Chapter 112

Lim Sang-ok entered Nooncheon Police Station with Kang Jin and Choi Kwang-hyun in tow.

Outside, numerous reporters had gathered. Upon recognizing Lim Sang-ok, they thrust their microphones and cell phones towards her.

“Professor Lim Sang-ok, is the suspect arrested yesterday connected to the Suwon university student murder case and the Dokgo Mountain bodies?”

“Professor, could you please say something?”

As questions rained down from the reporters, Lim Sang-ok hastily approached the police officers nearby. With her approach, the police quickly intervened to restrain the journalists.

“You shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Please step back!”

“Hiding it by blocking us won’t solve anything!”

“The investigation hasn’t even started yet on these cases.”

“There have been multiple bodies found, and you’re saying the investigation hasn’t begun?! Is this the current stance of the police?”

“Step aside!”

“You cannot enter!”

As police officers tried to block Kang Jin and Choi Kwang-hyun’s path, Lim Sang-ok intervened.

“They’re with me.”

Following Lim Sang-ok’s words, the officers allowed them inside, and Kang Jin and Choi Kwang-hyun quickly followed him.

“There are many reporters here.”

“It must be due to someone leaking information.”

“I… I’m sorry about that.”

“No worries. But why did you report it without consulting me first? You could’ve at least discussed it with me before going public.”

“I only found out about the situation yesterday, and…he was already searching for his next victim.”

“Yes, I heard that… He traveled between Nooncheon Station and Kyungwha University on the subway for over three days?”

“That’s correct.”

“As you suggested, he likely was looking for his next target.” Lim Sang-ok then turned to Kang Jin.

“Maybe that’s even more…”

Lim Sang-ok paused mid-sentence and raised an eyebrow.

“I heard he came to the police station after causing trouble at a convenience store. Could it be?”

“I may have been involved.”

“That was dangerous. The suspect could’ve been a serial killer.”

“I took precautions.”

“Don’t do such things again. Call me or Gwanghyun immediately.”

As they entered the police station, Lim Sang-ok glanced at Kang Jin.

“You’ll keep your ghost sightings a secret, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“But we need information from them.”

“If you’re curious about anything, I can ask for you.”

Lim Sang-ok stopped walking at Kang Jin’s words.

“Can you ask now?”

“The ghosts killed by him cannot leave his side as they are land-bound spirits.”

“So being a land-bound spirit means they’re bound to him?”

“How did you know?”

“Even if I don’t believe in ghosts, I’m familiar with the term ‘land-bound spirit’.”

“I see.”

“Then…to ask questions, do I need to be next to him?”

“Not necessarily. Right now, there is a ghost brother near that guy whom I know.”

“A ghost brother?”

“He was a police officer who became a ghost… This hyung recognized the victim of the Suwon female student murder case and followed her. That’s how I learned about this matter.”

“So he can inform you?”

“Yes, the hyung will go to the land-bound spirits, ask them, and then tell me…”

“And then you pass it on to me,” said Lim Sang-ok.

“Yes,” Kang Jin replied.

Lim Sang-ok nodded at Kang Jin’s words, and as they continued walking, both Kang Jin and Choi Gwanghyun followed closely behind. In the hallway, many policemen were gathered and discussing something. Among them, a middle-aged policeman spotted Lim Sang-ok and hurriedly approached.

“Professor.” The middle-aged policeman bowed slightly towards Lim Sang-ok.

“I was out for a moment due to some personal business.”

“That’s fine. How about him? Does he seem like the culprit?”

“It seems I need more time to assess… These are my disciples. I asked them to bring some necessary materials.”

The middle-aged police officer looked at Gwanghyun Choi and Lee Kang-jin upon hearing Lim Sang-ok’s explanation.

“Choi, we’ve met before several times, but…I haven’t seen this student before.”

“I am Lee Kang-jin.”

“Pleased to meet you. Let’s work together well.” The middle-aged police officer extended his hand, and Kang-jin shook it firmly.

“I have something to discuss with my disciples briefly.”

“When will you see him again?”

“In about twenty minutes, I’ll consult with him.”

“Thank you.”

After the police officer left, Lim Sang-ok turned her gaze towards Kang-jin. Sensing her look, Kang-jin asked:

“Where is he?”

“Over there.”

Lim Sang-ok pointed to a door nearby, and Kang-jin spotted Bae Yongsoo standing by it.

“Please bring him over here.”

At Kang Jin’s request, Bae Yongsoo slipped through the door. Shortly after, Choi Hocheol emerged with Bae Yongsoo.

“Huh? Professor Lim Sang-ok?”

“You know him?”

“We worked together several times.”

Upon hearing Choi Hocheol’s words, Kang Jin glanced at Lim Sang-ok. In turn, Lim Sang-ok noticed the tone and behavior of Kang Jin, which made him squint his eyes. Perhaps it was because he was a ghost who used to be a police officer… but it seemed as if Kang Jin recognized him. This realization left a bitter taste in Lim Sang-ok’s mouth, considering that knowing a deceased policeman felt disheartening.

“It appears…he must have been someone I knew.” Lim Sang-ok let out a small sigh and bowed slightly in the direction where Kang Jin had been looking. “May his soul rest in peace.”

Choi Hocheol smiled at Lim Sang-ok’s words.

“Being a ghost isn’t all bad.”

When Kang Jin relayed Choi Hocheol’s response, Lim Sang-ok nodded.

“That’s good to hear. By the way, who is it?”

“Choi Hocheol.”

“Choi Hocheol… Ah… Criminal Investigation Team 2 of the Yeongdeungpo Police Station.” Lim Sang-ok spoke as if he remembered Choi Hocheol, causing him to smile. It felt nice that someone still remembered him. However, this feeling was fleeting, and Choi Hocheol asked:

“Why did you call me here?”

Lim Sang-ok took out a notepad and responded:

“How many victims are there in total?”

“Thirteen.”

”…Thirteen?”

“Yes.”

There was a brief silence before Lim Sang-ok started writing on his notepad again:

“Can you provide their names, ages, occupations, dates, and places of death?”

“Lee Hyemi, 22 years old, office worker…”

As Choi Hocheol spoke through Kang Jin, Lim Sang-ok continued jotting down notes until he looked up at Kang Jin.

“But there are only six?”

“The only women remaining as land-bound spirits are these.”

“Then what about thirteen?”

“It is the number remembered by Lee Hyemi, who died the longest time ago.”

Lim Sang-ok frowned at Choi Hocheol’s words.

“So, Ms. Lee Hyemi might not be the first victim, and there could have been more before her?”

“Yes.”

Lim Sang-ok sighed, then glanced down at her notes. The writing was somewhat difficult to decipher. To be precise, it wasn’t even proper text but rather scribbles resembling a code. It was jumbled intentionally, making it readable only by Lim Sang-ok herself. Since she hadn’t conducted a formal interview yet, using clear notes could raise suspicions, so she used this coded shorthand.

After briefly reviewing her scribbles, Lim Sang-ok nodded firmly.

“Okay!”

She approached the middle-aged police officer.

“I’ll go inside now.”

“Please do your best.”

At the middle-aged policeman’s words, Lim Sang-ok turned to Kang Jin.

“Keep hold of your phone.”

“Yes, sir.”

As he started walking away, Lim Sang-ok suddenly stopped and whispered quietly into Kang Jin’s ear.

“Does that guy really see ghosts?”

“Yes.”

“How does he manage it?”

“Not sure.”

Lim Sang-ok glanced at Kang Jin once before heading towards the door, where the police officer opened it for him.

After entering, Lim Sang-ok waited briefly until Choi Hocheol emerged with one ghost.

“What happened?”

“The professor said to send out the ghost whenever this man answers a question. It seems like Professor Lim also asked how many ghosts were inside.”

“How many did he say?”

“Twenty-three.”

“That’s quite a lot.”

Kang Jin muttered while jotting down the number on his phone.

“Including you?”

“One just left, so including me, there are twenty-two.” Kang Jin finished writing down the numbers and looked at Choi Hocheol.

“Once you receive a signal from Professor Choi, release one ghost at a time.”

“Understood.”

Swish!

