A Rather Strange Tutorial

I had assumed the roads would be clear since rush hour had already passed, but I was dead wrong. The bumper-to-bumper traffic showed no signs of letting up.

"The opposite lane is completely empty. Ah, right. Today must be a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sobriety checkpoint night."

It was Friday night—the time when reason loosens its grip and primal instincts take over.

People celebrating the weekend flocked to the entertainment districts to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drink, sing, and dance away their stress.

Even those who were normally as gentle as herbivores easily lost their self-control on nights like this.

Consequently, minor friction frequently escalated into major altercations.

This was precisely why the police stepped up patrols and set up sobriety checkpoints on Friday nights.

And so, while driving home leisurely in my Commando, I found myself hopelessly trapped on the congested road.

I was staring straight ahead, wondering when the traffic would finally budge, when my phone vibrated with a sharp buzz.

"Hello?"

—Opppa, it's me, Gain.

It was my one and only younger sister, Min Gain, who had graduated from a vocational high school this year and landed a job at a bank.

With her pretty face and bright personality, she was the sole pride and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠joy of our impoverished family.

"What's up at this hour?"

—Do you know what next weekend is? It's Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary.

"Ah, is it?"

—It's their thirtieth anniversary this year.

"Sorry. I've been so busy I completely forgot."

—They said they really want to go to Jeju Island. I looked into it, and it looks like it'll cost at least two million won for a four-day trip.

"Two million won..."

The words *my bank account is completely empty* refused to leave my throat.

"Alright. Let's talk again tomorrow."

—Oppa, I've saved up some of my salary. If things are tight for you, I can cover it this time.

"Look at you talking big. You've only been at the bank for a few months. I'll call you back tomorrow. I'm driving right now, so I can't talk long."

—Okay, Oppa. Drive safe.

I hadn't even been able to visit our parents often lately.

I couldn't just dump the duty of being a good child onto my younger sister's shoulders.

"How much cash advance can I get on my card again?"

Since I hadn't officially resigned yet, I could put out the immediate fire with a credit card cash service, find a high-paying manual labor gig, and pay it off. Whether it was deliveries or construction work, my body was perfectly healthy, so what couldn't I do?

Right then.

Ding!

A sudden mechanical voice rang out.

It came from the Commando's navigation system.

The screen, which displayed my current location on the map, looked no different than before. The only change was a flashing red arrow rapidly approaching my position.

"A sudden mission? It wants me to handle this?"

A mission thrown at me out of nowhere without a single word of explanation.

There was no joystick, and the screen hadn't changed to a game interface.

"What kind of game is this?"

Right then—Vrooooom!

A sports car roared past in the opposite lane, tearing through the night.

It was weaving dangerously between the slow-moving cars like an acrobat. A few seconds later, three police cruisers followed in hot pursuit, sirens wailing.

"Are they chasing him...?"

A sudden thought struck me, and I looked back at the navigation screen. The red arrow that had been rushing toward me was now rapidly moving away in the opposite direction.

"No way... Is it tracking that car?"

Did the sudden mission mean I had to catch that fleeing vehicle?

If so, this wasn't a game. It was a real-life situation unfolding right in front of me.

The sports car and the pursuing cruisers had already passed me and were pulling far ahead.

I stopped hesitating, spun the steering wheel, and pulled a sharp U-turn.

I only had two years on the force, but chasing down lawbreakers had become an instinct.

"They'll probably set up a blockade ahead. Even if I just flush him out from behind so he can't escape, it'll help."

Since it was a joint crackdown by the Seongam-si Police Agency, there were well over a hundred officers out on the streets conducting random checks.

If they received the radio dispatch, they would likely block the roads ahead and wait for the fleeing vehicle.

From the main avenues to the narrow alleyways, no matter how fast a sports car was, escaping a police dragnet wouldn't be easy.

However...

"Wait, he stopped?"

As I crested the hill, the red arrow on the navigation screen came to a halt at a single point. The pursuing police cruisers had already blown past that spot and were continuing straight down the main road.

"They must have missed him."

He had probably used his speed to widen the gap, used the hill as a blind spot, and ducked into a nearby building's parking lot.

