NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51
Episode 51
The Security Chief was a man in his mid-fifties with a head full of white hair.
“Sit down.”
“Yes.”
Si-hyun sat on the floor facing him.
The Security Chief spoke bluntly.
“After three years of working here, you still don’t know how to operate within the organization?”
“….”
“Is this place merely yours to run alone?”
“….”
Si-hyun fell silent for a moment, but his gaze remained fixed on the Security Chief. There was no reason to bow his head to a superior’s scolding; he wasn’t here to defer.
The Security Chief’s eyes narrowed disapprovingly.
“Do you want to stand out that much? Do you think a crooked stone can maintain the harmony of an organization? Will it function properly that way?”
“If the issue arose from my mistake, I will acknowledge it and apologize at any time. However, if you’re reprimanding me for acting in accordance with regulations, that I cannot accept.”
Si-hyun replied calmly. It was a situation that could provoke anger, yet he managed to hold his ground in front of his superior.
“Ha, what?”
The Security Chief raised an eyebrow, as if incredulous at Si-hyun’s response. His tone grew louder.
“You’re acting all high and mighty by pretending to be clean.”
“I’m not pretending; I simply acted according to the regulations.”
“Are you going to keep arguing back? How have you navigated your time in the organization until now?”
“….”
Accepting the scolding from a superior was something a subordinate ought to endure. Those who had served in public office for long often had such a mindset. It was particularly pronounced in a hierarchical organization like the Correctional Officers.
The Security Chief belonged to this category of thought.
“If you want to maintain inmate order, focus on the petty offenders. Don’t unnecessarily bother the serious ones.”
“Petty offenders and serious offenders are both inmates.”
“They’re the same? Are you saying you’re equal to the Minister of Justice? Are you and the President the same? What nonsense are you spouting?”
The Security Chief continued.
“Inmates are the same too. Are petty offenders and serious offenders equal? Their status is different, their status!”
He knew that many people shared this belief and could understand why they thought so.
Yet, Si-hyun’s stance remained unchanged. Regardless of their background, every inmate must adhere to the basic rules of being an inmate. Accepting the collapse of that principle was unacceptable. Allowing such conduct would mean undermining his own conviction as a Correctional Officer.
“Are you suggesting that because of their different statuses, I should provide preferential treatment contrary to equity?”
Si-hyun stated. Despite facing intense reprimands from the Security Chief, his expression showed no sign of wavering. He had anticipated this reaction to some extent.
“Preferential treatment contrary to equity? Nonsense. It’s merely about treating individuals in accordance with their status.”
Once it reached this point, they were on parallel paths. No logic could possibly persuade one side to yield to the other. Even attempting to do so would be a waste of energy.
“I understand what you want from me, Chief. However, I have no intention of turning a blind eye for that inmate. That is all I can say.”
Seeing Si-hyun’s unyielding expression, the Security Chief clicked his tongue, realizing that this level of pressure wouldn’t break him.
“If you keep it up, it might not be easy to carry on as a Correctional Officer in the future.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“You talk well. Well then, let’s see how well you adapt going forward.”
The Security Chief stood up first. Without exchanging a farewell, he slammed the door shut as he exited.
‘Tiring, huh?’
Si-hyun twisted his lips into a wry smile.
◈ ◈ ◈
There’s a term known as “Imperial Visit.” It referred to the excessive use of attorney visitation rights by affluent inmates. Occasionally, they would have as many as four or five visits in a single day.
The disparity was stark compared to regular inmates, who faced economic burdens and had fewer opportunities for visits. Those frequent attorney meetings allowed inmates to spend their time pleasantly chatting in the Attorney Visitation Room rather than the stark confines of their cells, prompting media reports of its unfairness.
Jang Hak-ki was no exception, having two to three visits per day as expected of someone of his caliber. The wealth of his family, being the daughter of a former president, made this possible.
