Chapter 18
Kang Tae-won, the Senior Officer and Patrol Team 3 Team Leader at the Macheon Precinct.
As he smoked a cigarette in the smoking area behind the Police Substation, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
Why is it so manageable these days?
Hadn't he prided himself on having experienced all sorts of Trials and Tribulations during his twenty-year Police Career?
Even he, with all his experience, found the Annam Macheon Police Substation to be an incredibly tough place, enough to make him shake his head in disbelief.
The Patrol Staff, numbering less than thirty, worked a 4-Team, 2-Shift System, with 12-Hour Shifts.
The average Number of Calls per day was 150.
After being dispatched all night and returning, Computer Work awaited them.
Since they had to handle Public Complaints in the morning, the Break Room was practically Useless.
Intoxicated Males were incapable of proper conversation, making them Uncontrollable.
Victims would loudly express their grievances, while Perpetrators would issue Legal Threats, demanding a Lawyer.
Unable to rest properly, and forced to smile even when cursed at, it would have been strange if people weren't worn out.
Human physical and mental endurance are not infinite, so even Kang Tae-won, a Veteran Police Officer, had recently been pushed to his limits by fatigue.
But at some point, work seemed to ease up, and now it had become genuinely manageable.
Yoo Gyeong-ho, Songtan... those guys.
More precisely, it was probably because of that guy, Songtan, who had joined three months ago.
Yoo Gyeong-ho wasn't the type to proactively take on tasks in the first place.
What in the world was that guy doing before?
The question arose naturally.
He was only twenty-three years old.
Yet, watching him work, he was so thorough it was astounding.
So much so that it made one wonder if he had ever done something similar to police work before.
That can't be.
He had heard that Songtan passed the High School Equivalency Exam and then immediately passed the Police Officer Exam.
He had also served in a regular Army Unit, so there was no way he would have had any prior contact with the police.
"He's doing all that just with what he learned at the Central Police Academy...? Does that even make sense?"
Most of the Precinct Officers had also received training at the Central Police Academy.
So they couldn't help but know.
That theory was just theory, and the Field was completely different.
"But Songtan, that guy, what is he...?"
He knew that Songtan was the Valedictorian.
But that didn't guarantee he would automatically excel in practical work.
Moreover, handling so much work so quickly that the Police Substation's workload felt reduced was an entirely different concept.
"He's becoming more and more of a Mystery... that guy."
Kang Tae-won, tossing his finished cigarette into an ashtray, thought.
He should observe the Youngest Team Member, who had become a Person of Interest in a different sense, a little more closely.
***
*Crackle-*
[Police Net Dispatch, Unit 201. Seongnak-dong 143-7, multiple Intoxicated Males causing a disturbance. Requesting Available Patrol Car support.]
Yoo Gyeong-ho sighed and picked up the radio.
"Unit 201, en route."
Yoo Gyeong-ho put down the radio, turned the wheel, and made a sharp U-turn.
"Damn it. I thought today might actually be quiet for once."
"Still, if we finish this one, we can go home, so let's power through."
Yoo Gyeong-ho glanced to his right.
Songtan was looking straight ahead, his expression calm.
The atmosphere was as peaceful as if they were going on a picnic.
"That monstrous kid..."
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing."
Yoo Gyeong-ho thought.
*That's clearly not a human, but a robot.*
The Number of Cases the two of them had handled today was a staggering 58.
That was a number that would normally require two patrol cars.
But was it hard enough to kill them?
Not really. To be frank, he had merely assisted, and that monstrous Probationer had practically handled all the troublesome issues himself.
*'Yoo Gyeong-ho. Why are you working so hard these days? Did you take drugs or something?'*
These were the kinds of things Yoo Gyeong-ho often heard when he returned to the Police Substation these days.
"You must be lucky these days. Things seem to be getting handled so quickly."
"Luck?"
Yoo Gyeong-ho scoffed.
He could assert with certainty that it was absolutely not luck.
Usually, Intoxicated Males were often Incoherent to the point of being unable to communicate, and in cases of Assault Disputes, both sides were too agitated for any conversation.
That's why it took so much time.
*'But when that guy, Songtan, steps in...'*
The Drunkard, who had been completely wasted, would suddenly sober up.
