READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 34
Chapter 34: The Mighty Shout of the Fearsome Guard
“Hey… this is something.”
Si-hyun burst out laughing. Just from the description, it was already a hilarious skill.
He had heard of shouting skills that raised the morale of allies or broke the morale of enemies, but he never expected Po-ahim to have one too.
But upon further thought, it made perfect sense for a correctional officer. Nowadays, unlike in the past, it was impossible to physically assault inmates. Thus, issuing commands with a loud and booming voice was essential for effectively managing them. It was common to see guards with thin, soft voices being disregarded by inmates.
The world Po-ahim lived in might have allowed for quite the beating of prisoners, but to manage countless inmates, a powerful voice was absolutely necessary.
In that respect, there was a shared understanding as they both held the same profession.
‘I like this.’
Suppressing his eagerness to try out the new skill, Si-hyun headed toward the General Affairs Department, unlike his usual routine.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Good day!”
Si-hyun greeted with a bright smile.
“Hello!”
The staff members who saw Si-hyun returned his greeting. The General Affairs office had a few female employees, making the atmosphere softer compared to the rigid tone of the Security Department.
Si-hyun approached a young supervisor in the General Affairs Department whom he was familiar with.
“I don’t need to report today, right?”
When a transfer occurred, it was typically required to report to the warden. Today, the newly transferred employees were supposed to practice in the auditorium before reporting to the warden’s office.
However, since Si-hyun was assigned within the same sector, the situation was different. Yet, just to be sure, he came to the General Affairs Department.
“Why? Do you want to report to the manager too? Feeling the transfer vibe?”
The supervisor chuckled.
“Haha, it’s my first promotion, so I was a bit unsure.”
“Just go right in and start working. I heard you were sticking with the Security Department.”
“Understood.”
“Well, someone like you definitely should keep the center of the Security Department in order. Your assignment has changed a bit, huh?”
“Yeah, I’m in the Pre-Trial Ward this time.”
Si-hyun’s eyes sparkled as he replied.
The previous unit he worked in, 5th Floor, Unit 2, housed convicted inmates, while this time he was entering 4th Floor, Unit 1, which accommodated pre-trial detainees.
There were a few twists and turns before Si-hyun was assigned to his desired position. He had often poured drinks for the Security Department Head during company dinners, pleading to stay in the Security Department and get a choice of working location until he finally secured his approval.
When the Security Department Head granted the approval, he simply suggested Si-hyun enter as the Duty Officer. With a rank increase and the performance he had shown, it was deemed sufficient for him to take on the role. Si-hyun was so thrilled that it felt like he wanted to dance when the Security Department Head said it on his behalf.
“Well then, good luck with your work.”
“Thanks, supervisor!”
◈ ◈ ◈
‘Now I’m the Duty Officer too.’
Si-hyun smirked at his reflection in the mirror while in the restroom.
Stepping into the hallway, he straightened his shoulders and entered the break room of the Security Department. Since he had come in early, there were only a few staff members present even after stopping by the General Affairs Department.
Although a new year had begun, the employees dozing off on the couch looked as miserable as sick chickens. The over-enthusiastic energy radiating from Si-hyun was in stark contrast.
“Hey, look who it is! Isn’t that Officer Lee Si-hyun? Congratulations on the promotion.”
Jun-cheol spoke in an exaggerated tone upon spotting Si-hyun.
“Thanks, you loudmouth.”
“Come on, don’t be petty! Aren’t you going to boast about your assistance technique? Huh? What’s up with that?”
“Of course, I could. It’s just that I’m saying you have a loose tongue. I realized that the way you spill internal information to outsiders is what spies do.”
“Just wait till I find your weak spot. You won’t hear the end of it.”
“Haha, yeah, I better watch out. That would be a big deal.”
With a playful laugh, Si-hyun walked toward the notice board where the duty assignments were posted.
“Now, who’s the Assistant Duty Officer?… Oh, it’s Do-yeon?”
Prison officer Choi Do-yeon.
He was a year junior to Si-hyun. With his small stature and gentle looks, he had struggled tremendously since the beginning of his work, often bullied by inmates. Yet, Do-yeon was a solid example of resilience, refusing to give up.
In fact, there were new guards each year who quit after being bullied by inmates. So even if his handling skills weren’t the best, every guard recognized Do-yeon’s perseverance.
“Do-yeon? Looks like he hit the jackpot, being assigned to the same unit as you, the top officer for maintaining inmate order. He must be feeling on top of the world right now.”
Jun-cheol chimed in from behind, seemingly imagining Do-yeon’s expression. For someone who felt immense stress from managing inmates to be assigned to work with Si-hyun, who was number one for inmate order, was like winning the lottery.
Just then, as if a tiger had heard its name, the break room door swung open, and Choi Do-yeon walked in. His pale skin and small frame were certainly not ideal for a prison officer’s appearance.
He glanced around the break room, quickly spotting Si-hyun, and rushed over. Bowing at a 90-degree angle, he shouted,
“Senior! I love you!”
“….”
Is he already drunk in the morning?
Si-hyun made a bewildered expression while Jun-cheol snickered beside him.
