“Shit…..!”
Goo Hyunseok jumped to his feet right away.
Lee Jaehyun looked at Goo Hyunseok, who was cursing, and let out a small laugh.
The other big guys standing behind him still hadn’t figured out what was going on, their faces showing pure confusion.
Only Goo Hyunseok’s face turned pale in an instant.
“So, you still don’t get it, huh.”
It looked like he hadn’t told his coworkers, either.
Well, the fewer people who know about this kind of thing, the better.
As soon as Goo Hyunseok jumped up, the big guys checked the badge Lee Jaehyun had placed on the table.
And as soon as they saw the police badge Lee Jaehyun put there, their reactions were just like Goo Hyunseok’s.
Of course, they didn’t react as sensitively as Goo Hyunseok.
They started swearing and instantly filled the room with a menacing air.
“Hey, what’s your deal? Why’s a short-hair here?”
“Wow, I guess the police aren’t supposed to come borrow money, huh?”
Lee Jaehyun shrugged his shoulders as he replied.
It was a completely different side of him from the naive attitude he had shown just moments before.
Without the slightest hesitation, he cocked his chin at the big guys, looking completely unbothered.
“Hey, if you wanna borrow money, go to a bank. Why’d you come here, you bastards?”
“You’ve got a filthy mouth, don’t you.”
One of the big guys stepped forward, cursing and raising his hand threateningly toward Lee Jaehyun.
Since he’d already revealed he was a cop, they couldn’t start a fight first, so Lee Jaehyun just watched him silently and spoke.
With most curses, he wouldn’t care, but being called a “son of a bitch” was enough to get under his skin.
It’s like, you call an idiot a real idiot, and of course they get pissed off.
Call a mad dog a son of a bitch, and…
“It really doesn’t feel good.”
Thinking that to himself, Lee Jaehyun glared at the big guy.
Meanwhile, Goo Hyunseok was trying to quietly sneak away, but Park Daehyung was blocking the entrance, making any attempt to escape impossible.
“Even in a world where a son of a bitch can talk like a person, it’s possible a loan shark might take offense at that, right?”
“If you keep calling me a son of a bitch, even the dogs are gonna get pissed.”
At Lee Jaehyun’s calm voice, the big guy frowned, growling menacingly.
“Cut the crap and tell us why you’re here. Even brought a gangster along with you.”
“That gangster’s a cop too, you idiots.”
The big guy glanced at Park Daehyung beside Lee Jaehyun, mumbling about bringing a gangster.
Park Daehyung just wrinkled his face at the comment.
Lee Jaehyun jerked his chin toward Goo Hyunseok and spoke up.
“I’m not here for you guys, just have some business with Mr. Goo Hyunseok over there.”
“Huh, what kind of business? Our boss is as clean as they come, you know.”
“If he’s so clean, why did he freak out and jump at the sight of a police badge?”
You all saw him leap up like he’d seen something he really shouldn’t have, didn’t you?
As if asking that, Lee Jaehyun looked around at the big guys. They hesitated, having nothing more to say.
He furrowed his brows, then continued.
“Whatever. Let’s just get to the point.”
“Yeah, fine. Goo Hyunseok, you are under emergency arrest for attempted murder of a child—”
Before Lee Jaehyun could finish, Goo Hyunseok erupted.
“What the hell are you talking about?! I didn’t kill anyone!”
“Yeah, you didn’t. Lucky for you. But the kid’s ribs are broken and he’s covered in bruises. Why don’t you just give it up?”
The one who reacted to Goo Hyunseok’s outburst was Park Daehyung.
He said in a firm voice that it was pure luck the kid survived, looking at Goo Hyunseok.
Lee Jaehyun tensed all the muscles in his body, locking eyes with Goo Hyunseok as well.
Goo Hyunseok glanced between Lee Jaehyun and Park Daehyung, then suddenly sprang into action.
“You bastard…!”
Maybe he figured Lee Jaehyun would be easier to take on than Park Daehyung, who looked like a mob boss.
He raised his fist and charged at Lee Jaehyun.
But—
Lee Jaehyun had already tensed every muscle, ready for him.
No matter how fast Goo Hyunseok moved, there was no way Lee Jaehyun would fail to react.
What happens when a detective with ten years’ experience fighting criminals is given a body ten years younger?
Obviously, he fights well.
Thud.
Lee Jaehyun’s fist struck Goo Hyunseok square in the lower left chest.
Crack.
“Gah…?!”
Goo Hyunseok’s eyes went wide as he let out a groan.
Ignoring the odd sensation in his fist, Lee Jaehyun swung again.
This time at the other side of his stomach.
Thump.
Crunch.
Another unpleasant sensation shot up his fist.
“Ugh…”
With Lee Jaehyun’s hands, two of Goo Hyunseok’s ribs were broken in an instant.
One on the left.
One on the right.
It all happened so fast, Park Daehyung didn’t even have time to intervene. He just stared at Lee Jaehyun in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Goo Hyunseok couldn’t even scream from the intense pain. He just crumpled to the floor, curling up.
Lee Jaehyun didn’t care that his ribs were broken. Calmly, he grabbed his arm.
“Agh! It hurts! It fucking hurts, you bastard!”
Goo Hyunseok screamed and struggled.
But the more he struggled, the more it hurt him—not Lee Jaehyun.
Lee Jaehyun pulled out handcuffs from his jacket and snapped them on Goo Hyunseok’s wrists.
