episode_0188

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Fortunately, Raymond received the call and immediately sent a lawyer to get me out of the police station. Before leaving for the police station, I contacted a lawyer from a law firm who arrived almost as soon as I did.

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Thanks to this, I was able to take a quick look inside the police station, answer a few questions, and be immediately released.

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What’s surprising is that there wasn’t even time to turn off the broadcast. The smartphone I put in my pocket was still connected to the broadcast.

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I didn’t turn it on intentionally, I just couldn’t turn it off because I was trying to contact Raymond as quickly as possible.

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“Oh, well, there are police like that. I almost got into quite a bit of trouble.”

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-ㄹㅇ That’s ridiculous.

-Isn’t this racism?

-It’s difficult to report something like that.

-Maybe they will pretend that we are the same police officers.

-Looking at it, if I hadn’t called Olivia’s dad to help, it looks like I would have been accused of car theft or something like that.

-That seems a bit odd, though.

-I’m scared of America too…

-For the general public, contacting the embassy is almost the only way.

-It is said that there is also a police officer.

-They say that actually doesn’t help much.

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In the United States, CCTV is not installed as densely as in Korea, and the penetration rate of black boxes in vehicles is surprisingly low, so if I tried to solve the problem on my own, there was a high possibility that it would have become a hassle.

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‘As expected, I feel at ease because I have expert help.’

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I decided to send the lawyer a copy of today’s broadcast as evidence.

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I thanked the lawyer who helped me and left the police station. Viewers unanimously sympathized with my situation and criticized the police.

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‘I was caught because the broadcast was turned on inside the police station… Well, if it becomes a problem, Raymond will take care of it too.’

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I was scratching my head, deciding to just continue the broadcast as is.

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“Anyway, why is my picture there… Did Devin or Liv put it there?”

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-well

-It’s a little creepy if it’s from Devin.

-Maybe he’s gay?

-Devin is gay…

-Oh shit

-Now that I think about it, it was all because of that bastard.

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“Let’s go back to the store quickly. I said I would go out and see what happened first, but Liv must have been very surprised when she suddenly disappeared.”

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-ㅇㅇ Let’s go quickly.

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I caught a taxi. This is because there was a bit of distance between the police station and the clothing store.

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As I was getting into a taxi and heading back to the store, the phone rang. It was Raymond’s call.

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‘What’s going on?’

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“Hello.”

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-you. Where are you now?

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Raymond’s voice was trembling very much. The voice was completely different from the calm one he had had when he had called for help a few minutes earlier.

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I felt puzzled by that fact and answered honestly.

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“I’m taking a taxi back to the store. Liv is probably confused because I was suddenly taken to the police station.”

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-Right… Please come as quickly as possible.

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Click.

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That was the end of my phone call with Raymond. This is because he immediately hung up the phone when he heard that I was returning to the store.

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‘Do you want me to come quickly? Is Raymond in the clothing store now too?’

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I tilted my head. I had a bad feeling.

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When I arrived at the clothing store a little while later, I was able to see the reality of that bad premonition.

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“This is… ?”

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The inside of the store was a complete mess. The mannequin was collapsed and clothes were scattered haphazardly on the floor. Olivia’s parents, Raymond and Melissa, were standing in the middle of the scene, as if there had been a thief.

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They were looking down at Devin, who was sitting on the floor.

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“Mr. Journey? Journey, ma’am? What is happening now?”

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“Ah, there you are.”

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It is only after speaking that they turn to look at me. It was as if something in his eyes had lost his mind.

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“What’s going on? Why is the store in this condition?”

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And I noticed that there was still one person invisible among them.

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“Where are the ribs?”

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“Ugh… ! Black… ”

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When Melissa heard my question, she sobbed in a low voice and shed tears. It was a cry that seemed to be trying to suppress the tears that were bursting out.

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“It looks like Olivia has been kidnapped.”

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“What… ?”

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Raymond looks at me with a sad expression and speaks. Even though I clearly heard what he said, I couldn’t help but question his absurd words.

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“Liv must have been looking at dresses in the store… ”

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I ran to the room inside the store where she tried on the clothes and checked inside. Unlike the complete chaos outside, this place was no different from before I left.

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No, there was only one thing that changed.

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The point is that Olivia is nowhere to be seen.

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‘Is it the manager’s doing?’

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There were only four people inside the store: Raymond, Melissa, Devin, and me.

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The manager who told me that there was an accident outside and encouraged me to leave the room also disappeared like Olivia.

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“… … .”

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I closed my eyes and focused all my attention on the feeling. I sharpened my whole body’s senses and searched for the energy of the scent sprinkled on Olivia’s bracelet.

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I erased from my senses the faint natural energy that pervaded reality, the energy of the three people in the store except me, and the energy of passers-by walking around.

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Then, I could feel a ray of energy coming from somewhere. The energy is faint, like a spider’s web, but clearly noticeable to me, the user. It was Chu Chong-hyang.

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‘… found!’

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“This is all your fault!”

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When I came out after checking the room, Devin, who was sitting on the floor, pointed at me and said.

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“What does it mean?”

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“If you hadn’t suddenly left, this wouldn’t have happened!”

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It was a ridiculous statement. Who caused the accident because they couldn’t park their car properly? If you look at it that way, do you not know that your biggest mistake is yours?

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‘Are you getting angry on purpose? Why? ‘Because you don’t want to take responsibility for this?’

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I observed his behavior closely.

