Sooho

Chapter 205: < Protect – Episode 204 – Sim City [4] >

What Ahn Soo Ho put stress on while planning Emerald City’s developments weren’t the city’s beauty or convenience. It was safety. The chances of the city becoming like New York or Seoul were next to zero. After all, Ahn Soo Ho hated crowded places.

In the dark world, Mr. Guardian’s reputation was at the top. But there were still criminals who didn’t succumb to his evil reputation. And for those who lived day by day and murdered without blinking, they weren’t afraid of anything.

‘It’s easier to deal with drug cartels.’

The bosses, who had a lot to lose, were sensitive to Ahn Soo Ho’s behavior, but the murderers that lived solely for their own satisfaction didn’t even care about the police.

A.K.A. Carles Borne

Her real name was Lily Okamoto.

KoKo-Head was a woman. And the Hawaiian police didn’t know that.

‘A third-generation Japanese in Hawaii.’

Just like Brazil, Hawaii had many Japanese immigrants. And as a result, there were many Joseon people who were held captive at the time as well, and aside from them, there were Chinese who arrived at Hawaii around the same time.

Only 5% of Hawaii’s residents were natives. Most of them were mixed blood. There were almost no pure Japanese, Koreans, or Chinese. The Lily Okamoto that Ahn Soo Ho found was an ugly woman. The reason why she harshly mutilated women’s faces was clear.

Jealousy.

She had to kill all women who were prettier than her.

‘No one thought that the culprit could be a woman.’

There were other female serial killers in the past, but she was the first in Hawaii. Seeing how the victims were sexually assaulted before getting murdered, many thought of a man as the culprit. While the Hawaiian investigative authorities used the clues to look for a lead, Ahn Soo Ho used the items left at the scene to look into the memories that took him to the culprit.

He would have been quite successful as a police or a prosecutor.

When Ahn Soo Ho first found the culprit, he was going to tell the investigative authorities. However, he changed his mind, and that was because Lily Okamoto wasn’t a pure native there.

She was half native.

A half-blood.

She wasn’t able to receive 100% treatment as a native, but the native groups that protested against the government were bound to try to protect her. Once that occurred, it was possible that the attention of the media would make the case disappear due to even the smallest mistake in the arrest process.

The court of law wasn’t a place where the truth was hidden.

“If I transferred Carles Borne to the Hawaiian authorities, that crazy bitch probably would have tried to manipulate the media.”

“Bitch? The culprit is a woman?”

“Yeah. That’s why she hasn’t been caught.”

“Damn it!”

George threw his fist into the air and then laughed bitterly.

“A native and a woman... What a headache.”

“She probably still would have been in court.”

“I can’t deny that.”

It had been 6 years already, but if it was handed over to the court, the Hawaiian prosecution would have grown tired appeal after appeal. George imagined the dreaded battle against the media and put on a disgusted face.

“You saved me from a heart attack, Soo Ho.”

“No need to thank me. What about the patrol car?”

“It’s on its way. I asked for two.”

“Two? What for?”

George didn’t respond to Ahn Soo Ho’s question. That was because the two patrol cars arrived right at that very moment. He then laughed at the person that stood in between two police officers.

“Special Agent Karen?”

“I was fired thanks to you.”

FBI special agent, Emily Karen was no longer an agent but an external advisor. She didn’t look so happy. But she wasn’t angry either. And why was he reminded of Lee So Hye’s angry face?

“I’ll be going.”

As soon as the vibe turned weird, George ran off.

“Are you doing well?”

“No.”

“That’s why you should’ve gone easy.”

“The one who told me to dig up dirt on Huxley Group turned out to be close with Barbara Huxley. Was it a trap?”

“No... It probably wasn’t anyone around Barbara who attacked you. I bet it was someone underneath her.”

Barbara had more important things to do than worry about an FBI agent. And Emily Karen knew that as well.

“Let’s go.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as Ahn Soo Ho sat next to Barbara in the front seat, the second car followed from behind them.

“Tell me about the situation.”

“I have a question first.’

“The rumors about how I took care of KoKo-Head Butcher?”

“Is it true?”

“Since you’re my partner, I’ll tell you. Yeah. I did.”

“By taking care of him...”

“I killed him.”

“Ha.”

Former FBI agent, Emily Karen was shocked by his confident confession to murder. She didn’t know what to do with it.

“Then was this a copycat crime?”

