Chapter 6

Detective Choi, the Top Crime Solver! Chapter 006: Becoming a Tycoon

Having gathered the evidence to prove the information I had, I confirmed the address of the mistress my uncle Lee Cheol-min was meeting and headed there.

From the photos, she appeared to be a young lady in her early to mid-twenties, working as a salesperson in the luxury section of a department store.

Given that she lived in a high-end apartment in Gugyeol-dong, it was suspicious whether Uncle Lee was sponsoring her monthly.

After all, it would be impossible for a young woman in her early to mid-twenties to own something of such value unless she had inherited it.

‘I lack decisive evidence.’

No Jin-gu had taken photos of the two together, but they were not enough to prove anything more than a professional relationship, so it wasn't the right time to expose them.

‘Eun-ji is also recovering, so there’s no need to rush.’

Since the problematic children have been separated, I can take my time and ensure the revenge is perfect.

‘Hold on, just because I lack solid evidence doesn’t mean I can’t do anything.’

A good idea came to mind.

If I stir up trouble by provoking my aunt, who is jealous and envious, she will start investigating on her own.

This way, my cousin Lee Hyo-jin, who tormented Eun-ji, and her father Lee Cheol-min will both fall into a pit of misery.

Ding Dong!

My aunt lives in the most luxurious apartment in this area.

However, this is the first time I’ve visited her home without prior notice.

“Eh? What brings you here, Mujin?”

My aunt doesn’t know that Hyo-jin has been tormenting Eun-ji.

But I know her well.

I’ve already experienced it.

Even when Eun-ji fell into a coma after attempting suicide, my aunt was cold to my mother, who had sought help without my knowledge.

“I just dropped by. Hyo-jin and Eun-ji are in the same class, and I was curious about how you’re doing.”

“What a surprise. Come in. Do you want coffee?”

“Yes.”

“Sit down.”

The apartment is a bit over 50 pyeong, so the living room is spacious and the kitchen is luxurious, reminding me of our own kitchen.

‘Mom! Please bear with it a little longer. I’ll make a better kitchen for you.’

Now, even seeing such things makes me emotional. If I had worked a little harder and been more focused, I could have lived a better life.

“What brings you here? It doesn’t seem like you just dropped by.”

“Is Hyo-jin and Uncle still out?”

“Hyo-jin is studying late, and Uncle is taking a shower, so he’ll be out soon. Have you eaten?”

“No.”

“We’re about to eat. Do you want to join us?”

“Yes, please.”

I have to see Uncle’s face, even if I have to force myself to eat.

‘You raised your daughter to be like this, so live the rest of your life in punishment.’

I wonder what kind of environment Hyo-jin grew up in to become like this, which makes me see my aunt in a different light.

“Oh, it’s you, Mujin.”

“Hello, Uncle!”

“Wow, it’s been a while. Your house isn’t that far, but it’s hard to see you.”

“Yes, it is.”

Honestly, we are only relatives by name; we are like strangers.

No, that’s not quite right.

We are worse than strangers.

The meal was quickly prepared, and the three of us sat down.

I have a daughter, and I worry whether she will take care of me properly when I get old.

It seemed like the right time, so after eating for a while, I casually said:

“Oh, by the way, Uncle!”

“What is it?”

“A few days ago, I saw you with a young lady in Gugyeol-dong. Do you have a business partner there? You seemed quite close...”

“Me... me?”

Uncle Lee Cheol-min’s face suddenly turned red.

‘He’s flustered.’

He said he meets her once a week.

Since I mentioned a few days ago, I broadened the scope, thinking it was definitely in Gugyeol-dong, and it seemed to hit the mark.

“Yes, it was definitely you, wasn’t it?”

I thought it was time for my aunt to react, and I saw her cross her arms and her eyes turn fierce.

From her expression, it seemed she might already know about the mistress.

“I don’t think so...”

“Really?”

“No, I don’t think so. I went to Gugyeol-dong, but I only remember meeting someone from our tax office.”

“Oh, I see.”

That’s enough.

The rest is up to my aunt. If it goes smoothly, I’ll create another opportunity.

“By the way, how’s the market value of this apartment?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m just curious.”

“Why are you curious about something you can’t even dream of owning?”

In Incheon, you’d have to go to Yeonsu-dong or Songdo to find a better apartment, so my aunt isn’t wrong.

But to speak to her nephew like that...

“Maybe I’ll win the lottery.”

“Ha ha ha! The lottery isn’t for everyone.”

“You never know.”

“If you have the money, save it. Your family can’t do anything else.”

This is a direct reflection of my aunt’s mindset.

To treat her sister’s family as if they are just anyone...

“Aunt, don’t you know that anyone can win the lottery?”

“Enough. If you’re done eating, go home. The adults have things to discuss.”

“Yes, I should. See you next time.”

I had already put down my spoon, so I just needed to stand up and leave.

As I was leaving, my aunt’s loud voice rang out before I could close the door.

“You said you broke it off with that woman!”

Sure enough, my aunt knew.

A woman as jealous and envious as her couldn’t have been unaware of her husband’s infidelity.

‘I won’t get the decisive blow this time.’

I realized this wouldn’t be enough to split them apart.

