The hint of the location of the second bomb was hidden in a riddle. The police groaned after hearing it, but the remaining time was tight. They had to solve this mystery…
If they couldn't cope with this then they would be helpless like in the Atlantis situation. These words were said just before the tape ended.
–Oh right. Isn't it courteous to leave a nickname for you to call me? You can call me the Bomber. Then I wish you luck.
In the end, this incident was called the Bomber case. Kim Do-shik asked the police who were standing around.
"Fuck. Do you know where this is?"
"I-I'm really sorry…"
"I'm not sure."
Cho Kang-suk sighed slowly. He knew of a professional at these types of things. Although Kang-suk was reluctant, he was confident in that person's abilities. It seemed like this time as well, he would have to ask that brat for help.
"Inspector. Let's ask Investigator Joo Hyun-ho for advice."
"Ah, yes. Where is he now!"
"Due to the hippo incident, he was dispatched to Kangdong Police Station."
"Don't report everything and call him immediately!"
Joo Hyun-ho arrived where everyone was gathered in exactly three minutes.
He was wearing a trench coat and seemed to have come in a hurry. It was the same style as Detective Columbo, whom he admired. He had run here as fast as he could. It was like watching a high school student going to the athletic field during P.E.
"Hahaha! I am qualified in this case."
Kang-suk had given a rough overview of the case over the phone in advance. Kim Do-shik's eyes flashed as he spoke to Hyun-ho.
"Investigator Joo. Just like you got the hippo last time, please solve this case!"
Kim Do-shik's eyes were full of trust. Joo Hyun-ho scratched his head,
"As I wrote in the report, someone who Kang-suk sunbae and I don't know was the one who caught the hippo. We just happened to be there."
While he was the type of person who treated investigations as a game, he wasn't the type to claim another person's merits.
"But it is true that you were in the place where the hippo committed the crime and saved the victim. That is good enough."
"Thank you. First, let me focus on this case."
"You two are the best talents in our Kangdong Police Station. I believe in you."
Kang-suk laughed as he was combined with Hyun-ho. Hyun-ho touched his glasses and read the memo containing the clue of the bomb. Then he spoke not even a minute later,
"I solved it. I know where the bomb is placed. Request assistance straight away."
"What, already?"
The riddle almost completely filled the A4 paper. That wasn't quick enough to read everything written there. Yet he had solved it? Kim Do-shik looked at Joo Hyun-ho in disbelief.
Joo Hyun-ho pulled a pen from his pocket, highlighted a few words and handed it to Kim Do-shik.
"It's mostly junk information that's designed to blur what really matters."
Immediately after that, Kim Do-shik asked for support from SWAT and the special bomb disposal squads.
Then Hyun-ho explained.
"28 devices not connected refers to these words, not the bombs. Do you know what I mean?"
"Ah! Hunminjeongeum?" (Google Link. Hyun-ho is probably referring to the 28 letters of hangul, the Korean alphabet that was created)
"And words are created. In the end, this sentence points to King Sejong. And the next words are bank, learning and Confucian scholar. That means Sungkyunkwan University."
"Ohh…!"
"The sentence itself is roughly a middle school grade inscription pun. The important thing is that at least three or more words per paragraph point to the same thing."
"T-That's right. Then the bomb is hidden at Sungkyunkwan University? Do you know the exact position?"
The university was incredibly large. In addition, it wasn't in one place but spread across various regions. There was the humanities and social sciences campus of Sungkyunkwan University in Myeongyun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The natural sciences campus was in Suwon.
If it was the latter, then it would be hard to cope with the problem from Seoul. They needed to know the exact location.
"There is a word in the middle of the sentence 'the wind blows, the tree blossoms in spring.' It looks to be pointing to a tree, but it is actually talking about the blue dragon. Among the five attributes, blue means wood, spring and wind. And as a symbol of Sungkyunkwan University's bank is a blue dragon."
Kim Do-shik's eyes widened at Joo Hyun-ho's tremendous reasoning power. A police officer heard it and asked.
"But isn't that also referring to Sungkyunkwan University? So there is no change."
