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

The cold rain was like sharp arrows, striking the puddles on the ground in clusters, and the air was filled with a unique atmosphere of a metropolis—desire.

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

My name is Schofield, Greg Schofield, a detective in the major crimes unit of Lyon City.

[I say... is he 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 in the wall, every inch of soil on the ground, is stained with the blood of the innocent.

Robbery, brawls, murder... those beasts and devils in human skin roam everywhere, plunging the kind and upright people into an eternal night of sorrow and pain.

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

[What does this have to do with the case… Seriously, the author has given up on life, right? That's why I said, don't set a thirty-three chapter setting that's neither too long nor too short for guys who write whatever comes to mind! You're making it difficult for yourself!]

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

Since my partner died, I can see, hear, and feel... those dangerous presences, a premonition of danger flows in my blood and clings to my spine.

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

I recently disrupted a deal for a gang, and their revenge has begun...

[Ah... at this rate, this old-school cop show monologue-style content will probably last for an 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 seventeen years. When his peers were drawing finger paintings in elementary school, he was already killing people in alleys with a Uzi submachine gun.

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

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

Those kids in gangs already have charges of murder, drug trafficking, robbery, etc. before they turn sixteen. I can catch them... they will be sent to the station, and the people in the juvenile crime department will take them away. But what about the result... at some point next year, they will reappear on the streets, doing the same thing.

[So what do you want to do... step on 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 hidden in his pocket, and started shooting at me.

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

[What kind of city were you a cop in before? Even Gotham's major crimes unit isn't this bad!]

I ducked my head, stepped on the gas, and tried to keep the car in the middle of the road to prevent it from stopping because it hit something. I also quickly turned on the siren on the police car, but it was already meaningless... the dense gunfire around was enough to attract other patrol cars nearby.

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

Before losing consciousness, the last thing I remember was... Captain Charlie dragging me out of the car. At that moment, the expression on his face was unforgettable. I understood that he was really gay as rumored and had a crush on 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 original position.

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

I was devastated when I first heard the news.

But later, I gradually realized... this was God's revelation to me, 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 it, so I need to cherish it.

So, I applied to my superiors, transferred out of the metropolis, and came to a peaceful rural town with my wife and daughter, and became the detective here.

Before leaving, I left a letter to Captain Charlie, the content of which I still remember - many things are always seen clearly later, but I can't find the way back. Many things didn't feel bitter at all at the time, and even if they were bitter, I don't think I would care.

[That's basically lyrics... and are you expressing regret for not meeting him before you got married?]

In this town, I live a happy and peaceful life. I can go home from work on time every day and have more time to spend with my family.

The police station here doesn't have any major cases to handle, mostly just trivial disputes. Compared to the city, this place is simply a paradise.

I often tell the rookie police officers here, "Back in the day, I was more awesome than those hard-boiled detectives in the movies, until I took a bullet to the knee."

[Yeah... after all, that's where the biggest weakness of earthlings lies...]

Over the years, I often think of Captain Charlie, but I have never contacted him, and he has not replied to my letter.

[Hey... wait... he's not thinking of calling Charlie under the pretense 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. He needs me to contact my former colleagues and use illegal procedures to view a suspect's file.

[Big brother... I was wrong... you better not make this call.]

For some reason, my heart is full of anxiety, but also a little expectation.

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

…………

[Hey! What's with these ellipses! Is the content of the call not suitable for all ages? Seriously, this author has gone mad... this is far beyond the level of being rejected... are you planning to create some new literary genre? Can't you humbly learn some watering techniques from your peers! Don't mess around on your own!]