CHAPTER 97: CHAPTER 92: COOPERATION, IMPROVEMENT!_1

On the note was a list of all the things that had happened around Santoni, the former Los Angeles coroner, and a list of people he might have been in contact with before his death. Included were the names of Mas, Niel, and Dean.

It couldn’t be helped; Mas and Santoni had died in the same alleyway, at the same time. This was too much of a coincidence. It was for this reason that Niel and Dean, the two who handled Mas’s affairs after his death, were also recorded.

When he left Las Vegas, Dean had a premonition that the power behind Santoni would come knocking sooner or later. But now that it had really happened, he still felt considerable pressure. Today’s situation made it clear: the Carmen Family had an absolute hold over both the legal and illegal spheres in Los Angeles!

Dean suppressed the murderous intent in his heart and said coldly, "How did you get this list?"

An Bei explained, "When I was investigating the Carmen Family, I discovered that a minor boss from the Dagger Gang had been secretly investigating something in Las Vegas. Then I found him and ultimately obtained this list with over thirty names. Although I don’t know what connection you have with them, they’ve already dealt with a batch of people. That list is for the next group they intend to investigate.

"I originally didn’t plan on telling you. After all, before seeing your skills, you were of no value to me. But now it’s different.

"So, do you want to join forces with me?" An Bei licked his lips. "The Carmen Family may be extraordinarily powerful in Los Angeles and have control over various aspects, but as long as they are human, they can die if killed. As long as we kill them all, the forces under the Carmen Family will be immediately overtaken by other powers, and you won’t have to worry about your safety anymore!"

Dean exhaled. "Let’s hear the plan!"

Strike first to gain the advantage; delay and suffer the consequences!

Even if the situation could be dragged out a bit because An Bei intercepted the list, the other side was already conducting their investigation. There couldn’t be much of a delay. In that case, it was time to eliminate all threats. Now, he was not the same person he was a month ago!

"I need a little more time to gather intelligence. I’ll contact you when I’m ready!" An Bei thought for a moment, then raised a finger. "It won’t take more than a week!"

Dean nodded and tossed the box containing An Bei’s belongings to him. "Before we act, prepare a new identity for me in advance, one that’s sufficient to divert attention. This should be easy for you, North America’s third-ranked killer, Clown V!"

Upon his identity being exposed, An Bei’s hand faltered as he took the box. He gave Dean a deep look, opened the car door, and disappeared into the rainy night.

After An Bei left, Dean looked into the pitch-black rainy night and let out a wry smile.

It was through the rare hidden weapons on An Bei’s body that he recognized the man. Fate truly was miraculous. Previously, in Anthony’s notebook, he had read about Clown V’s audacious assassinations and had wondered what it would be like to face him. And not long after, he was actually about to collaborate with the man. This, too, was a decision made out of necessity. With a force like the Carmen Family, once you take action, you need to dismantle their command structure instantly. Otherwise, if they have time to respond, not only will the rest of them go into hiding, but you’ll also face a ferocious storm of retaliation. Dean, although believing himself to be much stronger than the Carmen Family now, acknowledged that in every other aspect—intelligence, equipment, and the rest—he was not as professional as An Bei. It was only wise for the two to cooperate.

By the time Dean returned to his residential complex, it was already past midnight. The dim orange streetlights of the complex’s driveway cast a hazy glow in the drizzling rain.

Around one more bend and he would be home.

Dean subconsciously sped up, turning into another lane, and then his gaze was drawn to the only building lit up with a warm light in the pitch-dark night.

It was his mother Sheila’s house.

"Didn’t I say I would be back late today? Why isn’t she in bed?" Dean murmured, a warmth twinkling in his eyes.

The feeling of someone waiting for him was truly nice. And so, the Carmen Family deserved to die even more!

At this moment, in the living room, Sinclair was sprawled out with his legs crossed, watching his mother Sheila’s head nod, dipping lower and lower like a chicken pecking rice. He leaned in with a smile and whispered in her ear, "Mom, Dean’s back!"

"Dean!"

Sheila jerked her head up, only to see Thompson furiously tapping on his phone keyboard and Sinclair covering his mouth to suppress his chuckles. There was no trace of Dean.

"Sinclair!" Sheila clenched her fists, ready to assert her maternal authority.

Sinclair hurriedly ran off and then, with a hint of jealousy, said, "Mom, all you care about is Dean. He’s a grown man; he can look after himself."

"Don’t worry, Mom. Dean is very capable. He’ll be fine," Thompson also lifted his head, consoling her. "And didn’t Dean call to say he was safe?"

"You two don’t know anything!" Sheila rolled her eyes. "How did I give birth to two idiots like you? Didn’t you watch the news today? Didn’t you notice something was off? A group of refugees, yet every single one of them is so buff. Is that likely?"

She looked down, her voice tinged with unease as she continued, "I never should have agreed to Dean joining the police department. We’ve already lost your father. We can’t afford to lose Dean too!"

Hearing this, Sinclair fell silent. He stepped forward and hugged Sheila, saying, "I’m sorry, Mom. I worry about Dean too. I just didn’t want you to keep feeling so down."

Thompson put down his phone, intending to wrap his mother in a warm embrace as well, but he saw Sheila already raising her hand to smack Sinclair’s backside.

He pursed his lips. Alright, Sinclair was still too green.

Just as Sheila was about to demonstrate her maternal authority, bright incandescent light from outside filtered into the living room.

