〈 Chapter 208 〉 After the Events of Chapter 205.

*

The bar was in ruins.

With no more movement in front of Hyeji, she finally came to a stop.

At least, the miracle was that there were no fatalities.

Just in time, the Access Control Department showed up.

It might seem incompetent, but in reality, it hadn’t been long since I sent a help request.

They arrived quite swiftly.

“Shinwoo student. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. But how did you get here so quickly?”

“……I was told to go to the location where something was breaking when the report came in.”

A succinct and clear explanation.

I pointed at the animal enthusiasts that lay scattered around.

“These bastards are druggies and animal enthusiasts. You should do a urine test.”

“Understood.”

It just so happened that the chairman had passed out and was seen spilling urine.

After one staff member conducted a urine test, about ten minutes later, the result came back positive.

This was solid evidence.

“And there are also guys related to the drug route, so please make sure to apprehend them all.”

“Thank you. But what about that pig?”

One staff member pointed at Caressy, who was still beating up the unconscious Chief’s Son.

Did she sense the gaze? Caressy smiled brightly and waved at us.

“Well caught! But there are two pigs, right?”

I noticed that Caressy’s cat paw had pinned the boss down.

I grabbed Caressy by the shoulders and shook her as I shouted urgently.

“Hey, fuck! Let go of the purple pig! That’s the boss!”

“……I’m sorry.”

Caressy dropped the act and buried her head into the ground.

The boss was looking at me, suddenly showing five fingers.

“Got it. I’ll add five servings. That’s 15, right?”

However, the boss just stood still, staring at me intently.

It felt like they were giving me a scolding for not having a clue.

On a whim, I said what came to mind.

“Wait, don’t tell me you want it every day for five days?”

Only then did the boss nod and disappear into the distance.

What a truly ruthless boss.

[Nopia’s future is looking dark.]

‘I guess this will just be the story.’

Anyway, I believed that Caressy would sort this part out.

I kicked the Chief’s Son lightly while addressing the staff.

“This bastard is the Chief’s Son, but he’s also a druggie and an animal enthusiast, so please take him away.”

“Um… is that okay? He’s still the Chief’s Son.”

“It doesn’t matter. If needs be, I’ll take the blame, just give them my name.”

“…Understood.”

With slightly doubtful expressions, the staff began to drag the Chief’s Son away.

It seemed they didn’t want to be involved since he was connected to the Chief.

But what could be done?

That guy had already crossed way too many lines.

Meanwhile, one of the staff, while escorting the animal enthusiasts, turned to us and asked.

“Then is there anyone injured this time?”

“Besides Elcia here, there’s no one else. Right, everyone else is fine?”

Suddenly, all eyes turned to me.

A somewhat reluctant but concerned gaze.

“……Shinwoo, you’re really okay, right?”

“My dear, from this perspective, it seems you’re not okay at all.”

“Husband! Are you perhaps on the great road to greatness?”

“You’re in deep shit if you ask me.”

Just as I was struck with doubt about the situation.

One of the staff spoke up hesitantly.

“Uh, what’s your ability?”

“I can only enhance my body.”

“Then…”

The staff, looking slightly pale, pointed a finger at me.

To be precise, at my left arm.

“Are you perhaps from the D clan? Did you eat the Gum-Gum Fruit or something?”

“……Huh?”

Upon closer inspection, my left arm was dangling limply.

Just like a rubber man.

It seemed my fractured left arm had completely broken apart.

They say you don’t feel pain until you see the injury for yourself.

Now that I realize it, my left arm suddenly started to hurt like crazy.

“F*ck.”

[I told you to go look for One Piece, and instead, you must have eaten a Devil Fruit.]

‘F*ck, so this is East Blue, huh.’

In the end, Elcia and I were taken to the infirmary together.

Elcia to check for any potential internal damage.

And I, to get my bones aligned and plastered.

“This makes us look like a couple!”

“…Yeah.”

If anything, it was a pretty romantic couple’s situation.

Thus ended our fierce battle.

*

Animal enthusiast apprehension.

Druggie apprehension.

In the meantime, we even managed to take down the Chief’s Son to hit the Chief where it hurt.

There was no shortage of evidence.

Syringes. Drugs. Positive results. Even the captured animals.

Decisively, the bodycam we had played a significant role.

Of course.

“……It seems that the contents of Shinwoo student’s bodycam will need quite a bit of editing.”

“……I think so too.”

“Hyeji student might need some pixelation treatment.”

Visually unappealing scenes needed editing and pixelation.

Especially focusing on the moments after Elcia was attacked and lost consciousness.

[You were definitely too scary at that time.]

‘Honestly, I was half out of it, so I barely remember.’

Regardless, this incident was such a big deal that it made the news.

It wasn’t just an unusual lust situation but also tied to the drug route, so it had to be significant.

Thanks to that, I had interviews in front of countless reporters and received awards from the academy and public institutions.

From a superficial view, it all seemed great.

But the reality was completely sh*t.

Let’s rewind a little.

