Level Up

I opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat.

With trembling hands, I tapped Pursuit Mode and completed the fingerprint authentication process just like before.

Then, a series of messages popped up.

Ding!

Seeing the flood of messages made all my hard work feel worth it.

"What should I check first?"

I was most curious about what the actual system would look like now.

"Let's start with the Lv 1 features."

When I tapped Check Features, three sub-buttons appeared.

Nothing could surprise me at this point.

First, I clicked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Person Location Search button, and a sub-menu labeled Keyword Search popped up.

The only active button under the keyword search was Resident Registration Number.

Everything from Lv 2 and above was locked, so I had no way of knowing what keywords would be added later.

"Want more keywords? Level up. Whoever made this is a master of playing hard to get."

During the tutorial phase, I had pocketed a year's worth of salary in a single day. And it wasn't game money, but cold, hard cash withdrawable from a bank.

Anyone would lose their mind over this.

And then came the level-up mission right after.

When it warned me that Pursuit Mode would disappear if I failed, I clung to it with everything I had.

I even brainwashed myself into thinking this might be the last chance God would ever give me.

And I had finally achieved the target.

It was a sense of accomplishment unlike anything I had ever felt in my life.

The rush of euphoria was almost addictive.

The result was equally mind-blowing.

Real-time location tracking on anyone, as long as I had their resident registration number!

For a detective, this was an absolute cheat code.

If Lv 1 was this good, what kind of insane features would unlock at Lv 2 and Lv 3?

Even if only to satisfy my curiosity about the other seven hidden keywords, I was going to see this through to the end.

"If God wishes to test me, I shall gladly accept."

With a grateful heart, I pressed the back button.

Rewards have been distributed. [Check Rewards]

The search keyword alone was more than enough, but I couldn't skip checking the actual reward.

"Let's see. How much is it this time?"

When I tapped the Check Rewards button, I nearly fainted.

"W-What... How much is this?"

3.547 billion won, completely tax-free.

"Holy crap! They're giving me this much money?"

If I hadn't succeeded in leveling up, I would have regretted it to my grave.

My hands shook so much that I couldn't even dream of driving.

Team Leader Na Sangdo of Seongam Police Station's Violent Crimes Team 1 compiled a clear, five-page report summarizing the violent crime cases solved this year and those still under investigation.

It was an order handed down by the Chief first thing in the morning.

Knock, knock.

"It's Team Leader Na."

"Come in."

Chief Lee Chungki was dressed in his formal uniform.

Judging by how diligently he was scribbling notes in his pocketbook, he seemed to have an important meeting ahead.

"Here is the data you requested, sir."

"Ah, good work."

The Chief slipped the documents Na Sangdo handed him into his briefcase along with his pocketbook, then stood up.

"Are you heading out, sir?"

"Oh, did I not mention it? The Commissioner General suddenly summoned all the local police chiefs in the Seoul ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and Gyeonggi areas."

"Ah..."

It was the moment to wish him a safe trip, but Team Leader Na hesitated, looking like he had something else to say.

"Well? Do you have something to say to me?"

"I'll tell you when you get back, sir."

"No, tell me now. I have about five minutes."

"In that case, sir... our team still hasn't been reinforced. We have two vacant spots on our roster."

"I told you to wait a bit longer, didn't I?"

"The team has been working without a single day off..."

"Look here, Team Leader Na."

"Yes, Chief."

"For working without days off, your performance is incredibly poor. Yet you never fail to claim your overtime pay. Do you know what they call people like that in the private sector?"

"..."

"Salary thieves. Useless employees who just eat up payroll without doing their jobs properly."

"..."

The Chief's humiliating words sparked a surge of anger, but Na Sangdo clenched his teeth and held it in.

His unpaid bank loans had turned him into a docile herbivore.

"In just a few months, elite graduates from the Police University will be pouring out. Why should we take just anyone just because we're in a hurry? How long are you going to keep running investigations by rule of thumb?"

"But we still have to wait at least four months for that..."