Or people who had been threatening to kill each other would suddenly become Docile.
Such things happened all the time.
And sometimes, when they encountered an Uncontrollable Arrogant Person, handcuffs would be on them in the blink of an eye.
So cleanly that not even a small scratch appeared.
As a result, not even a single complaint arose.
*'What in the world is he...?'*
He had been watching him up close for nearly four months, but he still couldn't figure it out.
Why, exactly, did things just smoothly resolve themselves whenever Songtan stepped forward?
Of course, it was nice to have a monstrous Junior Partner who handled everything, providing a comfort akin to Auto-Hunting.
*'But that's only for Once or Twice.'*
Even if he was Thick-Skinned, he wasn't completely shameless.
That's why he tried to be quick to respond to Requests for Support or dispatches.
Perhaps it was a desire to show at least a tiny bit of Senior-like behavior.
*'Today, I'm really going to keep my eyes peeled. What exactly is up with that guy?'*
Yoo Gyeong-ho's eyes, gripping the steering wheel, burned with determination.
***
*Crash!*
"Aargh!"
When they arrived at the Field, the inside of the Restaurant was already a mess.
Overturned chairs, broken dishes.
The floor was slick and gleaming with a mixture of alcohol and oil.
*Outside, many Citizens were watching, and Kang Tae-won and his Partner, who had arrived first, were blocking the entrance with their batons.*
"Senior! We're here!"
As the long-awaited reinforcements arrived, Kang Tae-won immediately cursed.
"Damn it, what took you so long!?"
"We flew here in five minutes!"
"Don't talk back."
As Kang Tae-won-won raised his baton, Yoo Gyeong-ho instinctively pulled his head back.
"By the way, are those the guys?"
*Crash!*
"%#@$@#$@#!"
Four burly men, who had been in a Lull, began to cause a disturbance again.
They appeared to be in their late thirties to forties, and all four had thick beards.
"Don't even get me started. There's no reasoning with them."
"It's not the first time Intoxicated Males are unreasonable."
"These guys are truly impossible. All four are Chinese People."
"Chinese People?"
Only then did Yoo Gyeong-ho realize that what they were shouting was Chinese.
"This is driving me crazy."
It was a moment when the Case Processing Difficulty increased fivefold.
"First, we evacuated the Shop Owner inside."
"Good job. Looks like these guys have hit Rock Bottom."
Yoo Gyeong-ho's eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.
"They might suddenly charge... Shouldn't we use a Taser Gun?"
"#@%@$!!!"
Seeing the increased number of Police Officers, the agitated Intoxicated Male kicked a chair.
"I'd like to, but look at their Clothing Thickness."
Yoo Gyeong-ho, scanning the Intoxicated Males' attire, frowned.
"Ah... you're right. Damn it, they're bundled up."
Typically, when a Police Officer uses a Taser Gun, two probes connected by wires to the main unit are fired when the trigger is pulled.
The principle was that electricity would flow, causing Muscle Paralysis, only when both probes hit the Subject.
According to guidelines, Police Officers should Aim for the Back of the Body of the Subject, and when firing at the front, they must Aim below the sternum.
Under these restrictions, even if a fired Taser Gun hit its mark, if the two probes didn't reach the skin due to Clothing Thickness, it would be Useless.
"So what do we do?"
Kang Tae-won, biting his lip at Yoo Gyeong-ho's question, shouted at them.
"Stop it! Calm down!"
Short English phrases blurted out as he held up his palms.
But what came back was a chorus of mocking Chinese.
"Look at that idiot, spouting off some useless English."
"Hey, but are we really okay like this? Won't this just make things worse?"
The four Chinese People continued their conversation, their eyes completely unfocused.
"Just trust me. If we do this, we really won't have to pay for the drinks, I swear. Just say the Restaurant Owner overcharged us and we got angry, and that we don't remember anything because we were drunk."
"That's really all it takes?"
"Yeah, I'm telling you. Korean Police are different from Public Security. They can't come on too strong because of Human Rights Issues and all that. In fact, if they lay a hand on us and we get hurt, the Police are held responsible!"
"Huh? Is that even possible? Then how do Korean Police Officers do their jobs?"
"Of course, they can't do their jobs properly. So, like this."
*Bang!*
"Aargh!"
