WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 73: Fame Is Often Exaggerated (10)

──────

"Uh...?"

"Isn't that Officer Kang Jin-ho?"

"Where? Oh!"

As Kang Jin-ho sighed, the villains standing in line began recognizing him one by one.

Then, in an instant.

"Officer Kang!!!"

"I'm over here! Arrest me first!"

"I'm a real scumbag! Take me in first!"

The line collapsed as around twenty villains swarmed Kang Jin-ho. Every one of them held both hands out in front of them, their eyes sparkling. They looked ready to beg him to slap handcuffs on them right then and there.

Surrounded by the crowd, Kang Jin-ho stared blankly up at the sky.

Villains, supposedly, were clamoring for the police to arrest them. He wanted to figure out exactly where everything had gone wrong... but then he wondered what good that would do.

"...Okay. Please get back in the line as before."

In the end, Kang Jin-ho arrested every villain who had shown up that day.

The results became clear just a few days later.

-Officer Kang Jin-ho racks up another achievement?

They did not receive the same intense spotlight as Sack Thief. Their crimes and abilities were all similarly minor, making them closer to petty criminals than anything else. Still, their names were mentioned at least once.

Some people believed that simply being listed among the villains arrested by Kang Jin-ho was an advantage. Whatever the case, it gave them a chance to escape the life of a low-level villain.

-Isn't this basically getting hired?

-It's definitely a benefit, isn't it? They're minor offenders, so they'll be out soon anyway, but the name recognition sticks.

-They might not hit it big, but they'll at least break even...

-Is getting arrested by Kang Jin-ho a credential now?

A few broadcasts even seriously analyzed the phenomenon. One sociologist had this to say.

"We've entered an era where being arrested by a celebrity becomes an asset in itself. Many people still remember Bitna's one-on-one showdown with Death Mask, don't they? Interesting stories make money. And these days, the simple fact that someone was arrested by Officer Kang Jin-ho is enough to draw interest."

"..."

Watching the uproar, Kang Jin-ho developed a headache out of nowhere. How... how had things turned out like this...?

And one week later.

"...Is that all one line?"

Outside Precinct 7, a line stretched all the way around the building. Some people had been waiting since dawn the previous day, and someone had even been selling places in line for cash on a secondhand marketplace site.

"..."

Kang Jin-ho stared at the endless line with a stunned expression.

There had been twenty last time. He had somehow managed that... but this could not be handled in a day. There was no way he could process this many people.

Writing statements for every one of them, verifying their identities, transporting them separately...

"Hello?"

Kang Jin-ho eventually called Police Headquarters.

"Yes. Wouldn't it be possible to handle this by rounding up everyone in front of the precinct? If you could send a mobile unit or something..."

-It's possible, but...

The voice on the other end sounded troubled.

-They're still villains. If we tried to arrest them instead of Officer Kang Jin-ho, wouldn't they resist? A group of villains resisting with everything they've got would be a burden on our end too... and we don't have the personnel to handle that.

"...Then support from the Hero Association..."

-That wouldn't look good either, would it?

Headquarters' concern was clear.

-They came here of their own accord to surrender. If we call in heroes and sweep them all up by force, what will public opinion look like? The next time someone considers turning themselves in, won't this incident make them think twice?

"..."

-This is a good trend that's finally started... Could your precinct possibly handle it? We can send additional administrative personnel. If it truly isn't possible, then we have no choice but to...

"Haa. I'll give it a try."

Kang Jin-ho hung up and looked outside the precinct again. The line seemed even longer than before. Nearby street vendors had set up shop, selling drinks and chicken skewers.

Just how many villains were in this city? Was Light City's darkness really this deep?

"This can't continue."

Jeong Do-man, who had been quietly watching, suddenly lit up.

"There's a limit to how thrilled we can get about free achievements falling into our laps. This isn't right. We need clear classification standards. I can't stand watching you suffer any longer, sir."

"Classification...?"

Classify what? Those villains? Why?

Just as Kang Jin-ho was about to point out that this was heading in a strange direction.

"I'll help!"

A bright voice rang out behind him. Eun-yeong poked her head out from behind Kang Jin-ho with a beaming smile.

"Oh, when did you get back?"

"Hm? I got back today. My leave is over."

"Hee-see-see."

