NOVEL NEXT Chapter 132
Chapter 132
Si-hyun changed into his work uniform in the changing room and headed towards the main gate.
The sight that met his eyes was that of the main gate being completely demolished and under reconstruction.
Workers from outside were busy working under the watchful eyes of correctional officers.
“Hmph…”
Si-hyun clicked his tongue with a bitter expression.
He had never even imagined a correctional facility without a main gate.
Without a main gate, it couldn’t really be called a correctional facility.
That’s why the urgent reconstruction was underway, but—
Due to the urgency of the situation at that time, he didn’t really pay attention. Now, seeing it like this felt like the detention center had a gaping hole.
Shaking his head, Si-hyun walked toward the hastily made entrance.
The entrance looked sloppy, as if it had been hurriedly constructed.
He doubted even the main gates of the harsh eras of the 70s and 80s were this bad.
“Hello.”
The correctional officer at the main gate greeted him.
It was a completely unfamiliar face.
Given how many staff had died or been injured, it seemed many were correctional officers lent from other facilities.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
Si-hyun greeted and passed through the temporary entrance.
The inside of the main gate was also under construction.
With everything in a state of disarray due to this incident, immediate repairs were a must.
At least it was fortunate that the ward building remained intact.
Since not all inmates had been evacuated at the time, if the ward had been damaged, many inmates would have lost their lives.
By sheer luck, that disaster was avoided.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
Si-hyun greeted the workers and walked past them.
This was the first time he had seen so many outsiders inside the detention center at once.
It didn’t even feel like a detention center.
This construction wouldn’t finish in a day or two, so this atmosphere might last for several weeks.
Si-hyun went up to the Security Department Office.
Even climbing the familiar stairs felt different than usual.
It seemed the atmosphere of the place had changed.
As he entered the Security Department Office, he was greeted by the sight of unfamiliar staff.
About half of them looked unknown to him.
“Uh? Duty Chief Lee Si-hyun?”
A clerk, recognizing him, exclaimed with wide eyes. The other staff members promptly turned to look at Si-hyun.
Given his name and face had recently been plastered all over the media as a heroic correctional officer, it was understandable they were curious.
However, Si-hyun felt awkward under their gazes.
He simply bowed his head slightly, offering a quiet greeting.
“Hey, Duty Chief, come over here.”
The Security Department Head beckoned Si-hyun as if rescuing him from his awkwardness.
“Oh, yes.”
Grateful for the reprieve, Si-hyun quickly followed the Security Department Head into the Chief’s Office.
“Have a seat.”
“Yes.”
Si-hyun and the Security Department Head sat facing each other.
The Security Department Head now looked like he had aged at least ten years due to the ordeal they had faced.
His wrinkles were deeper, and he seemed to have more gray hair. His face bore the weight of extreme exhaustion.
“Duty Chief.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome…”
Hearing such an open expression of gratitude from the Head felt strange to Si-hyun, who fiddled anxiously with his fingers.
“How’s your body feeling?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“I thought you would die the moment you were injured. But then that woman showed up… It’s hard to believe what I saw…”
The Security Department Head remarked, still incredulous.
In a world where people with the ability to heal with Skills existed, the idea of someone healing wounds like those had been unimaginable in the past.
Yet, it was evident that those wounds were not at that level.
Seeing Si-hyun looking fine now made that disbelief understandable.
“Ah… yes, to be honest, I still can’t believe it myself.”
Si-hyun was sure he had died.
Even now, sometimes when he thought back on that moment, it felt as if that’s what dying felt like.
“Have you met that woman?”
“…No. I really want to meet her, but they say her whereabouts are unknown.”
Despite having experienced a great deal just a few days ago, Si-hyun answered without a change in expression. It seemed he was getting better at lying the more he did it.
After awakening, he had begun to conceal a lot, so he was getting used to it.
“I see. I was wondering if you might have met her. Such a pity, she’s a lifesaver for everyone.”
“Yes, I feel the same way.”
“Well, it can’t be helped.”
The Security Department Head paused as if his throat was dry, taking a sip of tea from his thermos.
Then he resumed speaking.
“You really accomplished a significant feat this time.”
“I just did my job; it’s embarrassing to keep saying that.”
“No, you did something really great. And you’ve certainly made a name for yourself up the organizational ladder. With the Kang Tae-eun incident and this matter, doors are definitely opening for you.”
Doors were opening.
No one would dislike that notion.
Hearing such unexpected praise from the Security Department Head perked Si-hyun’s ears.
He had indeed contributed in this instance, but he had been too busy with Hyris and the reporters to think about such things.
“Some of the higher-ups even suggested promoting you further. It’s a shame you didn’t make it through, though. It’s just that you were promoted not too long ago, and with so many staff lost, the general atmosphere in the HQ is tense.”
“Yes.”
Si-hyun responded with an ambiguous face to the Head’s explanation.
A 5th Grade Correctional Officer.
