Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

Luke cooked lamb chops, steamed cod, stir-fried choy sum, and button mushrooms with chicken breast.

These dishes are relatively simple to make. The button mushrooms with chicken breast is a dish Luke learned from his uncle, Li Zhaonian. The main ingredient is button mushrooms, while chicken breast is the secondary ingredient. Once stir-fried, the mushrooms taste better than the chicken. Luke fell in love with the flavor after trying it just once.

At seven in the evening, Luke finished the meal, and Daisy arrived at the Luke family home.

After a quick wash, Daisy tied up her long hair and walked into the dining room, asking, "Do you need any help?"

"Yes, I need a kiss," Luke said as he wrapped his arms around Daisy's waist and kissed her red lips.

After a long moment, the two separated, and Daisy placed the plates on the table, expressing concern, "Was this treasure hunt successful?"

"It was exciting, albeit somewhat complicated, but we managed to find the treasure in the end." Luke opened his right hand, revealing a golden necklace in his palm, "Do you like it?"

Daisy picked up the necklace, "Wow, the vintage design is beautiful. Is this the treasure you found?"

"Yes, you know I'm planning to build a house and recently I've been short on cash. Most of the gold jewelry is going to be sold, but I've kept a few pieces as souvenirs.

This necklace I chose specifically for you."

Daisy held the gold necklace up to her neck, "Does it look good?"

"It seems like it was custom-made for you. Let me put it on." Luke took the necklace and put it around Daisy's neck.

"I really like the style of this necklace, thank you." Daisy walked to the mirror to take a look and gave him a passionate kiss.

Most women love gifts; there are very few exceptions.

"Did Judge Walker find any treasure too?"

"Yes, he helped a lot with this treasure hunt, and the two of us divided the loot equally."

Daisy chuckled, "I didn't realize a judge could be so enthusiastic about treasure hunting; this world is truly amazing."

Luke shrugged, "Maybe the heavy, monotonous work has been suppressing him for too long; he needs a release."

Daisy tilted her head slightly, "Why do I feel like you're talking about me?"

Luke laughed, "If you need to release, I'm happy to oblige."

"I think it's you who needs release. Is that why you invited me over?" Daisy crossed her arms and gave him a stern look.

"Exactly, that's the main reason."

"What's the secondary reason?"

"Dinner is ready; we can talk while eating." Luke pulled out a chair and politely invited Daisy to sit.

He opened a bottle of red wine, poured two glasses, and toasted with Daisy, "cheers."

Luke took a sip, set down his wine glass, and scooped up some button mushrooms with chicken breast, "This is a dish I just learned. Try it."

Daisy nodded, "The mushrooms are tender, and the taste is good."

"That's the essence of this dish." Luke took a bite of lamb chop and said softly, "I've found a contractor to rebuild the houses in Palisades Community. I need your help with the contract."

"When?"

"If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to sign the contract tomorrow afternoon. Will you be available?"

"No problem.

If Captain Li has an issue, even if there's no time, I have to make time."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "You don't have to push yourself."

Daisy "..."

After dinner, the two took a romantic bath together and engaged in a deep conversation.

The next morning, Luke met with the Zhang brothers to discuss the house construction contract.

To be on the safe side, he also invited John to oversee.

During the time Luke was out treasure hunting, the Zhang brothers and Li Zhaofeng had been in contact, and the price was favored quite a bit.

Upon meeting with Luke, both parties negotiated further, and the Zhang brothers revealed a bottom price of $1.42 million USD for the contracting fee.

Luke and John discussed and felt this price was already relatively low.

Luke decided not to press further. After all, building houses is for profit. If the price is squeezed too low, their profit margin would be slim, leading them to start cutting corners, which would ultimately bring trouble to Luke.

Negotiating the contract isn't just about the price. The detailed issues of construction and building work are the most cumbersome, such as the construction period, brands of materials used, quality, etc. Each aspect needs careful verification, and this is why he brought John along.

