I’m Obsessed With the Suspect - Chapter 46

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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46

 

Even a feather duster wouldn’t get beaten this badly. No, was hacking someone else’s phone really this easy?

 

Cheong-a propped her arms on the desk and gripped her hair tightly.

 

[There’s definitely something there. I’ve been swamped with work lately, so busy I can barely breathe. I only managed to check your message and look into it right before quitting time.]

 

“….”

 

[Some crazy bastard hacked everything, even the messages, you know?]

 

Ah.

 

Cheong-a suddenly remembered how Wujin’s message had ended up in her spam folder. Could that have been due to hacking too?

 

[They even broke through my security code? Ha, this is infuriating.]

 

“….”

 

[But one thing’s for sure now. There are only a handful of hackers who can break my security code. I’ll start tracking them down one by one from today! It won’t take long!]

 

“Haah.”

 

A long sigh escaped from Cheong-a.

 

Why would such a skilled person keep clinging to my phone? Why on earth?

 

“Yeonhui. Do I know some kind of important information? Right now I don’t understand anything – if you hit my head it would probably make a clanging sound!”

 

After venting her frustration, Cheong-a soon regained her composure.

 

“Did you trace Min Wujin’s number?”

 

[That was registered under Min Yoo-shin’s name.]

 

“What?”

 

Cheong-a bolted upright from her seat.

 

“Not Min Wujin but Min Yoo-shin?”

 

[Yes, but… the detailed information has national security restrictions on it.]

 

This was getting worse and worse.

 

It wasn’t enough that someone who could break Yeonhui’s security code had appeared – now there was even someone with national security restrictions on their phone.

 

That kind of thing was usually reserved for military intelligence agencies, the National Intelligence Service, or civilians under state-level identity protection. In other words, researchers developing things like nuclear submarines.

 

“Wait, wait a minute. Min Wujin said his older brother was Min Yoo-shin. That Min Yoo-shin from Boksandae. He never mentioned anything like that before.”

 

[I checked that too. When you search the integrated network for Min Yoo-shin from Boksandae, you get the same Min Yoo-shin information we found before, right? But the Min Yoo-shin that came up when I traced this phone’s identity is locked. I have no idea why this is happening.]

 

“….”

 

It was truly filled with incomprehensible events.

 

Even after talking with Yeonhui for a long time, there was nothing more they could figure out. Cheong-a said she would buy a new phone soon to contact her, and they agreed to share any additional information through Inkyu before ending the call.

 

As soon as she hung up, Cheong-a dropped her forehead onto the desk with a thud.

 

Inside the office, long past quitting time. Her whole body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and her throbbing head was complicated on top of everything.

 

Min Wujin.

 

Min Yoo-shin.

 

“Ah, what is it? What am I missing?”

 

If you looked closely, they were two completely different-looking people. For Cheong-a, who always compared and verified criminal composite sketches, to miss that difference and mistake them for the same person was definitely strange.

 

‘Why did I do that back then?’

 

Cheong-a squeezed her eyes shut and tapped the desk with one hand as she fell into thought.

 

First, Min Yoo-shin.

 

He was the guy who had run away with Cheong-a’s information that he found at Boksandae Hospital. But he was handsome.

 

And Min Wujin.

 

From the moment they first met, he had been pestering her and spouting nonsense as naturally as breathing. But he was also the grateful guy who had protected her from the Narcotics Unit. Plus, he was even more handsome than Min Yoo-shin.

 

Were there really this many handsome men in the world? That didn’t seem right.

 

“Ah, no way.”

 

The finger that had been tapping the desk stopped, and Cheong-a suddenly lifted her head.

 

“Could Min Wujin actually be Min Yoo-shin?”

 

When she organized the facts, it went like this.

 

The phone Min Wujin was using was registered under Min Yoo-shin’s name.

 

It would probably be uncommon for a man who had earned enough money and was already 40 years old to borrow his younger brother’s name for a phone. Especially a phone belonging to someone with national security restrictions.

 

So if she assumed that Min Wujin was actually Min Yoo-shin himself, as Cheong-a had initially felt, and that he was a National Intelligence Service employee, everything would fit together perfectly.

 

“Right. National Intelligence Service. That’s why there are security restrictions, and he uses special makeup or something to alter his face!”

 

After blinking for a moment, Cheong-a soon tilted her head.

 

“This is strange. Have I been watching too many CSI dramas lately?”

 

Cheong-a awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck and shook her head.

 

She felt a bit self-loathing about her deduction that seemed to have gone too far.

 

‘What kind of nonsense story is this? I shouldn’t be writing scenarios – I should be investigating. Investigation. Investigation!’

 

She needed to come to her senses and return to the basic principles of investigation.

 

First, she should start by exploring the surroundings.

 

Starting from there, she would be able to find the real problem.

 

‘Right, right. Let me find a proper clue with evidence.’

 

Once she decided what to do, her mind became clearly organized.

 

Cheong-a got up and looked at the computer screen. The monitor was full of unfinished work.

 

After taking a deep breath, she grabbed the mouse and began processing work at a frightening speed.

 

Click.

 

Having uploaded the completed file to the intranet, Cheong-a stretched long.

 

“Uaaah.”

 

Her whole body was stiff from concentrating on work for so long. And as she reached across the desk looking for water, her hand stopped.

 

On the desk was a hangover remedy that she didn’t know when it had been placed there.

 

“This is the kind Inkyu always drinks… When did he come and go?”

 

Cheong-a looked around. But there was no one left in the office, long past quitting time.

 

Taking out her phone, Cheong-a was about to send Inkyu a thank-you message when she let out a deep sigh.

 

−Some crazy bastard hacked everything, even the messages, you know?

 

Suddenly remembering Yeonhui’s words, she hesitated to send the message.

 

“Just sending a simple thank-you makes me worry.”

 

The hangover remedy Inkyu had left behind tasted more bitter than the soju she’d drunk during the day.

 

Getting up from her seat, Cheong-a grabbed the jacket hanging on the coat rack and left the Central Police Station building.

 

***

 

The night streets, well past midnight. As she left the building, drizzling rain wet her face.

 

“Ah, why is it raining again?”

 

Cheong-a pulled up her jacket hood and walked through the rain. After taking quite some time, she arrived at a place with a public phone booth.

 

Looking around once, she slipped inside and inserted a card before starting to dial somewhere.

 

An unfamiliar ringtone rang for a long time.

 

Once.

 

They’re not answering because it’s too late, are they?

 

Twice.

 

Ah, maybe contacting them like this is a bit difficult.

 

Three times.

 

Please answer the phone.

 

[….]

 

After the long ringing, the call was fortunately connected, but the other person remained silent for a while.

 

Between them, only cautious, tense breathing could be heard.

 

“It’s me, boss.”

 

[…Inspector?]

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

After confirming Cheong-a’s voice, Rachel let out a sigh of relief.

 

[What’s the matter? At this hour.]

 

“About meeting Jeong Gwangsub that you mentioned before – I’ll help you with that.”

 

[Really…?]

 

“I’m not saying I’ll resolve it nicely for you. Strictly speaking, I’m going to verify Jeong Gwangsub and secure evidence. After that, boss… you’ll end up going to prison.”

 

Cheong-a continued in a slightly lower voice.

 

“Instead, I can promise that I’ll do whatever it takes to prevent Manager Oh from exerting influence over you. Would that be acceptable?”

 

[…Yes, that’s fine.]

 

Rachel’s voice was trembling. However, there wasn’t the slightest hesitation in her answer.

 

[Thank you.]

 

“But you’ll have to help me too.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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