NOVEL NEXT Chapter 156
Chapter 156: A Clash of Titans
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Dull-eyed Man kept banging his head against the floor like his life depended on it, as if he’d die from not doing so.
The torn wound widened, blood gushing out like a fountain.
The floor was already soaked, staining a vivid red.
It must have hurt like hell, but the Dull-eyed Man showed no signs of stopping, determined to keep hitting the ground.
It was as if fulfilling that bizarre mission was all that mattered to him.
Si-hyun, watching the scene with cold eyes, finally spoke up.
“Stop.”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
“I said stop.”
“Gah! Y-yes, sir!”
The Dull-eyed Man quickly halted his movements.
Blood dripped from the gash on his forehead as he kept his gaze glued to the floor, unable to lift his head.
His body trembled, as if he were a leaf in a storm.
Si-hyun remained silent for a moment, lost in thought as he eyed the Dull-eyed Man.
“….”
An eerie silence fell upon the ward.
No one had the guts to speak first, the weight of the atmosphere making it almost impossible.
And everyone knew that the one who dominated this spacious ward was an Oriental man from a tiny island.
‘A hero…’
Jake, staring blankly at Si-hyun, unconsciously muttered under his breath.
In that moment, Si-hyun looked every bit like a hero straight out of a movie.
It felt as if the very flow of the world revolved around him.
Everyone present was a mere side character, while he was the shining protagonist.
That very protagonist turned to face them.
With an expressionless face, he scanned the American correctional officers.
When their eyes met, the American officers involuntarily flinched.
A tense air filled the room, wondering what he might say.
Everyone had their eyes glued to Si-hyun, trying to figure out this man’s nature.
Ordinary folks might have felt dwarfed by the sheer number of American officers around them, too intimidated to express their true feelings, but he was definitely not that kind of person.
He might freely express his displeasure with the current situation.
Just then, the atmosphere shifted as Si-hyun suddenly broke into a smile.
The mood grew oddly strange with that unexpected action.
He opened his mouth.
“Managing awakened inmates isn’t an easy task. Outbursts from such inmates can happen, I understand.”
It seemed like he was opting to play nice after all.
The tension on the American officers eased up a bit.
Si-hyun strolled back toward his group.
His gaze shifted toward Dean, the Deputy Warden.
“I thought it was only Korea dealing with such issues, but even in the advanced correctional country of America, you face the same problems.”
“Yes, that’s true. It’s not widespread, but a few problematic inmates are definitely causing us headaches,” Dean replied, his smile perfectly crafted.
“Exactly. Problematic inmates are indeed the issue. I hope it’s okay to say this, but in my experience, a firm approach tends to work better with them.”
Si-hyun stole a glance at the still-trembling Dull-eyed Man as he spoke.
“Haha, I see. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Dean responded with a chuckle.
He continued, “Shall we head out then? While our hero officer has done splendidly in calming the agitated inmate, we should be cautious in case any further issues arise.”
“Let’s do that.”
The Warden agreed, and Dean turned to lead the way.
Tap.
Before they left, the Warden lightly patted Si-hyun’s shoulder, a gesture of approval for holding it together.
The Security Department Head also gave Si-hyun a supportive pat on the back as they walked ahead.
It was a sign that they navigated the awkward situation well.
Kang Baek leaned in to whisper quietly in Si-hyun’s ear.
“…Hyung, you were fantastic! That was so impressive, it felt like a weight lifted off my chest.”
“Just doing my job.”
Si-hyun waved it off nonchalantly.
For now, he decided to let it slide.
If the correctional officers had taken issue, the Warden would have likely already spoken up.
But this was the inmate’s behavior.
Such outbursts from inmates could occur at any moment.
If it had escalated to physical force outside of the bars, it would be a serious issue, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
Whatever was said from their side would likely end with a simple apology for not handling things better.
‘Interesting.’
A smirk crept onto Si-hyun’s face.
There’s no reason the U.S. government would go out of their way to create such a situation.
Whatever their qualms might be, it was probably instigated by Dean.
Or perhaps the Warden above him.
Actually, upon further thought, it seemed more likely to be the Warden.
It would be quite a stretch for Dean to act on his own.
Dean didn’t possess that level of authority.
Regardless, the important fact was whether it was Dean or the Warden, there was evidently some ill intent towards them.
And Si-hyun certainly had no intention of being a pushover.
“Let’s go.”
Si-hyun said to Kang Baek as he resumed his stride.
◈ ◈ ◈
“What an arrogant brat.”
Once Si-hyun and his group vanished from the ward, someone kicked the floor and shouted.
This was the domain of the American correctional officers.
Their home turf.
Naturally, it was up to the American officers to catch and release the inmates.
Yet, the Oriental officer from another country had come in and disrupted their territory like he owned the place.
Right in front of them, he had handled an inmate with an iron grip.
Of course, they felt humiliated.
“Who the hell is that guy?”
The veteran officer who kicked the floor looked around, demanding answers.
He was the third senior correctional officer in this ward.
“…I’m not sure about his name, but in Korea, he’s called the Hero Officer,” Jake cautiously replied as he assessed the atmosphere.
“What? Hero Officer? Are you out of your mind—what the heck, a correctional officer being a hero?”
The veteran officer scoffed, sounding utterly incredulous.
Even though he himself was a correctional officer, those working in the shadows could never garner public attention.
So ridiculous was the notion of calling one a hero that it was hard not to react.
