LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 75
Chapter 75: The Hopeful Job Appeal at the Gathering
“Looks like the hopeful job appeal at the gathering worked, huh?”
Si-hyun was assigned as the Assistant Duty Officer on the 4th Floor, Unit 1, where C-rank Hunters were detained. This spot was mainly occupied by correctional officers with C-rank licenses, meaning he had won the competition in the limited D-rank TO positions.
Si-hyun was quite satisfied with this placement result. To strengthen the Yangji Guild, both quantity and quality mattered, but the quality was significantly more important.
No matter how many lower-ranked Hunters below D-rank there were, they wouldn’t help elevate the guild’s status. The guild’s prestige generally depended on how many high-ranked Hunters there were, particularly those ranked B and above. C-rank Hunters couldn’t contribute to that extent.
However, having a considerable number of mid-ranking Hunters at C-rank would naturally solidify the guild’s power.
“Let’s wrap things up first.”
Before his transfer, Si-hyun decided to take a round through the cells on the 2nd Floor, Unit 2, where he had been working. The release dates varied, but that didn’t matter. If he spoke with them properly, they would inevitably join the Yangji Guild after their release.
It had already been confirmed that prolonged exposure to the Iron-Blooded Guard could lead to psychological trauma, making them more effective even after release.
There was no need to rush his mindset. Building the Yangji Guild wasn’t something that happened overnight. For serious criminals, even if they received a sentence reduction, their release would still take ages.
Si-hyun saw this as a long-term project. Even so, there was no pressure. He had to work anyway, all while gradually bringing in guild members.
Thinking he could both fulfill his duty and manage guild affairs at the same time was the best situation possible.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Ah, damn it….”
Heo Yong-taek cursed inside the transport vehicle. It was true that he lost his temper during a street dispute and resorted to assault.
But he never thought he would get arrested for it. They say that when an Awakened Being assaults a civilian, the punishment is harsher, and that seemed to be why he was caught. He felt an overwhelming urge to kill that punk in a way that no one would ever notice.
Yong-taek, unable to hold his anger, kept huffing. If he hadn’t been handcuffed and tied up, he might have been thrashing around in rage.
“Heh heh heh.”
Suddenly, a laugh rang out from the seat beside him.
An older man, appearing to be in his sixties with graying hair, was chuckling mockingly.
“What’s so funny?”
Yong-taek glared fiercely at him.
But the old man just kept his composure.
“Heh heh, rookie. Just stay still. Let big brother take a nap.”
“Sleep if you want. I’ll do as I please.”
“Heh, rookie, is this your first time?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Think of it as a vacation. Enjoy, and time will fly by.”
The old man twisted the corners of his mouth and said that.
Yong-taek relaxed his glaring eyes a little.
“How many times have you been here?”
“Me? I’ve got four stars.”
Yong-taek knew that having stars meant he had already served time.
“That sounds easy enough. It’s my first time, and I feel like crap.”
“Rookie, haven’t you heard the rumors?”
“What rumors?”
“They say this place is a paradise, paradise.”
The old man spoke with a beaming smile on his face.
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
Yong-taek frowned in confusion. How could a detention center be a paradise?
“They say the correctional officers hardly bother you. Look, even now, we’re talking, and the officers aren’t paying attention at all, right?”
“…”
Now that he mentioned it, the correctional officers sitting in front seemed indifferent, dozing off with their eyes closed.
“You can’t understand just by hearing. Once you actually eat the awful food and live here for a bit, you’ll feel how easy and boring it is.”
The fact that he could feel bored implied that there weren’t many hard physical tasks to deal with.
“Is it really like that?”
Yong-taek asked, rolling his eyes in disbelief.
“Has this guy been fooled all along? Too many suspicions. Heh heh, rookie, what’s your rank?”
“I’m C-rank.”
“Oh yeah? I’m C-rank too. If things go well, we might share a cell. It’s a private room anyway, but hey, let’s get along.”
“Are we really going to be detained together in the same rank?”
“Of course, you should’ve known that before coming in, rookie.”
As they were talking, it seemed they had arrived. The transport vehicle passed through the External Gate and came to a stop at the main gate.
“Get out.”
The correctional officer said.
Yong-taek and the old man got off, tied together in a chain.
The escorting correctional officer guided them to where the iron gate was. When he opened it with a card key, a long corridor revealed itself.
Following the escorting officer, they walked to the end of the corridor. There stood a single correctional officer sitting at a desk. There was a pen and some paperwork laid out on the desk.
“Alright, check your names and accurately write down the amount of cash you have. Also, detail your belongings. Once you’re done, put the money and small items in this envelope, and place your clothes in the duffel bag over there.”
The correctional officer explained. It was finally sinking in that he was in a detention center.