Eun-yeong giggled and rested her chin on Kang Jin-ho's shoulder.

"If all those people count toward your record, Jin-ho, won't that look way too strange? We should at least sort them properly. Right?"

Soon afterward, things moved forward as if they had all been planned in advance.

Two hours after Headquarters promised to send administrative staff, people in suits flooded into the precinct. While Kang Jin-ho stood there in confusion, Jeong Do-man efficiently assigned everyone where they needed to go, while Eun-yeong drew up an organizational chart on a whiteboard she had found somewhere.

'Voluntary-Surrender Villain Review Task Force.'

"...A task force?"

As Kang Jin-ho blinked, the precinct's interior began changing at breakneck speed.

The public service desk was temporarily converted into a reception desk. A ticket dispenser was installed, along with a temporary notice beside it. A long table was set up in the meeting room, with seats for three or four reviewers beyond it, and a crime classification chart was hung on the wall.

Once everything was ready, Eun-yeong spoke in a serious voice.

"Next person, please come in."

"Y-yes!"

One by one, the so-called villains began lining up at the door. One wiped sweaty palms on their pants. Another rehearsed what they planned to say. One even grilled each person who came out, asking, "How did it go?"

"They're... being reviewed?"

Wondering just where this was all going, Kang Jin-ho discreetly peeked into the room.

"Hm... You said you killed your neighbor's dog."

"Yes, that's right."

The villain swallowed hard, eyes tense.

"I'm a complete bastard, so I can't tolerate that kind of thing. Even if it's someone else's dog, if it gets on my nerves? I don't let it slide."

"Hmm... Morally, that's a serious failing, but judging by the scale of the crime alone, it's a little questionable..."

Jeong Do-man adjusted a pair of glasses he had apparently gotten from somewhere and checked the villain's criminal record.

Then one of the Headquarters administrators sitting beside him calmly spoke as they flipped through the documents.

"Let's look at the record. Three years ago, you extorted a street vendor... The total damages were one hundred thousand won. That's practically just shaking someone down for pocket change."

"..."

"Last year, you broke someone else's car mirror in a parking lot. Ah, and there were four cases of stealing wallets from passing pedestrians."

"Robbery or theft?"

"Theft. The victims didn't notice at the time."

"Hmm."

Another administrator pushed up their glasses and added, "The scale of the damage, social impact, and danger of their ability are all in the bottom tier. They're not exactly a decent person, but... they seem closer to a thug than a villain."

"Wait, what do you mean, a thug?! Do you have any idea how vicious I am? The kind of person I am is..."

"Enough."

Eun-yeong, seated at the head of the table, slammed her hand down and cut the villain off.

"The evaluation is complete. You don't need to say anything further."

"Then I..."

"This one can't count toward Officer Kang Jin-ho's record. We'll transfer the credit to Officer Son Jin-woo."

"N-no!"

"Rejected. Take this person away."

"Wait, please, give me a chance! I'll go commit a bigger crime...!"

With a crooked smile that seemed to say, It's over. You're useless, Eun-yeong waved her hand dismissively. A few members of the mobile strike unit soon dragged the resisting villain outside to a transport vehicle. Before long, another villain entered the room with a tense expression.

"...She looks like she's having fun."

He wasn't entirely sure, but it was obvious Eun-yeong was enjoying the situation immensely. She had a broad grin on her face.

"..."

After watching the bizarre spectacle, Kang Jin-ho quietly went to the break room and pulled out his phone.

Whatever. Let things play out. Eun-yeong seemed to like it, so that was enough. He would just... rest for a while and look at his phone. Going outside and showing his face would only get the villains excited. It wouldn't help much.

Ordinary visitors seeking police services could not even come in because of the villains' line.

As Kang Jin-ho spent time in the break room handling some light work and looking at his phone, message alerts sounded one after another.

-Um, Jin-ho.

-Can you talk right now? I need help.

He put down the documents he had been reading and picked up his phone again.

The person contacting him was Trace, the A-rank information-type hero with whom Kang Jin-ho had solved several cases.

"What's going on?"

Trace hesitated for a moment at Kang Jin-ho's question, then said cautiously.

-I think the 1-rank villain Blackflame is about to make a move.

-They're targeting you, Jin-ho.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried