The Ultimate Inspector, Kang Ji-hyeok - Chapter 14



Only Krnovel

Episode 14

Time passed without any major incidents.

While dealing with a few simple cases, the seasons change.

As it was time to make my morning coffee, the door opened and the detective came in with a surprised look on his face.

This is evidence that this is a plausible case!

* * *

It was the night that Sergeant Kim Jun-tae, who had won the lottery, received the cash from Seoul.

As we turned onto the forest road near the base, someone jumped in front of the car.

He barely managed to hit the brakes, but his car hit someone and Sergeant Kim Jun-tae opened the door in shock and approached the victim.

However, on the contrary, there was an incident where the victim was threatened and beaten by a car crash and 40 million won out of 60 million won in cash was stolen.

“The military police caught him. As you said, the suspect, Second Lieutenant Choi Chang-sik, was hiding in a nearby illegal gambling house?”

“I knew it. It’s fortunate that Sergeant Kim Jun-tae didn’t die.”

“The prosecutor who accurately identified that Lieutenant Choi was in a nearby illegal gambling den is amazing.”

“Those who gamble or do drugs can’t give it up. Especially when they’re under pressure, they’re bound to find it. So it’s only natural, you know.”

This was the incident where Sergeant Kim Jun-tae, who won a 100 million won lottery, was attacked by an unknown assailant on his way home.

The culprit was Second Lieutenant Choi Chang-sik, who was a company commander in the same unit.

He was an elite, a graduate of the Military Academy.

Even Chief Kim Jun-tae didn’t believe it at first

“That can’t be true. Lieutenant Choi is a good person who treated me like an uncle. It’s him who attacked me······.”

“More than anything, the suspect, 2nd Lieutenant Choi Chang-sik, knew that the cash was in the sergeant’s car at that time that day. 2nd Lieutenant Choi needed the money, so he would have done the same even if it was the battalion commander, not the sergeant.”

“Are you saying that you swung a knife at me to take away the 60 million won I barely received after deducting taxes?”

“No, that’s the characteristic of a gambling addict. It’s not about money, but paying off gambling debts and then gambling again.”

Although Sergeant Kim Jun-tae absolutely denied that Lieutenant Choi Chang-sik was the culprit, all the evidence discovered during the investigation pointed towards him.

“You said you saw a shiny necklace? I heard that Lieutenant Choi Chang-sik had no luck with gambling because he had no gold in his fortune, so he wore a gold necklace.”

Putting that aside, the Lieutenant Choi Chang-sik I met and spoke with was a dangerous gambling addict.

Eventually, when he realized that he was a suspect, he deserted, thereby proving his guilt.

Detective Kim Ji-cheol shook his head as if he was disappointed from the morning.

“He’s a loser. But I thought he’d be pretty smart since he graduated from the military academy······.”

“It doesn’t matter whether you graduated from the Military Academy, Seoul National University, or MIT. They all become fools when it comes to money and gambling.”

Detective Kim Ji-cheol stares at me.

Are you curious about something?

“How did you know he was a gambler? He’s never been caught gambling before······.”

How many years have I been a detective?

You can tell just by saying a few words.

I saw several symptoms during an hour-long interview with Lieutenant Choi, who committed the crime.

“I had trouble focusing for an entire hour and was rated as incompetent by almost everyone. After two years on the job, I didn’t even know my own boss’s name.”

“But… that doesn’t prove gambling, does it? It could just be ADHD…”

“He kept fiddling with his thumb the whole time we were talking. That’s the hallmark of a gambling addict.”

“Hey, inspector. Isn’t that too personal?”

As he said, it was thanks to the personal experiences he gained during his career as a detective and the special insights he gained in this life.

“The most important thing is that the suspect doesn’t have enough money in his bank account. Even the officer didn’t have a car to commute to work, and he mostly took the bus.”

“That’s true. But it’s understandable since he’s a fresh college graduate.”

