He is a legendary prison guard

Chapter 27 
Commotion

“I’m saying this as a friend, but it might not be good to show that you handle the inmates too well. Those above the level of manager are only interested in their promotions, regardless of what happens to their subordinates.

For them, as long as no problems arise while they’re around, that’s all that matters. In that sense, you, Shi-hyun, are a very good tool.
No matter who comes into a higher position, they’ll want to keep you in the security department. You might end up stuck there for life.”

“….”

“You know how the security guards are treated, right, after working there for that long?”

Of course, I know.

The security department was the most important yet the most avoided. It’s tough work because it’s where the inmates are handled directly.

Moreover, there was an underlying belief that anyone could handle security duties, leading to the perception that guards who stayed in the security department for a long time were incompetent.

It’s a department that must be passed through, but it’s treated merely as a stepping stone.

“I understand what you’re saying.”

“Really? I’m glad you understood my advice.”

“But, you know.”

Shi-hyun looked directly into Woong-jae’s eyes and continued.

“I like the security department. I feel like it’s the kind of work I can do best.”

“…Oh? If you think that way, then there’s nothing I can say. Well, if you’re coming from a 9th-grade position, you can never get into the administration or headquarters,

And anyway, you can only be promoted to 6th grade at most, so being in the security department won’t be a big deal aside from being a bit tough.”

Woong-jae also looked directly into Shi-hyun’s eyes as he spoke.

In the correctional service, there is a significant difference in treatment between the 9th and 7th grades.

Because the number of people selected through the civil service exam is so small, many who start as 7th graders rise to higher positions.
Of course, many end up stuck in 6th grade or barely reach 5th grade, but with the ability and the right connections, anyone can hold a higher position.

In contrast, the limits for those coming from a 9th-grade background are clear.

Though things have improved somewhat, in the past, it was common for people to retire from 7th grade. They would struggle without even being able to hold the position of team leader, ultimately retiring without any real advancement.

“Woong-jae, aren’t you being too harsh?”

Jong-hyuk, who was sitting next to them, interjected.

All the guards present, except for Woong-jae, were from the 9th-grade exam. It was certainly a comment that could hurt their feelings.

“Oh, sorry. Was that too harsh? I was trying to give sincere advice, and I guess I spoke without thinking. I apologize.”

Having said what he wanted, he quickly stepped back while apologizing.

Shi-hyun didn’t like that attitude, but he maintained a calm expression to avoid disrupting the reunion’s atmosphere.

And even though he had thrown out a ridiculous comment at the end, he thought that the initial advice could have been valid.

“Have a drink.”

Shi-hyun poured some alcohol into Woong-jae’s glass.

“Thanks; it’s been a while since I got a drink from you.”

“But why did you choose the correctional service when you passed the 7th-grade administrative exam? Usually, people prefer administrative positions.”

“Well, maybe it’s because my father was a prison guard, so I grew up influenced by that. I wanted to make up for the fact that he couldn’t become a director and retired.”

“I see.”

As Woong-jae poured alcohol into Si-hyun’s empty glass, he continued.

“I recognize your skills. I was honestly surprised when I saw you on TV.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“But do you think those skills are 100% related to promotions?”

Without waiting for Shi-hyun’s answer, Woong-jae continued.

“You know how it is. It’s a dirty and frustrating reality. A guard known for maintaining order among inmates retires as a team leader, while someone who just does okay but knows how to kiss up to their superiors becomes a manager. That’s why I said what I did.”

Woong-jae spoke coldly about reality.

Everyone seemed to have felt that aspect of being guard to some extent, and this time they nodded in agreement.

Shi-hyun nodded along.

“I understand what you’re saying. But do you always link everything to promotions?”

“Does that bother you? We’re not college students. Haven’t you felt how important promotions are in the workplace? Sure, it might be a bit less so in public service.

But if you fall behind in the promotion race in the private sector and lose your position to younger colleagues, it can lead to suicidal thoughts.”

“I don’t deny that promotions are important. As a human, it’s natural to have a desire for advancement. But the reason I’m trying to maintain order among inmates—well, there might be a bit of that, sure. But the main reason is that I can’t stand seeing inmates who’ve committed crimes acting recklessly.

If they’re in there to serve their punishment, they should follow the rules. How do you think the victims feel when they see that?”

Woong-jae listened to Shi-hyun’s response and smirked slightly.

“Wow, what a sense of mission. You must be a natural prison guard.”

“And I have no intention of stopping at 6th grade. I plan to aim for 5th grade. But I have no intention of kissing up to my superiors either. I will only advance based on my abilities.”

