Facts are at the heart of news.
Sin Jongho focused on driving without a word.
The Haedong City Hall official vehicle turned into a commercial district.
“I Ganghan.”
Sin Jongho called my name with an anxious expression.
“Yes, Deputy Chief.”
“You know there’s a year-end promotion to Grade 6 appointment, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
“Ganghan, as you said, you did well photographing Reporter Bak Yonggak parked in that disabled parking space. Since that leech bastard Bak Yonggak could go off in any direction, it’s good that we have at least one weakness on him. But that’s as far as it goes. If this incident goes sideways and I end up unable to get promoted because of it…”
“Deputy Chief Sin. Don’t worry. Nothing will go wrong. And as you said, we can’t let ourselves be dragged around by a trash reporter like Bak Yonggak forever.”
“Sigh, what you’re saying isn’t wrong, but…”
Sin Jongho let out a long sigh.
“For now, license plate seizure is the priority. Let’s just get out in the field and work hard.”
Deputy Chief Sin began calling out the numbers of vehicles parked along the commercial district roadside.
For a little over two hours, they swept the roadside of the commercial district and confiscated the license plates of seven delinquent vehicles.
When it became 4 PM, Sin Jongho spoke first.
“At this rate, we won’t seize many license plates.”
On the fifth day of license plate seizure operations, most delinquent vehicles had already had their plates removed.
It was a situation where achieving the same performance as before would be difficult.
“Last time you took sixteen off by yourself. If the two of us go out and can’t even take off that many, the Section Chief will give us an earful. How about we split up and take plates off individually from now on?”
It was the words I had been waiting for.
“I was just thinking the same thing. Heh heh heh.”
“But why are you laughing?”
“No reason. I’m just happy thinking about raising my performance numbers. Heh heh heh.”
“Goodness, you really are a peculiar one. The other teams are probably seething with jealousy because you took sixteen. Let’s just take twenty today before we wrap up. Got it?”
“Yes, Deputy Chief.”
We split up like that.
***
After parting with Deputy Chief Sin, I immediately called Ma Seokdo.
On the day we’d arrested a wanted criminal at a rental housing complex, Ma Seokdo had more or less forced us to exchange phone numbers.
“Wow, who is this? It’s I Ganghan, the star of Haedong City Hall. Kekeke.”
After the call, I went to Haedong Police Station to meet him.
“Thanks to Detective Ma, I received a lot of praise from the Mayor and Section Chief for several days.”
“Is that thanks to me? It happened because Mr. I Ganghan handled everything well.”
“I thought you would claim the Police Agency led it. Why did you promote me like that?”
“Ah, that. What other reason would there be? News has to be centered on facts. And…”
Ma Seokdo glanced at my reaction and trailed off.
“I’m an ambitious man, someone with dreams of making it big in the police organization, how should I put it. Watching Mr. I Ganghan catch Seo Namho with quick wits and resourcefulness, I thought that if you and I joined hands, we could make something special.”
“So you’re looking to paint the big picture rather than grab the small rice cake right in front of you?”
“Bingo. Well, also, honestly. Squad Leader Baek doesn’t have many years left until retirement. After all, the future is more important than the past, wouldn’t you say? Keke.”
Ma Seokdo smirked.
“How about it? The collaboration of a genius tax official and an ambitious police official. Doesn’t it sound plausible? In professional terms, it’s called inter-agency collaboration. Kekeke.”
“I thought you were just a dumb musclehead, but you’re a detective who actually thinks.”
“Keke. You just realized that? But you suddenly wanted to see me… is there something you need?”
“Wow, not bad detective skills. It’s nothing much. Eighty-four Ra nine-six-nine-three. Please run a vehicle registration check today.”
“A vehicle registration check?”
“If possible, it would be even better if you could check CCTV and confirm where it is right now.”
“This is for official business, right?”
Ma Seokdo looked troubled.
“So it must be a personal vendetta, huh? It’s possible, right?”
“Ah… got it. But when do you need it by?”
“With Detective Ma’s abilities, you could probably do it right now…”
Ma Seokdo stared at me with a blank expression for a while, then went straight into the police station.
Shortly after, Ma Seokdo came out holding the vehicle registration records.
“Hey, I Ganghan. Is someone’s neck on the line? It’s a Benz S-Class. That’s Bak Yonggak’s car.”
“You know him well?”