“No, there are two reasons why a soldier doesn’t have a car. Either he was driving drunk, or he can’t use a car for some reason······.”

I placed the car sales documents from his case file on the table.

“Two months ago, I sold my car. But I bought the car for 20 million won, and sold it for 4 million won in 6 months. After checking, I found out that I sold it to an individual over the weekend and received it in cash.”

“okay.”

“It doesn’t make sense that an elite who graduated from the Korea Military Academy would sell the car he received as a graduation gift for 4 million won.”

“You paid off your gambling debts.”

Detective Kim Ji-cheol also nods.

“That’s how it started. If you bought a car right at the place you were gambling, that’s direct evidence that you were gambling dangerously.”

As expected, the investigation revealed that Choi had a gambling debt of over 200 million won.

* * *

Inside the military court were Ensign Choi and his lawyer. Ensign Choi was sitting calmly, not moving at all.

The lawyer looked up in an impertinent manner and met my eyes.

“Prosecutor, I don’t think this case is a big deal. Lieutenant Choi is in a weak state of mind and body and has simply fallen into a helpless situation. Please don’t let him get into any more trouble and show leniency.”

The lawyer said with a hypocritical smile.

This son of a bitch.

You ask for tolerance?

How could you make such a big deal out of a sergeant who works in the same unit?

“Your Honor, this is a heinous crime that goes beyond humanity committed by Second Lieutenant Choi, a soldier who plays a key role in maintaining national defense. It is clear that Second Lieutenant Choi habitually gambled, and this is an act that violates the discipline and order of a soldier. The lawyer’s claim that it is a gambling addiction due to mental weakness is nothing more than an excuse to avoid punishment.”

The judge looks at me through thick glasses.

Are you telling me to finish talking?

The lawyer looked puzzled, but I smiled resolutely and continued my statement.

“It doesn’t matter why Lieutenant Choi became addicted to gambling. We must emphasize the responsibility and duty of a soldier. This incident is an act that violates military discipline, and it requires military disciplinary action along with social criticism. Lieutenant Choi must take responsibility for his habitual gambling and be judged by the law.”

bang.

I slammed the table in front of me.

I have one more thing to emphasize.

“Furthermore, he committed planned assault and attempted murder with a weapon against his comrades who had to stand back to back and risk their lives in times of war! Rather, he is being sentenced to 6 years in prison by applying an aggravated punishment.”

The courtroom became chaotic.

But gambling and drugs are serious crimes everywhere.

That son of a bitch deserves the maximum punishment the law allows.

This is how I take revenge on the world through law.

The judge looked up after reviewing the dozens of pages of indictment I had submitted.

And sentenced the suspect, Lieutenant Choi.

“Second Lieutenant Choi Chang-sik, you are charged with habitual gambling addiction and attempted premeditated murder.”

Everyone in the courtroom looks at the judge’s mouth. This usually happens at the end of a trial.

Choi So-wi made an excuse in a trembling voice.

“I have never been a habitual gambler. And the story about attempted premeditated murder is completely false!”

The criminal says so.

That it was a mistake, that it wasn’t true.

They are the scum of the earth who still talk like that after the trial is over.

The judge answered calmly.

“The law considers the intent and consequences of every act. Your gambling addiction and desire to make money cannot be the reason for the crime. Also, planning to kill can be interpreted as evidence of malice.”

The only place a criminal can go is to be isolated from society.

“This trial was conducted fairly, and your guilt was proven based on the evidence and testimony. For the charges of habitual gambling and attempted premeditated murder, I hereby sentence the defendant, Lieutenant Choi Chang-sik, to six years in prison.”

Knock knock knock.

The sharp sentence that seemed to cut the heart ended.

“Defendant Choi Chang-sik! From now on, please abide by the law and rules and seize the opportunity to make a new start.”

The judge concluded the trial like this.

