The transition from the sterile, sandalwood-scented penthouse to the gritty reality of the Jinghai streets was jarring. As Lu Cian stepped onto the balcony, the night air—damp with the approach of a summer storm—tugged at his rumpled Superintendent's uniform. His head still throbbed from the synchronization of his Earthly soul with this new, "jinxed" body, but the cold logic of a forensic psychologist had already taken the wheel.
In his peripheral vision, the neon-blue HUD of the Omniscient Detective System flickered, waiting for his command.
[System Notification: Reputation Points +2,500!] [Current RP: 3,000. Would you like to spend 2,000 RP for a 'Tutorial Gacha' pull?] [System Note: Your current physical stats are... let's call them 'athletically challenged.' If you chase the suspect now, your heart will quit before you hit the pavement. Buy a cheat, Superintendent.]
Shut up and spin, Lu Cian thought, his eyes narrowing as he watched a flickering blue signal on his map—the drone's remote signature—speeding away toward the neon-drenched districts of the lower city.
[Ding! You have received a Consumable Item: 'Adrenaline Overclock' (5 Minutes).] [Effect: Increases Agility by 300%. Side effect: Triggers extreme metabolic debt (Intense Hunger).]
A surge of liquid fire erupted in Lu Cian's veins. The world around him slowed as the "Urban Enforcer" skill tree path partially activated. Raindrops hanging in the air became static diamonds; the frantic shouts of the officers behind him stretched into low-frequency groans.
"Superintendent Lu! Stand down!" Captain Lin Bing's voice crackled through his earpiece, sharp and icy. "We have protocols for aerial pursuit! You are not cleared for—"
Lu Cian didn't wait for her to finish. He vaulted over the penthouse railing. For a terrifying second, there was only the whistle of the wind and the dark abyss of the eighty-story drop. Then, his boots slammed into the metal railing of a maintenance catwalk three floors down. The reinforced structural integrity provided by the System held firm, absorbing the shock that would have shattered a normal man's shins.
He hit the ground running, his feet barely touching the concrete as he blurred past startled pedestrians. To the citizens of Jinghai, he was just a streak of police blue, but to the Netizens watching the leaked precinct feed, he was a viral sensation in the making.
[Netizen Comment: 'Is that the Jinx?! Since when can he move like a parkour pro?'] [Netizen Comment: 'Look at the speed! Is he a hidden martial arts master? #SuperintendentLu']
Lu Cian ignored the pop-up comments. His focus was entirely on the blue dot. Even at high speed, the "Silver Bullet" evidence—the ionized trail left by the drone's high-performance motors—glowed like a neon thread in the grayscale world of his Trace Vision.
The chase led him into the "Neon District," a labyrinth of illegal gambling dens and underground bars where the wealthy went to hide their sins. This was the territory of "The Cleaners," the syndicate that erased evidence for the elite. As he rounded a corner, the signal stopped. It was centered directly on "The Gilded Cage," a high-end nightclub known for its biometric security and "Untouchable" clientele.
Lu Cian skidded to a halt, his chest heaving as the Adrenaline Overclock began to flicker out. The hunger the System warned him about hit like a physical punch to the stomach, but he shoved it down. He adjusted his collar and checked his reflection in the glass doors. He looked like a mess, but his eyes—cold, analytical, and glowing with the remnants of the System's light—told a different story.
"Captain Lin," Lu Cian said into his comms, his voice steady despite the adrenaline crash. "The suspect is inside The Gilded Cage. I'm making the entry."
"Do not enter that club alone, Lu Cian!" Lin Bing hissed. "That's private territory. Without a warrant, you're just a civilian trespasser. You'll lose your badge!"
"I don't need a warrant to stop a fleeing felon," Lu Cian replied, a predatory grin tugging at his lips as he thought of the Justice Points waiting inside. "And Captain? Make sure the cameras are still rolling. I'm about to give the public a show they'll never forget".