"Sir, upon inspection, we've confirmed that some of the gold bars have serial numbers that don't exist, while others are duplicates."
"...Oh, really?"
I was startled by Branch Manager Hwang Minjun's words. Now that I thought about it, there were English letters and numbers etched on the bottom of the gold bars. I'd dismissed them casually, never imagining they'd cause such a problem.
"Initially, we suspected they might be stolen goods. However, a quick verification with banks in the United States confirmed that the original owners still possess their gold bars. Yet, the bars you brought in remain under suspicion of being stolen. Could you please tell us where you obtained these gold bars?"
Hwang Minjun's gaze was sharp and piercing.
"I found them in a dungeon. Is the purity of the gold still correct?"
Dungeons sometimes appear in modern settings, and I planned to exploit this fact to the fullest.
"Yes, the purity has already been verified. It's genuine gold. But are you absolutely certain you obtained it from a dungeon?"
"Yes. I have more than just this."
"I see."
Hwang Minjun seemed skeptical, but he nodded without further comment.
"I sincerely apologize for this, but we conducted a brief background check on you earlier. You're a second-year student at National Cheon University and attend the Shadow Heaven Sword Hall, correct?"
I realized Hwang Minjun was no ordinary person. My body tensed up. Who would have thought selling gold would lead to such humiliation? Shouldn't it be a simple transaction?
"...So?"
"Hall Master Jin Woosung of the Shadow Heaven Sword Hall is our VIP. We verified his identity through a separate phone call. He confirmed you are a disciple of the Yeongcheon Style."
Jin Woosung. I hadn't met him personally, but I knew the name. He was Jin Seyoung's father and a master of the Yeongcheon Style.
"That's right. I'm quite skilled in the Yeongcheon Style."
"...I see. Customer. In any case, while your gold bars are suspicious, since you obtained them from a dungeon, there's nothing we can do. Besides, you're Hall Master Jin Woosung's disciple, aren't you? I've decided to trust you, Customer Sung Yujin."
My face brightened. I thought I understood Hwang Minjun's intentions.
"Of course. Since they came from a dungeon, it's understandable they'd be suspected as stolen goods."
"However, in such cases, the market price drops somewhat. The origin is unclear, and reprocessing is required. We'll offer 60 million won per gold bar. How does that sound?"
"That's good. But I have quite a few gold bars. There might be more occasions like this."
"Of course. I'll buy them. Here's my business card. How could I doubt someone with VIP connections? Just be aware that the price will be somewhat lower."
I took Hwang Minjun's card and chuckled softly.
Hwang Minjun wore a friendly smile, but it was just a facade.
He said 'I' instead of 'we'...
I nodded casually.
Even though I'd take a slight loss, I could acquire nearly unlimited gold using the Game World App.
"Do you also buy gemstones?"
"...Oh. You have gemstones too? I specialize in gold, but I know brokers who specialize in various items. I'll give you their information."
He scribbled a phone number on the back of his business card and handed it to me.
I immediately realized the "agent" he was referring to was an illegal broker.
"Does this friend of yours... also handle purchasing items on behalf of others?"
"Yes, he does. He's a bit greedy, but his skills are truly exceptional. There's nothing he can't get his hands on. Absolutely nothing."
"Oh, really?"
Hwang Minjun and I exchanged smiles, shook hands, and parted ways.
A week had passed since I moved into my studio apartment.
On the first day, Oh Junhyuk came over for a housewarming party, and we drank and hung out. From the next day onward, I began moving my belongings from my old place to the new apartment. Since the items were quite bulky, I decided to move them myself, and my inventory proved incredibly useful.
I'll take the car license test next week... I'll get the motorcycle license later. I should buy a decent foreign car.
Leaving my apartment to go to National Cheon University, I stepped into the elevator. My apartment was on the sixth floor. I knew Han Harin lived in this officetel, but I still didn't know what floor she was on. We'd never run into each other before.
The elevator stopped on the fourth floor. The doors opened, and Han Harin entered, her expression as cold as ever. This was the first time we'd met in the officetel.
"...Oh. Hello?" I greeted her.
Han Harin glanced at me, frowned slightly, and asked, "...You live here?"
"I moved in recently. It's close to school and the facilities are good."
"Is that so?"
"Senior, do you live on the fourth floor? I'm on the sixth. Let's get along as neighbors."
"..."
There was no response. I considered trying to talk to her a few more times, but decided to keep my mouth shut.
