Money Tends to Follow (2)
Light City was a metropolis with the most extreme wealth disparity in the entire world. To put it in perspective, comparing the land values of the outermost districts to the absolute center was like comparing the slums of a developing nation to the prime real estate of a first-world capital.
It was no exaggeration to say that the very air quality in Light City improved the closer one got to the center. And the place where Kang Jin-ho and Park Eun-young had just arrived was a prime, golden slice of land right on the cusp of that inner circle.
The establishments here were frequented by Light City's so-called "middle class." Of course, by global standards, the middle class of Light City could easily be considered part of the ultra-wealthy elite.
"Please, come inside." The entrance to The Chef, the restaurant managed by the elderly gentleman, was in a league of its own.
Softly gleaming marble floors, magnificent chandeliers adorning the ceiling, soaring high ceilings, and generously spaced tables... all topped off by the crowning touch of gentle classical music playing in the background.
Wow... Jin-ho couldn't help but feel a sense of unreality wash over him. He had never set foot in a place like this in his life, nor had he ever expected to.
Perhaps because of that, a strange sense of calm settled over him instead. It turned out to be true that when things felt entirely surreal, one actually became calmer.
"Hey, Jin-ho, this place is incredibly fancy, isn't it?"
"It is, indeed."
"You don't seem very excited, though."
"I think I was so tense that I've actually gone numb."
"Haha, is that so?"
Meanwhile, Park Eun-young also seemed completely unfazed. She merely smiled as she looked up at the chandeliers and down at the silver cutlery on the table, seemingly impervious to the oppressive grandeur of the luxurious space.
Walking ahead of them, the elderly man stole glances at the pair and felt a quiet admiration. Usually, people from the outskirts of Light City couldn't help but shrink back when they entered the central districts, yet these two carried themselves with absolute confidence, without a shred of hesitation.
Was it because they were active-duty police officers, or were they simply exceptionally bold individuals?
"Ahem, cough." Clearing his throat, the old man stopped near the staff locker room and turned around.
"You must be hungry, so let us begin with a meal. We can discuss the details of my request after you have eaten. Ah, but please change your clothes first. Our regular patrons might find your uniforms a bit jarring. Driver Kim? Do we have any spare suits?"
"Yes, sir. I will prepare them right away."
After Driver Kim brought the suits, Park Eun-young and Kang Jin-ho changed in their respective staff locker rooms.
"Since you are currently on duty, I shall omit the wine pairing. Do you have any other requests?"
"Ah, if possible, please do not mention to the head chef that we are police officers."
"Understood. Please, enjoy your meal." The Manager Grandfather guided the two to a luxurious VIP booth.
"Are we really allowed to accept a meal like this?"
"Why not?"
Jin-ho wondered if it was truly acceptable for police officers to receive such high-end hospitality, but fortunately, Light City had no laws against it—and besides, this could be justified as part of gathering information for an investigation.
"Wow, this is incredibly delicious."
"Right? They really know how to cook here."
The meal was superb. From the beautifully plated appetizers to the fragrant soup, the combination of the luxurious atmosphere and fantastic flavors left Jin-ho in constant awe throughout the meal. But then.
"Here is your steak. Please be careful, the plate is hot."
The silver cloches were lifted, and the main course—the tenderloin steak—was finally served.
"...Ha?"
As Park Eun-young sliced into her meat, her expression went completely blank. From her face, which usually wore a bright, cat-like smile, a faint trace of murderous intent began to bleed out.
Seeing her reaction, Jin-ho sliced his own steak in half to check.
"..."
The meat was completely well-done. In fact, it went far beyond well-done—it was overcooked to a dry, stiff crisp, with all the juices entirely gone. When Eun-young had placed her order earlier, she had explicitly asked for rare.
Jin-ho stole a glance at the floor and saw the shadows around Eun-young's feet churning violently. In a high-end restaurant like this, failing to control the doneness of a steak was utterly unthinkable.
And they hadn't just slightly missed the mark between medium and rare—they had completely torched the entire thing.