It was a rank that marked the beginning of a true executive career.
It was a position that one could only attain by passing the civil service exam, the very definition of success.
To think he had almost gotten that position due to this incident.
It was disappointing.
To say otherwise would be a lie.
But upon further reflection, he felt a sense of relief as well.
Once he reached that level, he would hardly interact with the inmates in the field.
After all, Si-hyun had planned to work as the Chief of the 6th Floor Ward in the Special Detention Center for at least another two years to enhance the guild’s strength.
That plan had nearly hit a snag.
Thinking back once again, it was truly a fortunate turn of events.
“Don’t be too disappointed.”
It seemed the Security Department Head had guessed differently about Si-hyun’s feelings and said so.
Before Si-hyun could respond that he was fine, the Head continued.
“This time, whether it’s the HQ or the field, you’ll receive a posting to where you want to go. It’s a consideration to help you build your career properly. Promotion will surely come faster now.”
It seemed the opening doors were indeed a reality.
The HQ or field wasn’t a place one could simply enter upon request.
Only correctional officers recognized for their competency in each department were invited to those places.
They made up only a tiny fraction when calculating the ratio of front-line staff.
For those few who had grasped legitimate opportunities for upward mobility, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they were in a rare category.
Had Si-hyun still been thinking as he did before, wanting to create a proper guild for himself, he might have jumped for joy.
However, the situation now was a little different.
“…I understand what you’re saying. I appreciate the high-ranking people’s consideration. However, as I mentioned before, I prefer being in the field. I want to stay there for as long as possible.”
The Security Department Head looked at Si-hyun with a bewildered expression upon hearing those words.
“Are you serious about that?”
“Of course.”
“If you want to work in the field, you can always take the title of Security Correctional Officer or Security Department Head later.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but I want to work inside the ward.”
“Oh, come on…”
The Head clicked his tongue, taken aback as he sipped his tea.
Hearing the complaints of 7th-grade Duty Chiefs or 6th-grade Section Chiefs about how tedious working in the wards was was common.
Especially those who worked in other departments and then had to return to the wards often sighed before doing so.
Considering that, this correctional officer in front of him was genuinely an outlier.
It was as if he had buried some kind of first-class treasure in the ward.
“In my 20-plus years as a correctional officer, I think you’re the first one I’ve met who doesn’t want a posting to the HQ or the field.”
“Haha.”
Si-hyun just awkwardly laughed and scratched his head.
“Let me confirm one more time. You truly do not want to go to the HQ or the field?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Alright, I’ll convey that to the Warden. If that’s your wish, what can I do?”
“Thank you.”
“Good, now go heal yourself in the ward, which you love so much.”
◈ ◈ ◈
The 6th Floor Ward was neatly organized.
It seemed the replacement correctional officer had a knack for keeping things tidy.
Anyway, it was nice to see everything clean.
Si-hyun checked his watch.
It was 9:30.
Today, he had come in a bit late at 9 instead of his usual time.
Normally, he would start with morning inspections, but that had already been taken care of by another correctional officer.
Still, he felt he should take a round of the ward.
He had not seen the inmates since the incident.
Though he didn’t feel great about it, there were inmates who had died and some who had been severely injured.
He had heard that while the staff on Unit 1 were safe, those on Unit 2 had lost their lives.
It was a tragic situation.
The employees who had evacuated to Unit 2 had all perished, even though they had just fled to another ward located so close by.
With a bitter expression, Si-hyun headed first to Unit 1.
◈ ◈ ◈
“They say our Chief is coming today.”
The Assistant Duty Officer of Unit 1 said.
“Yeah.”
The Duty Chief replied with a somewhat reluctant expression.
“Chief, why do you look like that?”
“I don’t really want to see that guy’s face. Maybe it’s because of things that happened.”
“Oh please, our Chief won’t say anything about that! Just treat him like usual. Besides, that incident will lead to some sort of punishment anyway.”
The Hunter correctional officers who had neglected their duties would face severe punishment, though it may not be full termination.
While neglecting duties typically led to mandatory resignation, it seemed they would be granted a suspended sentence since Hunters were not easy to come by.
The government and courts both understood that operating a special detention center without a Hunter correctional officer was an issue.
Moreover, the value of Hunters had skyrocketed due to the Abnormal Gate incident.
“You talk as if you won’t be punished.”
“I’ve just cleared my mind. Getting punished feels easier mentally.”
“Okay, okay. I got it, I got it.”
“Uh?”
“What?”
“Our Chief is coming.”
The Assistant Duty Officer pointed out Si-hyun on the CCTV screen. He opened the door to the Duty Room and stepped outside first.
The Duty Chief followed behind.
Si-hyun stood in front of Unit 1’s first room.
He seemed to be talking with an inmate.
As the Assistant Duty Officer moved closer to greet him, his expression quickly shifted to one of shock.
Inmate Baek Dong-il in Unit 1 was crying as if he had just reunited with lost parents.