North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 570 - 324_2

After pondering for a moment, he replied, "The item you requested will be sent to The Gray Realm, and I will arrange for it as soon as possible. Additionally, I need your help in finding all the information and itinerary of a certain individual."

Saying this, Dean conveyed to Little Mike the information his father had told him about the actual person in control of the Lucifer Organization.

"Alright. Do you need me to destroy the remaining few network relay stations of the Lucifer Organization? When I was in control of the island base's network, I incidentally took full control of the Lucifer Organization's external intelligence network and terminals as well. If you wish, we could directly become the new controllers of this organization," Little Mike offered.

Hearing this, Dean's expression darkened. "Do you want to do the same things as those people?"

"Why not?" Little Mike retorted. "The human body is a fascinating structure, capable of producing both the low-intelligence masses and high-intelligence individuals like us.

"If we could unravel the hidden secrets of the human body, we might even drive the evolution that has been stagnant for countless years, becoming a new human species.

"Weeding out inferior species is simply nature's way of selecting the fittest.

"Dean," he continued, his tone laced with disapproval, "your reaction is somewhat disappointing. Having mingled with those inferior beings for too long, you seem to have become assimilated!"

Disappointed? Dean smirked, clenching his fists. How dare he speak to me like that! This guy, after getting the data from the island base, is getting a bit carried away! It appears that brat Little Mike still doesn't understand that in the face of a fist, all beings are equal.

"Little Mike, I agree with your perspective," Dean said. "Indeed, every leap in humanity's historical process is propelled by a few exceptionally outstanding individuals, allowing us to step into the technological era from the old days in just over a century.

"However, if you proceed with your method, your end will be the same as that island base. Because you lack thoughtful consideration of human nature.

"I'll come and explain all this to you in detail after I've taken care of my current business!"

After a long silence on the other end, a weary voice said, "Alright, I'm very much looking forward to our next meeting!"

「...」

Dean hung up the phone. With a thought, he opened his Violent Detective Panel:

"[Violent Detective Panel]

Character: Dean

Level: 21 (250/4,000)

Spirit: 15 (locked)

Strength: 15

Speed: 16

Endurance: 15

Skills: Pistol Proficiency, Ancient Muay Thai Mastery, Ancient Yoga Breathing Technique Mastery, The Akaz School - Mind Reading Technique L3, Trace Tracking L3, Beast Taming L2, Others (click to view).

Trait: Beast Body!

Subspace: 2 cubic meters

Attribute Points: 0

Skill Points: 0

Completed Cases: Others."

Since the panel upgraded, the Experience Points earned from solving cases had decreased by roughly tenfold. That meant a major case that used to yield one to two thousand Experience Points now only granted a couple of hundred.

Dean understood this. After all, at his current level, each enhancement was like breaking a human limitation, moving closer to transcendence, and naturally, the expenditure was different.

It's just a shame about the Skill Points.

Dean turned his attention to his Skills.

Owing to his Spirit attribute reaching 15 points and his ability to minutely control his body, many skills had appeared on the panel even without intentional study. His original skills also deepened in color or even upgraded automatically.

Take driving, for example. His driving was only L2 before, the level of a seasoned driver, often the limit for an ordinary person's lifetime. Now, his driving skill had reached the deep hue of L3. He figured that if he continued to drive, this skill would automatically reach Mastery Level.

And then there were firearms. Before, he only had Pistol Proficiency. Now, his panel listed a whole string of various firearms at L3, meaning mastering one led to understanding many. Dean even had a premonition that once his other firearm skills ascended to Mastery Level, Pistol Proficiency would automatically transform into Firearms Proficiency.

This level of accelerated learning might be why Little Mike is such a prodigy. In a way, just like Little Mike, I'll become increasingly formidable as I age and absorb more knowledge from the outside world. That's also the main reason I refrained from just eliminating Little Mike, despite my wariness. His value is one aspect; my confidence is another.

With that thought, Dean cast his gaze onto the Beast Taming skill, which had unknowingly upgraded to L2, and a slightly sly smile appeared on his face.

Because of his physical disabilities, Little Mike is probably a layman in psychology, unable to understand human nature and emotional thinking. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been repeatedly manipulated and hoodwinked by me. He doesn't realize that emotions, for humans, are a gift distinguishing them from true beasts. In some ways, however, they are also a flaw and a vulnerability. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many suicides and mental patients every year. Once Little Mike truly cures his physical defects and begins to experience normal human emotions, with his behavior influenced by them, my Beast Taming skill will probably have already reached Mastery Level. By then, isolated from the outside world and viewing me as his own kind, Little Mike, facing my Mastery Level of conscious guidance and taming, might not be able to withstand it.

Thinking of that scene, Dean couldn't help but let out a mischievous chuckle.

Damn! I'm really a bad seed; I'll have to try to stay indoors when it rains from now on! Otherwise, I'm afraid I might get struck down by lightning from the heavens.

「...」

With a pleasant mood, Dean stretched his body and started running towards Los Angeles.

The spot where he had gotten out of the car was about seventy or eighty kilometers from downtown Los Angeles, just enough for a warmup.

Unfortunately, fate didn't grant Dean much of a chance to warm up. He had run only about five kilometers when a passing female driver saw him. Despite being in the middle of nowhere and the risk of being robbed, assaulted, or even killed, she eagerly invited Dean into her car.

In most cases like this, it's typically male drivers who take liberties with female passengers, copping a feel in lieu of fare. This female driver, however, while behind the wheel, reached out her hand, attempting to grab Dean's 'manual gear stick' between his legs, trying to speed up the car and metaphorically steamroll over the audience's faces.

Dean was a principled man. An ugly chick wanting to drink the soymilk I ground? No way!

He subdued the would-be speedster with a hold, knocking her unconscious. He then took over the driver's seat and, humming an Italian folk song his mom often sang, successfully arrived in downtown Los Angeles before nightfall.

He woke the female driver and handed her a hundred US dollars.

Dean took a cab back to his rental. Niel wasn't back yet.

Dean decided to prepare a candlelit dinner himself to surprise Niel.

After being apart for so long, Dean, who had been so chaste, was feeling the urge again. Luckily, the Lucifer Organization probably wouldn't be much of a threat anymore. Once I've cleared up the troubles here in Los Angeles, I can return to the police department and continue as Detective Dean. No, wait. It should be Captain Dean. Former Captain Monet had promised me the captaincy; since Monet isn't willing to give it, I'll take it myself!

「...」

While Dean hummed a tune and prepared a candlelit dinner for a bout, his good buddy Harry was kneeling before a short middle-aged man, his face battered and swollen, surrounded by a laughing group, feeling angry yet powerless.

Some distance away, faint, weak groans of agony could be heard.

Harry glanced worriedly in that direction, then turned back, spat a mouthful of blood on the ground, and glared fiercely at the middle-aged man seated above him, his voice hoarse as he said, "This is outright assault on an officer! Let us go, or there won't be a place for you in all of Los Angeles!"

The middle-aged man toyed with the revolver snatched from Harry, his eyelids drooping, not even deigning to look at the threatening Harry.

The lackeys beside him burst into laughter. One of them, a handsome man with a samurai bun, spoke in heavily accented English, "Assault on an officer? Even if we slaughtered you, you black-skinned pig, nobody would dare touch our組長 (group leader)!"

"Matsushita, you all step back!" the middle-aged man finally spoke.

He walked over to Harry, revolver in hand, popped open the cylinder, ejected five bullets, and smiled. "Today, whether you walk out of here alive is all down to luck!"