Dare You To Death: Solve the Mystery, See the Death.

Investigation Part 19

 

Jade was standing, watching Khamin get out of the car. Tonight, the capable police officer was dressed differently than usual. His gold satin shirt had three buttons unbuttoned, revealing his chest. The same-coloured pants were tight on his body, clearly showing his figure from the hips down. His hair was left down naturally today, making the person in front of him look even younger.

 

"What are you looking at?"

 

“Is it really necessary to dress up like this?”

 

“Come to a place like this; how do you want me to dress? Full police uniform?”

 

"Do you know how horny that bastard is? Do you think he'll let you out if he sees you like this, Khamin?" Jade stood with his arms crossed, looking at the person in front of him before raising an eyebrow.

 

“Let’s contact each other this way.”

 

Khamin chose to ignore it before handing the other person a small communication earpiece, so that in case of emergency, he wouldn't have to reach for his phone.

 

“Are you listening to what I’m saying?”

 

"Didn't listen"

 

“Why are you so stubborn? I’ll go find that bastard, too.”

 

"Then who's going to investigate the drugs?" Khamin pretended to ask, putting on his headphones and getting ready. Today, the person in front of him wasn't much different from him. Jade wore a black tank top, his favourite black leather jacket over it, matching pants, and sneakers. His hair was styled up, revealing his forehead, and he looked more composed. "If there's no one else, then do your job. I'm giving orders as an inspector."

 

"Don't come asking for help later."

 

Khamin looked at the backs of his colleagues walking away and could only shake his head slightly. He knew that Jade had worked here for a long time and knew more than he did. But if the plan he had laid out today didn't work, they would work harder and find it harder to investigate. At the very least, he would get some information to take back tonight.

The two of them arrived at the front of a large building. It was located in a secluded area, and only people with cards or insiders could enter. For him, the invitation card had just arrived, but for Jade and his partner from the investigation unit, it might be a bit difficult.

 

The two guards in front stood blocking the door before looking at Khamin with an unfriendly gaze until he handed them Sunjae's business card.

 

“Please.” Jade looked from a distance so as not to raise suspicion that they had come together. After Khamin entered, he pretended to step aside to smoke. Five or six people were sitting in that area, and it seemed that there were both night owls and employees.

 

"Do you have a lighter I can borrow?" Jade walked up to a young boy who was inhaling nicotine into his lungs. His face was green, his eyes bulging, and he looked upset. It was a familiar sight to him when he came to investigate here. The boy handed him a lighter before blowing smoke from his mouth. Jade took it, lit it, then handed it back and sat down beside him.

 

“What happened?”

 

“You don't have to choose.”

 

"Tee, just asking who you're fighting in this match."

 

“Bet?”

 

"There are quite a few. Are there any pairs worth playing with?"

 

"There are some. The manager said there will be a special couple today." Jade felt a little uneasy and asked for more information.

 

"Who"

 

"I don't know. He hasn't told me yet." Jade threw the unlit cigarette onto the floor before pointing at his foot and walking towards the door with the entrance card he'd stolen from the boy's shirt while the boy wasn't looking.

 

Once inside, he tried to look for Khamin. They had agreed to meet in the farthest bathroom, just like he had texted Leo and Yuki. The atmosphere inside was the same as the day he had come to investigate and try to shut this place down. Inside, it was divided into separate zones. There was a bar and tables for drinking. On a stage, scantily clad women danced seductively, as well as on smaller stages with poles in various spots. Walking a bit farther, I came to a casino where many people went bankrupt. This place was divided into three floors. The second floor was the guest rooms, but they weren't for guests or tourists; they were for prostitution, offering all kinds of services, whether male or female. The third floor was Sonjae's workplace, and he would definitely take Khamin there to talk.

 

Jade walked straight to the bathroom. When he arrived, he immediately knocked on the door of the far room. When the door opened, he found Khamin really inside.

 

"Slow"

 

"You're in such a hurry; why don't you get two of his business cards?" The sound of the bathroom door opening and a group of people about to enter made Khamin pull Jade into the same room.

