The Civil Servant Who Conceals Her Power Is Too Good at Possession Chapter 88

The man brought in, a Section Chief named Park Wonsik, was dressed in an outfit that looked very familiar.

 

A somewhat baggy short-sleeved shirt, a jacket that looked like it had been bought an eternity ago, and those ever-present beige pants.

 

…Did he go group-shopping with my old Section Chief?

 

As that thought crossed my mind, I felt a surge of past-life PTSD washing over me, but I quickly shook it off.

 

“Administrative Officer Park Wonsik?”

 

At my question, Section Chief Park replied with a flustered expression.

 

“Ah, my rank is Section Chief.”

 

Section Chief Park, who said that, had beads of sweat forming on the bridge of his nose, but he couldn’t even think to wipe them away, merely fidgeting with his hands continuously.

 

“Ah… I see.”

 

In truth, I hadn’t asked because I didn’t know.

 

It was just, how should I put it?

 

I thought to myself as I watched Section Chief Park squirming nervously. 

 

‘Let’s call it a concept—creating a sense of intimidation from a special civil servant who has never met anyone below the rank of Administrative Officer.’

 

The harmless-looking attack, flavored with the nuance of wondering why someone in their fifties hasn’t been promoted to Administrative Officer—essentially a neighborhood head—was a bonus.

 

Ahahaha.

 

Why did it make me so happy just to be flustering someone with the rank of Section Chief?

 

The Section Chief who tormented me in my past life and the Section Chief before my eyes now were clearly different people, yet an uncontrollable sense of enjoyment surged through me.

 

And well.

 

It was a fact that he signed those forged documents in the first place, wasn’t it?

 

To me, an investigator, this man simply looked like a criminal.

 

The thing I felt to my bones while living as a civil servant was that among civil servants, even if it’s a document that kills an innocent person, there are plenty of bastards who just sign it without a thought simply because it came down from above. 

 

“Anyway, Park Wonsik-ssi.”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

I intentionally addressed him without his title.

 

In the first place, why would a suspect need a respectful title? 

 

It’s not like I’m a community service center main officer either!

 

Ahahahahaha!

 

Though I had only called him by name, Section Chief Park Wonsik began to sweat profusely.

 

He then pulled a tissue from the box placed in front of me to wipe the sweat, but bits of the tissue got stuck to him, leaving white specks all over his face. It was a somewhat pitiable…

 

…Sight? Not a chance.

 

That is simply the inherent nature of those who are low-level civil servants.

 

They fear nothing more than being investigated by their superiors because a problem has arisen.

 

“You’ve seen this document before, haven’t you?”

 

I slid forward the document bearing Section Chief Park Wonsik’s signature.

 

It was an official document stating that items had been received from Incheon City Hall and detailing how those items were used and subsequently disposed of.

 

“Ah… Uh… Well… I feel like I might have seen it before…” 

 

The typical tactic of beating around the bush.

 

Civil servants originally have a habit of malfunctioning when it comes to work not assigned as their own duty. 

 

Since one must pretend to be broken to avoid an increase in workload, if you start pretending from your first year on the job, you actually start to break down by the time you’re in your fifties.

 

Like a robot completely incapable of creative thought outside of the tasks assigned to them—that is, outside the input values. 

 

“You see the signature here? This is your signature, Park Wonsik-ssi.”

 

At my words, other emotions began to inhabit Park Wonsik’s robot-like expression.

 

“Ah, yes. Yes. I did sign it. Yes. This… Well… That is…”

 

He looked like he wanted to explain something but couldn’t quite find the words.

 

Of course he couldn’t.

 

It was true that Go Cheolwon had pulled some strings, but that only applied within his own city hall jurisdiction.

 

He had likely drank alcohol and exchanged bribe money with the high-ranking officials at City Hall, pleasantly coordinating their stories. 

 

And those officials, in order to avoid upsetting their superior—the Mayor, a high-ranking official with a mere four-year term—and to secure the substantial benefits that came with it, would have started moving to handle the tasks assigned to them.

 

Drafting documents, pressuring subordinates underneath them to bring the papers at such-and-such time. 

 

In the process of forcibly matching the numbers, the place that got dragged in was precisely this community service center.

 

Section Chief Park Wonsik, the person in charge, likely signed it thinking he just had to proceed as instructed from above, as he always did.

 

And just like that, he became an accomplice.

