NOVEL NEXT Chapter 256 Upgrade!_2
"But those reporters..." Raouf looked worriedly at the reporters who were following them, about to surround the police car.
Without a word, Dean started the car for him. Regardless of any daredevils behind them, he made a sharp turn and drove straight at the reporters trying to block their path.
Facing the oncoming police car, the reporters cursed as they scrambled out of the way.
Only when they were a few hundred meters away did Dean turn off the engine. He lit a cigarette and shrugged at Raouf. "Buddy, when it comes to these flies, you've got to learn to be a little more ruthless."
Raouf indeed had a soft personality. He looked worriedly at the reporters who were slowly catching up. "If an explosion really happened and they got injured or worse, those reporters would definitely blame us officers."
Dean blew out a puff of smoke and sneered. "Verbal jabs don't compare to our lives, not even in the slightest. As for whether they live or die, pal, you've got to learn to respect other people's choices!"
Raouf said nothing more. This was his first direct encounter with the young detective, the subject of various stories circulating in the central precinct. Now, meeting him in person, he realized this guy was even colder and more despicable than his reputation suggested. He had a villainous air that many veteran officers lacked.
Because the police car had retreated among a group of officers, the few reporters who had quickly followed in their cars couldn't get close. They had to refocus on the original building, hoping to be the first to capture footage of the explosion.
Reporters from other TV stations and newspapers, along with those who arrived later, waited with a mix of excitement and anxiety, ready to witness a major bombing.
Time ticked by.
The anticipated explosion, however, never came. This made the onlookers wonder if the police had orchestrated a false alarm.
Some bold reporters who had gotten very close stretched their necks like giraffes, staring for several minutes until they ached. But the building in front remained quiet.
One couldn't help but spit. "Damn it, those bastards didn't fool us, did they? If so, I'll..."
BOOM.
Countless flashes of fire erupted like collapsing dominoes, carrying a vast cloud of building dust in all directions. Then, a huge, circular sound wave instantly shattered glass for hundreds of meters around.
Finally, the ground itself shook, drowning out all surrounding noise.
The complaining reporter's ears were ringing. He stared dumbly as fire and light wreaked havoc before him, dust and earth flying everywhere, completely forgetting what he had been about to say.
The explosion had really happened!
After watching the explosion, Dean had the patrol officers on scene cordon off the area. He called Old Hunter to explain the situation and then took Cheston En to the hospital.
This incident was likely to become a big deal. Other than cooperating with the investigation, Dean didn't plan to get overly involved.
「Hospital.」
The doctor's examination revealed that Cheston En had only sustained superficial injuries. His unconsciousness was likely due to a severe blow to the head combined with extreme stress.
Considering Cheston En would have to weather the storm of this incident and handle pressure from the FBI, Dean decided to wait for him to wake up before leaving.
A couple of hours later, just as Dean finished dealing with the personnel sent from the detective bureau for questioning, a nurse informed him that Cheston En had awakened.
As Cheston En was the sole survivor of the bombing, his hospital room was under guard. Dean had to show his credentials and pass facial recognition to enter.
"Cheston En, how are you feeling now?" Dean entered the hospital room and asked politely.
Cheston En was just groggily coming to. He shook his head, dazed and confused for a few minutes. Then, he spat out a mouthful of clotted blood and mumbled, his voice hoarse yet filled with surprised relief, "Detective Dean! Am I saved?"
Dean shrugged. "Yes, but when we rescued you, we found a time bomb. So, we only had time to save you. As for your colleagues, it doesn't look good."
The kid was lucky. His colleagues—the people who wanted to kill him—were all dead. Yet, despite biting someone and having his face beaten to a pulp, he himself had gotten off with barely a scratch.
Upon hearing this, sorrow flickered across Cheston En's face. "The explosion..."
He knew all his colleagues had died before the explosion. He probably would have died too, if not for the person in the dogface mask. She had been his instructor and, believing he had killed her sister, had wanted to torture him for a while.
Thinking of her identity, Cheston En's expression turned even uglier.
He looked at Dean hesitantly. "Detective Dean, what would you do if you discovered corrupt cops in the detective bureau?"
At these words, Dean's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you saying the people who attacked you are from the FBI?"
Cheston En nodded. "Yes. I'm not sure about a few of them, but one was named Heloise Konos! She was my Disguise instructor when I was a trainee at the training camp—C1 rank. She's a former senior agent, rumored to have even been a Federation agent, and is now retired. And there's something you would never guess!"
So impressive, Dean thought, immediately picturing the woman in the dogface mask he'd shot in the head upon opening the door. No wonder she was one of the Elders of the Lucifer Game Organization.
Dean asked casually, "What else?"
"The 'hot chick' from the Lucifer Game Organization I killed previously is Heloise Konos's sister. They apparently came to Los Angeles on different missions."
Cheston En subconsciously withheld some information. Before he lost consciousness, Heloise Konos had confessed that she orchestrated the explosion to frame the authorities, planning to take over as head of this local branch afterward. Such a thing couldn't have been achieved by Heloise Konos alone.
Cheston En knew he was just a small fry. It was better to keep his head down. He decided to pretend he'd never heard about this. Even if the FBI interrogated him, he would insist he was knocked unconscious at the start of the attack and knew nothing of what happened afterward.
Hearing Cheston En's words, Dean had an epiphany.
According to the panel's prompt, the Elder he had killed this time was codenamed Twin Hounds.
I had initially thought 'Twin Hounds' referred to the woman in the dogface mask I'd killed with a single shot, Dean mused. But after hearing Cheston En, it must mean Heloise Konos and her sister (the 'hot chick'). This pair of sisters was likely in charge of many important matters for the Lucifer Game Organization in California, and they were currently managing a plan called the "California Despair Hunger Games." As it turned out, both sisters happened to die in Los Angeles and were connected to me, directly or indirectly. That's how I managed to freeload three thousand Experience Points!
Such unexpected gains. In a word: exhilarating!
However, this also made me realize that the plan called the "California Despair Hunger Games" likely harbored significant ambitions; otherwise, it wouldn't be worth so many Experience Points before it even began! After all, when An Bei spent a fortune leading hundreds of mercenaries to attack Lincoln Farm, I only gained a few thousand Experience Points!
For safety's sake! I still need to strive to become stronger!
After subtly hinting a few things to Cheston En, Dean immediately returned to his rented apartment.
A loss in one area, a gain in another. The miniature model murder case went unsolved, but I stumbled upon gains from two other cases and successfully leveled up! Just one more point to Strength, and all four of my dimensional attributes would reach the 15-point limit! Fifteen attribute points! The absolute limit of innate talent for a modern human under normal circumstances! And according to the panel's previous information, once all four dimensional attributes reached 15 points, a new function would unlock! I've been looking forward to this for a very long time!
Having prepared himself, Dean lay on his bed, took a deep breath, and with a focused thought, added the newly obtained Attribute Points to his Strength!