Copying Gun Fu (Seeking Collection, Seeking Recommendation!)

He opened the case file he'd brought back from the office.

His eyes landed on it.

A photo of a body in a body bag, a bullet hole right between the eyes, looking like an execution.

The body had been found in the incinerator of New York Prison, and it didn't match any registered corpse. So the apprentice who'd been covering for his mentor at the time discovered it and reported it up the chain.

Then.

The case was handed over to the NYPD, and by the afternoon, it landed on Lake's desk.

"Another John Doe!"

Lake rubbed his brow and glanced at the preliminary report. The body's fingerprints weren't in the database. Cases like this, with no identity records, were the most troublesome.

I prefer cases that are simple and straightforward.

Compared to a John Doe case that might take ages to investigate, Lake much preferred a straightforward murder or serial killing.

Those cases barely required any brainpower—just catch the suspect and be done with it.

Not like this one?

To find the truth in this case, the first step was figuring out who this guy was. And the incinerator definitely wasn't the primary crime scene.

Just then.

His girlfriend Maureen appeared at the study door, looking a bit irritated because of something going on at her home in Los Angeles. Without a word, she crooked her finger at Lake.

Lake's eyes lit up. With a thump, he closed the case file in front of him, got up, and hurried after his girlfriend, who had already turned and left the study.

Solving cases isn't as fun as having a girlfriend.

Anyway, the guy was already dead. Waiting one night wouldn't hurt.

The next day.

Lake and his girlfriend Maureen arrived at the precinct building together.

She went up.

He went down.

The basement level of the precinct housed the archives, storage, and the Medical Examiner's Office. It seemed like every law enforcement agency's ME office was stuck in the basement.

Was that tradition?

Medical Examiner's Office.

Olivia, with her silver-streaked medium-long hair, an unusually pale complexion, and a somewhat sweet face, looked at Lake as he walked in and greeted him.

Lake stepped inside and glanced at the body on the autopsy table in front of Olivia. "The prison sent the body over?"

Olivia hummed in confirmation. "I was just about to start the autopsy, so don't ask me for any clues yet. He just got here, and I haven't even had a face-to-face with him."

Lake sipped the coffee he'd bought that morning. "You know I won't rush you."

After all, the John Doe was already dead.

Solving the case a day earlier or later made no difference. Besides, having a case on his plate gave Lake an excuse to skip work and handle his own business.

Solve the case?

Ha.

Even if every American died off, Lake couldn't care less.

But...

As Olivia unzipped the body bag in front of her, revealing the John Doe who had been dead for five or six days and gave off a strong odor, Lake suddenly raised an eyebrow.

For no particular reason.

Something had been activated.

Ding!

Detectable entity found. Scanning. Extracting replicable skill.

Extraction successful.

Adrenaline Boost—Unlocks potential, increases speed, increases jumping ability...

Gun Fu—A powerful fusion of martial arts, marksmanship, and swordsmanship. Mighty as thunder, terrifying as lightning. Uses precise motion calculations to deliver maximum damage from positions of minimal self-harm. Can shoot into any blind spot from any angle. Unpredictable. Uncanny.

Extract / Cancel

"..."

No brainer. Of course, extract.

Extract!

Vroom!

Lake's body shuddered!

Olivia glanced at Lake, who was standing there trembling, trying to radiate some kind of kingly aura. She rolled her eyes. "Another vegetable night? You're drained. I saved a burger from yesterday in the fridge."

Lake: "..."

The information for Adrenaline Boost and Gun Fu flooded into Lake's database, his mind like a computer screen being refreshed by endless streams of data.

Soon.

Lake stopped vibrating, taking in the details of these two skills. He raised an eyebrow, but before he could revel in delight, Olivia's words made him cough violently: "What do you mean, drained dry? My constitution's indestructible."

Olivia let out a scoffing laugh: "So, do you want the burger or not?"

Lake arched an eyebrow: "Yes."

Olivia: "..."

Why the hell not.

Even though last night had involved plenty of energy going in and out without any replenishment, Lake felt he was still far from the concept of being drained. Still, going a few hours without meat didn't sit well with him.

A little while later.

Lake sipped his coffee and ate the burger Olivia had left in the fridge, sitting on a nearby chair, watching her perform the autopsy over there.

His gaze... landed on the corpse currently being dissected.

Adrenaline Boost—that didn't spark any thoughts.

But Gun Fu?

Wasn't that the signature skill of the Textile Factory?

So...

Who was this guy?

Lake seemed to have an idea. He stood up, moved closer, and studied the corpse's face—mangled after five days—with careful attention.

Ding.

From outside, Detective Joe Martinez, who had just started his shift, walked in and looked up at the scene.

Olivia's face glowed with fervent intensity as she dissected the corpse.

Beside the corpse...

Lake, one hand holding coffee, the other a burger, took a sip of coffee and a bite of the burger, his eyes fixed on the open body, eating with relish.

The scene was downright horrifying.

Joe Martinez paused for a moment, then mustered the courage—strong enough to survive being assassinated by these two—and coughed.

Lake and Olivia snapped back to attention, looking over.

Olivia looked at Joe Martinez: "Hello, who are you looking for?"

Lake said to Olivia from the side: "The new guy from yesterday, in George's group—Detective Joe Martinez. He's temporarily assigned to this case with me, and he'll go back to Group One when George's task is done."

Olivia nodded without another word, lowering her head to continue dissecting the corpse, removing various parts, weighing them, recording the data, and sorting them neatly.

Joe Martinez walked over to Lake: "Detective Edwin, don't you think eating in front of a corpse is disrespectful? Or do you have some kind of special fetish?"

Lake was straining to match the corpse's face with the movie faces in his database, and at this remark, he muttered absently: "Tastes better."

Joe Martinez's face darkened instantly.

Tastes better?

Was he insane?

Martinez said stiffly: "Detective Edwin, please maintain the professional ethics of a police officer. Otherwise, I will..."

Before he could finish.

Detective Joe Martinez watched as Lake turned and walked toward the office door.

PS: The corpse—from "Wanted," the guy who looked cool for less than a minute before getting his head blown off!