Money Tends to Follow (4)
In front of the Light City Eastern Police Station, 7th Precinct.
"Oh, please, sir. We could have made our own way back. You didn't have to drive us yourself... Thank you so much."
"Nonsense. You are practically my saviors. This is the least I can do. Once the donation is processed, I will send over the paperwork. You don't have to worry about a thing."
"Of course. We trust you completely."
"Well then, I wish you both the best of health and happiness!"
With a low rumble, the black sedan sped away.
The Manager Grandfather, who had been riding in the passenger seat on their way to the restaurant, had personally escorted them back. It was an unavoidable choice, given that Driver Kim, who usually drove, was no longer available.
"That old gentleman certainly has an... interesting way of driving, doesn't he?" Park Eun-young remarked with a smirk.
"...It was reckless, to say the least," Kang Jin-ho replied.
"That's what makes it fun."
The grandfather's claim of being a former adventurer was clearly no exaggeration. He had handled the luxury sedan with a level of aggression that defied belief. Jin-ho had never in his life seen someone treat such an expensive vehicle with such utter disregard.
Once the sedan vanished from sight, they pushed open the doors to the precinct.
"Oh, Officer Kang, Officer Park! You're back? We heard the news."
"Caught another criminal, did you? Man, it hasn't even been a full day!"
"Yes, seniors. We wrapped it up successfully," Jin-ho said.
The senior officers patted Jin-ho on the back, looking as proud as if they had cracked the case themselves. Jin-ho offered an awkward smile and returned to his desk. He took off his jacket and was about to unclip the handcuffs from his belt when—
"Hey, Jin-ho."
Eun-young, resting her chin in her hand at the desk opposite his, asked in a casual, offhand tone.
"Don't you think you should get an ability test?"
"...Excuse me?"
"I mean, think about it. Your sharp eye and that 'intuition' of yours. At first, I just thought you were highly observant and clever... but after that thing with Driver Kim, and how you recognized 'Cool Guy' right away? Are you sure you don't actually have some kind of superpower?"
"Oh, well..."
"Ah, don't get me wrong, I'm not accusing you of lying. Even if you were registered as powerless back at the police academy, you could have awakened an ability recently, right? They say superpowers can awaken under extreme stress or during dramatic turning points. Is there anything that comes to mind?"
"...I'm not sure."
Jin-ho couldn't very well tell her, 'I get plenty of stress because of you.' He was terrified that Eun-young might suddenly smile and say something like, 'Oh? Want me to show you what real stress feels like?' Instead of blurting out something so socially suicidal, he simply nodded and gave a smooth reply.
"But I'll get tested the next time I have a chance."
"Oh? Really? That's a promise, then! When you go to the testing center, you have to take me with you. I'm dying to see our rookie's test results."
"Yes, understood."
Jin-ho agreed readily without much hesitation. In truth, he had already been wondering if he should get tested. It wasn't because of the 'intuition' excuse he fed to others, but because his physical condition had been feeling bizarrely, almost unnaturally, healthy lately.
His reflexes had sharpened, his stamina had surged to the point where he felt constantly energized, and even his vision had improved, allowing him to see distant objects with crystal clarity...
Did I actually awaken a superpower without realizing it?
Even he was starting to doubt whether he was still a normal human. Thus, a formal evaluation seemed necessary. Perhaps the system status window itself could be classified as a unique superpower. Jin-ho decided it was time to get an objective assessment of his stats and physical condition.
"Let's pick a date and go together."
"Sure. Sounds good."
Just as the warm conversation was drawing to a close—
Whoosh!
Eun-young suddenly snatched a heavy steel stapler off her desk and hurled it straight at him!
The timing and speed were such that an ordinary person wouldn't have had a prayer of reacting.
Snatch!
"...Excuse me?"
Jin-ho caught the stapler a mere hair's breadth from the tip of his nose. It was an incredibly swift display of situational awareness and reflex.
"So it's not precognition? Hmm, hard to say," Eun-young murmured.
"..."
If extreme stress was indeed the trigger for awakening, Jin-ho felt like he was about to awaken right then and there!
A week had passed since the restaurant incident. During that time, a lot had happened—and yet, in some ways, nothing much had changed at all.
First, he received a message from the restaurant's Manager Grandfather.
As promised, he had donated 50 million won in Jin-ho's name. However, he mentioned that it would take some time for the story to run in the major newspapers. There were procedures to go through, such as editorial approval and scheduling interviews.
Jin-ho didn't mind the delay at all; in fact, he welcomed it with open arms. There was no need for anonymity now. Just yesterday, 5,000 Karma points had been deducted from his debt under the category of "Donation." If he could become more famous and earn even more money, he was more than willing to wait for the article.
I could take on high-paying requests to clear my Karma even faster.
Originally, he had no interest in making money before his retirement, but things were different now. If it meant he could make larger donations, Jin-ho was fully prepared to push himself to the limit.
