Obsessed (21) Drug Tracking
After the regular meeting, I met Jeon Jungkook again at the point. I was still a little wary of him, but the chief said the situation was unavoidable, so I had no choice but to meet him.
"Haejoo, it's good to see you again.."
Jungkook, who I met for the second time at the point, seemed very accustomed to meeting me. I naturally exchanged USBs with Jungkook and tried to leave the scene right away. However, Jeon Jungkook was so happy that he grabbed me.
"Yeah, well, let's say it's good.
Okay, I got it, so I'm going..?"
"Wait, wait a minute... I heard you went to the regular meeting this time?
Nothing happened..?
And why didn't you respond when I texted you?"
When I tried to leave, Jeon Jungkook looked flustered and tried to grab my wrist.Huh, did you think I'd get caught again?The moment Jeon Jungkook tried to grab my hand, he pulled it away.
"If you look there, you can see what happened.
Read the report, okay?
And didn't I tell you not to contact me first?
What if you were in a meeting...
Okay now, I'm going...?"
I turned around coolly and climbed back onto my bike. Jeon Jungkook's gaze still lingered on me, and the back of my head felt a prickle.I don't want to settle down with you...When I look into Jungkook's eyes, I feel like what he's doing is sincere, and my heart keeps wavering.
. . .
After leaving the lab, I opened the USB drive. It contained a table of ingredients from the drugs collected at the recent Badger gathering. Looking through the list, I noticed several unusual drugs. Some of them were hallucinogenic, others paralyzing.
What the heck is this? What the heck do you get when you mix these together?
This is a drug that is not distributed well, so I think I can find it with a little bit of tracking... Anyway, I felt like Jeon Jungkook would be able to find out about drug distribution.
So that's why you gave me Jeon Jungkook...?
Let me ask you about drugs....
After much thought, I ended up calling Jeon Jungkook.
[Oh, who is this...
I was disappointed that our Haeju was so cold today...
It's so nice to get a call from you, isn't it?]
"I contacted you because I think I know why the chief assigned you to this position."
Really? What's the reason?
"I'll send you a list of medications.
"Could you please find out how and where this drug is distributed?"
[Oki]
First, some research was needed. I compiled a list of special drugs that weren't readily available and sent it to Jeon Jungkook. We decided to tackle them one by one...
. . .
Two days later, Jungkook sent me a file, so I called him in the evening.
[Did you check the file?]
""I'm just about to open it"
[This is a list of companies that import the drug and companies that purchase the drug in our country. But... don't be surprised when you see it.]
"why...?"
[Your lab bought the largest quantity]
"what..?"
By the way, what is this? What is this drug used for?
"I don't know either.. You guys found it at the scene."
[That's true. But the ingredients are unusual...]
"This kind of drug was originally handled by Jinsu..
Do you know Kwak Jin-su...? He's probably on your side...?"
[Kwak Jin-su... Oh, I know who you are. I've met you before.]
"Yeah.. he's the one who introduced me to this group.."
[ah...]
On the phone, Jeongguk seemed lost in thought. I was a little worried that by bringing up Jinsu, Jeongguk might unnecessarily hate Jinsu. But what could I do? Jinsu was caught, and he was the one who dragged me into this mess.
"Don't be too selfish while investigating, I'll stop here.."
[Oh, okay, thanks for your hard work~]
After hanging up the phone, my mind became complicated...
Could it be that Director Kim Nam-joon has some kind of connection...?
. . .
I first met Director Kim Nam-joon at an academic conference. At the time, I was interested in toxicity tolerance, so I was interested in the papers presented by Kim Nam-joon. After the lecture, I deliberately approached Director Kim Nam-joon to ask him a question.
At the time, Kim Namjoon looked exactly like my wannabe, so I really wanted to get closer to him. Having been injured in a laboratory explosion, Director Kim Namjoon had a slight difficulty walking and had black marks on his hands from burn scars. However, he had a unique elegance that made these physical difficulties completely invisible.
Director Kim Nam-joon wasn't at all flustered by my sudden question. He readily recommended relevant books and papers, offering easy-to-understand explanations. Since I had already read a couple of these papers, we were able to engage in a lengthy and in-depth discussion.
If he had been in a position like the director, he might have been bothered by the explanation and might have quickly left the lecture hall with the excuse that he was not feeling well, but listening to the kind and gentle explanation of Kim Nam-joon that I met that day, I felt that he was a scholar.
If I were to get to that position, would I be able to have that much freedom?
At the time, I was always on edge and on edge because I was working on my PhD and also doing part-time data analysis and paper translation. As someone who was worn down by life, I found his elegance, composure, and even the occasional wit to be incredibly cool. After that, I diligently followed Director Kim Nam-joon's lectures for a while without fail.
After completing my doctoral degree, I boldly (actually, I was forced to) apply for a job at Director Kim Nam-joon's research institute. Although I knew I wouldn't be accepted if I failed, it's true that I applied because I wanted to get closer to Kim Nam-joon. I wanted to get a job after completing my doctoral dissertation and receiving my degree, but the scholarship deadline passed, so I needed a job while completing my doctoral degree.
My advisor, who understood my situation, wrote me a letter of recommendation, and my application went smoothly. During my final interview, Kim Namjoon surprisingly remembered me.
"Did you tell me to blacken it...? Your face looks familiar somehow..
We met at the lecture hall, right...? I remember talking to Haeju after the lecture...”
When Kim Namjoon pretended to recognize me, I felt a strange sense of elation. I barely calmed my heart, which was pounding at the fact that he remembered me, and tried to answer as calmly as possible.
"Oh, yes... of course,
I think I've listened to almost all of the director's lectures since the year before last.
I read all the books and papers you recommended at that time."
"I see... That's good.
But your doctoral thesis isn't finished yet...?
Can you do it while working..?"
"Yes yes~My advisor has decided to help me.
The experiment also had some results,
I will continue to work diligently while I am at work.”
He must have been impressed by my quick responses, as I already knew the books and papers he was suggesting. So, I became a researcher there, on the condition that I complete my doctoral dissertation within five years. While it's a conditional position, it's hard to call it a full-fledged researcher position, and it was a perfect fit for my thesis topic, so I was incredibly happy when I was accepted.
Moreover, this is the place where my wannabe, Director Kim Nam-joon, is the head..!
After joining the company, I let go of all the little part-time jobs, but my work hasn't changed much. I still do data analysis, read papers, and occasionally conduct experiments... In fact, I should say that I have more free time after work... Well, as long as I get paid, I don't care what I do, but I'm glad that I got the job I wanted to achieve while studying. Add to that the lab's impressive status, and I was extremely satisfied just being a part of it.
The institute had several labs. While there was one that mass-produced and commercialized drugs, I was in a lab that organized various data to help drugs get patented. Fortunately, the job of cleaning and organizing the experimental equipment was taken over by the youngest researcher, Jeong Ho-seok.
As always, these tasks were subject to deadlines and time pressures. However, even when we had to press for quick completion, Director Kim Nam-joon always spoke with composure, and thanks to him, the lab ran without much stress. I admired Kim Nam-joon's dignity and aspired to emulate him, even if only a little.
And now... the data that Jungkook sent me was data that could overturn the dignity of Kim Namjoon, whom I had wanted to resemble for so long.
I don't want Director Kim Nam-joon to be shaken even a little bit...
There must be someone out there. It's probably not related to him. Let's not judge hastily. We need to look at the facts to see where the materials brought into the lab were used. I'm a data-driven person.
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*All stories come from the author's head.
Unauthorized distribution and reproduction are prohibited.
©️ Earthquake in My Head (2023)
