Chapter 43: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Ji-Woo was about to walk over and greet Donape, but Jin-Man caught his shoulder and held him back.
"Leave it," Jin-Man growled, his voice low and firm. "We’re on duty. We’re not here to socialize."
"Understood, Team Captain," Ji-Woo replied, nodding as he turned toward the patrol cars to help secure the detained suspects.
Tonight’s sudden crackdown would inevitably send shockwaves through the underworld, warning the remaining gang members to retreat deep into hiding. Worse yet, several high-ranking members—men with deep, dirty ties to prominent families and influential figures—were still unaccounted for.
Even the gang’s secretive top leader had vanished without a trace.
Tracking them down would require a massive dragnet.
Jin-Man’s violent crimes unit was already preparing to establish tight security checkpoints along all major transport routes in and out of S City.
With so much on his plate, Jin-Man didn’t have the luxury to waste time overthinking Donape’s sudden appearance. His arrangement with Master Jin of the Jin Family was a straightforward business transaction, not a long-term alliance.
’Even with this ledger in my hands, there are still too many loose ends,’ Jin-Man calculated silently, watching the forensic team pack up their gear.
’A few key high-ranking gang members need to be eliminated quietly before they start talking—especially those connected to the brass at the police department, the prosecutor’s office, and the government. Tsk... what a tedious, headache-inducing job.’
While choosing to ignore Donape, both Jin-Man and Ji-Woo subconsciously felt a strange, lingering sensation from their session in Counter-Injustice.
Without realizing it, their senses had tuned into their environment with unusual precision. Every faint rustle of clothing, every distant echo, and especially the softest pattern of footsteps registered clearly in their minds.
’What the hell is wrong with me tonight?’ Jin-Man grumbled under his breath, shaking his head in annoyance. ’Is my hearing suddenly overactive or something?!’
He quickly dismissed the thought. Getting lost in bizarre self-analysis in the middle of a high-stakes, exhausting case was ridiculous.
Meanwhile, Donape took a final, warm sip of his convenience store coffee and tossed the empty can into a nearby recycling bin.
From his vantage point across the street, he watched the blue and red lights fade as patrol cars began hauling off the handcuffed thugs. The precinct officers were already rolling out yellow caution tape, packing up evidence, and preparing to tow away the abandoned gang vehicles.
Donape stroked his chin, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the situation.
’The raid is practically over, but the quest hasn’t marked itself as complete—or failed,’ he reasoned, tapping his fingers against his ribs. ’That means simply standing by while twenty or thirty low-level thugs get rounded up wasn’t the actual target.’
He recalled the brief radio transmission he’d overheard earlier from Unit 17 about an interception. A crackdown of this scale didn’t happen overnight, nor did it end with a few street-level brawlers getting shoved into the back of a paddy wagon.
’A syndicate this size obviously has a massive footprint. Completely dismantling them will take time. But what if the police conduct their next major sweep during the day?!’ A sudden wave of panic hit him.
’If they finish off the gang while I’m stuck operating the cafe, the quest will end in failure because I wasn’t involved! Gosh... I can’t even leave the shop during operating hours! Damn it!’
A low groan escaped his lips as the reality of the situation sank in.
’So I can’t just coast on the police doing all the heavy lifting. I actually have to gather intel and run my own investigation during the night?! This is insane!’
Donape sighed, turning his back on the bustling crime scene.
"Guess my peaceful life is officially over," he muttered under his breath.
Morning light washed over the narrow alleyway, painting the brick walls in soft shades of gold. The crisp morning air carried a slight chill, but inside Origins VR Cafe, the atmosphere was warm, quiet, and faintly scented with the aroma of fresh morning air coming through the ventilation.
Donape sat slumped behind the polished front counter, resting his chin in his palm. His eyes felt heavy, the dark circles underneath slightly more pronounced than usual. He hadn’t slept a wink.
After jogging back from the crime scene near midnight, he had spent the remaining hours scouring the internet for any leaks, forum posts, or news reports regarding the gang crackdown.
If he was forced to play vigilante at night, he needed solid intel. Wandering around during the day was out of the question while the shop was open. Nightfall was his only window of action, even if it meant sticking his nose into police business that was far outside his authority.
Fortunately, he had already identified a crucial loophole in the System’s Novice Quest:
- Objective: Assist local enforcement officers in neutralizing the local wild gang threat.
