doing here?"
Startled by the sudden appearance of the Police Officers, the man put down the soju bottle and stammered incoherently.
"Oh? S-sorry. I came in because I had nowhere to stay... I'll, I'll leave right away."
Yoo Gyeong-ho sighed and said.
"This is strictly private property. You need to leave immediately."
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry. I'll leave right away."
The homeless man bowed his head and apologized repeatedly, and Yoo Gyeong-ho didn't think much of it.
In this neighborhood, such incidents were just everyday occurrences.
Not only homeless people but also undocumented foreign workers would secretly find a place to sleep here.
It was usually a minor issue that was neatly resolved with an eviction notice.
Yoo Gyeong-ho turned around as if there was nothing more to see.
Songtan's gaze slowly swept over the floor and walls in turn.
*Two paper soju cups.*
There were also an excessive number of cigarette butts, seemingly recently smoked, too many for one person.
Songtan's eyes narrowed.
"Hey, Probationer. What are you doing? Aren't you coming out?"
Yoo Gyeong-ho urged him, but Songtan's gaze was fixed on the homeless man.
The man was hastily packing his belongings, but his pupils were shaking excessively.
His tongue kept licking his lips, and his restless hands kept fumbling in and out of his pockets unnecessarily.
"Sir. Could you please show me your ID? I need to verify your identity."
"Hey? What are you doing?"
Yoo Gyeong-ho approached with an annoyed expression.
"Something seems suspicious. It looks like he's been trying to hide something since we got here."
"W-what are you suddenly talking about!? Can you just accuse innocent people like this just because you're Police Officers?"
The homeless man, his bewildered demeanor gone, suddenly showed a fierce intensity.
Yoo Gyeong-ho looked at the man with narrowed eyes and slowly held out his palm.
"Sir? Could you please show me your ID? We'll just quickly verify your identity and then let you go."
"Oh, for crying out loud."
The man rummaged through his pockets with an annoyed expression.
Then, the man suddenly changed.
"Ugh!"
He suddenly pushed Yoo Gyeong-ho with his hand and charged forward with all his might.
Songtan, as if expecting it, blocked his path.
"Get out of the way, *fuck*!"
The man menacingly raised his fist. But Songtan stepped aside and twisted the man's arm.
Thud!
"Gasp."
The man's body, losing its balance, slammed onto the wooden floor.
Songtan quickly twisted the man's wrist and pinned him down, preventing him from moving.
Click-
Songtan, having handcuffed both wrists with smooth, fluid movements, shouted to Yoo Gyeong-ho.
"Senior Officer, that room!"
Yoo Gyeong-ho, scrambling to his feet, opened one of the tightly closed doors.
"Oh, *shit*..."
*Inside, a female student in a school uniform lay motionless, as if dead.*