Joo Hyun-ho shook his head.
The blue dragon clearly meant Sungkyunkwan University, but there was something different.
"Of course, we can also see it like that. But to be precise, it is the symbol of Sungkyunkwan University's bank. There is a legend related to the blue dragon. Therefore, it is considered symbolic to have a blue dragon statue. It is a symbol but isn't a symbol, but that isn't what it means. The place with a blue dragon statue. The bomb will obviously be there."
"W-Where is that?"
"Wait a moment. I don't know everything."
Joo Hyun-ho laughed and pulled out his smartphone to look it up. It took 10 seconds for the information to appear.
"I have sent the exact location to your phone."
Kim Do-shik saw the result of the search on his phone and issued orders in a loud voice.
"Call the Myeongnyun personnel right now! The bomb is in the blue dragon statue at the front gate!"
"Yes, I understand!"
Kang-suk was ready to move. By the way, he couldn't see Joo Hyun-ho, who usually followed him like a puppy.
"Eh? Hyun-ho. You're not following."
Hyun-ho had taken off his coat and was sitting in a corner with the tape recorder.
"Ah, Sunbae. I think I have to take individual action this time. I want to try an analysis of the tape."
Kang-suk nodded. Unlike himself, who specialized in jumping in, Hyun-ho was an expert in analyzing the opponent. They had to do what they did best.
"I'll let you know if there is anything else. I'll call you on your phone."
"Uh, yes. Please do so."
The police moved in search of the bomb.
@
"Everybody, please evacuate according to the instructions!"
Hundreds of police officers came to Sungkyunkwan University. There was a frenzy among the university students walking around the school.
"What? What? Evacuation? A-All of a sudden…?"
"Is this some type of army reservist training?"
Then armed police rushed through the hall and told the students.
"It is real. Please evacuate now."
"Haha… What, is this a war?"
"It is similar. I can't tell you anything else. Please hurry up!"
"…Yes, I understand."
No matter how weak the public perception, the dignity of the uniformed police officers was enormous. There was no student who resisted. Although it was a little cluttered, the evacuation was carried out without any problems.
"Now, now, there is no need to shove. Please stand in a row over here."
The reservists who shone at this time. Using their experience in evacuation training that they received in the army, the reservists took action and led the other students.
Cho Kang-suk sighed with relief as he watched the scene.
"…No students will be damaged. It is fortunate."
Usually in movies, the people in the area would be evacuated if there was a bomb threat. By the way, an explosion would occur even before the time limit was reached. Did this bomber have some conscience remaining?
Fortunately, due to Joo Hyun-ho's reasoning, there were still 10 minutes until the scheduled explosion. It was enough to deal with the bomb. He hoped that there would be no damage.
At that moment, the SWAT team started approaching the blue dragon statue.
"There is a bomb!"
Kang-suk sighed.
All he had to do was catch the criminal. He would leave the bomb to the professionals.
Kim Do-shik looked at the SWAT team with an expression of trust.
"Can you do it?"
"Yes. We are professionals. Leave it to us."
When a bomb was found in movies, there were often wires that needed to be cut. However, that was only to increase the tension. In fact, if a bomb was found, it was to be put in a state where it couldn't explode with liquid nitrogen or shock absorbers, then moved to another place to be handled. That's why they were called the disposal squad, not the disassembly squad.
"Uh, Inspector! This bomb has no primer!"
"What? It is a seedless watermelon?"
"Fuck, again?"
Kim Do-shik spat on the ground.
The bomb installed here was the same as the one delivered to the police station. It was a bomb that had the power to destroy a whole building if it exploded. But the primer had been removed, as if the bomber was teasing them. It seemed like an armed demonstration.
Kim Do-shik approached the SWAT team leader and asked.
"Is there a tape recorder?"
"Please wait a moment. Is there perhaps a tape recorder in the box?"
"Eh? There is!"
The SWAT team leader pointed at the tape recorder that was where the primer should be.
"It is the same as the bomb delivered to the station. It would be best to listen to the contents of the tape recorder at once."