When Choi Chang-sik gets out of prison, he will hang around gambling houses again with the living expenses provided by those around him.

Eventually, he will end up not far from the gambling den, having his valuable body parts torn off and becoming food for social beasts.

If I’m really lucky, I’ll be the homeless person with only one kidney at Seoul Station.

That’s the end goal of gambling addiction.

“Thank you for your hard work, inspector.”

On the way back from the courtroom, investigator Kim Ji-cheol said that.

“What’s the big deal? Isn’t it our job to send crazy dogs that bite people to the slaughterhouse?”

* * *

Before I knew it, a year had passed since I started working as a military prosecutor.

One cold winter day.

I was drinking coffee and looking at the snowflakes falling outside the window.

On the table in front of the sofa were a few newspapers that I read every morning.

‘How much money and power do the bastards who killed me have that they can commit crimes without getting caught?’

Nowhere in the newspapers is there any mention of the crimes committed by those who deserve revenge.

Every evening before leaving work, I checked the cases assigned to the prosecutors, but his name wasn’t there even once.

It may not be because you haven’t committed a crime.

They are hiding it thoroughly.

Because my vengeance target is a murder addict who can’t live without committing crime.

Thankfully, before I could get any angrier, Detective Kim Ji-cheol spoke to me.

“What makes you think so, Inspector?”

“Are you looking at me because my eyes are pretty?”

“···A regular soldier would probably kick the blanket. Just looking at those eyes, their ears would already start to hurt from the thought of having to work all day to clear snow.”

With Christmas just a week away, carols are playing on the radio.

Well, I used to be like that too.

dripping.

A rough knocking sound.

Turn your head and look at the door.

The knocking sound is urgent.

Insight is triggered by hasty hand movements.

‘The big one is coming for us!’

Rattling.

The door opened and two men in black suits came in.

“Who are you?”

A tall, handsome man in his late 50s with short, slicked-back hair.

And one is in his early 40s.

I must have worked out so much that my biceps and thighs felt like they were going to burst.

“One is a high-ranking official, and the rest are bodyguards?”

I said so.

The man in the high position(?) smiles.

“It’s just as I heard. Nice to meet you. My name is Chanojin.”

Lieutenant Kim Ji-cheol saluted with a surprised look on his face.

“Chooooooowungseong. So-called Kim Ji-cheol!”

He looks at me with a bewildered face at my loud voice and gives me earnest eyes.

His true identity is at least ‘Star’?

“Loyalty! Captain Kang Ji-hyuk.”

“The salute is short and concise. Hehe.”

He looks at me with a hearty laugh.

He looked at the snow on his shoulder and asked quietly.

“Would you like a cup of warm coffee?”

“Okay. What you’re drinking, I’ll have a drink too.”

“All right.”

Chanojin.

When I saw his face, my memory kicked in.

He is a military man who was appointed Minister of Defense in a previous life.

During the hearing, he argued with a hearing committee member over a story about his son’s past suicide in the military as a private of interest.

The next day, he officially resigned from his post as minister without hesitation.

Detectives were disappointed that such a prestigious and accomplished man had resigned for such a shabby reason.

Chanojin smiles while drinking coffee.

But it can’t be a pleasant smile.

If I remember correctly, it was not long ago that his son committed suicide.

“General, why are you here without your uniform?”

“I came to you not as a brigadier general, but as a father who lost his son, to ask you to take care of my son’s case.”

Heart pounding.

So you came to me to take care of your son’s suicide case?

“My son committed suicide in the military a while ago. It was ruled a suicide due to mental weakness.”

Even though it’s his son’s business, he speaks calmly.

He is a man who, like me, went through countless tears and anger to find a way to control himself.

“Then, can I bring up a case that ended in suicide again?”

I looked at him and said with sharp eyes.

“I wish you would find the culprit and kill him, but······. I want to know the truth behind the incident.”

It’s true······.

Well then, welcome.

Lieutenant General Chanojin.