“But it was too detailed to be just a copycat.”

“Maybe she had the police report.”

“Don’t say things like that in front of the police.”

“Of course not. Do I look stupid, Soo Ho?”

“As long as you know.”

All organizations got closer as a result of an external attack. Since the Hawaiian police had tons of high-ranking officials and famous people annoying them, they didn’t want an outsider like Karen to make things more complicated.

KoKo-Head Park was located in the east of Honolulu. But it was no central park. It was just a small baseball field and a stage beside a residential area.

However, just like New Yorkers, people became less interested in other people’s affairs the further they got from the city of Honolulu. Even if someone beside them got robbed, they weren’t interested in trying to help out.

Once Ahn Soo Ho got to the scene, he looked through the memories of the site. There was some interference to his magic due to mother nature, but that was why he had supercomputers in his secret pocket.

‘This is what I wanted to see.’

Without the algorithm, he would have had to look through memories all day long.

‘I found it.’

He saw someone leaving a head’s body. And Ahn Soo Ho made that into a video. Since they could ask for its origin, he made it look like a CCTV footage.

“Let’s go.”

“Pardon?”

Emily Karen, who just started to open her case report, tilted her head in confusion.

“I saw everything I needed to see.”

“But we’ve only been here for a minute.”

“That’s the difference between a pro and an amateur.”

Karen knitted her brows in response.

“Don’t say things like that in front of the police.”

“Of course not. Do I look stupid, Emily?”

She gave him the middle finger for saying exactly what she said a few minutes back. When they first came to KoKo-Head Park, the second car led the way, but this time, Ahn Soo Ho drove and led the way.

“Where are we going?”

“Waikiki.”

He went back to where he came from.

The end result of the requests he accepted before retirement could be categorized into two. It either ended in a negotiation, or he had to show off his skills. Following the annihilation of Kadesh, 99% of the cases ended as negotiations.

And the remaining 1% were taken care of by Logan and his underlings, so he didn’t have to do much. Therefore, taking on a case where he had to kill was very rare.

“Do you know about FIVE-O, Emily?”

“Hawaii’s FIVE-O? Is that from a drama?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“You could call them... Hawaii’s group of old marines.”

“Oh, the group of former military soldiers and police officers?”

Former Hawaiian police officers ultimately stayed in Hawaii, and those who were dispatched elsewhere returned after their duties as well. FIVE-O was a collection of former police officers and soldiers of Hawaii. Soldiers and police officers was an ironic combination, but in Hawaii, where public safety was bad, they put that above anything else.

Hawaii had the most security guard companies and private detectives in America. The second best item of Hawaii after its beautiful scenery was the number of freelancing security officers.

“Soo Ho.”

“Jeffery.”

Karen almost pulled out her gun at the voice that she heard behind him. What she was more shocked about was the fact that someone was able to get so close to her without her realizing it. If the other person wanted to kill her, they could have done so already.

“This is Emily Karen. She’s a former FBI agent, but just an outsider now.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Karen.”

Jeffery was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and sandals that made him look like a tourist in Hawaii.

“Where’s your wife, Soo Ho?”

“Why is everyone so interested in my wife?”

“We’re just curious about the future of Soo Ho Junior.”

“Why? Are you afraid that he’ll turn out to be a monster like me?”

“Well... I’m retired now, so I don’t care. But the ones currently working are probably curious.”

Jeffrey ordered a drink and then noticed a man wearing a police uniform.

“Why is there police here?”

“I accepted a request from George.”

“Is it KoKo-Head Butcher?”

Ahn Soo Ho shrugged.

“Do you know anything?”

“There are rumors that he’s a professional.”

“What level?”

“A at least.”

If the police knew that much, there was no reason why they couldn’t find a suspect. Those who thought that guns were easier to use than guns had never shot a gun before.

“Is there a reward?”

“No.”

Personal revenge was restricted, but when a rich person with money was the victim, a reward was often put on the culprit. And since many famous people owned houses in Hawaii, there were many service centers that catered to their needs.

“The victim’s family isn’t well off.”

“What about the police?”

“Since they were humiliated 6 years ago, they can’t put a reward on him now.”

“I feel bad now.”

Ahn Soo Ho screwed over the police by secretly killing the suspect. As soon as their ordered beverage came out, Jeffery stared at Ahn Soo Ho.

“Did you find him again this time?”

Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone and showed him. On the screen was a clear face.

