Chapter 39: Bribes Don’t Work Here
The bell above the door chimed softly as Captain Jeong Jin-Man stepped inside, his subordinate—Detective Sung Ji-Woo—following half a step behind. Both wore plain, unassuming hoodies and denim, but Jin-Man’s eyes scanned the room with the practiced, predatory instinct of a veteran homicide detective.
’An exquisite interior hidden behind such a shabby exterior... Interesting,’ Jin-Man thought.
When Master Jin of the Jin Family first contacted him, Jin-Man had assumed he was being hired to frame someone or make a troublesome target disappear. To his surprise, he was only asked to conduct a deep, off-the-books background check on the shopkeeper, Alexander Donape.
Under normal circumstances, Jin-Man would have ignored such a mundane task. But when a request came directly from a prominent figure of the Jin Family, he wasn’t in a position to refuse—nor did he want to turn down the lucrative payout.
Jin-Man was, by all definitions, a dirty cop. He accepted bribes without batting an eye, covered up high-level crimes for the right price, and didn’t hesitate to ruin innocent lives if it served his interests. He was an absolute opportunist who survived by swimming with the biggest sharks in the city.
Beside him stood his partner, Sung Ji-Woo—a green officer barely a year out of the police academy.
Ji-Woo was an idealist who practically bled justice and honesty—the exact polar opposite of Jin-Man. That the precinct had paired them together in the same homicide unit was practically a cosmic joke.
Yet, Jin-Man kept the kid around for a specific reason: Ji-Woo was hot-headed, easily manipulated, and fiercely self-righteous. With a few calculated words, Jin-Man could trigger the rookie’s sense of justice to pick fights, make arrests, or cause scenes on his behalf.
Kill with a borrowed knife. Ji-Woo was the perfect, unwitting pawn.
As Jin-Man casually swept his gaze across the cafe, his eyes lingered briefly on the counter. He instantly recognized Baek Ji-Hong and Butler Lee, though neither of them knew him. His past dealings with the Baek Family had all been managed through a shady branch line—well out of sight of the Main Direct Line.
’Geez, dropping big names right out of the gate... Seems this place isn’t as simple as I thought. Let’s approach this casually,’ Jin-Man thought.
Putting on a natural, practiced smile, Jin-Man brushed past the shop’s regular customers, intending to head toward a quiet corner table with Ji-Woo.
However, as he walked, he noticed Donape, Ji-Hong, and the others staring at his back with strange, awkward expressions.
Glancing behind him, Jin-Man froze. Ji-Woo wasn’t following him at all. Instead, the rookie officer was standing glued to the spot, staring at the counter with sparkling eyes and a hungry, longing expression.
This was Ji-Woo’s very first covert operation, and he had arrived determined not to make a single mistake. After all, he was usually stuck with tedious fieldwork—stalking suspects, combing crime scenes, and collecting witness testimonies.
Naturally, the prospect of a real undercover assignment had him thrilled, even if his nervous inexperience made his acting painfully stiff.
Unfortunately, his professional resolve didn’t even survive the entrance. The instant the rich, savory aroma of freshly steamed meat buns and brewed coffee hit his nose, every thought of police work vanished from his mind.
Swallowing hard, Ji-Woo stroked his chin, completely unable to restrain his appetite or hide his unrefined behavior.
Rubbing his temples in sheer embarrassment, Jin-Man turned around, grabbed Ji-Woo’s hoodie sleeve, and dragged him over to the counter stools.
"Sit down and stop embarrassing me," Jin-Man hissed under his breath. "I’ll buy you a bun and a coffee, alright?!"
He certainly hadn’t anticipated feeling this humiliated before the investigation had even properly begun.
Ji-Woo nodded absentmindedly, though his eyes never once strayed from the food the other customers were eating.
Turning to the counter, Jin-Man said, "We’ll have whatever they’re having."
Since this was his first visit, he knew little beyond the rumors on social media claiming the establishment functioned like an exclusive, high-end internet cafe.
Eventually, the steep price tags failed to make him flinch.
For a corrupt cop like him, the prices listed at Origins VR Cafe were perfectly reasonable. They weren’t cheap, but they weren’t outrageously expensive either—even if his wealth didn’t quite rival someone of Ji-Hong’s stature.
"Sure," Donape replied flatly.
The faint trace of bloodlust he had sensed from Jin-Man earlier had long since vanished into thin air.
Besides, that was merely Donape’s own sharp perception picking up on the veteran detective’s aura; neither the shop nor the System flagged customers based on mere intent.
Donape strictly adhered to the establishment’s rules: only those who actively created trouble inside the store were categorized as troublemakers.
Whether a customer was a saint, a corrupt scumbag, or a ruthless murderer, as long as they didn’t break the rules or disrupt business, they were welcome. After all, Origins VR Cafe didn’t operate as a paragon of justice, nor was it a dark syndicate.
