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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
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Kwon Tae-ho left the building after sternly warning Genfu, the trembling branch leader, to stay out of trouble.
“He really finished every single one of them.”
The sight of bodies scattered throughout the building left a bitter taste in Kwon Tae-ho’s mouth.
They were all notorious criminals even within Chinatown, but surely not all of them deserved to die.
‘Speaking of which, Seol contacted me.’
Leaving the crowd gathered in front of the building, Kwon Tae-ho finally called Yoo Seol back.
“Assistant Director, where are you?”
“I’m at the teahouse on the second floor of the building across the street.”
“Hmm?”
Kwon Tae-ho looked around and spotted Yoo Seol sitting by the window, looking down at the street. Lee Ha-yeon, sitting across from her, waved enthusiastically with a bright smile.
“I’ll be right there.”
When Kwon Tae-ho entered the teahouse, three people were sitting at the window table.
Two were Yoo Seol and Ha-yeon. And the other one was…
“You’re Liu Feifei?”
His first impression was that she was young.
Wasn’t she a bar hostess? But she looked barely twenty years old, even giving her the benefit of the doubt.
“I heard from these two. You’re from the Enforcer’s office…”
“Yes, I’m Enforcer Kwon Tae-ho, from the Kwon Tae-ho Enforcer Office.”
As Kwon Tae-ho sat down, Yoo Seol offered him some tea. Just as he was about to gratefully accept, feeling parched, a question crossed his mind.
“Isn’t this the tea you were drinking, Assistant Director?”
“Yes, but you can have it. Unless you find it unpleasant?”
“Not particularly.”
As he took the teacup, he noticed a faint lipstick stain on the rim. He rotated the cup 180 degrees before taking a sip. Yoo Seol chuckled and asked,
“You care about things like that, Enforcer Kwon? I thought you were a man’s man, but you have a surprisingly delicate side.”
“Cut the chatter. What progress did you make while I was gone?”
“Just a basic interview. What happened at the bar, the suspect’s appearance, how she was kidnapped this morning by the Thousand Tigers…”
“The suspect’s appearance is an Asian man with streaks of gray hair and a scar over his right eye, correct?”
“How did you-”
Yoo Seol was about to ask, but she immediately understood.
“You met him. The Vigilante.”
“What?! You met the perpetrator, Enforcer Kwon?! Where?! Did you fight?! Did you win?!”
Ha-yeon jumped up excitedly. Feifei, startled, flinched. Kwon Tae-ho chided Ha-yeon.
“Don’t make a fuss, rookie. You’re scaring our witness.”
“Indeed, Ha-yeon. You’re a trainee, but you’re still an Enforcer. Act with a little more composure. We’re not here for fun.”
“S-sorry…”
Ha-yeon pouted and hung her head.
Yoo Seol looked at her and thought, She’s an Enforcer, but I feel like her babysitter.
“Um…”
Feifei, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
“You’re talking about the man who saved me, the Vigilante, right? What happened to him? Is he… dead…?”
“I won the fight. But I couldn’t catch him. He appeared as an avatar.”
“Why did he show up at the Thousand Tigers’ place?”
“He said he was cleaning up trash. He killed not only the Thousand Tigers’ reinforcements but also the gang members I had incapacitated. The casualties must be over fifty.”
It was a major incident, but the police wouldn’t be involved. Chinatown was an extraterritorial zone. Outside law enforcement didn’t interfere here.
“But something’s strange.”
However, that wasn’t the important part right now.
“He’s always been meticulous in his killings. He targeted CCTV blind spots, made sure he wouldn’t be traced by the police, and only attacked when his targets were alone.”
The Chief Superintendent had said he was one of the most intelligent criminals he had ever encountered, and Kwon Tae-ho agreed.
So why…
“Why did he barge into the Thousand Tigers’ headquarters this time?”
He had stated his reason. Cleaning up trash. To kill the Thousand Tigers gang members.
But his method was completely different from his previous crimes.
