Chapter 1 The Beginning

[The parts in brackets in this chapter are Feng Bujue's internal commentary.]

…………

The night was like a giant beast, swallowing this city filled with Gothic atmosphere.

The cold rain lashed at the puddles on the ground like sharp arrows, and the air was filled with a unique atmosphere of the big city—desire.

[Hey, hey…what's going on? Did you send the wrong draft? What's with this opening?]

My name is Schofield, Greck Schofield, a police officer in the Laine City Major Crimes Unit.

[I say…are you planning to rewrite a book with Detective Schofield as the protagonist? And from a first-person perspective?]

Driving through this city at night is like sailing in a river of sin. This is a corrupt place. Every brick on the wall, every inch of ground, is stained with the blood of the innocent.

Robbery, fighting, murder… those beasts and devils in human skin run rampant, plunging the good and upright people into an eternal night of sorrow and pain.

This is a never-ending war, and I am a soldier standing on the front line. My duty is to defend the boundaries of the law and wait for the arrival of every dawn.

[What does this have to do with the case…seriously, the author has given up on life, haven't they…that's why you shouldn't set a length like thirty-three chapters if you're just going to write whatever comes to mind! You're just making it harder on yourself!]

I can't remember how many times I've patrolled alone.

Since my partner died, I have been able to see, hear, and feel… those dangerous presences. A premonition of danger flows in my blood and clings to my back.

So, when I drove past Seventh Avenue and saw that teenager standing in the middle of the road, staring blankly at my headlights, I knew it was a trap.

I had disrupted a deal for some gang not long ago. Their revenge had begun…

[Ah…at this rate, this old-school cop monologue will probably last the entire chapter…]

The gang leader in this neighborhood is a complete villain. He's only twenty-six years old, but he's been in the gang for a full seventeen years. While his peers were drawing finger paintings in elementary school, he was already killing people in alleys with a Uzi.

Of course, it's not entirely his fault. Society created this monster, and he… created monster after monster just like him.

No test tubes, no nutrients, no formulas needed. This sinful city itself is a melting pot.

Those kids in the gangs have already been charged with murder, drug trafficking, robbery, and other crimes before they turn sixteen. I can arrest them…they'll be taken to the station, and the juvenile crime unit will take them away. But what happens…at some point next year, they'll be back on the streets, doing the same thing.

[So what do you want to do…hit the gas and run him over, then claim self-defense?]

I didn't hesitate and slammed on the accelerator.

[Hey! What if you're wrong!]

The kid quickly dodged, rolled to the side of the road, pulled out a pistol from his pocket, and started shooting at me.

His accomplices also poured out of the alleys on both sides, and a barrage of interwoven gunfire rained down on the police car.

[What kind of city were you a cop in before? The Gotham Major Crimes Unit is nothing compared to this!]

I lowered my head, kept my foot on the gas, and tried to keep the car in the middle of the road to prevent it from stopping if it hit something. I also quickly turned on the police car's siren, but it was already useless… the dense gunfire around us was enough to attract other patrol cars nearby.

The windows of the police car were quickly shattered, and at least a dozen bullets flew into the car. For those few seconds, I felt like I had jumped into a fish tank full of piranhas. I couldn't even tell myself how many times I had been shot.

Before I lost consciousness, the last thing I remember was… Captain Charlie dragging me out of the car. At that moment, I will never forget the expression on his face. I realized that he really was gay, as the rumors said, and that he had feelings for me.

[Hey! That's a lot of information!]

After recuperating in the hospital for half a month, the doctor told me that I might never be able to return to my old job.

[So you ended up as a detective in a remote rural town?]

When I first heard this news, I was devastated.

But later, I gradually realized…this was a revelation from God. It was time to retreat from the front line of good and evil.

I should have died on that street, but I didn't. Few people get a second chance, and I got one, so I had to cherish it.

So, I applied to my superiors to be transferred away from the big city and came to a quiet rural town with my wife and daughter to become the chief detective here.

Before I left, I left a letter for Captain Charlie. I still remember the contents—many things only become clear later, but I can no longer find the way back. Many things didn't seem bitter at the time, and even if they were, I don't think I would have cared.

[That's basically lyrics…and are you expressing regret for not meeting him sooner?]

In this small town, I lived a happy and peaceful life. I could go home on time every day and have more time to spend with my family.

The police station here doesn't have any major cases to deal with. Most of them are just family disputes. Compared to the city, this place is simply a paradise.

I often tell the rookie cops here, "Back in the day, I was even better than those tough-guy detectives in the movies, until I took an arrow to the knee."

[Yeah…after all, that's where Earthlings are most vulnerable…]

Over the years, I have often thought of Captain Charlie, but I have never contacted him, and he never replied to my letter.

[Hey…wait…he's not thinking of calling Charlie under the guise of investigating a case, is he…]

Today, I finally have a chance. In the process of investigating the Lovecraft family murder case, I met a well-known great detective who needs me to contact my former colleagues to illegally access a suspect's file.

[Bro…I was wrong…you really shouldn't make this call.]

For some reason, my heart is filled with trepidation, but also a little anticipation.

[Most people feel this way before embarking on some forbidden path…]

…………

[Hey! What do these ellipses mean! Is the content of the call not suitable for all ages? Seriously, this author is insane…this is far beyond the level of being rejected…are you trying to create some new genre? Can't you humbly learn some of the watering-down techniques of your peers? Don't mess around!]