The Dog Thief
There were still four days left until the mission deadline, but only one wanted criminal remained.
It was all thanks to my avatar's relentless auto-hunting.
"Should I give them their pay a bit early? That'll keep their spirits up, right?"
Giving them too much at once might raise their expectations and make things tiring later on.
It seemed better for management to give them slightly more than expected at first, and then gradually increase the size of the rewards.
With this momentum, I could get the last wanted suspect too!
"He's definitely not on the mainland. The only place left is Jeju. I can head down there this weekend."
Just in case, I checked the weekend weather forecast.
It was a sunny day with no strong winds or snow in sight.
Everything was going smoothly.
"First thing I do when I get to work is book the flight..."
Today was Thursday, so there was plenty of time to prepare.
Because I had woken up so early, it was still pitch black outside.
Dawn hadn't even broken yet.
I had about two hours to spare before I had to head to work.
"Should I check my status window? It's been a while."
My rank, grade, unlocked functions, and keywords remained the same.
What had changed were my achievements and the information range.
"Points have piled up quite a bit in the meantime. The information range has expanded too."
Capturing four more wanted criminals had earned me 50 points.
The information range had also expanded to a 160-kilometer radius.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before I could cover the entire Korean Peninsula.
"Just how far do you plan on growing me...?"
The KakaoTalk message my father had sent came to mind once again.
What did the mysterious entity that gifted me 'Beomjappa' intend to use me for?
"Good morning."
I thought I was arriving early, but my seniors were already there before me.
"Oh, Detective Min, you're here?"
"You're all here early."
"It's the rookie's day off today. We should at least show up early to cover for him."
"I'm his mentor, so why are you guys doing that?"
"Isn't he everyone's rookie? We should help each other out."
"Well, sounds nice."
"Detective Park, did you see that yesterday? When the rookie was leaving Yuldo Station, he flipped off the detective in charge."
"No way, really?"
"I'm telling you! Detective Min, you saw it too, right?"
The seniors started their morning with yesterday's gossip.
Despite the bright atmosphere, their faces were haggard.
Did they even sleep properly, eager to finish their chat?
It had nothing to do with performance reviews, but things that didn't make money were always the most fun.
Times like this made me think men were more gossipy than women.
"But..."
It was strange that Team Leader Na was the only one missing from this chatter.
"Is the team leader not here yet?"
"Called in by the division chief."
"The division chief is already at work?"
"Yeah. Seems like there's some urgent business. He called the team leader in the moment he arrived."
I had no idea that "urgent business" would become our next job.
"Oh, everyone's here? Shall we have a meeting?"
Team Leader Na, fresh from his meeting with the division chief, immediately called a meeting.
"Something urgent has come up."
"Is it a case?"
"Well, it's a case, I suppose. A dog theft."
"...A dog? Are you telling us to catch a dog thief right now?"
The Violent Crimes Unit was created to catch violent criminals.
A dog thief was the lowest of petty thieves.
Even local precinct officers could handle petty thieves.
Inspector Choi Doyeong voiced his complaints on behalf of the team.
"This is a massive waste of talent. Did the division chief really order this?"
"The thief is a petty criminal, but the dog is a big deal."
"What does that even mean?"
"It's the Minister of the Interior and Safety's dog. Apparently, he's raised it with love for seven years."
"Oh, boy."
These days, many people treat their pets like their own children.
The Minister of the Interior and Safety, a well-known animal lover, was a high-ranking official who held command over the police force.
What we had to find wasn't just a dog, but a precious young master cherished by a powerful lord.
Inspector Choi, who had been slouching, straightened his posture.
"But I've never heard of the minister living in Seongam-si."
Though he backed down upon learning the target was a powerful family's precious pet, Inspector Choi maintained his pride with a small protest.
"Right. The minister's family home is in Incheon."
"Then why are they telling us to handle it?"
"The commissioner general handpicked us. He said Seongam's Violent Crimes Team 1 would find it for him."
"Why?"
"Why do you think?"
Team Leader Na stared intently at me.
"Is it because of me again?"
Team Leader Na nodded the moment I asked.
It was the side effect of fame.
"He must have guaranteed that if Seongam's Violent Crimes Team 1 steps in, any case can be solved within three days."