A meticulous criminal suddenly charging into the headquarters of one of China’s largest mafia groups alone? Sure, he was an avatar, so he wouldn’t die, but he risked exposing his identity.
“I think the reason he appeared this time is different. If his previous crimes were solely about killing, then this time he must have had another objective. And I think that objective was…”
Kwon Tae-ho’s gaze shifted to Feifei. Ha-yeon gasped, realizing what he meant.
“He came to rescue Feifei!”
“That’s highly likely. He came to rescue a woman he had saved once. It’s a touching story, but not very realistic. To barge into a mafia headquarters because of a woman he met once…”
“…….”
“So, Feifei. Do you have any connection to the perpetrator?”
He was asking if she had any idea why the Sword Demon had abandoned his usual caution and charged into the Thousand Tigers’ headquarters alone.
“Well, I don’t really…”
“Feifei. What’s your relationship with the perpetrator?”
“There’s no relationship…! He just saved me from being harassed by a gang member, that’s all…!”
“Is that so?”
Kwon Tae-ho glanced at Yoo Seol. She immediately understood what he wanted.
-Flick.
Yoo Seol’s eyelids opened slightly, and her irises glowed faintly orange.
The Eye of Truth. The magic eye that discerned lies.
“I’ll ask again. You met the perpetrator for the first time yesterday at the bar. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Did anything happen, any conversation, that might have made him concerned for your safety?”
“No, nothing like that. I just thanked him for saving me. We barely spoke before parting ways.”
“From the time you parted ways until you were kidnapped from the bar this morning, did you contact him or meet him again?”
“No.”
“Then you have no idea why he would single-handedly attack the Thousand Tigers’ building?”
“No.”
“Alright.”
Kwon Tae-ho smiled, a practiced, professional smile, and looked at Yoo Seol.
Then…
“Everything except the first answer was a lie.”
Yoo Seol calmly reported her findings. Ha-yeon’s eyes widened, and Feifei shook her head, trying to stand up.
“Sit down.”
-Boom!!
An invisible pressure, emanating from Kwon Tae-ho, slammed down on Feifei’s shoulders.
“Gasp…!”
A suffocating sensation. Kwon Tae-ho had only released a sliver of his killing intent, but Feifei was just an ordinary person. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes and drain the strength from her body.
-Thud.
Feifei collapsed back into her chair. Ha-yeon looked at her with concern, but she couldn’t do anything more.
‘Enforcer Kwon…’
It was the first time she had seen him this angry.
“Liu Feifei. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
He had dropped the honorifics. A sign that he wasn’t going to hold back.
Yoo Seol observed him, puzzled.
Even if Feifei had defended the perpetrator, his reaction seemed excessive.
Had something happened at the Thousand Tigers’ headquarters?
“He’s killed many people. Nine outside, and at least fifty here in Chinatown. Most of them were heinous criminals, yes. But murder is murder. His crimes are even worse because he’s a murderer who thinks he’s righteous.”
-Clench.
Kwon Tae-ho’s fist tightened. Fury dripped from every word.
Feifei wanted to avoid his burning gaze, but she couldn’t. An oppressive pressure pinned her in place.
“Protecting him now is the same as aiding and abetting his murders. Even a bar hostess in Chinatown should have some basic morals, shouldn’t she?”
“…….”
“I’ll ask again. What’s your relationship with him? What happened between you two? Tell me everything.”
Could words kill? Most people would think of insults or verbal abuse.
But Kwon Tae-ho was answering that question in a different way. His words, laced with fury and killing intent, were more than an ordinary person could bear.
-Trickle.
A tear rolled down Feifei’s cheek under the weight of Kwon Tae-ho’s pressure. Unable to watch any longer, Yoo Seol placed her hand on Kwon Tae-ho’s and said,
“Enforcer Kwon. I understand your anger, but please calm down. Feifei is a civilian. And she’s injured. She was just kidnapped and released.”
“…….”
Her words finally brought Kwon Tae-ho back to his senses. He took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure.
“My apologies. I was too aggressive with the witness.”