Our relationship was still nothing more than being classmates in the Hunter Department. I had confessed to her before and been rejected, but Han Harin didn't pay me any attention at all. I was just another stranger to her.
We got off on the first floor.
Han Harin walked toward the parking lot, while I headed toward the bus stop since I didn't have a car yet.
Wow, her ass is amazing.
Secretly admiring her figure was second nature to me.
***
While gathering information on the Tuseong Group, Detective Moon Ji-Hyeok didn't forget to methodically investigate the cases that had already occurred.
The blood puddle incident in the alleyway. The Saeoneul Apartment case.
The common thread linking these two incidents was the three gangster corpses. While investigating them, we finally stumbled upon a clue.
K-Flex Room. Ma Bongcheon and his gang worked as security guards there.
The van found near the alleyway belonged to them. Why would they park it so close to the alley?
They were trying to kill someone.
That was the only explanation for why they would bring the van to an alley so close to K-Flex. However, the gangsters' target wasn't Jeokgwang.
If it had been Jeokgwang, the gangsters would have died without accomplishing anything.
Someone else was the gangsters' target. The remaining bloodstain in the alleyway belonged to the person Ma Bongcheon had killed.
"Sung Joj."
This was the information Moon Ji-Hyeok had relentlessly pursued, threatening and coaxing the girls working at the K-Flex Room until they finally revealed it.
"Sacred Cock. Sung Joj for short."
Sung Joj was just an excuse. He would joke with the girls during sex, claiming his cock was sacred.
The rumor slowly spread among the girls, and now everyone in the red-light district knew the nickname Sung Joj. He must be quite the womanizer.
Although prostitution was occurring at the K-Flex Room, Moon Ji-Hyeok couldn't arrest the women. His primary task was investigating Jeokgwang, not prostitution cases. The prostitution investigation could wait.
"The day Sung Joj first came to K-Plex was the same day the blood puddle incident occurred in the alleyway."
Moon Ji-Hyeok had, of course, investigated Sung Joj.
Sung Joj. Real name: Sung Yujin. Age: 21. Presumed to be a university student, but possesses a vast fortune. He frequents Gangnam's private rooms alone, spending money without hesitation. Spending tens of millions of won a day is routine for him.
The DNA analysis of the blood found in the alley indicated a healthy male in his early twenties. Sung Yujin perfectly matches that profile.
Sung Yujin likely fought three gang members in the alley. Midway through the fight, Jeokgwang intervened, inflicting fatal injuries on the gang members before kidnapping them.
This seems the most plausible explanation. But why kidnap them from the scene? There were no signs of torture on the gang members' bodies.
I can't figure out what they did to the gangsters after kidnapping them. Just kept them locked up for a month? Was that really necessary? Why?
...Anyway, Sung Yujin and Jeokgwang must be connected somehow.
First, I need to find out more about Sung Yujin.
Moon Ji-Hyeok started by searching every university in the area. He flashed his police ID and asked for cooperation in the investigation, trying to locate a student named Sung Yujin.
But he found nothing.
...There were people with the same name, but their ages were wrong, and their descriptions didn't match what I'd heard.
After searching every university in Seoul, he still came up empty. At this point, it seemed possible that Sung Yujin was using a fake name or wasn't even a university student.
Sung Joj... Sung Yujin visits rooms in Gangnam almost every night. And the room he frequents most often is... Yeong Hyejeong.
Yeong Hyejeong.
South Korea's premier entertainment establishment.
I stumbled upon it during an investigation years ago, and Team Leader Oh Jeongjin warned me never to stir up trouble there, no matter what.
Numerous high-ranking officials were protecting it, and rumors even linked the Commissioner General of Police to the place.
And Yeong Hyejeong is connected to the Tuseong Group... A mere detective like me has no business meddling there. But...
Moon Ji-Hyeok squeezed his eyes shut before snapping them open. Ambushing Sung Yujin in another room was an option, but time was running out. A month had already passed since the Kim Chunseok bribery scandal. It wouldn't be surprising if Jeokgwang committed another crime today.
I need to meet Sung Yujin as soon as possible, even if it means pushing myself.
Instead of going straight to Yeong Hye-jeong's residence, Moon Ji-Hyeok parked his car nearby and decided to stake out the area. But just thirty minutes later, several large men in suits surrounded his vehicle.
The apparent leader of the group rapped sharply on his window.
As expected, they're no ordinary group. I never imagined my stakeout would be compromised in just thirty minutes.
With a sigh, Moon Ji-Hyeok lowered his window, smartphone in hand.
