The Crime System

A Cop's Second Life

Luke found himself in a bewildering situation. His mind raced, searching for some kind of introduction to this so-called Crime System, but there was nothing. Even the strange voice that had spoken to him moments ago had vanished from his memory.

Frustrated, he slapped his head repeatedly, hoping for something to change. "What the hell is this!" he exclaimed.

The voice had spoken too quickly for him to catch everything, but he remembered a few words related to the lottery. He wondered if this Crime System was just some kind of lottery system. Had he won the jackpot, or was it the complete opposite?

Luke couldn't help feeling disappointed. Even if he had won some sort of system, it was probably the easiest one to win in history.

Attempting to smoke, he realized his cigarette had gone out during his violent coughing fit earlier. With a heavy sigh, he delved back into his memories, discovering that the Luke Sullivan of this world was in dire financial straits – living in the police barracks, eating at the station's cafeteria, and with barely a hundred dollars to his name.

It seemed his only source of income was his salary from the police station. How pathetic! Back in his gangster days, every day was a feast. While he didn't live in fancy houses, there were always beautiful women around, and every night was a party. His life then could have been compared to that of a king's.

Compared to now, his old life seemed much better. But back then, every day was a death match; the danger level was much higher than being a cop. Also, there were too many scumbags; it was easy to die because of some hidden agenda – he was a living example of that!

Scanning through his memories, Luke realized this world wasn't too different from his old one, save for a few details. They were in the same city, but there were no familiar faces or places from his previous life. None of the old gangs existed, and of course, none of his old friends or underlings.

But even if they did, none of them would recognize him now, because he was now a cop!

He sighed again. "Let's not think about this anymore!"

Turning his attention to the front, Luke noticed they weren't far from the city's most infamous red-light district. He figured he'd have some fun before worrying about anything else!

As the cab stopped, he pocketed the driver's pack of cigarettes and lighter. When the driver saw the fare of twenty-nine dollars on the meter, Luke quickly flashed his police badge.

"Special Crimes Unit on duty! Thank you for your cooperation!" he said sternly, "I've got your cab number, just wait for your Citation Notice!" Ignoring the driver's confused expression, he hopped out and disappeared into the night.

In his memory, the old Luke Sullivan was a goody two shoes who never would have come to such a dubious place. But the current Luke was experienced, and he knew all the fun spots couldn't be found through the main entrance.

He turned into a hidden alley, quickly finding a small steel door with a few young people queuing outside. Despite its dingy appearance, he knew a luxurious establishment lay behind it.

Impatient to wait, Luke strode straight to the entrance. A muscular bouncer with a nose ring blocked his path, "Sir, our bar is members only. Are you a member?"

"Fck off!" Luke cursed, nearly spitting in the bouncer's face. He pushed him aside, yanked the steel door open, and strutted in without a care.

In his mind, some rules simply didn't apply to him. Despite his burly build, the bouncer seemed unsure how to handle Luke, so he could only watch as Luke disappeared inside.

The interior was indeed a luxurious private bar. Neon lights reflected off wine glasses, magnificent decorations adorned the walls, emotions ran high, and scantily clad youngsters danced on the floor, shouting non-stop.

Luke knew these sorts of bars were usually run by powerful crime syndicates. Back in his street days, he commanded many such places – he was a pro at this!

Of course, he also knew that within some of the darkened, private rooms, many illegal activities were occurring. If you wanted to catch criminals, it was like picking low-hanging fruit here.

But tonight, he was only here to enjoy himself and satisfy his manly urges. After making a few rounds, he quickly found his target.

Sitting at the bar was a slim, dainty woman in a black-and-white striped, business casual outfit. She was slightly curvy, elegantly postured, with a face to match her beautiful figure.

Her cheeks were flushed, with many glasses laid before her; she'd clearly been drinking more than a little.

Girls like these were easy targets, Luke was celebrating inside – this should be fast and easy.

"Hey beautiful, are you by yourself?" He barely took a seat before starting his classic pick-up lines, "How about a drink or two with me? I know some amazing cocktail recipes. Interested in trying some?"