2025-04-02 22:56:07Luke Sullivan looked at the woman contemplatively as she smiled and hiccuped, "Sorry handsome, your pick-up line was wasted! Haha, I'm not just some pure and pretty face. I'm not here for a date!"
Oh...
As soon as she opened her mouth, Luke understood. This woman wasn't some innocent drunk girl – she was here for business.
Originally, he was just here to pick up a pretty girl, with no intention to pay for it.
Luke thought about changing his target, but felt somewhat bitter. Firstly, she simply stood out too much; no other girls could match her looks. Secondly, everyone else was already paired up, making it hard to engage other women in conversation.
Ah!
Luke made his decision – as long as it felt good, what's some money! He'd consider it a celebration for successfully crossing over!
So, he sat right beside her, continuing the conversation. "Hey beautiful, so those feelings of yours, how much are they?"
"Ha!" She laughed coldly, readily putting up three fingers, "True love? Priceless. One night? Three hundred! Also, I won't go home with you, or to some cheap motel. Four-stars and up or bust!"
"Jesus!" Luke slammed the table, "Is this a robbery? Three hundred? Four-star hotel? My God! Say, do you do discounts?"
"Handsome, I can tell you're not in this business!" She didn't even bat an eyelash. "You should know, with this price, there's no discount! If you have the guts and the money, we leave now, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied. If not, move out of the way and don't waste my time!"
"My God." Luke searched through his memory, realizing that even if he put his entire savings together, it wasn't even enough for a motel. So, he could only angrily yell at her, "Okay, I've decided to leave!"
Little did Luke know, someone had overheard their conversation. He had only just moved aside when a man clad in designer clothes came with a wad of cash and sat in his seat.
"Let's go, baby!" The man chomped on his gum and slapped down the cash, "Money's no object with me. Tonight at the Ritz, we will go all night, how about it?"
When the woman saw the money, her spacey expression vanished, instantly replaced by liveliness. She pretended to nod her head coyly, and left with the rich man without any hesitation.
The woman didn't even look at Luke as she left. His frustration was insane. Luke clenched his fist and angrily stared as the foxy pair left, telling himself, "Gold diggers! The less I see them, the better!" But as he stared, he saw a man sitting at the bar.
The man was wearing a black windbreaker and a baseball cap. His head was down, and the collar of the windbreaker was propped up, covering most of his face, only revealing two gloomy eyes.
The man's eyes never left the gold digger who was just drinking. Now that the beauty was leaving, his eyes followed the woman into the distance, as if deeply entranced.
Because the beauty was leaving from Luke's side, as the strange man's eyes followed the woman, he and Luke suddenly locked gazes.
"What the hell are you looking at?!" Luke thought the man was mocking him, and immediately flipped him off.
The man in the windbreaker shook a little as if surprised, then immediately stood up and left, disappearing within moments.
Luke ordered one of the cheapest cocktails, wanting to quench his own thirst, but his mind immediately jumped to a very important issue.
'Jesus Christ! That guy in the windbreaker; could it be that guy?'
Could there really be such a coincidence in the world?
Luke tried to convince himself otherwise–he was probably thinking too much. There was no way. He had just finished listening to the briefing for the York Criminal Case, and had he really seen the culprit himself?
Those kinds of odds must be smaller than winning the lottery!
Luke held the beer glass in his hand, yet he could not drink properly at all. The man in designer clothes was just too suspicious!
He lowered his head with a gloomy expression, and that of a suspicious feeling.
Luke thought about Detective Priscillia's case briefing. The York Case victims were all females with questionable habits. It fit that gold digger perfectly.
Not only that, but the culprit's face had been scratched, and the man in designer clothes was covering his face with his collar. Could it be?
Could it really be that the male in designer clothes was the York Criminal?