“Who on the streets of Haedong doesn’t know Bak Yonggak? It may be a trashy tabloid, but it’s a local daily, and the guy’s got solid connections everywhere…”
“To me, he’s just a tax delinquent.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“It’s simple. Illegal parking in a disabled-only parking space, a violation of the Road Traffic Act. A total of fourteen delinquent automobile tax cases, a violation of the Local Tax Collection Act. I intend to seize the vehicle and dispose of it via public auction to cover the overdue taxes.”
“Huh…”
Ma Seokdo staggered as if strength had left his legs.
“I knew you were reckless, but this is just insane.”
“The collaboration of a smart tax official and a genius detective. Isn’t that what you were thinking, Detective Ma?”
“If you want to take Bak Yonggak down properly, you need a good scenario. If you just bite at him recklessly, you could get counterattacked.”
Ma Seokdo gauged my reaction and took a step back.
“Alright, you’ve got a concrete scenario worked out, right?”
“Would you like to hear it?”
I told Ma Seokdo the story for catching Bak Yonggak, and Ma Seokdo listened silently, slapping his own knee with his palm from time to time.
***
That same day, 5 PM.
Borrowing Detective Ma’s strength, I found where Bak Yonggak’s Benz S-Class was parked.
84 Ra 9693.
Bak Yonggak’s black Benz was parked at a suburban golf driving range.
“Going off to practice golf during work hours—he’s got it made as a local daily reporter.”
Bak Yonggak drove two imported cars. One was a Benz, the other a Volvo.
Both vehicles were delinquent, with just local taxes totaling fourteen cases and 6.3 million won in arrears.
In addition to local taxes, there were thirteen cases of traffic violations including signal violations, parking violations, and speed violations, with 1.7 million won outstanding under the Road Traffic Act.
“Thinking about how this thug acted like a local bigwig while dodging public authority left and right, I can’t even laugh.”
Before long, a tow truck entered the golf driving range parking lot.
“Officer I Ganghan?”
The tow truck driver got out of his vehicle and called my name.
“That’s correct.”
“Which car is to be towed?”
“That black Benz S-Class over there.”
“Eighty-four Ra nine-six-nine-three?”
“That’s correct.”
“It’s a foreign car, so if it gets scratched while towing, the owner is going to raise hell.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll deduct the repainting cost and dispose of it at public auction.”
“Well, I just get paid the towing fee, but. Can you handle the owner’s complaints?”
“The owner is scheduled to change via public auction, so you don’t need to worry, sir.”
“Hehehe, I didn’t know there was a public official at Haedong City Hall who handled work by the book like this. Then I’ll really tow it.”
“Please proceed right away.”
We towed Bak Yonggak’s car right there on the spot, leaving a single seizure notice in the parking lot.
5:40 PM.
When a wrecker dragged the Benz into the Haedong City Hall parking lot, many people crowded around the vehicle.
“Oh my, a Benz got towed?”
“And an S-Class at that.”
“Huh, what’s going on? They don’t usually tow foreign cars easily.”
Citizens muttered among themselves, and several public officials came out to the parking lot to look at the Benz.
I immediately went into the Finance Section warehouse at City Hall.
Most of the seizure team had returned to the office and were organizing license plates.
“Huh? I Ganghan is back already?”
“Where’s Deputy Chief Sin, and you came back alone?”
“Looks like he’s going solo to win the bet.”
The employees organizing the license plates muttered.
I took a chain and lock from the warehouse, wrapped the chain around the front wheel of the parked Benz, secured the lock, and attached a seal.
Seeing my sudden actions, Finance Section employees poured out into the parking lot.
“I Ganghan, what are you doing right now?”
“Can’t you see? I’m sealing the Benz’s front wheel.”
“Huh… he’s really lost it.”
“If the owner finds out, he’ll flip City Hall upside down. Shouldn’t someone try to stop him?”
“Instead of stopping him, I think he should report to the Section Chief and Mayor first. The election is only a few months away, what if it’s the car of some local big shot…”
While I was sealing the confiscated Benz, the employees watching from the parking lot added a word here and there.
“Look at this. I Ganghan.”
Gang Hyosang of the Finance Section called out to me.
“Yes, Senior.”
“Sealing is important, but shouldn’t you report to the Section Chief or Mayor first?”
“I plan to report immediately after I finish sealing.”
Vehicle seizure is most important to seal with a locking device after towing.
If a confiscated vehicle were to get stolen, the City Hall would have to pay damages.
“I’m speaking as your senior, but I think reporting right now would be…”
No report was necessary.
By now, Bak Yonggak, having finished his golf practice, would realize his car was gone and find the seizure notice.
