Chapter 128

Chapter 128Beautiful Genius(2)

A small car drove through the main gate of Gangbuk Police Station.

Song Boyeong, sitting in the back seat, glanced out the window and gasped. Her eyes locked with a rugged-looking manwho was being led away in handcuffs by the police.

The rugged man looked at her and winked at Song Boyeong.

Oh my.

When Song Boyeong let out a small cry, Jeong-woo turned his head towards her.

Whats wrong?

That person

By the time Song Boyeong raised her finger, the rugged man had already passed by.

There was a scary person

Hey, senior.

Trying to lighten Song Boyeongs somewhat frozen mood by the atmosphere of the police station, Jeong-woo asked.

Did you know that if you cant answer the sudden questions from the detectives within 3 seconds, you could be taken into custody?

Really?

In case you didnt know, this is because of espionage.

With a suspicious look, Jeong-woo asked Song Boyeong sharply.

Age? One, two

Twenty-seven?

As Jeong-woo abruptly counted, an answer popped out from Song Boyeong.

Occupation?

Chemical researcher.

Excellent. Then, the last question. What injection did you receive yesterday?

Song Boyeong snapped out of it and opened her eyes wide.

Ah, come on. There cant be detectives who would take you in for such jokes, right?

As the car stopped in the parking lot, a man with a firm, muscular sports build approached the drivers seat.

Tap, tap.

At the sound of knocking on the window, Moon Chae-eun rolled down the window.

I was the the detective on the phone. Who is Miss Moon?

To the detective who showed his police ID with the name Im Gyeong-hwan, Moon Chae-eun replied.

Thats me. These are my companions.

Please step out for now. Follow me.

Walking into the detective division, Jeong-woo turned his gaze towards the victims sitting side by side in front of the Homicide 2 desk.

Seven men, each wearing bandages and protective gear on their arms, heads, and necks. From what he heard from Im Gyeong-hwan earlier, they were high school students.

I can definitely sense a bad vibe about them. They seem like they would be good at fighting.

The men, who looked like they should be called old men, continued to glare fiercely towards the detention area.

Im Gyeong-hwan, who had entered earlier, spoke up.

The victims have been giving their statements for the past hour. They are all demanding strong punishment for Seo Jeong-gu.

Moon Chae-eun glanced at the victims.

Orbital fractures. Hand fractures and ligament damage. Shoulder dislocations. Most have wounds ranging from 6 to 8 weeks.

You seem to know your medical terms well. With injuries of this extent, it usually results in fines or settlements, but because they are minors and there are many of them, it will likely lead to heavier punishment.

Im Gyeong-hwan lowered his voice as he spoke.

The bigger problem is that the perpetrator isnt saying a word that could justify any leniency.

Not a word?

No. Hes exercising his right to remain silent. Weve temporarily detained him because theres only one side of the story, but logically, it doesnt make sense to subdue all seven of them without a scratch.

When Seo Jeong-gu was described as unharmed, Jeong-woo became curious about his condition and glanced towards the detention area. However, it was hard to see who was inside due to pillars and lockers blocking the view.

If you have are acquaintances, please persuade him to say something. If this statement goes up as it is, I might lose my job too.

After Im Gyeong-hwan gestured for assistance, he pointed towards the detention area. Just as they were walking through the detectives office.

-You punk! Are you not gonna answer properly?

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed, startling Song Boyeong, who flinched and leaned closely to Jeong-woos side.

-Ah, geez. You really dont know?

Jeong-woo turned his gaze briefly towards the rugged man being interrogated in the corner before saying to Song Boyeong.

With so many detectives around, why have you been so jumpy since earlier? Are you trying to subtly cling onto me pretending to be scared?

Ridiculous.

Despite being teased, Song Boyeong didnt let go of Jeong-woos arm. With her hand trembling, Jeong-woo didnt say anything and just walked away.

When they arrived in front of the detention area, Im Gyeong-hwan spoke.