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Having come to that thought, Luke could no longer sit around. He figured even if he was wrong, he still had to take a look. He put down his beer glass and quickly went in the direction where the male with the designer clothes had run off to.The bar exit was a plain, small steel door, similar to the entrance. Luke rushed out and immediately emerged into a narrow, dark alley.It was already 10:00pm at night, and the alley was deathly quiet. He looked both ways. Using the moonlight, Luke quickly saw the shadow of someone fleeing past on his right."Huh?" He paused for a moment, even more suspicious now. He quickly ran in that direction.Chasing and being chased were both his previous specialties. Not only was Luke fast, but he was also light on his feet, and there was no sound in his pursuit.The shadow had disappeared to another small and dark alley. The alley headed straight towards the parking lot.When Luke walked past a green dumpster, he suddenly saw someone on the ground. It was
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Luke Sullivan heard the word "reward money" and recalled the investigation unit's rule. Officers who caught criminals would be awarded prize money based on the situation, which would also be recorded in their records, helping with promotions or exams later on.'There's money to be made catching criminals? Good! Good!' The side of Luke's mouth tilted up, and he threw a glance at Vincent. Vincent was unhappy to begin with. Seeing Luke taunt him, he crossed his arms, no longer speaking."The culprit's baton was modified by himself. The voltage goes up to 30,000 volts which can instantly knock a person out!" Detective Priscillia continued, "The culprit's name is unknown. We only know that he is a high school student, but he could've dropped out. Due to the injury, the culprit is currently in the emergency room while under surveillance, and currently cannot be questioned. Mr. Sullivan, your attack was a little too strong!""What? Too strong? You've already said it! A 30,000 volt. How could
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"What the...?" Confused by this sudden explanation, Luke quickly selected the orb again, causing the voice to repeat the description of the Invisibility Eavesdropper device."Detective Sullivan, I added two sugars to your coffee, just how you like it!" Bella called out, mistaking his distant expression for simple enjoyment of his drink.Her voice yanked him back to reality, and the bustling noise of the precinct suddenly felt overwhelming. He needed somewhere quiet to process what was happening. Ignoring Vincent's usual griping and Priscilla's presence, Luke stood up and headed for the door.As he stepped out, he ran straight into Captain Jake Sheldon. They'd never been particularly close, so Luke ducked his head and tried to slip past him.To his surprise, Captain Sheldon blocked his path and asked, "Sullivan, weren't you supposed to be taking a personal day? How'd you end up catching our thief instead?" His expression turned serious. "Level with me here. How did you know they'd show
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Some hours later, Luke found himself truly penniless. He didn't even have money to buy data on his phone and had to look up house rental information on a computer instead.Among the mass of advertisements, he randomly picked a few that were near the police station. Showing no regard for work hours, he threw on his jacket and left the workplace.As for Dawson's investigation, Luke didn't have high expectations. If just a few of his words could solve a cold case that had been plaguing the Special Crimes Unit for ten years, it would really be the joke of the century!Executed by lethal injection but having escaped death and crossed over, and then obtaining the technical, so-called Crime System had put Luke in a great mood. As he strolled down the street, the sun beamed upon him warmly as he walked with an extra spring in his step.He started realizing that being a crime detective might not be so bad. Catching criminals and getting rewards, not to mention some special privileges. That kin
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Luke's mind reeled. "Wow... No way?" This had to be the second biggest coincidence in the world. He had just quarreled with the owner of Dalton Fruit Company, and now he'd caught his daughter red-handed in illegal activities. Surely, this couldn't be a mere chance!He couldn't help but attribute this to the Crime System. It had to be involved somehow."Mr. Policeman, sir?" The girl's voice snapped Luke back to reality. She stood obediently before him, too scared to run. "Please, can you let me go? The money... I mean, the stolen fee... I don't want it anymore!"An idea suddenly struck Luke. He hastily returned the envelope to her. "What do you mean you don't want it? Here, take it! It's fine, we're all friends here. No problem at all!""Oh... you..." The girl was shocked. "You know my dad?""Mm... you see," Luke thought quickly, changing tack. "I... I just rented your house! Now that I understand your situation, if it's to save your mother, I can turn a blind edge! Don't worry, carry
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Luke stood there for a long moment, watching their backs fade down the hall. He didn't want that future. He had to see this through—prove to himself and everyone else that he was capable of more than cold case limbo. No way would he end up like Aaron and Adam, grumbling and giving up.He had made up his mind: he would go toe-to-toe with Priscillia and Team B, holding nothing back. Seated at his desk, Luke focused intently, listening in on every move they made, so absorbed that he'd forget even the most basic necessities, like bathroom breaks.Just as he suspected, Priscillia and her team zeroed in on Aaron Dawson and Adam Mercer's latest piece of evidence. They quickly honed in on the source of the one-sided film, a type of specialty material rarely imported. Within a matter of hours, they had already traced it to every recent buyer in the area. The entire team seemed to mobilize for the task under Priscillia's lead, investigating each buyer with impressive speed.But when the results
