“At first, I thought it was a simple disappearance. So I was just going to ignore it, but they said the missing person was a subcontractor worker of Sangma Construction.”
While listening to Han Wooseob, Hyunsoo quickly wrote down a note. Then Han Wooseob, who took a sip of coffee, immediately continued.
“Sangma Construction is not known, but people who know it, know it. What an illegal place it is.”
“So you doubted it?”
“Yes, the disappearance of a subcontractor of Sangma Construction may not be a simple disappearance. There may be something else.”
“So, what is it? What if it's not just a simple disappearance?”
Hyunsoo put down his notebook and raised his head.
The disappearance of a worker at a subcontractor might be related to the whistleblowing case that led to Head Manager Park Jangwon's suicide. It must have been a case of hiding something dirty. Han Wooseob, who was frowning at Hyunsoo’s words, reluctantly took out his phone.
“Ha, you really can't find this anywhere.”
While flipping through the screen of his phone, he stopped at a photo and turned the screen to Hyunsoo.
“Did it……collapse?”
A building about three stories tall.
It was a photo of a part of the outer wall of the building collapsing.
“It was an accident.”
“Accident?”
“That building was built using illegal materials to save money. Part of the building collapsed. The missing foreign worker had an accident there.”
“It was a collapse accident…….”
“Probably couldn't find a body. No, they didn't find it at all?”
The words of Han Wooseob, who put his cell phone in his pocket, continued. In the end, the disappearance of a worker at a Sangma Construction’s subcontractor was an accident, not a disappearance.
Even if it was not an intentional accident, the case was covered by Sangma Construction. The worker was reported missing, and Sangma Construction bribed some people from the subcontractor to keep their mouths shut.
“The accident happened in the evening, but Sangma Construction handled things so quickly that I was the only one with this information. Anyway, it's a company with a good head for that kind of work.”
“…….”
“But why are you suddenly touching Sangma Construction? What's up? I think someone else came and asked about this the other day…….”
“Someone else?”
Hyunsoo raised his head.
“Yes, I don't know where he came from, but he asked me about the missing worker.”
“So did you answer him?”
“Of course I didn't. I didn't offer money…… and I didn't do it for free. Come to think of it, that foreign worker was the only one who was unlucky.…….”
Han Wooseob drank coffee with a bitter expression. At first glance, it was a look of pity for the accident.
“If everyone pay attention like this when an accident happened…….”
“But why didn't you report it?”
“Pardon?”
“A person is dead, so shouldn't you report somewhere even if it's not 119?”
Han Wooseob hesitated for a moment at Hyunsoo’s words. Then he tapped the watch on his left wrist.
“Watch?”
“Limited edition collection…….”
Han Wooseob bowed his head. Instead of quietly asking for information, he received a watch. He chose his own gain over the injustice of the dead.
“Don't look at me with those monster-like eyes.”
“But no matter how I think about it, you're not human, are you?”
“It was an accident! Not even murder. There's nothing good about me accusing it when he's the only victim. If I shut up, there's something good about…….”
Han Wooseob turned his head to Hyunsoo's monster-like eyes. Then, after drinking coffee, he turned his head and raised his voice.
“But I promised to keep my mouth shut, so you can't go anywhere and say I said it! Okay? I said I'd give you information, not evidence!”
Hyun-soo nodded.
“Instead, hand over the photo.”
“Aish, Detective-nim! This…….”
“The car, you don’t want it back?”
“No, that……!”
Han Wooseob tousled his hair. He received a watch from President Seo Jinsang in exchange for information. It was clear that President Seo Jinsang would retaliate when he heard that the information had leaked.
‘Still…… Even President Seo Jinsang will not know if the photo was taken by me…….’
Anyway, what was important now was the dirty data of those in power in the car.Han Wooseob, who raised his distorted face, nodded.
“I'll send it.…….”
“All right, I'll see you later if I have a chance.”
Hyunsoo stood up. Then Han Wooseob grabbed his arm in a hurry.
“No, wait!”
“?”
“1 million Won is...…….”
“Ah.”
Hyunsoo put his hand in his pocket with an expression that he had forgotten.
“1 million Won is…… car towing fee.”
“……Pardon?”
“That expensive car will be back in place within the evening. Well, I have to go now.”
“No…….”
Hyunsoo left the cafe leaving the embarrassed Han Wooseob behind. And Han Wooseob's eyes widened as he looked behind Hyunsoo.
“That…… F*ck!”
* * *
At that time.
The president's office of Sangma Construction.
“Can't you contact him?”
“I can’t…….”
President Seo Jinsang, who sat on the sofa, swept his hair. Then the secretary of President Seo Jinsang, the man who put the cell phone he was holding, opened his mouth.
“But don't worry too much, President-nim. Everything is neatly organized…….”
“That reporter.”magic
“Pardon?”
“The watch! I don't know if he's a reporter or a bully, but he's not blowing everything out at the detective, is he? That reporter knows the worker died in an accident.”
The secretary, who had been rolling his round eyes, shook his head.
“Probably not, he's used to this kind of stuff, so he'll handle it just fine. Didn't you even offer the price to keep his mouth shut?”
