Apocalypse in Water - Chapter 129



Only Krnovel

Episode 129

This time too, Lee Su-ho didn’t even glance at the investigation report placed right in front of him.

“Detective Kim. What job do you think is most similar to being a captain?”

“well.”

I responded defensively to the sudden change of topic.

“Maestro. The conductor of the orchestra. The captain may seem to be playing on the bridge, but he is involved in every nook and cranny of the ship, and he remembers nothing. That is why he can harmoniously command the ship while carrying all kinds of equipment and many people on board, and in the dangerous sea. For example, if the captain misremembers the ship’s engine structure and the engineer’s schedule, the ship will not be able to move properly and will capsize. So you know the difference in the weight of the memories of an ordinary sailor and that of a captain?

“Ah! I see. But unlike the ship, in the investigation report, both Officer Cha and Captain Lee are equal, and it’s just one person’s statement.”

Lee Su-ho’s face, which had never changed expression, became wrinkled like a crumpled piece of paper.

“Anyway, what I just told you is my accurate memory.”

Lee Su-ho looked at me and said.

“And when I checked my memory last night, there were several things I needed to correct. Normally, this would have been a quick operation, but it took longer because of Officer Jeon Woo-sang’s mistake. He disobeyed my instructions and missed the search for the stern, which resulted in the loss of two Chinese sailors. Because of that, we had to search again, which delayed the rescue.”

“Is that so? But the content is different from that of Officer Jeon Woo-sang’s statement.”

“As I said, the captain’s memories carry a different weight.”

Lee Su-ho continued to tell stories that were contradictory not only to his previous statements but also to those of his subordinates, claiming that his memory was accurate.

If Lee Su-ho’s corrected statement is correct, he did nothing wrong in the rescue of the capsized fishing boat.

So, the responsibility for ignoring the rescue request from the capsized fishing boat and cracking down on the illegal Chinese fishing boat first lies entirely with the subordinates.

All fishermen on board the boat were killed or went missing in the accident.

During the investigation into the fishing boat capsizing accident, it was revealed that Coast Guard Boat No. 863 was the first to receive a rescue request.

But somehow this fact was buried, and the only conclusion was that the ship capsized due to a misidentification of a reef.

Testimony from those around him that the captain had problems communicating with foreign crew members became crucial evidence.

Moreover, the foreign sailors were illegal immigrants.

It seemed like the incident was over, but then the media broke out with an article that No. 863 had ignored the rescue request.

I don’t know how the press obtained the investigative records, but it had quite a big social impact.

As criticism and condemnation of the Coast Guard continued in the media and on the Internet, the issue was also raised during a question-and-answer session with the government in the National Assembly.

In the end, the Coast Guard, which had been holding out, had no choice but to request a police investigation.

The police viewed the Coast Guard as a child-like organization that had spun off from them.

In fact, there were several former police officers in the high ranks of the Coast Guard.

Captain Lee Su-ho, who can be said to be a key party in the incident, was also rumored to be connected to a police faction within the Coast Guard.

So, it was an investigation that was either worth it or not.

And because there are so many people involved in this case, including stakeholders, the investigation is bound to be quite a headache.

No one wanted to take charge.

But at that time, I was in the middle of a huge fight with the team leader over an investigative support issue.

The team leader, as if he had been waiting for this incident, recommended me as the best person for the job of investigating the fishing boat capsize accident.

So, I unintentionally became the person in charge of investigating the fishing boat capsizing incident.

I thought I stepped in total shit.

As we began to investigate, things seemed to be going to be simple, contrary to expectations.

Captain Lee Su-ho took up the gun.

He said he ignored calls for help and decided to crack down on illegal Chinese fishing boats on his own.

In situations like Jesus’ self-sacrifice, I automatically had the suspicion that this might be a case of monopolization.

When a gangster commits a crime or gets caught, they are often ordered to write a suicide note to clear up the situation.

After being released, they are guaranteed money and status, and they make unrelated people turn themselves in.

However, Lee Su-ho was not a low-ranking official, but the person actually responsible for this accident.

And the statement and the confirmed investigation results also naturally pointed to him.

In cases of this type of accident, they handle things similarly to any organization or gang, where the person in charge disappears and the people below them take responsibility and carry out a one-man system.

Rather, the gangster who promised compensation after release at least has some sense of loyalty, but in the case of tail cutting, the person who ends up being punished is not only subject to compensation, but also to moral condemnation.

I have never liked Lee Su-ho before. But this time, I couldn’t help but respect him.

The person truly responsible stepped forward and took responsibility.

But then he changes the subject like this.

I leaned back in my chair and stroked the back of my head with my hand.

Lee Su-ho also followed me, leaning back on his chair and crossing his arms.