Shi-hyun looked at Woong-jae and enunciated each word.

At first, Woong-jae seemed unable to comprehend Shi-hyun’s words and showed no reaction.

But soon, he wore a look of disbelief.

“What? Are you serious?”

“Would I joke about something like that?”

“I never knew you were this kind of person.”

“Think what you want.”

“Hey, hey, why are we getting so heated after not seeing each other for so long? We might end up fighting.”

As the conversation heated up, Seung-min stepped in to calm things down.

The other classmates exchanged glances, suggesting they should separate the two.

“Shi-hyun, come here for a moment. I want to talk to you about something.”

“Yeah, Shi-hyun. I’m curious about how you’ve been.”

Reading the atmosphere, Shi-hyun stood up willingly.

Only then did the group naturally return to the lively and cheerful atmosphere of the reunion.

Shi-hyun also brushed off what had just happened and focused on the pleasant conversations with his classmates.

Just as it seemed like the reunion would end on a good note, someone nearby spoke up.

“Ugh, these guards are so damn noisy.”

A man with a snake tattoo who was drinking nearby complained loudly.

At first, Shi-hyun and his friends didn’t realize that the quickly spoken words were directed at them.

Then the man shouted even louder.

“Shut up, you damn guards!”

“….”

The atmosphere turned icy in an instant.

Seung-min, Jong-hyuk, and Woong-jae’s faces stiffened.

The female classmates looked frightened.

Shi-hyun calmly assessed the situation first. It was a habit he had developed during his time in the field.

Among released inmates, there were often those who harbored ill feelings towards guards. Therefore, cautious seniors are advised not to disclose their guard status outside, as they never know when they might run into a former inmate.

He wasn’t sure if the man was a released inmate, but he looked like a gangster. The man who had shouted to be quiet had a scarred face, and when he rolled up his sleeves, a writhing dragon tattoo became visible.

“Don’t take pictures, you bastard! Have you heard of the Nam-ryong gang? If you don’t put that damn camera away, I’ll kill you all!”

With the sudden commotion, other patrons at nearby tables who had been filming quickly lowered their phones upon realizing the man was a gangster.

Seeing this, some guests hurriedly packed their things and left.

“You guys better get out of here too. We’ll handle this.”

Shi-hyun urged the female classmates to leave.

The Nam-ryong gang.

While ordinary citizens might not know much about them, they were a familiar name to correctional officers working in the metropolitan area.

A guard could manage gangsters only while they were inside the correctional facility.

Outside, it was a completely different matter. There was no reason for a gangster to bow down to a guard.

‘Just a low-level thug.’

Shi-hyun squinted his eyes.

From his experience, lower-level gang members could often be more troublesome than higher-ups.

Lower-level members didn’t care about orders from their superiors, regardless of the consequences. Incidents like assaults on guards were often committed not by higher-ups but by these lower-level members.

Of course, if you looked into the details, it was often the case that a gangster’s pride was hurt because a guard didn’t respect their status in front of other inmates, leading them to send a lower-level member to take action.

When dealing with gangsters, ensuring the pride of their higher-ups was part of the work that senior guards taught to newcomers.

After all, what power did a mere guard have to treat a gangster boss disrespectfully?

“Why are you suddenly picking a fight?”

Jong-hyuk, who was a former special forces member and not one to back down, stepped forward.

“What are you looking at, you punk?”

The snake tattoo man glared.

“Calm down.”

Shi-hyun grabbed Jong-hyuk’s arm.

If a fight broke out, only the public servants would suffer. Gangsters had no qualms about fighting.

Jong-hyuk seemed to understand this and gave Shi-hyun a reassuring look.

He opened his mouth again.

“What’s the reason?”

“Oh, reason? Sure, I’ll tell you. Soon, our boss will come here, and I can’t let you guards ruin the drinking atmosphere, can I? So get lost, you bastards!”

The snake tattoo man shouted.

The scarred man behind him nodded, urging them to leave.

“Let’s just go.”

Woong-jae suggested.

As public servants, avoiding escalation was the best course of action.

Of course, the main reason was the concern that any trouble might affect their promotions.

Shi-hyun agreed with Woong-jae’s judgment this time.

He was not only a public servant but also an awakened individual. Gangsters were still regular people. Getting entangled in a fight with regular people would be troublesome.

Just as Shi-hyun was about to speak, someone began to ascend the stairs.

‘Who is that?’

Shi-hyun recognized the face.