Chapter 221
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Miryang Scammer Bust
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Coincidentally, Baek Suji, Lee Dongwon, and I arrived at our destination almost at the same time.
The restaurant Lee Dongwon had mentioned was on a large plot of land just a short uphill climb from the market entrance.
The market was buzzing with elderly folks, suggesting a five-day market was in full swing, but the parking lot had only a few cars.
We parked our three cars side by side in the lot behind the restaurant and got out.
"Director, how did you get here so fast? Did you floor it...?"
"Morning traffic was light."
"Mine was light too...?"
"Whoa, park wrong here and you're done for."
Baek Suji, who had started closest, looked a bit puzzled.
Lee Dongwon shuddered at the parking lot's setup—no fence on the cliff side, just a single rope barrier.
"Let's head in right away."
We put the chit-chat on hold and made our way to the restaurant's front entrance.
Elderly patrons who had just finished their early meals were coming out, so we had to wait by the door for a moment.
A few of them glanced our way.
"What's with all the young folks showing up here today~?"
Some even struck up a conversation.
Were we just unfamiliar faces? The market wasn't tiny, so it didn't seem like a tight-knit village where everyone knew everyone.
Still, there probably weren't many young people around.
"Hello~."
Lee Dongwon greeted them politely, but I flung open the restaurant door without hesitation.
The scammer might bolt at the slightest noise.
...!
Sure enough, a highly suspicious man was at the far end of the dining hall, stuffing items into a bag.
"Where do you think you're going?"
At my words, the man bolted toward the kitchen, smashing dishes everywhere.
"Whoa, he's going all out?"
The chase was on.
"Ugh, there's a back door too?!"
"We should've surrounded the back!"
Lee Dongwon and Baek Suji were flustered.
But surrounding him wasn't feasible anyway.
With him smashing everything like there was no tomorrow, if one of us had guarded the back door, we might've caught him—but only if no one got hurt.
"It's fine. We just chase him down."
His face was clear in my mind, and I'd locked onto his unique energy signature.
I hadn't used Thousand-Mile Tracking Fragrance, but I could find him anywhere nearby.
"He's gone?"
"Did he already head down this way?"
Below the parking lot was a cliff. There was only one road up to the restaurant. If he'd gone down it, we would've spotted him coming back around from the front.
So their panic was understandable.
"No, he's that way!"
No amount of head-scratching would hide him from my eyes.
"That cliff didn't look that high earlier."
Less than two jang—around 4 or 5 meters?
"Gasp!"
"He's jumping like a flea!"
I taunted loudly toward the bottom, but the two up top looked utterly shocked.
Baek Suji had quickly devised a plan in the meantime.
Lee Dongwon would pursue directly, she'd loop around via car to the road connection, and I'd head to the bus stop.
Had this director played a lot of tag?
But there was no need for such complicated maneuvers. Better to rely on body over brain.
Thud! Ta-at!
I stepped off two rocky outcrops on the cliff
and landed lightly below.
In truth, a straight jump would've been fine, but I didn't want to scare them too much.
"Gotcha."
He put up a brief struggle, but I subdued him easily.
"Wait, what did you just do?"
"Director! You know judo?"
"Haha, I've picked up a bit of this and that!"
It was a clean takedown, and the soft dirt path meant he hadn't gotten hurt much.
Up top, they freaked out in shock, but I casually slung the scammer over my shoulder like a sack and prepared to climb back up.
"Pl-please let me climb up on my own."
"Hm?"
"Please, I beg you! I won't run...!"
Being carried by me would've been safer than climbing himself.
But the scammer was trembling, terrified I'd drop him.
Hmm, it wouldn't take long anyway.
"Uh, uh, uh..."
He was in full panic mode, and with eyes on us, I decided to grant his wish.
Damn, if I'd come alone, I'd have knocked him out and dragged him straight to the station.
"A scammer, huh?"
"Pay for those dishes, you punk!"
"Wow, what a show today~."
As we climbed back up, a crowd from the restaurant gathered in the parking lot.
The victim grandpa and restaurant owner, now grasping the situation, yelled furiously.
The others murmured in groups.
We herded them back inside.
"Cough up all the money you scammed today!"
We intimidated him into opening his backpack and also thanked the person who'd held the scammer for us.
"Phew, I thought I'd messed up and let him slip away, but you got back quick. Glad it worked out."
"Thank you. Perfect timing."
"My parents get duped by these types all the time, buying jade mats and junk. So sick of it! Oh, look at me rambling. I'll call the cops now."
Was she the welfare center worker? She couldn't bring herself to kick the scammer but stomped her foot hard.
She'd already contacted the local station.
"Feels good scamming old folks, huh!"
"That was close to disaster!"
"You reported it here?"
We helped clear the broken dishes while calming the crowd's outrage and near-violence until the police arrived surprisingly fast.
"Everyone who bought from him, come closer. Others, step back please!"
We assisted the scam victims in recovering their money.