A deep silence flowed between us.

I stared blankly at Lee Su-ho.

Is it true that they took bribes from Korean fishing boats?

It was a rumor I heard when I went to the scene of the disaster.

Because illegal Chinese fishing boats are so prevalent and sweep away all the fish, Korean fishermen want the Coast Guard to give priority to protecting their fishing areas.

But as is the case with most things a country does, the number of coast guard vessels was insufficient and operations were tight.

So, he said that if you put money in the Coast Guard’s pocket, like an express fee, the Coast Guard will show up on time.

As the rumors went, there was no way to know whether it was true or not.

It could have been a lie made up to criticize the regime or to express dissatisfaction with the lack of proper enforcement.

But anyway, I heard through rumors that Captain Lee Su-ho was the express fee killer.

So, instead of rescue, should we crack down on illegal fishing operations first?

But he never said a word about the express fee until the end.

Instead, Lee Su-ho’s excuse, given off the record after the investigation was over, was ‘revenge.’

At first, as a civil servant receiving government funds, I worked hard to crack down on them with a sense of responsibility, but later, after seeing my subordinates injured and killed, I decided that I had to make sure that Chinese fishing boats could not even set foot in our waters.

So, rather than rescuing fishing boats, they went to catch Chinese fishing boats that were fishing illegally.

In fact, his crackdown record was overwhelmingly number one, and he was socially evaluated as a patriot who protected our seas.

What is really true?

Maybe both are closer to the truth.

I leaned back in my chair and asked.

“So does that mean that the captain has no responsibility as a commander and maestro?”

“According to the regulations and laws, yes. But there is also a moral responsibility.”

If it’s moral responsibility, then there’s no legal punishment.

What would be the expressions of Officer Cha and Patrolman Jeon, who came to the police station yesterday to defend their superior, if they found out about this?

Lee Su-ho left after finishing the investigation.

I didn’t trust his reversal of statements, but I wrote the report again.

But then Lee Su-ho came back into the office.

“You! You damn little salty little henchman! You screwed me over, right?”

Although I was surprised by Lee Su-ho’s sudden swearing, this level of bullying at the police station was close to being cute.

I answered with a snicker.

“If I’m a fucking salty little prick, then this captain must be a fucking salty little prick of the sea.”

Lee Su-ho was so embarrassed that he couldn’t open his mouth for a moment.

“And Captain, who did I tell you to?”

“Where the hell are you? That’s it. I’m taking back everything I said today. You guys can do whatever you want, according to your previous statements.”

“No, why are you changing it all of a sudden?”

“Huh! Why are you like this? You contacted me.”

“They keep saying I told someone. Who is that person?”

Lee Su-ho snickered as he watched me looking frustrated.

“Huh! You’re a good actor, you little punk. Okay. Just give me your statement as I say. This time, there’s nothing I can do, but I’ll see you later.”

And then he left.

Lee Su-ho seemed to think that I had snitched on his superiors.

From the Coast Guard leadership’s perspective, they probably hoped that the accident would be resolved appropriately on Captain Lee Su-ho’s ship so that no damage would come to them.

So you just pressured her to hold you and die?

The team leader also called me in and ordered me to conclude the report with Captain Lee Su-ho’s previous statement.

I hesitated for a moment about whether I should conclude it like this, but the previous statement seemed closer to the truth anyway.

Although it was right for Captain Lee Su-ho to take responsibility both morally and legally, it seemed absurd for him to use the dictatorship.

Is that why, or is it because of a little sympathy?

The report was concluded without digging into the bribery rumors.

Captain Lee Su-ho was dismissed as expected.

And then, a year later, I happened to hear that he had filed a lawsuit to overturn his dismissal.

Then I heard about him after seeing the list of apostates from the Ark Church.

The fact that he entered the Ark Church was not that surprising.

The Bangju Church focused its evangelism on people who were emotionally vulnerable or frustrated, such as Nurse Jang.

Rather, it was more surprising that he apostatized than that he joined the Ark Church.

From what I have learned from writing the report, he was a very loyal person.

Maybe the experience of being fired changed his mind.

* * *

“Captain Lee!”

When Lee Su-ho declared his intention to fight to the death, his subordinates hanging from the rope called out to him in voices close to screams.

“Please save me. I can’t take it anymore.”

“That idiot is really going to cut the rope. Please surrender for our sake.”

But Lee Su-ho was cold-hearted.

“No! There is no surrender for us.”

The few men remaining on the battleship rebelled.

“Captain Lee! You said that crackdowns are no different from war. That’s why we are blood comrades. So are you going to abandon your comrades?”

“Great things require sacrifice.”

Lee Su-ho made no attempt to take back his words.