The patrol cars had missed it, but the Commando's navigation system had captured it perfectly.

Half-believing and half-doubting, I drove down into the underground parking lot of the building where the arrow was flashing.

It was a luxury sports car that easily cost over three hundred million won.

The driver had turned off the headlights and the engine, trying to hold his breath in the dark, but a car like that couldn't be hidden so easily.

"Found you."

I parked the Commando right in front of the sports car, blocking his path of escape.

"Hey! Move your car! I'm leaving right now!"

A very young guy stuck his head out of the window and shouted.

Ignoring his shouting, I dialed the Seongam Police Station's Traffic Division.

"The vehicle that fled the checkpoint is currently in the underground parking lot of the Goun Building. I'm holding him here, so please send a patrol car quickly."

I had left my police badge and handcuffs back at the station. If he was a drunk driver, they would need to measure his blood alcohol concentration anyway, so I had to call the traffic police.

"Fuck!"

Having apparently overheard my phone call, the driver threw open his door and began to run.

He was stumbling so badly in a zig-zag pattern that I didn't even need to run to catch him. As I closed the distance, the stench of alcohol hit my nose.

At this level, his license would definitely be revoked. If he was a repeat offender, he might even face jail time.

"Sir, the police will be here soon, so just wait quietly."

"Let go of me, you motherfucker! Let go!"

"If you assault an officer, you'll end up with a criminal record."

"Are... are you a cop?"

"Yes. Why did you get behind the wheel when you can't even walk straight?"

"I had an urgent family matter..."

"Sure, sure. I'm sure you did. First, let me see your ID."

"Come on, let's not do this..."

The driver pulled out his wallet and handed me three one-million-won checks.

"You look like you're off-duty anyway. Take this and let's let it slide. Scratch my back, I scratch yours. Huh?"

"..."

Three million won. With that, I could send my parents somewhere even better than Jeju Island for their thirtieth anniversary.

Damn it. I hated this.

I had no intention of taking the money, yet my weak self couldn't help but entertain the "what if." It made me feel disgusted with myself every single time.

"I am arresting you for violations of the Road Traffic Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. You have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney..."

I waved the checks he had handed me right in front of his eyes.

"And this is the evidence of your attempted bribe."

I handed the checks over as evidence to the traffic officers who arrived shortly after.

"Wow, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we thought he vanished into thin air, but he was hiding here. Thank you, Detective. You're with the Seongam Violent Crimes Unit, right?"

"Yes. Thanks for your hard work late at night. Take him in, run a breathalyzer, and do a drug test too. The way he's stumbling, it doesn't look like just alcohol."

"Understood. Salute!"

"I'm a Patrol Officer too, senior. Salute!"

"Ah..."

The Violent Crimes Unit didn't interact much with the Traffic Division, so many officers didn't know I was just a Patrol Officer. It was mostly because I always wore plain clothes.

After handing the sports car driver over to the traffic police, I got back into the Commando.

"..."

A button reading 'Confirm Reward' was flashing on the navigation screen.

It had said it was a 24-hour trial program. But rewards were being issued during the tutorial phase?

If this was a game, it was completely absurd.

"It might be absurd as a game, but the functionality is incredible."

The fact that a criminal's movement path was displayed in real-time was nothing short of astonishing. While the control center could track suspects via CCTV, the only way to relay that information to patrol cars was through radio dispatches. But what I had just witnessed was a navigation system guiding me directly to the criminal.

"Did they install a tracker on the fleeing vehicle? Otherwise, this makes no sense..."

I had a million questions, but I decided to push them aside for now and touched the reward button on the screen.

Golden coins showered down on the screen like a jackpot at a pachinko parlor, and a moment later, the total reward was displayed.

I had expected some kind of potion or skill, but to my surprise, it was cold, hard cash.

Just for catching a driver fleeing a checkpoint, the reward was five million won?

"If only this were real money."

Since I assumed it wasn't real, I didn't feel much of a thrill.

"Patrol Officer Min, we'll head out first."

"Yes. Good work."

The patrol officer, having verified my identity, put the driver in the cruiser and headed back to the station.

I inserted the key and started the engine.

