Free Web NovelA sudden gunshot rang out, and the Black Secret agents threw themselves in front of us to block the way.
But none of the people standing beside me had been shot.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the pistol fall from Han Jiho’s hand.
Blood was dripping from his palm.
When I turned my head, smoke was rising from the gun in Manager Ma’s hand.
He had fired at Han Jiho’s hand.
“Boss, are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
“I apologize. He suddenly turned his gun this way, so I fired without permission.”
Manager Ma apologized, but I patted his shoulder.
“You were just protecting me, it’s fine.”
Seo Jaehun stared coldly down at Director Han Jiho.
He had been told to put down his weapon, but Han Jiho didn’t listen.
He turned the barrel that had been aimed at Lee Seokmin toward me and tried to pull the trigger.
He had defied Seo Jaehun’s order.
“Director Han.”
“Ugh...”
“Director Han!”
Han Jiho lifted his head, clutching the hand that was gushing blood like a fountain.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Vice President... it’s all over now.”
“What is? What’s over? Why are you ignoring me too?”
“......”
Even though Han Jiho was bleeding heavily, Seo Jaehun didn’t show a hint of concern.
Only faint anger and disbelief flickered across his face toward the subordinate who had disobeyed him.
“President Kim Muhyuk! What the hell just happened? That bastard pointed his gun at me, didn’t he?”
Lieutenant General Park Jihoon’s face flushed red with rage.
“Yes, that’s right. My secretary acted first in haste. I apologize.”
“No, it’s fine. But how did he even have a gun?”
Though it was Manager Ma who fired, I didn’t say a word about it.
But Han Jiho, who had turned a gun toward the corps commander, was a different story.
A civilian had aimed and attempted to fire a gun. That alone was a major offense.
In Korea, the only group allowed to carry firearms was the military.
Of course, the police could use guns as well—but only under strict limitations.
I soothed Park Jihoon and turned my gaze toward Ahn Hyunsu.
He clearly hadn’t expected this situation; his face showed obvious panic.
Lee Seongjae asked him with a stiff expression.
“Team Leader Ahn.”
“Yes, Commissioner.”
“Can you explain what the hell is going on here? I can’t understand how firearms are being tossed around like this in South Korea...”
“I’ll bring my men in right now and arrest everyone.”
Lee Seongjae shook his head firmly, displeased with that answer.
“No, no. I didn’t say arrest anyone yet. Who gave you the tip-off to come here? Judging by the fact you brought the entire SWAT unit, you must’ve known what you were walking into.”
“...It was an anonymous tip.”
Ahn Hyunsu lied. He couldn’t admit that Seo Jaehun had called him here.
I let out a short laugh and looked at Lee Seongjae.
He, too, sighed deeply as if dumbfounded and glared at Ahn Hyunsu.
“Anonymous? You brought your whole team based on some anonymous report? You expect me to believe that? Since when does the Incheon SWAT move on vague tips like that?”
His calm tone grew colder and sharper by the second.
“Has the entire police deployment system changed without me knowing? Or were you thinking of something else?”
“No, sir!”
“Then speak clearly. Why did you mobilize here? If you don’t, I’ll have no choice but to report to headquarters and start an audit. You want to drag your whole team down with you over this?”
There was no one in the police force completely clean of dirt. From simple entertainment bribes to taking pocket money from club owners—it was all routine.
But once the audit team from headquarters got involved, they turned everything inside out—down to your underwear.
So anyone with even a speck of dirt naturally flinched at the mere mention of an audit.
Even if this had been Ahn Hyunsu’s independent action, the others who followed him could also get hurt by it.
Using that leverage, I watched him bite his lip tightly and finally speak.
“Director Han Jiho contacted me.”
“Han Jiho?”
Lee Seongjae repeated with surprise, and I pointed toward the man clutching his wounded hand.
“That man over there, the one who got shot—that’s Han Jiho.”
Nodding, Lee Seongjae continued.
“All right, and what exactly did this Han Jiho say to make you ignore jurisdiction and move in fully armed?”
“...He said armed intruders were coming to the villa and ordered me to arrest them all.”
“What the fuck. You’re saying you mobilized SWAT on a private favor?”
Lee Seongjae kicked Ahn Hyunsu’s shin hard with his boot.
“Argh!”
Ahn staggered back, groaning, but Lee Seongjae only grew more furious.
“You idiot! Don’t you know the difference between shit and soybean paste? You just turned the police into a private security company! Don’t tell me you don’t know that. How much were you paid? How much to do this?”
Among all police divisions, SWAT had the loosest firearm-use rules—like the military.
But that meant any mobilization required extremely strict approval. Without the Commissioner’s direct order, they couldn’t move.
“Was Commissioner Han involved in this too?”
“N-no, sir.”
“Think carefully before you speak. If you acted on your own, this’ll blow up even bigger. Was it really just you?”
“...Yes. I acted alone.”
Lee Seongjae gave him a skeptical look, then turned to me.
“President Kim.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Ha... let’s treat the wounded first. It’ll be bad if anyone dies here. Anyone dead?”
Better for Manager Ma to answer that than me. I looked toward him, and he spoke.
“There was some conflict with the guards stationed here, but no casualties. Everyone subdued and treated—they’re currently detained.”
“That’s good. That’s a relief.”
