Mo Chang-gwi let out a sinister smile, dropping the knife from his broken hand, only to catch it with his left hand and thrust it toward Haesu. A terrifyingly quick switch.

Thud—

The tip of the knife stopped just an inch from Shin Haesu’s throat.

Haesu had caught the blade with his bare hand. Blood flowed down his wrist from the cut, and more blood dripped down his back where he had been shot.

Even though his protective vest had absorbed the bullet, it hadn’t completely stopped it.

“Krrr…”

The man, having also been shot in the left arm, lacked the strength to overpower Haesu. He bit down on the knife’s handle, pressing even harder.

Crack— Crrrkk—

Haesu’s grip started to tear open, and the knife’s tip inched closer and closer. If he let go of the grip on Mo Chang-gwi’s collar, the force pushing forward would surely drive the knife into him.

With all his strength, Haesu twisted the direction of the knife and released his hand.

Thud!

The blade sank deep into Haesu’s shoulder. Mo Chang-gwi’s eyes widened at the unexpected move. Haesu swung his blood-soaked left hand, splattering blood into the man’s eyes to blind him.

Slash—

As Mo Chang-gwi instinctively shut his eyes, Haesu slammed his palm into his chin.

Bang!

It landed perfectly for the first time. The man's body jolted slightly, and something unpleasant splattered onto Haesu’s face. His opponent’s mouth had been forcibly shut, slicing off part of his tongue. The whites of his eyes rolled up as he convulsed.

Haesu, using the same left hand still impaled with the knife, grabbed Mo Chang-gwi by the hair, pinned him against the wall, and drove his fist into him twice.

Thud! Thud!

Then, as the man slumped down, Haesu struck his face with his knee.

Crunch!

With a satisfying sound, Mo Chang-gwi’s body went limp.

“Cops don’t die from a cop’s gun, you bastard…”

Haesu made sure he had collapsed before finally collapsing himself. Through his blurring vision, he saw a detective staring at him with wide eyes.

“Hahh… Hahh… Basement… Basement… Mo Chang-gwi… subdued… Detective shot…”

Blink. Blink.

A white ceiling, the scent of antiseptic, and sunlight streaming through the window.

Shin Haesu tried to sit up, but his entire body screamed in pain, so he only lifted his head slightly.

He saw someone's back. The man stood with his arms crossed, watching the news.

[Mo Chang-gwi, the leader of the Hook Gang, which had terrorized Gangjin City, along with 27 of his subordinates, has been arrested. Due to fierce resistance, over ten police officers sustained injuries. Among them, Sergeant Shin, who was critically wounded, has yet to regain consciousness, drawing public concern.]

Embarrassing. Haesu opened his mouth, his breath heavy and metallic.

“Any casualties?”

The man, Oh Kang-seok, turned around and smiled at Haesu.

“No, no police officers died.”

“…That’s a relief.”

Oh Kang-seok shook his head as if he couldn't believe Haesu.

“Sergeant Shin, once you recover, you’re set for both a commendation and a promotion. Just focus on getting better.”

“Thank you.”

“I should be apologizing. I was the one who called you in.”

“No, you called me at just the right time.”

Images of Mo Chang-gwi, covered in the blood of four fallen officers, flashed through Haesu’s mind.

Would Mo Chang-gwi have been caught if Haesu hadn’t gone? Hard to say. There hadn’t been enough time to call in the SWAT team. Who knows how many detectives would have died?

“What happened to Mo Chang-gwi?”

“He's in the room next door. He hasn’t regained consciousness yet. He’s got a long life ahead of him, so he won’t be dying.”

“Pity.”

With Oh Kang-seok’s help, Haesu got up and went to check the adjacent room.

Mo Chang-gwi lay neatly wrapped in bandages. His hands were cuffed to the bed. Two detectives were inside, with another stationed at the door.

His completely intact hands irritated Haesu. He wished he could crush his hand bones so he’d never hold a knife again. Unfortunately, he couldn’t.

Suppressing his frustration, Haesu left the room.

