Chapter 369: 234
"Lawrence, gather your team. We’ll meet here!"
After Dean finished speaking, he called Harry and asked him and Carlo to gear up and come over together. After hanging up, he immediately called Hawk, telling him to bring as many people as he could.
Seeing this, Lawrence was somewhat puzzled. "Dean, even if the opponent is formidable, he’s just a cripple using melee weapons. Do we really need so many people?"
It was after working hours, and gathering so many people was a hassle.
Dean shrugged. "Buddy, better a hassle than someone dying in the line of duty. This guy might not be alone!"
Lawrence didn’t understand the local dynamics. He worried that the crippled expert might have a master. Behind that master, there could be a wide network of well-connected colleagues, other disciples, and friends. Among them, some would inevitably have gang affiliations.
Although Dean was confident in his abilities, he only had one life. With more people and more guns available, rushing in alone to take risks would be foolish—purely idiotic.
Although Lawrence didn’t grasp the full implication of Dean’s words, he didn’t ask further and took out his phone to call for backup.
A moment later, he nodded at Dean, indicating everything was arranged.
Everything was set. Just as Dean was about to depart...
BUZZ... BUZZ...
Dean’s phone rang again.
He took it out and answered with a puzzled look. "Captain Hunter?" It’s Old Hunter, Dean thought. It’s almost midnight. Why isn’t he asleep, and why is he calling me?
Old Hunter’s voice sounded nasal, as if he’d just been woken from a deep sleep.
"Dean, are you dealing with a bar murder case right now?"
"Yes, but it’s no longer a simple bar murder. After killing a minor Viper Gang leader in the bar, the murderer went on to kill all seven gang members stationed at their post. This is a major serial murder case!"
"They’re just rats in the gutter; their deaths won’t cause any ripples. Dean, drop the investigation. Someone will turn themselves in at the station tomorrow. Get some rest."
Dean was stunned by Old Hunter’s words. What is going on?
His first thought was that the crippled young man truly had connections. They must have reached Old Hunter, who was in charge of this district, and were planning to have someone take the fall!
How could he let that happen?
Dean didn’t care about solving the case; what mattered more to him was the Experience Points reward after catching the murderer!
A single word from Old Hunter, and he was supposed to spit out the prize already in his grasp? Bullshit!
Dean took a deep breath, his voice chilling. "Alright. But our team has already located the suspect and is moving to apprehend. I’ll see if I can reach them."
With that, he hung up and said to Lawrence beside him, "Let’s go. We’re racing against time."
Lawrence looked concerned. "Dean, the person who can get Old Hunter to issue orders in the middle of the night probably outranks him. This case will be solved tomorrow anyway. Maybe you should reconsider."
Dean pulled out his service pistol, gave it a little shake, and said seriously, "Lawrence, I don’t care how other squads operate.
"But in my jurisdiction, *we* call the shots!
"Otherwise, if one criminal pressures us today, and another murderer does it tomorrow, we might as well find new jobs now to avoid the aggravation!"
"That sounds more like a gang manifesto!" Lawrence shrugged. "But I’m with you."
"Thanks, brother!"
Dean holstered his pistol and, with Lawrence, drove towards the black clinic.
「When they arrived,」
Flashing red and blue police lights had already sealed off a block of the street.
In front of a pitch-dark acupuncture clinic.
Three uniformed patrol officers lay on the ground, screaming and writhing in agony. The ground beneath them was stained crimson, and their colleagues struggled to restrain their thrashing bodies while attempting to provide first aid.
Hawk and his group had their guns drawn, on high alert.
"Fuck! What happened here?" Lawrence’s pupils contracted at the sight. Could Dean have been right? Is the murderer not alone?
Dean’s Hummer was conspicuous, so Harry and Carlo, who had arrived earlier, immediately ran over from the assembled officers.
Lawrence jumped out of the car and grabbed a tense Harry. "Harry, what happened? Why are people injured?"
"Fuck, Lawrence, you should have seen it! We’d just arrived when a man came out carrying a woman.
"Some of our guys tried to move in and detain him.
"Then, SWISH! SWISH!
"The three patrolmen closest to him just went down, screaming.
"By the time we reacted, he’d already retreated back into the acupuncture clinic!"
As Harry spoke, he gesticulated wildly with his arms, vividly describing the events that had unfolded.
Dean had already approached the three injured officers. He squatted down, examined the wounds, and let out a slight sigh of relief.
All three had typical slash wounds. They were shallow, consistent with injuries inflicted by a Poison Spike. This indicated that the attacker had shown restraint.
Because a military spike like that is primarily used for one thing—stabbing!