Reborn: The Rookie Detective

"What do you want from me? Didn't I tell you? You're useless to me now. Nobody cares about that damned kill order."

King Midas, his eyes bloodshot, raised his head and said in a deep voice, "I want to make a deal with you."

Commander Gray hesitated for a moment, then walked into the cell and closed the door.

"Just half an hour ago, I was appointed acting chief of the Wilshire Precinct by the Chief of Police. What bargaining chip do you have left to sway me?"

King Midas's face showed a mocking smile.

"Just acting, isn't it? At any moment, some politically savvy guy could parachute in and take over the position. You'll only get a brief taste of power before collecting your pension. Maybe your family will be happy, because you'll finally have time to spend with them."

"Fuck you, you piece of shit!" Commander Gray grabbed his collar.

"If you brought me back to provoke me, congratulations on your success."

"No, no, no, my old adversary, we can actually help each other, can't we?"

King Midas patted the arm that was gripping his collar.

"I have a proposal. You find a way to protect my son, and then I'll provide you with some things enough to get some of my old buddies in to keep me company. What do you think? With that credit, I don't think anyone can..."

Commander Gray snorted, tightening his grip on the other's collar and slamming him against the wall.

"I've never been your friend, and you have no right to negotiate with me. Hand over the evidence, and tell me where your son is hiding. If he's lucky enough, I'll arrest him before the FBI and the other police."

Twenty minutes later, Commander Gray walked out of the jail, got into his police car, and after a moment of blank staring, rubbed his slightly puffy, dark face vigorously with both hands, then took out his phone and made a call.

"We succeeded! King Midas provided evidence of crimes committed by three key leaders, along with some ledgers — enough to nail them to the wall. The Southern Front is finished."

In the Wilshire Police Department's chief's office, Zoe put down the phone and announced to the group with a smile.

The small office was crammed with seven or eight people. Upon hearing this, Tim, Nolan, Angela, and the others all beamed with joy.

"We'll set off in half an hour. The three key leaders will be handled by the FBI. Captain Hondo and his team will be responsible for raiding the Southern Front's hideout. The rest of you, block off the surrounding roads and make sure to capture Cole."

After assigning the tasks, Zoe turned a teasing gaze to someone sitting to the side, who seemed to be on pins and needles.

"Commander Ginny, you can have Angela help you remove your makeup now."

Jack jumped up from his chair, grabbed his blonde wig, and let out a long sigh.

"Hehehe, wait, I haven't taken a picture yet." Angela grabbed the wig and put it back on, standing next to Jack, pulling out her phone and snapping a picture with a pout.

"Let's go together!" Nolan and Tim couldn't miss this opportunity. They flanked Jack, holding him down to prevent him from escaping, and called everyone to take a group photo.

Finally, even Zoe and Hondo weren't left out. Everyone squeezed together, placing the mournful-looking cross-dressing Jack in the middle, and took a group photo.

Yes, all of this stemmed from a trap Jack devised last night based on the information about the "Southern Front" provided by Zoe.

This violent gang wasn't invincible; its founder, "King Midas," had been imprisoned for years and could only remotely command through his foolish son.

And that fool Cole had done something stupid before, like issuing a kill order against the police. Therefore, Jack deduced that there must be several key leaders in the "Southern Front" who were dissatisfied with Cole.

This deduction was confirmed by Commander Ben Cicora of the LAPD's Anti-Gang and Narcotics Division. As the LAPD's anti-gang unit responsible for all gang-related crimes, they had infiltrated almost every large and medium-sized gang organization in Los Angeles with undercover agents and informants.

So Jack suggested proceeding with the planned purge of the Southern Front, specifically targeting disgruntled key leaders and avoiding any contact with the vested interests controlled by Cole.

Next, veteran actor Commander Gray stepped in, delivering a natural performance as a commander experiencing a midlife crisis and unwilling to be subordinate.

This gave Midas a strong psychological suggestion, creating the illusion that he could take control.

Then came the unexpected part: a sudden, major event needed to throw Midas off balance, making him see Commander Gray as his last hope. And so, a cross-dressing man made his grand entrance.

To prevent any mishaps, Jack persuaded Zoe to act as his double, transforming into Commander Ginny Anderson and getting into Nolan's patrol car.

Then, an undercover agent planted within the Southern Front by the anti-gang unit, along with another real gang member, carried out the kill order. They then arranged for the "killer" to escape and relay the news back to the Southern Front.

The undercover agent's "killer" subsequently disappeared, leaving Midas unable to hand over the shooter after receiving the news. He concluded that the police would never let his foolish son who issued the kill order go, and was forced to quickly offer a deal to Commander Gray.

Perhaps at this moment, Midas was still gloating, believing he had killed two birds with one stone: saving his son and eliminating a rival. Although his gang might suffer some short-term losses, he would have more secure control afterward.

However, the District Attorney had already reached an agreement with Zoe: after arresting the three key leaders betrayed by Midas, the District Attorney would offer them a deal to ensure the death of his foolish son.

This is the most crucial step. Once the deal is finalized, and the police arrest or kill Cole, the nominal leader of the Southern Front, this violent organization that has plagued the LAPD for years will immediately disintegrate. The "King Midas" in prison will also pay the price for his actions, becoming isolated and powerless.

"I told you Jack is a manipulative devil. Next time, we should take him to church and try using real holy water. Maybe it'll produce white smoke," Nolan, who had been involved throughout, finally relaxed and was in the mood for teasing.

"Those things that produce smoke are called vampires. You can find tons of them on Wall Street."

Jack rolled his eyes like Angela, laboriously removing the two silicone contraptions that weighed nearly 20 pounds, wiping his irritated upper body with a towel, and complaining all the while.

"From today onwards, I'm a feminist. It's amazing that you guys can keep up with the male cops while carrying those two heavy lumps of flesh."

Angela, having removed his makeup, casually slapped him on the shoulder, put away her Beretta 950, and reluctantly looked away from his well-defined muscles.