2025-04-21 03:50:27
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The Crime System Not the Person
Luke didn't bother answering Bella's question. As soon as the call ended, he plunged into the crowd. His eyes darted frantically, searching for the woman playing the piano—Shaun's mother."Hey, it's you!" he called out as he spotted her. Without missing a beat, he asked, "Ma'am! Quickly, tell me, when you participated in that Grand Piano Competition years ago, did you know Mary Nelson, Yara Voss, or Lisa Mendes? Any of these three people?"Her expression froze, and she backed away, looking at him as though he were the plague itself."No? After so many years, how could you be so sure right away?" he pressed. "Think carefully—did you know any of them? Were they in that competition with you?""I… I really can't remember!" she stammered, clearly rattled by his intensity. She turned away, trying to escape.Luke grabbed her by the arms. "Ma'am, what are you so afraid of? I'm investigating a case!""Hey, you there! Parent, I've been watching you!" a white-haired teacher barked from behind a
The Crime System Related to the Competition
At the vice principal's office, he showed his badge. The man was cooperative, calling in the file administrators immediately. They searched the records room top to bottom, but nothing. No participant lists. No rules. Not even a mention of the competition.One administrator explained apologetically, "It's been too long. The competition records weren't prioritized for archiving. The school's been relocated several times since then, so they might have been lost."Luke's frustration boiled over, but he bit it back. "This is a matter of life and death," he insisted. "Keep looking, and call me the moment you find anything."They promised to do their best. Feeling defeated, he left the building, brainstorming other solutions.As he stepped out of the main entrance, his phone rang."Senior!" Bella's voice crackled on the line, excitement bubbling in her tone. "How's it going on your end? I've got great news: I found the list of participants from Riverside Heights's tenth Grand Piano Competiti
The Crime System Crossed Fates
As Luke Sullivan woke up from sleep, he rolled up his sleeves, expecting to see the tribal designs that once covered his arms. Instead, he was greeted by unblemished skin. "Where are my tattoos?!" he exclaimed, bewildered.Raising his head, he found himself in a brightly lit office divided into cubicles. The chaotic scene around him was a far cry from his last memory - awaiting lethal injection on death row in a prison. Phones rang incessantly, papers flew, and harried workers rushed through the corridors with panic etched on their faces.A middle-aged man in a navy blue uniform appeared, calling for attention. "Everyone, gather 'round! Detective Priscillia will brief us on the York Assault Cases. We're moving out tonight, so listen carefully!"As the detectives gathered around a whiteboard covered in notes and pictures, Luke remained seated, still in shock. He touched his right ear - perfectly intact! It should have been split in two during a prison yard fight. He desperately wanted
The Crime System The Breaking Point
All eyes turned to Luke as he pointed at himself. "I'm not feeling well, so I'm taking a personal day. You all can enjoy your stakeout without me."His words instantly made the entire office deathly silent. The group of investigators who were ready to start working all froze in place, staring at him in disbelief. Luke could see in their eyes that they thought he must have lost his mind. Captain Jake Sheldon was the head of the Special Crimes Unit. The investigation plan had already been set in motion, yet here he was, suddenly asking for the day off? Not only that, but to say it so brazenly - how stupid could he be?Luke knew that even if it really was some kind of emergency, there was no need to bother Captain Jake about it; usually just letting a Section Chief know would suffice. To ask for leave from the Captain himself as he had done was like slapping him in the face. And of course, hearing his disrespectful tone, Captain Jake's expression darkened immediately."Hey..." Vice Capta
The Crime System Getting the Crime system
Throwing the police station into chaos gave Luke Sullivan immense satisfaction, but the confusion in his mind didn't stop.He wasn't sure how he had crossed over into such a normal world. Not only that, what happened to the former Luke whose body he had taken? In this situation, was it possession or reincarnation?The new memories told him that the Luke Sullivan of this world had the same birthday as him, was born in a small town, had elderly parents, and came from humble beginnings.They had the same starting point, but as they grew up, they walked two completely different paths in life.One chose to fight and die in the streets, becoming a gang enforcer; the other excelled in school and graduated from New York University, becoming a respected member of society, and then a police officer.The irony wasn't lost on him. Before, he was always running from the cops, but now his role had completely reversed. Now he was a cop himself."Don't tell me. I'll have to chase down other gangsters
The Crime System A Cop's Second Life
Luke found himself in a bewildering situation. His mind raced, searching for some kind of introduction to this so-called Crime System, but there was nothing. Even the strange voice that had spoken to him moments ago had vanished from his memory.Frustrated, he slapped his head repeatedly, hoping for something to change. "What the hell is this!" he exclaimed.The voice had spoken too quickly for him to catch everything, but he remembered a few words related to the lottery. He wondered if this Crime System was just some kind of lottery system. Had he won the jackpot, or was it the complete opposite?Luke couldn't help feeling disappointed. Even if he had won some sort of system, it was probably the easiest one to win in history.Attempting to smoke, he realized his cigarette had gone out during his violent coughing fit earlier. With a heavy sigh, he delved back into his memories, discovering that the Luke Sullivan of this world was in dire financial straits – living in the police barrac
The Crime System Price of Venom in the Shadows
Luke 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.
