# Chapter 10 - Customers Versus the Enforcement Officers
"It's too late." Lee Jun-ho sighed when Choi Min-seok and the enforcement team finally arrived in front of his cart.
He truly never expected to get caught like this. Usually, Jun-ho managed to escape first.
This time, his own customers had held him back simply because they didn't want to lose their chance to buy Gilgeori Toast.
Choi Min-seok stood in front of Jun-ho with his arms crossed. "You really are stubborn."
Jun-ho smiled awkwardly.
"Chief Choi..."
"How many times have we caught you selling here when you're not allowed to?"
"If we count carefully..."
"This is the fourth time."
Jun-ho fell silent.
Since he had started selling, his cart had already been confiscated three times. And the man who caught him every time had always been Choi Min-seok.
Among the street vendors around Busanjin-gu, the man had even been secretly nicknamed the Street Vendor Hunter.
Not because Choi was harsh. Quite the opposite. He almost never used force.
The problem was that the man followed the rules to the letter. Whether a vendor cried, begged, or told him about their hardships, Choi still carried out his duty according to procedure.
Jun-ho couldn't deal with people like that.
"Chief Choi, just consider today my first offense."
Choi stared at him blankly. "Your first offense?"
"Yes."
"If today is your first offense, then whose were the three carts I confiscated before?"
"...My twin brother's?"
Choi sighed. "You've even run away several times when you saw our vehicle. If we count all of that, who knows how many times you've violated the rules."
Jun-ho had no way to argue.
Choi then raised his hand. "Take the cart."
Two officers immediately stepped forward.
Jun-ho could only stare at them in despair.
Choi then turned to the citizens who had held Jun-ho back earlier. "Thank you for your cooperation."
He smiled. "Vendors who set up wherever they please can interfere with sidewalk access and public order. The public's assistance means a great deal to us."
But the mood suddenly changed.
"What are you doing?"
One of the customers immediately stood in front of the cart. "Don't touch it!"
"That's right! You can't take the cart away!"
"My toast isn't done yet!"
The two officers who had been about to take the cart stopped immediately.
Choi fell silent too.
A few seconds ago, these people had held Jun-ho back as if they were helping the officers. Now they were blocking the officers instead.
"Hold on."
The large man who had been in line since morning stepped forward. "We've been waiting a long time."
"That's right!"
"I was almost up!"
"Why did you have to show up right now?"
One customer even pointed at the officers angrily. "Sometimes you guys are nowhere to be seen when there's some other problem on the street. But the moment we just want to eat our toast in peace, you show up lightning-fast."
Jun-ho blinked. Don't drag me into an even bigger mess...
Choi Min-seok tried to remain calm. "Everyone, we're only doing our jobs. This cart is being used to sell food in a prohibited location."
A man replied, "We understand that you're doing your jobs."
"Then?"
"But we've been waiting in line for almost forty minutes!"
The others joined in.
"At least let us get our orders first!"
"Exactly!"
A bespectacled man in office clothes raised his hand.
"I'm a doctor."
Everyone turned to look at him.
The man said seriously, "I have surgery this afternoon. If I don't get this toast this morning, I'll be in a terrible mood."
Choi stared at him. "Excuse me?"
"I might lose my concentration."
"Don't talk as if one toast determines the patient's survival!"
"But I've still been waiting in line a long time!"
The crowd began to grow noisier.
People who had no idea what was going on stopped to watch.
Some even pulled out their phones and started recording after seeing the enforcement officers facing off against the crowd.
One of the officers approached Choi.
"Chief."
"What?"
"The situation is getting more heated."
Choi looked around. He had noticed it too.
If they forced their way into taking the cart now, all the people recording would get was a clip of officers fighting with civilians.
Regardless of the context, a video like that could easily be misconstrued once it spread online.
Jun-ho himself stood behind his cart, not knowing what to do.
He had lost his cart to an enforcement sweep before. But this was the first time he had seen dozens of customers argue with officers to protect his cart.
One of the officers whispered again. "Chief, they really won't let us take it."
Choi furrowed his brow. This situation was even stranger than the cases he had handled before.
If they let Jun-ho off just like that, they wouldn't be enforcing the rules.
But if they forcibly took the cart away now, the commotion would definitely get even bigger.
"All this over toast..." Choi rubbed his forehead.
Jun-ho saw an opportunity. "Chief Choi."
"What?"
"What if I finish their orders first?"
"No." The answer came immediately. "Rules are rules. You violated them, so we have to impound your cart."
Jun-ho sighed. He sure is stubborn.
In that case, Jun-ho didn't know what else to do either.
Choi turned back to the crowd. "Everyone, please understand. We're doing our jobs according to the rules. If we let every violation slide just because a lot of people ask us to, how are we supposed to maintain order?"
But the people who had already waited their turn refused to give up.
"If you take the cart now, I'll file a complaint!"
"That's right!"
"I just want my toast!"
"At least let him finish our orders!"
Choi fell silent.
The world felt stranger and stranger.
Usually, as soon as the enforcement officers arrived, the vendors would run away. This time, the vendor had indeed tried to escape, but his customers had held him back instead.
And after catching him, the officers were now being blocked by those same customers.
Another team member approached. "Chief, maybe we can give him a little leeway just for today."
Choi turned sharply.
The officer lowered his voice. "More and more people are recording. If we force the issue and things turn into a shoving match, the problem could become much bigger."
Another officer nodded. "We don't need to take the risk. Let him finish serving the customers already in line, then we'll shut him down."
Choi looked at the crowd.
Then at Jun-ho.
Then at the dozens of phones beginning to rise into the air.
He let out a long breath. "All right."
Jun-ho's eyes widened.
Choi pointed at his cart. "Finish the orders for everyone already in line."
The customers' faces immediately brightened.
"Yes!"
"The officer actually understands us!"
"Now this is how it should be!"
"From now on, if anyone randomly trashes enforcement officers online, I'll defend you guys!"
Their change in attitude was so sudden that several members of the enforcement team exchanged glances.
Just a few minutes ago, these same people had nearly chewed them out.
Now they were praising them instead.
Choi Min-seok shook his head in resignation. "Enough already."
He watched Jun-ho turn the griddle back on. "Just this once."