The bald Chinese Person kicked the table with a loud *bang*.
"Even if we act out, they can't do anything to us."
Just then, fluent Chinese flowed from among the group of Police Officers facing them.
"If you've come to another country, you should stay quiet and go back. Where are you causing trouble? Don't you even know the saying of the Ancient Sage, that when you arrive in a foreign land, you should follow local customs, and be cautious in your words and actions? What about people in this era?"
(If you've come to another country, you should stay quiet and go back. Where are you causing trouble? Don't you even know the saying of the Ancient Sage, that when you arrive in a foreign land, you should follow its customs and be careful with your words and actions? What's wrong with people these days?)
The four Chinese People, their eyes wide as saucers, turned their gaze to where the voice came from.
The three Police Colleagues also looked at Songtan with surprise.
They had never imagined he would speak Chinese.
"You... you could speak Chinese?"
"I learned a little bit a long time ago."
It wasn't just "a little bit"; his memory of living for nearly forty years during the Song Dynasty was as vivid as if it happened yesterday.
Of course, there were differences between Ancient Chinese and modern Chinese, but with a little study, he quickly bridged the gap.
"May I try to talk to them?"
"Huh? Oh, oh, okay. Good timing. Try to resolve it peacefully if you can."
"Understood."
Songtan nodded and stepped forward with a steady gait.
The four Chinese People, holding bottles and other items, became highly wary.
"It seems you're misunderstanding something. Crimes committed within the Territory of the Republic of Korea are, as a rule, subject to Korean Criminal Law, regardless of nationality. And being drunk doesn't automatically guarantee a reduced sentence. In short, you're digging your own graves right now, all because you met some poorly informed Friend."
The pupils of three of the men flickered slightly.
Then, the bald man, who was the ringleader, roared.
"Don't believe that *Gaoli bangzi*! He's just trying to scare you!"
Regardless of what the man said, Songtan calmly continued his speech.
"You only get one chance. If you put down what you're holding and surrender peacefully now, it'll likely end with just a fine. But if you escalate things further here, it could go to trial. There's a high probability you'll face Imprisonment. Surely, you don't want to mess around, just trusting your Friend, and end up rotting in a Foreign Prison, do you?"
Faced with a fact-based threat, the three men, who had been exchanging glances, eventually...
...put down the items they were holding and subtly raised both their palms.
A clear Sign of Surrender.
"These idiots, really!"
The bald man, furious, snatched a broken beer bottle lying on the floor.
"I'm telling you, even if I charge, those bastards won't touch me! I'll show you, you idiots."
A murderous glint appeared in the bald man's eyes.
"Watch out, Songtan!"
Kang Tae-won, sensing the danger, shouted urgently, but...
"Die!!"
The man had already charged at Songtan.
The sharp tip of the Glass Shard flew towards Songtan's abdomen.
Songtan neither flinched nor retreated.
He simply twisted a step to avoid the beer bottle and pulled the opponent's arm inward.
"Ugh!"
*Clang!*
The beer bottle slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
*At the same time, the bald man's body lost its balance and swayed towards the floor.*
*Click-*
Handcuffs were already on both his wrists.
Everything happened in an instant, as if watching a magic show.
"Don't you dare take these off!? Damn it! Take them off!!"
The bald man resisted violently, Raging.
Then Songtan whispered softly, just loud enough for the man to hear.
"Actually, you're right. Korean Police can't touch a Bad Guy first, no matter how bad they are. But you know what? I'm a little different."
"What are you saying, you *bàngzi*!"
Even with handcuffs on, the bald Chinese Person struggled to the very end.
"I'll let you feel it for yourself."
Songtan's hand lightly touched the man's shoulder.
More precisely, it was a fleeting touch somewhere along the border where the neck met the shoulder.
It was such a natural contact that even with dozens of eyes watching, no one noticed anything unusual.
Songtan stood up and said calmly.
This time, in Korean.
"Sir, you are being arrested as an offender in the act for Obstruction of Official Duties. You have the right to appoint Defense Counsel, to apply for a Review of Legality of Arrest and Detention, and to an opportunity to explain yourself."
And no sooner had he finished speaking than...
"KRAAAAHHH!!!"
The bald Chinese Person, his body arched like a bow, suddenly began to let out a bestial scream.