The Mad Prosecutor Picked Up AI - Chapter 65
Only Noblemtl
Episode 65: Baedal Minjok
We parked our car in the hospital parking lot and went up to the first floor lobby. On one side of the lobby, there was a map of each floor and a map of the lobby.
“Kwon Jin-goo said the room he was staying in was 1212.”
“The 12th floor is a VIP ward.”
“It’s 11:30 now, so there are still three and a half hours left. What do you want to do, Inspector?”
I looked around the hospital and thought for a moment. Originally, I was going to go and meet the doctor in charge right away. But then I thought about it, the doctors had outpatient clinic hours, so I might not be able to meet them outside of the scheduled time because they were seeing patients.
Before meeting the doctor, I could have checked the information I had received from the previous treatment. But it was difficult to check it alone without the doctor’s help. Aliota was an AI specializing in law, not medicine.
[You’re not blaming me, are you?]
‘No. I’m sensitive.’
Then, all that was left was to go see Kwon Jin-gu in person. I looked at the 12th floor written on the floor guide.
“I think it would be better to go see Kwon Jin-gu first.”
“Is it possible to meet right away?”
“What else is not possible?”
“They might not allow visitors until 3 p.m., saying things like the patient needs to rest or they are preparing for some kind of treatment.”
“Why are you telling me that now?”
“Just now? No, I’ve been asking you over and over again since I left why you’re leaving so early.”
There’s nothing I can do. I’m already here, what can I do?
You just have to push through.
I spoke to Wi Jun-woo, who was grumbling as if he was being unfairly scolded.
“If it can’t be done, then make it happen. There is no such thing as impossible in the dictionary of prosecutors in the Republic of Korea.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Hold on, there’s an elevator to the 12th floor.”
“It’s over there.”
I headed to where Wi Jun-woo and the elevators were. There were six elevators there, but excluding the ones for baggage and staff, there were only four that the general public could use. Wi Jun-woo pointed to the elevator on the far left.
“This is for VIPs only.”
It was an elevator that only served the basement 1 and 2nd floors, the 1st floor, and the 12th floor, without any other floors.
“I guess we can just ride that up.”
As I was about to press the button, the VIP elevator stopped and a helmeted deliveryman came down with a mouth-watering smell. I licked my lips and looked back without realizing it, and the deliveryman’s vest had ‘Masidda Pizza’ written on it.
[Oh, as expected from Baedal Minjok.]
An idea flashed through my head as I looked at the delivery man. I looked at Wi Jun-woo and smiled.
“Even if you refuse to allow me to visit, can I still meet Kwon Jin-gu?”
“Meet Kwon Jin-goo? How?”
I pointed to the delivery man walking down the hospital lobby.
“Look over there.”
“Um. Would you like some pizza? It’s still a little early, but should we go and eat some?”
“… … .”
Things were going well, but now they’re like this.
“That’s not it. If you disguise yourself as a deliveryman, you can enter the VIP room. And if you wear a motorcycle helmet, your face won’t be revealed.”
“Oh, really?”
“Is it really that bad?”
Wi Jun-woo scratched his head with a slightly displeased expression.
“I can go to the hospital room and see you at 3 PM as promised anyway, so is it really necessary to go through the trouble of disguising myself and meeting you early? I think you’ve been watching too many movies.”
“You don’t know. If you want to see the real person, you have to go early. It’s natural to blow-dry your hair, put on makeup, and dress up nicely for the appointment. But try going home an hour early. You’ll see their greasy, unwashed hair, acne that makeup can’t hide, and the stretched-out T-shirt they wear at home. That’s how you see their true colors.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Wei Junwoo and Aliotta linked arms as if they had made a promise and looked at me with deep eyes.
What? Why are you looking at me like that?
[I think I know why Hyungwang is a virgin.]
“Prosecutor, have you never been in love?”
“Why don’t I try dating?”
“Even so, I don’t think we could have gone on more than two dates?”
“Wh, how can you hit the nail on the head?”
Wi Jun-woo burst into laughter.
