The "Harvest" was sweet, but the fallout was immediate. As the "Young Master" Zhao Jun was dragged out in zip-ties, screaming about his father's lawyers and diplomatic immunity , the neon-blue HUD in Lu Cian's vision erupted with data.
[System Notification: Massive Reputation Gain! +120,000 RP]
[Current Rank: Superintendent 3rd Class (45% to next level)] [Netizen Consensus: "The Jinx is dead. Long live the Arbiter!"]
Lu Cian leaned against the mahogany bar, the Adrenaline Overclock fading into a bone-deep exhaustion and a ravenous hunger for spicy crawfish. He felt the "Terror Aura" he had just unlocked—a cold, invisible pressure radiating from his skin that made the surrounding socialites instinctively step back.
"Impressive performance, Superintendent," a cold, precise voice cut through the thumping bass of the club.
Lu Cian turned. Standing at the edge of the VIP lounge was Inspector Gao. He was the antithesis of Lu Cian: his suit was uncreased, his hair perfectly coiffed, and his eyes held the sharp, icy clarity of a man who viewed the world as a series of logical equations. Gao was the precinct's "Golden Boy," a Sherlockian genius who relied on pure deduction and despised Lu Cian's "lucky" intuitions.
"Inspector Gao," Lu Cian replied, his voice raspy. "You're late. The trash has already been bagged".
Gao walked toward the table where Zhao Jun's face had recently been slammed. He didn't look at the blood; he looked at the microscopic scratches near the HVAC vent that Lu Cian had highlighted earlier.
"You used a trial-level detection frequency to bait a confession out of a weak-willed hedonist," Gao said, his voice devoid of emotion. "It was a flashy stunt, Lu Cian. But you ignored the 'Cleaners' signature on the drone's firmware. By arresting him so publicly, you've alerted the organization. You didn't catch a killer; you just burned a bridge to the mastermind".
This was the Suppression phase. Gao was attempting to reclaim the narrative, painting Lu Cian's victory as a strategic failure.+2
[System Warning: Rivalry Initiated! Inspector Gao is attempting to 'De-bunk' your investigation.]
[New Objective: Maintain the Lead. Do not let the 'Sherlockian' dominate the press conference.]
"A bridge is only useful if you know where it leads, Gao," Lu Cian countered, straightening his rumpled tie and activating his Micro-Expression Reader on his rival. "You wanted to wait three months to build a case. I wanted to stop the killing tonight. The 'Netizens' seem to prefer my timeline".
Gao's left eyelid flickered—a 0.2-second micro-expression of genuine irritation. "The 'Netizens' are a Greek chorus of idiots, Lu Cian. Fame is a fleeting currency. When the lawyers dismantle your 'illegal' drone evidence in court, your reputation will be worth less than the dirt on my shoes".
"We'll see," Lu Cian said, walking past Gao toward Captain Lin Bing, who was watching the exchange with an unreadable expression.
The "Grinding" for the next stage had already begun. Lu Cian knew Gao was right about one thing: The Cleaners would be coming for him. But as he checked his System Shop, he saw a new item available for purchase with his hard-earned Justice Points: 'Psychometry (Level 5)'.
He wasn't just catching flies anymore; he was going for the nest.