“Goo Hyunseok, you are under emergency arrest for attempted murder of a child. You have the right to remain—”
As he was saying that, one of the big guys, seemingly having finally grasped the situation, rushed at Lee Jaehyun.
“You bastard, how dare you lay a hand on our boss!”
The big guy charged, but there was no way Park Daehyung would just stand by.
He subdued the man with one hand.
But there was still one more problem.
While Park Daehyung was dealing with that guy, another managed to shove him hard and bolted for the door.
“Shit…”
Park Daehyung went tumbling to the floor with the guy he’d subdued.
Meanwhile, the big guy threw open the door and shouted out.
“Hey, kill these bastards!”
Everyone outside could hear the commotion inside.
But not knowing exactly what was happening, they’d stayed put—until the big guy pointed at Lee Jaehyun and Park Daehyung, yelling, and only then did the others charge in with threatening faces.
“Sergeant!”
“Hey, I’ll take the left—”
“Please, just leave this one to me.”
When Park Daehyung called out, he immediately offered to take the left side.
But that wasn’t what Lee Jaehyun wanted.
Once, Park Daehyung had taken a stab meant for Lee Jaehyun.
It hadn’t happened yet, but…
Lee Jaehyun never forgot that moment.
Now was no different.
Lee Jaehyun pointed at the guy who’d opened the door and shouted, then stepped up to face the four big guys running at him.
“Uh, uh…?”
While Park Daehyung was still flustered, a big guy from inside the room charged at Lee Jaehyun.
Park Daehyung quickly blocked him.
And then—
Lee Jaehyun balled his fist and swung at the guy with the shaved head rushing at him.
Thud!
Lee Jaehyun wasn’t a superhuman, so it wasn’t like he could dodge every punch.
But at the very least, he could hit his opponent before their punches reached him.
Once again, his fist landed first in the guy’s stomach.
Thump.
The guy’s weak punch hit Lee Jaehyun’s guard, but it didn’t mean much.
There was some impact, but with no real strength behind it.
Lee Jaehyun’s guard held strong.
And then he swung his guarded hand straight at the guy’s face.
“Ugh!”
With a short cry, the guy stumbled and collapsed to the side.
As the remaining guys flinched, Lee Jaehyun sprang forward first.
Thud! Thump!
The next guys came at Lee Jaehyun a bit more cautiously, so he took a few more hits, but the result didn’t change.
He knocked down four of them in the time it took Park Daehyung to subdue the two inside the room.
“Haa.”
Park Daehyung glanced outside to check on Lee Jaehyun, then let out a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Goo Hyunseok was still squirming, trying to get up and run.
“Don’t come near me, you crazy bastard! Get lost!”
“Yeah. You have the right to an attorney, you’ll be given plenty of chances to explain yourself, you can refuse to make any statement that’s against your interest, you can even request a review of your arrest. Just don’t try anything stupid.”
Park Daehyung said this as he cuffed the man’s hands.
Lee Jaehyun watched, then stepped inside and flopped down on the sofa.
His shoulder and side, which had been hit while dealing with the guys outside, were finally starting to ache.
“You all right?”
“I’m fine, but are you okay?”
“Of course.”
“Hah, how am I supposed to take this?”
Park Daehyung chuckled, shaking his head.
Lee Jaehyun shrugged.
How else was he supposed to take it?
He just took things as they came.
“Rookie.”
“Yes, Sergeant Park Daehyung.”
“You, you’re insane.”
Park Daehyung said, putting his hand on Lee Jaehyun’s shoulder.
Lee Jaehyun grinned.
“I know.”
He didn’t get the nickname ‘Mad Dog’ for nothing.
Lee Jaehyun was always the man called a lunatic by criminals.
When Lee Jaehyun answered confidently, Park Daehyung laughed helplessly and got up.
“I’ll call for backup first. You look around for anything suspicious.”
“Yup.”
After Lee Jaehyun’s simple reply, he looked around the office.
Big guys sprawled all over, a desk, and a big safe under the desk.
Lee Jaehyun immediately turned his head toward Goo Hyunseok.
“Hey, what’s the code for this?”
“You crazy bastard, like I’d tell you!”
“If you cooperate, I’ll put in a good word for you with the judge.”
“Screw you…”
Goo Hyunseok was about to shout again.
But before he could, a voice came from behind him.
“It’s 870412!”
One of the big guys in the room shouted in a hurry.
“You, you bastard…”
“Detective, you really will put in a good word for us with the judge, right? We just did what this guy told us!”
Goo Hyunseok gritted his teeth and glared at him, but the one called ‘First’ pleaded desperately to Lee Jaehyun.
Lee Jaehyun ignored him completely and opened the safe.
Apparently, the code the guy gave was correct, and it opened on the first try.
Clunk.
Inside the safe—
“…That’s a lot.”
Stacks of fifty-thousand-won bills, easily dozens of bundles, were piled up.
At least half a billion won.
Lee Jaehyun’s mouth fell open as he looked at the piles of cash.
“Wow. This is all money, right?”
Se-re-hen appeared beside him, exclaiming in wonder.
Lee Jaehyun gave her a light nod.
Se-re-hen rested her face on Lee Jaehyun’s shoulder and continued.
“With this much, you could live worry-free for a few years, huh?”
At that moment.
Lee Jaehyun realized.
This must be what they mean by ‘The Devil’s Temptation.’