“…Take care, then. I’ll be going.”

“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

Oh Kang-seok immediately returned to his duties. With the ongoing arrests of the Hook Gang members, he was undoubtedly busy. Yet, he had taken the time to wait for Haesu to wake up.

It had been about a day and a half since the incident.

The attending physician checked in, and not long after, Manager Gu arrived with a fruit basket, making a fuss.

“President Shin! You have no idea how worried I was that night! Seeing you up like this is such a relief. Truly!”

“My head is pounding. Please lower your voice.”

“And seriously, isn’t police protective gear way too inadequate? I’ve been thinking about ordering some from a private security company—”

Haesu grabbed a slice of apple Gu had cut and shoved it into his mouth. That finally shut him up.

Knock, knock.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Haesu tilted his head in confusion. He wasn’t expecting anyone. The door slowly opened.

Gu’s mouth dropped open.

“May I come in?”

It was Ahn Seo-eun. She wore an immaculate white suit and striking red heels. The combination could have been overwhelming, but she carried it with confidence and elegance.

Behind her, Chief Kang entered carrying fruit and drinks. The high-end packaging put Gu’s fruit basket to shame.

Kim, whom Haesu had assumed was fired, also walked in.

“I heard you woke up, so I came by. I hope I’m not intruding?”

“News travels fast.”

Seo-eun smiled and pointed at the logo on the hospital bed.

“It’s Daeseong Hospital.”

He hadn’t realized it yet, but given his condition, he had been taken to the nearest hospital instead of the police hospital.

Gu looked back and forth between Haesu and Seo-eun before standing up.

“I’ll be going now. Busy day ahead.”

Before leaving, he met Haesu’s gaze and clenched his fist, silently cheering him on.

Haesu slightly shook his head and met Seo-eun’s eyes.

“What brings you here? I don’t think we’re close enough for hospital visits.”

“That’s a bit cold.”

She pouted slightly as if sulking. Was she always capable of making expressions like that?

Even Chief Kang seemed surprised, his pupils shaking slightly.

As Haesu looked equally perplexed, Seo-eun let out a soft chuckle.

“Of course, I had to come. Especially since it’s our hospital.”

“You’re the CEO of Daeseong E&M, not the hospital director.”

“The director works for me, so it’s still ours.”

“You’re quite the scary person.”

She covered her mouth with her hand and laughed silently. Not a trace of nail polish on her fingers.

Then, suddenly, her smile disappeared, and she looked at Haesu with those same sparkling eyes.

“We’ll cover the hospital bill.”

“Why would you pay for something the state provides?”

“Consider it an extra tax payment.”

What was her angle? Haesu hesitated for a moment before nodding. Either way, it wasn’t his money. Better a corporation’s money than taxpayers’.

“Do as you please.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

When Ahn Seo-eun said something to Chief Kang, he immediately stepped out of the hospital room. Most likely to take care of the bill right away.

“About this case—you weren’t on duty, but a detective from the Violent Crimes Unit called you personally. Is that correct?”

“That’s correct. How did you know?”

Without answering, Ahn Seo-eun simply smiled and tilted her chin slightly, as if to say, ‘Because I’m Ahn Seo-eun.’

“You still haven’t let your guard down. Fine, let’s get to the point. I want to sponsor you, Shin Haesu. More specifically, I want to support Sergeant Shin Haesu’s police work.”

Haesu furrowed his brows and asked,

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. Whatever you need for your police work—money, protection from external pressure, power if necessary, or media influence—if it’s something I, Ahn Seo-eun of Daeseong Group, can provide, I will.”

Such confidence. But more than that, she had the capability to back it up, making her words seem neither excessive nor arrogant.

“What do you get out of this? No, why me? Wouldn’t it be far more efficient to partner with high-ranking officers? You certainly have the means to do so.”

“Then you should become a high-ranking officer.”

Haesu couldn’t make sense of her intentions. When no answer presented itself, the best approach was to ask directly.

“Businesspeople don’t make deals that only bring losses. Can I really trust you? What’s your real reason?”

