Squeezing a Dry Towel

The morning I gave up the rest of my vacation and headed back to Seongam Police Station.

"Now that the tutorial is over, I guess the real game begins."

Excited, I got into my car and waited for the navigation system's voice prompt. But the selection ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠window that usually popped up the moment the engine started was nowhere to be seen.

"It used to show up as soon as I turned the key..."

What was different now compared to then?

After thinking about it for a while, it hit me that the black card was still in my wallet.

"Is it because of this? Let's put it back where it belongs first."

I carefully slid the black card into the slot at the bottom of the navigation unit. Only then did the familiar window open.

"Pursuit Mode, obviously."

So far, it was exactly the same as last time. I pressed my finger against the scanner.

This part was different. Perhaps because I had been promoted to the main user, the process was much simpler.

"What's next?"

As if in response to my question, a clear, mechanical chime rang out.

It sounded less like a mission description and more like a curse.

"What do you mean, deleted? I just got started!"

Without Pursuit Mode, the navigation system would be nothing more than a mundane GPS. It would be like a steamed bun without the red bean filling.

"Well, I just have to not fail."

I just had to succeed in the mission using my own abilities, without the navigation system's active guidance. It wasn't impossible.

I already had 43 points recorded, so I only needed 57 more to reach 100. In other words, if I arrested 57 criminals from now on, the mission would be a success.

"How hard could that be?"

For a violent crimes detective, catching 57 criminals should be a walk in the park. The only problem was the sixty-day time limit.

"If I only focus on major cases like before, the chances of failure are too high."

It would be better to target petty criminals, who were much more common than violent offenders. Hit-and-run drivers, drug users, and pickpockets stealing wallets all yielded exactly 1 point each.

The system didn't care about the severity of the crime when awarding points. The score I needed to gain was 57 points.

If I followed the team leader's orders during duty hours and focused on hunting petty criminals after work, fifteen days would be more than enough. I walked into the station with a much lighter heart, but...

"You want me to go somewhere else? Why all of a sudden?"

"The Chief is too anxious," Na Sangdo replied. "He's worried you're going to cause trouble."

"If he's so anxious, he should just resign."

"My thoughts exactly."

It was nice that my team leader and I were on the same page, but what difference did it make? The man with the power to reassign me wanted me out.

"When do I have to decide by?"

"...Today. I'm sorry."

This was driving me crazy. If I had known this would happen, I would have taken a few more days off. I could have easily caught 57 criminals while resting. I had no idea such an ambush was waiting for me at the station...

"I'm still keeping my badge, right?"

"Of course. Even the Chief can't just strip you of your rank. The police union wouldn't stand for it."

"So, is it a temporary dispatch?"

"Yeah."

"When do I return?"

"Well, that's up to Chief Lee Chungki to decide..."

Na Sangdo trailed off. I took that to mean I wouldn't be coming back as long as the Chief was in office.

Seongam-si, with its notoriously high recidivism rate, was like El Dorado to me—a land flowing with milk, honey, and cash rewards. It would be hard to find a better place to make money. Regretful, I asked one more time.

"What's the Chief's specific reason for kicking me out?"

"Arresting forty-three petty criminals in twenty-four hours was the biggest factor. To anyone looking, that wasn't normal."

"So there's no room for negotiation?"

"Probably not..."

Depending on how you looked at it, it could indeed be seen as a precursor to a major disaster. I had to give up on trying to stay. I only had two options: a security guard at the National Museum, or a patrol officer at a rural police outpost.

How many thieves went to a museum to steal artifacts in a year? It wasn't even worth debating.

"I'll go to the outpost."

"The outpost? Not the National Museum?"

"I've decided on the outpost."

"It's far. It's a five-hour drive from here. Plus, it's a rural area, so it'll be inconvenient to live there."

"At least rent will be cheap. I actually prefer it."

"...Well, alright. If that's what you want."

The world was wide, and petty criminals were everywhere. I would lie low in the countryside, quietly level up, and then return to a big city crawling with violent offenders. Now that my direction was set, every passing second felt like a waste of time.

