It's not something I brag about, but the case I solved involving Mina and the politician's son's corruption was a huge incident with massive repercussions.
It was political or whatever, but the corruption was tied together like sausages, and even I, who solved it, thought, 'What the fuck, how does it all tie together like this?'
Even I, who had lost my mind at the time, momentarily came to my senses and got scared, wondering if I had touched something I shouldn't have.
But faced with the situation where I would die if I didn't solve it, I gritted my teeth and continued the investigation, eventually succeeding in catching all the bastards.
However, because the case was so big and the aftereffects were no joke, for my own future, I didn't reveal anything about myself to the media, and it simply ended with the prosecution discovering a politician's corruption and realizing justice.
Looking back on it now, it was still a crazy thing to do. I've thought about it for years since then, and it was definitely a crazy thing to do.
As long as I wear this police uniform, I'll do what I have to do, and I have no intention of living a messed-up life like my former senior, but…
The aftermath of that incident made me conclude that if a similar situation were to arise, I would rather hang myself than jump in again.
Strictly speaking, getting involved with New Hope and joining this Special Investigations Unit, was all because of that incident.
Anyway, after that incident, my fellow police officers and people in related fields obviously pretended not to know about the case I solved. And I haven't said a word about anything related to that case either.
But now the Goblin knows about it? So what does that mean? Is that guy also a former cop or someone from the legal profession?
The novel said he was a person whose identity was unknown until the very end, so is it okay for him to give a hint about his identity like this?
"Detective? Ar-are you okay?"
"......No."
As I was thinking about that, New Hope spoke to me from the side, and thanks to that, I came to my senses.
Okay, now is not the time to regret the past, so I need to get a grip.
I don't care who Goblin is, I need to listen to his demands and figure out what I should do, so I need to somehow use my brain that isn't working.
As soon as I entered the city hall building, the earphones in my ears became useless, so it was impossible to get help from a negotiator who is an expert in this kind of situation. Let's think.
If I mess up now, I’ll probably get my head smashed by his danso,
And If I somehow…Do a good job…I’ll become the guy who put all those corrupt politicians in jail, but If do that, I’m screwed!
Ah, the future is hopeless.
What should I do? As I was needlessly clenching and unclenching my fist, I saw that the speed of the fan Goblin was shaking was getting faster, so I hurriedly opened my mouth.
"That case has already been closed, so what do you want me to do? No, okay, fine. Let's say we reinvestigate the case, but you're taking all the citizens in the city hall hostage just to ask for a reinvestigation? If your real purpose is reinvestigation, at least let the hostages go, what do you say?"
I was definitively rambling at this point, but I chose my words well, because Goblin stroked his chin, thought for a moment, nodded, and said.
"Indeed. It is true that I frightened innocent citizens to attract attention. Now that you are here, it is only right to release the citizens."
Goblin then snapped his fingers and made a 'click!' sound, and then the surrounding scenery melted away like ink from above our heads, revealing the familiar city hall.
The black wall was still visible outside the building's windows, but the interior was bright as if sunlight was shining, and the people gathered in the city hall lobby were craning their necks like meerkats.
Among them, some people seemed to be security guards or staff, but only those people were sitting blankly with their eyes unfocused, so it seemed that he had used some trick to prevent the staff from resisting.
And in the middle of it all, a pig was wriggling with its limbs and mouth tied up... Ah, it's the mayor.
A volume that cannot be hidden even by a suit. A pig- no, the mayor, who looked like he would roll if pushed, was trembling in fear and his eyes were bloodshot.
The mayor spotted me and New Hope and shouted something, but it was unintelligible because of the gag in his mouth, and the Goblin ignored the pig's sound and continued.
"Then. I sincerely apologize to all the citizens for causing such trouble. Everyone can leave, so go ahead. You've worked hard."
"C-can we really leave?"
"Yes. As I promised at the beginning, I will not harm the citizens in any way until the end."
"......!"
The citizens who were held hostage looked at each other, but then they all started running towards the entrance and escaping.
The black wall did not hold back those citizens, but I clicked my tongue at this situation.
Okay, fine, he did release all the citizens. But there are still unconscious security guards, the tied-up mayor, and some city hall staff.
And some citizens who didn't run away, or couldn't, either because they were scared or because of some other circumstances, are still there, aren't they?
Honestly, it looks more like a tied-up pig ready for a pig roast than the mayor, but this Goblin is cunningly trying to manipulate us as he wants while pretending to release the hostages.
The novel portrays him as some kind of dark hero, but from the perspective of a cop, not a reader, this guy is ultimately a criminal. A son of a bitch is a son of a bitch no matter how nice he tries to look.
"Kim Seobang. Since I released the citizens as you wished, will you grant my request?"
Goblin shrugged and spread his hands. I was about to ask if he couldn't see the people left there, but before I could, New Hope stepped forward and questioned him in a sharp tone.
