Detective Bureau
After the meal, Captain Susan gathered everyone in the conference room for a meeting.
Jenny, a newly transferred policewoman, eagerly served coffee to everyone.
Susan glanced at David and Luke, who had just returned from the investigation, and asked, "Have you found any issues with the Qiaowei gun store?"
David replied, "The owner is quite slippery. There are no security cameras in the store, transactions are done in cash, and he was initially uncooperative. However, after persistent questioning, he admitted to selling the modified Taser gun. According to him, a person named 'Postman' consigned the modified Taser gun to the store, and they sold only one."
Susan inquired, "What about this 'Postman's' real identity?"
David said, "The owner doesn't know."
Deputy Vincent added, "Perhaps he's unwilling to share it."
David frowned, "If you doubt my abilities, maybe you should handle the next situation like this personally."
"Don't be so quick to anger, I only suggested a possibility," Deputy Vincent continued analyzing. "If the owner's statement is accurate, finding out who 'Postman' is could lead us to the sales channels of these modified Taser guns and help us catch the suspects involved in the Taser gun robbery. The challenge now is identifying this 'Postman' since nicknames don't come with social security numbers."
Raymond pondered aloud, "I feel like I've heard that nickname before."
Deputy Vincent joked, "I've heard that NBA superstar Karl Malone is nicknamed 'The Postman.' I'll also share a tidbit—he worked as a part-time police officer."
Captain Susan interjected, "Deputy Vincent, this is not the time for basketball talk or personal anecdotes."
"He's not my peer; he's younger than me. Are you satisfied?" Deputy Vincent turned to Marcus and asked, "You know the local gangs well. Can you find out who this 'Postman' is?"
Marcus, with a broad grin, replied, "Glad you remembered to ask me." Despite his seemingly unreliable demeanor and lack of intellectual prowess, Marcus, who grew up in a slum, was adept at tracking people.
Susan said firmly, "It's 1:30 p.m., and the suspect might commit another crime tonight. Marcus, we're running out of time."
"I'll do my best," Marcus said before leaving the office.
Jenny, a female officer, asked, "Since the suspect has already committed two crimes, wouldn't he know we're investigating him? Is it possible he might stop or try to escape?"
"I wish that were the case," Deputy Vincent said, picking up a whiteboard pen to illustrate. "The first crime occurred on February 18, where the victim was robbed of her belongings and clothes. The second crime happened on February 25, where the suspect scratched the victim's thigh and wrote 'you like' at the scene using blood. The second crime was more violent. Based on my experience, unless we catch him, he's likely to become even more brutal."
Luke thought for a moment and asked, "Why did the suspect leave the message 'you like,' and what's his motive?"
Deputy Vincent explained, "There are generally two types of suspects in serial cases: one motivated by economic reasons, which is more straightforward, and the other driven by some psychological trigger, which is harder to understand unless you share the same triggers."
Luke shrugged, "I prefer to work with concrete evidence."
"That's a wise approach. I once had a colleague who pretended to be schizophrenic to catch a serial killer," Deputy Vincent said seriously.
"Are you joking?" Luke asked.
"No," Deputy Vincent replied solemnly.
Luke contemplated whether to work overtime but decided against it. With his system's help, he felt he should be able to solve the case without working extra hours. To avoid becoming like his colleague, he left work on time.
His colleagues watched him with various expressions, but Luke thought, "Look all you want. My health is the most important."
Los Angeles Chinatown
In Chinatown, where Chinese is spoken frequently, Luke felt a pang of homesickness for the first time. The streets were lined with advertisements for Sichuan restaurants, nail salons, travel agencies offering passport and green card services, and slogans that echoed the exaggerated claims of home.
After some time, he remembered why he was here. Tired of eating fried chicken and burgers every day, Luke was craving the comfort of hometown food.
He parked his motorcycle outside a restaurant with a green plaque that read "Yingchun Pavilion" in Chinese and "Yingchun Pavilion" in English, flanked by two red lanterns.
Inside, a young Asian woman in a cheongsam greeted him with a warm "Welcome" in English. He chose a seat by the window, and an Asian waitress handed him a menu.
The menu, in both Chinese and English, featured dishes like General Tso's Chicken, which many in China might not recognize but is quite popular in the U.S. Luke, unfamiliar with it before, ordered four dishes: General Tso's Chicken, Mao Xuewang, Laoganma's Fried Waist Flower, Seafood Hodgepodge, a bowl of rice, and a bottle of Wuliangye.
Feeling homesick and unable to return home, Luke indulged in this meal as a small consolation.
In the U.S., drunk driving laws are strict, but personal freedoms, including the right to drink, are emphasized. Luke, with a good tolerance for alcohol, had no trouble riding his motorcycle home after his meal.
As he rode back, he noticed a familiar figure near the Yiruo Community Commercial Plaza. It was his younger brother Jack, who was chatting and laughing with a white girl in a school uniform. The girl was sipping boba milk tea, and Jack was awkwardly trying to embrace her.
Luke, slightly taken aback, thought, "What's going on? This kid is only thirteen!"