The good news didn't stop there.
Finally, Trace had returned to active duty. According to the messages, Trace's acquaintances had shown a keen interest in the title of "Genius Patrol Officer."
He had secured a promise that if the heroes encountered a mysterious case that was too tedious or difficult for them to investigate themselves, they would seek out Jin-ho first.
Finally!
Jin-ho could barely suppress the grin spreading across his face. Getting involved with heroes meant gaining more fame. More fame meant bigger cases, and bigger cases meant clearing massive amounts of Karma.
At this rate, he would soon be liberated from Eun-young and live a blissful life spending money left and right.
While Jin-ho was busy daydreaming about his rosy future—
"Hey, everyone, get up and clean your desks! Clear out all those messy papers!"
Assistant Inspector An Seong-sil, their lazy but lovable senior, came bursting into the office, clutching his phone in a panic.
"What's the rush, Assistant Inspector An?"
"An official order just came down from headquarters! They're sending someone from the main office right now!"
"What? Headquarters?"
The other officers, who had been leisurely sipping their coffee, jumped up in surprise. While the police of Light City were generally considered far inferior to heroes, those belonging to headquarters were still considered the elite.
Why would headquarters, teeming with highly educated specialists handling state-of-the-art equipment, suddenly dispatch someone to a run-down precinct on the outskirts of the city?
"Why would a high-ranking official from headquarters come all the way out here...?"
"I don't know either. I literally just got the notification that they're on their way..."
Before An could even finish his sentence—
Creak.
The door to the precinct swung open.
"Ugh, seriously, does anyone ever clean this place? What a dump..."
A sharp-looking man in a crisp police uniform and glasses stepped slowly into the precinct. Frowning at the dust, he took off his glasses, blew on the lenses to wipe them clean, and then spotted Jin-ho.
"Are you Officer Kang Jin-ho?"
"Yes, that's me..."
"Hmph. Well, I'm from headquarters. You may call me Inspector Mieru."
Pushing his glasses up his nose with a sharp click, Inspector Mieru gave Jin-ho a curt nod.
"Follow me. We have a homicide."
"Hold on a second," An Seong-sil protested, bristling at the man's arrogant attitude. "You're just going to take Officer Kang like this without any explanation? You sent the official order barely five minutes before showing up. Since when is this proper procedure?"
"Good grief..."
Mieru shook his head in blatant disdain at An's objection. Wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, he spoke.
"Last night, a bizarre murder occurred. A closed-room case where everyone killed each other, leaving no survivors. The higher-ups want me and the 'Genius Patrol Officer' to conduct a joint investigation into this critical matter."
"A joint investigation?"
"Yes. They want a nice headline: the ace of headquarters teaming up with the 'Genius Patrol Officer' to crack the case. So, the two of us are heading to the crime scene."
Mieru sneered as he emphasized the words "Genius Patrol Officer." It was a blatantly mocking smile.
In truth, this joint investigation had been unilaterally arranged by the Police Commissioner of Light City. The police department had been enjoying quite a bit of positive publicity lately thanks to Jin-ho's exploits, and the Commissioner wanted to ride his coattails for an even bigger PR win.
A joint investigation between the reigning ace of headquarters, Inspector Mieru, and the rising star, Genius Patrol Officer Kang Jin-ho. On paper, it was a perfect picture.
The only wild card was that Mieru absolutely despised Jin-ho. He loathed the fact that some powerless rookie patrol officer was stealing the spotlight from him, the established ace.
"This case will expose what you really are," Mieru said, his smile turning cold and venomous. "Unlike you, I am a real awakened user."
Unlike the other cops who merely drew a paycheck, Mieru was cut from a different cloth. He possessed an ability so useful that even the Hero Association had tried to scout him. Instead of walking the path of a mediocre C-Class hero, he had chosen to become an elite police officer.
In fact, Inspector Mieru was one of the few 'famous' officers in the force, and several cops in the 7th Precinct were already whispering his name in awe.
"Now, grab your coat and let's go. Headquarters' investigations are on a completely different level compared to this sleepy neighborhood precinct. You'd better prepare yourself."
Mieru made no effort to hide his hostility and sense of superiority.
That was when Jin-ho, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
"Excuse me... Inspector Mieru?"
"What is it?"
"I'm fine with starting the investigation, but there is one problem."
"A problem? Ha, what kind of problem? Let's hear it."
Mieru crossed his arms and glared at Jin-ho, fully prepared to shut down any pathetic excuses the rookie might offer.
Jin-ho hesitated. Should I tell him now? Should I explain the situation first?
But there was no time. Making up his mind, he spoke.
"You are currently brainwashed by a villain, Inspector."
"..."
"..."
An instant, heavy silence fell over the precinct.
Mieru stared at him, wondering if he had misheard.
"...What did you just say?"