The next day, the sun came out after the rain in Chicago, showing no trace of yesterday’s gloom.
The early morning sunlight filtered through the blinds of the Chicago South District 21st Precinct Intelligence Unit office, cutting alternating stripes of light and shadow onto the floor.
Bruce sat at his new desk.
Today was his third day since officially transferring to the Intelligence Unit.
He had been out on missions for the first two days, so the desk still felt unfamiliar to him.
The location of the desk hadn’t changed—it was still the same temporary spot—but he had been given a new desk, and a set of metal storage lockers had been added behind him.
Katherine’s spot hadn’t changed either; she was still right next to him.
Their combination of desks and lockers formed a shape like a ‘concave’ character tipped to the left, with an aisle in the middle and lockers on both sides.
“Still getting used to the desk?” Katherine leaned over from the side, holding two cups of coffee.
“Is it like getting a new mattress where things just feel off?”
Bruce took the coffee.
“Thanks.
It’s not just the desk; it’s the whole rhythm.
On patrol, there were clear tasks every day.
Here…
it’s more vague.”
“It relies more on intuition and proactive discovery,” Katherine said as she sat back in her chair.
“Like this morning—when there are no cases, we look like we’re just slacking off.”
She was right.
At this moment, the Intelligence Unit office was filled with a sense of lazy tension, the kind of calm that could be shattered at any moment.
Old Ai was staring blankly at a family photo on his desk in the corner; Sheldon and Ruzek were whispering about last night’s ball game; Erin and Jay seemed to be flirting and joking around; Antonio was maintaining his sidearm.
Bruce remembered the rewards from the bronze treasure chest he had opened last night.
He took a sip of coffee and decided to test his new skills.
[Character Sketch LV1]: Rapidly construct a psychological and background profile of a person through observation.
[Hearing Positioning LV1]: Can judge the actions of people within a 10-meter range through hearing and generate a 3D image in the mind.
He looked around the office, his gaze landing on Old Ai.
Almost instantly, an analytical image surfaced in Bruce’s mind.
Old Ai’s posture was stiff, the lines of his shoulders were tense, and his right hand was unconsciously twisting his wedding ring—there were cracks in his marriage.
There were dark circles under his eyes, and an energy drink can sat next to his coffee cup; he was severely sleep-deprived.
It seemed the events of the last two days had left him mentally and physically exhausted.
The photo on his desk was of him and his daughter, Lexi, but there was a fine layer of dust on the frame; he hadn’t looked at it much or had been avoiding it recently.
The case file at his hand was open to a section related to drugs, but his attention was scattered, linked to his personal life.
Interesting.
Next, Bruce closed his eyes, concentrated, and activated the second skill he had obtained last night.
In an instant, the sounds of the office became layered and clear.
Sheldon and Ruzek were discussing the shooting percentage of a Bulls rookie; Erin and Jay were talking about Hank’s family; the parts of Antonio’s firearm made a metallic scraping sound.
And from Old Ai’s direction, there were subtle sighs, the sound of paper being crumpled, and the clicks of a phone being unlocked and then locked again.
Beside him, Katherine had been staring at him, taking a sip of coffee every now and then.
Bruce opened his eyes, and sure enough, Katherine was staring at him.
“Are you meditating?”
“Just…
getting into the zone,” Bruce replied vaguely as he opened the Minesweeper game on his computer.
“Since there are no missions.”
Katherine smiled and also opened her computer.
“Want to compete?
The loser buys lunch.”
The two began a silent Minesweeper race.
Bruce found that his focus was much stronger.
The array of numbers in the game seemed clearer to his eyes, and probability calculations became almost instinctive.
Ten minutes later, he was already three games ahead of Katherine.
This was the final reward from last night’s bronze treasure chest: [Spirit +1].
This meant Bruce’s Spirit attribute was now at 19 points, nearly double that of a normal human, which was why he could win so easily.
Just then, the calm of the office was shattered.
The door to the Intelligence Unit office was thrown open, and a girl about eighteen years old rushed in.
Her long blonde hair was messy, and her eyes were red and swollen.
Platt followed closely behind her.
The newcomer was Lexi Olinsky, Alvin’s only daughter.
She was 18 and at a critical point in her high school graduation.
Lexi rushed straight to Alvin’s desk.
“Dad!
You’re avoiding me again!”
Old Ai’s expression instantly shifted from exhaustion to a pained stiffness.
“Lexi, I’m at work.
We’ll talk at home…”
“Home?
“You promised to help me fill out my college applications!
You promised to go to school and handle that matter!
Instead, you just threatened Brayden, and now the whole school thinks I’m a snitch!”
The atmosphere in the office froze.
Everyone stopped what they were doing but deliberately avoided looking, pretending to continue working—everyone except Bruce.
“Lexi, now isn’t the time…” Old Ai stood up, trying to pull his daughter toward the breakroom.
“Then when is the time?” Lexi shoved his hand away.
“You’re always like this!
Work, work, work!
Mom left you because all you do is work!
Now you can’t even handle my stuff!”
Old Ai’s face flushed red, his voice low but stern.
“Lexi Olinsky, I’m warning you…”
“Warning me about what?
Like how you warned Brayden?
Going to his parents and threatening to arrest him?
Do you know what he’s saying about me now?
He says I’m a police informant, that I set him up on purpose!” Lexi’s tears finally fell.
“No one invited me to prom, no one wants to be in my group for projects, and it’s all because of you!”
Bruce looked around.
Antonio lowered his head and pretended to organize files; Jay stared at his computer screen, but his eyes weren’t moving; Erin got up and went to Hank’s office; Adam and Sheldon exchanged a helpless look; and Katherine gave Bruce a slight shake of her head, signaling him not to interfere.