"Wait, I hadn't even started the engine earlier. How was the navigation system running?"

A chill ran down my spine, but my eyes were drawn back to the navigation screen.

Withdraw the money?

Even though I knew it was impossible, my finger moved on its own and pressed 'Yes.'

Immediately, a metallic Black Card slid out from a slot at the bottom of the navigation system.

"...!"

I had no idea the navigation system had a slot like that.

Given the context, it meant I could actually withdraw cash with this card.

"There's no way... right?"

I saw letters embossed in gold on the surface of the card.

The mysterious initials 'CP&PC'.

Curious, I searched the name on my phone, but no organization by that name came up.

"It makes no sense, but I have to check."

I drove around looking for a 24-hour ATM. Fortunately, there was a bank nearby.

I inserted the Black Card spat out by the navigation system into the machine and entered the maximum withdrawal amount.

The PIN?

My mentor hadn't given me one, but I had a hunch. There were four digits scratched onto the surface of the card, as if carved with a knife.

"2025. Oh? It worked!"

No error message popped up, and the screen moved to the next step. Because I was so desperate for money, I couldn't help but get my hopes up.

"Let's think rationally. This is impossible. There's no way money is going to come out."

I tried to calm my racing heart and regain my composure. If this were possible, I would become a wealthy man in just a month. Someone was playing a prank on me. It made no sense.

But the sound coming from the ATM made my heart beat even faster.

Whirrrrr. Clack-clack-clack-clack.

A moment later, the dispenser slot at the bottom of the machine slid open.

An unbelievable sight unfolded before my eyes.

"M-Money. Real money actually came out..."

Was I dreaming, or was this real?

The 24-hour trial program.

There were still twenty-three hours left before it ended.

The next day.

Na Sangdo returned from the senior staff meeting with a dark expression on his face.

Inspector Choi Doyeong carefully gauged the mood and asked quietly,

"Did something bad happen at the meeting?"

"Sigh, the new chief is treating us like we're some kind of thieves."

"Thieves? Did something go missing?"

"No, not that. He says our overtime pay is too high compared to our performance. He wants every team to write up a justification report."

"What a lunatic. Does he think this is a private corporation? Does the headquarters' intelligence team not work overtime?"

"Who knows. If he keeps this up, things are going to get really exhausting."

They knew the new chief was strict, but they hadn't expected him to scrutinize every single detail under a microscope. Padding overtime hours slightly to look out for the detectives who were busting their asses was a long-standing, tacit practice. But the chief wasn't the type of person to just say, *'Ah, I see. I didn't know,'* and let it slide if they explained it was a custom.

To write a justification report, they needed a master fiction writer. That was usually Sergeant Park Inhyeok's specialty...

"Inspector Choi. Where is your partner?"

"Ah, about that..."

By now, Sangdo could tell just by looking at his face.

"He hasn't reported for work yet?"

"...Yes."

"Did you call him?"

"His phone is turned off."

"A detective turning off his phone? That bastard has officially lost his mind."

"I haven't lost my mind, Team Leader."

Park Inhyeok walked into the office looking like a disheveled mess. There was no way Team Leader Na would look kindly on that appearance.

"Look at the time! You're just showing up now? And with your phone off? Things are already chaotic enough around here, and you're slacking off?"

"I never even went home, so how can I be late for work?"

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

"You told me to keep an eye on what the rookie was up to."

"...You're late because of that?"

"Ugh, don't even get me started. Pickpockets, drunkards, drunk drivers, violent drunks—he's catching them all, regardless of the offense. At this rate, the petty criminals of Seongam-si are going to go extinct."

"Min Suho is really doing that?"

"Yes. Go ask the Traffic Division and the other detective teams. The guys on duty last night probably didn't get a single wink of sleep because they were busy taking over the suspects he brought in."

"Until what time?"

"It's not a matter of what time—he's still out there doing it right now. I don't think the kid even knows what fatigue is. Ugh, I'm exhausted."

"..."

Team Leader Na's mind was in a state of utter confusion.

The guy who had been talking about quitting the police force was now tearing through the city without a wink of sleep, hell-bent on catching criminals?

"What is the chief going to say when he hears about this?"