I’m Obsessed With the Suspect - Chapter 63

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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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63

 

The next day at lunch time.

 

Cheong-a sat blankly at her office desk, staring at the computer screen.

 

−We’ll use an insider at Central Police Station to make Manager Oh move.

 

−I’ll go to the meeting place myself.

 

The operation she had proposed at yesterday’s strategy meeting with the National Intelligence Service.

 

Yushin showed reluctance, saying it was dangerous, but ultimately couldn’t break Cheong-a’s stubbornness.

 

−Min Yoo-shin, you also disguised yourself when you first infiltrated Boksandae, right?

 

−….

 

−Couldn’t I get that too? It was flawless.

 

Cheong-a tapped her desk and fell into thought.

 

She already knew about the insider’s existence. The important thing was how to naturally convey this information.

 

‘….’

 

Just as she was pulling at her hair in contemplation, her phone on the desk vibrated loudly.

 

「Park Inkyu: Cheong-a. We’re having lunch at Hwaryong Restaurant today, want to come?」

 

「What time?」

 

「Park Inkyu: Now. If you say you’re coming, I’ll wait a bit」

 

「Wait right there. I’m flying over.」

 

Luckily, she received a message from Inkyu asking if the whole team wanted to have a meal together.

 

Without a moment’s hesitation, Cheong-a got up from her seat, grabbed her jacket, and ran down the corridor.

 

***

 

“Hello.”

 

“Oh my, it’s been so long!”

 

As she opened the door and entered, Chairman Jang of Hwaryong Restaurant greeted Cheong-a with a bright face. She could see the team members seated at a corner table.

 

Inkyu jumped up from his seat and waved at Cheong-a.

 

“Cheong-a! Here, over here.”

 

Cheong-a quickly ran to the table and took a seat next to Inkyu.

 

“Hehe. You really called me? Thank you.”

 

“We were debating between sweet and sour pork or spicy garlic chicken, so we ordered both and called you.”

 

“Ah, that was an excellent choice, senior.”

 

Chairman Jang quietly approached the Violent Crimes Team 2’s table where the conversation was in full swing and offered his thanks.

 

“Oh my, I heard that recent case was already resolved? You worked so hard. Now that those Dregs Gang bastards are all cleaned out, you don’t know how good the atmosphere is here. Thank you, really.”

 

Chairman Jang smiled broadly and placed quite a lot of complimentary dishes on the table in addition to the ordered sweet and sour pork and spicy garlic chicken.

 

“Wow, thank you.”

 

“No alcohol service today.”

 

Chairman Jang glanced at Cheong-a and tactlessly said that.

 

“Ah, just thinking about how the detective got drunk last time and collapsed makes my heart race with worry. It might be disappointing, but just food today? Okay.”

 

Hong-nam shouted at Cheong-a, who was looking around with a sulky expression.

 

“You got drunk here?!”

 

“…Got caught.”

 

“Got caught! What kind of excuse is that. Ugh, you little rascal!”

 

When Hong-nam’s loud voice erupted, Chairman Jang quickly escaped, and Cheong-a also fled to the restroom under the excuse of washing her hands.

 

And as Cheong-a was returning from the restroom at the rear of the restaurant, passing the corner back to her seat, someone grabbed her.

 

“Huh?”

 

The one who stopped her was the restaurant’s chef. In his hands was a plate full of water dumplings.

 

“Service.”

 

“Wow. Thank you!”

 

To Cheong-a, who bowed her head in thanks, the chef made a rather serious expression and gestured toward where Violent Crimes Team 2 was sitting.

 

“When does that person who speaks with a dialect retire?”

 

The chef was probably asking about Sung-min.

 

Cheong-a tried to calculate Sung-min’s retirement, which was still far off, but hesitated and couldn’t answer.

 

“Don’t think too seriously about it since it’s just an old man’s idle talk.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“That person has connections with the local gangsters around here.”

 

The dumpling plate in Cheong-a’s hands trembled slightly.

 

“Our boss says all police are like that and tells me not to say anything, but I don’t feel good about it. Just a little… if it were more moderate, I think we’d live much better.”

 

Cheong-a felt heavy-hearted.

 

Someone who’s good to me can be bad to someone else.

 

Just like Rachel was to Cheon-u, and Rachel was to someone else.

 

Sung-min was a good person to Cheong-a.

 

Cheong-a bowed her head and offered an apology to the chef.

 

“I’m sorry. I’ll apologize on his behalf. If there’s any specific damage you’ve suffered, please tell me everything. And… I’ll try to sort it out soon.”

 

The cook waved his hands.

 

“It’s fine. There’s nothing else. Since the detective says she’ll take care of it, I should trust and wait.”