"What did you say the name of the outpost was?"

"Welcome to Sancheon Police Outpost."

"Wow! We can finally go on vacation now."

"Welcome, Officer Min. Welcome to Sancheon-ri, the land of peaceful, simple living."

Wait, a five-hour drive? It took me a whopping six and a half hours of non-stop driving just to get here.

While it wasn't deep in the rugged mountains, it was an incredibly peaceful rural village. I should have guessed when I heard the name of the outpost had "Sancheon" in it...

The mountains were high and the water was clear, but as the old saying goes, clear water holds no fish. It was hard to spot a single human soul. The five-person staff at the outpost actually made the place look crowded.

"I barely saw any people on the way here."

"Our jurisdiction is a prime example of a depopulated area," Chief Seo Myeonggil explained. "The average age is seventy. The area is half the size of Seongam-si, but there are fewer than a thousand households."

"A thousand households is more than I..."

"They aren't gathered in one place; they're scattered all over. You'll see for yourself once you start patrolling."

"Are there no young people?"

"Practically none. This is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my hometown, and I can't even remember the last time I heard a baby cry."

Damn it. To break the law, people at least had to leave their houses. What could I possibly expect from elderly folks who could barely move?

Unlike me, who was sinking into despair, Chief Seo Myeonggil, a local native, had a bright smile on his face.

"Did you say you worked as a detective before?"

"Yes, sir."

"Seongam-si has a high crime rate, so you must have had a tough time. It's very quiet here. Think of it as a vacation and take it easy while you're here."

Can't you see my face rotting away in real time? He seemed like a nice guy, but he was completely oblivious.

"I belong in the field, sir. Rain or shine, please leave the patrol duties to me."

"Oh, full of energy from day one, I see! In that case, you can handle the community support duties as well."

"...Excuse me?"

"We're short-handed around here, so we occasionally go out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to help the locals. Do you have any farming experience?"

"I'm busy enough trying to level up, and now farming..."

"Hmm? What was that?"

"Ah, nothing, sir. I'll do my best."

I realized once again how crucial a single choice could be. Even as I despaired, time was ticking away. I couldn't let myself give up. The situation was grim, but there had to be a way. Every cloud has a silver lining. Let's do this. Let's make it happen, level up, and show them all!

Na Sangdo had lost a noticeable amount of weight recently. Being a detective was only getting harder. Standing in the smoking room with his team members, he let out a deep sigh.

"Man, I want to resign so bad."

"Me too."

"Mine is already waiting in my drawer. All I have to do is pull it out and submit it."

"I carry mine in my inner jacket pocket like a talisman."

The violent crimes detectives were all suffering from the same affliction.

"Seriously, when is the replacement coming? We're down two people, so why aren't they filling the spots? Why?"

Na Sangdo sympathized with their complaints, but as a middle manager, he couldn't openly agree.

"Min Suho is just on dispatch, so he's technically still on our roster," Na Sangdo said. "If you look at it that way, we're only short one person."

"But we're already short-handed! Why dispatch him? And when are they going to fill Inspector Son's spot?"

"Watch your tone. I'm still your team leader."

"Ah, I didn't mean it toward you, Team Leader."

"I know. But keep your voice down. The Chief might hear you from his office."

"Let him hear! If you wouldn't stop me, Team Leader, I'd go up there right now and grab the Chief by his collar."

"I won't stop you. Go ahead."

"Huh?"

"Go grab his collar. We will never forget your noble sacrifice."

"So you're using me as a meat shield?"

"Sacrifice your pathetic self so the rest of us can live."

"Wow, that sounded too real. I'm getting goosebumps."

With two empty desks, Violent Crimes Team 1 was plagued by constant overtime. When they claimed overtime pay, the Chief demanded written justifications. While stressing over what to write, their work piled up, leading to even more overtime. It was a vicious cycle, and they were running on pure spite.

"Man, I miss the rookie."

"Me too."

"Team Leader, have you called him?"

"I felt too guilty to call," Na Sangdo admitted.

"Why feel guilty? It's not like you were the one who sent him away."