Bak Yonggak, furious, would have called the Mayor immediately. If the Mayor took the call, then Finance Section Chief Gwak and Team Leader Choe would also learn of the incident.
And sure enough.
Just as I finished sealing with the locking device, my cell phone rang loudly.
The caller was Gwak Seungu, Finance Section Chief.
“Yes, Section Chief.”
[Mr. I Ganghan. Where are you right now?]
Section Chief Gwak Seungu’s voice sounded like he was about to stop breathing.
“I’m in the City Hall parking lot.”
[City Hall parking lot? Get over to the Finance Section right now.]
“Yes. I’ll come up right now.”
As soon as I hung up, Gang Hyosang smiled with an ‘I told you so’ expression.
“What did I tell you? I said it’d be better to report first.”
“Hyosang-hyung.”
“Huh? What?”
Gang Hyosang, who had been gloating, flinched.
“The Section Chief suddenly summoned me, so I have to go up. If you have time, could you please check whether the locking device and seal on the Benz are properly in place?”
When I made the request so naturally and confidently, Gang Hyosang fidgeted, glancing at the other employees.
“Uh… y-yeah. I should.”
“You know the seal is the lifeline of a confiscated vehicle, right? I’m counting on you.”
“Y-yeah…”
After entrusting the vehicle to Gang Hyosang, I immediately ran to Section Chief Gwak.
***
Haedong City Hall Mayor’s Office.
Summoned by Mayor Jang Samcheol, I went up to the Mayor’s office together with Team Leader Choe and Section Chief Gwak.
“What happened?”
Mayor Jang Samcheol asked for the whole story.
Judging by the Mayor’s grave expression, there was no doubt that Reporter Bak had raised hell.
I explained the details of the incident to the Mayor.
“Reporter Bak Yonggak said he won’t let Haedong City Hall and its public officials be… do you have the confidence to handle this?”
Mayor Jang Samcheol looked at me, Team Leader Choe, and Section Chief Gwak in turn.
“Excuse me, Mayor.”
In the serious atmosphere, Team Leader Choe quietly opened his mouth.
“This morning, Reporter Bak came to the office. He brought up news about our City Hall Finance Section and openly demanded a bribe.”
“What? There are still reporters like that these days? Goodness…”
Mayor Jang Samcheol closed his eyes tightly and opened them.
“It’s obvious that Bak Yonggak will pour out retaliatory articles…”
Gwak Seungu muttered half-audibly.
“Hmm… Bak Yonggak, that man. He’s always been that kind of reporter. The Haedong Youth Daily calls itself a newspaper, but would such a rag even qualify as part of the press?”
Mayor Jang Samcheol began pondering as if trying to make a decision.
“Forgive my rudeness, but if the Haedong Youth Daily is the press, then a dung fly is a bird. How about using this opportunity to cut ties with the trash press and those leeches who suck the offices dry?”
Team Leader Choe Yeongpyo cautiously opened his mouth.
“Do you have a good plan?”
The Mayor looked at Team Leader Choe.
“Before you summoned us, I had a meeting with Mr. I Ganghan. Listening to Ganghan’s story, it sounds quite plausible. If things go well, we could use this opportunity to put our relationship with the leech newspapers in order and also raise the Mayor’s political standing.”
“Is that so?”
Hearing Team Leader Choe’s explanation, a spark flashed in Mayor Jang Samcheol’s eyes. For Mayor Jang Samcheol, who was aiming for re-election, eliminating the hostile Haedong Youth Daily was strategically advantageous. Jang Samcheol thought:
‘Surely, it’s not possible that Mr. I Ganghan, on his fifth day of employment, has already grasped the power map of our City Hall?’
“Let’s hear it. That ingenious idea.”
The time had finally come. The time to deliver the hammer blow to that trash reporter who had been doing wicked things while hopping in and out of government offices.
I began explaining the specific plan to the Mayor.
“Reporter Bak Yonggak has committed countless violations of the Road Traffic Act beyond local tax delinquency, including signal violations, speed violations, and parking violations. Even this morning, that Reporter Bak brazenly parked illegally in the disabled parking space at City Hall. And that’s not all…”
The detailed explanation of the plan to catch Reporter Bak began.
“The countless wicked misdeeds committed by Bak Yonggak. We will blow up those misdeeds one by one each day through different media outlets. It’s a plan to turn on Bak Yonggak the exact same tactic the Haedong Youth Daily used against our City Hall. I dare say, within a week, the Bak Yonggak side will raise both hands and feet in surrender and propose a truce.”
As my explanation continued, an unusual glint began to form on Mayor Jang Samcheol’s face.