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Devin said, turning to Raymond.

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“When I came into the store after feeling something unusual, Olivia had already lost consciousness and was being carried away by someone. I tried to stop the person who was dragging the unconscious Olivia away, but I ended up being overpowered after a struggle. And I was threatened that if I reported it to the police, I would not be able to guarantee her safety.”

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Raymond was silently listening to what he said.

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“If the author named Minho hadn’t suddenly disappeared with my car, I would have been able to track them and find out where they were heading.”

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Devin turned his head and glared at me.

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“I don’t know how I was released from the police so quickly… ”

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“I released it.”

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“Yes… ? What is that… ”

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“I already know why he went to the police station because I heard the circumstances. Contrary to what you claim, he didn’t disappear with the car. Rather, I went to be investigated because of an accident that occurred due to a car parked without the parking brake applied.”

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“… … .”

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“I will hold you accountable after the context of the incident becomes clear. So, at this moment when cool-headed judgment is most important, don’t slander him for no reason. Olivia’s safety is the most important thing right now.”

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Devin’s face turned bright red when Raymond didn’t take his side as much as he expected.

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“Are you saying that that Asian guy is more trustworthy than me, who has served the two of you so far?! Maybe the author is related to the kidnappers!”

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When Devin made racist remarks, Raymond and Melissa’s faces hardened.

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“… You are making a very dangerous statement. Let’s pretend you didn’t hear that.”

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Raymond sighed softly and said.

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“Do you know why Olivia hangs out with him? According to you, he is just an ‘Asian’ man.”

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“… No.”

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“He saved Olivia from almost dying in the sea not long ago. I risked my life by jumping into the choppy sea and saved my daughter.”

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Raymond seems to be reminiscing about that time with faint eyes. It was only recently that my daughter was at risk of death, but this time she was kidnapped. As a parent, I couldn’t even imagine what he must be feeling.

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“The reason he came to San Francisco was because we first invited him after hearing the news that he was visiting the United States, and he didn’t approach us. So stop criticizing me like that.”

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Olivia’s parents knew that I had saved her life on Saipan, so they only believed Devin’s words and did not doubt me.

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Devin quietly lowered his head as if he had nothing more to say when his argument was cut short.

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I asked him that question.

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“Is the kidnapper who fought that fight the manager of this store?”

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“… Yes.”

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“I presented my argument very diligently as if I had prepared separately… There’s a lot I want to say, but Liv’s safety is the top priority, so I’ll hold back for now.”

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Devin’s claims and actions were too strange for someone simply trying to avoid responsibility.

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‘There’s no time to explain to convince this guy.’

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It was enough for Raymond and Melissa to trust me.

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When I took out my smartphone, the chat window was full of chaos. Because the broadcast was not turned off, viewers heard the entire situation.

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-Hey, it’s my father’s comment haha.

-Drvin’s chewy kicked like a car and blame Lee Min -ho?

-Seeing that bastard open his mouth, I can see there’s something about him.

-kidnap?!

-No, no, Olivia was kidnapped?

-Isn’t this a hidden camera? Please tell me it’s a hidden camera;;

-If you use a hidden camera like this, you are in the abyss. But it would be better if it was a hidden camera… thief

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‘Devin said the kidnappers warned him not to call the police. But thousands of viewers have already heard it. ‘I’m sure some of the American viewers in there will call the police.’

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Perhaps because of the aggro that I was being dragged to the police station, the number of viewers continued to increase.

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So from now on it was a battle of speed.

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The police respond to the call, and they must save Olivia before the criminals are provoked and do something to her.

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I looked at Devin with murderous eyes and warned him.

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“Devin… You’d better be careful. If you are involved in this matter in any way and Liv is even slightly hurt, you will face hell.”

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“… … .”

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Devin’s complexion, having taken the brunt of that murderous attack, became completely white.

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I decided to live and told Raymond.

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“I will get the ribs. Please wait here.”

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Raymond grabbed my wrist as I turned my back and left the store.

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“I know that you are a great young man. But this is America. Most criminals carry handguns as standard! If you move hastily, you will be in danger. And how do you know where the kidnapper is and find him? It’s best to wait for them to contact you first.”

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If I were in his position, I would have grabbed the pants of passers-by and asked them to save my daughter. He assessed the situation as calmly as possible and was even concerned about my safety as a stranger.

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I gently removed his hand holding my wrist and said,

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“Don’t worry. Because there is a way.”

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“You… !”

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I shook off Raymond’s hand and came out, went into a nearby alley, and confirmed that there was no one watching. Then, I took out a smartphone chest mount and a bike from my inventory.

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‘I wondered if I would ever use a chest mount, but here I am.’

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“Now, from now on, you will be my witnesses. You know, right?”

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I took the smartphone out of my pocket again and mounted it on the mount.

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-What is this?

-Can’t we just go back and wait?

-Can I just pick up the bike and ride it?

-Bike theft.

-You brat who just steps up and gets shot!

-What are you going to do if you get hurt?

-Let’s just leave it to the police!

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“Uh-huh, it’s not even a temple. I’m borrowing it for a while. If you use it for a good cause, the owner will also appreciate it. And if the police come, the kidnappers will definitely notice. It’s too dangerous.”

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-It looks expensive haha.

– Borrowed (with owner’s consent)

-I know some bikes, but this is my first time seeing this model.

-But that doesn’t mean you’re in danger…

-What are you going to do alone?

-cadet… I can’t see it…