"Is he out of his mind?"
"Shh! What if someone hears you?"
"It's not even a person, it's a missing dog. How are we supposed to find it in three days?"
"It's not like we have zero clues."
"There are clues?"
"Well..."
Just as Team Leader Na was about to write something on the whiteboard...
Ding.
A text message from Cha Donbaek arrived.
The couriers had arrived.
"Um, Team Leader."
"Yeah?"
"I need to step out for a second."
"Where are you going in the middle of a meeting?"
"A delivery..."
"A delivery?"
"It'll only take five minutes. I'll go grab it quickly."
The children of darkness had reformed and were now volunteer members, but that only applied among ourselves. Judging by their looks, they still looked like hardened criminals.
If they drove their car right into the police station grounds?
A Code Zero might be triggered again.
I had to rush out to meet them.
"Will five minutes be enough?"
"Yes. That's plenty of time."
There were four of them, so I needed someone's help, but I went out alone because I didn't want to draw attention.
"Boss, over here!"
Near the wall a short distance from the main gate of the police station, a familiar van was parked.
Cha Donbaek was standing next to it, waiting for me.
"Are they inside?"
"Yes. A total of four, including the ones we caught at dawn."
"Great work. This is the payment I was planning to give you at the beginning of the month, but I'll give it to you now."
I handed the envelope containing the checks to Cha Donbaek.
"Aigoo, you didn't have to rush to give us this."
"No, you've done far better than expected, which has made my life a lot easier. I put in a little extra, so you can distribute it as you see fit, Manager Cha."
"Thank you, I'll accept it gratefully. Should we drag those guys out of the van?"
"Yes. Please do."
The wanted criminals filed out in a single line, handcuffed in pairs.
All four matched the photos on the wanted posters.
"You guys better walk quietly into the station, got it? Or I'll blast you with the taser again! Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
The wanted criminals answered loudly, like well-trained recruits.
And they said they caught them peacefully without laying a finger on them...
"You tasered them?"
"Ah, just once? Or was it twice? No, three times...?"
They tasered them constantly.
Still, it was better than having bruises on their faces.
I led the four wanted criminals into the police station as if I were guiding kindergarteners on a field trip.
"They're following him quietly."
Seo Gidong, who had been driving slowly to match the suspects' pace, stopped the car after confirming they had entered the police station without any trouble.
"Boss, should we have a smoke before we go?"
"Tired?"
"A little."
"Let's do that, then."
Seo Gidong, who had done all the driving, complained of fatigue.
His shoulders were stiff from driving non-stop all the way from Anmyeondo.
Cha Donbaek asked Seo Gidong, who was putting a cigarette in his mouth, how he felt.
"So, how is the work? Manageable?"
"It was a bit awkward at first, but it's fun. I never thought the day would come when I'd put handcuffs on someone else with my own hands."
"Don't you feel a sense of accomplishment?"
"Yeah. It kind of feels like I'm contributing to society... Hey, you hiding behind the tree!"
Seo Gidong cut himself off and shouted at a man standing behind a street tree.
"Yeah, you. Come over here."
"What's the matter?"
"You've been secretly watching us for a while now, haven't you?"
"I did no such thing."
"Cut the crap. What's that in your hand?"
"Have you never seen a phone before?"
"Hand it over. Let see if you took photos."
"Ah, what are you doing? I'm going to call the police!"
They were barely ten meters away from the police station's main gate, which was guarded by sentries.
Perhaps because of that, the man stood his ground against Seo Gidong without showing any fear.
"Call them, you bastard. Call them and let's check your phone. Taking photos of someone's face without permission is a crime too. Ever heard of portrait rights?"
"Stop accusing an innocent person. What, are you guys gangsters?"
"What?"
At the word "gangsters," Manager Geum and Manager Eun, who were inside the van, stepped out.
"What's going on?"
"That bastard's been staring at us for a while."
"Really? Hey, mister, do you know us?"
As Manager Geum and Manager Eun approached threateningly, the man who had been standing tall flinched and took a step back.
Just then, Manager Eun tilted his head, finding the man familiar.
"Wait... I think I saw this guy yesterday too. Where was it?"