 

Cheong-a bowed once more and slowly returned to the table.

 

“Wow, they’re being generous today?”

 

Inkyu happily put some dumplings on his plate.

 

“Cheong-a, weren’t you busy today? Your recent duty logs have been completely packed.”

 

“I’m just handling overflow from the detective team as usual. There are many cases, but no surveillance needed and nothing to dig into, so I actually have plenty of time.”

 

“Really? That’s good.”

 

“How about you? Is there anything new on the Cheongwha Faction case?”

 

At the subtle question about the case that went to 1st Team, Inkyu hesitated and couldn’t answer. Then he glanced up to gauge Hong-nam and Sung-min’s reactions.

 

“What do those 1st Team guys have besides being nice? Nothing much. We should have kept that case. Tsk. Cheong-a, haven’t you heard anything?”

 

“Actually, I received a personal protection request. I was wondering where and how to pass it along.”

 

“Personal protection? Who. When.”

 

At Hong-nam’s question, Cheong-a ran her hand along the back of her neck once.

 

“You know PC POP PC bang?”

 

“….”

 

“The owner there, Rachel. She suddenly contacted me asking if I knew any police officers well.”

 

“Suddenly?”

 

“Or she asked me to let her know if there was anyone who was particularly kind and helpful when she went to the police station that day. I’m wondering whether I should just pass this to the station or not.”

 

“So what did you tell her?”

 

Sung-min’s voice sounded quite urgent.

 

Cheong-a swallowed her inner turmoil.

 

“I said I’d check and postponed my answer. I couldn’t exactly say ‘Actually, I’m a police officer, haha!’ could I?”

 

“….”

 

At Cheong-a’s story, Hong-nam put down his chopsticks and pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth.

 

“You can’t take that case.”

 

“Ah, I thought so.”

 

Hong-nam firmly shook his head at Cheong-a, who was scratching her head awkwardly.

 

“It’s not that. You have to report to Jeju Island starting tomorrow.”

 

“Uh-huh. Jeju Island. Hmm. What? Jeju Island? Suddenly?”

 

At those words, Cheong-a jumped up from her seat,

 

“What, is Kim Cheong-a being exiled?!”

 

Inkyu was also startled and dropped his chopsticks.

 

“What isn’t sudden these days? The Narcotics Division urgently requested support. They’re forming a drug task force in Jeju Island but have no one to send. They want someone with lots of drug investigation experience, who can hold their own in fights, and it would be perfect if they could speak Chinese. They’re all asking for Kim Cheong-a.”

 

“…No way, Jeju Island. Tomorrow? Really?”

 

This was an unexpected variable!

 

Cheong-a bit her lips in distress, and Hong-nam turned his gaze to Inkyu.

 

“Inkyu, you go check out the PC bang. That owner doesn’t know you’re police, right?”

 

“Uh, that’s true but… No, is Kim Chung-a really going to Jeju Island? Hey, didn’t you hear anything about this?”

 

At Inkyu’s interrogation, Cheong-a showed a troubled expression.

 

This is the first I’m hearing of it too, hyung.

 

A surveillance mission?

 

***

 

Returning to the office, Cheong-a stood blankly in front of her desk for a while.

 

‘What the hell is going on?’

 

The sudden assignment to Jeju Island. It couldn’t help but be bewildering.

 

She had succeeded in leaking information to Sung-min, but now she herself couldn’t remain here.

 

‘Could it be that Manager Oh pulled some strings to get me out of here?’

 

Cheong-a sighed deeply and fell into thought.

 

If she got trapped in Jeju Island, it was obvious she wouldn’t be able to touch anything happening here.

 

“Kim Chung-a.”

 

When she turned around at the voice calling her, she saw Hong-nam gesturing from the corridor outside the office.

 

Cheong-a left the office and followed Hong-nam, trudging down the corridor.

 

Hong-nam strode ahead and spoke in a quiet voice.

 

“Officially, it’s Jeju Island.”

 

“…What?”

 

And he shoved something into Cheong-a’s pocket.

 

“It’s the Security Bureau.”

 

“What? What is? …Huh? Really?”

 

“Word came from the upper levels last night. They said to officially issue a Jeju Island assignment, but secretly send you to the Security Bureau.”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t go taking a plane to Jeju Island and making a scene asking ‘Is the person who called for me here!’ Just report to Headquarters.”

 

Security Bureau.

 

It was one of the few police departments that cooperated closely with the National Intelligence Service.

 

Cheong-a could quickly grasp the situation.

 

This wasn’t Manager Oh’s scheme, but a setup Doksah had created to fully deploy her in the joint investigation.

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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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