Chapter 103 – Result – Part 11

Chapter 103 – Result – Part 11

Woojin responded to his menacing glare by nodding his head.

“Yes.”

Choi Gibaek slowly stood up from his seat.

Woojin’s eyes quickly scanned his body, down to his waist.

“Ha, this punk. This young punk isn’t doing the work he’s supposed to. Did you join the union too? Did the adults tell you to come here and ask when you’ll get paid?”

“No. Today is my first time here, and I’ve never joined a union. As you said, I didn’t come here to drink coffee.”

Choi Gibaek crossed his arms.

His hands, tucked under his armpits, were clenched into fists.

It meant he was trying to suppress his anger.

“Then why did you come?”

“Because I think you have jaundice. When bilirubin, which is produced during the breakdown of special proteins containing iron in the body, accumulates in excess, the skin and mucous membranes become yellowish. Would you like to look in the mirror? Look at your skin and the whites of your eyes.”

Choi Gibaek, who had been listening to Woojin with blinking eyes, looked at the mirror on the wall.

“What? It’s fine…”

“Try lifting your eyelids.”

“Oh, damn… When did this happen?”

The whites of his eyes seemed to be yellowing and gradually receding downwards.

The area around his pupils also seemed to be surrounded by a yellow ring.

“That’s because bilirubin isn’t being excreted properly from your body.”

Choi Gibaek, who had been pulling down his eyelids with both hands, turned his head to his subordinate.

“Hey, do I look jaundiced?”

“Now that you mention it, maybe… You do like to drink a lot, don’t you?”

Choi Gibaek’s eyes rolled upwards.

He was recalling the past.

Had he ever taken a break from drinking recently?

Even looking back over the past year, it seemed he hadn’t taken a break.

Choi Gibaek’s gaze fixed on Woojin again.

“What’s with you?”

What? Bilirubin? Special proteins?

He looked Woojin up and down as if seeing him anew, then spoke again.

“Are you a student?”

“Yes. I go to S University.”

His expression brightened.

“Oh~ S University? Are you a medical student?”

“No. I’m in the Business Department, but I’m usually very interested in medicine, so you might think that. So, the reason I came here was to tell you to go to the hospital. And I was wondering if I could get paid for today.”

Choi Gibaek pointed at Woojin with his finger and chuckled.

“Wow…! Hey, you punk! Hahaha! This is the first time in my life I’ve had my health worried about on the job. You’re a hundred times better than that guy just standing idly next to me. Money?”

He smoothly pulled out his wallet from his back pocket.

And he took out three 50,000 won bills and held them out.

“What are you doing, you punk? Don’t just stand there, take it. Your older brother is in a good mood and is giving it to you personally.”

“I haven’t even finished my hours yet.”

At that moment, the subordinate interjected.

“When an adult gives you something, you say ‘thank you’ and take it.”

Woojin shook his head.

“I don’t like getting things for free. Oh, it seems you had a fight with your wife, did you make up well? You should have slept at home anyway. Getting too many massages can have adverse effects on your body.”

Choi Gibaek stood still like a stone statue, staring at Woojin.

His brain was trying to comprehend Woojin’s presence in a situation he had never experienced before.

Doesn’t he know everything I did yesterday?

“What is this bastard…? Hey, who are you? My background check…”

Woojin shook his head.

“Sometimes people ask me if I’m a fortune teller. You should definitely go to the hospital. And…”

Woojin paused for a moment.

He was observing if the Zeigarnik Effect would manifest.

Choi Gibaek, who had been blinking, opened his mouth.

“And?”

If it showed an effect, he would reply.

“You should be careful of the person in the south. They are very angry. Their last name is Lee.”

“Lee?”

“Yes. Well, good luck with that.”

Woojin said that and left.

Choi Gibaek, who had his hands on his hips, fixed his gaze on where Woojin had exited and asked,

“What the hell did that bastard say?”

“He said to be careful of the person in the south. Their last name is Lee.”

“Exactly. What kind of dog-shit nonsense is that?”

“I don’t know… Brother, did you really fight with your sister-in-law yesterday?”

“Damn it, what is that bastard?”

Choi Gibaek rubbed the back of his neck.

There was a tiny scratch on his ear, a mark from his wife’s fingernail.

It was also true that he had received a massage.

At that moment, Choi Gibaek felt like his mind went blank, as if he had been hit by a hammer.

You should be careful of the person in the south. They’re very angry. Their last name is Lee.

Choi Gibaek’s mouth opened quickly.

“Hey, the south here means Gangnam, right?”

“I guess so?”

‘Lee… Lee Yohwan.’

“Hey, bring that bastard from Room Gold… No.”

Choi Gibaek immediately called somewhere on his cellphone.

“Oh, it’s me. Are you still far?”

The money received from the company where the original contractor, Lee Yohwan, was the Managing Director, which should have been paid to laborers or other companies, was invested in stocks. No, it wasn’t just an investment; he got on board with stock manipulators.

Originally, he was not included in that stock manipulation, but he knew an acquaintance among the stock manipulators.

That acquaintance secretly gave him information.

Secretly putting money in after hearing about stock manipulation like this is called a ‘virus’.

In other words, he was the virus.

The people who plan stock manipulation couldn’t help but intensely dislike viruses.

“You son of a bitch! This is money I’ve pulled from everywhere! Do you want to see me get screwed!? You want me to wait another week!? You didn’t sell me a fake, did you?”

Choi Gibaek, who had been huffing, swept his hair back.

“Hey, is it exactly one week? A 3,000 won stock has dropped to 2,500 won. Exactly one week. If it drops any further, I’m coming to find you.”