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After an entire afternoon of digging through leads, dead ends, and desperate hunches, Aaron Dawson and Adam Mercer finally figured out why the cameras had failed to capture the BMW's driver. The forensic department, after reexamining the footage, had found a small but crucial clue—a thin layer of glue residue on the BMW's windshield. Something had definitely been stuck on the inside, likely some kind of one-way glass sticker.Apparently, this special type of one-way film had been imported, usually reserved for magicians in their grand illusion acts. It allowed the driver to see out while concealing the inside to any outside observer—much more opaque than any standard tint. The whole setup had been flawlessly planned out by the culprit. But as Luke knew too well, the more a criminal tried to execute the perfect crime, the more evidence they left behind."If you ask me…" Adam Mercer muttered, lowering his voice, glancing around to make sure no one was in earshot. He lit a cigarette, the
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Luke stood there, facing Detective Priscillia in the precinct's Special Crimes Unit office. Her arms were crossed, and she looked mildly annoyed. He could feel the eyes of many detectives from the unit on them, clearly interested in the commotion."I didn't mean it like that," Luke tried to explain. "I just felt that since the criminal cut off Lisa's hand without leaving any evidence, he must have planned this ahead of time! So he must've stalked Lisa for a long time. I feel like we shouldn't just focus on surveillance near the time the crime was committed, but also..."Priscillia cut him off immediately. "Alright, alright," she said, not letting him finish. "Luke! I already know that you and Vincent have that bet! You're rushing the case since you don't want to lose! But... I hope you can understand, solving a case isn't about winning a bet or even justice - it's about responsibility! Responsibility, do you understand?"She pointed at the few officers in front of their computer scree
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Luke sat on his balcony, contemplating the Maimed Case that had been troubling him. After a night of intense research, he had realized that using the current case as a launchpad might be the key to solving the previous two cases that the police had already thoroughly investigated. He planned to ask Team Leader Priscilla for additional information when he arrived at work, as she was in charge of the Maimed Case.Having woken up too early, Luke had plenty of time before work. Following one of his small habits, he took a bottle of iced tea onto his third-floor balcony to think. The space was about 600 square feet, and he sat in a patio chair, sipping his drink while enjoying the warm sunlight pouring in from the east. The golden glow on his face gave him a sense of satisfaction.A loud noise suddenly came from the neighboring balcony, which was separated from his by an anti-theft net. A tall, long-haired woman appeared, looking young—perhaps a little over twenty. She was holding the newe
The Invisible Culprit
Around 5 PM that evening, the completion message suddenly activated in Luke's mind, informing him that today's adventure had concluded. The completion rate was eighty-seven percent, earning him another invisibility device.Upon accessing the item and obtaining it, he saw it was yet another invisible tracking device, the same as the last one."What's this? Why couldn't it have been something new or exciting?" he thought to himself.Despite feeling somewhat disappointed, Luke finally had time to ponder the Crime System. Up until now, he had used it three times. While he didn't fully understand the rules, he had learned certain things about it.He pulled out his notebook and began analyzing the information he had recorded.First, the Crime System could only be activated once a day, with the ending time unknown. He estimated the ending time was tied to the completion rate - the faster he finished the adventure, the sooner it ended.Secondly, the adventure was random and didn't align with
Angela’s Strangeness
"Thought you could outrun me?" Luke Sullivan growled, adding a firm slap before collapsing beside the thief, his muscles screaming from the wild ride. The horse, finally calm, stood watching them with what looked like amusement.With the thief subdued and the chaos settling, Luke sat there catching his breath, wondering how he'd ended up in this crazy situation—all because of a woman named Angela Grant.The precinct was absolute bedlam. Street vendors from the alley packed the place, demanding compensation for their destroyed merchandise. The horse stood proudly outside, while inside, Luke found himself surrounded by the thief, Bella Lane, Angela—the purse owner—and a growing crowd of angry citizens. The desk sergeants were struggling to maintain order as complaints filled the air like a swarm of angry hornets.Luke's mind kept drifting between worry about the impending disciplinary action and thoughts of Angela. The moment he entered the station, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Wh
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Luke Sullivan's life had a way of throwing shocks at him. Now he stood staring at Angela, the victim of the purse-snatching case he was working. Seeing her made his heart skip a beat, even though he knew it couldn't be the same person. She wore a pink sundress, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. More sophisticated now, but still carrying that same grace that turned heads. Even in distress, she maintained a composure that commanded respect."Stop! Thief!" Angela yelled, her eyes meeting Luke's briefly, doubt flickering across her face.That snapped him into action. "Angela's bag was stolen? Not on my watch!" Luke took off after the thief, but the culprit had a good head start. The crowded downtown streets were packed with cars, bikes, and pedestrians. He needed an edge.Then he saw it. A police horse!"What the—?" Luke muttered.Without thinking twice, he grabbed the reins from the horse and swung himself up. "Hyah!" he urged the horse forward. But the stubborn animal wouldn't b
Getting into Investigation
Then it hit him. "That's it! Finally! Hahaha..." Luke Sullivan shouted, his mind racing with new insights into the case.He was in an unusually good mood as he squeezed onto the packed city bus with Bella Lane. They'd been assigned to the same unit in Special Crimes, which was seriously short-handed due to the Maimed Case investigation. Though she was technically support staff, Bella Lane seemed thrilled to be partnered with him - her not-so-secret crush. Meanwhile, Luke was practically bouncing off the walls, humming and chattering away, momentarily forgetting about his bet with Vincent Parker.That morning, he'd managed to restart his Crime System. Before even hitting the bathroom, he'd lit up a cigarette, only to start coughing violently on the first drag. That's when he heard it: "Crime System engaged. Welcome. Enhance your destiny."He'd scrambled to write down what he could remember in his pocket notebook, managing only fragments like 'land' and 'water'. Though he couldn't fully
