Chapter : 9 Don’t Make It So Obvious
“So where do you get your tips about drug offenders?”
“It varies, but we primarily receive cooperation from related agencies.”
Da-sol’s eyes sparkled with interest as she listened to Ji-hyeok speak.
There was a touch of admiration mixed with an overwhelming amount of curiosity.
He had intended to wrap things up quickly and head back to the Prosecutors’ Office.
Instead, the conversation had gone on much longer than expected.
It was probably because of the way she looked at him.
“So you only practiced judo?”
“I started with track and field before switching to judo.”
“I see. By the way, Prosecutor, you have a really nice voice. Don’t you think?”
The director turned to Da-sol.
“Ah… yes. But, Director…”
Her expression clearly showed she wasn’t particularly interested.
Ji-hyeok’s eyebrow twitched at Da-sol’s half-hearted response.
She looked at the veterinary hospital director with admiration, and she treated the film director like an excited teenage fan.
Ji-hyeok, who was used to receiving attention from women, found it strangely irritating.
The director continued asking Da-sol several questions.
She leaned forward over the table, and the smile on her face never faded. It looked just like a fan meeting with her favorite celebrity.
Watching the exchange, Ji-hyeok found his gaze repeatedly drawn toward Da-sol.
He convinced himself it wasn’t because he felt anything special.
It was simply because she was beautiful.
“Well, that’s everything. Thank you both for the interview, Prosecutor and Ms. Da-sol.”
Apparently satisfied, the director chuckled as he packed away his recorder and notebook.
“When the movie comes out, I’ll invite both of you to the premiere. Make sure you come together.”
Da-sol bowed politely, her attitude filled with the utmost respect.
As soon as the director left, the two of them walked outside.
Ji-hyeok slipped both hands into his pants pockets.
Then Da-sol suddenly spoke.
“Prosecutor, you’re really amazing.”
“What makes you say that?”
Hearing her gentle voice carried by the breeze, Ji-hyeok turned around.
“Director Seo Chang-sik personally came all the way to the Prosecutors’ Office just to interview you.”
“Is that really such a big deal?”
“It absolutely is! Director Seo Chang-sik is the best crime film director around! They say he doesn’t interview just anyone because it affects the quality of his movies.”
“I see.”
Looking down at Da-sol, Ji-hyeok answered calmly.
She frowned slightly, as if frustrated by his reaction.
“It really is incredible. People even say that if Director Seo Chang-sik asks to interview someone, they’re basically the best in their field.”
“Hm. Then I suppose that means Jin Da-sol is the best in her field as well.”
“No, that’s not what I meant… There’s no way I’d go around calling myself the best.”
Her face flushed as she answered.
“You said Director Seo Chang-sik only interviews the very best in their fields. I simply assumed he wouldn’t ask someone for an interview just because they happened to be sitting there.”
“Well… I don’t know about that. I was just tagging along.”
Da-sol tucked her long hair behind her ear.
Even so, a bright smile remained on her face.
Her clear eyes shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.
The corners of Ji-hyeok’s lips softened ever so slightly.
But he didn’t even notice the subtle change in his own expression.
A few days later.
An emergency meeting was being held in the Violent Crimes Division Chief Prosecutor’s office.
“We’ve received a tip that Kim Do-jung will be meeting someone at a nightclub.”
Kim Do-jung was the leader of the organization that Jo Man-deok—whom Ji-hyeok had arrested not long ago—belonged to.
He was one of the Prosecutors’ Office’s biggest targets.
Even his name was an alias.
While Jo Man-deok had served under him, they had only met face-to-face once.
Even then, Kim Do-jung’s face had been hidden by backlighting.
He truly was a man shrouded in mystery.
“What kind of transaction?”
The chief prosecutor asked, locking eyes with Ji-hyeok.
“Core data containing a list of major figures.”
“The same one you mentioned before? The children of influential people?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And celebrities?”
“We’ve identified dozens of them.”
“Oh? Really?”
The chief prosecutor grinned.
“If we catch him, it’ll be huge. You all know the President has declared war on drugs, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
The prosecutors answered in unison, their voices echoing throughout the office.
“Who’s the buyer?”
“A man named Brian.”
Ji-hyeok projected a photograph onto the screen.
“What the hell? I expected a foreigner after hearing the name Brian. Is he some black-haired foreigner?”
The chief prosecutor clicked his tongue.
“No. He’s Korean. Brian is just his alias.”
“And how’s the deal supposed to work?”
“He’ll hand over part of the data on a USB drive. After leaving the location, he’ll reveal where the rest of the information is stored.”
The chief prosecutor nodded, understanding immediately.
A seasoned gleam flashed across his eyes.
“So what kind of guy is Brian?”
“A textbook businessman. He’s calculating and exceptionally strategic. When necessary, he shows a devilish side.”
