One hour ago.
When Pi Sowon arrived at the emergency situation room tent by the roadside, the situation was an absolute mess.
“To minimize civilian casualties, we will implement traffic control for now. In the worst-case scenario, we might use drones to strike the vehicle from the air and force it to a stop. After that, we can dispatch helicopters to drop in the Administration Bureau’s special forces and subdue the culprit.”
The b*stard officials who had arrived from the Hunter Administration Bureau were spouting this kind of nonsense, while the Commissioner of the Hunter Administration Bureau, the Fire Commissioner, and the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency sat in a row at the very front, listening to that crap with serious faces—
Above all—
The chief-level officers of the Hunter Investigation Bureau were sitting in the very back row, unable to even interject, just idiotically ‘f*cking’ listening to the briefing.
It was then that Pi Sowon, unable to hold back any longer, opened her mouth.
Like the other investigators who couldn’t even get a seat in the back row, she was standing near the entrance listening to the briefing.
“Why isn’t the fact that the culprit has a bomb being taken into consideration? Striking the bus with a drone without even confirming the power and blast radius of the bomb inside could cause a much bigger problem. It could provoke the culprit into detonating the bomb right away. In the worst-case scenario, if the bomb is a bunker buster, it could even affect the underground—”
“Wait a moment.”
At that moment, the Commissioner of the Hunter Administration Bureau, who was sitting in the front row, glanced back and spoke.
“Pardon?”
“What is the rank of the person speaking over there?”
What did that have to do with the current conversation?
When the lives of the citizens on the bus were hanging in the balance due to a bomb threat?
Hong Jaegyeol answered on behalf of the dumbfounded Pi Sowon.
“…She is the Team Leader of Team 5 of the Hunter Investigation Bureau. Since the Hunter Investigation Bureau doesn’t have a separate division of ranks and titles…”
“So, Level 3.”
Pi Sowon’s forehead wrinkled. She spoke as if she found it ridiculous.
“Well, if you’re comparing it to civil service ranks, yes, but what I want to say is…”
“Let’s limit entry to the situation room to Level 2 and above. It makes the meeting too chaotic, doesn’t it?”
Pi Sowon let out a scoffing laugh.
Instantly, all the staff members, including the three Commissioners, looked at her.
Sensing the icy atmosphere, Pi Sowon shifted her weight onto one leg, glared at the Commissioner of the Hunter Administration Bureau, and said.
“Is this meeting really about saving people’s lives?”
“What?”
Just as Hong Jaegyeol, unable to simply watch, was about to stand up.
“Isn’t this just a meeting for the Commissioners to avoid taking responsibility?”
Pi Sowon met the eyes of each of the Commissioners and spat out her words one by one as if she were chewing on them.
“Since the media has caught wind of this, aren’t you just trying to do the bare minimum to show you did something, claim you have no responsibility, and wash your hands of the matter?”
“What did you just say?”
The Commissioner of the Hunter Administration Bureau stood up from his seat.
Hong Jaegyeol washed his face dry with an expression that screamed ‘we’re doomed’.
“Our team’s youngest is in there! Our rookie is on that bus with a bomb! And yet, the so-called higher-ups are sitting here leisurely listening to the suspect’s profile, talking nonsense, and holding back the investigators. Is this what government officials fed by the state are supposed to do?”
“Supposed to do? Investigator Pi So-won. Watch your mouth! Do these people look like ordinary government officials to you?”
A staff member standing nearby interjected.
At that, Pi Sowon looked at him and chuckled mockingly.
“Then what are you guys, angels? Do you get your paychecks from heaven? F*ck, seriously…”
Ignoring the curses coming from behind her, she walked out of the situation room.
Hong Jaegyeol soon followed her out.
“Team Leader Pi!”
At his call, Pi Sowon looked at Hong Jaegyeol with cold eyes.
“Why aren’t you authorizing the equipment issue? You said you were going to send in the special forces, right? Then send me. What do I lack compared to the Hunter Administration Bureau’s special forces? I’m way better than those bastards with sh*t for brains!”