Mr. Seo Jeong-gu, Miss Moon Chae-eun is here.

A young man in his early twenties, who had been looking out the window in the depths of the detention area where suspects were sitting around, turned his back.

Moon Chae-eun nodded politely.

Nice to see you again. Do you remember me?

There was no response, just a vacant stare that revealed nothing about what he was thinking. After a while of looking at Moon Chae-eun, Seo Jeong-gu turned his gaze back to the window.

Uh-huh.

Im Gyeong-hwan sighed deeply.

Hey, Mr. Seo Jeong-gu. Are you really not going to say anything to the only person who can vouch for your identity?

With no response at all, Im Gyeong-hwan smirked.

See that? Thats been his attitude the whole time.

-Gyeong-hwan! Wheres the investigation file for the robbery at Yeongnam Apartments? This guy keeps stalling.

At the shout from inside the detectives office, Im Gyeong-hwan turned his head.

Ill be right back.

Even after Im Gyeong-hwan disappeared, Seo Jeong-gu remained motionless. Jeong-woo quietly asked Moon Chae-eun.

Was he like this when you saw him before?

Similar. He seems passive and completely devoid of motivation.

Whether hes involved with delinquents or not, if he remains unresponsive like this, we cant conduct an investigation. What about the professor you met with?

Hes not answering his phone.

Thinking they couldnt just waste time like this, Jeong-woo focused his gaze on Seo Jeong-gu.

The assault incident that occurred around 7 AM today. It had only been about 4 hours, so he wondered if there would be any traces left.

As Jeong-woo scrutinized with his molecular vision, he couldnt find any traces on his body, let alone his hands, that had come into contact with the victims.

Fighting usually involves punches, but did they use weapons? That would make the crime much more serious.

It was when he was trying to examine closely, he found something on the tip of his fingernail.

Instead of bloodstains or scraps of skin from the victims, there was a substance that stood out.

It was a compound with a complex structure. It was the first time Jeong-woo couldnt intuitively recall information to this extent, excluding universal factors, so his interest was piqued.

Theres only one thing that stands out clearly.

Jeong-woo asked Moon Chae-eun, who was attempting to make a call.

Have you reached the professor?

Not yet.

Can I try talking to him?

Moon Chae-eun nodded as she lowered her phone.

Jeong-woo looked at Seo Jeong-gus back. He raised his voice slightly and asked.

The teachers arrow was aimed at Im Gyeong-hwan, who was talking to Moon Chae-eun. Song Boyeong, observing the situation from a distance, clicked her tongue at the teachers behavior of losing his temper even towards unrelated people.

Senior.

As Jeong-woos voice was heard, Song Boyeong quickly turned her head.

That teacher is really mean. What did Dr. Moon do wrong?

If you speak loudly, the settlement amount goes up. Hes probably doing it to make it to the headlines.

How do you know that?

My father used to get beaten up a lot.

Oh. Why?

Because he did things that warranted it.

What? Why would he do that?

Dont pry too deeply.

When Jeong-woo smirked, Song Boyeong guessed there was a reason and changed the subject.

What did you hear from Seo Jeong-gu?

Nothing much. If I say it out loud, Ill be called crazy.

What do you mean?

Its just that we dont need to worry about our mad scientist.

Not knowing the circumstances, Song Boyeong widened her eyes.

Dr. Moon.

Jeong-woo walked over to Moon Chae-eun and whispered some brief information.

Shall we go?

Yes.

But

He said hell handle it himself and come find us. Theres no need to waste more time.

Glancing towards the detention area, Moon Chae-eun saw Seo Jeong-gu still staring at Jeong-woo.

Okay. The professor called. He said hell come here.

Thats good. Lets go back to the lab. Ill explain more on the way.

Nodding, Moon Chae-eun explained the situation to Im Gyeong-hwan.

Understood. Ill contact you if anything else comes up.

