The Commissioner of the South Chungcheong Provincial Police actually attended the trial, but since he hadn’t mentioned it beforehand, the judge didn't recognize him.

However, since it was a highly publicized case, the trial proceeded quickly, and the sentencing was satisfactory to the Commissioner.

The offenders were admitted to Hyoseong Prison, known for its high walls.

As the guards sent each of them into separate cells, they didn’t forget to give a parting word.

“This one's the bastard who assaulted a precinct and beat up cops. Blow off some steam, just don’t kill him, and I won’t say anything.”

Squeak– Bang!

As the door shut, the gang leader who had attacked the precinct scowled and growled at the inmates inside the cell.

“Go ahead, try me. I’ll show you what hell looks like.”

Thump–

At his words, a man sitting in the corner closed his book. That was the signal. The other men in the cell quickly scrambled to line up.

The man who closed the book stood up slowly and approached the young leader, extending one hand.

His hand was mangled like a monster’s, with his fingers bent in unnatural directions. It made one wonder how he even managed to eat. And both of his hands were like that.

As the young leader only stared at the man’s hand without taking it, the man gave a twisted smile and spoke.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Mo Chang-gwi.”

South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency, Commissioner’s Office.

The Commissioner’s aide was in the middle of giving a report.

“…We’re looking into body armor, and there are rumors that detectives from Gangjin Station are wearing something odd.”

“Something odd?”

“Apparently they’ve been boasting to other precinct detectives and officers. Sounds like some sort of makeshift body armor.”

“Of all places, Gangjin again? Well, it is dangerous there, so maybe they had them custom-made in bulk?”

“From what I heard, Sergeant Shin Haesu handed them out for free. Supposedly, they cost fifty million won each, but it’s likely the detectives exaggerated for bragging rights.”

“Sergeant Shin? Where’d he get the money?”

“Not certain, but it's estimated that Sergeant Shin has considerable assets. Shall I look into it further?”

The Commissioner waved it off with admiration.

“No, no, background checks feel a bit much… Hah… I really picked a good one. A real talent, a real gem. I should meet with him.”

“Yes, I’ll make arrangements.”

Lead Building Penthouse.

It wasn’t until the next day that Shin Haesu handed over the box containing the special body armor to Haru.

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she accepted it.

“What is this?”

“Open it.”

As she eagerly opened it, she froze. The box looked luxurious, so she had high expectations—but it only contained a black top and bottom outfit.

“What is this?”

Haesu rolled up his sleeve and showed her his body armor.

“Body armor made from special material. Try it on.”

“Ah…”

Haru’s eyes quickly turned emotional. She gave a big nod and hurried into her room.

“Yes!”

A few minutes later, the door opened, and Haru stepped out shyly.

But she wore nothing else—only the special armor. Though tightly knit and not obvious from afar, it was essentially a full-body mesh, revealing her figure clearly in an eye-popping way. Haesu quickly averted his gaze.

“You should put something over that.”

“It’s fine just like this.”

“No, it’s not. How does it feel?”

Haru rubbed her arm and replied.

“Soft. I think it’s fine even against bare skin.”

“You won’t know until you wear it for a while. Try it longer, and if it feels uncomfortable, wear something thin underneath.”

“Yes, but this part feels a little odd.”

“Where?”

Haesu had no choice but to approach her.

Without hesitation, she raised one arm high and pointed at her armpit with her index finger.

“Here.”

“That part, the inside of the elbows, and the back of the knees are made with a different material. Since they’re bendable areas, extra care was taken. It's normal that it feels different.”

“Ah… but it kind of stings. I think it smells a bit weird too. Maybe like rubber…”

“Smell? Maybe it’s your smell?”

Haru shook her head vigorously.

“No, smell it yourself.”

“Hmm…”

Bzzz bzzz

Just as Haesu looked conflicted, a vibration rang out. He quickly picked up his phone.

“This is Shin Haesu.”

-Hello, Sergeant Shin Haesu? This is Lee Siwon from the Commissioner’s office.

“Yes, I remember.”

-We’d like to meet if you’re available.

“With the Commissioner?”

-Yes, there are some things he’d like to say…”

“Hmm, it’s my day off today. I’ll check my schedule at work tomorrow.”

-Alright, please contact us tomorrow. Would the place we met last time be okay?

“The place with the short rib stew?”

-Yes, that’s the one.

Haesu glanced over at Haru before speaking again.

“I’m free now.”

-Huh? Oh, haha, I see. Let me ask the Commissioner… Ah, he says that’s fine. We’ll meet you there.

Just before hanging up, Haesu looked at Haru’s face. She was on the verge of drooling.

“Sir, would it be alright to bring one more person along?”

-Pardon? Ah, yes, the Commissioner says that’s fine.

“Great, we’ll see you soon.”

Haesu hung up and turned to Haru.

“Wanna come?”

“Yes!”

Where they were going or who they were meeting didn’t matter. All Haru could think about was the word ‘short ribs.’

“Alright then, take that off and change into something else.”

“Huh? Oh! Okay!”

Haru quickly took off the armor and came out wearing functional workout clothes, leggings, and a windbreaker. When Haesu gave her a lingering look, Haru spoke up.

“They said not to wear clothes that absorb smells when eating meat.”

“Right, good thinking.”

As Haesu stepped out, Haru trotted after him.

A high-end rib restaurant on the outskirts of Gangjin City.

The Commissioner and his aide slightly widened their eyes. They were at a loss for words, silently gazing at the person Haesu had brought along.