"What is it? If you're threatening me, I'll call the police."
"You are the police, Detective Moon Ji-Hyeok."
Park Chanseong's tone remained as polite as ever, but for some reason, Moon Ji-Hyeok found that politeness even more threatening.
"...You've already identified me? You're not ordinary, are you?"
"We're quite sensitive to information. May I ask why you're conducting surveillance here? Detective Moon Ji-Hyeok, you're currently assigned to the Red Light Special Task Force, aren't you? It doesn't seem like you're targeting us."
"The Tuseong Group... You're even more terrifying than I imagined."
Moon Ji-Hyeok was on the verge of breaking into a cold sweat. This was Yeong Hyejeong, the power of the Tuseong Group, South Korea's most formidable organized crime syndicate.
"Won't you answer the question? Our patience isn't limitless."
"...It's an investigation related to Jeokgwang. I know Sung Yujin frequents Yeong Hyejeong."
"Ah, is that so? As you said, Sung Yujin is a regular at Yeong Hyejeong. That makes it even harder to let this slide."
Park Chanseong gripped the window frame with a sharp thud.
"Detective Moon, you're making things difficult by acting like this. This is Yeong Hyejeong. Business is already slow due to the recent unrest in the country. We can't afford to scare away the few customers we have left."
"I have no intention of arresting Sung Yujin. I just have a few questions for him."
"Let's be honest. You can't arrest him because you don't have a warrant, right? And now you're openly staking out our establishment? You must think Yeong Hyejeong is a joke."
Moon Ji-Hyeok noticed Park Chanseong's tone growing increasingly hostile. If things continued this way, even as a detective, he might have to resort to force.
"...It's best to withdraw this time."
Vvvvrrr. Vvvvrrr.
The smartphone in Moon Ji-Hyeok's pocket vibrated.
Moon Ji-Hyeok checked his phone, his brow furrowing.
It was Detective Oh Jeongjin, the team leader. The reason for his call was obvious.
"You're getting a call. It might be urgent. Should I answer it?"
"...I'll withdraw this time. Next time, I'll visit Yeong Hyejeong as a guest."
"If you come as a guest, we'll welcome you. Business has been slow lately. But do you have enough money?"
"..."
Moon Ji-Hyeok fell silent, mentally checking his bank balance. Recent expenses had been substantial. No matter how he calculated, he didn't have much to spare.
"Detective Moon, do you wear makeup?"
"...What?"
Moon Ji-Hyeok was startled, his heart sinking. He had applied makeup to conceal his vampire's pale complexion.
Park Chanseong smirked, tilting his head down.
"I'm quite sensitive to cosmetics, you see. I can tell whether someone's wearing makeup just by looking closely. This time, I'll let it slide since you're backing down, but next time, I'll satisfy my curiosity."
"..."
Moon Ji-Hyeok's grip tightened on the steering wheel.
He suspects I'm a vampire. No, he's practically figured it out. This is a threat.
"...Understood."
The moment Park Chanseong heard Moon Ji-Hyeok's reply and began to back away, a taxi pulled up beside them, and Sung Yujin stepped out.
"Huh? Director Park Chanseong? What are you doing outside with the kids?"
Sung Yujin, a frequent visitor to Yeong Hyejeong, had developed a casual acquaintance with Park Chanseong, exchanging simple greetings whenever they met.
"...Yujin-ssi. Well, you see..."
Park Chanseong explained the situation from beginning to end. By now, Sung Yujin was one of the biggest players in the game, so there was no reason to hide anything.
"Ah, I see. You have a question for me? Then I should answer it. So, your name is Detective Moon Ji-Hyeok?"
"Yes, I'm Detective Moon Ji-Hyeok. I'm currently working with the Red Light Special Task Force."
Moon Ji-Hyeok spoke politely. Sung Yujin hadn't threatened him like Park Chanseong, nor was he conducting a formal investigation. Besides, they were meeting for the first time.
"Detective, I'll cooperate if you buy me steak for dinner. Oh, and I only eat steak from that high-end restaurant nearby. What do you say?"
"...There's no reason I can't treat you to dinner."
"Aren't you going to answer that call? It keeps ringing must be urgent."
"...Excuse me for a moment."
Click. Moon Ji-Hyeok rolled up the window and answered the phone.
"Hey, you bastard! Moon Ji-Hyeok! What the hell do you think you're doing?! Didn't I tell you to stay away from Yeong Hyejeong?!"
The sudden, loud voice made Moon Ji-Hyeok's face sour.