Reborn: The Rookie Detective

Jack gave a shy smile, pointing to his scraped lip to indicate he wasn't completely unharmed.

"I...know a little about human anatomy and applied on the weak points. The situation was urgent, and I had to go all out."

Actually, while Jack's fighting skills were proficient, he hadn't used any special techniques to quickly take down the two assassins today; it was all thanks to his superhuman physique. The female assassin's thin arms and legs couldn't break through his defenses, and the bald man's muscles looked intimidating, but they not built with the help of system like his.

If it were those bald assassins with barcodes tattooed on the back of their heads, Jack wouldn't even consider hand-to-hand combat; he'd have to cast a healing spell on himself before even attempting a sneak attack.

Ray King and David Rossi seemed quite familiar with each other; it was unclear what their past interactions were. After whispering for a while, the gaunt old man left a few IRS agents to protect Mesia and hurriedly departed.

David Rossi hadn't come specifically for Jack; he was probably in LA on business and decided to meet him on a whim. But it was clear he was very satisfied with Maureen's recommendation.

Knowing Jack had stayed up all night, he even kindly told him to go home and rest, immediately adopting a leader's demeanor.

"We'll see each other again soon. I hope our first collaboration goes smoothly."

With that abrupt remark, David Rossi took his leave of the hospital.

"Long time no see." With everyone else finally gone, Maureen looked at Jack with a strange expression.

Jack, who offered to stay and take Professor Cahill home, had a mischievous look on his face.

"It is indeed a long time, but we can make up for that..."

....

Before Jack's administrative leave was even over, Nolan impatiently dragged him out of the house and shoved him into his newly bought Toyota Tundra.

It wasn't until they saw the San Fernando Valley road sign that someone couldn't help but feel a little scared. Had this old rookie recently taken on some kind of side hustle?

"Where are we going?"

If Nolan didn't explain clearly, Jack was ready to jump out of the car.

"I found the car you wanted." Nolan's tone was filled with undisguised smugness.

"A classic muscle car from the 80s, supposedly in excellent condition, and the owner is asking for only $5,000."

"The 80s? Only $5,000?"

Jack wondered if he was hearing things or if Nolan was out of his mind.

His old, beat-up car had only cost him $3,000, and an 80s muscle car wasn't one of those vintage cars with appreciation potential. Why would he dare to sell it for $5,000?

"You'll be surprised when you see it, I swear!"

Nolan was so confident that Jack could only remain skeptical.

The 40-minute drive wasn't too far, and soon Nolan drove into a farm. Guided by an old man who looked at least 80 years old, he stopped in front of a dilapidated barn.

"Hello Mr. Robbins, please let my friend take a look at your treasure."

Looking at Nolan's pilgrimage-like demeanor, if Jack didn't know the man's character well, he would almost have thought Nolan was in cahoots with the seller to swindle people.

The old man shakily approached the barn door and struggled to open it; Jack and Nolan quickly stepped forward to help.

"This… this is a Pontiac Firebird?"

Jack stammered, pointing at the black sports car in the middle of the barn, his words trembling with excitement.

Nolan, with an "I knew you'd be like this" expression, corrected him smugly: "To be precise, this is a 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am."

Ignoring the thick layer of dust on the car, Jack tried to open the driver's side door. Although he immediately noticed the absence of the iconic red light on the hood, he was still somewhat disappointed when he saw the lack of the flashy dashboard and racing-style steering wheel inside.

Well, this world certainly didn't have any sci-fi TV shows stitched in, so there wouldn't be a talking car, and certainly no world-destroying threats roaming the streets.

But touching the car's beautiful, flowing lines, Jack almost shed tears.

Nolan completely misunderstood Jack. He wasn't a die-hard fan of American muscle cars; he was just a bit of a hypocrite. He'd always coveted Hannah's Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and had been thinking about getting a used American muscle car for fun.

Unexpectedly, Nolan had helped him find his childhood dream car.

Seeing Jack's delighted expression, Nolan used his expertise to chat with the old man for a while and managed to get the price down by another $500.

After paying a $200 deposit and arranging for a truck to pick it up a week later, the two began their journey home.

"The barn is very dry. Although the car hasn't been started in thirty years, the odometer shows less than 20,000 miles. The body is in excellent condition. I've also contacted a tuning shop for you; they promise to give this car a new lease on life for just $2,000."

Nolan was very thoughtful, but Jack clearly wanted more. He Googled the car on his phone while pondering, and soon some new ideas came to mind.

....

Wilshire Police Department was unusually lively today. Not only did outgoing Captain Anderson make a rare appearance, but Jack also spotted several familiar faces.

David Rossi, dressed in a bespoke Italian suit, stood next to Zoe with another unfamiliar middle-aged man. SWAT team leader Hondo, whom Jack hadn't seen in a while, was also in the back row of the conference room.

Even Tyler Kelly, a Channel 8 news anchor, was waiting outside the conference room with a microphone and cameramen, waving enthusiastically at Jack.

Commander Gery, his expression serious, nodded and stepped onto the podium. "This morning at 5:00 AM, California Women's Central Prison will be transferring inmate number 081316, Rosalind Dyer, a rare female serial killer."

"For the past five years, she has been held in solitary confinement. Today, she will be transferred to our department. Before I assign duties, I would like to invite FBI Agent David Rossi and Assistant District Attorney Sean Delmont to explain inmate Dyer's background information."

David Rossi politely greeted Commander Grey, then stepped onto the podium, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. He paused slightly at Jack's spot, giving him a smile, as if to say, "I told you we'd meet again soon."

"Good morning, everyone."

"Some of you may be unfamiliar with this case. In 2015, Rosalind Dyer was arrested by the FBI after murdering seven people and was ultimately sentenced to death."

"But there is evidence suggesting the actual number of victims may be much higher, and even among the seven known victims, three bodies have yet to be found."

"Today, thanks to the District Attorney's efforts, an agreement was reached with Dyer; she has agreed to guide the police to the location where the bodies are hidden."

David Rossi's last sentence had a strange tone. Although his English always had a slight Italian accent, Jack swore he could definitely detect a sarcastic undertone in it.