They naturally assumed that the additional person he brought along would be one of the detectives hoping to build a connection with the Commissioner.

But never did they imagine it would be a young girl, not even a detective.

Seeing the Commissioner and Secretary Lee looking dazed, Shin Haesu had Haru greet them and continued with an explanation.

“This is Haru. She likes beef short ribs.”

“We share an address. The house is spacious, and she plans to start paying rent from next month.”

At Haesu’s explanation, the Commissioner finally nodded deeply in understanding.

“I see. Is this what the youngsters these days call a wafer? Is it that?”

Secretary Lee quietly corrected him.

“Commissioner, it's called a share house.”

“That or this, whatever it is. Ah, now I get it. Living with such a beauty, no wonder you never ask to be introduced to my daughter. Makes sense.”

The Commissioner was the type to hold a grudge, at least when it came to his daughter.

“Anyway… Nice to meet you, Haru. I’m Cho Gam-chan.”

“Yes, thank you for buying beef ribs.”

“Ah, haha! What a funny young lady.”

Haru’s greeting was so concise it bordered on cold. After a simple introduction, she sat down with a solemn expression, silently waiting for the ribs to cook.

Realizing quickly that Haru had a peculiar personality, the Commissioner watched her carefully before turning to the staff grilling the meat.

“Two more servings of ribs—no, make it four more.”

“Yes, understood.”

At his generous order, Haru nodded at the Commissioner.

Without a word, Haru kept eating the ribs with a blissful expression, and the Commissioner, watching her curiously, finally turned to Haesu to get to the main point.

“I’ve been watching your performance. Thanks to you, Detective Shin, I’ve been very busy these days.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“No need to be sorry. Keep doing just as you are while I’m still in office. I’ll make sure you’re not affected when I step down.”

Haesu could see the passion and sincerity in the Commissioner’s eyes. There was greed, yes, but not the kind directed at power or money—rather, it seemed to be a craving for talent.

This Commissioner was the real deal. With no ulterior motives, Haesu felt at ease whenever he met with him.

“Thank you. It’s a shame your term is so short.”

“Haha!! Detective Shin, I didn’t know you could make such flattering remarks. I normally hate flattery, but somehow I like hearing it from you.”

“I mean it. Power is like a drug—once you grab it, you can’t let go unless you get something even bigger. Even if your wrist is cut off. I don’t think we’ll meet someone like you again, sir.”

“Hmm… you’re right. There’s no one like me. That said, I’d like to get one more thing done before my term ends. I heard the detectives at Gangjin Station are wearing improvised stab-proof vests?”

The Commissioner asked about the special stab-proof vests? Haesu was filled with a positive feeling and immediately stood up, removing his outerwear.

The special vest clung tightly to his steel-like muscles, revealing itself.

“It’s a stab-proof vest made of a special material. I had it custom-made first, and though the versions I provided to the Gangjin Station detectives have slightly lower durability and defense, they’re still much better than having nothing at all.”

“Oh ho… When I heard about it, I assumed they just slightly modified the standard vest. But this is completely different. It just looks like sportswear.”

“You can touch it if you'd like.”

Encouraged by Haesu’s confidence, the Commissioner touched it, tried stabbing it with a fork, even attempted cutting it with scissors. Only when he pressed the scissors really hard did a slight nick appear, and he was visibly impressed.

“So thin, yet so tough? This could definitely block not just slashes but even most stabs.”

“I’ve experienced it firsthand. I’m very satisfied. Its defense doesn’t compare to regular vests, but it’s far superior in portability and comfort. I wear it at all times.”

“Oh, good, good. Very good.”

The Commissioner kept repeating how good it was as he looked at Haesu’s vest. Haesu regretted not bringing Haru’s vest along too.

Their meeting continued with an extensive discussion about stab-proof vests and police safety.

On the way back from the meal with Haesu, the Commissioner, looking flushed, stared out the window and spoke incoherently.

“My head feels clearer, my heart is full, my passion is ignited.”

“Yes, Commissioner.”

“When I meet Detective Shin, I mean.”

“That’s right.”

“Right? Secretary Lee, do you feel the same as me?”

“Huh? Ah, no, sir.”

“No? Then are you one of those who constantly compromises with power and money?”

“N-no. You’re absolutely right, Commissioner.”

The Commissioner chuckled and turned his head again.

“You’re working hard too. Anyway, let’s push this forward. Let’s supply these to all the field officers nationwide.”

“The budget won’t be easy to manage.”

“We’ll scream for it. If they still won’t give it to us, then we’ll find a way to make it work with just the provincial office’s budget, even if it’s just for us.”

“We’ll have to fight tooth and nail for it.”

“Good attitude.”

Back to routine. Shin Haesu was at the Violent Crimes Special Investigation Unit headquarters, diligently writing up a report on a violent drunk incident.

Beep beep beep beep

The internal line—it was the situation room. Haesu immediately stopped what he was doing and picked up the phone.

“Violent Crimes Special Investigation Unit, Sergeant Shin Haesu speaking. Yes, yes, I’ll check.”

“What is it? What kind of case?”

Oh Gaeng, approaching him, asked. Haesu opened the file sent from the situation room and explained.

“There’s someone who uploaded a video on YouTube showing the belongings of current missing persons and is claiming to have killed them.”

“That lunatic… Nine out of ten of these are just nonsense. Who reported it?”

Closing the browser and checking the identity records, Haesu replied.

“The family of the missing person. They said the belongings shown in the video are definitely those of the missing person.”

Realizing this wasn’t an ordinary case, the rookie and the team leader both stopped what they were doing and came over.