As she raised her voice, Hong Jaegyeol dragged her far away from the situation room with a troubled expression.
“Pi Sowon. Sowon-ah. I’m trying to talk it out with them, so don’t make a scene and just stay still. We need to find out what kind of bomb is inside first… It’s a situation where we shouldn’t act rashly…”
“So you’re saying we shouldn’t do anything?”
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t do anything—”
Hong Jaegyeol glanced toward the situation room and lowered his voice.
“Shouldn’t we at least stop those b*stards from doing something stupid?”
“It’s the same thing, Chief.”
Pi Sowon scoffed.
“That’s how… we ended up killing Team Leader Han Sueop, too.”
Han Sueop.
The moment that name came out, Hong Jaegyeol’s face hardened.
Pi Sowon turned around just like that. Watching Pi Sowon’s retreating back, Hong Jaegyeol was called by the Commissioner and drawn back into the situation room.
Confirming that, Pi Sowon contacted Ma Deokho through her smartwatch.
“Hey, how’s the traffic control situation?”
[I’ve checked all the sections I could, but there’s no way through.]
Ma Deokho, who possessed the Animal Communication skill, had been using pigeons to look for a way to break through the vehicle blockade.
At the same time, a call came in from Byeon Gudo.
[Team Leader. I tracked a few bastards from the Bureau, and it looks like these guys are seriously planning to launch helicopters and drones. It seems a cooperation request has already been sent down to the special forces.]
Byeon Gudo was helping Pi Sowon in his own way.
To protect the youngest member of Team 5, each member of Team 5 was utilizing their own methods.
“So they’ve already made the decision and are just issuing orders from here?”
[…That seems to be it.]
[…]
Both Byeon Gudo and Ma Deokho only let out heavy, complicated sighs.
Just when she thought there was no other way.
Someone came running out of the situation room.
“Team Leader Pi Sowon!”
A familiar face.
It was Ji Wongil.
Judging from his attire, it seemed he had come as backup from the Hunter Administration Bureau.
Pi Sowon, whose disgust for the Hunter Administration Bureau had reached its peak, spoke sarcastically.
“To think I’d see the person of interest I was investigating like this? Well, since you’re part of the Hunter Administration Bureau now, do I need to bow my head and greet you?”
Ji Wongil’s expression turned bitter.
“I’m sorry for what happened in the situation room. But is the investigator on Bus 316 Investigator Lee Yuji?”
“…Why are you curious about that?”
It was when Pi Sowon asked without hiding her hostility.
“If there’s anything I can do to help—”
And the moment Ji Wongil was about to speak.
A car stopped in front of the two of them.
The passenger door opened. There was no one in the passenger seat.
Instead, a gun was placed on the seat.
It was a long rifle, rather than the pistol she had been denied authorization for.
Pi Sowon bent down to look at the driver’s seat.
However, there was no one in the driver’s seat either.
Instead, a clear navigation voice echoed from inside the car.
[Shall we check out the skills of a former shooting medalist?]
…!
Pi Sowon’s brow furrowed.
“You…”
She looked around. Of course, there were no signs of anything unusual. Except for the fact that an autonomous electric car had appeared in front of her with a rifle.
But from somewhere, Gamer was watching her.
[Don’t you want to protect Investigator Lee Yu-ji? You shouldn’t lose your partner… this time. I know how to break through the traffic control.]
At those words, Pi Sowon’s face hardened.
Ji Wongil instinctively grabbed Pi Sowon’s arm, but Pi Sowon shook off his hand and got straight into the passenger seat.
Through the open window, Pi Sowon spoke to Ji Wongil.
“Take good care of the Commissioner. Well then, I’ll be going.”
“Hey, wait a minute!”
Before Ji Wongil even had a chance to stop her, the electric car sped off.
And then.
Ji Wongil’s phone rang.
With a restricted caller ID.
When he answered the phone, a familiar voice could be heard.
[This is Team Leader Kwon Ikseong. I have a favor to ask. It’s something that needs to be handled secretly.]
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