Nonetheless, since it wasn’t technically illegal, there was little that could be done about the situation, even if there were underlying discontent.
“Did Jang Hak-ki arrive?”
“Yes, just earlier.”
Do-yeon answered Si-hyun’s inquiry.
“Is there no more attorney visit today?”
“Probably not.”
“How’s Jang Hak-ki doing?”
“Eh? Just the same as usual, why?”
“Nothing.”
For the past few days, Si-hyun had intentionally delayed leaving by over twenty minutes, worried about the potential for additional meals being smuggled in. Yet he couldn’t be certain if no food had been brought in afterward. They might have done so right after he left. No, he was sure food had been sent.
Thus, Jang Hak-ki would be acting as usual without any deviation. Being in close contact with the Warden, if there had been any grievances, he would have surely found a way to express them.
“Stay here for a moment. I’ll go see Jang Hak-ki.”
“Ah, okay.”
Si-hyun entrusted Do-yeon with the Duty Room and proceeded to Room 1 where Jang Hak-ki was. He deliberately approached slowly, softening his footsteps to assess the situation.
As he neared Room 3 and glanced in, he saw Jang Hak-ki seemingly engrossed in something. Curiosity piqued, Si-hyun took another step closer to observe in detail.
‘Huh?’
Si-hyun’s eyes widened. He had witnessed something that should never occur within the ward.
Jang Hak-ki was holding a cellphone to his ear, talking in a hushed voice. He had heard of the existence of malicious inmates who managed to smuggle in phones and exploit Correctional Officers’ weaknesses since his training days.
But this was the first time he had seen it firsthand, especially in the ward he was overseeing.
Rage boiled up inside him, an overwhelming urge to unleash the Iron-Blooded Guard’s demeanor stirring within, yet he forced himself to suppress it.
He had long lost the kinder thoughts of simply bringing Jang Hak-ki to heel. In that moment, he genuinely wanted to make him suffer and smash that brazen face into the ground.
He was that infuriated.
“Can’t you see?”
While Jang Hak-ki was the one in the wrong, he retorted defiantly.
“Do you not know it’s illegal to bring in a cellphone? Who gave it to you?”
Si-hyun raised his voice, having already restrained himself considerably.
“I told you, who do you think you are talking to, you lowly grunt? What are you going to do about it?”
“I’m in charge here. Tell me how you managed to smuggle it in.”
“Call the Warden. I won’t talk to someone like you. If you fetch the Warden, we can have a conversation.”
“….”
Jang Hak-ki looked annoyed and started cleaning his ears. He still clutched the cellphone tightly in his hand, treating Si-hyun like a fool in front of him.
Si-hyun swiftly reached out, snatching the phone away.
“Oh? This punk thinks he’s being forceful again? Is that in the regulations? Where does it state that? Go ahead and sue me, you’ll eventually come to your senses!”
Jang Hak-ki, the very one committing the illegal act, shouted defiantly about regulations. Watching him was enough to push Si-hyun toward the brink as he slammed the door behind him.
“Oh, look at this guy! He’s too ill-mannered to stop slamming doors!”
Jang Hak-ki’s irritating voice floated behind him.
◈ ◈ ◈
Si-hyun held the cellphone and immediately reported to the Ward Office.
“Whose cellphone is this?”
The Section Chief’s brows furrowed in surprise. Issues regarding illegal cellphone smuggling were no trifling matter. The individual involved was liable for serious disciplinary actions.
From the reaction, it was clear the Section Chief had no prior knowledge of the cellphone’s presence.
“I discovered an inmate using a cellphone in his cell. I confiscated it and came to report it right away.”
“Who on earth is it? How did they manage to bring it in?”
“I’m not sure how it was smuggled in, but the inmate is Jang Hak-ki.”
“Jang Hak-ki?”
Upon hearing the name, the Section Chief’s furious expression turned sharply contemplative. He suddenly fell silent, lost in thought.
