I’m Obsessed With the Suspect - Chapter 54

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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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54

 

As Hong-nam had predicted, Cheong-a’s name was erased from Violent Crimes Team 2’s major investigations.

 

After that, she began to be assigned cases that the detective team had dumped on her one by one.

 

For example, what was reported as a gang fight between organization members turned out to be nothing more than a dispute over seats at a cola-tec between former gangster elders who looked like they’d been retired for a good 30 years… those kinds of cases.

 

While the number of cases she was assigned doubled, conversely her time became more leisurely.

 

Most of the assigned cases didn’t require undercover investigations to chase criminals or digging into buried secrets.

 

Cheong-a used her spare time to visit Rachel’s villa once more.

 

However, the place was already completely empty.

 

No matter how much she pressed the doorbell or knocked on the door, there was no response. Just in case, she spent a long time walking around the house and even checked the water and electricity meters, but she couldn’t sense any signs of people staying there.

 

‘Don’t tell me she was dragged away by Jeong Gwangsub because of me?!’

 

Feeling anxious, Cheong-a began climbing the largest tree nearby.

 

From atop a large tree branch, she peeked into the second floor of the villa. There, she discovered that Rachel’s picture frame had disappeared.

 

The bedding that had been messy was also neatly arranged.

 

‘The lawn is fine too, and in the parking lot… there doesn’t seem to be anything particularly wrong. There are no traces left inside the house either.’

 

Considering all the information, it seemed like Rachel had left this place on her own.

 

Then where on earth had she gone? Was she safe and sound?

 

The answer came from Se-yeon, the manager at PC Pop.

 

[The boss? …Why?]

 

When asked about Rachel’s well-being, Se-yeon responded with that question. But it was answer enough. If she hadn’t been in contact with Rachel, she would have worriedly asked back whether something had happened to the boss.

 

‘So she’s been in contact with Manager Se-yeon.’

 

It would be nice if she could contact her directly, but there was no way. Rachel’s phone had been borrowed and taken on the day she went to meet Jeong Gwangsub, and was lost just like that. Of course, Cheong-a’s own phone had disappeared as well.

 

She had bought a new phone, but calling Rachel’s number felt risky.

 

She couldn’t know whose hands that phone was in now.

 

***

 

Cheong-a visited the cafeteria, took a tray, and sat in a corner seat. Being excluded from the violent crimes investigation alone, she had no one to eat with.

 

Her head was complicated, and the rice felt exactly like chewing sand.

 

“Haah…”

 

In the Philippines, preparations to bring drugs into Korea were probably in full swing right now.

 

Manager Oh, whom Jeong Gwangsub had mentioned. If that great man was backing them, passing through customs might be easier than expected.

 

With a police request, especially an official document from the National Police Agency headquarters, there was a high probability that all the goods loaded on that huge ship would bypass customs and set foot on Korean soil. But Cheong-a had no information to stop it.

 

She didn’t know the quantity or type of drugs being brought into Korea, what shipping route they were using, or even the approximate date.

 

Her memory from the day she met Jeong Gwangsub was cut off right after drinking the cocktail.

 

‘Something, there was something more. Did I… meet someone? Ah, this is driving me crazy.’

 

Without any clues, only anxiety was rising.

 

The only thing she could hope for was the in-ear device that had come out of her mouth.

 

Cheong-a had delivered it to Yeonhui,

 

−Unnie, this… the signal is being picked up from Guatemala. It seems like they’re using a VPN. I’ll try to recover it as quickly as possible.

 

was the answer she received.

 

Cheong-a took out her newly bought phone to check the date once more. By now, new information might have emerged. But since Yeonhui was also being monitored by someone at headquarters, it was difficult for them to contact each other easily.

 

“This is so frustrating, man.”

 

At the familiar voice, Cheong-a’s head lifted.

 

It was Inkyu who sat across from her with a tray.

 

“Oh, hyung.”

 

Inkyu looked at Cheong-a’s tray, which had become smaller than usual, with a worried expression.

 

“What’s with that food? You’re going to lose weight.”

 

“Just, whatever.”

 

“For now, think of it as spiritual training and just try to clear your mind a bit.”

 

“…”

 

After hesitating for a long time, moving his lips back and forth, Inkyu carefully added his words.

