“Jack, you lazy bastard!
Why the hell aren’t you down here yet?”
A Ford F-150 Raptor sat idling outside a three-story apartment building.
A Black man leaned out of the open driver’s-side window and shouted toward the upper floors, his booming voice loud enough to carry through the entire building.
A moment later, an even louder yell came from the third floor.
“What the fuck?!”
The Black man’s expression immediately darkened.
He jumped out of the Raptor and stormed into the apartment building while muttering angrily, “Motherfucker, Jack, you’re dead.
If you make me late today, I’m kicking your ass.”
Meanwhile, inside a third-floor apartment, a young man stood frozen in front of the bathroom mirror.
He stared at the unfamiliar face reflected back at him while repeatedly slapping the sides of his head.
“No!
This is impossible!
What the hell is going on?!”
The young man’s name was Jack Stacy, and he was twenty-four years old.
After graduating from the University of Chicago Law School the previous year, he had immediately applied to the Chicago Police Department.
He passed the entrance process on his first attempt and eventually completed his police academy training.
Today was supposed to be Jack’s first official day as a patrol officer assigned to the Chicago Police Department’s 21st District.
The reason for his current panic was simple.
He was no longer the original Jack Stacy.
Inside Jack’s body was now the consciousness of a police officer from another version of America.
In his previous world, his name had been Ethan Cole, and he had spent almost five years working the streets as a patrol officer before being selected for a new assignment.
He had been preparing to report to his new unit that morning.
Instead, after what felt like a moment of unconsciousness, he suddenly woke up inside Jack Stacy’s body in an entirely different America.
At that moment, the memories belonging to Jack Stacy began merging with Ethan’s memories.
The sudden flood of information sent sharp waves of pain through his head, forcing him to instinctively slap his temples as countless unfamiliar memories rushed into his mind.
Bang!
The apartment door suddenly flew open, and the Black man who had been shouting downstairs rushed inside.
“Jack, what the hell is wrong with you?
I’ve been calling you forever.
Why didn’t you open the damn door?” Seeing Jack clutching his head, the man seemed to understand something and shook his head.
“I told you not to drink so much last night.
Come on!
If we’re late today, we’re screwed.”
Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Jack by the clothes and dragged him toward the door.
By the time they were inside the Raptor, Jack had gradually recovered from the worst of the memory fusion.
He turned his head and looked at the man driving beside him, who was honking at another car while loudly cursing the driver.
His name was Morgan Jackson.
Morgan was also twenty-four years old and had attended the police academy with Jack.
The two had become friends during training, eventually renting the same apartment together.
By coincidence, they had also been assigned to the same district after graduation.
According to Jack’s inherited memories, Morgan’s father held a high-ranking position within the Chicago Police Department.
His family was financially comfortable, and the Ford Raptor he was currently driving had been a graduation gift from his father.
As for Jack’s own family, many of those memories were still blurry.
The information was inside his head, but the sudden merging of two lifetimes made it difficult to sort everything out at once.
“Motherfucker, Jack, you’re finally awake.” Morgan glanced at him and immediately pointed toward the back seat.
“Get dressed.
A patrol unit almost thought you were some junkie passed out in my truck.”
Jack looked back and saw his uniform and gear lying across the rear seat.
“Hurry up.
We’re almost at the district.” Morgan suddenly slammed his palm against the horn.
“Fuck!
Do you even know how to drive?
Go home and let your mother teach you!”
Jack ignored Morgan’s road rage, climbed into the back seat, and started putting on his uniform while the truck continued through Chicago traffic.
Not long afterward, the Raptor pulled into the parking area near the 21st District station.
Jack and Morgan quickly got out and rushed inside to report for duty.
Behind the front desk, Sergeant Trudy Platt stared at the two rookies before comparing them with the personnel files in her hands.
Jack and Morgan immediately straightened their backs and tried to control their breathing while wearing the most professional smiles they could manage.
Platt looked at Jack, then Morgan, then back at their files.
Nearly a full minute passed.
She said nothing.
Finally, Platt placed the files on her desk and pointed toward the locker room before returning to whatever she had been doing.
Jack and Morgan exchanged confused looks.
Neither of them could figure out how they had already managed to annoy Sergeant Platt.
They hadn’t even been late.
Inside the locker room, several officers were already changing into uniform and checking their equipment.
