The Civil Servant Who Concealed Their True Strength Turns Out to be a Master of Possession - Chapter 44

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Civil Servant Who Hides His Strength Is Exceptionally Good at Possession – Episode 044
“Hehe, no need to be so tense. Spokesperson Kang, come over here for a moment.”
The Chief, upon seeing my waist bent at a 170-degree angle, chuckled warmly and called over the Spokesperson standing beside him.
I awkwardly got to my feet.
Then the Spokesperson suddenly pulled out his phone and began taking pictures of the Chief encouraging the injured me.
“…?”
Without thinking, I flashed a peace sign before the Chief quietly stopped me.
“Don’t smile too much. Your body is in pain right now, isn’t it? Look, you’re even bleeding from your nose.”
“I’m fine though?”
At my response, I heard Pee So-won stifle a laugh from beside me.
Why is she laughing? I genuinely said I’m fine because I actually am.
The Chief’s expression became subtle as he spoke to the Spokesperson.
“Stop taking pictures.”
“Yes? But we haven’t gotten a good shot yet—”
The Spokesperson, receiving the Chief’s sharp glare, tucked his phone away like a scolded dog and disappeared.
The Chief, wearing that affable expression again, chuckled warmly and spoke to me.
“You don’t need to go to the hospital? My goodness, fighting with a terrorist and getting injured like this….”
“I didn’t get injured fighting a terrorist. Rather….”
I rolled my eyes and looked at Pee So-won as I spoke.
“…I got a bit injured during the process of stopping the vehicle.”
Because of some psychopath.
I swallowed those words.
“Exactly! You were injured while rescuing civilians until the very end! With people like you, isn’t that what gives our Hunter Management Office strength? Everyone, let’s give a round of applause.”
The civilians receiving treatment and the personnel collecting vehicles all clapped awkwardly at the Chief’s words a few times before disappearing.
Why were they even clapping in the first place?
Though I couldn’t understand the reason, as a civil servant, the key to surviving long was not to question the reasons behind incomprehensible things.
“Now then, could we have a word with Investigator Lee Yu-ji here? I have a few more questions about the incident, and there are also matters the office needs to handle.”
The Chief, with what I’d call a somewhat slick smile, looked at Pee So-won and the paramedics.
His expression clearly said ‘get out of here on your own.’
For reference, I was sitting in the back seat of an open ambulance, so the paramedics had expressions saying ‘why us?’ but soon Pee So-won sighed, stood up, and sorted out the situation.
“I’ll… go get treatment over there.”
As Pee So-won and the paramedics withdrew like a receding tide, I found myself alone with the Chief in the ambulance stopped at the accident scene.
The Spokesperson continued taking pictures from far away, as if he’d become a paparazzi.
‘Why does that guy keep doing that?’
…such a thought and.
‘That person must be a civil servant too, right?’
Such a sad thought coexisted.
That’s when it happened.
“Working under Team Leader Pee must be quite difficult, right? Her personality is rather…. How should I put it.”
The Chief asked me with a faint smile.
“You seem quite irritable.”
I answered without a moment’s hesitation.
At that, the Chief’s face brightened considerably.
“You know this well despite being here such a short time! As expected, Investigator Lee Yu-ji has a keen eye for people. These are the kinds of individuals an organization needs!”
“Haha, thank you very much.”
For whatever reason, gaining approval from a superior was a good thing.
Drawing upon my experience as a civil servant, I approached the conversation with the Chief using the most deferential tone possible.
The situation itself was quite burdensome, but…
‘And they keep taking photos from way over there!’
I had to endure it.
“How incompetent must people be? In eight years, there hasn’t been a single partner who lasted more than a month? Team 5 is just rotting away in the Heonsu Department, withering like a wilted plant. I hear Team 5 is essentially a sinecure within the Hunter Investigation Unit? Apparently, there’s no precedent of a new recruit lasting this long after being assigned there.”
Oh dear.
It was touching that someone of such high rank would know about such humble circumstances—
‘Why is he explaining all this in such detail?’
Something felt off—
As a veteran civil servant, I activated my ‘off-vibes radar’ and began choosing my words carefully.
“Haha. Still, I approach every task assigned to me with the mindset that it’s all service to the nation!”
My specialty.
In other words, maintaining the impression of being ‘naive and ignorant, a product of the physical education department.’
Not that it was a lie, anyway.
“…Is that so…?”
The Chief’s voice turned lukewarm in an instant.
He made no effort to hide his inner thought: ‘Why is this guy’s brain so pure?’
“Actually… our office has many concerns. The Hunter Investigation Unit, being a subordinate organization, keeps getting caught up in incidents and accidents. Today, Team 1 caused an accident during an operation, which is why Investigator Lee Yu-ji has been suffering so much, isn’t it?”
“Ah! So that’s how it is! Team 1 must be going through a lot!”
I responded ‘innocently’ once more and flashed a bright smile.
I know nothing… I know absolutely nothing…
“…What I mean is…!”
The Chief’s face had shifted from lukewarm to noticeably irritated.
He cleared his throat and lowered his voice.
“Investigator Lee Yu-ji.”
“…Yes?”
“I believe you’re far too talented to waste away in a place like the Hunter Investigation Unit.”
…Oh, the conversation is taking a strange turn.
Feeling an ominous sensation travel down my spine to the back of my head, I asked carefully.
“What do you mean by that…?”
“I’m considering establishing a Special Team within the Hunter Management Office. The Hunter Investigation Unit is essentially an organization with no future—twenty years? No, even ten years ahead looks bleak. After all, it would be faster and more accurate for the office to directly oversee hunters’ conduct rather than going through the Hunter Investigation Unit, wouldn’t it?”
Oh, I see…
This is a classic public institution dissolution strategy.
In other words, whenever politicians or higher-ups want to eliminate an organization, they create a small specialized department elsewhere to handle that work, then gradually strip away all the organization’s functions.
After that, the organization would become nothing but a shell, gradually laying off staff or transferring everyone to different departments entirely, effectively shutting down the institution itself.
It was a death sentence handed down to a public agency.
“So what I’m saying is….”
He spoke to me in a hushed tone, as if offering me a sweet candy.
“How would you like to become a member of that Special Team?”
Oh….
If I went from being the Junior Member of Team 5 at the Hunter Investigation Unit to becoming a Special Team member of the Hunter Management Office….
“What rank would that be?”
I asked without hesitation.
The Chief seemed taken aback by my unexpected response, then broke into a grin and answered.
“You’d start at Grade 3. Of course. And we’d adjust your salary accordingly.”
Salary adjustments, no less. They certainly knew how to appeal to a civil servant’s weak spot.
‘This is an incredible opportunity, isn’t it?’
To transfer out of a team with a psychopathic partner, a powerless member, and an unhinged Gen-Z colleague, straight into the Chief’s direct organization.
An instant raise and promotion all at once.
In private sector terms, it was like jumping from a small family-run business directly to a major corporation.
In a situation like this, my answer was obviously predetermined.
“Well… that’s… ”
“…?”
“…rather difficult for me.”
“Huh?”
“Ah, you see, my original goals are quite modest. I’m aiming to coast along at Grade 4 and retire after my full term. Looking at Team Leader Pee and Team Leader Kwon, it seems Grade 3 civil servants deal with a lot of headaches… I think living at the level of Investigator Byeon in our team is the easier path in life….”
…My answer was ‘no.’
An absolute ‘no.’

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