Chapter 8
"You have to work your ass off."
“Inspector, what’s going on?”
Shortly after, Team Leader Gu Jin-gu approached Juwon, who had just returned to his seat after finishing Vietnamese interpretation.
Suddenly, while eating bread brought by fellow detectives in the same office, Team Leader Gu asked,
“Huh?”
“What’s the reason for this sudden change? You’ve always been full of a sense of justice, but you weren’t exactly a powerhouse like this before, Inspector.”
“Ah……”
Juwon scratched his head.
It seems like my crime-solving intelligence has improved a bit.
If I say an alien AI is embedded in my head, I’ll probably get locked up in a mental hospital.
“I just…… decided to live a bit more diligently.”
“Oh? So, did you contact the reporters too?”
“Huh?”
Juwon looked like he had no idea what Team Leader Gu was talking about.
Then, Terra spoke up.
[An article about you, Juwon, was posted online earlier. It’s related to the Go Sang-yeop case.]
‘Ah.’
Juwon shook his head.
“No?”
“Yeah, maybe there were reporters near Go Sang-yeop’s house?”
“Really?”
Team Leader Gu Jin-gu tilted his head.
But soon, as if he understood, he nodded and said,
“Go home and rest for today, come in by lunchtime tomorrow.”
“Is that okay?”
“Since you ended up doing undercover work alone, it’s fine to take some rest.”
“Yes, sir!”
Juwon stood up, grabbed his coat, and bowed his head.
“Then, I’ll head off.”
“Alright, Officer Kim left earlier…… Officer Han, you’ve worked hard too, go home.”
“Yes, sir!”
A short while later,
Creak—
The front door of a villa opened, and Juwon stepped inside.
A small house with just one room, a little under 50 square meters.
But it was enough for Juwon, who lived alone.
Ding!
As Juwon took off his shoes at the entrance, the hallway light turned on, revealing the inside of the house.
“Wow……”
The state of the living room, visible from the entrance, was quite severe.
Clothes scattered everywhere, and empty water bottles filling various corners.
“Did a thief break in while I was gone?”
No.
[It looks the same as when you were discharged from the hospital. You just haven’t cleaned up, Juwon. Please clean up. It wouldn’t be surprising if cockroaches showed up with this mess.]
At Terra’s blunt remark, Juwon let out a groan and started picking up the clothes scattered from the entrance.
“I know.”
After roughly gathering the clothes and starting the washing machine, Juwon took out a frozen meal from the freezer.
[Frozen meals are convenient and affordable instant foods, but they may not provide sufficient calories. I recommend a slightly healthier diet.]
"Then why don't you make it for me?"
Zzzz—
Juwon blinked his tired eyes as he watched the microwave spinning.
[I am not a model with a physical body that can move according to my will.]
"Yeah, if you know that, then why don’t you just stay quiet?"
[To become a police officer, as you mentioned, healthy physical strength is essential. I will prepare a diet plan for you. Please visit the supermarket within this week. I will let you know what to buy.]
At that moment, the microwave beeped, signaling that the food was ready.
Juwon’s eyes sparkled as he replied.
"Alright, go ahead and make the plan. I need to study now."
[Are you going to study right after finishing the investigation?]
‘What? I thought you were going to nag me about studying. This is unexpected.’
As the food was ready, Juwon opened his laptop along with his meal.
[Did you do this even during your police academy days?]
Juwon, who was tapping on his laptop searching for investigation materials, tilted his head.
"Do what?"
[The habit of studying based on your mood. The habit of overworking yourself to study when you feel like it can strain your body rhythm and is not a good practice.]
"But studying is still a good thing, right?"
[No wonder you barely passed the theoretical exams.]
Juwon frowned as he chewed a spoonful of rice.
"Then what do you want me to do?"
[Health is about rhythm. After expending energy, you need to rest. If you don’t maintain this rhythm, it will affect your next investigation. Take a break for at least an hour. After that, it won’t be bad to study.]
Juwon rolled his eyes slowly at Terra’s words and let out a sigh without saying anything.
This feels like being nagged by a mother who doesn’t even exist.
Is that why?
It doesn’t sound pleasant, but it doesn’t feel bad either.
It feels like family members nagging out of concern…
[Honestly, even if you study for an extra hour, your theoretical skills won’t improve much. They’re already at rock bottom…]
"Hey!"
I take back what I just said.
Forget about the concerned nagging.
Juwon slammed his laptop shut.
"Alright, alright!"
[Are you going to take a break?]
"Yes! You’re really not holding back with the harsh truths."
[That’s a good attitude. Please maintain this attitude.]
Ah, can an AI really be this annoying?
[I will analyze what study materials you need.]
A little while later.
After taking about an hour-long break, Juwon pressed the power button on his laptop.
"Can I study now, Teacher Terra?"
Now, I have to even get permission from an AI to study. It's come to this.
Juwon, who found his own situation amusing, let out a small smile. Terra spoke to him.
[I recommend studying the recently published paper on criminal psychology. Inferring the psychology of criminals is a crucial skill for uncovering hidden evidence or finding gaps in cases.]
Juwon nodded.
[But, Juwon, do you feel the need to study even though you have a competent assistant like me?]
"Well, it's reassuring, but relying entirely on someone else isn't my style."
[...That's a good approach. In fact, given Juwon's current level, it's essential to accumulate data and stimulate the brain to fully utilize my capabilities. I was worried you might not want to, but I'm glad you do.]