Yong-taek frowned slightly.
The old man approached the desk first and quickly filled out the list, having done it several times before. After that, Yong-taek slowly began listing his own items.
“Do you have any illnesses?”
While he was diligently writing, the correctional officer asked.
“None.”
The officer nodded and jotted something down.
“Alright, when you’re done, come over here.”
The escorting officer turned left this time. There was another long corridor.
At the end of this corridor, there were two correctional officers standing guard. Several rooms were visible along the side.
“Heh heh heh, rookie. You’re in for a good experience.”
The old man laughed, tilting his head as if something was amusing.
“Shut up over there.”
The correctional officer said, but the old man continued to chuckle.
“Go ahead and step inside.”
The officer pointed to the leftmost room.
“C’mon, go in first.”
The old man gestured for Yong-taek to enter first.
Feeling uneasy, Yong-taek decided to just go in since he had to do it anyway.
As he opened the door, he found himself in a room with some kind of machine. Next to the door stood a tall correctional officer, and at the other end sat another officer. A monitor was placed in front of the seated officer.
What kind of machine is this? he wondered, but the tall officer spoke up.
“Strip down and put on the gown hanging over there.”
The gown hanging was similar to what one would wear before an examination at a hospital. The problem was that they were telling him to take off all his clothes.
“Take everything off?”
“Yes, including your underwear.”
“What the hell?”
Yong-taek frowned.
“Anal exam.”
“Ah, damn it.”
Without realizing it, Yong-taek cursed out loud. He never thought he would have to go through an anal exam that he had only heard about through rumors. Showing his behind to total strangers was a great humiliation. It was impossible not to feel a sense of degradation.
“Ugh, do we really have to do this? Damn… I’m losing it.”
“Stop cursing. It’s a must. I’m sure you’ve heard of it by now.”
The tall officer’s tone was resolute.
Yong-taek bit his lip and tried to control his emotions.
“Ugh… what do I have to do then?”
“Just change into the gown and sit on that thing over there, then stand up.”
The tall officer pointed to the X-ray floor. After receiving criticism for human rights abuses, they had switched from a visual inspection to an X-ray inspection some time ago. The X-ray lens was connected to a monitor, allowing the seated officer to check.
Yong-taek shut his eyes tightly and changed into the gown before trying to squat down.
At that moment, the officer added a remark.
“Be sure to sit and stand up slowly. If not, you’ll have to do it again.”
“Ugh… fine.”
◈ ◈ ◈
After finishing the anal exam, Yong-taek changed into the prison uniform. Following that, he had his photo taken and received his identification badge before being escorted to the new inmate hall.
“Go inside.”
The correctional officer opened the door.
Yong-taek stepped into the cell. It was smaller than he expected. He had heard that the new inmate hall was a solitary cell, so that seemed to be the case.
The correctional officer closed the door behind him. Then he said,
“Put your hands out.”
“My hands?”
“I need to remove the handcuffs.”
“Ah.”
Yong-taek extended his hands towards the receptacle the officer indicated. Only then did the officer take out a key and unlock the cuffs. After that, he left somewhere.
Yong-taek, relieved to have his hands freed, rubbed his wrists. Being cuffed all day was incredibly uncomfortable.
“Hey, rookie. How does it feel to have your first taste of detention?”
A voice came from the adjacent cell. It was the old man. Though they couldn’t see each other due to the wall, it seemed loud enough to be heard through the bars.
Yong-taek raised his voice.
“It’s overwhelming.”
“Heh heh, you’ll get used to it soon. Just lie down and take a nap. When you feel overwhelmed, sleep is the best.”
“What time is it now? Am I allowed to sleep? Isn’t there a set sleeping time?”
“It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. Just lie down. No one cares. Ignore them, even if they say something.”
“Hey, are you really serious about lying down?”
Yong-taek asked suspiciously, thinking the old man might be joking since it was his first time in a detention center.
“Ah, seriously, trust me. I’m going to lie down, so do whatever you want.”
After saying that, the old man fell silent.
Yong-taek sat there for a while, then decided to just lie down. He hadn’t received any bedding yet, so lying on the hard floor was uncomfortable for his back and head, but it was still more comfortable than sitting. As he lay there, sleep started to creep up on him.
Just as Yong-taek was about to doze off—
“Mr. Heo Yong-taek.”
Someone called his name. It wasn’t the old man’s voice.
Was it a correctional officer?
Yong-taek tried to sit up but remembered what the old man had said about ignoring anyone who spoke.
So, he just tilted his head over to look at the bars.
Sure enough, it was a correctional officer.
“Yes, what’s up?”
“You can’t just lie around like that at this hour. You can only lie down during sleeping hours.”