“But you know that policeman who came at that time, the guy from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. I don't think he's normal. It seems like it would be a piece of cake to open that reporter's mouth.…….”
President Seo Jin-sang sighed. Contact from the subcontractor was received immediately after the collapse. It was certain that a person was dead, but if the accident was reported to the media, it was clear that the arrow would turn to Sangma Construction, not the subcontractor.
Defects, illegal material use, shorter construction periods by reducing workers' meals and breaks.
Of course, all of this was done with his permission, but…….
‘But I can't throw away everything I have just because a worker is dead.’
So was the media. If they bit one, they would ride it all the way to the other and expose it all.
If that happened, Sangma Construction would not survive. As President Seo Jinsang's worried expression continued, his secretary spat out.
“President-nim, you double-triple checked, and didn't you hide other things well? Don't worry too much. And what can a single police officer do? It's not like we're doing this without anyone looking after us.”
“……Is that so? Are you worried that I'm overreacting?”
His secretary nodded at his words.
“Yes, the dead worker is also a foreigner, so he won't be identified, the ledger is gone, and there's no evidence! There are no witnesses, and even if the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency knew something, there would be nothing they could do.”
“Right, since Head Manager Park is dead…… I just need to deal with him.”
President Seo Jinsang's cold eyes turned to the secretary.
“Did you find out?”
“Yes, it sounds like he’s been poking around. It was confirmed that he also visited the apartment where Head Manager Park fell and the reporter who was supposed to ask about the disappearance of the worker.”
“He's like his superior, so he's pushing for his name. You know what to do, don't you? Check it out, deal with it.”
“I understand.”
* * *
After a while.
Hyunsoo was heading somewhere, moving quickly.
‘Sangma Construction…… The disappearance of the worker is false and is intended to cover up the accident.’
Hyunsoo, who was organizing what he had heard from Reporter Han Wooseob in his head, stopped walking.
In front of a new officetel.This was the building where the accident occurred while being built by a subcontractor of Sangma Construction.
It was then.
Hyunsoo grabbed the head. Scenes of the future incident began to flash through his mind.
* * *
Beep- Parking lot in front of Sangma Construction Building.
A young man opened the car door.
A man with a strange face.
Just as the man opened the door and was about to get into the car, someone grabbed the door.
“Where are you going? Assistant Manager Jo Youngkwang-nim?”
“Who, who are……!”
At the same time, the door of the large van next to the man's car opened, and the men, who covered their faces with masks, got out.
“What, what are you guys doing……!!”
Then he subdued the man and pushed him into the van.
“What, what are you doing!!”
The panicked man tried to get out of the van, but was already blocked by men wearing masks on all sides.
Just as the man's eyes were stained with fear, a man from the passenger seat turned around.
A familiar face, the secretary of Sangma Construction President Seo Jinsang.
“Long time no see, Assistant Manager Jo Youngkwang-nim? I saw you for the first time at the funeral of Head Manager Park Jangwon-nim?”
“Se, Secretary-nim……! What are you doing?!”
“Why are you doing something useless? People who live have to live, but why dig into the worker's case?”
The man's face hardened at the secretary's cold words.
“President-nim bought it and covered it up on purpose, right?! Right?! Head Manager Park was going to reveal that, but President-nim got angry…… So…….”
“Assistant Manager Jo. Why do you think Head Manager Park Jangwon-nim left like that? It's all because he was talking nonsense.”
“Then, then you guys, Head Manager Park……!!”
The secretary smirked and burst into laughter at the man's words.
“Then, someone would have written the will on a notebook these days, and write it in their own handwriting.”
“You, you punks!!!”
The man struggled, but the man could not move at all because of the strong men on either side.
“Ah ah, you can't run away anyway, so don't lose your strength for nothing, let's start with the answer.”
“…….”
“Where is it?”
“Wh, what……!”
“Where is the evidence that you found after the disappearance of the worker or the suicide of Head Manager Park? I thought I deleted all the files that Head Manager Park had collected to report to the Board of Audit and Inspection…… I think it went into Assistant Manager Jo's hands.”
“!”
The man opened his eyes wide.
A look that he would never say anything. Looking at him like that, the secretary let out a quiet voice.
“You'd better just go alone. Do you want to go with your family?”
“…….”
“Your child is in elementary school, so the mother has to go to the elementary school graduation ceremony. Even if the father can't go.”
The man, who was shaking at the secretary's words, bowed his head.
“In the locker at Seoul Station…….”
“What's the locker number and password?”
“Number 43, 0101.”
“Okay.”
The secretary with a mean smile clapped his hands.
“Now then, let's go to Head Manager Park's side.”
* * *
“Those crazy bastards…….”
After the scene in his head was over, Hyunsoo with a firm expression took out his cell phone.
The current time on the background of the phone was 5:40 PM.
He didn't know exactly when Assistant Manager Jo Youngkwang was kidnapped, but it was after sunset.
Hyunsoo, who immediately entered the cell phone address book, called Police Officer Kim Yoojoon.
“Police Officer Kim, I'll send you the address, so come here as soon as possible.”