Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant - Chapter 116
Chapter 116
Pi Seongyeol.
There was no mistaking it.
He was clearly Pi Seongyeol, unmistakable to anyone.
Standing beside him, like an aide, was Suho, who had just exited the driver’s seat.
Then, Pi Seongyeol spoke.
“Shall we go now?”
“Yes.”
At Pi Seongyeol’s words, Kim Gil-yeon personally took the lead as their guide.
Kim Gil-yeon was busy watching Pi Seongyeol’s expression.
And for good reason.
Cheongok was an institution that managed awakened inmates, officially a lower branch of the Korean Hunter Association, and it operated under direct oversight from the Special Department.
Thus, even as the prison warden, Kim Gil-yeon couldn’t help but be cautious around Pi Seongyeol.
Guided by Kim Gil-yeon, they soon arrived at a special visiting room.
The special visiting room had one wall made of special glass, much like an interrogation room, allowing for an unobstructed view from the outside without revealing the room’s interior.
Pi Seongyeol entered the observation room outside the visitation room, while Suho went in alone.
After testing the microphone that connected to the visiting room, Pi Seongyeol spoke to Kim Gil-yeon.
“Please bring in Inmate No. 1 and clear the area. As I mentioned earlier, no one should hear the conversation that’s about to take place.”
“Yes, understood.”
After Pi Seongyeol gave another warning, Kim Gil-yeon quickly bowed his head and cleared out the staff.
Once everyone was gone, Pi Seongyeol pressed the microphone button and spoke to Suho in the visiting room.
“They’ve all left.”
“Oh, thanks for your effort.”
As soon as the others were out of sight, Pi Seongyeol respectfully reported to Suho.
And Suho responded as if it were only natural.
How was this possible?
The reason was simple.
The Pi Seongyeol currently outside the visitation room was not the real Pi Seongyeol.
The Pi Seongyeol accompanying Suho was actually none other than “Kim Geon,” thanks to the use of Suitball.
‘With Geon around, even this is possible. How convenient.’
Before coming to Cheongok, Suho had suggested that Kim Geon accompany him.
Naturally, it was a business proposal.
Cheongok was so heavily guarded that even Suho couldn’t just waltz in.
However, with Pi Seongyeol, the supervisor of Cheongok’s oversight, by his side, everything was a smooth ride.
‘High-ranking officers in the military can bypass checkpoints without passwords.’
And that principle held true in many other places as well.
Even in Cheongok, populated solely by criminals classified as high-risk awakened beings.
After waiting a while in the visiting room, prison guards finally brought in the inmate Pi Seongyeol had requested.
It was Kim Goong-won.
He wore special cuffs on his wrists that blocked magic, and upon seeing Suho, he let out a scoff.
“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t it the nation’s superstar who put me in here?”
With his usual cocky tone, Kim Goong-won swaggered over and sat in front of Suho.
Suho chuckled and spoke.
“Mr. Kim Goong-won, have you been well?”
“Do I look like I’ve been well to you?”
“Being in Korea’s worst awakened prison, yet your face is still smooth and shiny. Seems like you’re doing just fine.”
“Being locked up here, eating is all I can do. So yeah, I’ve been living large. Money talks wherever you are, doesn’t it?”
He wasn’t wrong.
Even in this era of upheaval, concerns about human rights prevented prison guards from treating inmates too harshly.
But did those rules apply among inmates?
In prison, the guy with the most money was king.
If you had cash, you could buy plenty of things inside, and the promise of future partnerships kept those illusions alive.
Suho chuckled at Kim Goong-won’s words and then, in a relaxed tone, spoke.
“Goong-won.”
“What? Goong-won?”
“Why? Can’t I speak casually to you when you do the same?”
“Geez, are you serious…? Are you, a public servant, really that clueless?”
“Looks like you’re the one lacking a clue.”
“What?”
“How much of your prison funds are left?”
“What about my prison funds?”
“Better save up. That’s all you’ve got left.”
“……?”
At Suho’s words, Kim Goong-won tilted his head, initially confused, before furrowing his brows.
“Hey, who the hell are you?”
“Still giving me attitude? Don’t you get the situation?”
“What?”
“Your hidden funds, 3.2 billion won, right? All converted into cryptocurrency.”
Suho took out a withdrawal card and waved it.
“They’re all here.”
“……!”
At the sight of the card, Kim Goong-won’s eyes grew wider than ever.
Any wider, and they’d pop out.
Suho put the card back and spoke.
“Use your funds sparingly. You’ve got a few years left before you get out, and I’m sure you’ve been throwing money around to maintain your image with the inmates here.”
“You…! Don’t lie. Even if you figured out the amount of my hidden assets, how could you possibly access it?”
“So, was it logical that I caught you?”
“What?”
“Do you not remember how you got caught? The Korean Hunter Association couldn’t find you, but you were lounging at home when I nabbed you. So why wouldn’t I be able to access your hidden assets?”
“Cut the crap, seriously.”
“Cut the crap? You’ll see soon enough. You’re not seriously trusting Son Baek-geum, are you?”
Suho took out a ledger of bribes and handed it to Kim Goong-won.
Upon checking it, Kim Goong-won’s eyes widened again.
“This is…!”