The Crime System Catching the York Criminal
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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Related to the Competition
At the vice principal's office, he showed his badge. The man was cooperative, calling in the file administrators immediately. They searched the records room top to bottom, but nothing. No participant lists. No rules. Not even a mention of the competition.One administrator explained apologetically, "It's been too long. The competition records weren't prioritized for archiving. The school's been relocated several times since then, so they might have been lost."Luke's frustration boiled over, but he bit it back. "This is a matter of life and death," he insisted. "Keep looking, and call me the moment you find anything."They promised to do their best. Feeling defeated, he left the building, brainstorming other solutions.As he stepped out of the main entrance, his phone rang."Senior!" Bella's voice crackled on the line, excitement bubbling in her tone. "How's it going on your end? I've got great news: I found the list of participants from Riverside Heights's tenth Grand Piano Competiti
Not the Person
Luke didn't bother answering Bella's question. As soon as the call ended, he plunged into the crowd. His eyes darted frantically, searching for the woman playing the piano—Shaun's mother."Hey, it's you!" he called out as he spotted her. Without missing a beat, he asked, "Ma'am! Quickly, tell me, when you participated in that Grand Piano Competition years ago, did you know Mary Nelson, Yara Voss, or Lisa Mendes? Any of these three people?"Her expression froze, and she backed away, looking at him as though he were the plague itself."No? After so many years, how could you be so sure right away?" he pressed. "Think carefully—did you know any of them? Were they in that competition with you?""I… I really can't remember!" she stammered, clearly rattled by his intensity. She turned away, trying to escape.Luke grabbed her by the arms. "Ma'am, what are you so afraid of? I'm investigating a case!""Hey, you there! Parent, I've been watching you!" a white-haired teacher barked from behind a
The Crazy Guardian
For the first time in this case, he felt like he was one step ahead. Whatever the killer's motive, it had something to do with the piano. Now, it was up to him—Luke Sullivan—to prove it.He took a deep breath, staring into the horizon as the pieces of the puzzle started to align."Vincent, Priscillia, open your eyes wide and watch how I crack this case," he muttered with a smirk.Luke couldn't help but chuckle to himself, feeling a mix of confidence and amusement. "Hmph! It's their fault for underestimating me," he thought. "This time, don't expect me to share the wealth, either!"The eavesdropped information revealed that Priscillia's team had shifted focus to the older cases, even sending someone to Yara Voss's former residence to dig deeper. Priscillia seemed to be out of ideas, a fact that only fueled his determination.He sat down with his notepad, jotting down the latest details as the gears in his mind began to turn. One thing he was certain of: the Maimed Case had a connection
The Pianist's Edge
Fifty-three days. That's all they had until the mid-year exams. To be honest, Luke couldn't care less about the exams, but it seemed like a big deal to these kids and their parents. So there he was, sitting in a packed school auditorium, pretending to listen to Jenna Dalton's class teacher ramble on about strategies for exam preparation."Parents," the teacher declared, knocking the table for emphasis, "these fifty-three days are crucial for your children. Today, we're here to discuss how you can support your kids effectively and help dispel their tension." He paused, scanning the room as if his speech was life-changing.Luke glanced at the teacher on the stage—a white-haired, middle-aged man who was all too serious about his job. His mind wasn't on the lecture. It was elsewhere, consumed by the case that had been plaguing him. The Maimed Case.And then, like the universe was in sync with his restlessness, a cell phone rang loudly from somewhere in the audience."Ah, Hero, please chas
It Should Be the Piano
Luke handed her the cola, capped and untouched, and watched as she turned and started to leave, disappointed but understanding. The case still weighed heavily on his mind, but part of him wondered what else this morning had in store.Looking up at the solemn, towering gate of Riverside Heights Middle School, Luke felt an odd heaviness in his legs, as if they were rooting him to the spot. The school loomed before him, intimidating and massive. Known as one of the most prestigious middle schools in the entire district, it was the place people would move mountains to get their kids into. And yet, here he was, about to enter.Jenna Dalton—who would've guessed she was a student here? She was in the eighth grade, no less, with the High School Entrance Examination only a month and a half away. Even more surprising was the reason she didn't want her real father to attend this parent conference. It wasn't because her grades were poor but because they were almost too good. As it turned out, Jen
The Missing Mystery
All three victims were missing their hands. It was horrifying, and Luke could hardly believe his own notes, but it was true—their hands had been cut off and taken by the culprit. Standing in the dim light of the crime scene, his mind raced. What was the killer's purpose? To keep them as trophies?The thought crossed his mind that maybe this was a twisted form of revenge, something he'd seen before. In his line of work, revenge-driven killings always had a pattern, a motive. The people chosen were targeted intentionally, and somehow, it felt like these victims—though seemingly unconnected—had been chosen for a reason. Perhaps they had wronged the killer in some way. But what kind of hatred would lead someone to such a brutal punishment?Yet, for all his theories, Luke kept hitting dead ends. The investigations hadn't turned up a single red flag about these people. They were described as respectable by their families, friends, even neighbors. There was no sign of any enemies or feuds in
A Case of Revenge
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
The Glimpse for Evidence
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
The Bug in the Bureau
Luke Sullivan smirked as he observed the fierce competition playing out in the Special Crimes Unit. While it might have looked peaceful on the surface, he knew better – underneath was a battleground of ambition and pride.The unit's structure was simple: two teams handling separate cases unless something big came along that required joint effort. Team A and Team B, always trying to outdo each other. The higher case-solving rate meant not just bragging rights, but a significantly fatter annual bonus.Luke watched as everyone pushed themselves to the limit, desperate to surpass the other team. The competition had been neck-and-neck for years until Priscillia took over as Team B's leader. She turned everything upside down with her experience and leadership skills, leaving Team A eating dust.Last year, Team B investigators had walked away with an extra $700 bonus. Their smug faces had been unbearable to Luke. This year, they'd been even more relentless, widening the gap further.Poor Ray