Hearing the officer say that, Yong-taek felt a strange urge to sit up.
But remembering the old man’s words, he suppressed that thought.
“Got it.”
He merely replied while not changing his lying position.
I wonder how this will turn out.
He lay there, ears open and attentive, waiting to hear what the officer might say next, but nothing came. He could hear the sound of footsteps gradually drifting away.
“You see? I told you to ignore them.”
The old man’s voice rang out, sounding as if he was measuring Yong-taek’s response to the situation. It seemed that what he said was indeed true.
“It really is a paradise.”
The old man echoed his earlier words into Yong-taek’s mind.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Yawn…”
Yong-taek yawned. The life in the detention center was vastly different from what he had imagined.
It wasn’t particularly hard. Besides that, it was pretty boring. Despite being locked up, the lack of any special interference was surprisingly pleasant.
It was like a kind of freedom within confinement. Silly, but that was the feeling he had.
“Mr. Heo Yong-taek.”
“Yes.”
Now, he answered comfortably, fully used to lying down.
“Prepare to head to the main hall.”
“What’s the main hall?”
“They’re moving you to another ward. You will now begin your official detention life.”
Main hall.
He didn’t know the exact meaning, but it seemed he had to move to a cell where he would begin real life in detention rather than the newcomer hall.
As Yong-taek sat up and packed his things, the correctional officer came over and gestured for him to put out his hands. He was cuffed again. In return, the officer carried his belongings, placing them in a handcart.
Looking back, he saw that the old man was also coming out to go to the main hall. He learned that the name he had often heard while sharing the cells was Park Jung-il.
“Where are we going?”
Park Jung-il asked the nearby officer in a light tone as if they were just going somewhere fun. It looked like he was used to being in and out.
Yong-taek himself was surprised at how comfortable he felt despite it being his first time.
“To the 4th Floor, Unit 1.”
“Where will I go?”
“You, Mr. Heo Yong-taek, are also going to 4th Floor, Unit 1.”
“Oh, we’ll be staying in the same place? See? I told you. You might get lucky. Anyway, let’s make the best of it.”
Park Jung-il said with a smile.
Yong-taek didn’t mind. It felt reassuring that someone he had already become acquainted with would be in the same ward.
“Alright, let’s go.”
The correctional officer said.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Newbie!”
As they entered the place labeled 4th Floor, Unit 1, a loud voice shouted, sounding rather strict and disciplined.
Yong-taek felt a bit uneasy, but Jung-il seemed completely unfazed. They followed the escorting officer into the Duty Room.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
The correctional officers exchanged greetings.
“Here’s the identification badge.”
The escorting officer handed two ID badges to the correctional officer in the Duty Room.
“Well then, take care.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
The escort officer bowed out, looking as if he had finished his task.
“Mr. Heo Yong-taek.”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Park Jung-il.”
Jung-il nodded slightly without answering. Perhaps finding this unsatisfactory, the correctional officer’s expression slightly darkened.
“Um… I am the Duty Chief of this ward, Lee Si-hyun. The Duty Chief is currently on a break, so I will conduct the interview in their place.”
The correctional officer introduced himself as Lee Si-hyun and motioned for them to take a seat across from him.
“First, Mr. Park Jung-il, please sit there.”
Jung-il sat down with an air of arrogance. He had served time in the special detention center three times already.
Yet this correctional officer was someone whose face he didn’t recognize and whose name he was hearing for the first time. That indicated that he was a newcomer. There was no doubt he was a clumsy rookie who didn’t know how things operated in the detention center. Given Jung-il’s four-star status, it was only natural he would look down on someone like that. Plus, knowing the inmate order in the special detention center made it even easier to do so.
“Mr. Park Jung-il.”
“What?”
“Sit properly.”
The correctional officer said to Jung-il, who was sitting askew and staring haughtily.
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
Jung-il responded with a mocking tone.
However, he didn’t change his crooked posture at all.
“Sit properly, I said.”
“Yeah, yeah. I heard you.”
Even after being told twice, Jung-il continued to sit there in a defying manner, staring at the officer as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?”
From behind, Yong-taek watched with a tense expression. He could tell this was a bit too serious for Jung-il’s attitude.
Still, it was Park Jung-il, who knew better than anyone how things worked in the special detention center. Everything he had said until now had been right on the money. Yes, the officers really didn’t bother anyone. Yes, you could ignore anything they said and just lie down. And many other things, too.
Thus, it seemed likely that this behavior was permissible. If this conduct was indeed tolerated…
Paradise.
What Jung-il had said during their ride in the transport vehicle might actually be a truth.
“Mr. Park Jung-il.”
The correctional officer called Jung-il’s name once more.
“What? Why do you keep calling me?”
“Are you messing with me, you punk?”