“Son Baek-geum’s business is already done. And don’t get it twisted; it wasn’t Son Baek-geum who handed over your hidden assets. Only you knew about them in the first place. Anyway, I’ve got Son Baek-geum’s leash, so quit bluffing. You’re now a penniless bum with no one left to serve you.”
“…….”
Kim Goong-won’s face paled as if bleached.
How could it not?
He’d lived with confidence, relying on money, only to have all his funds disappear.
Suho spoke.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“C-curious about what?”
“How long you’ll last here in Cheongok, the prison with the highest inmate death rate, now that you’re without money or power.”
“…….”
At Suho’s soft-spoken question, Kim Goong-won clamped his mouth shut.
He exhaled slowly, rubbed his face, and looked up at the ceiling.
Finally, he was facing reality.
After a while, biting his lip, Kim Goong-won spoke.
“So, what do you want from me?”
“Finally understanding your place, huh?”
His respectful tone was almost comical.
Suho took out a sheet of paper, a pen, and a pack of cigarettes and lighter from his inventory.
“Ever heard of a plea bargain?”
“Are you asking me to turn informant?”
“Why not? You’re desperate.”
“…….”
“Know your place. And let me make this clear: no amount of snitching will reduce your sentence. I don’t give criminals a break on their sentences. But I can ensure you don’t get beaten to death here. So, think carefully.”
Kim Goong-won was a bad man.
He’d made doping potions that disrupted sports and other competitive fields.
And it didn’t stop there; he even dabbled in drug production and distribution.
That was how the Baek-geum faction could grow.
Suho had no intention of ever forgiving Kim Goong-won.
‘I’ll wring out every last bit from him, then discard him when the time’s right.’
Kim Goong-won spoke.
“What do you want me to write?”
“Quick to grasp, aren’t you? Write down every criminal you know. Since you designed the drugs, you should know who your clients are.”
“You’re planning to take them all down?”
“I didn’t ask you to question me.”
“……Sorry.”
“I could ask Son Baek-geum, but wouldn’t the supplier know best? Besides, Son Baek-geum’s still out there.”
“You’re right. But why haven’t you arrested Son Baek-geum?”
“That’s my business.”
“What?”
“That’s for me to handle. Your job is to worry about yourself. Unless you want to die miserably here in Cheongok.”
Suho checked his watch and spoke.
“I’ll be back in an hour or two. By then, I’d like these sheets filled. See you later.”
The moment Suho stood and exited the visiting room,
“Ha…”
Kim Goong-won stared blankly at the paper.
But he had no choice.
Without that much money, he was as good as dead.
After staring at the paper for a while, he put one of the cigarettes Suho had left into his mouth.
***
When Suho left the visitation room, Pi Seongyeol followed him.
Waiting outside, Kim Gil-yeon greeted them.
“Is the interrogation over?”
“Yes, we’ll see Kim Goong-won again later. Let’s move on to the next one.”
At Pi Seongyeol’s words, Kim Gil-yeon guided them to the second special visitation room.
Again, there were no other participants.
Outside the visitation room, Kim Geon waited, while inside, Suho alone awaited the arrival of the next inmate.
Before long, the second inmate requested by Pi Seongyeol entered the room.
He was a solidly built man.
The most notable features were his severe dark circles under his eyes and the red badge, reserved for death row inmates.
Suho greeted him with a smile.
“Mr. Yoon Hyun-cheol, nice to meet you. I’m Ahn Suho from the Korean Hunter Association.”
Suho greeted him politely.
But Yoon Hyun-cheol merely stared at Suho with his usual blank expression.
Yet Suho kept his smile as he continued.
“You’re a quiet one. But if you don’t speak, wouldn’t it be a shame for Mr. Hyun-chan?”
At those words, Yoon Hyun-cheol finally frowned and asked.
“What do you want?”
“I’ve come to propose a deal.”
“I’m not interested. Whatever the deal is, I’m not doing it.”
“Are you sure? It’s about your younger brother.”
In that instant.
Bang!
At the mention of his brother, Yoon Hyun-cheol lunged at Suho.
The force was so strong it left a mark on the sturdy visitation room table.
But Suho effortlessly caught his fist.
Yoon Hyun-cheol, with a murderous glare, growled at Suho.
“Who are you? How dare you bring up my brother?”
“Like I said, I’m Ahn Suho, a public servant with the Korean Hunter Association. Haven’t you heard my name on the news?”
“No, you bastard!”
Bang!!
Yoon Hyun-cheol twisted and swung his fist again.
The sheer force created a powerful gust.
This wasn’t going to work.
This wasn’t the way to have a conversation.
With that thought, Suho gracefully dodged his attack, then pressed a pressure point on his body with his index and middle fingers.
[Acupoint Strike is activated.]
As soon as the skill activated,
Thud!
Yoon Hyun-cheol collapsed to the floor.
He wasn’t unconscious.
Suho had sealed his energy points, preventing him from gathering his strength.
As a result, Yoon Hyun-cheol’s mind was as clear as ever.
Suho then sealed his vocal cords by pressing another point and spoke leisurely.
“I hear that Cheongok has two monsters who can’t be touched. One of them, the Hidden Dragon, is you, Yoon Hyun-cheol. I have a deal to propose, but why don’t you hear me out first?”
“Grrrrrr!!”
With all his might, Yoon Hyun-cheol’s muscles bulged in frustration.