“If he’s a businessman… is Brian the buyer?”
“No. He’s a broker. He simply connects buyers and sellers and earns a commission.”
“So Brian isn’t the main target. What’s your plan, Pro Jang?”
Ji-hyeok met the chief prosecutor’s gaze.
“Brian is obsessed with women. He’s with different women twenty-four hours a day. We’re going to use that to get close to him.”
“Hm. I can already see where this is going. Continue.”
“The meeting will take place at Amber Club, in a VVIP room. The club regularly arranges women for VVIP guests. One of our female detectives will blend in with them and enter the room.”
“A female detective?”
“Yes. Once the USB is placed on the table, she’ll give the signal, and we’ll raid the room.”
“You’re sure it’s a USB? Isn’t everyone using cloud storage these days?”
Sang-geun asked with a frown.
“Brian prioritizes security above everything else. He never uses cloud storage because it’s too vulnerable to password hacking.”
“Fair enough. If it gets hacked, it’s over.”
The chief prosecutor crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
“That aside… Kim Do-jung is extremely cautious. Will he really allow women into the room?”
“Kim Do-jung is well aware of Brian’s reputation as a womanizer. It’s famous in their world. Brian handles business flawlessly, but he’s caused countless incidents because of women. That’s the only opening we have.”
“A guy who doesn’t even show his face to his own subordinates is willing to show it to some random woman? Sounds suspicious.”
“The VVIP rooms are split into two levels. Once Kim Do-jung arrives, they’ll be separated. More importantly, he’ll be disguised.”
Ji-hyeok rested his clasped hands on the desk, propping himself up on his elbows.
“I see. But even if he’s just a broker… shouldn’t we take Brian down too?”
“I mentioned before that we’ve already placed a detective inside Brian’s organization.”
“A detective?”
“Yes. We don’t know who it is, and there’s no telling when they’ll have to withdraw from the operation.”
The chief prosecutor frowned and tapped his pen against the desk.
“So there could be unexpected variables.”
Concern was evident on his face.
“As long as we catch Kim Do-jung, that’s enough.”
Ji-hyeok’s resonant voice filled the office.
“Good. We’ll proceed as planned.”
“Yumi, do we really have to come here?”
Da-sol looked up at the dazzling neon sign that read Amber Club.
“You said you were furious today. You said you regretted becoming a pet groomer. You wanted a drink.”
After another exhausting encounter with a nightmare customer, Da-sol had vented to Yumi.
The next thing she knew, she’d been dragged here.
“Everything else is fine… but why a club?”
“Look at what I’m wearing. Why do you think I dressed like this?”
Yumi opened her long coat and placed a hand on her waist.
Underneath was a short skirt and a fitted T-shirt that showed off her figure.
“How should I know?”
“Because today’s the day! Tonight’s DJ Sean’s first performance in Korea. Look at that line. It’s only ten o’clock and it’s already insane.”
Instead of answering, Da-sol pointed toward a nearby fried chicken restaurant.
“Can’t we just drink there? I’ll pay.”
“Da-sol, once you feel music blasting through your whole body from giant speakers, your mood will instantly improve. And as a bonus, you’ll get to see a famous DJ.”
A famous DJ?
So this must be the club Director Lee Jung-woo had mentioned.
“I can live without that opportunity.”
“Are you seriously going to be like this? You’ll cheer up, I’ll get to see Sean. Everybody wins! Come on!”
Da-sol sighed.
A club…
She had never been anywhere like this before.
To her, clubs were nothing more than settings from crime movies and action films.
More importantly, her outfit was completely out of place.
“Look at what I’m wearing. They’ll probably kick me out at the entrance.”
“Da-sol, with your face, you could wear a burlap sack and they’d still let you in. Let’s gooooo!”
Following Yumi’s explanation that the first basement level was the VIP section, Da-sol descended to the second basement floor.
The underground club felt like an entirely different world.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The pounding music started from the staircase itself, crashing through her entire body and nearly bursting her eardrums.
It felt less like hearing music with her ears and more like feeling it with her organs.
Colorful lights crisscrossed overhead like a web, flashing in every direction.
People packed tightly together on the main stage, dancing shoulder to shoulder.
Is it even possible to dance in a place this crowded?
In less than ten seconds, Da-sol felt completely overwhelmed as Yumi pulled her toward a table.
There weren’t even any chairs, which only irritated her more.
She’d been standing all day at work.
Now she had to keep standing here too.
“Jin Da-sol! Don’t make it so obvious that this is your first time here. You’ll look like such a country bumpkin!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even though Yumi practically shouted, her voice was almost drowned out by the music.
“I don’t care. I’m just going to stand here like a pillar and drink my beer.”
“Hey! If you’ve come to a club, you’ve got to hit the dance floor at least once!”
Yumi began bouncing her shoulders to the beat without moving from where she stood.
