The Resignation Offer

Sang strode to the window, yanking open the white drapes with a flourish. The elmwood floor was instantly bathed in a cascade of golden sunlight.

Mingyoo shielded his eyes and ducked into the shadows. Sang turned to him, his gaze lingering on Mingyoo's slightly reddened eyes. He let out a deep sigh, "I get it, you two were like family. After your dad passed, she was all the family you had. But Mingyoo, you're a detective. You can't let your heart rule your head."

"I didn't," Mingyoo muttered.

"Human nature is a twisted maze," Sang continued. "Mandy Wu was your protégé, a super cop you groomed. But she was also a daughter, a sister. She had a score to settle for her slaughtered family. She was walking a tightrope all her life. You were her anchor, but you're not God. You couldn't have known her every thought."

"But I did know her," Mingyoo insisted. "Even after she committed such heinous crimes, in her final moments, I still believed I knew her."

"We can't ignore the facts," Sang shook his head. "Two years, three major cases, eleven victims. You'd have been the twelfth if luck wasn't on your side. She had been plotting her revenge since she joined the Criminal Investigation Division. First, it was against those who wronged her family, then others…"

He looked at Mingyoo helplessly. "She lost her way. She played God, took it upon herself to be the judge, jury, and executioner for those who slipped through the cracks of justice. She became more terrifying than the criminals she hunted. At least they knew they were wrong. She thought she was the ultimate arbiter of justice!"

"I know," Mingyoo closed his eyes in anguish. "That's why I orchestrated the operation to take her down myself."

Silence enveloped them. After a moment, Mingyoo regained his composure. "I don't doubt the crimes she committed. She confessed to me before she died. But I question if this was really her doing. Or rather, if she was still herself when she did all this."

"What do you mean?" Sang raised an eyebrow.

"I suspect someone manipulated her mind, altered her very nature, turning her from a cop into a lawless killing machine," Mingyoo said. "Human nature is complex, but not unfathomable. Mandy Wu had a risk-taking streak due to her traumatic childhood. I considered this when she applied to join the special unit. I spoke to her colleagues, classmates, teachers… Everyone vouched for her integrity and professionalism. That's why I approved her application."

Sang nodded; he had also agreed with Mingyoo's decision back then and had signed off on Mandy's transfer.

"I refuse to believe she was such a master of deception that she fooled us all for so long," Mingyoo said earnestly. "Chief, I suspect she encountered something or someone that twisted her morals overnight into something even she despised."

Silence again. After what seemed like an eternity, Sang spoke, "Is that why you're digging into the Zeeshow Wong case?"

"Yes," Mingyoo replied. "I've been studying Zeeshow Wong's case and found a bizarre similarity in the emotional logic between him and Mandy."

He got off the bed, shuffling through a pile of files on the floor, and handed a stack to Sang. "I've pulled up Zeeshow Wong's records from middle school to college, including evaluations from classmates, teachers, and parents. Plus, these are his psychological records since high school, copied from the Youth Psychological Aid Center."

Sang flipped through the documents. Mingyoo continued, "Until his sophomore year in college, he was extremely timid and had a severe inferiority complex. Look at this – in his freshman year, at eighteen, his drunk father beat him so badly he was bleeding, but he didn't dare go to the hospital. A neighbor had to call the police."

"Can you imagine such a timid soul orchestrating a murder?" Mingyoo pressed. "The day he shot that maniac, I was there. He snatched Chan's gun and pulled the trigger without hesitation, colder than the most seasoned detective."

Sang, engrossed in the documents, fell into deep thought. Mingyoo continued, "I never met him before that day, but I'm sure he was a different person then. The same with Mandy. Maybe you couldn't see it, but I felt it. She changed into something that terrified even herself. In her last moments, she looked at me with such despair, begging me to 'save her'…"

His strong, sinewy hands clenched into fists. "I can't let her death be in vain. I have to find whoever destroyed her life. I owe it to her, to her family, and someday, when I meet my dad in the afterlife, I owe it to him."

Sang pondered for a solid five minutes before asking, "What's your plan?"

"Zeeshow Wong said something before he died," Mingyoo began. "He mentioned receiving an address on the campus network around the time he started his sophomore year. That coincides with when his psychologist noted improvements. I suspect he met someone during that period, which led to his transformation from a victim to a cold-blooded perpetrator."

He pulled out his phone and showed Sang a sketch of a man. "This guy was spotted acting suspiciously at a café next to the Maplewood police station minutes before Zeeshow Wong died. He was also present during an operation in Las Vegas three years ago, where the suspect ended up brain-dead. I'm liaising with customs and the FBI to trace his movements. If he was in the same city as Mandy around the time of the incidents, I have reason to believe he's a cleaner!"

"You contacted customs? And the FBI?" Sang's face darkened. "Do you realize you're on suspension? Do you have any idea what this could lead to? How will you investigate from behind bars?"

Mingyoo was at a loss for words. Sang continued, "Mingyoo, I've already lost one super cop. The special unit is under internal investigation and might be disbanded. I can't lose you too! Do you know the cost of training a detective like you? The battles I fought to keep the supernatural investigation unit running? You're letting me down!"

"But I can't just sit around!" Mingyoo argued stubbornly. "Time is of the essence. We don't know who will be manipulated next. If all the exposed supernaturals are silenced, when will we uncover the truth?"

"You think the department will reinstate the unit based on your hunch?" Sang challenged. "How am I supposed to explain this to the higher-ups?"

Mingyoo paused, a determined look crossing his face. "I'll resign."

"What?!" Sang was flabbergasted, then furious. "Say that again?!"

"Chief, hear me out," Mingyoo said firmly. "I want to resign from my official position and continue investigating this case as an independent consultant."

"Have you lost your marbles?" Sang bellowed. "Do you think the Criminal Investigation Division is a revolving door?"

Mingyoo pressed on, "When the special unit was established, there was internal dissent. With Mandy Wu's case, it might take ages to get back on track. Instead, remove me from the roster. I'll work as an external consultant, under your command."

Sang was dumbfounded. Mingyoo continued, "Think of me as a freelance detective or a contractor. I'll handle the cases you can't touch, do the dirty work. I won't take up a spot, don't need promotions, and I'll take the fall if needed."

"In short, as long as you don't revoke my access to information and resources, I won't even ask for a salary. I'll even contribute to the department," Mingyoo earnestly added. "How about I donate a food court? Can we name it after my dad?"

Sang was speechless for a full ten minutes before he exploded, "You audacious brat! Trying to bribe me with money?!"

Mingyoo flinched, "If you don't want it…"

"Of course, I want it!" Sang snapped. "But I hate that you rich folks can just throw money around… But, your idea is so crazy it might just work. I'm kinda intrigued."

He thought for a moment, then said, "I'll need to think about it. But naming it after your dad is a no-go. Too grim. Maybe after your wife. And listen, don't do anything stupid before I give the green light. If you mess this up, they'll make your life hell. You can kiss that wedding goodbye!"

Mingyoo responded, "Oh, right. If I resign, I won't need clearance. Boss, you better hurry up and let me go. I've got a world to save and a hubby to marry!"

Sang was shaking with rage, "Keep an eye on your man! He's been snooping through the department's files! If I hadn't traced it back to your place, we'd still be clueless!"

Mingyoo grinned, "He's gonna be family. I was gonna tell him everything anyway. Let him satisfy his curiosity."