He was angry at the Sword Demon, not this woman. Suppressing his rising fury, he resumed his professional demeanor and asked,
“Feifei, please answer honestly if you know anything. You know lying is pointless now.”
“…….”
Feifei looked at Kwon Tae-ho, tears welling in her eyes. Then, with a resolute expression, she shook her head.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Feifei.”
“He saved me. Whether he’s a murderer or not, he’s my benefactor. I can’t betray him.”
“Many people have died. And more will die if we don’t catch him. Are you still saying you can’t tell us?”
Unlike before, Kwon Tae-ho didn’t show his anger. But he couldn’t help the irritation bubbling up inside.
Oblivious to Kwon Tae-ho’s feelings, Feifei closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.
“My deceased father always told me, ‘Repay kindness and enmity, even across generations.’ I can’t betray my benefactor. I’m sorry.”
Feifei apologized, head bowed. Then she added,
“Besides, he didn’t seem like such a bad person to me.”
“You, and the criminal-”
Before Kwon Tae-ho could finish, Feifei abruptly stood up.
“Thank you for rescuing me. I’ll repay you someday if I get the chance. May I leave now…?”
Her voice trembled, but her resolve was firm. Kwon Tae-ho realized that continuing the conversation was futile.
“Thank you for your time. Please be careful. Contact us if you need anything.”
Kwon Tae-ho offered her his business card. Feifei hesitated for a moment, then took it.
Watching her walk away, Ha-yeon asked Kwon Tae-ho,
“Is it okay to just let her go like that?”
“We have no choice. We don’t have an arrest warrant. Even if this is an extraterritorial zone, an Enforcer can’t detain a civilian without cause.”
“But…”
“We may have let her go for now, but I’m not giving up. She’s clearly hiding something. We know her address. Let’s go ahead and stake out her place. The Sword Demon might show up.”
“Sword Demon?”
At Yoo Seol’s question, Kwon Tae-ho explained the nickname. Yoo Seol hummed thoughtfully.
“The fact that he uses that nickname suggests he’s likely a Returnee from a martial arts dimension.”
“It’s a common nickname, so it won’t be easy to track him down with just that. We’ll have to do some legwork.”
“Understood. Then we should stake out Liu Feifei’s residence first.”
Yoo Seol assumed she would be the one on stakeout duty, but Kwon Tae-ho shook his head.
“Trainee Enforcer Lee Ha-yeon will handle the stakeout.”
“What? Me?”
Ha-yeon, clearly not expecting to be chosen, stared at him wide-eyed.
“Ha-yeon…? Why? Wouldn’t I be more suited for this?”
“I have another task for you, Assistant Director.”
“What task?”
“Paperwork.”
Yoo Seol looked puzzled. Paperwork? Out of the blue?
“I’m going to request cooperation from the Incheon Police Department through the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Ask them to assist in apprehending the perpetrator. Since it’ll be difficult for someone from Seoul to come down here immediately, we need someone to coordinate things on this end. I can’t ask a trainee to do that.”
“…The Incheon police will be reluctant to get involved in Chinatown affairs.”
“I’m not asking them to enter Chinatown. Just block the roads leading out. I’ll handle the capture once he’s trapped inside.”
“Chinatown is big. How do you plan to find him?”
“With this.”
Kwon Tae-ho pulled out the psychic pattern analyzer. Yoo Seol gasped.
“That’s right, you said you fought him.”
“Yes, I acquired his unique psychic pattern during our fight. If I input the pattern into the detector, I should be able to pinpoint his location. Though I’ll have to comb through all of Chinatown…”
The detector’s range was about a kilometer. It would take at least a day or two to cover the entire area.
“So, let’s summarize. I’ll patrol the area with the detector. Rookie, you’ll stake out Feifei’s residence. Assistant Director, you’ll request cooperation from the Incheon Police Department and report back to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency about what’s happened so far. Get as much support as you can.”
“Understood.”
“Y-yes sir! L-leave it to me…!”
Ha-yeon’s voice trembled slightly. She seemed nervous about her first stakeout mission.