 

“The second-grade freshman is so hot. I’ll definitely come back.”

 

“What number?”

 

"B Berton"

 

“Year? A man?”

 

"Yes, that's a great animal. Small, white, and very stylish."

 

"You make me want to try it." Khamin listened to the conversation outside with an indifferent expression before looking up at Jade, who was standing just a few inches away. The bathroom was already too small for two people to fit together.

 

“Prostitution too?” Khamin whispered.

 

“Everything illegal here is covered,” Jade whispered in Khamin’s ear, his scent wafting from him. “It’s been causing trouble for the villagers for ages, but no one has tried to take action because of the power and money. I hope you’re better than that.”

 

"Do you think I'd accept a bribe?" Jade glanced at the person's face, which was less than a cubit away.

 

“Whether you do it or not is up to you. But if you do it, I will be very disappointed.”

 

"Learn to be disappointed a lot so you'll get used to it." The two looked at each other, neither willing to give in until they realised that the conversation in the bathroom had quieted down for a moment.

 

Knock, knock, knock.

 

A knock on the door made them both turn to look, and before they looked down, they saw two pairs of leather shoes.

 

"If you're here, come out." Jade reached for the doorknob because of a familiar voice.

 

“I don't want to see your face.”

 

"I think I want it." The person in front of him was Leo, while Yuki stood next to him.

 

Leo and Yuki are agents from the Special Investigation Unit. This secret, non-governmental organisation works with the police department to investigate cases that government officials are unable to handle.

 

A tall, blonde-haired, and annoying foreign man named Leo. Standing next to him, not much different in build, was a man with black hair tinged with blue and a calm demeanour. His name was Yuki. They were both field units sent to handle cases on that side as well. The three of them had trained together for the special investigation unit several years ago. He thought that at that time, Jade had ankle problems and was only a reserve, so he came to work as a police officer instead.

 

"I'm Yuki. This is Leo," Yuki introduced himself and the person next to him to Khamin.

 

"I'm Khamin. I'm a police lieutenant at this police station."

 

"Hey, Jade ."

 

"Hey, Yu." The intimate words made Khamin think of Jay's words about Jay liking someone named Yuki.

 

Ah, this person.

 

"Mine." Leo stood between Yuki and Jade.

 

Khamin looked down at his watch and saw that it was almost time for the meeting, so he slipped outside. He found that the conversation that had disappeared was because the two special investigation officers had knocked out those people and stuffed them into their respective bathrooms.

 

“I have to go see the manager here. Are you guys going to investigate my case?”

 

"Yes"

 

"Okay, then I'll be going first. Be careful." Jade stared at Khamin's back without blinking until Yuki called out again.

 

“Shall we split up? Are you going to investigate the drugs found at the scene, Jade ?”

 

"Um"

 

"Then I'll go up to the second floor, and you watch the battlefield outside, Lee." The three of them split up to do their own tasks, although Leo and Jade didn't get along very well, as he had once courted Yuki as well.

 

Khamin walked towards the private elevator reserved for Sunjae. Although he had established himself as the manager, the information he had received indicated that the man was the owner of the place. He had started by fleeing from Korea with a large sum of money before expanding the business, and he had settled down permanently. Khamin handed his business card to the elevator guard and passed through easily.

 

Upon reaching the third floor, the elevator door slowly opened, revealing a long, black-carpeted corridor leading to a room. Khamin took a deep breath before walking in without hesitation. Inside, two men in black stood guard. The place was decorated with all-black furniture. On one side was a mirror, offering a clear view of the outside. A large chair sat in front of the mirror, and the person sitting there gave Khamin an ill-intentioned smile.

 

“Are you here? I’ve been waiting for a long time.”

 

"I'm here to discuss some business, and then I'll go back."

 

“Why are you in such a hurry? Let’s just sit down and talk all night. Come on, sit down.” The inviting, almost coercive tone made Khamin nervous. He walked over and sat on the chair opposite him before peering outside the window. If he wasn’t mistaken, it looked like an open space outside that was used as a fighting arena. 