“It’s a woman’s heart to want to look pretty to her boyfriend. If I tell him I’ll dress up until he likes me, he’ll have to wait at least an hour in front of my house. What? You’re going to come home an hour early? Huh?”
“What, you talk like you know a lot about women?”
“At least I know better than you, inspector.”
“Why did that gentleman act so awkwardly towards Mr. Kisoyoung?”
“… … .”
[This one was a bit strong. Mentioning Kiso Young.]
‘It’s no secret that Wi Jun-woo liked Kiso Young, you know.’
It was obvious to everyone that I liked Ki So-young, but I couldn’t say a word in front of her.
[It must have been awkward to confess. I was just coming up to Seoul.]
‘That’s true.’
You might have hesitated before, but once your trip to Seoul was confirmed, you probably couldn’t bring yourself to say anything.
Do you regret coming to Seoul?
Looking at those eyes, I think you may regret it.
[It’s not that I regret coming to Seoul, I just don’t like Hyungwang.]
As we stared at each other in the hospital lobby as if we were going to eat each other, another delicious smell, different from before, hit my nose. I looked around and saw another delivery man carrying a box heading to the VIP elevator.
“… … It’s pig’s feet.”
We swallowed at the same time and exchanged glances again. I was the first to make a gesture of reconciliation, coughing in vain.
“Anyway, if you go earlier than the appointed time, you might find out more.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll disguise myself as a deliveryman and come back quickly, so you stay below and watch.”
“Yes. Have a nice trip.”
“No, the manager should go.”
Wi Jun-woo looked at me with a face that said, ‘Why is this nonsense starting again?’
“You said the inspector was going? Disguised as a deliveryman.”
“yes.”
“But why are you telling me to go? What’s really wrong with your head?”
Wow, people are so slow at understanding.
“If I go up there wearing a suit like this, who will think I’m a deliveryman?”
“That’s not it.”
“Dress casually. At least wear a motorcycle helmet.”
“Yes.”
“So, please help me get a motorcycle helmet.”
Wi Jun-woo’s eyes widened.
“Where can I suddenly get a motorcycle helmet?”
“I don’t know. I’m just a prosecutor. But wouldn’t a competent prosecutor know?”
“No, we’re not a detective agency. What on earth are we trying to do?”
Perhaps because he still had some grudge from the argument earlier, Wi Jun-woo disobeyed my orders and did not listen to me.
Well, then there’s nothing I can do.
“It was the day before yesterday. When I first met Manager Han Jae-sik. I had so many thoughts.”
“?”
“There were some words that particularly made me think a lot, like ‘middle school was a hopeless place.’”
“!”
“Like ‘dogshit teenagers.’ Like ‘Hyun-tto-rai.’”
Wi Jun-woo’s eyes grew wider as he triple-crossed. It seemed like he was only now remembering the words he had rapped out during the company dinner.
– The person who made today’s Hyun-Torae possible? The benefactor who saved the hopeless life of a middle school student? The true adult of this era who guided a troublemaker teenager to the true path?
“uh…….”
“Did you call me that when I wasn’t around? Is it Hyeon-tto-rai?”
Wi Jun-woo’s eyes shook violently left and right. He moistened his dry lips as if his mouth was burning, then wiped his forehead with his right hand and stepped forward.
“What size helmet do you have? Do you have a favorite color?”
I smiled and took out a few ten-thousand won notes from my wallet and handed them over.
“No matter what, please send it by express delivery.”
* * *
I don’t know where he bought it or how he got it, but Wi Jun-woo really got the black motorcycle helmet in the blink of an eye.
Since I couldn’t do anything about my clothes, I took off my suit jacket, loosened my tie, and put on Wei Junwoo’s jumper over my dress shirt. When I zipped it up, I looked like I could pass for a deliveryman.
“Wouldn’t it be okay if I just wear a helmet here?”
“The shoes are a bit off, but looking at the upper body, it looks fine.”
“You would think I’m just a part-time worker working during lunch hours, right?”
At that moment, another deliveryman holding a paper bag stood in front of the VIP elevator. I quickly followed him.
