North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws
Chapter 37 Two-Rank Promotion (Please Follow)_1

Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Two-Rank Promotion (Please Follow)_1

[Hotel Wife Murder Copycat Case Solved, Experience Points +200.]

[Patch Upgrade: Killing all criminals or capturing all criminals will be considered case closed!]

Two messages flashed through Dean’s mind.

Dean was thrilled, absolutely delighted! This test had actually yielded unexpected results. And the gains far exceeded his expectations!

When Dean first activated the Detective Panel, he naturally understood its purpose: as long as he solved and closed cases, he could earn Experience Points, level up his character, and gain Attribute Points and Skill Points.

Solving cases needed no explanation.

But closing cases? The standard for this definition was somewhat vague.

For example, in the first case of the bank cash truck robbery, he had already killed Nathan and the other robbers and recovered the stolen money. In principle, the case was already closed. But the final Experience Points tally didn’t happen until Eve completed her procedures.

At that time, Dean wondered. For a case to be closed, did it require the official procedures to be completed? Or was it only considered closed when the criminals were caught and the officer in charge of the case acknowledged it!

The former option seemed too restrictive. Because, as he came to understand, in many cases, even if the criminals were caught, following the procedures didn’t necessarily mean they would be convicted in the end. In such instances, his efforts would be in vain.

The latter option wasn’t stable either. Because what if Monet, the current person in charge of the case, turned against him someday, deliberately caused trouble, refused to credit his achievements, and blocked his cases? Wouldn’t that also be awkward for him?

That’s why Dean had always been very restrained in his behavior before.

Now, it was different.

No matter what the officials did! From now on, to solve cases, Dean just needed to kill or capture the criminals, and the Experience Points would be his. There was no need to wait, no need to worry about procedures, and no need to care if the criminals could wriggle out of conviction.

He was free! And that was the most important thing!

Besides, Dean discovered that he seemed to have an additional gain. With the help of the panel, he could tell whether a case was thoroughly dealt with or not. For a case like Bill’s, which involved layer upon layer of crime, it was inevitable that there would be oversights or omissions, potentially missing a more deeply hidden culprit. In such instances, Dean could immediately confirm through the panel whether the case was truly and completely closed.

Thinking of these things, Dean’s mood was undoubtedly very cheerful at that moment.

"Dean?" Monet asked with some concern, seeing him suddenly space out.

Dean snapped back to reality, looking apologetic. "Sorry, Captain. I was just thinking about whether I could get a promotion in rank and position after the case is over."

Upon hearing this, Monet looked somewhat embarrassed. "Dean, I really do want to promote you, but you’ve been with the detective bureau for too short a time. You haven’t even received a full month’s salary..."

Before Dean could reply, Monet quickly added, "But rest assured, we’ll keep a record of your merits. Additionally, I will allocate a portion of the funds from the Fourth Squadron for you and Lawrence as a bonus."

"Alright, I have indeed been short on cash recently," Dean said, feigning disappointment.

"Don’t worry, I’ll handle the bonus as soon as possible," Monet responded, his attitude very humble as he showed concern. "You don’t have to worry about the case expenses either; the detective bureau will reimburse your hospital costs. You just need to rest well and recover. We are going to be much busier in the Fourth Squadron in the future."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. Then Monet left the hospital ward with a smile. He was always gracious and polite to capable people.

After Monet left, Dean immediately called up the panel:

[Detective Panel]

Character: Dean

Level: 3 (200/400)

Spirit: 11

Strength: 13

Speed: 10

Endurance: 8

Skills: Pistol Proficiency, Interrogation (L2), Blowgun (L2).

Attribute Points: 0

Skill Points: 0

Completed Cases: Omitted.

I still need two hundred Experience Points to level up. I just don’t know how much the serial home-invasion stabbing case will give me...

Dean’s gaze shifted to Endurance. He had managed to escape from Bill unscathed thanks to his muscle and bone density, which were mostly derived from his Strength attribute. But his recovery speed wasn’t as fast as he had hoped.

Dean suspected that this was related to Endurance. Endurance represented the speed of metabolism and the strength of cardiovascular functions—the bedrock of a man’s stamina. Upon reflection, these were also indicators of recovery ability. If you recover quickly, naturally you last longer and have more stamina than others.

Dean’s Endurance attribute was currently 8. For his age, this wasn’t bad, but not outstanding either.

My current Strength and Speed, plus Pistol Proficiency, are enough for self-protection within the city. It’s actually my recovery ability that’s too average. Bullets have no eyes. If my recovery were stronger, I might have a greater chance of surviving even if I suffered some serious injuries...

Dean hesitated but then shook his head.

The best defense is offense! Considering the freedom of firearms in the United States, no matter how strong one’s recovery is, being shot in the heart or head means certain death. On the other hand, wearing a bulletproof vest, as long as my speed and reflexes are quick enough, combined with master-level marksmanship, I’d have a chance of survival even when besieged. Increasing Speed is the right choice!

Dean made up his mind. He would primarily increase Speed, secondarily Strength. When he felt his body could no longer handle the strain, he would then improve Endurance.

As for Spirit... we’ll see when the time comes. As long as I can draw my gun fast enough, I won’t need to rack my brain.