"Look at how you're treating me."
And so, Juwon's Spartan police training began.
"Analyzing a murder case over lottery winnings..."
[In such cases, you should focus on the motive behind the crime. Based on what you learned at the police academy, every case involves someone who benefits from the incident...]
As Juwon listened to Terra's explanations while reviewing analyses and precedents, he found himself fully focused on his laptop.
Hours passed.
[It's 11 PM. Time to get some sleep.]
"Hey, it hasn't been that long since I started studying!"
[Adequate sleep is essential for brain activation. Please rest.]
As Terra's nagging started again, Juwon laughed and closed the laptop window.
"Huh?"
[Excessive internet surfing can lead to addiction, resulting in increased stress and decreased attention...]
"No, it's news! Look at this!"
Juwon pointed at the laptop screen.
His finger was directed at an article on a portal site.
<The unsolved case of the 'Elementary School Teacher Murder' revisited on 'I Want to Know That.' Continues to be a hot topic online...>
[Ah, a major case?]
"Yeah, buddy. Not internet addiction. Should we take a look?"
[That's a great attitude. This is an opportunity to apply what you just learned. I recommend clicking on it right away.]
"You were just talking about internet addiction, and now..."
Juwon clicked on the article.
The unsolved case highlighted on the popular show 'I Want to Know That.'
The victim was found dead in an SUV in an apartment parking lot.
A security guard on patrol discovered the victim and reported it, but by the time the police arrived, the victim was already dead.
"There were stab wounds from a sharp weapon on the chest and face, and the autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was a stab wound through the sternum that pierced the heart, causing it to rupture..."
[The stab wounds were only on the chest and face...
The fact that it exists means that the perpetrator intended to take the victim's life from the very beginning.]
"Because they attacked the heart directly?"
[Yes, if the motive was personal grudge, the assailant would have swung the weapon around, leaving wounds on various parts of the body. Therefore, it's more likely that the murder was contracted with the sole purpose of killing, rather than being driven by personal vendetta.]
Juwon scrolled down.
<The victim was not the type of person to incur grudges. The victim was surrounded by nothing but warm, positive anecdotes.>
"If the victim wasn't someone to hold a grudge against to the point of contracting a murder... then money could have been the motive."
[I agree. Money can bring about the desire to kill without the need for personal grudges. It seems the recent training has had an effect, well done.]
Being praised by an AI.
Feeling an inexplicable discomfort, Juwon scrolled down again.
Scroll. Scroll.
However, there was no information about the victim's financial situation.
"To think that someone would commit murder for money from an elementary school teacher."
[According to police statistics, about 5% of murder cases in Korea occur due to financial reasons.]
Juwon nodded.
"That makes sense. But there's too little information to identify a suspect. There's no murder weapon, no witnesses, no DNA evidence from the perpetrator."
Lack of information.
This was also a point emphasized by the program 'I Want to Know' that revisited the case.
Simply put, there's too little information about the case.
That's why they're asking for tips.
Juwon tapped the table with his finger.
"Maybe we should look up the case file since it's under our jurisdiction."
That's when it happened.
[Do you remember the robbery case that occurred on June 7, 2009, perpetrator Kim Gab-du, victim Jo Young-cheon?]
"...What?"
[It's the case mentioned on page 79 of the case analysis compilation you read, Juwon.]
There are countless robbery cases.
It's unlikely to remember each one clearly.
But as Juwon tried to recall, Terra spoke.
[A report came in about a robber with a knife running around the neighborhood, and the case was later transferred to the police station. Initially classified as a robbery, but after Kim Gab-du was arrested, drugs were found on him, and it was revealed that he was involved in a previous drug case, so the case was transferred again to the narcotics team.]
"Kim Gab-du... Ah!"
It seems like a vague memory is coming back.
Two different police stations under different jurisdictions pursued the same criminal for robbery and assault, and drug charges, respectively.
At the time, information wasn't shared due to different jurisdictions,
which ultimately delayed the capture of the criminal.
Fortunately, there were no additional victims during that time, but it was a case that highlighted the drawbacks of jurisdictional issues.
[The apartment complex where Kim Gab-du was hiding and the apartment complex where the elementary school teacher was murdered are the same place.]
"What?"
Juwon scrolled back up.
Location of the incident: Ma* Apartment in Gangjung City
"Gangjung City?"
[Yes, all incidents occurred within your jurisdiction, Juwon.]
Juwon fell deep into thought.
"There's only one apartment in Gangjung City that starts with 'Ma,' and that's Mahyeon Apartment. But that alone isn't enough to conclude that the two incidents are related."
[That's correct. It could be a coincidence, but it might not be.]
"If there's even the slightest suspicion, we should check it out, right?"
[The two incidents happened just one day apart. An elementary school teacher was murdered, and the next day, Kim Gab-du was arrested nearby. The circumstances are suspicious enough.]
Juwon recalled the case analysis he had read.
Kim Gab-du was a perpetrator of robbery and assault.
He was known for using force and often harmed people for money.
That same Kim Gab-du was near the apartment where the victim of an unsolved case was murdered.
And the two incidents were only a day apart.
"We definitely need to look into this."
[By the way, were there any needle marks found on the body of the elementary school teacher victim?]
"Are you suggesting the victim might have been involved in a drug-related case?"
[Please wait a moment. I will analyze the memories in your subconscious, Juwon.]
After a while, Tera's voice was heard again.
[I think we can identify the suspect.]
