1novels 16. Seoul Police Station with Unsecured Doors
16. Seoul Police Station with Unsecured Doors
Lee Kyung-sung looked at the message from Bae Joo-hyun, his finger about to touch the screen, intending to flirt with her a few more times, when a policeman came out of the police station corridor, waved, and called out.
"Li Jingcheng, this way please. We need to take a statement."
The person who called him was the police officer in charge of the incident.
Lee Kyung-sung paused slightly, his gaze instinctively returning to his phone screen. Bae Joo-hyun's profile picture sat quietly at the top of the chat window, as if patiently awaiting his response. He couldn't delay any longer, so he quickly typed a line and sent it hastily, "The police need to take my statement, I'll get back to you later."
As soon as he sent the message, he stuffed his phone into his pocket, quickened his pace, and started walking. He didn't have time to stay there any longer.
Following the officer through the police station's internal corridor, we pushed open the door and entered a small interrogation room. The walls were white and the atmosphere was cold; a long table stood in the center, and a notice in Korean regarding the right to remain silent and the right to legal counsel was posted on the wall.
The police officer beside him had already turned on his computer and was ready.
The officer questioning him gestured for him to sit down at the table and, following standard procedure, began to confirm his identity: "Name, age, nationality, current address."
He gave a brief reply, and the young officer next to him, responsible for taking notes, rapidly typed the information into the police record system. By 2012, the Seoul Police Department had already widely adopted electronic record-taking, replacing the old-fashioned handwritten records; lines of text were clearly displayed on the screen.
.
"This investigation is being conducted on you as a reference. According to the Criminal Procedure Law, you have the right to remain silent and the right to choose your own lawyer. A notice regarding these rights has been posted on the wall. Do you understand?"
"clear."
What followed was the usual question-and-answer session: the time of the incident, the reason for arriving at the scene, the eyewitness account, whether there was any physical altercation, and whether he knew the suspects. The officer asked questions, Li Jingcheng gave brief responses, and the recorder transcribed them word for word. The only sounds in the room were the soft clicking of the keyboard and the two men's conversation.
The entire interview took no more than 30 minutes, and the statement was nearing its end. The officer printed out the document and handed it to him, saying, "Please make sure the contents are correct. If there are any discrepancies, you can make corrections. After confirming, please sign and affix your fingerprint to each page."
Li Jingcheng glanced through it and, finding no problems, signed his name and pressed his fingerprint at the bottom.
"Thank you for your hard work. We'll contact you again if needed. You can go back now."
Just as the officer finished speaking, the door to the interrogation room was gently pushed open. The sheriff who had come from the scene earlier walked in, said nothing, and merely glanced at the two people in the room.
The officer in charge of the questioning and the officer taking the record almost instantly understood, immediately closed their notebooks and documents, and stood up curtly to salute.
"Thank you for your hard work, let's go out first."
The two left quickly, one after the other, closing the door behind them. The previously somewhat serious interrogation room was now empty except for Li Jingcheng and the middle-aged police chief.
The sheriff pulled up a chair and slowly sat down opposite him, leaning slightly forward with a blank expression. "Mr. Li Jingcheng, please sit down. There's no need to rush off; there are a few things I need to confirm with you privately."
"Um."
Lee Kyung-sung, who had been standing up, nodded in agreement, secretly wondering if that bastard Lee Seung-gi had pulled some strings.
"We just interrogated the five gangsters you had a conflict with."
At this point, the sheriff suddenly stopped, his sharp gaze fixed on Li Jingcheng's face, trying to catch a trace of panic in his micro-expressions.
"and then?"
Li Jingcheng remained unmoved.
"They said it was because you took photos to blackmail Yoona, and someone who couldn't stand it specifically sought them out to teach you a lesson."
"oh."
Lee Kyung-sung's mind raced. He hadn't expected Lee Seung-gi, that idiot, to actually say it. Since that's the case, he might as well expose Lee Seung-gi directly.
"What evidence does Lee Seung-gi have? Transfer records or chat logs?" Lee Kyung-sung interrupted the other party. "If you believe what they say, you can consult Im Yoon-ah to see if I have extorted her as they claim."
Upon hearing yet another celebrity's name, the sheriff frowned slightly. The entire sequence of events flashed through his mind. This wasn't a proper criminal case; it was clearly a messy affair stemming from jealousy and rivalry within the entertainment industry. It was most likely a love triangle involving these three celebrities. Getting involved in the personal feuds of popular artists would only bring trouble for the police. Investigating too deeply or too superficially would be cumbersome, yielding no credit and posing a high risk of public backlash. He didn't want the police station to be criticized by their die-hard fans, which would negatively impact their own position.
After clarifying the cause and effect, the sheriff immediately stood up and politely extended his hand, saying, "We will. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Li Jingcheng. Everything is fine now, you can go back."
"it is good."
Not wanting to offend the police unnecessarily, Li Jingcheng politely shook hands with him, and the two walked together towards the room outside the interrogation room.
But when the door was pushed open, the scene outside made them both pause slightly.
Many officers in the corridor who weren't on duty suddenly turned their gazes toward Li Jingcheng, fixing them on his face without blinking.
"He's even more handsome in person than in the videos..."
"Her looks are absolutely stunning, no wonder she's associated with Im Yoona."
"His demeanor is so good, he doesn't look like he just got into a fight with thugs at all."
Although the police officers were all muttering their thoughts quietly, the silence in the police station at that moment made it clear to both Li Jingcheng and the police chief beside him.
Li Jingcheng was speechless, feeling utterly bewildered. He had only just left the house and taken a statement, how did the entire police station know about it?
Don't South Korean police have confidentiality requirements? This kind of case involves a famous celebrity. If the news leaks, it will affect Im Yoona's career, which is secondary. The key issue is that what was originally a matter between Lee Seung-gi and Im Yoona has become a matter between myself and Im Yoona.
Don't let it interfere with his efforts to win over Yoona; he's waiting to reap both fame and fortune.
Li Jingcheng racked his brains, but couldn't come up with a solution for the moment. He simply turned to look at the police chief, wondering if all these people were really this unreliable.
His face darkened, and he turned to look at Luo Wen's apprentice, who was standing not far away, interrogating the thugs alongside him. He shouted angrily, "Luo Wen! Are you out of your mind? How dare you spread case information like that?"
"It wasn't his problem; it was those thugs who were shouting it all the way here," one of the older-looking sheriffs chimed in, offering an explanation.
That's good,
The sheriff's face was still grim, but he felt much less stressed. He explained, "Li Jingcheng, you heard it too. It was those thugs talking nonsense. There was nothing we could do."
"Didn't you tell them about Lee Seung-gi's matter? It doesn't matter if it affects me, after all, I'm not a celebrity yet. Please don't wrongly accuse Im Yoona."
After saying that, Li Jingcheng quickened his pace and left the police station as soon as possible, fearing that something unexpected might happen. At the same time, he truly admired these people.
The officers in the corridor immediately turned their attention away, especially the older sergeant who quickly stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and his eyes lit up.
"What, is this about Lee Seung-gi too? Does it mean Lee Kyung-sung and Im Yoon-ah are together, and Lee Seung-gi is furious, so he hired someone to teach him a lesson, but he didn't expect that guy to know kung fu?"
Seeing his mentor's eyes light up, the sheriff was somewhat helpless. His gaze then shifted to the other colleagues waiting for their replies, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"No, I just finished interrogating him, I'm exhausted."