“Who’s this?”

Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger in response to Jeffery’s question.

“Ha!”

There was a masseuse rubbing the back of a person lying on a sunbed by the beach. And that person had the same face as the one holding the body in the photo.

“How did you get this?”

“That’s a secret.”

He couldn’t tell him that he used his magic and then used his supercomputer to edit the photo.

“Seeing how you’re not looking for George right away... this photo must have no power as evidence.”

“Because I can’t reveal the origin.”

If they went to court, he had to reveal the entire investigation process.

“Then we’d better bury the evidence. Or...”

“Catch him red-handed.”

“How much do you want?”

“The death penalty.”

“Then we’ll need the best evidence possible. That’s expensive.”

Ahn Soo Ho gave him a memo that had his bitcoin wallet ID and password.

“Thanks for using our service center, Soo Ho.”

Jeffery disappeared and Emily Karen looked at Ahn Soo Ho in shock.

“What... was that?”

“Justice.”

“Are you going to plant evidence on that person?”

She pointed at the man giving the massage. She didn’t know why that person was the culprit, but after hearing Ahn Soo Ho and Jeffery’s conversation, this wasn’t their first time doing this.

“If I had it my way, I should have just killed her. But I don’t want to make it harder for George and the Hawaii police department.”

“But why is that man the culprit?”

On top of only observing the scene of the crime for a few minutes, he was trying to fabricate evidence. Karen was so shocked by what she saw in the last hour that she was at a loss for words.

Ahn Soo Ho smirked.

“All cases come with a story.”

The victim’s story, the witness’s story, the suspect’s story, the investigator’s story, and the true culprit’s story were all mixed together to complete the case. However, Ahn Soo Ho didn’t care about the little details.

He had no interest in why Lily Okamoto became a murderer. To him, this was just a hunt. And what was important was that he resolved the problem.

“I don’t care about the cause or process. All I care about is the outcome. That’s my only story.”

The cause and process of the case were for others to find out. For him, he just needed to take out the trash.

“But how are you so sure?”

“I just am.”

Ahn Soo Ho was speaking the truth, but to her, it didn’t sound like it at all.

“I just knew.”

Emily Karen’s face became red. She looked like she was about to blow up.

“Look over there, Emily.”

She turned her head toward where he was pointing. She saw teenage boys riding their skateboards. They weren’t doing anything horribly dangerous, but the way they passed through the busy sidewalks seemed risky.

“One of them will get into an accident.”

As soon as Ahn Soo Ho finished his sentence, one of them ran into a pedestrian.

“And now that they drew attention, another guy will steal the wallet.”

An old woman’s wallet was taken so fast that it could have been missed from far away. Once they achieved their goal, the boys ran off quickly.

“But due to a careless driver, they’ll get into a car accident.”

“Yeah right.”

Karen, who was calling him out for nonsense, saw a dashing skateboard run into a truck that didn’t see him.

There were screaming and sounds of the siren.

She stared at the scene and Ahn Soo Ho with a confused look on her face. ‘What’s going on?’ Karen got shivers up her spine. Ahn Soo Ho left her behind and finished his drink.

“I just know, Emily. I just know.”

It was still hard to believe. So he opened his eyes wide.

“You have a small mole underneath your chest.”

“Huh?”

“And you have a heart tattoo under your belly button.”

“Huh?”

“And below that... Whoa!”

“Gasp!”

Emily sprung up and covered her chest and lower area with her arms. Ahn Soo Ho then got up and threw her his last line.

“So that’s why you were being so cranky today.”

That magical day.

“Hey! You son of a bitch!”

She blew up.

Four days later, the arrest of the KoKo-Head murderer was broadcasted on the news. Emily Karen visited Ahn Soo Ho’s house that evening.

“I thought you were never going to see me again.”

“How did you know?”

“You shouldn’t just cut to the chase like that.”

“How did you know he was the culprit?”

She doubted Ahn Soo Ho but still monitored the target, and when the suspect was ambushed four days later, the police ended up killing him. And whether the evidence was real or not, they were found at the suspect’s house and workplace.

Hawaii’s police and prosecution was busy wrapping up the case. What did Ahn Soo Ho get out of this? George intensified the patrol around Ahn Soo Ho’s house and even dispatched a police unit.

“Do you really want to know?”

“Yes.”

“If you’re that curious, give me 500 won.”

“Pardon?”

“Sorry.”