Si-hyun held his tongue, waiting.
After a moment, the Section Chief spoke again.
“Who else knows about this incident?”
“Currently, only me.”
“Alright, keep it that way for now. I will report it directly to the Security Department Head.”
◈ ◈ ◈
Si-hyun received a call from the Security Department Head around 5 PM.
Dedicating the evening meal preparations to Do-yeon, he headed down to the Security Department Office.
As soon as he entered the Security Chief’s Office, the Chief motioned for him to close the door.
Once Si-hyun shut the door, he approached the Security Chief.
“Sit down.”
With that, the Security Chief settled onto the sofa first, followed by Si-hyun.
“Here.”
The Security Chief poured tea into a cup and handed it over.
“Thank you.”
Si-hyun received it.
“I’ve heard the story.”
“Yes.”
“Um… how should I put this?”
The Security Chief seemed to struggle with how to articulate his thoughts, taking a moment of pause. After sipping some tea, he resumed.
“To be honest…”
“Yes.”
“I’m uneasy about this. No matter how influential someone is, providing them with preferential treatment makes me quite uncomfortable.”
It seemed to be a reflection of the Security Chief’s character, one who favored strict regulations and inmate order.
The Security Chief continued.
“However, you see.”
“Yes.”
“There are unavoidable circumstances in this world. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could live our lives solely based on right and wrong? But that’s not the way it is.”
The Security Chief flashed a knowing smile, as if he had arrived at some realization.
“These lawmakers.”
“Yes.”
“Do you see me as being exceptionally high up? That I can control everything in the Security Department? But it’s not like that.”
Daehan Correctional Facility was large, and the Security Chief’s rank was that of a Correctional Officer, level 4. In a regular-sized facility, he could likely have been the Warden.
To Si-hyun, a level 8 officer, it seemed an immensely high position. Yet the Security Chief was openly sharing his inner thoughts with him.
“Inmates like Jang Hak-ki are often harder to manage than Directors of Correctional institutions. To a Correctional Officer, the Correctional organization might feel like everything, right? But the Correctional organization is not the prosecution. It’s just a power without independence.”
“And the prosecution doesn’t treat social elites like the CEO or politicians the same as ordinary citizens.”
“….”
“Do you know why laws have gradually become more favorable to inmates while Correctional Officers face more difficulties? Because human rights groups are causing a ruckus? Not at all. They couldn’t change the law even if they wanted to. It’s because of the lawmakers themselves.”
As Si-hyun sipped tea, he waited for the Security Chief to continue.
“There have been quite a few lawmakers in prison, right? They find it surprisingly inconvenient when they actually experience it. So, once they’re released, they go about changing the laws. Their connections within the assembly allow for such changes. Moreover, they anticipate a time when they, too, might land behind bars, so they prefer a system that favors them. Thus, only Correctional Officers end up in tougher situations. For that reason, I’m not particularly fond of lawmakers myself. However, as I said before, we can’t live only by our morals. There are unavoidable realities.”
“….”
What the Security Chief was saying wasn’t new to Si-hyun. He had heard similar sentiments from veteran officers who had expressed disdain toward lawmakers, although they were always respectful in the presence of actual lawmakers.
“Nonetheless, it is what it is. The Warden was furious. He wanted to move you to another ward.”
“…Really?”
Si-hyun spoke calmly, but his insides churned with anxiety. If he was reassigned to a different ward, he’d lose the chance to deal with that damn Jang Hak-ki.
“So I managed to calm the Warden down just a bit. I told him I would have a good talk with you.”
“Thank you.”
Si-hyun said sincerely. It was a relief; the opportunity was still within reach.
“If you’re thankful, then do what you’re supposed to.”
“Understood.”
This time, Si-hyun willingly backed off. He figured it wisest to step down for now; arguing according to his beliefs could lead to his own reassignment. He believed it prudent to take a step back to catch Jang Hak-ki later.
“Alright, I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”