Suho stared at the ringing phone for a moment.
Why is he calling?
Does he have something to say?
After a brief hesitation, he picked up.
"Yes, senior."
The exchange was casual and lighthearted—banter without much depth.
But why did he call?
Surely, it wasn’t just for small talk.
As the pleasantries faded, Pi Seong-yeol got to the point.
Pi Seong-yeol, taking the lead?
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Why?
Sure, Suho was a promising junior, but was there really a need for someone of Pi’s status to take such an active role?
The answer came quickly enough.
This meant the Special Operations Department could step in and perform tasks from any other department, including investigations.
“Combining evaluations for both departments?”
As far as Suho knew, this was unprecedented.
Then again, with someone as influential as Pi Seong-yeol pulling the strings, the impossible became plausible.
“It’s not like the Association President would object.”
What exactly was Pi planning? How would he structure the combined evaluation? Suho decided to listen.
"Combining them into one test?"
“This feels like he’s setting something big up. Maybe it’s time I leak a story to the press?”
As the call ended, Suho placed his phone on the side table, deep in thought.
“What is he planning, being so secretive?”
The intrigue was growing.
After a moment’s reflection, Suho picked up his phone again and dialed Jo Jin-hwi.
***
The next day, Suho headed to the Special Division, timing his arrival with Pi Seong-yeol’s.
He had already spoken with Jeong Cheol-min on the phone, who, surprisingly, hadn’t been informed that he was no longer Suho’s supervisor.
“He just went ahead without telling Cheol-min hyung? Typical bulldozer behavior.”
Still, Cheol-min understood the situation, and Suho waited nearby until it was time to enter the Special Division’s director’s office.
"Oh, you’re here?"
Pi Seong-yeol greeted Suho warmly as he stepped into the room.
"Take a seat."
"Yes, sir."
As Suho sat down, Pi removed his jacket and settled into the main seat. His expression was relaxed, almost amused.
"I heard you pulled off something impressive in the Detection Department as well?"
"It wasn’t anything significant."
"Haha, if you say so, then it must be true. But you know, the rest of the world doesn’t see it that way. Good job, though."
"Thank you, sir."
"Well, here you go."
Pi handed Suho a folder.
Opening it, Suho immediately recognized a familiar name.
Kim Goong-won.
Pi spoke as he pulled out a cigarette.
"That bastard, Kim Goong-won, is rotting away in Cheong-ok now."
Of course.
Cheong-ok was the ultimate prison for player criminals—a hellish place where even the most defiant and vicious players were forced to comply.
But why was he bringing up Kim Goong-won now?
"Does my evaluation involve Kim Goong-won?"
"In a way, yes. Do you remember when we arrested him?"
"Yes, I do."
"Who was with him back then?"
"Son Baek-geum was."
"Flip to the next page."
Suho turned the page as instructed, revealing a profile and photo of Son Baek-geum.
Lighting his cigarette, Pi continued.
"Why did we leave Son Baek-geum behind back then?"
"I reported that we couldn’t handle him at the time."
"Right. But what if you could handle him now?"
Pi took a long drag from his cigarette, exhaling smoke that formed hazy patterns in the air.
At that moment, Suho understood what Pi was orchestrating.
“This is all about countering Park Gyu-min.”
The evaluation was just a pretense to address unresolved matters while simultaneously gauging Suho’s abilities. It was also a move to solidify Pi’s influence over him.
“He’s testing me while ensuring I get my hands dirty. That way, I’m bound to him.”
Suho smirked, nodding.
"If it’s within my ability, I’ll take care of it."
His immediate, unwavering response made Pi grin, the gold of his tooth glinting as his ambitions shone through.
"Good. Go deal with Son Baek-geum. If you wrap this up neatly, I’ll ensure you get perfect scores in both department evaluations."
"Just ‘deal with him,’ sir? That seems a bit too simple."
"Of course not. I need you to ‘deal with him’ and gather evidence on his connections. Bring me receipts."
"Understood."
"You didn’t even ask who his connections are?"
"If I can’t figure that out myself, I wouldn’t be much use, would I? I’ll handle it thoroughly."
"Efficient as always. How much time do you need?"
"As much as you think is reasonable."