Ahn Soo Ho liked her.

If something was wrong, she went against the FBI director, and while going against those in power, she always found a way to save herself. She had an average sense of duty to serve the common good. And that average trait looked special to him.

Same with today.

Did she really come here because she wanted to know how he knew? That wasn’t the case. The reason why people came to him was because they wanted something, and usually that led to a request. However, Emily Karen wasn’t a rich person or a person of influence.

“I have a proposal for you, Emily.”

This position was originally supposed to go to Yoon Chul of the 8-member group.

“How would you like to be the police commissioner of Emerald City?”

******

“Is Emily Karen a useful woman?”

“I don’t know if America is overflowing with talented people, but there’s one person I want for myself.”

“I have a lot of men waiting to work for you, too.”

“Yeah right!”

Even when Jeremy Eaton O’Hare of the CIA came to see Ahn Soo Ho, Hawaii was still bustling due to the KoKo-Head murderer.

“Did you call because of the old man?”

“Please tell me you’re not supporting him, Soo Ho.”

The relationship between Hector Garcia and the CIA was over a long time ago.

“I’m not.”

“Thank god.”

“Frankfurt is your doing, isn’t it?”

“Aquilan is a good tool at a time like this.”

“The old man won’t be a joke either.”

“Half of the European task force is having a hard time just because of one old man. One mistake is already too much.”

Eaton showed his confidence, but Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.

“He’s not the same old man from before, Eaton.”

“What do you mean?”

“He has supernatural powers now.”

“What?”

Eaton immediately pulled out his phone. He left the room and didn’t come back. Since he wasn’t the type to leave without saying goodbye, something big must have happened.

‘That was a great comeback stage, old man.’

If another war happened against the CIA, the intelligence world was going to focus on Hector Garcia. Following Ahn Soo Ho’s retirement, the intelligence agencies of each country grew rapidly and fought against each other.

‘Whatever.’

He clearly warned the old man.

Ahn Soo Ho opened the newspaper.

Director Oh Joo Kyung reveals that the Emerald City plan has nothing to do with Hosoo Entertainment Group!

Daesan Construction, Hosoo Entertainment Town, and now Emerald City–They’re looking for the next construction jackpot! Chairman Kim Dae San shows confidence!

The duration will be 30 years, and the expenses will be 100 trillion won! The construction companies going after Emerald City are at Hosoo Entertainment Group’s doors!

The Korean ambassador promises everything he can to make Chairman Ahn Soo Ho want his citizenship back! The Blue House agrees! Each party will be making efforts to make Chairman Ahn Soo Ho the next president!

They were saying a bunch of nonsense.

‘What a sight.’

Koreans definitely had a lot of spirit. They were cussing him out before it was revealed that he was planning to build Emerald City.

The climax was Ahn Soo Ho’s wedding.

Seeing how even the politicians that were kicked out for not getting invited were still talking about making him president, they had no shame.

‘I wonder if the new party is ready. I should make a call to check.’

The 8-member group’s Jung Sol Ji, who entered the political world early, decided to make an attempt at it again.

‘There’s no need to worry about Chul or Soo Jung.’

Yoon Chul would continue to be in charge of the Hosoo Guard Team, and Kim So Jung was going to become the president of HBS.

‘And Jung Yeon will do a good job.’

Since the investment for Choi Jung Yeon’s medical foundation came from Ahn Soo Ho’s pockets, no one was going to say anything about how it should be operated.

‘The problem is...’

Han Kyung Il, who was punished for disobedience, Kang Joon, who was stuck between the rich, and Kim Min Shik, who was in court for whistle-blowing. Han Kyung Il and Kang Joon were strong enough to handle themselves, but Kim Min Shik was too soft.

‘He should have held back for a little longer.’

Just like in the Naval Academy, Kim Min Shik was too proper. Whistle-blowing was a just thing to do, but Korea didn’t have a system that could protect such courageous people.

‘I’d better get Bridal Mask involved.’

He felt bad for his friend, but if he focused on the Korean government’s attention on Bridal Mask, he could avoid a harsh punishment. He just had to figure out his friend’s whereabouts.

‘This will do.’

As someone who didn’t do much meticulous work, Ahn Soo Ho put a lot of effort into his plan. He soon felt very tired. He wasn’t actually tired, but he felt like he worked too hard for someone on vacation.

‘I should rest.’

< Protect – Episode 204 – Sim City [4] > The end.