Choi Gibaek, who had hung up the phone, lifted his cellphone as if to throw it.

But he couldn’t and let out a sigh.

“Brother, why don’t you just sell it now? You know Lee Yohwan is a complete lunatic, don’t you?”

“I’ll wait just one week.”

Lee Yohwan knew that wages had been withheld.

He had been hiding it well, but one of the laborers went to the main contractor and made a big scene.

Lee Yohwan let it slide once after taking a few punches.

The reason was that he had noticed Lee Yohwan’s weakness.

“Brother, that bastard Lee Yohwan’s eyes are spinning…”

“Hey, Minwoo.”

“Yes, Brother.”

Choi Gibaek fixed his gaze on the window.

He could see the workers moving.

“How long are you going to live smelling this dirt? Huh? How long are you going to keep wiping other people’s butts? If an opportunity comes, you should know how to make a move to change your life. Just manage the workers well. It’s one week. Exactly one week.”

The subordinate bowed slightly, and Woojin, who had been leaning against the office from outside, pushed himself off.

He had deliberately left the door slightly ajar, and all of their conversation was caught by Woojin’s keen hearing.

Understanding the whole story, Woojin slowly began to walk.

The situation was inflated.

If someone poked it with a needle…

Woojin looked around and nodded.

The faces of the people who had been working in the morning had changed dramatically.

It was a decision.

Judging that he didn’t need to create a situation, Woojin made a call somewhere.

It was Prosecutor Kim Cheolung.

“Please send just one reporter to the scene. Someone who is desperate.”

-Did you really go? No, why there?! Go! Is Woojin a police officer or something?

“It seems like it’s about to start.”

-What? What’s starting again?

“The protest.”

-I never imagined Woojin would actually go! I really didn’t think of it, so I didn’t say anything. There was a colleague who messed with a large corporation once. Do you know what he’s doing now? He’s grilling meat over briquettes and serving! Serving!

“Is it a good restaurant?”

-…

“Prosecutor Kim Cheolung, you can grill something else then.”

-……

Woojin looked at each of the workers with tired faces and spoke again.

“Take those bad guys, crush them with a gavel, and put them on a hot fire. Then, won’t they become a feast for the good citizens?”

* * *

Kim Cheolung, having finished his call with Woojin, was looking out the window, sighing an unreadable breath.

He, who was thinking who knows what, soon let out a small laugh.

‘Take those bad guys, crush them with a gavel, and put them on a hot fire.’

“This is so embarrassing, I can’t live like this.”

He then looked at himself in the mirror.

“Wow! Kim Cheolung! You’re so scared… Is this all you’ve become!? A star prosecutor? Politics? How can you do that while doing embarrassing things to a university student?”

Kim Cheolung, who had been staring quietly at the mirror, muttered to himself.

“Damn it, what is life anyway? It’s all or nothing.”

Just then, the phone rang.

-Yes. Kim Cheolung… Oh, yes, Deputy Manager. I saw that case… Hello? Hello? Can you hear me? Is the extension wrong? Hello? I’ll call you back.

“I can hear you just fine, I said I can hear you just fine.”

Kim Cheolung, who had placed the handset in a random spot so the call could continue, quickly brought his cellphone to his ear.

“Reporter Kim, it’s me. I have a very interesting story for you…”

After finishing the call with the reporter, Kim Cheolung called Kim Taehyun again.

* * *

Choi Gibaek was scowling and looking out the window.

This was because everyone was gathering in front of the office.

“Hey, are the kids coming?”

“Yes. They’re almost all here.”

Choi Gibaek flung open the office door and went out.

“I told you not to do this! I’m dying too! What do you expect me to do when headquarters isn’t giving us money!”

These people live day to day! Shouldn’t you at least pay for gas?

There’s talk of skimming in the middle!

Who do you think is digging up dirt and supplying materials for free?! Are you deliberately choosing to contract only with small businesses?!

Choi Gibaek put his hands on his hips.

What do you want me to do if there’s no money! File a civil suit then! Do it by the law! By the law! I remember all your faces now, alright? Huh? Don’t even think about setting foot here again!

Who wants to come here! We’re coming because you’re not paying!

Then someone in the crowd yelled out.

It was Woojin’s voice.

Aren’t you hoarding money in the office!?

Let’s go in!

Push!

As the people approached as a group, Choi Gibaek and his subordinate hesitated and backed away.

Then, dozens of thugs approached from behind.

Their attire was no different from the others.

They naturally blended into the crowd and began pushing and shoving.

What is it?

What’s wrong with you!

Ugh!

Someone groaned and tumbled in front of Choi Gibaek.

Choi Gibaek chuckled at the sight.

Idiot, making a fuss. A real fuss.

Then, as if to roll him over, he kicked the man who was lying like a camel cricket, likely having been hit in the face.

Aargh!

The man who groaned stood up abruptly, strangely so.

With a rough beard and a smirk, he looked at Choi Gibaek; it was Detective Kim Taehyun.

Kim Taehyun tilted his head and spoke.

“It’s the first composite sketch I’ve seen, but then again, it’s not our jurisdiction. It’s just getting us involved like this. The justification is important, isn’t it?”

Kim Taehyun took out his handcuffs and continued.

“You are under arrest for assaulting a police officer. You have the right to remain silent.”

As Kim Taehyun tried to put on the handcuffs, Choi Gibaek hesitated and said,

“Who are you?”

“Me? A detective?”

Click.

Kim Taehyun handcuffed Choi Gibaek, who was standing there dumbfounded.

Woojin, who had been covering his face and mixing in with the crowd, knocking down the hired thugs as if to stop them, turned his gaze to the quietly parked car.

‘Next step.’