"Take a week. Treat it as your last bit of downtime. Once this is over, you’re stepping into the deputy team leader role in the Special Division."
"Yes, sir."
Suho’s precise and resolute answers seemed to amuse Pi, who let out a chuckle amidst a cloud of smoke.
"Suho."
"Yes, sir?"
"Want to hear an interesting story?"
"What kind of story, sir?"
"Aren’t you curious about how I know everything about the connection between Son Baek-geum and the Vice President?"
At Pi Seong-yeol’s words, Suho’s eyes widened slightly.
Why bring this up now?
Still, the curiosity was there. How exactly did Pi Seong-yeol know about all of this?
Suho decided to ask.
"If I may, I’d like to carefully ask about it, sir."
"There’s nothing to be careful about; it’s simple. Son Baek-geum came to me before he ever went to Park Gyu-min."
"...?"
Huh.
This was completely unexpected.
But it did clear up the mystery in an instant.
Pi Seong-yeol continued speaking.
"That bastard Son Baek-geum may have grown big thanks to Kim Goong-won’s drugs, but he’s not just a thug dealing substances. The guy has business acumen and solid instincts. So naturally, he came to me first. Had a good eye, that one. Figured I was a better bet than the Vice President."
"Then why did you turn him down, sir? Ethics?"
"Ethics? Do we look like the kind of people who care about that?"
"Then why, sir?"
"Because it’s filthy."
"Excuse me?"
"Taking money from filthy bastards makes you filthy too. You know where I worked before this, don’t you?"
Ah.
At that moment, Suho remembered exactly who Pi Seong-yeol had been and where he had come from.
Pi clarified it himself.
"I used to work for the prosecution. Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office, to be exact. Then I awakened, and here I am now."
And that was exactly how it happened.
He had been one of the top prosecutors in Seoul Central.
But regardless of his status, the system didn’t discriminate. Awakening as a player stripped him of his position.
Korea, like other countries, had strict rules barring awakened individuals from holding certain positions, including judges and prosecutors.
‘That applies to all judges and prosecutors, too.’
Why were awakened individuals banned from those roles?
Who knew?
It was something decided by people at the top.
For Pi Seong-yeol, awakening meant the abrupt end of his career and the power that came with it. From that moment, his obsession with power only grew.
Power was like a drug—once tasted, it was impossible to quit.
‘And his way back to power was through the Association.’
For Pi Seong-yeol, it was the best move.
The Association was one of the few government institutions where awakened individuals could work while still holding power.
His skills as a former prosecutor earned him a spot, and he rose rapidly through the ranks.
Even as an awakened individual, Pi Seong-yeol deliberately avoided leveling up. He relied solely on the abilities he had honed as a prosecutor, eventually becoming the head of the Special Division.
Pi Seong-yeol’s superiority complex stemmed from this.
He already viewed himself as nobility, and losing everything overnight only made him cling harder to his belief in his inherent superiority.
Blowing out a puff of smoke, Pi Seong-yeol said,
"So here’s the deal. Now that you’re one of my people, don’t even think about lining your pockets behind my back. That’s something I will never tolerate."
"Of course, sir."
"Good. Always remember this—just because someone looks human doesn’t mean they’re all the same. You and I, we’re cut from a different cloth. So don’t ever take dirty money from those thug bastards dealing drugs. If you have power, money will come to you naturally."
"Yes, sir. I understand."
Right.
This was who Pi Seong-yeol was.
A man who didn’t care for petty riches, only obsessed with pure, unadulterated power.
If Park Gyu-min was the kind of guy who chased both power and wealth, Pi Seong-yeol was a lunatic wholly consumed by the pursuit of power alone.
‘This type of person is scarier. He knows exactly what he wants and goes after it without hesitation.’
That’s why he could orchestrate catastrophic events like the redevelopment gate incident without batting an eye.
Pi Seong-yeol asked,
"Anything else you need? Any questions?"
Suho hesitated briefly, pretending to deliberate, before bringing up a carefully prepared request.
"If it’s not too much, sir, could I ask for one personal favor?"
"A personal favor?"
Pi Seong-yeol tilted his head slightly, intrigued by Suho’s unexpected response.