"Yes. That's right."
Kim Do-shik handed it over to Cho Kang-suk.
"Should Detective Cho listen?"
"Oh, you want to listen?"
It was burdensome but everyone knew about Kang-suk's achievements, so the SWAT team leader gave it up to Kang-suk. The SWAT team leader carefully pressed the switch of the recorder.
-By listening to this message, you have found the safe bomb. Isn't the tutorial fun?
The people who were listening spat. He mobilized hundreds of police for what? Practice?
-I showed you this much to make you realize that I'm not joking. Then I'll give you the next mission. This time it is real so you better hurry.
"Fuck…
This wasn't training anymore. Kim Do-shik instructed Kang-suk.
"Tell Joo Hyun-ho to come here right now. Crazy."
Only Joo Hyun-ho could solve the mystery. They had to do this seven more times? Furthermore, if they were late, then a deadly disaster would occur. The nation's top specialists were gathered here, but tired faces had already emerged.
The sky was almost yellow.
It was at that moment. Kim Do-shik received a phone call.
"Who? It if is a prank call or spam call then I will smash them!"
He roughly pressed the call button and brought the phone to his ear and heard a familiar voice. Unfortunately, it wasn't a spam call or prank call.
-Hello, Inspector Kim Do-shik.
"Y-you…!"
It was the Bomber's voice on the phone!
–You sound pretty surprised… But unfortunately, I'm not the Bomber.
"...!"
Just then, the person's voice changed. This time, it was a young woman's voice.
–Kukukuk. I'm getting goose bumps so I guess I have to use the Bomber's voice. Don't judge me by my voice.
There were machines that could change one's voice, but that usually resulted in an unnatural mechanical sound. The person on the phone wasn't like that. His voice had definitely changed while speaking. Was the other person a voice actor?
Kim Do-shik gulped and asked.
"This doesn't seem like a prank call. W-What is going on?"
–I'll speak briefly. Right now, you… And those who are gathered are in a difficult situation. Oh, can you tell the SWAT team member next to you not to do that?
"…Hup!"
The other person spoke as if he knew the situation going on here. The even more amazing thing was that he knew the SWAT team leader was listening to the call.
Kim Do-shik started sweating.
-I want to help you. I will cooperate in helping you find the bombs. Of course, it isn't for free like when I caught the hippo.
The hand that was holding the phone trembled. The hippo was a secret that only the police knew about. But this person knew…
"H-Hippo…! Did you catch him?"
–It was my first service. If you are suspicious then I will tell you about the marks that I left behind.
The other person briefly explained how the hippo was arrested, and he knew exactly about everything unusual that occurred. Only a handful of police officers knew that.
"Y-You…"
–I'll tell you where the next bomb will go off. By the way, the next one isn't a seedless watermelon.
"H-How…!"
Kim Do-shik stared at the phone in his hand with surprise. He was a veteran who had been with the police for 30 years. He was familiar with dealing with people.
"Track the one I am on the phone with! He is a key witness in this case!"
"Yes, I understand."
Then he casually brought the phone to his ear again.
–Ah right, the tracking will become strange so don't waste your manpower. Don't you have to worry about labour costs?
"…Hup!"
It was like he installed a listening device here. Kim Do-shik felt fear towards the other person on the phone. He seemed to know everything. Surely he hadn't planted a spy? But Kim Do-shik trusted everyone here. Besides, none of them had sent a message anywhere.
–The bomber asked for 15 billion. But I am not so greedy. 150 million won per criminal. That is a reasonable price. How about it? Sign a contract with me.
Kim Do-shik's eyes flashed.
The other person was asking for money in return for catching criminals. Moreover, the amount was only 1/3 of what it cost to move hundreds of SWAT teams. However, he wondered if the person could really catch the Bomber.
-You feel doubtful. It is understandable. I would be the same. Then I will find the next bomb for you. Will you believe me then?
"Y-You… What the hell is your identity?
The voice replied.
-A criminal who catches other criminals. Then- I am called the God of Crime.
Thus, the God of Crime revealed himself to the Korean police.