“Excuse me. Where are you delivering to?”
The delivery man, who had been looking at me with a wary look for a moment, opened his mouth.
“It’s 1212.”
[bingo!]
“That’s great.”
I looked at the man with a big smile on my face.
…
I got on the VIP elevator and pressed the 12th floor. My reflection on the shiny elevator wall was a delivery man. I was wearing a motorcycle helmet and holding a paper bag of assorted sashimi in my hand. It was the sashimi I had given the delivery man earlier after giving him a little bit of money.
[They are investigating this and that, spending money here and there.]
‘It’s just pocket change, after all.’
[The security isn’t even being processed.]
‘It’s okay. I have a lot of money.’
As it didn’t stop at any other floor, the elevator arrived at the 12th floor in no time. As the door opened and I got off, there was a ward station with nurses standing right in front of me, and long hallways stretched out on both sides.
[Oh. As expected, it’s different because it’s a VIP ward.]
Aliotta, who had only been to the where Park Min-sik was admitted last time, was amazed just by looking at the hallway of the VIP ward. Well, even in the hallway, the lighting and the finishing materials of the walls and floors looked different.
Looking at the 12th floor map posted on the wall, room 1212 was at the end of the right hallway. I checked that and was about to head to the right when a staff member at the station called out to me. She wasn’t wearing a hospital nurse’s uniform, but a neat black skirt suit.
“Where are you going?”
“Delivery has arrived for room 1212.”
“Would you mind waiting here for a moment? The sickroom is currently off-limits.”
“yes.”
As I stopped, the employee picked up the phone and dialed a number.
‘It looks like they’ve completely blocked off the sickroom.’
[Then what should I do?]
‘Just wait.’
The employee hung up the phone and looked at me.
“Please wait a moment and he will come out.”
“yes.”
The employee glanced at the assorted sashimi bag I was holding and then returned to his seat.
‘Your eyes are not ordinary.’
[Your eyes?]
‘Look at those tense, sharp eyes. Those are definitely the eyes that are about to start gossiping.’
[Oh, is that so?]
‘Stop talking. Let’s hear what that woman has to say.’
As I pretended not to see him and cast a glance, the employee from before sat down next to another employee who was sitting behind him and whispered something softly.
There was a brief chirping sound of the frequency being tuned, and then their conversation began to be heard clearly.
– 1212 Jackpot. Another delivery has arrived.
– Are you crazy? You already went in twice before?
– That’s what I’m saying.
– What is it this time?
– episode.
– Pizza, pig’s feet, and even raw fish. Even people who weren’t sick will end up in the hospital with their stomachs exploding. Why are you so greedy for food?
– Didn’t you see it earlier? That’s… … .
The woman looked around for a moment, then lowered her voice and spoke.
– You just got out of prison. You’re a prisoner.
– really?
– I guess I’ll order and eat whatever I want while I’m out.
“hey.”
“yes?”
When I spoke to the employee, he looked at me in surprise.
“Do you know how many people are in room 1212?”
“why?”
“I was worried if I put in enough chopsticks.”
“There are two people. The patient and the guardian.”
“Thank you.”
I see there’s only one guardian. Surely you don’t mean a prison guard?
At that moment, the door at the end of the hallway opened and a man in his late 30s, neatly dressed in a suit, approached.
‘Is that person your guardian?’
[I can definitely tell you’re not a prison guard.]
‘By the way, I don’t see any prison guards. Where did they all go?’
[Suspicious.]
‘Once that guy comes, try hacking his phone.’
[Okay. Just give me some time.]
“You came sooner than I expected. How much was it?”
The man took his wallet out of his pocket and finished the calculation with his usual skill. Aliotta asked him to buy some time, but the calculation was completed in an instant.
‘Oh. Is the hacking finished?’
[Is it over? It’s a bit faster than before, but not to this extent. It’s not like I’m roasting beans in a lightning strike. Let’s drag it out a bit more.]
‘okay.’
How do you pass the time?
Hmm. Would this work?