* * *
A young elementary school girl was kidnapped, which immediately put the police on high alert. Though the girl was rescued during the kidnapping, it didn’t mean the case was closed.
Police cars started arriving at a set in the mountains of Gangwon-do. The detectives from the local precinct were perplexed by the state of the kidnappers.
The team leader, who arrived a bit late, asked, “Hey, just how bad are these guys?”
One of the detectives who arrived first responded, “This one here seems to have broken ribs. That one over there has a fractured jaw. Both are too injured to even stand.”
The detective pointed to another spot.
“The real problem is that guy over there.”
The team leader turned to look at the boss and flinched.
“Whoa. What’s up with his hands?”
“The right hand, which held a knife, seems to have multiple fractures. The left wrist is completely twisted. And of course, his ribs are likely broken too.”
“Both hands are really messed up?”
“Yes. We need to get him to the hospital quickly.”
The team leader scolded the detective, “Then why is he still lying there? Why didn’t you send him off in the ambulance?”
“Only one ambulance arrived.”
“Then put him in it and send him to the hospital.”
“But the girl’s father vehemently objected when we tried to put the kidnapper in the ambulance first.”
“What?”
“He insisted that if anyone were to go in the ambulance, it should be his daughter, the victim, not some kidnapper.”
The team leader tensed slightly, “Is the girl hurt? They said she was fine on the phone earlier.”
“No, she’s not hurt at all. But her father was adamant about keeping the ambulance here just in case something happened to her.”
The team leader was annoyed. “So, you didn’t send him because of that? No matter how much the parents protest, you should have sent that mess to the hospital first!”
The detective lowered his voice.
“The girl’s father is the CEO of this film company. And the girl is a child actress in this movie.”
“So?”
“When we tried to send the kidnapper first, not only the film crew but even the actors got furious. See over there? That’s Kim Yoo-chan and Shin Eun-ha.”
The team leader turned and stopped short, “Oh, I’ve seen them on TV a lot.”
“Kim Yoo-chan said he’d go on the news and complain if we sent the kidnapper first. Shin Eun-ha said she’d film a protest video and post it online. In this situation, how could we send the kidnapper first?”
The team leader hesitated for a moment and then sighed.
“I understand the parents’ anger, but still… Alright, I’ll handle it.”
The team leader walked over to Lee Tae-ho.
Lee Min-ji was sniffing beside Tae-ho, while Shin Eun-ha tried to comfort both of them.
The team leader spoke, “Sir, more ambulances are on their way and will be here soon. Let’s send this guy to the hospital first.”
Tae-ho frowned, “Why should he get treatment first?”
“If we leave him like this, something serious might happen.”
“If something happens to him, I might just dance with joy.”
“If he gets seriously hurt, the person who did this could be punished.”
Min-ji asked anxiously, “Dad, will the lunch truck man be arrested? Is he going to jail because of me?”
Tae-ho glared at the team leader and said, “No, no matter what, I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. Trust me.”
Shin Eun-ha protested to the team leader, “Why are you saying such things in front of Min-ji?”
The team leader, having achieved nothing, returned to his team. A new ambulance arrived five minutes later.
The team leader put the most seriously injured kidnapper, the boss, into the ambulance and sent a detective along with him. Then he approached the other detectives inspecting the kidnappers’ van.
The team leader asked, “Found anything?”
One detective pointed to a hole in the hood, “A metal pipe pierced through here into the engine compartment, hitting something that made the van stop.”
“Lucky break.”
A manager from THO Entertainment, sidled up and said, “Do you think it was a coincidence? Without hesitation, he drove the pipe into a single spot, knowing it would stop the van.”
The team leader frowned, “What are you doing at a crime scene?”
“Our CEO sent me. We have footage of Na Kang-in rescuing Min-ji, would you like to see it?”
The team leader was surprised, “Oh, really? We had given up since there are no CCTVs here.”
Manager Kim boasted, “This place is full of film people. As soon as something happens, cameras start rolling.”
“Wow, our job just got easier.”
“Our CEO said, after seeing the footage, that even if the kidnapper boss dies, no one will dare talk about punishing Na Kang-in.”
“What?”
Manager Kim’s voice grew firm, “And if anyone tries to punish Na Kang-in unfairly, our PR team will show just how good they are.”
“What? Not the legal team, but PR?”
“You’ll see the police getting trashed in the media.”
***
Despite the ongoing investigation, the film shoot continued. If they didn’t finish the necessary shots today, the movie would fail. They couldn’t afford to stay here another day.
The temporary parking lot and the battle scene were far enough from the shooting location. Director Son Tae-min pressed on with the shoot.
“No matter what the police are doing, we keep filming! What are you doing? Move!”
The detectives investigated the scene and arrested the kidnappers, who were then sent away in ambulances or police cars.
Na Kang-In also began his work.
Kim Byung-ho, the owner of the food truck, asked, “Are you really going to cook in this situation?”
“We’ll cook the meal later. For now, I’ll prepare some snacks.”
CEO Lee Tae-ho sat at a folding table in front of the food truck, comforting Lee Min-ji. They couldn’t leave because the car refused to start.
Na Kang-In placed a plate in front of Lee Min-ji. The plate contained beautifully arranged desserts.
“Do you want some?”
Lee Tae-ho had clearly seen how Na Kang-In had rescued his daughter. Although he didn’t openly refuse, he politely declined the offer.
“Thank you, but my daughter doesn’t have much of an appetite right now….”
Lee Min-ji asked, “Did you make this, mister?”
“Huh? This?” Na Kang-In said.
[Yes. I made it to cheer up the victim.] AI Zijin explained
[Field tactical desserts are effective for boosting the morale of our troops because they imply that our supply lines are secure. However, when the situation is dire, it might be a final meal…,]
“It’s delicious,” Na Kang-In assured.
Lee Min-ji picked up the dessert, which looked like a mix of cake and cookies, and took a bite.
The sweet and tangy flavors melded smoothly with the soft cake, and the slight crunch of the cookie pieces was delightful.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, this is really good!”
“Of course, I made I.”
[Correcting an error. I made it]
“I made it with my own hands.”
AI Zijin couldn’t argue with that.
Excitedly, Lee Min-ji said, “The snacks earlier were tasty, but this is even better. Everything you make is delicious, mister!”
“It’s always delicious when I make it.”
[All my field tactical cooking and desserts are tasty. Bad-tasting food lowers the morale of our troops]
“What’s this cake called?” Lee Min-ji asked.
“It’s a tiramisu-style mixed cake. It has mixed cookie pieces inside.”
“Wow, that’s why I could taste the cookies.”
Lee Tae-ho was surprised. His daughter, who had been anxious moments ago, had noticeably brightened and was eating well.
‘How good can it be?’ he wondered.
He subtly reached for the plate, but Lee Min-ji quietly moved it aside.
“Min-ji?”
“Dad, it’s just that… the nice man who caught those bad guys gave this to me to eat….”
Hearing “the nice man who caught those bad guys” made Lee Tae-ho realize why his daughter’s mood had improved.
‘Seeing the strong man who took down the bad guys calmly offering dessert must have reassured her.’
Na Kang-In went to the food truck and brought back another plate of desserts. This time, he didn’t pay much attention to their appearance.
“I made plenty.”
* * *
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