Chapter 43: The Missing Person Case and Emergency Response

Finally, it was time to go back to work, and Ao Xi was overjoyed. For the first time, he thought working was a blessing. Day after day of relentless rain was enough to wear out even the toughest man. Especially since Zhuo Ning practiced both dance and yoga—her beauty and long legs were irresistible, but his kidneys couldn’t handle it.

Where could he get some Liuwei Dihuang pills? It wasn’t easy to find them in American pharmacies.

Zhuo Ning drove Ao Xi to the police station before heading to her school. These days, she drove Ao Xi’s XT4 every day, barely touching her Mini.

He cheerfully changed into his uniform and gear. As soon as he stepped outside, he bumped into Mark.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the hospital? Did you escape?”

Mark rolled his eyes. “I was there for my stomach, not a mental breakdown, okay? Besides, I’ve long since recovered—I’m in great shape.”

“Really? To celebrate your discharge, why don’t we go eat some spicy boiled fish?”

“Are you a demon? No way!” Mark fled in embarrassment. To think such a handsome officer could be reduced to this—women truly are tigers.

Unsuccessful in his mischief, Ao Xi felt a tinge of regret and got into his patrol car. This time, he was driving a Dodge Charger—his Taurus had taken a bullet to the engine and was written off. Thankfully, police cars were provided by the department; otherwise, he would have been heartbroken.

Captain Carlisle had lectured him about the department’s limited budget and the importance of taking care of his assigned vehicle. Ao Xi just nodded along, offering noncommittal responses.

He drove onto the streets. Los Angeles looked much the same as ever, unchanged, as were the police calls.

“Adam 388, a resident has reported a missing friend last seen driving a car. Please respond to the following address.”

“Adam 388, copy.”

Ao Xi drove to the scene, finding it a typical neighborhood where Chinese and white residents lived side by side. The Chinese would pave over their front and back yards for convenience, while the whites preferred lawns. Gradually, the white residents would move away, feeling the environment had deteriorated.

Spotting the police cruiser, a Chinese man on the sidewalk waved him down.

Ao Xi pulled over and asked, “Did you call the police?”

“Yes, Officer, that was me.”

Ao Xi took out his little notebook, still pristine after a month of use. “What’s your name? Who do you think is missing?”

“My name is Ryder Lee. I’m worried about my friend, Colin Zhang.”

With a name like that, he was likely Chinese, but it didn’t matter—just part of the job.

“Please tell me about Colin Zhang in as much detail as you can.”

“Certainly. He’s thirty-one years old, five foot seven, one hundred and fifty pounds, wears glasses. The day he disappeared, he was wearing a black T-shirt with stars on it, black Adidas track pants, and a hat.”

“Got it. When did you first suspect he was missing? What was he doing before he disappeared?”

“Around two in the afternoon yesterday. Colin drives part-time for Uber, but he hasn’t come back since then. He rarely works night shifts, and he suffers from depression and isn’t in great health. Both his family and I are really worried.”

Everyone seemed to have some mental health issue these days. Ao Xi ignored that and continued, “What color is his car? Do you know the license plate?”

“A silver-gray 2020 Toyota Camry. The plate is xxxxxxx.”

Ao Xi glanced at the house nearby. “Is this Colin’s residence? I see there’s surveillance installed. Can you let me in to pull footage of the last time he drove off? Also, I’ll need a clear photo of his face and the car—including the plate—to submit to the missing persons system.”

“Of course.” Ryder nodded and led Ao Xi inside. They pulled the relevant footage from the security system and found photos of Colin and his car.

Ao Xi gathered the materials. “Alright, I’ll return to the station, upload the files, and send them to the appropriate task force. If you get any new information, call the station.”

“Thank you, Officer. May I ask—when will you find Colin?”

“I can’t make any promises. All I can say is that we’ll do our best to find him. Please rest assured.” Finding missing people wasn’t patrol work, and he couldn’t make promises—if the person wasn’t found, it would only come back to bite him.

Ryder’s face fell, but he forced a smile. “I’m counting on you.”

Ao Xi nodded and drove back to the station, handing the case to Carlisle.

Carlisle glanced at the files and set them aside. “I’ll forward this to Homicide—they’ll take over.”

“We’re jumping to homicide already? Shouldn’t we look for him first? What if he’s just had an accident somewhere?”

“They’ll look, don’t worry. Homicide will handle it. Every year, plenty of rideshare drivers go missing, and most turn up dead—because they carry cash and phones. If nothing else, there’s always the car to sell. You get it.”

Rideshare driving really was a high-risk job in America. Ao Xi remembered hearing stories as a child about taxi drivers getting robbed or killed. It seemed the job had always been dangerous.

He shrugged and went back on patrol. Los Angeles was huge, and finding missing persons was a job for specialists. He just had to do his own work well.

He hadn’t been out long before the dispatcher’s voice sounded again: “Attention all units, gunfire reported in the Austin community. The caller heard more than a dozen shots and says at least three people are firing. Nearby officers, respond immediately and exercise caution.”

First day back and this happens? Unacceptable—let’s get to work!

Ao Xi braked sharply, threw on his bulletproof vest, flipped on the siren and lights, and floored it toward the Austin community. Other police cars responded as well, forming a line and racing through intersections.

When they arrived, the gunfight was still raging. The gunshots sounded like beans popping in a hot pan.

Other officers parked at a distance, found cover, assessed the situation, and called for backup, advancing slowly.

Ao Xi had no patience for that. He gunned the car straight in, stopping only when the shots were close, pulling up beside a house. The neighborhood was a classic American suburb, with wooden homes of all shapes and sizes—none of which were bulletproof. He climbed out and took cover behind his car door, listening for the gunfire’s direction. He started to draw his Glock 19, reconsidered, and put it back. In this environment, a pistol wouldn’t cut it.

Instead, he grabbed the Remington shotgun and a dozen shells from the trunk, loaded it with a satisfying click, and skirted around the back of the house.

Once past the house, the gunfire was right in front of him. He peeked out quickly—a man was crouched at the far corner of the next house, occasionally reaching out to fire at the street.

“Hey, police! Hands up!”

The man hesitated, instinctively turning his gun toward Ao Xi.

Ao Xi didn’t hesitate. He raised the Remington and fired, shredding the man.

[Ding! Host has made a kill. Cash reward: $100; Skill awarded: Silent Movement.

Skill description: In complex environments, approaching a target without making noise is the hardest part. This skill allows the host to move as silently as a cat, getting close to targets without alerting them.]

[Host has made 10 kills. System reward upgrade: From now on, rewards will be calculated every 10 kills. The host may choose to upgrade an existing skill or describe a new one, and the system will condense the skill according to the description.]