"Still, I'm his team leader. If you were in his shoes, would you want to take my call?"

"Is Suho a kid? Why would he pout over that?"

"It's been almost a month. If we haven't called him once, he might actually be upset."

"Should I try calling him?"

"Yes, do it."

Encouraged by his team, Na Sangdo dialed Min Suho's number for the first time in a while. The line rang, but there was no answer.

"See? He's not picking up."

"Come on, it's not like he's ignoring you on purpose. Why don't you call the outpost chief? You said you know him, right?"

"I do."

Na Sangdo had worked with Inspector Seo Myeonggil back in Incheon. Unlike Suho, the Chief picked up almost immediately.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The team members looked puzzled by the brief call.

"What did he say?"

"He said he's busy. Wants to talk later."

"What could possibly keep him busy in that middle-of-nowhere village?"

"Exactly. I wonder why."

Summoned to the town hall, Seo Myeonggil was currently losing his mind. The village elders were crowding around the outpost chief, looking ready to start a riot.

"Alright, everyone, please calm down. I understand you're upset, but you have to speak one at a time so we can understand. Let's start with Grandma Sunrye."

"Not you! Bring that stubborn, thick-headed rookie patrol officer here!"

"Officer Min is off today; he'll be back tomorrow. Please tell me first what you're unhappy about."

"Chief, do you know how old I am this year?"

"You had your eightieth birthday party last year, Grandma."

"Exactly. I'm at an age where my limbs are failing me, and I'm even scared to go out for a stroll."

"...Yes, ma'am."

"But how far do I have to walk just to throw away my trash?"

"Well, to the collection site at the entrance of the village..."

"Do you expect me to push my walker all the way there just to throw away trash at my age?"

"..."

Chief Seo was beginning to understand what this was about.

"Grandma Sunrye, the thing is..."

"That wet-behind-the-ears kid threatened me! Just because an old woman burned some leaves in her yard, he asked when I was going to pay a one-million-won fine! Aigoo, my blood pressure rises just thinking about it. Once you get old, you should just die. What kind of luxury am I even trying to enjoy?"

"..."

This time, the chief of Sancheon 1-ri raised his hand and spoke up.

"In all my years, I've never seen such a stubborn cop. I went to help out at the orchard, had a single cup of makgeolli, and was driving back when he ordered me to pull over my cultivator!"

"..."

"So I asked him what was going on, and he shoved a breathalyzer in my mouth and told me to blow!"

"So... did you blow?"

"Of course I did! What choice did I have when a cop ordered me to? He told me my license was suspended and that I had to leave the cultivator behind. I had to walk all the way home! Is this right?"

"Do you want to hear my story too?"

Another elder complained about getting caught picking a pumpkin from someone else's field to put in his soybean paste stew. Another spoke of getting a misdemeanor warning for urinating on a country road because he couldn't make it home in time. Another almost got ticketed for jaywalking across the road in front of the village instead of using the crosswalk.

"I've lived in this village for seventy years, and I've never seen anything like this!"

The unrest caused by Officer Min had turned the public sentiment sour. Almost every household had a story to tell about him.

"Is the government so deep in debt that they ordered you to squeeze money out of old folks? Is that it? Squeezing a dry towel to empty our pockets? Chief Seo, if you have a mouth, say something!"

"A single bad apple is causing a storm in this quiet village. Are you just going to stand by and watch?"

"Tell that bastard to get over here right now!"

This wasn't something Chief Seo could cover up just because they were fellow officers. The elders' wrath wouldn't be appeased until Suho came and apologized in person. The Chief whispered to Patrol Officer Jang, who was standing beside him.

"Did you hear anything about where Officer Min went?"

"He did stop by the outpost briefly during lunchtime."

"He did? Why?"

"He asked if we had any zip ties."

"For binding?"

"Yes, sir."

"What was he going to use them for?"

"He didn't say. He just said he needed them urgently."

"And you gave them to him?"

"Well, he has more seniority than me, so... yes."

"How many did he take?"

"About a hundred or so."

"..."

What on earth was that guy doing? Was he planning to wage war against the elderly?