Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

The prize was dispensed through legitimate channels according to the actual circumstances.

Luke was a police officer, earning a fixed salary with no other sources of income.

Eight thousand US dollars was not a small sum; he had to think of a way to get the money.

Scratch cards.

Luke's five scratch cards were still unused, perfectly available for this purpose.

Luke took out the scratch cards and a one-dollar coin.

The rules of the fruit scratch card were simple, there were fruits under the coating, and if a row of fruits matched, you would win the dollar amount indicated.

Luke scratched off the coating, revealing a banana, an apple, grapes, a watermelon, and an orange—a rich variety of fruits.

The second scratch card didn't win.

The third one didn't win either.

The fourth one was also a dud.

Luke felt somewhat dejected, with only the last scratch card left. Had he guessed wrong? Was this method of liquidation not viable?

He started to scratch the fifth card.

Banana, banana, banana, and behind that was written 8 thousand US dollars.

"Yes!"

Luke swung his fists energetically.

He was excited not just because he had won eight thousand US dollars.

What was more important was the 'Detective System's continued ability to generate money.

...

Friday, 7:58 AM.

Police Department.

Luke entered the office briskly, "Good morning."

His posture was straight, and his voice was louder by several notches.

Money is the courage of men, applicable universally without regard to borders.

David ran his hand over his shiny bald spot, "Morning for you, end of shift for us. We're about to down some coffee and keep working on the case.

Oh my god, is it too late for me to switch careers?"

Luke placed a plastic bag on the table, "Hard work everyone, I've brought you breakfast, on the house."

"What?"

David looked at Luke in surprise, "You're getting weirder by the day. Are you sure you don't need to visit a hospital?"

David had a fiery and rash personality, not exactly beloved in the Robbery and Murder Department, though he often bickered and teased Luke, the two actually had a relatively close relationship.

In simple terms, they were associates of similar natures.

Luke shrugged, "If you're trying to diet, I won't insist, but your belly's almost rivaling a pregnant woman's."

"I'll have a hotdog and a skinny vanilla latte," Vincent was not shy, smiling at Luke, "Kid, I'm starting to like you."

"You'll get used to it." After Luke finished speaking, he knocked on the detective chief's office door,

"Detective Chief, breakfast is served."

The door opened, and Susan emerged from inside, her eyes ringed with dark circles—she probably hadn't slept all night either.

Susan took a cup of milk tea, "Thank you, I'll savor it thoroughly."

Everyone knew that Luke was trying to buy people's favor.

But the money he spent was real, which made it a blatant strategy.

While munching on a box of hand-cut fries, Luke asked David, who was wolfing down his food, "Has there been any progress in the interrogation?"

David took a sip of Coke and swallowed, "You actually care about the case? That's rare."

"I caught the person; I have the right and the obligation to know the status of the investigation."

Even though the Detective System hadn't explicitly indicated it, Luke had roughly figured out the system's rules from last night's incident—solving cases or catching suspects could earn him a chance to draw a lottery.

Each lottery draw had the potential to yield a thousand US dollars.

How could Luke not be tempted by such a promising financial prospect?

"You don't have to remind me; everyone at the detective bureau knows," David said as he dug out a transcript from a pile of disheveled papers and handed it to Luke.

"The suspect admitted to last night's robbery but denied any connection to the previous two 'Taser gun robberies.'

According to him, he saw news about the Taser gun robberies and decided on impulse to mimic the method in an attempt to pin the blame on someone else."

Luke considered this possibility. Both suspects had used Taser guns, but the details of the crimes were noticeably different. He asked, "What was the motive?"

"The suspect, Tim, has no legitimate job, drinks heavily, and is financially unstable. He wanted to make some quick money," said David.

Recalling last night's arrest, Luke remembered that Tim did reek of alcohol, and affirmed, "Does he have an alibi for the previous two 'Taser gun robberies'?"

Marcus yawned, "I checked overnight. During the second Taser gun robbery, he was at his girlfriend's house exercising.

His girlfriend turned out to be a black woman with a robust figure," Marcus gestured with his hands, "I really can't understand why she would fall for such a loser…"

Susan interrupted Marcus, "I'll say this again, and it's the last time, no one is to give interviews to the news without my permission. I don't want any more cases of imitation happening, understood?"

"Yes, Madame."

Susan continued, "Although the cases are not directly linked, the suspect used Taser guns. Detective Chief Raymond, introduce the gun the suspect used."

Raymond Boka, of Mexican descent, was proficient in various firearms.

Unlike Luke, David, and Marcus, he was calm and serious, fitting the image of a reliable police officer in the eyes of Los Angeles citizens.

Raymond set down his burrito and wiped his mouth with a napkin, "The suspect used a Taser manufactured by Taser Company, model X26-C.

The X26-C model can fire two wires and has a very strong burst. According to the manufacturer, this model can incapacitate a person with malicious intent from 15 meters away.

Once hit, the target becomes debilitated for 10 to 30 seconds."

Luke reflected for a moment, "But from what I observed, the Taser gun used by the suspect was even more powerful; the victims were knocked out for at least a few minutes and were quite disoriented afterwards."

"Exactly, that's where the problem lies. The Taser gun used by the suspect was modified. The original X26-C model emits a 50,000-volt shock, while the modified gun used by the suspect reached up to 100,000 volts.

The modified Taser gun is much more dangerous, causing longer unconsciousness, and has a higher rate of fatality." Raymond paused, picking up a photo from the table,

"The magazine was also modified. The standard magazine produced by Taser Company ejects over forty colorful confetti pieces after use, which are marked with the serial number of the gun. The magazine used by the suspect had none."

"Vincent, I was about to make that point," said Vincent, snapping his fingers, continuing,

"At the scenes of the previous two 'Taser gun robberies,' no confetti was found either; the victims were unconscious for several minutes, clearly indicating the guns were more powerful than the standard models.

This implies the Taser guns used could also have been modified and possibly purchased from the same place.

According to last night's suspect, his gun was bought at Joy Gun Store."

Susan instructed, "Raymond, Marcus, check out that gun store."

Vincent walked over and suggested quietly, "I recommend sending David and Luke to investigate; they are the most efficient."

"I know, but they are also the most likely to cause trouble. Can you guarantee they won't create problems?"

Vincent smirked, "We can't manage everything. Today is Friday, and the suspects might commit another crime."