"I told you before, didn't I? I want to work with subordinates who are on the same page as me. Stop trying to bring in uncontrollable kids like Officer Min. As long as I'm here, that's not happening, even if a knife is held to my throat. Understood?"

"..."

"I'll be back late in the afternoon. Anything else?"

"No, sir. Have a safe trip."

What was the point of saying anything more when the atmosphere was freezing cold?

He couldn't even dare bring up the request Officer Min had made last night.

"Is everyone here? Let's get started right away."

The grand conference room of the National Police Agency was packed with high-ranking officers, their shoulders adorned with the mugunghwa insignia.

The Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police, the Commissioners of the Gyeonggi Nambu and Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police, and the chiefs of local police stations.

Commissioner General Cheon Ojun, accompanied by his public relations director, grabbed the microphone as soon as he sat down.

"If we do well, it's taken for granted. If we do poorly, criticism pours in. That's the police for you. It's a real pain, isn't it? But as long as we live off the taxpayers' money, we must endure that criticism. Am I right?"

"Yes, sir!"

The police chiefs, sporting their high-ranking epaulets, answered in booming voices like fresh recruits at the police academy.

"But you see, there are those who covet more than their rightful salary. If you want to make money, you should change careers. Why become a police officer just to drag the names of your hard-working colleagues through the mud? The video we are about to watch is a case of the 'guardians of the people' joining hands with gangsters. Let's watch it first, then talk."

At the Commissioner General's nod, a video began playing on the screen behind the podium.

It showed a bloody brawl between two gangs, and a lone man tying them up in a bizarre turn of events.

The precinct police officers, who arrived long after the fact, kindly untied the gangsters the man had worked so hard to bind.

Without audio, it would have been difficult to understand what was going on.

The video ended with the provincial police riot squad arriving and arresting both the gangsters and the precinct officers.

"How about it? Doesn't it make your blood boil?"

"..."

"A few rotten apples like that tarnish the honor of the entire South Korean police force. What's the point of hiring idols as promotional ambassadors to improve our image? When something like this blows up, all that effort goes down the drain."

The police chiefs all nodded in agreement.

"Fortunately, this case wasn't just about corrupt cops. Did you all see the officer who meticulously secured physical evidence and took down seventy-five gangsters and nine corrupt cops in one fell swoop?"

"Yes, sir. Which unit does he belong to?"

"He's a patrol officer at Sancheon Outpost. Impressive, isn't it? I was curious too, so I called him personally this morning. I wanted to know why he recklessly jumped in all by himself."

The Commissioner General relayed the officer's answer with a solemn face.

"Extortion and assault targeting local merchants, and drug distribution running rampant in areas with lax enforcement. He said he found out all of this too easily after just two hours of questioning."

The police chiefs waited for the Commissioner General's next words with tense expressions.

"They were openly committing corruption that even a patrol officer could uncover in two hours. It was a completely lawless town. How pathetic must the South Korean police have looked in their eyes?"

Feeling parched, the Commissioner General took a sip of the bottled water in front of him before continuing.

"The officer said the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He actually asked me back: how could anyone just stand by and watch that happen? That's why he stepped up."

The Commissioner General then turned his gaze to the police chiefs.

"I hope none of you are robot-like chiefs who do nothing but sit at your desks all day signing papers."

"..."

No one dared to answer.

"I know you chiefs have a lot on your plates. But the answer is always in the field. If you separate the people's livelihoods from public safety, this kind of thing can happen again anywhere, anytime. You understand what I mean?"

"Yes, sir! We understand perfectly!"

Judging by the vigor of their voices, one would think world peace was going to be achieved tomorrow.

The Commissioner General turned to the public relations director.

"Did you tell the reporters to come this afternoon?"

"Yes, Commissioner General."

"Are we releasing the video footage as well?"

"We plan to edit and provide a short clip showing only the brawl inside the club and the riot squad making the arrests."

"I heard rumors that the PR team does sloppy work, and it seems they weren't just rumors."

"Yes... Wait, what?"

"Since the creation of the riot squad, has there ever been a time when seventy-five gangsters and nine corrupt cops were arrested all at once?"