Back to when we handed over the animal enthusiasts to the police.

First of all, the police.

“Let’s just pass this along, shall we? If the victims complain, it’ll be a hassle.”

“And if this goes public, it could be considered excessive defense. Let’s keep it low-key.”

“Do you really want to escalate this situation unnecessarily?”

“We’ll announce it separately later. So just leave all the evidence behind.”

It seemed they were trying to cover up the incident.

As if that wasn’t enough, they were attempting to claim our credit.

[…Is this really the police?]

‘They’re not police; they’re dogs.’

Earlier, several policemen were repeating actions by examining those who had been captured after receiving calls.

It seemed there were a few involved with higher-ups in the police department.

Furthermore, considering they wanted to leave behind the evidence and then claim it publicly.

It was clear they intended to sacrifice only a few as scapegoats while taking credit for the police efforts.

Just as the police didn’t disappoint, there was no need to resist with violence against public authority.

Using a different approach was wiser.

Thus, this time, the place to ask for help would be.

“Cheonma(? 馬) nim. We caught some bastards trying to kidnap horses, but the police aren’t cooperating.”

­ “It’s Cheonma(？馬) not Cheonma(？？）!!!”

First, Cheonma.

“Anyway, we caught druggies and animal enthusiasts, but they’re trying to brush it off.”

­ “Do you want me to make an official statement at a public event?”

“Not right now, but in the worst-case scenario, we might have to resort to mud-slinging.”

­ “Then what will you do for me?”

[Cheonma is pretty materialistic, huh.]

‘Don’t expect any romantic notions from Cheonma.’

Anyway, when asking for a favor, there has to be a price.

I promised Cheonma a little something as compensation.

“I’ll give you a bit when I get my bonus.”

­ “Make it half.”

“Have you lost your mind, you bastard?”

In a fit of anger, I inadvertently blurted out a rude remark.

But once the floodgates were open, they didn’t stop.

“Should I drill your head with Cheonma lasers?”

­ “Oh ho. Have you reached a new level? Then I’ll gladly accept the conditions for an upcoming duel.”

“Ah, f*ck.”

I ended up provoking him more.

Cheonma ended the call saying they looked forward to our next meeting.

Anyway, having gotten Cheonma’s promise, next it was time for.

“Chairman, please help me.”

­ “Isn’t it a bit rude to only contact me when you need something? It hurts my feelings.”

“What’s wrong, are you feeling lonely? A hamster?”

[Your remaining lifespan might be somewhat similar to that of a hamster, right?]

‘Still, he’ll be alive until I graduate.’

Since the chairman wasn’t going to drop dead anytime soon.

I had to make the most of the situation.

“The police aren’t cooperating well, so please talk to them. This is also a chance to deal with the Chief.”

­ “Got it for now. Either way, the Chief needs to be dealt with.”

“This time, his son got caught, so you can make proper use of it.”

­ “Yeah. Let me find some time. I’ll see you soon.”

Although the chairman suggested meeting later.

“Are you insane? Am I going to make time to meet an old man? If you want to see me, beg like a dog.”

­ “You bastard—”

I quickly took the initiative and hung up.

And finally.

“There’s a slight issue with the police.”

­ “Understood. Then I’ll reach out to all the reporters. If the article comes out first, they won’t have a choice but to cooperate.”

Lizard Beastman.

I guess they already knew it would come to this, as they immediately suggested a countermeasure the moment I mentioned it.

Truly an impressive individual, especially since the chief uses them as an aide.

“I recorded our conversation with the police earlier; would it help if I shared it?”

­ “That would make it perfect. They’ll rush in like a hound.”

Anyway, I had successfully contacted everyone I needed.

At that moment, Hyeji appeared to have finished contacting someone as well.

Before I could even ask whom she’d spoken to.

Hyeji suddenly walked up to the police who greeted us with serious expressions.

“What’s your position and name?”

“Why do you ask that? We don’t accept questions unrelated to work.”

Then, Hyeji suddenly hinted a faint smile.

“My dad has connections in the police department.”

“Are you threatening me? Do you think that would work?”

“Well, there are indeed some of the animal enthusiasts linked to higher-ups, right?”

“W-We always conduct fair investigations!”

The police clenched their teeth and shot a fierce glare at Hyeji.

However, Hyeji continued speaking without the slightest hesitation.

“Let’s make a bet on who can call higher-ups faster.”

“…Huh?”

“Let’s start with ‘your superior, my subordinate.’”

Suddenly, the police’s pupils and hands began to tremble.

Was she really going to do that, they seemed to question.

Then Hyeji, bearing a sinister smile, spoke softly.

“I’m curious how many will gather.”

“……Please, spare me.”

[Wasn’t Hyeji’s father a soldier?]

‘Well, after a few connections, it’s likely we all know each other.’

Intuitively realizing Hyeji’s collaborator was high up, their previously uncooperative attitude vanished, and they quickly started to backtrack.

Indeed, the power of authority is impressive.

Thus, the situation with the police came to a conclusion.

*