Sinclair cheered, "It’s Dean! He’s back with the ’Breakup Fee’!"

Ever since Dean explained the origin of the car, Sinclair had taken to calling his specially modified Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 the "Breakup Fee."

Sheila, too, lowered her raised hand, bringing her palms together in front of her chest, devoutly saying, "Thank God."

When Dean walked in the door, Sheila was hugging Sinclair, laughing heartily at a midnight soap opera. His younger brother Thompson was engrossed in texting on his phone. After some guidance from Dean, Thompson had recently dipped his toes back into the dating scene and was now in the throes of a new romance.

All three of them greeted Dean quite casually.

This nonchalant demeanor left Dean feeling a bit sulky. He had thought that Sheila and the others were still up because they had seen the news and were worried about him. Damn it! My earlier rush of warmth was for nothing.

After finishing the hot soup Sheila had left for him and taking a bath, Dean locked the door and went to the mirror, ready to level up.

An Bei inciting more than a hundred mercenaries to attack a farm in the Los Angeles suburbs had caused such a commotion; he was a big fish. Once caught, Dean immediately gained 3,000 Experience Points.

"Panel!"

"[Detective Panel]

Character: Dean

Level: 9 (1,100/1,600)

Spirit: 11

Strength: 13

Speed: 13

Endurance: 9

Skills: Pistol Proficiency, Ancient Muay Thai (L3), Interrogation (L2), Blowgun (L2), etc.

Attribute Points: 2

Skill Points: 2

Cases completed: 8, details omitted."

"If only every case were this satisfying!" Dean said, rubbing his hands together with anticipation.

This time he not only advanced two levels, but he was also only 500 Experience Points away from the next level—a substantial gain. Originally, Dean planned to try to improve his Spirit after leveling up. But now that he might have to take action, he naturally prioritized boosting his attack strength! So without hesitation, Dean immediately invested both Attribute Points into Speed!

Attribute Points: 2→0.

Speed: 13→15.

A familiar energy surged through him. But this time the change was different from before. Previously, it was a warm current. This time, it was a cool, very comfortable chill. Dean squinted, feeling even happier than during some joyful moments, as the cool sensation repeatedly washed over his internal tissues, giving him a light, ecstatic feeling of floating. Under normal circumstances, the enhancement process for one Attribute Point would last about a minute. This time, it took a full five minutes before the chill on Dean’s body gradually dissipated. The enhancement was complete.

Before Dean had a chance to check the changes in his body, two new messages appeared in his mind:

[Speed attribute has reached the upper limit of human flesh and blood structure; only when all other attributes are in alignment can the next level of enhancement be unlocked!]

[Notice: For flesh and blood organisms, depending on the original ancestor genes, genetic limits vary. Human attributes can reach a maximum of 20!]

"So I’ve hit the current limit for Speed?"

Dean felt somewhat regretful. The Speed attribute was tied to his explosive power and nerve reaction speed, which perfectly complemented his master-level pistol skills. It seems that next time I can only improve Endurance or Spirit. As for Strength, it’s already sufficient for now.

Having processed the information from the panel, Dean looked into the mirror. His originally well-built body now had even more defined lines, sculpted as if by axe and chisel, exuding an impression of immense explosive power. Dean tested his reflexes by tossing objects up and down. His reflexes were astounding. The moment something fell, he was immediately able to catch it. Dean even discovered, to his astonishment, that if he concentrated, he could feel the falling speed of the object slowing down slightly. It was an illusion brought on by super-fast nerve reactions.

After playing with his pistol some more, Dean put it down, feeling immensely satisfied, "Now, I’m truly a rightful heir to the American Iaido."

Fifteen points in the Speed attribute. Probably only a few people with exceptional talents could compare with him. Like Bill back then. That bastard easily swung a table weighing dozens of pounds, sending Dean, who weighed over 180 pounds, flying—a testament to his natural strength. People like that were extremely rare. But Dean’s every attribute could reach this height, and there was even the chance to break through, reaching a physical limit almost impossible for modern humans! The future looks promising!

The two Skill Points were saved by Dean. He had no skills that could immediately boost his combat power, so it was better to save them. After synthesizing the ’Mind Reading Technique,’ he could enhance it all at once to strengthen his case-solving abilities in the future.

「For the next two days.」

Once Dean got off work, he would head to an unlisted gun range after a simple Disguise. He wasn’t there to practice his marksmanship, but to try out dual-wielding and get accustomed to the Kel-Tec CP33 pistol, which held more bullets. Although the gun wasn’t as powerful as the M1911, after being modified, it could hold up to 50 rounds.

Two of them. That was enough for Dean to wreak havoc!

After each practice session, Dean would also visit Kapu’s dojo for fun. Then, at a set time, he’d head to a nearby therapy center to enjoy a massage from a beautiful Latina, before heading straight to work the next day, without staying over at Sheila’s place.

「On the third day.」

Just after getting off work, an open package appeared inside Dean’s car. Inside, apart from two specially modified Kel-Tec CP33 pistols and several magazines, there was also a crazier-looking clown mask, a level IV tactical bulletproof vest, and over 10 stun grenades.

On top of these items was a white paper, on which was written: "I used my means to force the Carmen Family to have a family meeting. Meet at Carmen Manor at nine o’clock tonight. I will find you!"

The signature at the end was a crimson clown symbol.

"So tonight, are there going to be two Clown Vs?" Dean smirked. He drove off, trained as he had the past few days, then entered the therapy center to the enthusiastic reception of a Latina beauty.

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