Im Gyeong-hwan, who was losing his grip on this violent incident, appeared deflated. The teacher, who had been assertive, was now standing on one side, talking to a high school students parents on the phone.

Hmm

Thinking about the shock that would happen in about an hour, Jeong-woo sent his condolences to them in advance.

Walking out of the detectives office, a rough-looking man smirked at Song Boyeong.

Pretty lady. What crime did you commit?

Song Boyeong was startled and tightly grabbed Jeong-woos arm.

Calm down.

I, Im trying to.

Jeong-woo glanced at the man briefly before his gaze lingered on the sleeves and the bottom of his pants.

When they reached the corridor, Jeong-woo called out to Im Gyeong-hwan.

Detective.

Yes?

I have a sensitive nose, so I react to things like dog hair due to allergies. When we passed by the person inside with a tattoo on their face, I saw it there. Yellow dog hair on the sleeve and the left shoelace.

Why suddenly

I just dont think theyre someone who kindly raises a dog at home. It seems like they got it somewhere else.

Recognition flashed in Im Gyeong-hwans eyes.

Do you know the way down the stairs?

After exchanging greetings, Im Gyeong-hwan rushed to the detectives office. Seeing him go, Song Boyeong turned to Jeong-woo.

What was that just now?

I briefly channeled Sherlock Holmes.

Oh.

Impressive, right?

Not really.

But why were you holding onto my arm?

Song Boyeong blushed and quickly let go of his hand.

On the way back to the pharmacy center, Jeong-woo recounted the conversation he had with Seo Jung-gu to the two of them.

Really? How could they not know?

Song Boyeongs body trembled even more, seeming even more scared than when she was in the detectives office.

Jeong-woo asked Moon Chae-eun.

Are you really considering researching him? Isnt that dangerous?

If someone can handle toxic substances to that extent, they could have done even worse. Having emotional deficiencies still means they have standards, and its not too late to conduct in-depth interviews and make judgments.

Youre bold.

Jeong-woo glanced out the window. The three unusual individuals he had met today were geniuses, but not a single one of them had an attractive side.

I might have be in a bind on my own, but thankfully, theres still Dr. Moon.

That night.

Moon Chae-eun finished showering and lay down on her duty room bed when her phone rang.

The screen showed Caller ID Restricted.

Doctor?

-Its been a while, Dr. Moon.

Dr. Cheon Seung-guks voice. But it wasnt his usual tone, devoid of any worries or concerns.

Are you not feeling well? Your voice

-My bodys fine. Im flying to Geneva in two days. Its going to be a tough trip, so I need an assistant.

An assistant? Do you mean Han Jeong-woo?

-No, its you. Theres no other doctor in this world whom I trust as much as Dr. Moon.

At Cheon Seung-guks request to fly to Europe on the spur of the moment. Moon Chae-eun looked at the calendar on the wall and asked.

How long will it take?

-About 2 to 3 weeks?

I guess Ill have to take a long vacation.

-Youve never taken a break since you started working at the company. Take this opportunity to take a break from research and clear your head. If you chase two rabbits, youll end up losing both.

Can I handle work from there?

-Ah, since youre taking a vacation anyway, why not take 4 weeks? You must have accumulated a lot of vacation time from the successful projects youve completed.

After the call ended, Dr. Moon hesitated for a moment before composing a text message.

Jeong-woo was wandering through dreamland under his blanket when he suddenly snapped back to reality upon receiving a text message.

[I need to go on a business trip for 3 weeks. The tasks for the other teams can be postponed, but the schedule for the unique genetic analysis is fixed. I need you to take over for me. Theres no one else capable of handling this task alone but you, Jeong-woo. Lets discuss the details in the morning.]

What?

Like a bolt from the blue, Jeong-woo felt momentarily blinded.

An annoyingly mature kid with two missing front teeth.

A boy whose responses take forever when you ask him anything.

The eerie face of a young man living with unfathomable thoughts flashed in and out of his mind.