Every profession has its own tricks, and what might seem like minor issues upfront can become major problems during actual construction, so it's best to specify them clearly in the contract. This can reduce unnecessary trouble later.

The four of them discussed the minor details of the construction for the entire morning.

In the afternoon, Daisy also arrived at Palisades Community to confirm there were no problems with the contract documents. Luke officially signed the house construction contract.

The construction period is set for four months, to be completed by the end of June.

The total contract price is $1.42 million USD, payable in four installments: the first installment is $100,000 as a deposit, the second installment is $410,000, the third installment is $410,000, and the remaining $500,000 is paid after house inspection and acceptance.

Luke currently faces a funding gap of nearly one million USD, and the pressure is considerable.

However, he also has stocks worth more than one million USD in the stock market, allowing him to face the pressure calmly.

The construction period is four months, which gives him time to make money. If he doesn't earn enough, he can always sell some stocks.

The stocks are performing well. He doesn't want to touch them, but it's not out of the question.

...

Morning.

Luke slept until after eight o'clock in the morning. He had been busy lately, but last night he had a restful sleep. He felt assured, and his fatigue was relieved.

After getting up, he brewed a pot of tea in the courtyard. After looking at the large villa in Palisades Community, this courtyard seemed relatively small in comparison.

Today is Luke's last day off. He planned to have dinner at his mom's place tonight, but the daytime remains relatively free, and he intended to practice shooting at the range—he couldn't neglect the skill of shooting.

His handgun skills are already quite advanced. He only needs to practice regularly to maintain his proficiency. The Detective System also contains learning cards for shotguns and rifles.

Luke had never used a shotgun before and hadn't specifically learned how, so he'd need to find a coach for that.

Rifles were different. Last time in Las Vegas, Anthony had taught him the basics of using a rifle, and Luke had a firm grasp on them. Now, it was just up to him to practice.

Luke still has three Rifle Learning Cards, each valid for three hours.

He drove to the shooting range and used one rifle card, practicing rifle shooting for three hours. He mainly practiced with the M4A1 Carbine and AK47.

Both guns are excellent rifles, and there's always an ongoing debate about which one is the king of rifles. After using them, Luke felt both guns had their strengths and weaknesses; it really comes down to personal preference.

In fact, even the same person might have different preferences for a gun's performance at different times.

Take Luke, for example, who previously favored the Glock 17 pistol for its fast firing rate, lightweight, excellent performance, and high bullet capacity, but now feels its bullet power is somewhat lacking.

During lunch, Luke ate a buffet at the shooting range, mainly consisting of various grilled meats.

In the afternoon, Luke used another rifle card to continue practicing.

He was already quite familiar with the M4A1 Carbine and AK47, so Luke tried out many other types of rifles.

Although these two guns are famous, there's always a chance there might be something more suitable for him.

During a break, Luke received a video sent by Zhang Jianguo.

The video was filmed at Palisades Community, more specifically, at the old villa he bought, which was already being demolished.

Luke gave a thumbs up and continued practicing shooting.

After leaving the range, Luke drove to Palisades Community to check on the construction progress.

There were about a dozen workers on-site, mostly Chinese, all wearing yellow safety helmets. Their demolition efficiency was high; they had demolished nearly half in one day.

Luke stayed on-site for half an hour, chatted with the Zhang brothers for a while, and then left.

He needed to go home to wash up before heading to his mom's for dinner. If he delayed any longer, his mom would surely call and urge him.

The Zhang brothers escorted him to the roadside, watching his Mercedes depart.

Zhang Jianmin frowned slightly, "Brother, should we ask Captain Li for help? With his status, he can surely assist us."

Zhang Jianguo glared at his brother, "What relationship do you have with him?

It's the first day of work, and you're already asking for help. Why should he help you?

If he knew you were asking for help, it's one thing, but people might think you're threatening him with the contract."

"No no, that's not what I meant..."

Seeing his brother was about to speak again, Zhang Jianguo waved his hand, "It doesn't matter what you mean, just focus on getting the work done and completed first, then we can talk."