And what about Old Ai?
The veteran detective now looked like a boxer who had taken a heavy blow, hunched over with his hands braced on the desk, his shoulders trembling.
Bruce’s [Hearing Positioning] caught his suppressed breathing.
“Listen,” Old Ai composed himself and finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
“Brayden Rodiger is using drugs.
When the school found drugs in your locker, he was the one who hid them there.
He used you, Lexi.
I was just protecting you.”
“I don’t need that kind of protection!” Lexi screamed at the top of her lungs.
“I could have handled it myself!
You could have just let him transfer.
Why did you have to go to his parents?
Why did you have to say those things?
Now everyone knows I’m a cop’s daughter, and everyone knows I have a control-freak father!”
The office door opened again.
Hank stood in the doorway, his face as dark as the sky before a storm.
Lexi clearly didn’t recognize Hank, or rather, she didn’t care about anyone at that moment.
She continued to wail, “I just loved him!
I was willing to take the fall for him!
What’s wrong with doing drugs?
Lots of people do them!
At least he loved me, at least he wouldn’t ignore me like you do!”
That sentence was the final straw.
Old Ai closed his eyes as if enduring both physical and spiritual pain.
Hank took a step forward, about to speak…
But Bruce stood up, his chair scraping harshly against the floor.
Everyone looked at him, including Lexi.
“Are you finished?” Bruce’s voice was abnormally calm.
Lexi was stunned for a moment.
“What?”
“I asked, are you finished?” Bruce took a few steps closer but maintained a non-threatening distance.
Lexi looked at him warily.
“Who are you?
This is none of your business.”
“Bruce Stacy, Intelligence Unit officer,” Bruce answered very calmly.
“While it may not be my business, I have a few things I’d like to say.”
“Go ahead,” Lexi lifted her chin defiantly.
“Another stupid cop who wants to lecture me.”
Bruce nodded, his tone still calm.
“Alright.
The sound of collective gasps echoed in the office.
Katherine’s eyes widened.
Lexi’s face flushed.
“You…”
“Let me finish,” Bruce raised his hand.
“You said you loved that Brayden, that you were willing to take the fall for him, and what’s wrong with doing drugs because lots of people do them.
Those were your words, right?”
“So?”
“So, if the school had called the police and drugs were found in your locker, do you know the consequences?” Bruce’s speaking speed was steady, but every word was like a nail.
“Criminal charges.
Possession of a controlled substance.”
“That means a criminal record.
It means any decent university will reject you.
It means your scholarships are gone.
It means for the next ten years, every time you fill out a form, you’ll have to check the box for ‘Do you have a criminal record?’ And your so-called lover, knowing full well what would happen, still hid the drugs in your locker.”
Lexi’s lips trembled.
“He was just scared…”
“He was scared, so he let you take the risk?” Bruce shook his head.
“That’s called being selfish, Lexi.
If he really loved you, he would have faced the consequences himself, or at least not dragged you down with him.”
“You don’t know him!” Lexi screamed, but her voice had lost its conviction.
“I don’t need to know him,” Bruce remained calm.
“The fact is, drugs were found in your locker.
As long as you can’t prove they weren’t yours, legally, the drugs belong to you, and you have to bear the consequences.”
Lexi’s face began to turn pale.
Ignoring Lexi’s expression, Bruce continued, “And you have a father who is a police officer, someone with the power to stop you before you made a massive mistake; someone with the influence to keep the school from calling the police and give you a second chance.
But instead of appreciating it, you’re here screaming and shouting.”
Bruce paused for a moment, letting his words sink in.
“You’re not a bad kid, Lexi.
You’re just stupid.
Stupid for not being able to tell who really loves you.
Stupid for being willing to ruin yourself for so-called love.
Stupid for having a father who is willing to fight the world for you, yet you refuse to see it.”
“If I were you, I’d do three things right now: One, apologize to your father.
Two, break up with Brayden for good.
Three, think seriously about the fact that without your father, you wouldn’t be worried about no one inviting you to prom—you’d be in juvenile detention waiting for a trial.”
Silence enveloped the office.
Even Hank stood there with his arms crossed, not interrupting.
Lexi stood where she was, tears flowing silently.
Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
Just then, Hank’s phone rang.
He answered it, listened for a few seconds, and his expression changed drastically.
“Everyone, move!” Hank’s voice was like thunder.
“Intersection of 63rd and Western Avenue.
A female is hallucinating after drug use and attacking patrol officers.
She’s been subdued by Atwater and Burgess and is being sent to the hospital.”
The office instantly switched modes.
Chairs were pushed back, and everyone grabbed their coats and gear, running toward the garage.
Old Ai turned to his daughter, his tone softening.
“Sergeant Platt will look after you.
We’ll talk tonight, okay?
I promise.”
Lexi nodded at his words and followed Platt downstairs.
As he passed Bruce, Old Ai paused and gave his shoulder a firm pat.
“Thanks, Bruce.
Truly.”
Bruce nodded in response, saying nothing more.
Katherine walked beside him and whispered, “That was intense just now, but well said.”
The other colleagues in the Intelligence Unit also nodded vigorously.
They had been angry too, but out of respect for Old Ai, they hadn’t known what to say.
Hank, walking in front, said without looking back, “Stacey, next time you decide to do family counseling in the office, check if there’s a more private place first.”
“Understood, Sergeant.” Bruce scratched his head sheepishly, finally looking like a rookie who had just joined the Intelligence Unit.
“But you were right,” Hank added, his voice almost inaudible.
“Sometimes kids need to hear the truth, even if it’s harsh.”
As the convoy drove out of the precinct, Bruce saw Lexi through the rearview mirror standing behind the lobby window, watching them leave.