Sudden Calculation

Different positions naturally offer different views.

Wesley's overweight boss and the colleague who stole his girlfriend had indeed reported him to the police, but they withdrew the case after Lake's friends had a chat with them.

After all, these two were just ordinary company employees.

While capitalists here weren't afraid of law enforcement agents, not everyone was. Moreover, these two had never even gotten close to the capitalists.

Ten minutes later.

Wesley walked out of the 33rd Precinct's doors and looked up, squinting as the sunlight hit him.

Lake walked up behind him. "Let's go. Stop thinking about doing anything improper. By the way, your father didn't die at the hands of The Assistance. The man who had a shootout with Fire Fox back then was your father. Fire Fox just wanted to train you into a killer they could use against him."

Wesley's expression changed to shock as he looked at Lake. "You're lying to me."

Lake chuckled. "Why would I lie to you? Is it worth it for the hundred thousand US dollars in your bank account? If I hadn't helped you, that money would have been frozen."

Wesley: "..."

That was the reality of it.

After the police raided The Assistance, they had found nearly a million in cash and over a dozen bank cards in a safe. With the transaction records, it was perfectly normal to freeze the hundred thousand in illicit funds transferred to Wesley from one of those cards.

As for him snatching Wesley's hundred thousand US dollars?

Lake disdained such actions.

He preferred to prey on criminals and earn money through his own skills. He had no interest in deceit and trickery.

Lake looked at Wesley, who was still stunned at the police station entrance, and didn't bother saying anything else. He simply patted Wesley on the shoulder, told him to take care, and walked towards his car parked at the entrance.

He got into the car.

Lake immediately made a U-turn and drove towards Police Headquarters.

He had fulfilled his promise. As for what Wesley's future held, it had nothing to do with Lake.

After an unknown amount of time.

Wesley snapped back to reality. Seeing Lake, whose car's taillights were no longer visible, he stood in place, silent for a moment. Then, as if struck by an idea, he hurried towards the nearest ATM.

He looked like someone who had just been released from a mental hospital.

Half an hour later.

Lake parked his car in a parking spot by the side of the road near the police station.

He got out of the car.

Lake walked directly towards the police station's steps.

Just as Lake was about to reach the steps, he was stopped.

Two people.

Their profession...

Thugs?

Lake narrowed his eyes, looking at the two non-conformists, one dressed in black and the other in white. "What do you want?"

Good grief.

Were they high and coming to provoke people at the police station entrance? Or did they not want to freeze to death outside, so they were looking for an excuse to get into the police station's holding cells for a good meal and a night's sleep.

"Buddy, can you spare some cash!"

"..."

Lake's brow twitched incessantly.

Seeing that Lake wasn't reacting, the white non-conformist very familiarly reached towards Lake's right pocket.

Good grief.

"Ah!"

The white non-conformist let out a scream. "Let go! It hurts! Officer, you're hitting me! Officer, you're hitting me!"

The officers working at the police station immediately turned their attention to the scene.

Lake narrowed his eyes and let go.

Alright.

They weren't high, nor were they homeless people looking for warmth. They had targeted him.

Who could it be?

Lake glanced at the two men, let out a cold laugh, and decided not to fall for such a low-skill trap. He simply walked past them.

The road is wide.

I'm making way for you; I hope you can afford the price.

The price of your life.

It's just...

Lake chose to retreat, which seemed like cowardice in the eyes of these two punks. The shorter punk felt he had the advantage and, seeing this, reached out to grab Lake. "You hurt me, I'll let you go... Bang!"

A meteor streaked across the sky.

With a bang.

The punk who was about to grab Lake's shoulder was sent flying into the air, then soared nearly five meters before crashing hard into a flower bed far away.

The other punk's eyes narrowed, and he looked directly at Lake.

He wasn't panicked.

In fact, there was a hint of smugness in his eyes.

Then, the punk spoke to Lake, "Your mom exploded!"

"Bang!"

Lake kicked him again, sending this guy flying five meters into the flower bed as well.

Interesting!

Lake stretched his neck and arms, then walked expressionlessly towards the flower bed. Inside, the two punks, coughing up blood and with three broken bones, couldn't get up no matter how they tried.

You have the life to take the money, but do you have the life to spend it?

Crack!

Lake directly reached out, applied force, and pulled a section of steel pipe from the guardrail. He thought this as he looked at the two thugs, their faces filled with terror, clearly not expecting to be so severely injured. A smile touched his lips.

A smile of cruelty.

Just then.

"Stop!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Bang!"

"Lake, are you out of your damn mind!"

"..."

Lake frowned as Detective Beckett of the Second Unit blocked his path.

Beckett whispered to Lake, "Look down below."

Lake looked up.

A group of reporters, from who knows where, had emerged and were taking pictures of Lake and the two punks.

Beckett pulled Lake towards the police station building. "Let's go!"

Lake didn't refuse.

Undoubtedly, he had been set up.

But...

If he had to do it again, Lake would still fall for it. It was his nature. At most, he'd just say, "When the soldiers come, block them; when the water comes, dam it."

Lake could also guess the next step for those two thugs.

Sue him.

Heh.

Lake didn't know if these two would sue him, and they definitely would. But Lake could solve another problem.

If the accuser died.

Then...

Would the court even accept the case?

On the sixteenth floor of the police station building.

Maureen, his girlfriend, who was looking at documents in her office, heard the commotion outside. Seeing a group of people gathered by the floor-to-ceiling window looking down, she walked out curiously and asked with a smile, "What are you looking at?"

A newly hired blonde beauty from the Psychological Treatment Department's eyes sparkled. "Wow, Detective Edwin is so cool."

Another beauty was also excited. "He kicked someone five meters away with one kick, that physical fitness."

Maureen was confused.

A member of the Negotiation Team walked over to Maureen and recounted what had just happened downstairs. Then, he said to Maureen, "Doctor, this matter is likely to be troublesome."

Maureen let out an unreadable "Mm."

She didn't need to think to know this was definitely a setup.

What kind of newspaper would stake out the NYPD like this? The moment Lake made his move, a bunch of reporters, who seemed to be lying in wait, suddenly appeared.

Maureen gritted her teeth and walked towards the elevator.

The capture plan had begun.