"Excuse me, can't you see that there are still people who can't get out?"
"They are the ones who were inevitably knocked unconscious in order to subdue the citizens without harm.
And those who didn't leave can leave right now if they want to. Everyone here will wake up in time - but it's just hard to wake them up myself, so I just left them there for a bit."
"That's just..."
I was dumbfounded by Goblin's glib talk.
The hostages were still in Goblin's hands, so as I was agonizing over what to do, the bastard pushed his masked face towards me and spoke.
"Although your achievements were buried because of those cowards, I know your sense of justice, Kim Seobang. You are someone who will play a very important role in finding justice in this country."
"You are a man who has already proven justice against corruption! It is certainly a respectable feat and achievement! But it is not over yet. This country is broken. The corruption of those in power is rampant, and the police have long since rotted away! But if you and I, and New Hope, join forces, we can rebuild even this country!"
Goblin continues his speech. That speech was originally meant to persuade New Hope to join forces with him, but he's saying it to me.
It's quite a memory. When I was just a reader, I thought that method was okay, and that Goblin's method was better for punishing the bad guys…
But now I, seeing him give that speech while leaving the hostages behind, have something to say.
"First of all, you crazy bastard, I'm not Kim Seobang."
"And second. This is something I've been wanting to say. If you want a reinvestigation of a closed case, you should write a petition or go to the prosecutor and argue. There's nothing a mere detective like me can do, and if there's no evidence to overturn a closed case, reinvestigation is impossible. Okay? And lastly."
I took a breath there. This last one was really, really what I wanted to say.
I looked at the child trembling in the corner.
The child who was clinging to the unconscious female employee who seemed to be his mother and was trembling without even running away. Okay, it's fine to talk about justice or whatever. I know that politicians and whatever are all fucked up.
But what the fuck is he saying in front of a terrified kid like that?
The novel said that he doesn't harm civilians, so I just thought that was the case, but there's a victim right there.
This is reality, this wasn’t some stupid comic book or novel.
It's scary to be held by a neighborhood thug with a knife, so why should that kid have to experience the fear of being threatened by an existence that wields transcendent power?
I know that I haven't been a diligent cop or a good person, but…
Fortunately, it seems that I'm not such a bad person that I can just ignore this kind of thing.
"Is that persuasive, threatening people with hostages? What kind of justice is a guy who threatens that the hostages might be harmed if I don't listen to him? I wouldn't have said anything if you had only caught the mayor. But can you tell that terrified kid over there that he has to go through that for the justice you're talking about? For the record, I can't. I'd be too fucking embarrassed."
The novel didn't describe it or anything, but honestly, I can only think that those hostages haven't done anything wrong. I may not be a truly diligent cop, but I can only say that this is just wrong.
When I came in and saw that there was even a kid, I wanted to curse him out for talking about justice and pour all the bullets I had into him - but the hostages were still there.
I clenched my trembling hand that wanted to draw my pistol right away and caught my breath.
And then I saw New Hope biting her lip with a touched expression. And I also saw Goblin, who heard my words, bowing his head as his shoulders trembled.
- What's wrong with that guy?
"Hah…Hahaha…”
As I was wondering what exactly this psycho was doing now, he started to laugh, before nodding his chin as if satisfied with something.
"Hahahaha!! I see! To someone like you, this would have been nothing but an insult! I made a mistake by not understanding your conviction! No, it's only natural that we're different! You're there because you have that kind of conviction! I apologize. I started off on the wrong foot."
???
What the hell is he saying now? The Goblin suddenly said something strange and slapped his knee while laughing.
That reaction after hearing what I said... I was truly disgusted by Goblin's self-righteousness.
I really doubt the author's ideology for calling this kind of guy a dark hero. What, no civilian casualties? Fucking…True justice ideals! Bullshit, that's just a crazy bastard.
I should have known from the moment he started talking like he was from the Joseon Dynasty. I glared at the Goblin with a look of disgust, but this guy didn't care about my gaze at all.
"I will say the words of joining forces after I make up for this mistake and offer a sincere apology. But the judgment of this corrupt official must be carried out."
The Goblin suddenly got up from his seat and approached the tied-up mayor, bringing the mayor in front of us. After that, he removed the mayor's gag and said.
"Let’s review the sins this filth committed! He killed people for money, and even slandered and framed innocent people to sacrifice to cover for his misdeeds! Even the heavens are disgusted by this villainy!”
At Goblin's shout, which seemed to command heaven and earth, the mayor trembled so much that even his thick belly fat was visible through his clothes, but he still managed to raise his voice and shout.
"Wh, who said that! I'm innocent! I didn't do anything! It's already been proven by the police investigation, so what nonsense are you talking about? H, hey, police! Security! What are you doing, not catching this bastard right now!!"
The mayor pig shouted, his face red as if he didn't understand his situation.
Seeing that ugly sight, the anger I felt towards the Goblin's behavior a while ago subsided. Conversely, I was worried that the Goblin might get angry at the sight of the pig and cut his throat.