“Senior…”
“Okay, okay.”
Si-hyun quickly interrupted.
“Just trust me and follow along.”
◈ ◈ ◈
As he used his card key to open the ward door, it indeed felt like a new beginning. Leaving behind 5th Floor, Unit 2, where he had awakened and gone through many experiences, he was starting anew in a different environment. On top of that, he was a Duty Officer now.
The roles of Duty Officer and Assistant Duty Officer were entirely different. The Duty Officer was responsible for everything that took place in the unit. Any problems that arose were the Duty Officer’s responsibility. They were essentially the overall head of the unit.
“Hello, everyone! I’m the new Duty Officer.”
Si-hyun walked down the unit corridor, greeting the inmates inside the cells.
Do-yeon watched him with envy in his eyes at how relaxed he seemed. While he constantly thought about how to minimize interactions with inmates throughout the day, Si-hyun interacted with them so comfortably. That was the most enviable scene imaginable.
Upon entering the Duty Room, Si-hyun leisurely sat down in a chair. Then he spoke to Do-yeon.
“Make yourself comfortable.”
“Yes, Senior.”
Do-yeon sat facing the intercom and CCTV.
“You’ve been in the unit long enough to know what an Assistant Duty Officer does.”
“Yes.”
“Just carry on as you normally would.”
“But….”
Do-yeon trailed off, scratching his head.
“Every supervisor I’ve worked with has different ways of dividing tasks.”
While there was a distinction between what a Duty Officer did and what an Assistant Duty Officer did, it wasn’t necessarily a problem to pass the Duty Officer’s tasks onto the Assistant.
Some Duty Officers had even passed off report writing, bar check-ups, evening medication distribution, or even electronic report writing to their assistants. Of course, those who passed off too many tasks ended up getting chewed out by the assistants.
“Good point.”
Si-hyun wrote his name in the duty log as he spoke.
“You’re in charge of outings, visits, and exercise. I don’t mind not opening doors myself; I can just use the intercom. You’ll be handling phone calls, morning medications, and passing out correspondence too. We’ll take turns going to the laundry room or picking up supplies. I’ll handle the rest. Sound good?”
Si-hyun appropriately divided the tasks.
“Yes, understood.”
Do-yeon nodded.
This seemed manageable. Plus, if inmate order was maintained properly, it might be the first time in his prison career that he experienced a well-being lifestyle.
“Hey! You two, come here!”
Si-hyun called for the helpers.
“Helpers” referred to the inmates who aided in the ward’s operations. Selected from among exemplary inmates, helping out granted them benefits like parole. Even though they were now called unit helpers, most guards still referred to them as “helpers.”
Everyone working in the unit knew that without the helpers, nothing would run smoothly in the unit. They were the ones handling a significant amount of work. So it was necessary for the Duty Officer to manage the helpers properly.
“Hello, Duty Officer!”
Two helpers greeted simultaneously.
“Which one of you is the senior helper?”
Si-hyun had referred to the older helper as the senior helper and the younger one as the junior helper for convenience’s sake.
“Yes, that’s me.”
A helper who looked to be in his mid-40s raised his hand.
“How long have you been a helper?”
“I’ve been one for three months, but this friend here has been one for five months.”
“Then I suppose there shouldn’t be any issues with your work.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“All right then, just do things as usual. Make sure not to break any rules.”
There had recently been an incident where a helper secretly delivered home-cooked food to the cell, leading to a food poisoning case for an inmate, making the Duty Officer write up a report. That was what he meant by saying not to do such acts.
“Yes, understood.”
“Great! Now get out there and get to work.”
“Yes, we’ll do our best.”
The helpers bowed and left the Duty Room.
Si-hyun checked the time.
“I need to distribute the morning medications in 10 minutes.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it.”
Si-hyun entered the password for the locked monitor screen. It was locked to prevent inmates from sneaking in and viewing personal information.
He logged into the legal department system and checked in for work. In the past, he only needed to fingerprint; however, following news that civil servants in places like Gwacheon or Sejong were being criticized for just fingerprinting in and out to collect extra payments, the system changed.
“Hey, but Senior…”
Do-yeon, who had been silently watching Si-hyun, finally spoke up.
“What?”
“The individual we have in our unit…”
“Which individual?”
“You know, the one without a name.”
“Oh, Jang Hak-ki?”
Si-hyun chuckled lightly.
There were indeed guards who referred to Jang Hak-ki as ‘the one without a name’ since they couldn’t even mention his name or number.
“Yeah, I’m a bit uncomfortable dealing with that person…”
“Haha, don’t worry. I’ll deal with that guy slowly.”
It was precisely because of Jang Hak-ki that he chose to work in this 4th Floor, Unit 1.
“Uh?”
Do-yeon’s eyes widened. It would be a big deal if a mere guard attempted to deal with someone who was powerful enough to make even the warden uneasy.
Yet, Si-hyun seemed genuine, as if he wasn’t joking. It was shocking enough.
“Just wait and see how I handle it.”
Si-hyun grinned as he recalled his new skill, ‘The Mighty Shout of the Fearsome Guard.’