"...This is the first time, sir."

"You have such great material, and that's the best storytelling you can come up with?"

"I-I'm sorry, sir."

"The patrol officer who bravely fought the gangsters and cleverly secured the evidence. What was his name again...?"

"It's Patrol Officer Min Suho, sir."

"Right, Officer Min. Isn't the scene of him beating the crap out of those thugs with a mop handle amazing?"

"To be precise, he subdued twelve of them by himself."

"News broadcasts are less than a minute long. Just editing the scenes of him cracking the gangsters' heads and the riot squad hauling them away will easily fill a minute."

"But then the public might misunderstand and think Officer Min beat up all seventy-five gangsters by himself..."

"Exactly. That is precisely what I want."

"..."

They were creating a hero.

Depending on who was cast as the protagonist, the public's criticism of the police could turn into cheers.

Not a corrupt cop colluding with local gangs, but a brave, hot-blooded patrol officer who risked his life to deliver justice.

The Commissioner General had chosen Officer Min Suho to be the star of this show.

"Understood, sir. I will instruct them to edit it that way."

"Let's give him an award too. A feast is always best when it's loud and festive."

The quick-witted Commissioner of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police chimed in.

"If we write up a solid commendation report, a Prime Minister's or even a Presidential Citation is well within reach."

"Yes, that's what it takes to turn the tide. By the way, I heard Officer Min's original unit wasn't that outpost. Where was he from?"

"Ah, I wrote it down. Just a moment..."

As the PR director flipped through his pocketbook looking for his notes,

"Officer Min is a detective dispatched from my station, sir."

Chief Lee Chungki of Seongam Police Station quickly snatched the opportunity to answer.

"Officer Min! What are you doing? Hurry up and get in here."

When I showed up for work this morning, the Chief of Sancheon Outpost told me to write a letter of apology.

He said I needed to engage in deep self-reflection for disrupting the peace and tranquility of the villagers with my excessive surveillance and unreasonable control.

So I wrote it. Big deal.

When you have 3.547 billion won in your pocket, what can't you do?

Having a lot of money definitely made me feel a lot more generous.

"Should I write about twenty pages and distribute them to every household?"

"Just write one page. You're going to read it out loud."

"Me?"

"The elders are gathering at the village hall in a bit. They came yesterday too, but they missed you because you weren't here. They insisted on looking you in the eye while receiving the apology. Just close your ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyes and get it over with."

And that was how I ended up waiting in front of the village hall, holding my letter of apology.

The plan was for Chief Seo Myeonggil to go in first to soften up the elders, and then I would follow, apologize politely, and wrap things up cleanly.

The Chief's preliminary work was done, and it was finally my turn. But of all times, my phone started ringing. It was the National Police Agency.

"Now's the time. Come in."

Chief Seo poked his head out, signaling that it was time.

I pointed to my phone, explaining the reason for my delay.

"It's the Commissioner General."

"What?"

"The Commissioner General. I'm on the phone with the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency right now."

"Oh, for crying out loud."

Chief Seo finally stepped outside, shoes and all.

"Didn't we agree on this this morning? If you pull this now, what does that make me look like?"

"No, it's not that. It's really the Commissioner General..."

"I didn't think you were this kind of young man. 'Commissioner General' this, 'Commissioner General' that. Do you think using his name as an excuse is going to scare me?"

"...But it's true."

"Give me the phone."

He asked, so I handed it over.

"Hello?"

"This is Chief Seo Myeonggil of Sancheon Outpost. Officer Min has an urgent civil complaint to handle right now. If it's not pressing, could you call back later?"

"Ha! How meticulous. You even memorized the Commissioner General's name? I don't know who you are, but this is a voice phishing scam. We are currently on official duty, so stop playing pranks and call back later. I'm hanging up."

And he actually hung up.

"Ch-Chief..."

"Stop making excuses and get inside. The elders are waiting."

Could one really survive after accusing the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency of voice phishing?

"It was nice knowing you, Chief."

"I'm in no mood for jokes right now."

Neither am I. Rest in peace, Chief.