 

And to an illegal dark market transaction at that. 

 

“For your information, in the case of illegal item smuggling, the Special Act on Hunter Management under the Criminal Act applies, and the sentence starts at five years in prison.”

 

I intentionally put emphasis on the words ‘Criminal Act.’

 

That is the phrase civil servants hate most.

 

Even a civil servant, who usually isn’t easily fired, will have their neck on the line immediately—whether through the dignity maintenance clause or something else—the moment they are involved in a criminal case, not a civil one.

 

But five years in prison on top of that?

 

That’s a straight ticket to jail with no chance of a suspended sentence.

 

In short— 

 

“If this document is found to be forged, it means mandatory dismissal.”

 

Stripping of pension eligibility alongside the dismissal decision being an added bonus. 

 

The moment he heard those words, sweat began to pour from Park Wonsik’s forehead like rain.

 

So much so that it couldn’t be stopped even with a tissue.

 

“Did you truly verify that the items were received? Where were they used? It says the residents disposed of them after use; which disposal company was used…?”

 

The answers to all these questions were clearly in the documents.

 

However, the moment the word ‘dismissal’ was uttered, Park Wonsik’s brain seemed to have shut down completely.

 

“Pardon? Yes? Ah, that is…”

 

I offered a handkerchief I had prepared in advance to Park Wonsik and gave him the softest smile possible.

 

“There’s no need to be so nervous. It’s not that you will definitely be arrested, Park Wonsik-ssi. Our side can decide whether or not to prosecute based on whether you signed this document without knowing it was forged, or if you filled it out knowing it was false.”

 

“…!”

 

That was the final blow.

 

Could it be said that what brought down the traveler named Park Wonsik was not the wind, but the sunlight? 

 

A light of salvation encountered in the middle of a tornado he thought he could never escape.

 

He naturally did not miss that slender ray of light.

 

“I only signed it! I couldn’t even check the contents…! This is truly unfair…!”

 

* * *

 

Observing this entire situation from behind the glass were Pi Sowon and Kwon Ikseong.

 

[No vehicles ever came or went; they just shoved the disposal papers in front of me and told me to sign, so I did.]

 

The moment those decisive words were heard, Pi Sowon questioned Kwon Ikseong.

 

“It’s being recorded properly, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

At Kwon Ikseong’s reply, Pi So-won nodded.

 

Then she looked at Lee Yuji through the glass.

 

Lee Yuji, who was easily exploiting her interrogation subject as if she knew all his weaknesses.

 

“She’s suspicious.”

 

“….”

 

At those words, Kwon Ikseong hesitated for a moment before speaking.

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“I mean Lee Yuji. She’s always suspicious.”

 

“….”

 

Kwon Ik-seong decided to keep his mouth shut.

 

However, Pi Sowon continued.

 

“Why does she work so hard? Every time I watch her, it’s just so suspicious.”

 

So… that was what she meant.

 

Kwon Ikseong looked at Pi Sowon’s back in the darkness.

 

“She seems dim-witted, but then at times, she’s full of spite. Her investigative instincts are insanely good, and despite being an F-rank, she charges right at dangerous criminals—”

 

Pi Sowon smirked.

 

“…And she just wins.”

 

“….”

 

“That’s the most suspicious part.”

 

Hearing that, Kwon Ikseong suddenly realized something.

 

“Did you intentionally put Investigator Lee Yuji into the field investigation? I mean the undercover work at Club Elio.”

 

“…Don’t you know it’s a bit creepy how you see right through people with that expressionless face every time?”

 

Pi Sowon furrowed her brow and turned back to Kwon Ikseong. 

 

It meant he was right. 

 

She confessed readily, as if there was no point in denying it now that she’d been caught.

 

“It’s annoying, isn’t it? Those b*stards who commit crimes against young girls. I thought if she was my partner, she’d definitely crush them for me.”

 

With the faint light from the interrogation room at her back, Pi Sowon curled the corners of her mouth.

 

“And Lee Yuji doesn’t betray expectations. So, listen.”

 

She then turned her body back toward the interrogation room and spoke.

 

“…Lee Yuji is mine. Stop hovering around her. And don’t try to lure her with food, either.”

 

Kwon Ikseong replied to Pi Sowon’s words.

 

He opened his lips slowly, but the answer that flowed out from between them was firm.

 

“I refuse.”