If her husband was cheating and she tolerated it, it means she couldn’t give up on other things.

‘Let’s see how it goes.’

They say a woman’s grudge can bring frost in June, but a man’s grudge can only end with someone’s death.

Especially for someone like me, there is no middle ground.

If my aunt and Hyo-jin come to me first, shedding tears and sincerely apologizing, it might be different.

‘But I doubt it.’

I will become more terrifying and powerful, and make them kneel before me.

@The Fugitive and the Safe Cracker

A few days passed quickly, and I was assigned to a peculiar case with Senior Park.

“This is something we need to be careful about.”

“What kind of case is it?”

“It’s a simple matter. The home of a high-ranking official at the Incheon Police Department was burglarized, and they want us to catch the culprit.”

“Why was this case assigned to our team instead of the Incheon Regional Investigation Team?”

“Isn’t that strange? Don’t you find it odd?”

“Is there some reason behind it?”

“It’s a bit difficult to explain since you’re new, but I’ll tell you since you have some experience. Hmm, where should I start? Ah, right. That’s how I’ll put it.”

Senior Park thought for a moment and continued.

“This is a case where the homes of high-ranking officials were burglarized, so it’s hard to spread the news, and if we give it to the main department’s detectives, it might cause a stir. So they found a suitable excuse.”

“...”

“On the other hand, even if we fail to catch the culprit, they chose us from the Bujeon Police Station, which is considered the worst of the worst, to ensure that the Incheon Police Department’s detectives don’t get into trouble. In short, they want to pass through this without any damage.”

It’s hard to see this as a clear reason, but it does make sense emotionally.

Still, it feels a bit off.

“What if we don’t catch the culprit? What happens to us?”

“What do you think?”

“Will we be held responsible?”

“Look at our team. I’m behind in my promotion to inspector, and you’re a new transfer. It’s a perfect match.”

I know about this case, but in my first life, it wasn’t one I handled.

It was handled by my senior colleagues in the same team.

So I only knew the general details and not the specifics.

One fortunate thing is that I know who the culprit is.

The culprit, Kim Byung-mok, a three-time offender, was not caught at the time but turned himself in a year later.

‘Right, I remember. There was a lot of debate about whether he was the real culprit.’

Thinking about it, the memory comes back clearly.

Kim Byung-mok is a professional safe cracker, and I know where to find him.

The problem is that he is a member of the Black Moon, the largest and most powerful organized crime group in Incheon and nationwide.

“I don’t know if it’s right for us to handle this case, given that it’s outside our jurisdiction and involves the Regional Investigation Team.”

“That’s true. But what can we do? We have to do it if we’re told to.”

“They said the homes are in Songdo.”

“Right.”

“If we get caught snooping around in Songdo, it could get quite noisy. I’m worried.”

“We’ll have to lie if we get caught. Besides, it’s the homes of the Incheon Police Department’s Chief of Criminal Affairs and the Chief of the Investigation Division. Who would dare to touch them?”

This is a roundabout way of saying that the police have a deeply rooted organizational culture.

Of course, I understand what Senior Park means.

“But what do we get if we catch the culprit?”

“Why? Do you want to catch the culprit and follow the proper procedure?”

“It’s not that, but the principle is that the guilty should be punished.”

“That’s true, but I’m not sure. Burglarizing the homes of high-ranking police officials is quite a feat.”

“Could it be that the culprit targeted them intentionally?”

“It’s possible.”

“Senior, let’s catch the culprit.”

“Ha ha ha! You say that, but what if we can’t catch him?”

“Who knows? I have a good intuition.”

“Wow! Am I going to benefit from having a new colleague?”

Senior Park is just joking, and I’m playing along.

“Of course. Just trust me.”

“Please, let’s both get promoted to inspector.”

“Then I’ll become a detective?”

“Do you know something?”

“No, I don’t.”

He suddenly asked seriously, so I answered seriously.

“I was just...”

“But can we see the crime scene?”

“We can go today. The Chief said we have to go today.”

“Let’s go then.”

* * *

We went to the homes of the Chief of Criminal Affairs and the Chief of the Investigation Division in Songdo, but we only confirmed the location of the safes and found no evidence.

The safes were electronic, so we needed the password. The fact that they were neatly opened suggests that the culprit knew the password or used a special device to open them and steal the contents.

“Senior, even though they are high-ranking police officials, their salaries are modest. How can they afford such homes?”

Songdo is known for its high apartment prices, comparable to Seoul.

The home of the Chief of Criminal Affairs, Moon Sang-jin, is 45 pyeong and worth 1.2 billion won, and the home of the Chief of the Investigation Division, Kim Jae-sung, is 50 pyeong and worth over 1.3 billion won.

“How would I know?”

“It smells fishy.”

“Hey! Be careful what you say. The Chief of the Incheon Police Department lives in a 60 pyeong apartment in this area.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know how they did it, but they say they bought the apartments when they were first built. And even ordinary people can be good at financial management, so don’t jump to conclusions.”

“Okay.”

“Do you not want to succeed?”

“What?”

“I’m telling you to be careful what you say.”

“Ha ha, I will.”

In a healthy society, this would sound like a joke, but it’s the truth, and all I can do is laugh.