“Don’t worry, Ha-yeon.”
“A-Assistant Director?”
“You did an excellent job with the rescue mission just now. You’ll do fine with this too.”
“Assistant Director…!”
Yoo Seol’s encouraging words and the warmth of her hand holding Ha-yeon’s made her seem like a benevolent goddess. Ha-yeon clasped Yoo Seol’s hand with both of hers, nodding fervently.
“Leave it to me! I’ll definitely succeed!”
“Is there such a thing as success or failure in a stakeout mission?”
“Haha, just don’t get caught….”
And so, the three parted ways to carry out their respective missions.
Kwon Tae-ho ventured deeper into Chinatown. Yoo Seol headed to the Incheon Police Department outside Chinatown.
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And Lee Ha-yeon…
“Bonus♪ Bonus♪”
Humming cheerfully, Ha-yeon bounced along until she reached a rundown apartment complex on the outskirts of Chinatown.
This was the residential area for ordinary citizens living in Chinatown. Even these “ordinary citizens” were mostly involved in some form of illegal activity, but at least they weren’t mafia members or wanted criminals.
Therefore, this area was relatively safe, even within Chinatown. Unlike the completely slum-ridden areas or the bustling entertainment district, this neighborhood looked much like any other outside of Chinatown.
“Bonus if I succeed♪ Bonus if I succeed♪ A big fat bonus if this goes well~♪”
Ha-yeon arrived at the four-story building where Feifei lived.
“Hmm!”
She immediately surveyed the surroundings, looking for a place to hide. Spotting an abandoned car near the wall of the building across the street, she quickly ducked behind it.
‘Now, I’ll just wait patiently for Feifei to return…’
That was her intention, but Ha-yeon lacked the basic skills of a surveillance operative.
Not only was her hiding spot incredibly obvious, but her cheerful demeanor didn’t exactly scream “undercover agent.”
However, Kwon Tae-ho had assigned her this task for a simple reason.
It was the least dangerous option.
He couldn’t assign her the administrative work meant for Yoo Seol, so Ha-yeon’s role was either surveilling Feifei or tracking the Sword Demon. Of the two, surveillance was clearly the safer and more peaceful task.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely without risk. Even in a relatively safe residential area, Chinatown was still Chinatown. She could encounter petty criminals like pickpockets or muggers.
But Kwon Tae-ho judged that Ha-yeon could handle that level of threat.
The only other risk was the unlikely possibility of encountering the Sword Demon himself…
“Hee hee hee~♪”
Even if she did encounter him, a fight was unlikely.
The Sword Demon didn’t know what she looked like. And he generally didn’t attack non-criminals. As long as Ha-yeon didn’t reveal her identity as an Enforcer or provoke him in some way, a fight shouldn’t break out… or so Kwon Tae-ho had reasoned.
But he had overlooked one crucial factor: He didn’t know the exact nature of the relationship between the Sword Demon and Feifei.
‘Oh? Someone’s coming out!’
Feifei had spoken of her debt to the Sword Demon, defending him.
But what if there was more to it, as Kwon Tae-ho suspected? What if their relationship was much closer?
For example, to be blunt…
‘Huh?’
What if Feifei was hiding the Sword Demon in her apartment?
‘Wait… could that be…?’
Ha-yeon’s eyes widened as a man emerged from the building’s entrance.
A sturdy Asian man, around fifty years old. His hair was streaked with gray, and a large scar ran across his right eye.
Ha-yeon had never seen the Sword Demon in person, but she was astute enough to recognize him based on those characteristics. However, lacking field experience, she couldn’t immediately decide on her next course of action.
‘The Sword Demon?! Why is he coming out of Feifei’s apartment? No, maybe it’s someone else-’
The Sword Demon, on the other hand, was a seasoned veteran. His judgment and senses were sharp. Even while stepping out for a smoke, he remained vigilant.
“!!”
And so, naturally, he noticed her.
The woman hiding suspiciously behind a car, staring at him.
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They can’t reach him, and here they are, drinking tea? thats ironic!
