Chapter 45: This Doesn't Count As Hit-And-Run, Right?

With a gloomy expression, Truelove led the police officers out on a drug bust. Tonight, he had received an anonymous tip from a citizen reporting drug trafficking at a specific location, requesting police intervention.

The term "black eating black" sounded too harsh. As a police officer, he was simply conducting a legitimate drug bust. As for what would happen to the confiscated narcotics afterward, well, that depended on how cooperative these drug dealers chose to be.

If they were cooperative, he would cut the product with filler and return some to them; if they were uncooperative, they could forget about ever seeing this batch of drugs again.

He mused that the drugs he managed to secure this time would be diluted at least tenfold before being resold, making up for his long-standing financial losses.

He was too damn poor!

Ever since Blue Magic swept through New York, his business as a middleman had become exceedingly difficult. So many gangs had been squeezed out of survival that not just small-time crews, but even the once-mighty Bonanno family—former overlords of the drug trade—were struggling to make ends meet.

Naturally, life had become equally hard for corrupt cops like his unit.

The last time they went to the Bronx to shake down drug dealers for cash, they had even been publicly humiliated by a damn pigeon!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got!

"Where the hell are those niggers getting their supply?" Truelove demanded as he walked.

Blue Magic was everywhere in New York, but the source of the pipeline remained a mystery he had yet to crack.

"No idea, haven't figured it out yet," his subordinate replied offhandedly. "We'll ask 'em in a bit and sniff out their boss."

Truelove sneered. Once they found the boss, a hefty shakedown was guaranteed. Did they really think they could sell drugs in New York without paying protection money every month?

Did they have Truelove's permission?

......

"Truelove? What the hell is this guy doing here?!"

David's brow furrowed into a tight, anxious knot. "Damn it! This guy's going to blow our operation!"

If Truelove swiped the stash, how were they supposed to catch the dealers red-handed and secure a conviction? Truelove always pulled these dirty stunts under the guise of conducting a legitimate drug raid, leaving them with no formal grounds to stop him.

"This asshole only knows how to cause trouble!"

Richie could never forget that taunt of "false righteousness." With a dark expression, he immediately grabbed his walkie-talkie to contact the other ambush teams nearby, ordering everyone to stay alert and prepare for action at a moment's notice.

......

Inside the apartment.

Black Jimmy was getting high with his sexy black wife.

Among all of Frank's extended family members, he was the only one who utterly lacked discipline. He regularly stole from the operation and had developed a severe drug addiction.

During one of Frank's banquets, high out of his mind, he had shot a corrupt cop in the leg just because the guy had groped his wife.

Fuck!

Lying on the sofa, Black Jimmy wore a savage expression, his blood boiling at the mere memory of that day.

Wasn't he even allowed to discipline those dirty cops who took bribes? Especially when that bastard had touched his wife!

Yet Frank had chosen to shove his, Black Jimmy's, head into a piano, slamming the lid down over and over again right in front of all those guests!

Asshole! He helped that corrupt cop instead of his own flesh and blood cousin!

Well, then Frank couldn't blame him for secretly skimming his product.

At that thought, Black Jimmy instantly felt a wave of satisfaction. Nothing felt better than scoring free drugs.

Riding the high, just as he was about to get intimate with his wife again, a sudden knock pounded on the front door.

He opened it to find four police officers, led by a white man with a mustache.

"Police!" Truelove flashed his badge briefly. "We have reason to suspect you're harboring narcotics here. Cooperate with the investigation!"

***

Upon seeing Black Jimmy's unfocused gaze, the experienced Truelove knew instantly that this bastard was a junkie who had just gotten high.

They had the right man!

"Shit! You can't break into my home!" Black Jimmy reached out to block them. "Got a search warrant? You're violating my privacy!"

"A junkie talking to me about privacy? Get lost!" Truelove sneered, shoving him aside with a heavy palm.

Stepping into the living room, he saw white powder covering the table, a sea of dark skin on the sofa, and syringes scattered everywhere...

They had come to the right place!

Truelove suddenly thought that if America didn't have junkies like these, police departments everywhere would make a lot less money.

"Take 'em all!" Truelove waved a hand, signaling his men to confiscate the entire stash of drugs.

"And it's high-purity product, too," one officer noted by scent. "Uncut. Such damn luxury."

"Fuck! You can't take my stuff!" Black Jimmy's eyes turned bloodshot as he grabbed a revolver from a nearby cabinet. "Drop it, or I'll shoot!"

"Truelove, this kid is definitely high out of his mind. He actually dares to point a gun at cops," an officer chuckled, entirely unfazed.

Truelove threatened, "Think very carefully! Killing a federal officer is a capital offense—you'll never see the light of day outside a prison cell! Step aside! I'm in a good mood today, so I'm only taking your product and don't have time to drag you down to the precinct! You should be thanking me for saving you a fortune on bail."

Black Jimmy's face twisted in internal struggle before he finally lowered the handgun with a defeated expression.