The wording was key. It didn’t mandate that he participate in every single bust—it simply required his active assistance in the overall neutralization process. As long as he meddled directly at least once during the campaign, the Quest would mark itself as successful whenever the police finally wiped out the syndicate!
Thanks to the passive physical enhancements from consuming the shop’s items, going two days and a night without sleep was a breeze for his body.
At the same time, the front door’s chime chimed softly, breaking the morning silence.
"Good morning, Shopkeeper!"
Ga-Eun’s cheerful voice bounced off the walls as she stepped inside, clad in a simple oversized denim jacket. Behind her came Mira, holding a tablet in her hand, and Irene, looking impeccably stylish in a tailored beige trench coat with dark sunglasses resting atop her head.
Donape slowly lifted his head, giving them a bored, casual blink.
"Ah... morning," Donape muttered, his voice a dry, low rumble. "Playing, or eating first?"
Irene stopped in front of the counter, a subtle smirk touching her lips. "The meat buns and coffee, of course."
Donape shook his head lightly. Since they had become regular patrons, their familiar banter and easy manners had become second nature to him.
After serving three warm cups of Obsidian Roast Coffee and three steaming Spicy Meat Buns, Donape prepared a set for himself and sat back down, casually resuming his online search for gang intel.
"Shopkeeper, do you think this alley is safe from those gang thugs dominating the news this morning?" Mira chimed in, leaning against the counter next to Irene.
She turned her tablet toward him, displaying a prominent breaking news article about the midnight raid that netted twenty-nine Black Viper gang members. "S City is buzzing right now. The Violent Crimes Unit launched a massive strike overnight and is still in the process of eliminating them clean."
Donape feigned a look of mild surprise, taking a slow sip from his cup. "Sounds like the police are keeping the city plenty secure. No need to worry. But even if dozens of thugs swarmed this place, the shop won’t collapse. Security here is 100% solid."
"Interesting," Irene said, leaning in slightly closer as her dark eyes locked onto Donape. "Just because this place protected us from those street thugs last time, you have that much confidence in its security?"
She paused deliberately, letting the silence stretch for a heartbeat.
"What if higher-ups from that gang raid this shop with automatic weapons?" Irene asked softly, her eyes glinting with genuine curiosity. "Can this place handle machine guns?"
"Even if a nuclear warhead dropped directly onto the roof of this building, this shop would remain standing while the rest of the city turned to ash," Donape said nonchalantly, taking another sip of his coffee.
"Hey! That’s way too much nerd exaggeration, even for you!" Mira laughed, shaking her head.
"You’re really going overboard with the sales pitch today, Boss," Irene added with a light snort.
Donape didn’t argue. He set his cup down, leaned over the counter, and said. "You two have been playing here almost every day. Have you really not noticed any changes in your own bodies?"
Silence settled over the counter.
Neither Irene nor Mira replied. Of the three friends, the two of them had spent the most time inside The Path of the Heavenly Martial Arts.
When forced to think about it, the signs were undeniable—their reaction times to visual cues had become absurdly sharp. They felt lighter, stronger, and energized throughout the day, even without regular workouts. They had originally written it off as good days or placebo, but connecting it to Donape’s claim made everything click into place.
Even the food was anomalous—the meat buns genuinely boosted their stamina and physical endurance, while the coffee delivered a profound, meditative clarity without disconnecting them from their surroundings.
"Anyway... forget it," Irene said smoothly, adjusting her coat as she changed the subject. "Those gang members wouldn’t stand a chance operating out in the open in this day and age anyway. In an era of constant social media sharing, their every move is caught on phone cameras and posted online within minutes."
Donape’s eyes flickered. ’Social media... crowdsourced intel.’
A sudden spark of inspiration hit him.
’I can use that,’ Donape realized. ’I don’t need to waste time wandering the streets aimlessly at night. I can track their movements, territory disputes, and suspicious sightings through local online forums and live feeds, then strike with exact precision.’
He smiled faintly. ’But before I move, I need to max out my time in the VR capsules and push my synced stats as far as these two games will allow.’
After several days had passed, Donape finally took action on a Saturday night.
The police pressure had pushed the gang to a breaking point.
High above the city streets, a cool night breeze rustled Donape’s dark hoodie. He stood near the ledge of a rooftop, looking down into a dimly lit, narrow alley below.
"It seems like the head became impatient after the tails have been cut left and right," Donape muttered softly, watching a convoy of unmarked vehicles pull into the shadows.