"Ah, it seems you have received your steaks." Just then, the door opened, and the Manager Grandfather walked in with a somber expression. He caught a glimpse of the halved steaks, and his eyes squeezed shut in pain.
"As you can see... the steaks have been in this state for several days now. Every single steak served to our patrons comes out completely overcooked. Naturally, our restaurant's reputation has plummeted, and cancellations are pouring in."
The old man was trying his best to speak calmly, but his voice was thick with an undercurrent of undeniable anger.
"The head chef insists he is not the culprit. To prove his innocence, he has been personally grilling every single steak himself for the past few days... but as you can see, the results are always the same. Because of this, I cannot help but suspect that he has been bribed by our rival restaurant, Le Grand."
"Even if the head chef was bribed, would he really ruin the reputation of a restaurant where he has worked for over twenty years?" Eun-young asked, her face devoid of emotion. The old man let out a heavy sigh.
"To be frank, we had an argument not long ago. It was a dispute regarding the menu... and of all times, the steaks started coming out like this right after that. I want to believe him, but he becomes incredibly sensitive when he cooks and refuses to let anyone into the kitchen..."
The old man desperately wanted to trust his old friend, but the head chef's stubborn, uncompromising nature—insisting that no outsiders enter the kitchen, no recording equipment be allowed, and everything remain strictly under his absolute control—only fueled the manager's suspicions.
"Could one of the waiters be doing something to the food on the way out?" Eun-young asked, poking at the tough piece of meat with her fork. The gesture was reminiscent of a predator playing with a small mouse.
"There are people with awakened abilities who can manipulate the temperature of objects. If a waiter used a heating ability while carrying the plate from the kitchen to the table, they could easily cook the meat in an instant."
Her observation was sharp, but the old man shook his head bitterly.
"Of course, I suspected that as well. The moment of service is indeed when it would be easiest to cook the meat. So, a few days ago, I replaced every single waiter on the floor."
"And it had no effect?"
"None at all. We hired only newly vetted waiters whose backgrounds were thoroughly checked, and Driver Kim and I personally monitored them through the ceiling security cameras. Yet, the result was exactly the same. From the moment the meat left the kitchen doors to the moment it arrived at the table, no one touched it. And yet, when the cloche was lifted, it was always like this."
The old man sighed deeply.
"Just in case someone possessed a long-range heat-manipulation ability, I even shuffled the staff's shifts. But regardless of who was working, the steaks consistently came out overcooked."
If the old man's words were true, it seemed highly unlikely that any staff member outside the kitchen was tampering with the meat.
"If the floor staff aren't the culprits, then doesn't that mean someone inside the kitchen is ruining the meat before it goes out?"
"Wait a moment. Isn't there a foolproof way to check?" Eun-young tapped her lips with a finger, her smile turning distinctly cat-like.
"If you slice the steak in half the very second it leaves the kitchen, you can immediately tell whether it was cooked inside the kitchen or outside."
"...I did consider that method. But there is a problem." The old man poured a glass of water and drank it as if his throat were parched, then spoke in a low voice.
"If I were to do that, it would be an open declaration of war. If the head chef turns out to be innocent, I will have made an irreversible mistake."
"So it would completely shatter the chef's pride?" Eun-young tilted her head, looking amused.
"We have been together for twenty years. If I were to tear apart his dishes before they even reached the dining room, it would be the ultimate insult to a chef. That is why I have come to you two."
The old man looked back and forth between Jin-ho and Eun-young with pleading eyes. "Please, uncover the truth. Find clear proof that the head chef is the culprit... or absolute evidence that he is entirely innocent."
The old man's voice trembled slightly as he spoke. Though his rational mind understood why the chef was the prime suspect, a corner of his heart desperately wanted to trust the companion who had stood by his side through thick and thin.
"Sniffle... I still remember when we first opened the doors of The Chef. Back then, both he and I were so clumsy at everything..." Just as the old man, overcome with emotion, was about to launch into a trip down memory lane—
"Well, first of all, I have a way to catch the culprit." Jin-ho crossed his arms, speaking with absolute confidence. After all, this was an incident he remembered perfectly from his past life!