You're a US police officer, what are you thinking about going back to the East for?

ACU, Anti-Crime Unit

Lyon had certainly heard of this department.

Within the Seattle Police Department, this group was known as the "Mad Dogs" or the "Undercover Cowboys."

They don't need to handle neighborhood disputes, noise complaints, or help elderly women find their lost cats like regular patrol officers.

In this department, you can go without a uniform, without driving a police car, and carry your gun on your person instead of on your belt. You also receive various more advanced equipment and enjoy a high degree of freedom coupled with extremely high risks.

Wandering through the neighborhoods with the highest crime rates, keeping an eye on gang members, drug dealers, and violent felons, proactively taking action to drag these scum out of the shadows.

High-risk, high-intensity, and often a frequent visitor to the Ministry of the Interior's complaint mailbox.

"ACU? Sounds like a cool place, playing cat and mouse with gangsters every day."

Lyon leaned back against the table, which was covered in gunpowder residue, showing no intention of standing at attention in front of the branch chief.

"It's a thankless and arduous task."

"Chief, as you know, although I'm a pretty good shot, I prefer the stable life of a nine-to-five job... oh no, I mean, a three-shift system."

A lazy smile curled at the corner of his lips:

"Just having all sorts of big toys isn't enough to entice me. I also need to eat, pay bills, and save money for retirement."

"Besides those empty titles, how many specific ones... for example, Franklin, how many?"

Sterling seemed to have anticipated Lyon's question.

It's good to have desires; people with desires are the easiest to control and the easiest to use.

"It seems our Officer Vance is a very honest man."

"Besides the hazardous duty allowance and plainclothes allowance provided by ACU itself..."

She parted her red lips slightly and uttered a word that would drive most American blue-collar workers crazy:

"OT (Overtime) will give you unlimited overtime rights."

Lyon's eyebrows twitched suddenly.

In the United States, working overtime is not considered a chore; it's a top-tier privilege enjoyed only by key clients and core employees.

Of course, this doesn't mean that jobs in the US are easy. Many people can't work overtime and need to earn more money, so they have to work several jobs every day.

According to the police union agreement, overtime pay is 1.5 times the normal hourly wage, and even 2 or 3 times the normal hourly wage on holidays.

However, in order to control the budget, the city hall usually strictly limits the overtime hours of each police officer.

Want to work overtime? That depends on your seniority, your relationship with your boss, and you might even have to wait in line.

The word "unrestricted" means that Leon can continue "working" even after get off work if he wants to.

Even if he's just sitting in his car staring at a street corner, or having a coffee with his informant, all that time will turn into piles of US dollars flowing into his account.

If he wanted, his payslip could double or even triple.

In the United States, an annual salary increase from $100,000 to $300,000 represents a significant leap in social class, from blue-collar to high-income earners.

Seeing the obvious light in Lyon's eyes, Sterling continued to increase the stakes with satisfaction:

"Furthermore, ACU's rules... are more flexible."

"You don't need to be bound by patrol guidelines like police officers."

"As long as we can catch them, as long as we can reduce the serious crime rate and overall crime rate in our district, I can allow you to be a little rougher in certain procedures, or do some unnecessary things."

"Those people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs who want to investigate ACU's accounts or operational reports will have to get past me first."

Sterling's voice was incredibly seductive:

"Less rules of engagement, fewer paperwork constraints."

"One year at the ACU is equivalent to five years in the patrol force. Sergeant, inspector... if you want, the promotion speed will be as fast as a rocket."

"Money, power, freedom. Lyon, this is the highest price Seattle can offer."

"So? Is this deal enough to tempt you?"

Given these conditions, any police officer aspiring to climb the ranks would probably have already knelt down and begged for mercy.

But Leon simply touched his chin, looking quite troubled:

"That sounds perfect, absolutely perfect."

Lyon toyed with the Glock in his hand, his fingers lightly tapping the sleeve, but his face didn't show the ecstatic joy Sterling had expected.

"But Chief, ACU's high casualty rate is notorious throughout Seattle."

"Was the previous ACU team leader blown to pieces in his car? And the one before that, shot to death by gangsters in front of his house?"

"Money is a good thing, and overtime pay is very tempting."

"But I'm someone who values ​​my life. If I'm going to earn money but not live to spend it, I'll have to think twice."

"after all……"

Leon paused, a sly glint in his eyes, "Seattle isn't just about ACU being short-staffed."

really

This bastard dares to pull this stunt on me because he has other bargaining chips in his hand.

That day, the way SWAT officer Hobbs looked at Leon was off, and that annoying FBI agent Hayes, apparently inquired about Leon's file afterward.

This gave Sterling a strong sense of urgency.

She absolutely could not let this useful knife fall into the hands of that roughneck Hobbs, much less let him be kidnapped by those suit-wearing thugs from the Federation.

As for Lyon deceiving himself…

This was outside her consideration; given the abilities Leon had demonstrated, he certainly had the right to demand a higher price.

"You're such a greedy man, Leon."

Sterling chuckled and, instead of backing down, took another half step forward.

This time, she was practically glued to Leon.

That exquisitely well-maintained hand slid down Leon's collar, finally tracing a faint circle on his chest.

"Leon, as long as you perform well..."

Her breath was sweet and fragrant, her eyes gleaming with longing. "Besides money and power, perhaps... there are other rewards."

"Specifically, we can develop that privately, little by little."

This is already an explicit statement.

Lyon looked down at the restless hand on his chest, then at Sterling's exquisite and charming face.

If it were any other man, he would probably be melting at this point.

But Lyon simply lowered his body suddenly, and his handsome face instantly magnified in Sterling's vision.

too close.

Their noses almost touched, and Sterling could even clearly see his own reflection in Leon's pupils and smell the gunpowder emanating from him.

This sudden counterattack instantly disrupted Sterling's previously controlled rhythm.

Her breath hitched, her heart skipped a beat, and her fingers, which were about to continue their wandering, froze in mid-air.

This was the first time someone had dared to invade her safe zone at such close range.

To be honest, Victoria Sterling has never paid such an exaggerated price in her life to win over someone.

In the past, she only needed a hint or a slightly respectable transfer order, and those male police officers would wag their tails and pounce on her like lapdogs.

But today, facing this second-level patrol officer who exudes a dangerous aura, she not only offered him unlimited overtime, which is practically a money-giving deal, thus tacitly acknowledging illicit income, but most outrageously, she even used herself as a bargaining chip to hint at it.

She felt like she had truly lost her mind.

But she really didn't have many options left. Recently, the crime rate in her jurisdiction had surged, or rather, the entire city of Seattle was becoming increasingly chaotic due to the escalating gang warfare.

The issue of the West District Police Station's financial backer withdrawing their investment is pressing, and just at this time, an extraordinary second-level patrol officer named Lyon appears under his command.

She was gambling, gambling that this knife could help her completely clear away the obstacles in the West Side, reduce the crime rate, and allow her to regain her position or even advance further.

This feeling of losing control, of having played all her cards, instinctively made her panic.

Just as Sterling was in a state of confusion, and even her cheeks began to burn uncontrollably, Leon's warm lips approached her ear.

"Since you've put it that way, Chief..."

His voice was deep and husky, making Sterling's ears go weak.

"I have only one condition."