“…He saved people and did various things…”
Jake’s whisper barely registered as none of the other officers seemed to pay him any mind.
“What are we going to do? Sit back and watch this unfold?”
The veteran officer exclaimed loudly.
“Dean will handle it. We just need to stay put,” Bell replied.
At that, many of the officers nodded in agreement.
They knew well enough what kind of person Dean was.
He would never let slip a chance of humiliation pass by without a thorough retaliation.
And it would likely be no different this time around.
“What will Dean do?”
The veteran officer looked at Bell, asking curiously.
Though he hated to admit it, that so-called hero from the East was no ordinary guy.
Even the veteran, with long experience, had never seen anyone so effortlessly dominate a B-class inmate outside of the Warden or Deputy Warden.
If he were to use the same methods, it was bound to backfire.
“Well, I suspect he’ll do something from the 4th floor.”
Bell pondered before speaking.
The 4th floor housed the A-class inmates.
The risk level was fundamentally different from the inmates on the lower floors.
Many were born killers who appeared solely interested in murder.
“4th floor, huh…that does make sense,” the veteran officer nodded thoughtfully.
“If it doesn’t work on the 4th floor…”
Someone spoke up, and the mood soured instantly.
Everyone’s minds drifted towards the concept of the 5th floor.
And on the 5th floor, ‘he’ was waiting.
The one who it was even terrifying to speak the name of.
“…W-we should go.”
The veteran officer said in a trembling voice, taking a shuddering step back before nearly bolting out of the ward.
Bell’s face also stiffened.
“…Surely it won’t come to that.”
He murmured in a heavy tone.
◈ ◈ ◈
The boat prepared for departure.
The vessel transporting inmates to Alcatraz Island operated intermittently.
Even in California, the most populous state handling special correction facilities, the number of awakened criminals was far lower than that of regular criminals.
Thus, there weren’t enough inmates arriving daily to fill the boat like a regular prison.
The captain took a moment for one last smoke before they boarded, watching the correctional officers usher the inmates onboard.
Once the boarding was complete, the officers would signal for departure.
Just as the cigarette began to dwindle, the officers signaled it was time to set sail.
With a flick, the captain tossed the spent cigarette into the sea.
Just as he was about to head up to the control room, a man waved his hands from a distance.
“Mind if I join you?”
An odd sight, the man had bright red hair that clashed with his formal suit.
He was wearing black sunglasses, looking rather out of place.
Next to him stood a tall woman, at least 185 cm, with a disinterested expression, as though she’d been dragged along unwillingly.
“Let’s head that way.”
As the man urged, the woman reluctantly shuffled her feet in his direction.
‘Who are they?’
The captain wondered, glancing at the approaching duo, similarly perplexed were the correctional officers.
When the man and woman closed in, one officer stepped forward to block their way.
“This dock isn’t open to just anyone. If you’re tourists, you need to go elsewhere.”
“I know. We’re headed to Alcatraz, right?”
The man replied, as if he were already informed about their destination.
Then, he pulled something from his pocket and showed it to the officer.
It looked like a card, though the details were unclear.
But upon seeing it, the officer’s expression shifted to one of shock.
And it was no wonder.
It was a visitation pass.
Not just any pass, but a very special one.
Unlike the regular paper passes, this one was crafted from a magical stone emblazoned with the seal of the California Director of Corrections.
Only those possessing this pass could meet the individual on the 5th floor of Red Ward.
All correctional officers working at Alcatraz were thoroughly trained to know this fact.
And they also understood that those who visited with such passes were significant VIPs.
“I’ll have another boat ready immediately…”
The officer said respectfully.
“No need for that. We’ll just board here.”
The man waved his hand dismissively.
“…Ah, yes… of course. Please, step aboard.”
“Then, if you don’t mind, I’ll just take my leave.”
The man flashed a breezy smile.
◈ ◈ ◈
“What should we do? If you’re uncomfortable, we can leave.”
At the bottom of the stairs leading to the 2nd floor, Dean’s voice was considerate.
The Warden gazed anxiously at his group.
Given what had just transpired, answering straightforwardly proved challenging.
The Security Department Head had also sealed his lips in silence, lost in thought.
The other group members bore complex expressions as well.
Just then, Si-hyun raised his hand.
“Since we’ve come this far, how about we see it through?”
‘I knew it would be like this.’
Dean chuckled to himself, as if his thoughts were perfectly aligned.
They were likely not the only ones feeling affected by earlier events.
Based on what had just happened, it seemed uncharacteristic of them to back down without a fight.
And his assumptions proved correct.
All eyes were now on Si-hyun.
During his visit to America, Si-hyun had never taken the initiative to voice his opinions.
This was his first time.
So, there must be something on his mind.
His willingness to step up meant he was prepared to take full responsibility if anything went awry.
“I support the chief’s statement.”
The Warden backed Si-hyun.
“I share the same viewpoint,” added the Security Department Head.
With the ace of the Security Department advocating, alongside support from the Warden, the rest of the group found themselves compelled to follow suit, regardless of their own feelings.
“Haha, that’s a relief. I was worried we wouldn’t be able to provide a fitting show for such special guests.”
Dean expressed relief.
“How could correctional officers shy away from inmates? The correctional officers in Korea are not like that.”
Si-hyun asserted, staring intently at Dean.
‘What an ignorant little punk.’
Though internally scornful, Dean maintained a smile on the surface.
“Of course, that’s right. Then come along.”