At his question, her gaze lowered slightly, and she fell silent. The twinkle in her eyes now held a mix of complex emotions. When she looked up again, there was hatred in them.

“Because South Korea is too filthy.”

Contrary to the darkness in her eyes, she smiled brightly. Then, turning her head slightly, she continued.

“And it’s not bad for business either. These days, it’s all about image—not just for celebrities, but for politicians and corporations as well. Since Daeseong Hospital covered the hospital bills for the injured officers in the Hook Gang case, our stock prices have gone up slightly across various sectors. A small increase, but still worth hundreds of times the cost of the medical expenses.”

She wasn’t wrong. Nowadays, corporations needed a good public image to thrive. Supporting the police was an effective strategy for brand management. But Haesu had a feeling that wasn’t her primary reason. Not that it mattered—he agreed with her cause.

“A cop backed by a corporation… That means I’ll have to be even cleaner.”

Seo-eun shrugged confidently.

“At the very least, my subsidiaries are clean. Feel free to investigate as much as you like.”

“Got it. I’m not expected to wear a police uniform with Daeseong’s logo on it, am I?”

“I only have one condition. Whenever Daeseong helps with something, our name gets mentioned in the article.”

“Deal.”

“I knew you’d be decisive. That seals the agreement. Let’s move you to a VIP room.”

Haesu shook his head.

“No. I need to stay next to that bastard.”

“Then move together. There’s space.”

“No. I don’t want that bastard in a VIP room.”

She covered her mouth with her hand again and laughed. Her eyes curved into gentle half-moons.

“You’re amusing. Fine. I gave you my direct number earlier. If I don’t pick up—”

Chief Kang swiftly stepped forward and handed Haesu a business card.

“You can contact me. I have the same authority to handle things on her behalf.”

“Alright.”

After Ahn Seo-eun’s group left, the last to go was Kim, the security chief. Just before closing the door, he met Haesu’s eyes and gave him a sharp nod.

Haesu nodded back.

News of Ahn Seo-eun, someone on par with the hospital director, personally visiting Shin Haesu’s hospital room spread quickly.

Besides his attending physician, even department heads frequently stopped by to check if he was uncomfortable. Even the hospital director himself had come.

“Mr. Shin Haesu, is there anything making you uncomfortable? If you’d like, we can move you to a VIP room at no extra cost.”

Haesu firmly shook his head and raised a hand.

“No. More importantly, why do doctors other than my attending physician keep coming? Is this normal?”

The hospital director widened his eyes in surprise.

“No, it isn’t. I apologize if it caused any inconvenience. It won’t happen again.”

He bowed deeply and left the room.

On the third day of his hospitalization, Mo Chang-gwi was still unconscious—or at least pretending to be.

Feeling stiff from lack of exercise, Haesu tried to shake it off with some light stretching before lying down to sleep.

That night, just before dawn—

Thud, thud, thud.

“Who the hell are you bastards?!”

Thwack! Thud! Crash!

The commotion echoed through the hospital. Haesu shot up from his bed.

‘The Hook Gang?’

He yanked out his IV and grabbed the metal IV stand before stepping outside.

In the hallway, about a dozen men in tracksuits were wielding baseball bats, hammers, and steel pipes.

Several detectives lay collapsed on the floor.

Thud, thud, thud.

A large man was carrying Mo Chang-gwi on his shoulder. His handcuffs had been cut—probably with bolt cutters—leaving his hands completely free.

Haesu frowned and asked,

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

His deep voice echoed through the corridor. The men turned around, eyes widening when they saw him.

“…He’s the physical therapist.”

“Nobody said there was the physical therapist here.”

“…Shit.”

They recognized him. The thugs from Dying Night had all been arrested. That meant these guys weren’t from the Hook Gang—they were from the Kangsoi Gang.

After spotting a few familiar faces, it became clear. They were here for revenge—for their leader who had died a few days ago.

Haesu pointed at Mo Chang-gwi with the tip of his IV stand.

“Put him down. I caught him.”