The moment Jack and Morgan entered, a few veteran officers immediately recognized the fresh academy graduates.
“Oh, look.
The rookies finally showed up.”
“Welcome to the 21st.”
“Good luck out there.”
“You two are going to need it.”
Jack and Morgan greeted the other officers while changing into their uniforms and fastening their duty belts.
Once they had finished preparing their equipment, they returned to the front desk and stood in front of Platt again.
This time, Platt finally spoke.
“Probationary Officer Jack Stacy, you’re riding with Hayek.” She then looked toward Morgan.
“Jackson, you’re going upstairs.
Report to Commander Perry’s office.”
After giving the assignments, Platt turned toward a female patrol officer nearby.
“Hayek!
You’ve got a rookie!”
Jack and Morgan were both confused by the sudden separation, but neither of them was stupid enough to argue with Platt.
They acknowledged their assignments before going their separate ways.
Jack followed the female officer outside while Morgan reluctantly headed upstairs toward Commander Perry’s office.
A short time later, Jack was sitting in the passenger seat of a marked patrol car as it moved through the streets of Chicago.
Since this was their first time meeting, the two officers began introducing themselves.
“Hi, I’m Jack Stacy.
Rookie reporting for my first shift,” Jack said, breaking the silence.
“Catherine Hayek.” She kept her attention on the road.
“I’m your field training officer.
For the next few months, I’m responsible for turning you into a qualified Chicago police officer.”
Catherine’s tone was cool and somewhat distant.
She appeared to be in her late twenties and stood around five-foot-nine, although her exact build was difficult to judge beneath her body armor and duty gear.
She had fair skin, sharp features, dark hair, and an appearance striking enough that Jack briefly wondered why someone who could have easily worked in front of a camera had chosen police work instead.
Of course, he only thought about it.
They had just met, and asking his training officer something like that would be a terrible way to start his first shift.
While Jack was quietly observing Catherine, she occasionally glanced at him as well.
Jack stood around six-foot-one and weighed roughly 187 pounds, with a well-developed athletic build and sharp features.
Catherine was equally curious why someone who had graduated from the University of Chicago Law School had chosen to wear a patrol uniform instead of becoming an attorney.
Just then, a mechanical voice suddenly sounded inside Jack’s mind.
Ding!
Host has officially begun active police duty.
Super Cop System activated…
Jack’s eyes suddenly widened.
Catherine noticed his reaction and instinctively followed his gaze.
She immediately spotted several men on the sidewalk ahead surrounding a pregnant woman who had fallen to the ground.
Catherine slammed on the brakes.
The patrol car came to a sudden stop.
She immediately unbuckled her seat belt, drew her Glock, and stepped out while giving Jack an order.
“Jack, call it in and request backup.”
The command snapped Jack out of his shock.
He quickly exited the passenger side and drew his own Glock while reaching for the radio on his shoulder.
“Dispatch, Unit 22.
We have an emergency on South Avenue.
Multiple subjects are assaulting a pregnant woman.
We’re approaching now.
Requesting immediate backup.”
Static came through the radio before Platt’s calm voice answered.
“Unit 22, copy.
Nearest patrol unit is approximately three minutes out.
Ambulance is responding.”
Catherine was already moving forward with her weapon raised.
“Chicago Police!” she shouted.
“Everybody stop!
Stay where you are!
Let me see your hands!
Hands behind your heads and get on the ground!”
The men finally stopped attacking the pregnant woman, who remained curled up on the pavement.
However, instead of immediately obeying, several of them looked toward Catherine with obvious defiance.
One man even grinned.
“Officer, how am I supposed to get on the ground if you’re telling me not to move?”
Their relaxed attitude made it obvious that this wasn’t their first encounter with police.
Catherine ignored the smart-ass comment and continued advancing carefully.
“I’m going to say it again.
Hands behind your heads and get on the ground!”
Jack had already moved into position beside her.
The two officers advanced carefully with their weapons ready while watching every movement made by the suspects.
Suddenly, Jack noticed one of the men slowly reaching toward the back of his waistband.
His instincts immediately screamed danger.
“Hey!
Stop!” Jack shouted.
“Show me your hands!”
In America, any street encounter could involve a firearm.
Jack’s warning wasn’t only directed at the suspect—it also alerted Catherine that the man might be armed.
Catherine immediately noticed the movement as well.
