Luke immediately reached out to his colleagues.
Despite their rocky relationship, they proved dependable in a crisis.
He assessed Daisy's condition: her breathing was steady, and she wasn't in immediate danger.
"Start surveying the site," he instructed.
The suspect had used a Taser. Daisy's belongings—her bag and shoes—were found in the travel bag, and a button on her shirt was undone.
Luke immediately thought of the 'Taser robbery' cases but noticed something unsettling.
Today was Thursday.
The suspect had a pattern of committing crimes on Fridays.
Moreover, the previous victims of the 'Taser robberies' all had long blond hair, while Daisy's was long and brown.
The timing and victim characteristics didn't align.
"Why... why are you here? You saved me?" Daisy asked, her eyes wide with fear as she took in her surroundings.
She tried to sit up with her hands on the ground but struggled.
Luke showed her his police badge. "LAPD. Don't worry; I've subdued the suspect."
Daisy's voice trembled with gratitude. "Thank you for saving me. I'm really grateful."
"It's my duty," Luke replied, pulling out fifteen dollars from his pocket and handing it to her. "Here's the money you gave me."
Daisy looked astonished. "Are you asking me to repay you?"
"Yes."
Daisy continued, "I was just going to buy you a drink to thank you. If you hadn't reminded me, my tires would have been ruined. You saved my life. I..."
"Then please thank me properly, rather than just slipping away after paying."
"You're right. Next time, I'll formally invite you to show my gratitude," Daisy promised earnestly.
"You should rest for now; your body hasn't fully recovered," Luke said, though his main concern was getting his lottery money back.
...
A few minutes later, local patrol officers arrived, setting up an 'LAPD' cordon and helping Luke manage the scene.
Twenty minutes later, the 'robbery-murder division' team arrived.
"Well, well! Look who's the hero today—the one-man robber catcher!" Marcus said with a mix of envy and frustration.
In the robbery and murder division, only Luke clocked out on time while the rest worked late.
And Luke was the one who single-handedly captured a suspect.
"Who can argue with that?"
Captain Susan surveyed the scene. "Luke, what's the situation?"
Luke provided a detailed account of the arrest.
Susan pressed, "Do you think he's the same person from the previous 'Taser robberies'?"
"I'm not sure yet."
"And the suspect?"
"He's staying silent until his lawyer arrives."
Susan patted Luke on the shoulder. "Good job, Luke. Excellent work!"
"As I've said, I can still contribute even without working overtime."
"Great. I look forward to your future performance."
Deputy Team Leader Vincent approached. "CBS TV is here and wants to interview Luke."
Susan looked at Luke. "What's your take?"
Being in the spotlight can be nice, but the police often prefer to stay low-key. It's not just about personal safety, but also the safety of family.
"Captain, I'm a bit worn out. I just want to shower and get some sleep."
Luke waved goodbye to his colleagues. "See you tomorrow."
Deputy Team Leader Vincent was taken aback. "We're just letting him leave like this?"
Susan responded, "Why not? He caught the suspect. Who else deserves the credit more?"
"This kid's luck is unbelievable!"
Vincent shrugged and announced to the others, "Take the suspect back to the station. We're going to be busy tonight."
...
Back at home, Luke headed straight to his bedroom on the second floor.
He closed the door and began to explore the detective system, focusing on the 'adventure card.'
Entering the detective system, he found the warehouse interface empty and the 'adventure card' gone.
He recalled the system prompt: [Complete an adventure experience, and the adventure card is activated and used.]
What happened today felt surreal. Chasing Daisy to return her lottery money had unexpectedly led to capturing a robber. It seemed like pure luck.
Now, it appeared the detective system had played a role.
The good news was that Luke had apprehended the robber, securing his job for the time being.
The bad news was that the adventure card was spent, and he might not have such good fortune again.
Luke asked mentally, 'Detective system, how can I get a new adventure card?'
He repeated the question in both Chinese and English but received no answer.
Feeling a bit disheartened, Luke realized that being a detective wasn't as easy as he'd hoped.
After a shower, he lay in bed, reflecting on the day's events... The adventure card was gone, and he wasn't keen on scratching off any more lottery tickets.
He had never won a prize since childhood.
As he was about to drift off to sleep, a voice echoed in his head: [Ding Dong, congratulations on catching the robber. The lottery menu is now active, and you've been awarded 10 lottery chances.]
A menu appeared in his mind. On the left was the warehouse interface, and on the right was a lottery screen.
A turntable with a sharp pointer sat in the middle, and the lower left corner indicated 10 draws remaining.
Unsure of what to do, Luke thought about the lottery, and the pointer began to spin.
It stopped, illuminating a section with $1,000 written on it.
Luke's mouth twitched in a smile. He felt fortunate.
He had been worried about a 'thank you for your patronage' message.
He continued to draw.
The pointer spun.
It stopped again, highlighting $1,000.
A third draw yielded an adventure card.
A fourth draw—$1,000.
The fifth through ninth draws all yielded $1,000.
The tenth draw revealed a probe card.
The card displayed the word 'detection,' with a comment: [Active card, function unknown.]
The prizes this time were:
Eight thousand dollarsAdventure card: [Passive card, will automatically disappear when an adventure occurs.]Probe card: [Active card, function unknown]
Luke sat up, fully awake.
He understood the adventure card function—it was passively triggered during adventures.
The probe card seemed to be related to sensing, but its exact function was unclear until used.
The lottery system proved powerful.
With the money, Luke's financial situation could improve.
Luke wondered, 'How do I claim the bonus?'
A voice in his head replied: [There are two options for receiving the bonus: First, it can be deposited directly into the host's bank account (instant). Second, it can be distributed through legitimate channels (depending on the situation).]
Luke considered both options. Instant payment was convenient but could attract unwanted attention.
Given the IRS's scrutiny, he opted for the second method to stay safe.