The police confiscated the herbal meds the scammer had as evidence.
"We'll wrap this up at the station."
Maybe because we had him surrounded, but the cops were all business in resolving the case.
The scammer's arrest was more or less wrapped up.
...Huh?
Then, a strange killing intent prickled from one corner of the restaurant.
The scammer Yeom Yeongil glaring at me wasn't odd—he'd have escaped scot-free if not for me, and now he faced jail.
But the direction was off.
Yeom Yeongil was just scared stiff...
"Excuse me?"
One of the scam victims was glaring at me.
Her money was returned, the scammer caught—why this grandma?
"Why are you looking at me like that? Any relation to Yeom Yeongil?"
I asked politely, presuming innocence for now, but she suspiciously averted her eyes.
"Weren't you the first one who bought the daeduhwang pills?"
The cop heading out paused, puzzled by my sudden move.
"...A shill?"
Baek Suji's deduction finally clicked.
"Right! When we came in, didn't the grandma shout about all the young people?"
My gut and her reasoning matched perfectly.
Baek Suji pressed her, but the grandma clamped her mouth shut.
"Anyone know this lady?"
"Never seen her before."
The villagers buzzed at my question, but no one stepped forward.
"Can I see some ID?"
"..."
The police seemed to judge her a likely accomplice.
Whoa, we almost missed her. Selling pricey meds like that? Shills are a given.
I scanned the room for other suspects.
"Come with us as a witness for now."
The cop grabbed her arm without further wait.
"Hey!"
A bellow erupted from her.
"Whoa, what lungs..."
"You couldn't even escape properly and caused this mess?"
"M-Mom, at least you go alone..."
"You bastard! Who said I'm your mom!"
...Whoa.
They'd find out in the investigation anyway...
"M-Mom just bought the stuff."
"Shut it, punk! Oh, that restaurant owner took cash from him too!"
"What? He said just selling herbs quick!"
His mom. A mother-son scam duo.
Sheesh. End times, end times.
The killing intent shifted from me to Yeom Yeongil.
The grandma unleashed a torrent of curses at her son in rage.
"We nearly missed the accomplice. Thank you. Even caught her... We'll push for a brave citizen award."
"Aw, no big deal. Handle it well."
I waved off the cop's empty words.
They eventually muscled the mother-son scammers into custody.
"Everyone, thanks for your hard work."
"Hard work? You did it all yourself, Director!"
"I was scared out of my wits when you jumped."
Maybe bummed they hadn't done much after chasing to Miryang, they seemed a bit down.
"Thanks to Director Baek, we nabbed the shill too."
"No, you caught her, Director Han! How'd you know?"
"Not sure exactly, just her shifty eyes."
I soothed their disappointment while praising Baek Suji.
"...You're no ordinary person. I wanted to get chummy with the director, but our footwork's on different levels."
"Yeah, our footwork's definitely different."
"...?"
"...?"
What was this vibe?
"Oh, some trend phrase?"
"...No. Your cliff descent footwork was just... different, yeah."
We ordered food since we were gathered at the restaurant.
It lived up to the crowd—real tasty spot.
"What kind of director are you anyway?"
We fielded some health consults from locals and got promises to visit our clinics or Baek Suji's.
Distance might make it tough, though.
"I'll really swing by soon!"
With that, our brief Miryang outing wrapped up.
The three of us drove back to Busan and Gimhae separately.
Word soon came on how the case was handled.
The grandma who'd first shown me the daeduhwang pills got her money back too.
- Thanks for convincing me to report it. Last time I reported a used goods scammer, they caught him but said he'd spent it all—no refund. Nice to see it paid off this time.
"Glad to hear it."
Searching the arrested scammer's mom turned up bank accounts and cash stashed at home.
Good thing we caught the shill too.
Trial starting soon? Hope they return the money and go to jail.
- Brave citizen award's only for violent crime busts, they said... Director, any chance for a local paper interview?
The cop who'd taken my contact called too.
That award was a joke? I panicked and told him absolutely not to pursue it.
"Interview? No problem."
I accepted the request without much thought.
The reporter wanted interviews from the cops, Lee Dongwon, Baek Suji, the welfare worker—everyone.
Should help cut down on scams if it hits the papers.
A few days later.
"Are you Seongsu Clinic Director Han Yeowon?"
On my way to work, a reporter and cameraman cornered me.
"...Yes?"
"Hello! I'm Kim Hyongjin from KNS!"
Local paper?
What was a broadcaster doing here?
And these two weren't alone.
Three shiny black limos were lined up in front of the clinic.
Cars and suited folks swarmed front and back.
"What the hell is going on?"
All for nabbing one scammer?
Couldn't wrap my head around it.
But what else would draw a crowd to my clinic?
Sure, semi-famous types came through, but always as regular patients...
"Prince Faisal bin Amir Al Saud has arrived!"
The reporter cleared it up instantly.
And then came shock a hundredfold over.
What?
A prince?!