 

“Would you like something to drink, Inspector?”

 

“No, I wouldn’t drink anything from here for nothing.”

 

“Hahaha, why are you so careful? I’m not a bad person.”

 

“What I heard isn’t like that. Let’s get to the point.”

 

“If you want,” Sunjae finished the golden whiskey in his glass before waving his hand to signal his men to bring a stack of money and place it all over the table in front of Khamin. “Ten million for two years of not knowing anything about everything here.”

 

“Just ten million and all the trouble you caused? I don’t think that’s enough.”

 

“Hmm, you’re much more interesting than I thought. Then I’ll raise it to fifteen million. What do you think?”

 

“The previous people only received this much money?”

 

SunJae stood up and walked towards Khamin. He slowly leaned his face down until their noses were less than a cubit apart.

 

“How much do you want, Inspector? I’m willing to pay you whatever you want if it’s worth it.” Sunjae’s fingertips slowly traced Khamin’s neck to the centre of his chest.

 

“Didn’t the previous officers ever negotiate?”

 

“Humph, those people’s eyes lit up when I put the money in front of them. Once I told them the amount, no one bothered to negotiate. You’re the first.”

 

“That’s good, because I’ll have a lot more leverage.”

 

"Say it," the tall man leaned against the table before looking at Khamin with a flirtatious gaze.

 

“My only condition is to close this place.” The person who had once had a playful look in his eyes suddenly turned hard in a split second.

 

“You must have misunderstood something. I don’t accept refusal.”

 

“You must have misunderstood it, too. I didn't come here to take a bribe. I came here to give you an ultimatum to close this place and to prosecute all the things you've created.”

 

“Do you dare?”

 

Khamin stood and faced the young man staring at him. His slender hands ran over the pile of banknotes before he gently pushed them down. “If I didn’t dare, I wouldn’t have come.”

 

Sunjae raised his palm high, but before he could swing it down to hit Khamin's face, the familiar chill of the muzzle of the gun made him pause. Khamin snatched the weapon from the man's waist and pointed it at his forehead with his face as stern as ever.

 

"Before you get carried away, why don't you look back, Inspector?" Behind Khamin, two of Sunjae's subordinates were standing with guns pointed at him without hesitation.

 

“I can pull the trigger faster than your men, for sure. Don’t worry.”

 

“You might get away with this,” SunJae smirked before glancing out the window. “What about your subordinates?”

 

Khamin glanced in the same direction before seeing that the people he had brought with him were in a fighting arena surrounded by bars. Opposite him was a large, muscular man with an angry demeanour, ready to charge at any moment.

 

"I already knew that bloodthirsty captain would follow, so I arranged a special match to wait. What should we do, Inspector? Should we watch our son and brother get beaten to death, or should we continue our business?" The man in front of him had the upper hand, forcing Khamin to think carefully. He didn't know what other tricks the other party was hiding. "Want to bet?"

 

“Alright, let’s make a bet. If he loses, I’ll resign. But if he wins…” Khamin sighed before lowering his gun and turning to look at the two fighters in the ring. “You can prepare to go to jail.”

 

As for Jade, who was previously searching for information about the drugs found on the victims' corpses, if he wanted to see the culprit, he would have to find the employees. He walked to the bar and ordered a strong drink from the bartender.

“Here you go, on the rocks.” A golden brandy glass with a single round ice cube was placed before Jade.

 

“More drunk than alcohol,” the clerk said, pausing before nodding. It was a code word known among the illegal traders. After a short wait, a large bodyguard led him into the area where he had to walk deeper into the casino deeper inside.

 

A black door cut off from the outside, allowing only those with a card to enter. Once inside, you will be presented with a dazzling array of illegal items, including weapons, drugs, alcohol, and even various tools that are not allowed to be brought into the country.

 

“What do you want?”

 

“Phencyclidine?” Jade said the name of the drug that Rin had told him to the man who looked like the guard in this zone.

