North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws

Her smile slowly faded. To hide her embarrassment, she reached back, smoothed the hair on her forehead, and finally revealed her hand:

"In my youth, I had the 'friendship' of an older man. He may have passed away now, but I still have some connections with his network. That's also why I'm so well-informed. If you can help me get the captain position, we could not only form an offensive and defensive alliance, but I would also open doors for you in matters where it might otherwise be inconvenient!"

Eve paused, then emphasized, "Dean, resources are limited, and even within one camp, the competition to live better is fierce. You need an ally of equal stature!"

Having said that, she leaned back in her chair, her fingers entwined, masking her nervousness and unease.

Her cards were on the table.

If that didn't work, she could start considering where to retire right now.

Eve thought she would have to wait quite a while for Dean's response.

Unexpectedly, after hearing her out, Dean nodded. "I'll call Monet for you, but there's one thing..."

He stood up, walked over to Eve, leaned in close to her ear, and whispered, "Remember, I am who I am, and I never join any camps."

Eve was still pondering what Dean's last words meant.

Dean had already pulled her up.

Eve protested coquettishly, "Dean, what are you doing?"

"Since we're done talking, the night is long. Let's go, Captain Eve, I would like to discuss the art of playing and singing instruments with you..."

「The next day.」

Dean got up a bit late.

He rarely wore his uniform, but today he arrived at the Squad Four office looking sharp and energetic.

After the Christmas holiday break, everyone in Squad Four was in good spirits, except for Lawrence and Phoebe who hadn't returned yet.

Along the way, Dean greeted everyone warmly.

"Hi, Daisy, you look beautiful today."

Daisy, who was in the middle of munching on a hot dog, was about to respond.

The next moment, she stood there, hot dog in her mouth, frozen. It wasn't until Dean disappeared from sight that she suddenly snapped back to reality and rubbed her eyes. Fuck, is that Dean? That bastard looks so handsome in uniform??

Trying to tempt me with a uniform? Testing a lesbian?

Which lesbian could resist such a test?

At that moment, Daisy felt like she wanted to have an affair with Dean and abandon her new girlfriend.

Harry, cigarette dangling from his lips, turned around at the noise. He happened to see Dean's retreating figure heading towards the captain's office and looked quizzically at Daisy, who was standing by the printer. "Hey, who was that? His back looked familiar."

Members of the Detective Bureau rarely wore their flashy uniforms under normal circumstances.

"That's Dean. He seems to be in a good mood," Daisy said to Harry, her expression conflicted. "Harry, what kind of girl do you think Dean likes? I have a friend who just got dumped..."

Harry smirked. "Haven't you heard Dean's nicknames?"

"What nicknames?"

"Lots of them. I only found out while drinking with friends. Things like Headshot Detective, Lady Bulldozer, and the like. For your friend's safety, I suggest you introduce her to me!"

"Screw off!"

Daisy swallowed the hot dog in her hand and flipped Harry the bird before turning to leave.

Harry was right! Dean, that bastard, is a total womanizer. If I got close, who knows if I'd even get anything out of it. Worse, he might steal my girlfriends and leave me with nothing! So, forget it. Being a lesbian is just fine!

After teasing Daisy, Harry stroked his chin, somewhat puzzled. Hmm, why does Dean seem to have more and more nicknames lately? And they're all pretty accurate. Who's making them up?

The guy was such a loudmouth whenever he drank, he'd forgotten that he was the source of all these nicknames, which had eventually circled back to him.

「Office.」

Monet, his arm still in a sling and not fully healed, was typing with one finger while chatting with someone online. Seeing Dean come in, he immediately closed his laptop and said seriously, "Dean, why did you help Eve? That woman isn't as innocent as you think."

Dean casually explained, "I don't like owing favors. She helped me transfer to the Homicide and Robbery Division, so when she asked, I couldn't refuse. Captain, if you find it troublesome, just ignore it."

Monet shook his head. "Let it be. It's just a chance. Whether she makes it or not is up to her. It's all trivial."

Of course, this was for Dean's sake.

Monet already knew he would be transferred out soon. The rising star, Dean, was the good karma he hoped to leave behind in the Homicide and Robbery Division.

So, when Dean spoke up, Monet didn't refuse, granting Dean this favor.

The two briefly discussed the recent theft case from Squad One.

Monet glanced at the time, then pulled an appointment letter and a pale gold detective's badge from his drawer. He placed them on the desk, his expression turning grim. "Dean, this is your appointment to Detective. This was supposed to be handled by the Assistant Chief, but that old bastard... he isn't too fond of mixed-race people."

"I don't need him to like me."

A flicker of annoyance passed through Dean's eyes as he took the appointment letter, adding, "By the way, Captain, what's that old bastard's name?"

"Lafferson. He's an old geezer who's about to retire and clear out. He's at that stage where he has nothing to lose and does whatever he pleases. So... I'm sorry I can't give you a proper promotion ceremony."

Dean committed the name Lafferson to memory.

Los Angeles was a wealthy city with a large immigrant population. Outright racists like him were rare; otherwise, Dean's father could never have become a detective. But rare didn't mean nonexistent. Encountering one, Dean thought, feels like stepping in dog shit—not particularly harmful, but utterly disgusting.

Dean resolved that if he got the chance, he'd give Lafferson a little surprise. It would be a warning to others: You can be prejudiced all you want, but if you dare show it, I'll dare to come after you!

As his options expanded, Dean started acting with greater freedom, no longer as constrained as he was when he first started.

Once that was settled, Dean took out a leave of absence request he had prepared earlier: "Captain, I need a few days off..."

His grandfather had called to tell him the meeting of the Lucchese Family was scheduled for mid-January, the day after tomorrow.

Time was extremely tight.

Thus, Dean had to leave as soon as possible.

Monet agreed immediately. "That's your prerogative. However, we're getting a batch of new recruits soon, and I hope you'll take a few under your wing when you get back."

Dean nodded in agreement and took the opportunity to invite Monet to his promotion party that evening.

In less than three months, Dean had gone from a probationary rookie cop to a detective. This breakneck speed was largely thanks to the local hiring system.

Rules were rules. But if you were good enough and had help from those who made the rules, you could certainly bend them.

「A night of revelry.」

The next day, a somewhat hungover Dean responded to a flood of congratulatory texts on his phone—from people he knew and many he didn't—before his brother drove him to the airport.

Beck was at an age where he was easily influenced by gangster movies.

He seemed hesitant to speak.

But Dean didn't give him the chance, instead striding through the VIP lane into the departure lounge.

His grandfather, Laine, had previously mentioned that the New York Lucchese Family gathering was usually scheduled around February. This allowed family members, dispersed far and wide, enough time to adjust their schedules.

Yet this time, it was abruptly moved up to mid-January.

Dean sensed that this gathering would be dramatic. It could be the perfect opportunity, he thought, to fish in troubled waters and begin establishing his own foothold within the underworld's power structure!