The crazy bastard hummed as if the ugly sight was nothing. And he snapped his fingers. Immediately afterward, several cameras appeared around us as if encircling us.
The Goblin took out a cell phone that didn't match his outfit and showed it to the mayor. Immediately afterward, something started playing on all the TVs and LCD screens in the city hall.
"Good. You said evidence? Here it is. Here is the evidence of all the sins you have committed!"
The video, which was being played everywhere from various internet broadcasting sites to the news, showed this pig mayor and someone else sitting together and talking.
[If we just put all the blame for what we did this time on that idiot, it'll be okay, right? The prosecution and the police are all on my side~ I'll leave this redevelopment project entirely to Chairman Jin, so please take care of the aftermath, okay?]
[But Mayor... the citizens also know about this, so will they forget even if we frame it like this? And the public opinion is already bad because you forcibly evicted people from the Gangdong-gu redevelopment area, this could cause some serious trouble, no? Those people are citizens too.]
[Citi~zens? Ha! Don't worry. Those goldfish-brained idiots won't believe it. Even if they make a fuss and demand a reinvestigation, it'll only last a week at most. Once a celebrity scandal breaks, they'll forget everything, you know? And the guys who lived in the redevelopment area were all broke idiots anyway. Do they even vote? Most of them just go on trips on election day anyway.]
"This is..."
"This is my way of justice. You, Kim Seobang have your own will, and I understand and respect that it is different from mine, but Miss New Hope. What kind of justice do you have?"
Dude…I already told you, that’s not my name!
Behind the conversation between the pig and a man, the voices of New Hope and Goblin can be heard in surround sound.
Ignoring their conversation, I saw the evidence of other crimes constantly appearing on the screen.
The mayor's face turned pale and he muttered 'I'm screwed' while the Goblin laughed lowly as if he was satisfied with the sight, and took something out of his pocket.
"I will prove my justice here! Now, corrupt official, speak! Try to make excuses and lies with that open mouth of yours! The truth has already been spread, and all the evidence that you thought you had destroyed is here in my hands!"
What Goblin took out was a clear file containing a bunch of papers, and even at a glance, they were the documents that were the evidence of the crimes seen on the screen a while ago.
If that's real, it's irrefutable evidence of a crime. This is just like the novel. Then all that's left is for the mayor to make a fuss and tell New Hope to kill Goblin right away, and then self-destruct, right?
"Th, that's fake! It's a fabrication! This damn criminal bastard, who do you think I am! I'm the mayor of Seoul!! The mayor of Seoul! That's the result of a forced investigation! It's a lie!!"
The mayor's face turned red and he started rambling. Forced investigation, my ass. The investigation hasn't even started. - Well, it's none of my business. Let them handle it.
I changed my mind, thinking that it was good that the case was resolved without any major problems. And I continued to think about opening a chicken restaurant as I had previously decided.
But I think I need to learn how to cook first, do they teach you how to fry chicken at cooking academies? Would a month be enough? Even so, the restaurant industry is very competitive, will it be okay?
As I stood there blankly planning for the future, the mayor, who had lost his mind and was babbling nonsense, rolled over to me, grabbed me by the collar, and pushed his fat face close to mine, babbling.
“Y-You…You’re a detective, right?! Shoot that bastard right now! Shoot him! If you kill him…Yes! That’s right…I’ll promote you! Y-You look like you’re from the Special Investigation Unit, right?! Yes! I know you! I’ll make you the team leader right now! So shoot this bastard…!”
Hah?
What did this fat bastard say? No…I just heard some pretty unforgivable words right now, didn’t I?
However, unlike my malfunctioning brain, my eyes, which were functioning properly, clearly captured what my body was doing.
Yes, it means that I clearly saw the scene where I threw the at least 120kg lump of meat mayor who was grabbing my collar to the ground, a scene that should never happen in reality.
ã ¡Sh, shit, what have I done...!
Due to the weight, there was a loud 'bang!' sound and the tiles on the floor cracked, and the mayor fell down in a comical manner, foaming at the mouth.
When my brain started working again, I realized what I had done and my mind went blank.
New Hope looked at me with surprised puppy eyes and asked quietly.
"Detective...? Uh, what...."
I don't know. I don't know what I've done right now either.
Perhaps It was a natural response to such a terrible threat? Making me…The team leader…?
Shivers
But because of that, I hit a person, and the mayor of Seoul at that? This is seriously bad, isn't it?
ã ¡No, the guy who said he'd make me the team leader is definitely in the wrong. Yeah!
Let's calm down and find a way. The only people here are the unconscious staff, New Hope, Goblin, and the unconscious mayor, so if I can persuade them well, can't we cover this up?
I looked around with such expectations. And then I saw the scene of me slamming the mayor being replayed on the screens around me, and I completely gave up hope.
Goddammit.