 

“Cheong-a, you know.”

 

“…”

 

“Do you by any chance not get along well with the people at headquarters?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Inkyu quickly avoided Cheong-a’s gaze.

 

“No, it’s nothing big. Just. If possible, contact them more often and get along well with them.”

 

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

 

“Around this time, don’t they have parties for police academy graduates and such? Try attending those. And make some people who are definitely on your side.”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t make that face, man. Network management is also a skill, a skill.”

 

Cheong-a blatantly examined Inkyu’s face. Beyond his awkward smile, he had definitely swallowed something he wanted to say.

 

‘Hyung also… received the same call as the team leader.’

 

***

 

Lying on her bed looking at the ceiling, Cheong-a muttered to herself.

 

“Wow, time flies. This is a big problem.”

 

Several days had already passed since she met Jeong Gwangsub.

 

During that time, Cheong-a had run around in all directions looking for traces of Rachel, investigating Min Woo-jin’s background, and even rushed to Boksandae Hospital to threaten Yang Dongjun.

 

‘No, how is there no gain at all! None! Argh!’

 

Cheong-a buried her face deep in the pillow and screamed. It wouldn’t solve anything, but at least it might relieve her frustration a little.

 

What cut off the screaming that was spreading into the pillow was the vibration of her phone.

 

Cheong-a just turned her head slightly to the side to check the screen.

 

「Kakao Pang: A friend request has arrived!」

 

「Kakao Pang: “DeFate” from [Pink Box] Guild wants to be friends. Log in right now to check.」

 

Cheong-a’s eyes narrowed.

 

“Ah, damn. Did I get hacked again? Some game I never installed is sending messages on its own… Huh? Ah!”

 

The next moment, Cheong-a sat up abruptly.

 

Pink box.

 

“It’s a code…”

 

In the code she had set up with Yeonhui, pink box meant a means of communication.

 

De. This was an abbreviation used in general wireless telegraphy meaning ‘from’.

 

And Fate. This was an ID that Yeonhui often used.

 

This message was definitely Yeonhui’s request to log into the game right now.

 

Cheong-a began installing the game on her phone by following the link.

 

After the game installation was complete, she created an account.

 

ID: Poisonous Mushroom.

 

The game she hastily logged into guided Cheong-a to the tutorial world.

 

After spending quite some time clearing it, she arrived at a beginner hunting ground. However, she didn’t know how to contact Yeonhui.

 

Cheong-a began checking the chat and message functions by pressing buttons one by one. At some point, a burly male character wearing brilliant armor approached and stopped in front of Cheong-a.

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate]: Why did it take so long? I almost fell asleep.

 

[Poisonous Mushroom]: Hello?

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate]: ..

 

[Poisonous Mushroom]: Are you by any chance Fate from Cyber Terrorism Response Division?

 

When she asked the confusingly visual male character if he was Yeonhui from the Cyber Terrorism Response Division, a laughing emoticon appeared above the character.

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate]: This is crazy for real lololol Yes, that’s me

 

[Poisonous Mushroom]: What is this, it’s difficult

 

[Poisonous Mushroom] : Tutorial? They just make you do all sorts of random stuff and waste all your time ㅠㅠ

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate] : ㅇㅁㅇ; We should skip stuff like that.. such muggles

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate]: Oh no

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate]: Level 1 can’t even whisper.. just follow me for now

 

Yeonhui began moving away from the crowded hunting ground. Cheong-a tapped the screen frantically with unfamiliar controls to chase Yeonhui’s character.

 

Actually, there was a function to automatically follow by clicking on the other character, but Cheong-a didn’t know about such things.

 

Yeonhui, who had settled into a corner of some quiet map, began pouring out chat messages once again.

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate]: I checked the in-ear frequency

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate]: There wasn’t anything special, but I thought I might catch something so I left it recording

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate]: But this morning I caught some new audio

 

[Poisonous Mushroom]: From that broken in-ear?

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate]: No no, on the frequency that in-ear was connected to, some people were having a conversation

 

[Pink Box] [DeFate]: When I listened, they were saying things like ‘absolutely can’t miss this, it’s really the final stage’

 

Final stage? Right from the start, it couldn’t help but be a conversation reeking of suspicion.

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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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