On the evening of his second day in the hospital, Dean bid farewell to a reluctant nurse and hobbled over to a blonde woman. "Eve, let’s go. Accompany me to buy some gifts."

The blonde woman was none other than Dean’s former boss, Eve, the deputy head of the Narcotics Division.

"Tsk, Dean, you really are a horny dog. Even with injuries to all four limbs, you can still charm these nurses," Eve murmured jealously as she helped Dean open the car door.

"I’m only injured in the limbs... It doesn’t stop me from helping those nurses fulfill their dreams of being a Female Knight," Dean said as he got into the car with some difficulty.

After all, his injuries weren’t to muscles or bones. After two days and a night’s rest, aside from not being able to engage in vigorous activities, he had no major issues with simple walking.

Eve got into the car from the other side and, before starting the engine, continued her teasing, "Don’t you know that these nurses practically have affairs with all the doctors?"

"Who cares?" Dean shrugged.

His flirting skills, at a high L3, were something he had acquired through diligent effort and learning! In his previous dark life, women were the only medicine that kept him human and stopped him from fully embracing the darkness. That still held true. Someone like him found it very hard to fully trust others. The life of a wanderer suited him best.

On this visit, Eve was not just acting as a driver. She also brought half a month of his salary and the reimbursement for his undercover expenses, totaling 6,800 US dollars.

With this money, and currently having nothing else to attend to, Dean decided to leave the hospital early. He planned to make up for the gifts he had promised his family and incidentally maintain his ’relationship’ with Eve, which would facilitate his future plans.

A single tree does not make a forest. Eve, who was about to become the head of the Narcotics Division, was a good potential partner. Dean was confident that he could control her.

After buying the gifts, Eve considerately dropped Dean off at his mother Sheila’s residence. "Are you sure you don’t want to treat me to a meal? Dean, I have a dream of being a Female Knight too..."

"Sorry, this old horse is already overburdened. Maybe you could find a bar, get drunk, or pick up a drunkard to unleash your wild side..."

Carrying three gift boxes, Dean left the almost-furious Eve behind and walked into the yard without looking back. He was stringing Eve along. This way, when the need arose, he could make better use of her for his purposes.

「On the other side.」

Police cars shuttled through the suburban night, surrounding a remote farmstead.

Inside the farm, a man with bloodshot eyes listened to the urgent sirens outside and watched the flashing red and blue lights. He picked up his phone and growled in a low voice, "Bastard, did you betray me?"

"Kaz, these are the rules of the game!" On the other end of the phone, a mechanical voice, cold and merciless, seemed to have read all his thoughts. "You refused our request, so you shall be cleansed. Kaz, that wasn’t a good choice. But if you choose to cooperate, you will replace the Butcher as one of the new Thirteen Elders, and we’ll allow you to pin all the crimes on the Butcher. With a good lawyer, your sentence won’t exceed five years."

THUD.

The man slammed his fist into the wooden wall. Outside, the baying of hounds was already audible. They had caught his scent. The police were closing in fast!

"Kaz, you have less than twenty seconds to decide. After that, this phone will be completely useless!"

"Fuck!" Amodeo, also known as Kaz, gritted his teeth like a trapped beast, his breath coming in labored gasps.

Cooperate? I might face only a few years of imprisonment, but it could also be a point of no return. Refuse? Even in prison, my death would be certain. The other party hasn’t given me any real choice!

Amodeo resignedly sat on the wooden floor, ignoring the approaching footsteps. "I agree to cooperate, but I must know who blew my cover!"

If my identity hadn’t been exposed, I wouldn’t just be an envied second-generation rich kid; I could also indulge in the thrill of sadistic murder in the darkness. Now, everything is over.

The voice on the other end of the phone fell silent for a moment. Finally, just as the police outside stormed in, it spoke a name: "Dean Lee."

As the voice ceased, the sound of a door being smashed came from outside. The phone in Amodeo’s hand began to heat up violently. He quickly threw it away.

BOOM!

A violent chemical reaction turned the entire phone into a fireball.

The next moment, hearing the commotion inside, the police officers poised to break down the door didn’t hesitate. They raised their shotguns and pulled the triggers.

BANG!

The shotguns roared, and the door splintered. Several fully armed police officers, in a search formation, rushed in.

In the light, Amodeo already had his hands on his head, lying prone on the floor. After a wary scan of their surroundings, officers quickly grabbed Amodeo’s hair to confirm his identity. Then they handcuffed him, put a black hood over his head, and dragged him out like a dead dog.

With this, Kaz (Amodeo), the last perpetrator in the serial home-invasion stabbing case, was apprehended. The case was completely closed.

Sitting in the police car, Amodeo remained silent. But if his hood were pulled off, one would see his lips constantly mouthing a single word: Dean!!!

「Meanwhile.」

Dean, who had just walked into his home, received a message from the panel the moment Amodeo was arrested: [Serial Home-Invasion Stabbing Case Solved, Experience Points +800. Congratulations on leveling up, L3→L5, Attribute Points +2, Skill Points +2].

Adding the two hundred Experience Points from the previous case, he had leveled up twice in a row!