 

"How much?"

 

"As far as the last time someone came to get it," he looked up, raised an eyebrow, and opened the computer beside him, probably to look at the information on the previous transaction.

 

"No one came to take it before."

 

"If no one had taken it before, how would I know where it was sold?" Jade continued to act unperturbed until he nodded to his subordinate behind him.

 

“What are you going to do with it? Wasn’t the last batch enough?”

 

"Many people are using it." Jade tried to answer broadly so as not to get caught in a suspicious situation, since he still didn't know the real buyer. After waiting for a while, his subordinate came back with a twenty-millilitre glass bottle. Inside was a white powder-like substance. "How much?"

 

“Fifty thousand.” Jade took out the cash he had prepared for this purpose and placed it on the table. Although it was a bit more expensive than he had thought, it was still good enough.

 

"Thank"

 

"If you want anything else, just drop by. Or you can have that young man drop by, too." Jade stared at the speaker's face calmly before secretly observing the surroundings. The area looked like a warehouse; his eyes then caught sight of a barrel placed on the second shelf.

 

“Hydrochloric acid.”

 

There were so many on the shelves, enough to be used to commit a murder in a bathtub.

 

With the information he needed, he was led back to the bar area as usual. The medicine he had obtained was tucked into the inside pocket of his jacket. Jade tried to contact Khamin, but he didn't seem to accept it, even though it had worked before.

 

Jade noticed that a group of men in black had been secretly watching him since he sat back down, and now they were about to approach him.

 

“Please come with us.”

 

“Come on, can’t you just come and have a drink?” Jade pretended not to be distressed, but he still kept his guard up.

 

“The boss invited me to come.”

 

"Let it show itself."

 

“Will you go with us, or should I send your lieutenant down instead?” Jade stopped his hand from raising the whiskey to his lips when he heard it mentioned.

 

"Where do you want me to go?" He put down his glass before taking off his jacket, leaving only a black tank top underneath. The coat was thrown towards Leo. The man in black in front was not paying attention.

 

He continued walking until he reached the building's exterior. It was not a deserted area, but a new area that he had never seen before. The bars were about three meters high. Outside, there was a grandstand filled with cheering people.

 

“And the winner is… Hong Wei!!!” The crowd clapped their hands furiously, cheering at the tall man who was raising his fist in the arena. Below, only tight white pants were covered with red marks. There was no need to ask what they were. From the condition of the opponent who had just been carried away, it was definitely blood from a broken body part. “And the next brave person who will challenge our ten-time champion, this man is quite brave to come here because he is… the captain from our police station!!!”

 

Boos erupted everywhere as people gave Jade a thumbs-up. This was an illegal place; this fight was illegal. No wonder the people here disliked anyone who tried to shut it down. Jade was pushed back into the bars before the door was closed and locked.

 

“What are the rules?”

 

“Rules? Hahaha. You're asking about the rules, officer? He’s asking about the rules, everyone.” The laughter was so loud that Jade had to use his tongue to vent his frustration. “Let’s put it this way, Captain. The only rule is: If you faint, you lose. And if you die, you lose too. There are no rules. There are no prohibitions. Is that clear?”

 

"Yes"

 

“Since this is a special match, we're raising the stakes a bit for the enjoyment of all the viewers. If the cop loses, he won't just lose to the people above him, either.” When the referee pointed up, Jade looked over and saw Khamin standing in a glass room next to that bastard SunJae.

 

“Holy shit,” Jade swore under his breath, still not taking his eyes off Khamin.

 

“Remember, there are no rules in this match, so watch out! The blood from the last round hasn’t even been wiped away yet! Hahaha,” the host said, rambling on to get people to place their bets. “Alright, we’ll start with three, two, one…fight!!!”

 

Jade turned back to face his opponent and raised his guard, ready to fight. But before he could reach out to pull his earphones out of his ears, he heard a sound that made him feel even more excited.

 

“Be careful, Jade .”

 

It was Khamin's voice.