For the next few days, when the police protection arrived at Akashi's house, he had already snuck out through the window.
He hadn't stayed home and had immediately begun working.
And by work, he meant tracking someone.
He knew he could leave the case to the other officers, especially since he'd just been kidnapped and should be resting.
But this wasn't only personal.
It was an opportunity.
A chance to gain experience points, fair and square, and eliminate any potential future threats by his own hands.
Currently, he was sitting in a car.
Of course, he didn't have a driving license.
But in his previous life, he did.
[A skill has been discovered.]
[Driving level - 5]
When he sat behind the wheel, the system evaluated his driving skill as level 5.
It made him nostalgic, reminding him of the days when he used to chase down speeders, sometimes with a helicopter overhead.
Right now, he was in a stolen car, one he had taken from a triad member he knew, waiting in front of the bank.
From the bank, Boba emerged, carrying a briefcase. A bundle of paper appeared to be sticking out of his pocket.
He got into his own car and drove to his house. A two-story luxury villa with a pool.
'Yep. That's enough proof he's corrupt. A very nice house. Mine is nice, but his…'
Boba entered the house, greeted by a stunning wife and a small child.
Akashi waited until he was fully inside before heading to the car.
Technology had come a long way, but security hadn't caught up.
If this world was based on the 1920s, stealing a car was the easiest thing. There was something the factories didn't advertise: it was easier to open a car door than a motel room.
'That course I took didn't go to waste,' he thought as he tried unlocking the car.
He struggled for a bit, fiddling with the lock.
Midway, he realized the reason he was struggling — the door was already unlocked.
'For a cop, he's not even slightly paranoid.' Akashi climbed in and began searching for the documents. He quickly found the most recent bank statement, took it, returned to his (stolen) car, and drove back to the motel.
When he arrived, Akashi found that Tenzin had sent what he asked for.
He opened the envelope. Inside were the bank statements and official profiles of the two men.
They both worked at the Mayor's building. Or more accurately, the council headquarters.
He picked up each of their bank statements and noticed that, aside from their official salaries, both had received large deposits from the same individual. Akashi couldn't find a name, but he did get a bank account number, which he wrote down in his private notebook.
"This is enough proof to condemn Boba." Akashi leaned back, studying Boba's statement.
The man's salary was three times his own.
And he had been receiving numerous large deposits recently from various sources.
Clearly, Boba was corrupt on a whole different level.
'Even after I saved his brother and thought of him as a friend, this is how he repays me. So this is what the triads feel when they get betrayed. Man, I finally understand why they want me dead. Being betrayed is worse than getting caught,' he thought.
'Forget him. The key to unraveling this whole criminal network is finding out who wired the money.'
'Now that I have a protection detail, whoever's after me must know I'd try to go after them. So they'll make their move soon.'
'Their best shot is to get me off duty somehow and make me lose the guards stationed around my place.'
'They'll definitely accuse me of corruption.'
Akashi picked up a pen and paper and began to write a letter.
"Let's fall into that trap," he said.
-x-X-x-
The next day, Akashi returned to work.
He greeted everyone, wandered around the office, and chatted with coworkers.
His lieutenant approached him. Akashi, playing the clueless fool, smiled and waved.
"Good morning, Lieutenant," Akashi said.
The lieutenant frowned deeply. "What the hell have you done?"
"What could I possibly have done? I've been in my house for the past three days. I've got eyewitnesses," Akashi replied with a shrug.
"Eyewitnesses or not," the lieutenant said, extending his hand, "give me your badge and go willingly to the interrogation room."
"Excuse me?" Akashi feigned surprise.
"There's evidence of your corruption," Boba said. "We even have witnesses."
"Yeah? And what exactly did I do?" Akashi asked. "Take money to help someone kidnap a cop?" He smirked at Boba, who flinched slightly.
"Give me your badge and get to the interrogation room. If you delay any longer, I'll treat it as resistance and restrain you by force." Boba's voice shook with frustration.
Akashi raised his hands. "Whoa… I'm so scared. But we both know this is temporary."
He was a target. They wouldn't frame him to the point where jail would actually protect him.
"I know you'll rot in jail," Boba muttered.
"That's where you miscalculate," Akashi said, sliding his hands into his pockets.
A sergeant stepped in. "What the hell is going on? It's not the first time he's broken the rules. What changed?"
"Nothing. He just got caught," Boba snapped. "For stealing department money and other things."
"But haven't you been an accomplice the whole time?" she asked.
Boba's face turned red. "Shut the hell up."
Amane looked at Akashi, clicked her tongue, and shook her head.
"I warned you this day would come. But no, you kept that cocky attitude," she said, her voice a strange mix of satisfaction and disappointment.
Akashi leaned close and whispered in her ear, "What would the world do without good cops like you? Anyway, I left your birthday present in the drawer. You dumb bitch."
The last part was said loud enough for everyone to hear, making it sound like an insult.
"And still a cocky bastard," she leaned back. "Insulting a woman fifteen years older than you. Your mother should've taught you better."
"Anyway, I'll be back soon," Akashi said before following Boba to the interrogation room.
-x-X-x-
A few hours later, Amane sat in her office. Though she kept a straight face, she was fuming.
That man… even at the last moment, he kept that smug attitude.
Remembering him, she opened her drawer.
"I bet it's a dick drawing. That immature bastard. It's not even my birthday," she muttered.
Inside, she found an envelope. A stack of papers. Bank statements, names, and more.
Evidence of Boba's corruption. And exactly where he hid his illegal money.
The bank records alone were enough to justify a search warrant for his house.
On top, there was a letter:
("Dear Amane,
Sorry for calling you a dumb bitch. It was just a distraction to keep others from snooping into the drawer.
Anyway, by the time you read this, I'll be in the interrogation room.
This is all just a ploy from whoever's paying Boba right now, and I trust you'll track that person down.
Spoiler: he paid him 500,000 Yuan.
Do this right, and you might finally get that promotion.
Happy birthday…")