As Choi Hocheol entered through the door, Kang Jin sighed and glanced to his side. Choi Kwang-hyun had already moved away some distance, watching them closely.

“I told you, they’re not scary.”

“I’m scared,” Choi Kwang-hyun firmly replied.

Kang Jin shook his head and asked, “By any chance, do you know Detective Choi Hocheol?”

“The one who supposedly died?”

“Yes.”

“Not really familiar with him.”

Just then, one of the doors burst open, revealing an agitated middle-aged police officer.

“Sir, he confessed. Yes! He just confessed to burying the body on Dokgo Mountain. And I think he will make more confessions now.”

As this conversation occurred, another ghost emerged from inside.

“It was fun…”

A person exited the same room as the middle-aged police officer and the mumbling ghost.

“He said the evidence is behind his kitchen sink.”

“Evidence? There is evidence. Yes! Can I report it to the chief? Understood.”

The middle-aged policeman went back inside, followed by ghosts emerging one by one.

‘Seems like he’s confessing well.’

This thought crossed my mind as additional ghosts continued to appear. It indicated that the culprit was providing accurate answers to Lim Sang-ok’s questions.

“[Breaking News. The suspect in the Suwon University Student Murder Case and Dokgo Mountain Buried Body Case has confessed to all charges. No, now they shouldn’t be called suspects but criminals. Currently, the police have obtained an emergency search warrant for the criminal’s home and started searching.]”

“[Breaking News! Female hair strands believed to belong to victims were discovered in the kitchen sink at the residence of suspect Kang M---.]”

“[Currently, the prosecution and police are applying for an arrest warrant…]

“On the other hand, curiosity about the informant who reported this case is growing. Why did the informant remain silent while the victims were emerging? Why report it only now?”

Events progressed quickly. Every time Lim Sang-ok removed one ghost, the culprit made more confessions. Considering his evil deeds and initiative…it was too quick a surrender. However…that was just how he was. He was cruelly strong against the weak, yet couldn’t stand up to those stronger than himself or any overwhelming presence.

Considering his past actions, he surrendered too quickly this time. However…that was just his nature. He was brutally strong against the weak but couldn’t stand up to those stronger than him or supernatural beings. Now, like a frightened dog wagging its tail, he confessed everything as if terrified of me.

In return, I hoped these ghosts would leave me alone.

Regardless, based on his confession, the police searched his house and found evidence. They promptly held a press conference with their findings. Although they didn’t receive any information from reporters, the culprit was now in police custody, and the confession occurred under their watch.

However, something unexpected happened to Kang Jin:

“Hey! You bastards! Show us that bastard’s face!”

“I’ll kill him!”

“Excuse me! Please check if our daughter’s name is on the list!”

“It’s Ha-neul Kang! Our daughter went missing four years ago. Please…please confirm whether she’s alive or dead!”

Kang Jin looked out the window. Outside the No.1 Police Station, not only reporters but also many people had gathered.

They were shouting for the perpetrator to come out or attempting to enter the police station themselves. Others demanded confirmation of the identities of the victims found at Dokgo Mountain. Their daughters had gone missing several years ago… They wanted to know if their names appeared on the victim list. Hoping desperately that their daughters’ names wouldn’t be there while still longing to learn their fates after years of uncertainty.

Whether finding their child’s name brought sorrow or relief… these were parents torn between conflicting emotions.

[A joint funeral for the 14 victims sacrificed by Kang Younggang is being held today at Gwanghwamun Square.]

[However, congressmen were embarrassed at the funeral today.]

[Yes. Today, lawmakers from both parties came to pay their respects. However, they were stopped at the entrance and couldn’t enter.]

[The bereaved families set up a funeral committee and initially refused condolences from politicians… I don’t know why they went there.]

[“It seems like they had to go despite being told not to… In any case, it is embarrassing for the congressmen.”]

[“However, their subsequent actions also raise eyebrows. The opposition politicians blamed the current government’s incompetent security after being refused entry. When looking closely, Kang Younggang committed his crimes over ten years. Therefore, both the current and previous governments cannot escape responsibility for this incompetent security.”]

“That’s right. Public opinion now…

Is questioning if those congressmen have gone mad…”