He didn't want to go to prison.

The corrupt cops quickly cleared the table, but Truelove refused to let up, continuing to grill Black Jimmy about whether there was any more stash hidden in the house.

When Black Jimmy denied it, Truelove punched him straight in the face, then led his subordinates on a destructive search of every nook and cranny.

They were seasoned pros at this, checking even the toilet tank lid, and sure enough, they unearthed a significant amount of hidden narcotics.

Just as the group prepared to head upstairs to search the second floor, a dark, round object rolled down the hallway.

Truelove's face drained of color as he muttered involuntarily, "Shit..."

In the final second of his life, Truelove thought that death was ultimately inescapable. He had imagined dying from a drug overdose, but never from being blown up by flour.

Boom!

The violent explosion blasted the corrupt cops through the air, leaving some of them torn to pieces.

Black Jimmy, having miraculously survived the blast inside the living room, stared blankly at the gruesome carnage before him, his mind completely numb.

Why had his house suddenly exploded?

One officer, still clinging to life with his last breath, crawled out from the hallway, raised his pistol with vicious intent, and aimed it at Jimmy. "Bas—tard!"

Bang!

Black Jimmy fired first, the bullet piercing the officer's chest. He stared blankly at the dying cop, his brain empty, the light completely gone from his eyes.

Nearby, his wife, dazed from the drugs, was startled awake by the explosion. Seeing Black Jimmy commit murder, she let out a piercing scream and bolted out the door.

Coming to his senses, Black Jimmy grabbed the bag of drugs and fled right behind his wife.

Run! Before anyone noticed! Get the hell out of this damn place!

***

[You entrusted Leon to kill 4 corrupt cops with a trail of crimes... You eradicated a tumor within the police department and defended the peace of New York.]

[Received Skill Point x10]

[Received Skill Fragment x5]

[Remaining Skill Fragments: 103]

***

Leon was no longer in the passenger seat. The evening wind poured through the car windows, carrying a hint of chilling intent.

Luca stared silently ahead as Black Jimmy dashed out the door clutching a bag, followed closely by Black Sonny and the others scrambling out of their car in pursuit.

***

"Stop him!"

Black Sonny charged out in the lead, closely followed by Old Zuo and Downey. As he rushed past the house, Downey cast a suspicious, uneasy glance through the doorway.

Where were Truelove and those corrupt cops?

Events had unfolded too abruptly; everyone had paused their operation due to the cops' arrival, only to be stunned by the subsequent explosion and gunfire. Before they could figure out what was happening, Black Jimmy had come bursting out.

What on earth had happened?

Downey felt a lingering sense of unease.

Bang!

Another gunshot rang out abruptly, and Downey saw Black Sonny stumble and crash to the ground. Sonny was still clutching a bag of drugs to his chest, and though Black Jimmy tried to wrench it away, Sonny gripped it with a death grip, refusing to let go.

Seeing Old Zuo and the others closing in, Black Jimmy abandoned the struggle for the drugs and fled in panic.

"Sonny!" Old Zuo cried out, running over to check on him. Sonny was clutching a profusely bleeding thigh, his face twisted in agonizing pain!

"Motherfucker!" Sonny cursed, clutching the bag of drugs tightly. "Old Zuo! Take him down! That bastard's gonna pay for that bullet!"

Panicking and out of his mind, Black Jimmy was already running far away. His only remaining thought was to flee, to escape this godforsaken country before he could be caught!

However, waiting ahead of him were police officers who had laid in wait for a long time.

"Hands where I can see them!" David shouted, popping up from behind a cruiser with his service weapon raised.

"Jimmy! Drop the gun!"

"Move fast! I'm not playing games, I will blow your head off!"

More and more police officers swarmed in from all directions, sealing off the entire perimeter. This also caught Downey and his crew off guard; before they could escape with the drugs, they found themselves completely surrounded by the police.

Old Zuo cursed viciously, "Where the hell did all these cops come from?"

Witnessing the scene, Black Jimmy felt his legs turn to jelly. Whether from the drug overdose or sheer terror, the world around him was spinning wildly.

He knew he was finished.

Stumbling, he turned around, bolted back onto the street in a frantic sprint, and fired a few wild shots behind him.

At that exact moment, a car suddenly veered toward him. No matter how frantically Black Jimmy tried to dodge, the vehicle locked onto him and struck him dead center without missing a beat.

Thud!

Black Jimmy was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the roadside. If the vehicle hadn't been moving at a moderate speed, that impact would have sent him straight to Satan.

The sudden vehicular assault drew everyone's attention.

The driver's side door opened. First, a long, straight leg stepped out, followed by a sharply jointed hand gripping the door frame. Illuminated by the nearby street light, a strikingly handsome face with chiseled features became the absolute focus of the scene, making it impossible to look away.

Luca closed the car door, facing the group of armed police officers rushing toward him with a leisurely smile spreading across his face.

"Officers, I helped you intercept a fugitive. That shouldn't count as a hit-and-run, right?"