In Donape’s eyes, it was simply a venue to make a profit—even if the true, underlying purpose of the Tyrannical System remained a complete mystery.
The moment the food arrived, Ji-Woo dug into his Spicy Meat Bun and Obsidian Roast Coffee without hesitation.
Jin-Man had expected his subordinate to eat like a greedy beast. To his absolute utter shock, however, Ji-Woo suddenly began dining with absurd, refined elegance the moment the food touched his mouth. Struck speechless, he simply stared, not knowing how to react.
In the end, curiosity won out, and Jin-Man decided to take a bite as well.
The thin, delicate outer crust gave way to a plush, steaming interior bursting with seasoned minced meat and rich, spicy broth. An explosion of flavor coated his palate, but before he could even finish chewing, a wave of soothing, radiant heat erupted from the bun, surging down his throat and spreading straight through his body.
Slightly dazed, he followed it up with a casual sip of the Obsidian Roast Coffee.
What hit him next was pure liquid serenity. The moment the dark brew touched his tongue, a crisp, cooling stillness washed over his mind. The endless, noisy clutter of his corrupt schemes, case files, and daily stress quieted down instantly. His vision sharpened to a razor’s edge, his thoughts became intensely lucid, and his racing heartbeat slowed to a deep, perfectly tranquil rhythm.
In this state, he felt as if he could crack a cold case with a single glance.
Realizing how extraordinary the food was, Jin-Man immediately ordered a second Spicy Meat Bun. Ji-Woo, not wanting to miss out, did the same.
When the two hot buns were set down on the counter, both officers devoured them with primal urgency—as if they had been starved for years—before returning to their dignified, serene poise as they savored the last of their coffee.
"Give me another coffee, please," Jin-Man requested, sliding his card across the counter.
Donape didn’t even move from behind the counter. He simply stood there, shaking his head.
Jin-Man’s brow furrowed, a sharp complaint rising in his throat. But before he could unleash his temper, Jong-Kook—seated nearby—spoke up smoothly.
"This shop is unique, dude. All rules must be followed to the letter," Jong-Kook said, pointing a finger toward the overhead digital screen.
Jin-Man and Ji-Woo followed his direction.
- Food & Beverage (No Takeaway!):
...
...
[Obsidian Roast Coffee] - 50 BC (Limit: 1 per day)
[Spicy Meat Buns] - 35 BC (Limit: 2 per day)
’What the hell?! What kind of bullshit store policy is this?!’ Jin-Man raged inwardly.
Ji-Woo, on the other hand, nodded thoughtfully, instantly respecting the shop.
"Even if the rules seem a bit strange and arrogant, rules are rules," Ji-Woo said earnestly. "They must be respected and obeyed."
Unable to hide his irritation, Jin-Man scoffed, "Don’t be so rigid. Rules are meant to be broken. Come on—I’ll pay three times the listed price for another cup."
Instead of a fresh cup of coffee, however, he was met with pitying, amused stares from the six regulars lined up at the counter.
"Pfft. Haha!" Ji-Hong laughed, leaning back in his stool. "Mister, if money could buy a rule change in this shop, I would have bought out the entire inventory and taken it home days ago."
When it came to financial power, Ji-Hong stood at the top.
Among the empire’s ruling elite, the Baek Family was undisputed in wealth—and Ji-Hong was the cherished grandson of the Patriarch, the direct heir of the next lineage head. He was the undisputed premier third-generation noble. Who in S City could match his prodigal spending?
No one.
"Tch. Offering a measly three times the price is downright cute," Ji-Hong added casually. "Save your cash. Here, we all follow the rules. Inside Boss Don’s shop, everyone is equal."
Beside him, Butler Lee offered Jin-Man a sharp, observant glance—a silent warning that didn’t go unnoticed.
Jin-Man’s eye twitched. A cold sweat broke on his back as he suddenly snapped back to reality. Not because of fear, but worry.
’What the hell is wrong with me?’ Jin-Man cursed inwardly, gritting his teeth. ’Did a single cup of coffee make me completely forget my objective?!’
He needed to lay low, not draw attention from high-society figures like Baek Ji-Hong. Reigning in his temper, he dropped the issue and ordered a bottle of Origins Fountain Water to wash down the lump of embarrassment in his throat.
Donape stepped forward, setting the bottle down on the counter. For a brief second, Jin-Man wondered if the quiet shopkeeper had seen right through him.
But, relying on his years of undercover experience, the veteran detective maintained a perfectly calm facade.
Then, Donape spoke.
"So, are you two going to try the VR Capsules?" Donape asked, his voice completely flat. "If you want martial arts training, it’s 80 BC. If you want tactical shooting, it’s 120 BC. Standard hourly machine time is 20 BC. How about it? Try it once, and you’ll realize virtual reality is no longer an illusion, but the truth in the palm of your hand."
Donape stood there, calmly pitching a full high-tier package to the undercover captain of the violent crimes unit.