Get Famous First (7)

Eastern 7th Police Substation. Chief Raphael's office.

Having finished their patrol and returned, Kang Jin-ho and Park Eun-young reported the information they'd obtained from Do Jin-hyuk. (They appropriately anonymized any details about Clay Boy himself.)

"So, the Black Snake Faction is planning an armed robbery sometime soon?"

"Yes."

"Hm. To be honest, this is a bit bewildering."

Chief Raphael frowned, stroking the horns on his forehead. A tip about an armed robbery had suddenly rolled into their substation, which usually dealt with petty thieves and drunks.

"Well, that's that... Compile the info into a report, and I'll approve it before sending it up to Eastern Headquarters. Good work, rookie. You brought in a big one."

"There's something I'd like to say about that."

Kang Jin-ho hesitated for a moment, then steeled himself and spoke confidently.

"I want to investigate this case myself."

"...Huh?"

Chief Raphael blinked in confusion, unsure what he was hearing.

"Rookie... You want to handle the investigation? A mob case?"

"Yes."

"Just to check, you know investigations are handled by the detective division or investigation department, right?"

"Yes. But I really want to take the lead on this."

Kang Jin-ho knew better than anyone that this was unreasonable. A brand-new patrol officer tackling an armed robbery? It was absurd, of course.

I have to push anyway.

But from his position, he had no choice—he had to resolve this case personally. Not only would he have a higher success rate than the rumored incompetent cops, but he couldn't pass up the fame and karma that would come from the investigation.

"Hm. Jin-ho, honestly, it's impossible. I'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠love to let you, believe me. Everyone at the substation knows you're a genius. But I'm not the station chief—I can't just make it happen."

"...Isn't there any way?"

"Sigh."

Chief Raphael let out a heavy breath, pondered for a bit, then spoke in a low voice.

"Alright, here's what I'll do. I'll add a note to the tip report later. Something like, 'The rookie patrol officer who first obtained this intel wants to take charge of the investigation.' That's the best I can manage. Got it?"

"Yes, thank you. That's more than enough."

"Don't get your hopes up. This isn't supposed to happen—police organizations just roll along doing things 'the usual way.'"

"Yes, I understand."

-Click.

"Tch."

Kang Jin-ho left the chief's office with a bitter taste in his mouth. In a game, a few clicks would summon the right hero, solving the case in seconds. But as a fresh rookie patrol officer in real-life police work, the constraints were overwhelming.

"Can't be helped."

It was frustrating to back off from a case that promised massive karma right in front of him, but in a strictly hierarchical organization, he couldn't push harder than this. What Raphael had already done was a huge favor.

Still, gotta find a way to get a piece of it.

Of course, a block on official involvement didn't mean he'd abandon this huge karma jackpot. Worst case, he'd go undercover in plain clothes on his day off near the site or "accidentally" get swept up when another hero responded.

Kang Jin-ho soothed his regrets by mentally calculating the possibilities.

But a week later.

"R-Rookie?"

"Yes, Chief."

"...That robbery case you mentioned? They want you to investigate it. As long as a B-rank or higher hero tags along."

"W-What? Really?"

"Yeah. Even I've never seen anything like this in my police career—kinda thrown off. Congrats."

"Uh... thank you?"

Kang Jin-ho was thrilled inwardly but couldn't hide his bewilderment. I'm still a rookie patrol officer. I threw it out there expecting a no, just to set up a 'Told you so!' later. And they approved it from above?

Light City is part of South Korea. Technically, it's within Korean territory. The small city once called Gwangmyeong City became a focal point for some reason, evolving into the world's largest megacity.

(Seoul lost a huge chunk of its land to it.)

So, is Light City part of Korean territory? It's tricky. Administrative control is split three ways: the Hero Association, the UN's direct oversight committee, and the South Korean government.

The weakest voice? Obviously the Korean government.

The Hero Association had raw power from its top heroes. The UN committee had legitimacy representing other nations.