“Hands up!” she shouted.
“Now!
Right now!”
Several of the less aggressive men immediately raised their hands and surrendered.
The remaining suspect clenched his jaw.
Then he suddenly lifted his shirt and reached behind his back.
A handgun appeared in his hand.
Jack and Catherine reacted almost simultaneously.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Both officers fired three rounds.
Jack was even a fraction faster.
The armed suspect was struck six times and collapsed onto the pavement, his handgun falling beside him.
Catherine kept her weapon aimed toward the suspects while immediately reaching for her radio.
“Dispatch, shots fired!
Armed suspect down!
Send backup immediately!”
Static crackled through the radio.
“Copy.
Units are approximately one minute out.”
Jack shifted his weapon toward the remaining suspects.
“Hands behind your heads!
Face down on the ground!
Now!”
This time, nobody tried to argue.
The remaining men immediately dropped to the pavement.
Despite having just been involved in his first shooting in this world, Jack’s hands remained completely steady.
There was no visible panic or hesitation in his movements.
Catherine noticed.
For a rookie on his first day, Jack had handled the situation remarkably well.
She silently gave him a passing grade for his performance.
The surrounding residents had scattered the moment the gunshots rang out.
Within seconds, the immediate area had emptied except for the suspects trembling on the pavement and the pregnant woman who remained curled up nearby.
Catherine kept the suspects covered and motioned toward Jack.
Jack immediately understood.
He holstered his weapon once Catherine had them covered, pulled out several flex-cuffs, and moved forward to secure the suspects one by one.
By the time he finished, sirens were already approaching.
Several patrol cars soon arrived with lights flashing, followed by an ambulance.
Other officers took control of the suspects while paramedics rushed toward the injured pregnant woman and the downed gunman.
At that point, Jack and Catherine’s role at the scene temporarily ended.
Since both officers had discharged their service weapons, department procedure required them to return to the district for the officer-involved shooting investigation.
Their service pistols were collected as evidence for the investigation before they were transported back.
During the ride, Catherine looked toward Jack.
“You handled yourself well back there.”
Jack turned toward her.
“For a rookie on his first day, you stayed calm, noticed the gun before I did, and didn’t freeze after firing.” Catherine studied him for another moment.
“That’s better than I expected.”
Jack simply smiled before closing his eyes and leaning back against the seat.
Catherine assumed the adrenaline was finally wearing off and that Jack needed a moment to recover from the tension.
She decided not to disturb him and closed her own eyes.
What she didn’t know was that Jack wasn’t thinking about the shooting at all.
His entire attention was focused on the system that had suddenly appeared in his mind.
The instant the armed criminal had been neutralized, the system had issued another notification.
[Criminal neutralized.
Obtained one Wooden Treasure Chest.]
Jack concentrated.
Open system.
A translucent panel immediately appeared before his eyes.
[System]: Super Cop System
Neutralizing criminals or solving cases can generate Treasure Chests.
[Host]: Jack Stacy
[Physical Information]:
Age: 24
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 187 lbs.
[Occupation]: Chicago Police Department — 21st District Patrol Officer
[Strength]: 13
Average adult: 10
Represents muscle strength, bone density, physical power, and blood circulation.
[Speed]: 13
Average adult: 10
Represents agility, reflexes, neural reaction speed, and coordination.
[Endurance]: 13
Average adult: 10
Represents organ health, physical durability, muscle endurance, and recovery ability.
[Spirit]: 18
Average adult: 10
Represents intelligence, memory, observation, analytical ability, and logical reasoning.
[Talent]: None
[Skill]: Boxing and Wrestling Lv.
3
Combat skills Jack has practiced since childhood.
Increases physical attributes by 30% during combat and provides advanced close-quarters fighting ability.
[Skill]: Quick Draw Lv.
1
Increases weapon draw-and-fire speed by 10%.
[Standard Weapons]: Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol, TASER, expandable baton
[Reserve Weapons]: M4 Carbine, Remington 870 Shotgun
[Body Armor]: Standard CPD ballistic vest
[Patrol Vehicle]: Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
[Special Equipment]: None
[Treasure Chests]: Wooden Treasure Chest ×1
Jack silently studied the system panel.
There was no system spirit and No guide and lengthy explanation.
Just a simple and direct character panel.
NOTE – Catherine Hayek ( ref.
Anne Hathaway )