"Wow, four gangsters picking a fight with a citizen? Fine, let's call the police. Hey, over here!"
The man didn't hesitate for a second and waved his hand toward the sentry.
Sensing that things might escalate, Cha Donbaek quickly wrapped up the situation.
"Hey, everyone get in the car."
"Boss, I'm telling you, that bastard is hiding something."
"Shut up and just get in."
Then he turned and apologized to the man.
"My boys are a bit rough around the edges. If they offended you, I apologize on their behalf."
"Hmph. Watch yourselves if you don't want to be called gangsters."
"..."
In the past, Cha Donbaek would have thrown punches first, but now he was the representative of a volunteer group.
As a model of reformation, he let the man go.
"Boss, I'm telling you, that guy is really suspicious."
"Drop it and just drive. Stop picking fights with random people like you used to."
"Boss!"
"What, you don't want to listen to me either? You want to go a round with me?"
"...I'm sorry."
"Let's go."
"Yes, sir."
The van passed the police station's main gate and headed toward the wallpaper shop they used as their hideout.
The police officers inside the main building of the Seongam Police Station began whispering all at once.
"What is that?"
The sight of four wanted criminals being led in like a string of sweet potatoes was certainly an unusual spectacle.
Especially the red handcuffs linking them together.
There was no such thing in the police inventory.
The ones most shocked were the detectives of Violent Crimes Team 1.
Detective Min, who said he'd only be a moment, had returned with a bizarre delivery.
Team Leader Na asked me with a dumbfounded expression.
"What is this now?"
"A surprise for your promotion, Team Leader!"
"Cut the crap."
"I just picked them up while grabbing my delivery."
"Do you think that's funny?"
"Let's just gloss over the details. My informants happened to catch them and just handed them over. Good enough?"
"In my twenty years on the force, I've never seen anything this absurd. Where do they even sell red handcuffs like that?"
"Who knows? I'm not sure either."
There were too many things that wouldn't be wise to explain in detail.
"I'll go put these guys in the fridge—I mean, the holding cell. The meeting isn't over yet, right?"
"I'm starting to wonder what the point of this meeting even is."
"Come on, don't be like that. I'll be right back."
After comforting the despondent Team Leader Na, I locked the wanted criminals in the holding cell and returned.
"Alright, shall we begin?"
"..."
Team Leader Na sat at the head of the conference table, staring blankly at me.
"Team Leader! Aren't we going to look for the minister's dog?"
"Sigh. Right. We have to. Where were we?"
"You said there was a clue?"
Snapping out of it, Team Leader Na recalled the clue he had heard from the division chief.
"Ah, right. The clue. Yes. We caught a dog thief."
"Huh? Then isn't the case solved?"
"But he didn't steal the minister's dog."
"I thought you said we found a clue?"
"The method is identical. Stealing the dogs at dog parks or pet cafes while the owners are distracted. The owners are all wealthy. And..."
"And?"
"The thieves are all middle school students. First-years, to be exact."
"First-year middle schoolers? So thirteen?"
"Yes. Juvenile offenders under the age of criminal responsibility."
The moment they heard "juvenile offenders under the age of criminal responsibility," every detective in the room grimaced.
Children under the age of fourteen were exempt from criminal punishment.
Even if a child under fourteen committed murder, they would only receive a slap on the wrist.
While juvenile crimes were rising day by day, both the legislature and the judiciary were sitting on their hands.
Regardless of reality, a detective had to focus on the investigation.
"So the crime scenes and methods are similar, the victims are wealthy, and it's all done by kids?"
"Yeah. Got any ideas?"
"Unless it's some malicious challenge trending among kids..."
I didn't think the essence of this case was just a prank played by kids for fun.
"It's probably because stronger, bad kids made them do it."
"Stronger, bad kids?"
"School bullies."
A few scenarios were already forming in my head, but I decided not to jump to conclusions.
Approaching it with prejudice could make me miss the core of the matter.
The commissioner general had given us three days, but I planned to wrap up the investigation by tomorrow.
Because I had to fly down to Jeju Island over the weekend.
"Let's start quickly. Where is the kid they caught right now?"
"Incheon Yeonan Police Station."