Chapter 11: The Murder Case (Please Keep Reading)

No one responded from inside the house.

Ao Xi tilted his head, listening intently, but heard no movement within.

He glanced at Wally, seeking his guidance with a look.

Wally stepped back a few paces and picked up his portable radio. “Adam44 to Dispatch: We’ve found large amounts of blood in the garage at the target location. Suspected home invasion and possible injury. Requesting authorization to breach the door and investigate.”

“Dispatch copy. Permission to breach granted. Backup units are en route. Please wait patiently.”

Many people say that, in America, police cannot break into a home without the owner’s permission or a search warrant. That’s true, but not the whole truth. If police suspect someone inside is injured and in need of help, or if they see a suspect enter, or believe evidence is being destroyed, they can request permission and enter even without a warrant. After reporting, they can break in.

Furthermore, after forcing entry, if police discover someone behind the door armed with a deadly weapon, they are justified in taking the initiative. This is the so-called “Castle Doctrine”—as for who lives and who dies, it depends on marksmanship. It’s usually not the police.

After receiving authorization, Wally motioned for Ao Xi to approach with him. The two silently counted “one, two, three,” and then Wally slammed his foot into the door and quickly stepped aside.

Ao Xi stretched out his arm as far as possible; as Wally kicked the door, he grabbed the handle and wrenched it open.

It had to be said, the wooden door wasn’t sturdy, and Wally was strong—a single kick did the trick.

I should really install a steel door in my apartment, Ao Xi thought to himself.

Wally quickly peeked through the doorway. “No one in sight. I’ll go in first, you follow.”

With that, he raised his gun and slowly entered the house. Ao Xi followed close behind, thinking that if a crime really had happened and the perpetrator was still here, that would be ideal—he could take the initiative. It had been days since he’d punished any evildoers. How could he level up without punishing evil?

They moved slowly through the entryway, and at first glance, saw a middle-aged to elderly Asian man lying motionless on the floor, covered in blood. He looked dead.

“Wally?”

“Leave him for now. Check the other rooms—safety first,” Wally replied.

You had to admire how American police handled things.

The two coordinated as they searched the entire house and backyard. Finding no one else, they returned to the living room.

If that old man hadn’t died before, he certainly had now.

Wally gave a quick inspection and reported to dispatch, “Adam44 reporting: After forced entry, we found a middle-aged Asian male in the living room, down and covered in blood. Preliminary check shows no vital signs. The car in the garage is missing, and there are bloodstains on the garage floor. Suspect may have fled in the vehicle. Requesting verification.”

“Copy, Adam44. Hold your position and secure the scene. Homicide and the medical examiner are on their way.”

Wally released the radio and turned to Ao Xi. “Alright, our job here is done.”

“We’re not going after the suspect?”

“Of course not, buddy. We’re patrol officers—just responsible for patrol and initial response. If we witness a crime, we’ll intervene, but homicide cases like this are handled by the homicide squad.”

Patrolling the streets every day—did that mean being a cop was pointless?

Wally saw the frustration on Ao Xi’s face and clapped him on the shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking, man. Young guys are always full of justice, wanting to be superheroes. But everyone has their own duties. Do your own job first.”

“Even if I were willing to take you after the suspect—how would we find him? Do you know the license plate? Could you perform autopsies and gather evidence? The suspect could already be out of Los Angeles, maybe even out of California.”

Ao Xi knew Wally was right. Even with his system, he wasn’t omnipotent. Finding one specific person in a sea of people was impossible; it required a team.

This realization left him somewhat dejected, and he leaned against the wall, lost in thought.

Ao Xi couldn’t help but reflect: he needed to play to his strengths. Investigating cases wasn’t his forte, nor the system’s. He had no way of knowing which person was the culprit in any given case.

His advantage was the system: he could reap rewards and level up by taking down targets—so the focus should be on the takedown, ideally in situations of violent conflict, and as frequently as possible.

So perhaps the best role for him was as part of a fugitive apprehension unit?

During takedowns, when suspects resist, he could take them out—punishing evil and beyond reproach.

But then again, that wouldn’t do either. He couldn’t just kill ten suspects in ten takedowns—people would catch on that something was wrong.

So... so... it wasn’t going to be easy.

Ultimately, Ao Xi realized his understanding of the police, especially American police, was woefully superficial. He barely knew the basics, so it was no wonder he couldn’t find the right answer.

Suddenly, the sound of sirens came from outside—backup had arrived.

Ao Xi looked out the window and saw three police cars pull up, six officers stepping out.

Wally exited the house with his hands raised to greet them, signaling that the situation was under control. Only then did the backup holster their weapons and come inside.

They glanced at the body but said little, then headed outside to put up police tape, spreading out in small groups to keep onlookers at bay.

Americans loved a spectacle even more than people back home. Whenever something happened, they’d gather around, even if it was a shootout—they’d poke their heads in for a look.

Some excitedly made phone calls and took photos. Ao Xi overheard and realized they were tipping off the newspapers for a reward.

Seeing the other officers unfazed, Ao Xi pretended not to notice either.

Before long, two more police cars and an ambulance arrived. Wally went forward to report, and Ao Xi realized these were homicide detectives.

They looked no different from patrol officers—Ao Xi had expected suits or plainclothes.

Once the homicide unit arrived, they took over the scene—some taking photos, some collecting evidence, others talking to the caller and neighbors for information.

At first, Ao Xi watched with curiosity. As long as he didn’t get in the way, the detectives didn’t bother with him.

But after a while, he grew bored. This was nothing like the detectives he’d imagined—no brilliant sleuthing, just painstakingly searching every inch for evidence, photographing and bagging every bloodstained item, practically digging up the floor.

Interviewing witnesses was even more tedious. Americans could talk endlessly, rambling on about the victim's life, filling little notebooks with notes that didn’t seem to help catch the killer at all.

This didn’t suit Ao Xi’s temperament—he wasn’t that meticulous, and couldn’t do this kind of work.

He lost all interest in the homicide unit. Let others do it—he’d stay out of it, whether they needed his help or not.

Ao Xi returned to his patrol car, where Wally and the other responding officers were chatting in small groups.

He didn’t know any of them, so he just greeted them briefly and leaned against the car door to rest.

“Beep—Dispatch to all units: The missing vehicle from the Bisbee Street homicide has been located. The suspect is fleeing eastbound on the I-10. All available units, please assist.”

Ao Xi froze for a moment, then jumped up. “Wally, start the car—now!”