That night, the silence of the precinct felt heavy, like a shroud. After she looked me in the eye and claimed that "the law is Tian Long," something inside me snapped. I was determined to show her that justice isn't a puppet for the mafia—not for Tian Long, and certainly not for "S." My head was pounding, a relentless, rhythmic headache devouring my thoughts like a fever. My eyes were blood-rimmed, stinging from the lack of sleep, and my breath hitched with every weary yawn.
The archives were a labyrinth of forgotten sins. I spent hours digging through stacks of yellowed paper and dusty folders, the smell of old ink and decay filling my lungs. It felt like I was searching for a needle in a haystack, a single spark in a dark ocean. Then, my fingers brushed against a cold, plastic tab: The 2014 case file of the Chinese-Korean syndicate, "Tian Long."
My heart hammered against my ribs as I flipped it open. In 2014, a witness had reported a Chinese man traveling with a young girl who bore no Asian features. Kidnapping was the immediate suspicion. However, the man had been cleared within forty-eight hours after presenting flawless legal documents proving she was his adopted daughter. The child herself, a small shadow in the corner of the interrogation room, had testified with a voice that didn't tremble. She said he was her father.
I stared at the grainy, black-and-white photos attached to the file. It was her—S. Her childhood features were innocent, almost fragile, but the difference was in her gaze. Back then, her eyes were wide, filled with a haunting curiosity. Now, through the lens of my memories, I realized those eyes had transformed. They had become sharp, cold, and dangerously aggressive—the eyes of a predator born from a lie.
The sudden click of the door handle echoed like a gunshot in the quiet room. Chief Kim stepped in, his presence looming over me like a dark cloud. He stood behind my chair, his eyes narrowing as they landed on the open file. "What are you digging for at this hour, Ming?" he asked, his voice low and laced with an unreadable tone. "Nothing," I replied, my voice tense as I tried to mask my discovery. "Just some curiosity regarding old cold cases. Some ghosts refuse to stay buried."
Chief Kim leaned in closer, his shadow stretching across the desk until it covered the photos of the young S. "Tread carefully, Ming. Some paths lead to places you can't return from. Stay away from Tian Long if you want to keep your badge... and your life." I looked up at him, my gaze defiant, mirroring the fire burning in my chest. "Mr. Kim, the law stands above everyone. There is no exception. The guilty must pay, regardless of their rank or the shadows they hide in." I slammed the file shut, grabbed it, and walked out without looking back. You'll see, both you and Tian Long, who Ming really is.
Meanwhile, the cold wind of the harbor bit at my skin. After leaving the hideout where we had stayed for days, the air felt strangely thin. I took Sai directly to the airport, watching her small figure disappear into the terminal to board the first flight back to China. Once she was safe, I walked to a secluded corner of the parking lot and made the call I had been dreading.
"It's been a long time since I heard your voice, Father," I said as the line connected. "My dear daughter, I missed you," Tian Long's voice crackled through the phone—warm, yet carrying the weight of a thousand secrets. "How did things escalate to this point in Korea?" "Typhoon is a traitor, Father. He's sold his soul to Jun-ho. And Jun-ho... he's back with a vengeance. He plans to make Gangnam a kingdom for the Koreans, wiping us off the map." "I assume you aren't waiting for an order from me to know what to do, right?" I looked out at the city lights, my expression turning to stone. "I've already dug their graves, Father. I'm just waiting for the right moment to put them in." I paused, the image of the detective's exhausted face flashing in my mind. "There's also a detective digging into my past. But I'll handle him myself. Don't let anyone interfere with him. He's... different." "Why not? I can easily take care of him for you," Tian Long offered, his tone shifting to something more lethal. "Father... Ming is mine. Do not go near him."
A moment later, I dialed a different number. When the line picked up, I didn't wait for him to speak. "This is my first and last warning, Ming," I said, my tone a mixture of ice and steel. "Stay out of Tian Long's way. You're chasing a ghost that will only lead you to your own funeral." "I'm not going anywhere," Ming barked back, his voice raw with exhaustion and fury. "I'm not afraid of you or your syndicate." "Don't mistake my silence for weakness, Detective," I whispered, the wind whipping my hair across my face. "I just haven't decided to teach you a lesson—yet. In our world, the law is a luxury you simply can't afford." "And what exactly is your world, S?" Ming asked, his voice filled with a desperate need for answers. I didn't answer.
I just let the silence hang between us for a second before the line went dead.