The Korean government? Just "We owned this land first," and not much else.

"We'll concede everything else, but we must control the police!"

"Exactly! It shows citizens we're contributing to Light City's security!"

It sounded principled, but it was really the government's last shred of pride after being squeezed by the Hero Association and UN. With constant gripes like "Why does Korea even have a say in Light City governance?", they hoped to sway public opinion with the police.

But alas.

"Crazy tax thieves!"

"What do they even do? Old ladies can direct traffic!"

"I'd rather give our money to more heroes!"

Police prestige had plummeted straight through rock bottom. In a city teeming with superpowered folks, expecting regular cops to achieve anything was laughable from the start.

Why not use heroes as cops? Do you know how much private-sector heroes earn? The government couldn't even match 10% of that pay.

So they kept the police around, but with zero real expectations—until now.

"What?"

"The police? Caught a superpowered criminal?"

"Not once or twice—they're batting a thousand!"

"X-Tube views are over two million?"

"Even the Hero Association's quietly digging into his background?"

"...For real? Actually?"

Sudden news of a rookie cop crushing it reached the government.

"Is there really such a talented young man!"

"He was already famous as a genius? Why join the police?"

"Kang... Jin-ho? What a fighting spirit of a name!"

It was minor compared to flashy S- or A-rank heroes, but an active-duty cop pulling this off was unprecedented since superpowers emerged. Like a Korean footballer topping the EPL scoring charts, a Korean director winning Palme d'Or, or a Korean singer hitting Billboard No. 1—shocking!

"Promote him immediately!"

"Massive raise, latest civilian gear support!"

"How about a dedicated backup team from headquarters' elite metropolitan investigators? Awards, national promo model—the works!"

As excited bureaucrats threw out ideas, the quietly listening President spoke heavily.

"Quiet down, everyone."

"But—"

"We'll do nothing. Interfering could backfire."

To the President, a young talent standing out this much as a cop didn't add up. Intuition to uncover truths with minimal digging? He could make bank as a hero sidekick or private consultant.

"Yet he chose police work, so he clearly has goals. Korean government won't interfere. If he knows we're watching, it'll just make him uncomfortable."

"...Yes, you're right!"

"Spot on! Contacting him might make him quit suddenly."

As officials nodded in agreement, the door burst open. A minister rushed in with a report.

"Mr. President?"

"What is it?"

"That rookie patrol officer you mentioned—he submitted a crime tip report! Got intel on a mob robbery plot and wants to investigate personally if possible!"

"A rookie? Not even a detective, wanting to investigate?"

"Hmm..."

A "That's a bit much" vibe ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠started spreading, but the President decided.

"Let him. But require a B-rank or higher hero escort. Safety first."

"R-Really?"

"We won't approach Officer Kang Jin-ho first, but if he requests something, approve it unless it's extreme. No tripping him up."

Light City police were like abandoned stepchildren anyway. If a stellar rookie ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was shining now, why not back him?

"Headquarters investigators wouldn't crack it anyway. Let's clear the board for this kid to run wild. Success boosts police prestige; failure? No expectations, so no loss."

Wrapping up, the President issued an order that would make Kang Jin-ho scream if he heard it.

"But keep Officer Kang Jin-ho's story from leaking out. He's quietly working as a cop for a purpose. Our role? Guard that secret."

"Yes, sir!"

With official investigation authority secured, Kang Jin-ho enlisted Park Eun-young's help and got moving.

"All the paperwork's ready..."

One condition left: A B-rank or higher hero escort.

"Then..."

He logged into the Hero Association's dedicated website and posted a formal cooperation request per the template.

Headquarters-backed investigation. Major-scale robbery. Heroes should swarm it instantly—they're always thirsty for achievements, and this was easy karma.

But a day passed, then two, then three.

"...Why?"

Staring at the monitor ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in a substation corner, Kang Jin-ho let out a baffled chuckle.

...What the hell is going on?