Lee Seongjae sighed in relief upon hearing no one was dead.
All right. Time to finish cleaning up. I pointed toward Han Jiho and said to Manager Ma,
“Subdue that bastard and get him treated first. As for Vice President Seo Jaehun... leave him be for now.”
Manager Ma nodded and ordered Team Leader Lee.
The nearby Black Secret members moved in and restrained Han Jiho.
The waiting medical unit rushed over, examined his hand, and began emergency treatment.
A moment later, Team Leader Lee whispered his report to Manager Ma, who then relayed it.
“Fortunately, the bullet went through clean. The wound’s not fatal, but he’ll need proper hospital care.”
“He won’t die, right?”
“No, it’s not life-threatening.”
Hearing that, Lee Seongjae spoke again.
“President Kim, would you mind explaining what exactly happened here?”
Both he and Park Jihoon turned their gazes toward me.
How much should I tell them? I quickly organized my thoughts and answered.
“I was on the phone with Director Lee Seokmin when suddenly there was noise. It sounded like someone was kidnapping him. I traced where he was going and came here. When I arrived, the guards here opened fire on us first.”
As I continued, their brows furrowed deeper.
“I contacted both of you just in case, and we subdued the guards. Then Vice President Seo Jaehun, Director Han Jiho, and Director Lee Seokmin came out from the basement. Han Jiho aimed his gun at Lee Seokmin’s head and stalled for time.”
I glanced at Ahn Hyunsu—his head hung low, unable to meet anyone’s eyes.
“The standoff dragged on, and suddenly the SWAT unit stormed in. It seems they planned to pin everything on me—and kill me in the process.”
At that part—“kill me and pin everything on me”—both men turned sharply toward Ahn Hyunsu.
Their faces were a mix of shock and disgust.
Lee Seongjae asked in a heavy voice,
“Is that true?”
“......”
“Answer me, you bastard! Did the police really try to kill someone and frame him for a crime? Tell me it isn’t true!”
“...He didn’t say to kill him.”
A beat late, Ahn answered—but only denied the killing, not the framing.
That was as good as admitting it.
Lee Seongjae was so furious he stammered.
“You... you... you crazy bastard. Hand over your gun.”
Ahn slowly lifted his head. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
“I said hand it over, you son of a bitch! You’re not qualified to carry one.”
“...You have no authority to confiscate my weapon, sir.”
“Oh? That so? You want to play it that way?”
Lee Seongjae turned to me, his eyes still burning with anger.
“President Kim, please disarm this bastard for me.”
“Yes, Manager Ma, please.”
At my order, Manager Ma walked toward Ahn Hyunsu.
Ahn shouted, reaching for his holster, but when he saw all the Black Secret barrels aimed his way, he froze.
“We’re disarming you. Don’t resist, or you’ll get hurt.”
Manager Ma began stripping his weapons one by one.
Perhaps realizing it was hopeless, Ahn closed his eyes and didn’t resist.
“President Kim Muhyuk.”
Park Jihoon called me.
“Yes, General.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“Hmm...”
I thought for a moment. Should I send everyone away and kill Seo Jaehun here?
No, it would be a waste to end it so easily after waiting this long.
Now that I had clear evidence, it would be better to destroy him completely.
After deciding on the most rational way to crush him, I said,
“Vice President Seo Jaehun and the guards—Commissioner Lee, please arrest them all and take them into custody. Their crimes must be properly investigated.”
There was a limit to how far a soldier like Park Jihoon could act.
Ultimately, it had to be handled by the police.
“Send them to the main headquarters in Seoul. Once they’re there, I’ll take care of the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» rest.”
Things would be easier once they reached headquarters.
After all, many of my people were stationed there—including the Police Commissioner himself.
Lee Seongjae and Park Jihoon nodded.
“All right, let’s do that. But what charges are you going to use for Vice President Seo? There’s no evidence he directly used or ordered a weapon. Without evidence, you can’t pin him down.”
From the mountain entrance to the lodge gate, CCTV cameras covered every inch—but none pointed inside.
Still, there was something better than cameras. I glanced at Lee Seokmin.
“Director Lee, do you know anything?”
Everyone turned their heads toward him. Under their gaze, Lee Seokmin sighed.
“...Let’s go down to the basement first. There’s something you need to see.”
If it was something Seo Jaehun did, then Patrick’s body would be there. Pretending ignorance, I asked,
“The basement? What’s there?”
“A corpse.”
“What? A corpse? Someone’s dead?”
Lee Seongjae’s eyes widened.
When Lee Seokmin nodded, the Commissioner pressed his temples hard.
The appearance of a body would make everything much messier.
“Ha... fine. Let’s go down and see for ourselves. President Kim.”
Despite hearing his name repeatedly, Seo Jaehun didn’t move or react at all.
Lee Seongjae spoke to him.
“Vice President Seo, you’re coming too.”
“I’ll stay here.”
Seo Jaehun refused to go. They could’ve forced him, but there was no need.
Lee Seokmin led the way, and we descended into the basement.
As we walked down the stairs, a thick steel door came into view.
When it opened, darkness greeted us—no light, only the stench of blood filling the air.
Lee Seokmin went in first, fumbling along the wall.
The lights flickered on.
Only then could we see the inside.
A man sat tied to a chair, head drooping—no, not a man anymore.
What remained was too broken to even be called human.
