In their eyes, Dean had become a person not to be trifled with.
Seeing the cowboys' reactions, a smile flickered in Dean's eyes. Recently, his grandfather's farm hadn't been peaceful. This time, I'll also take the opportunity to flex my muscles. I'll use these cowboys to spread the word and warn those other farm owners to behave themselves!
Dean handed Beck a cigarette. "What's there to explain? Grandpa isn't as dumb as you. He knows my intentions. Besides, the NSA will compensate you for the depreciated value of the vehicles—a full write-off. Take the money and treat them to some serious R&R."
Upon hearing the word "relax," Beck's eyes lit up.
He nodded, thumping his chest resoundingly. "No problem!"
「The church affair was settled.」
The NSA special ops team stayed behind to clean up the scene.
Dean, Dick, and the others were about to leave when he spotted several police cars slowly arriving at the outskirts of town.
Dean recognized the person in the lead vehicle and let out a whistle. WHOA. The FBI backup has finally arrived.
It was Ruth's partner, rookie agent Cheston En. He had 'rushed over' with five or six patrol officers he'd scrounged up from the precinct, finally arriving just as Ruth's body was growing cold.
Cheston En also saw the departing Dean.
He poked his head out, and with an enthusiastic smile, said, "Detective Dean, what a coincidence! Have you seen Agent Ruth by any chance?"
Dean stepped forward, handed Cheston En a cigarette, and said with a sigh, "You might need a new partner, Cheston En."
Cheston En had vaguely sensed that Ruth provoking Dean wouldn't end well, but this was too fast!
A chill ran down his spine. He quickly fumbled for a lighter and lit Dean's cigarette, fawning, "Detective Dean, I admit I shot my mouth off before and offended you. Every time I recall the mistakes of my ignorant youth, I jolt awake from nightmares, my eyes red, though I never knew why. Seeing you today, Detective Dean, I finally understand! I realize I owe you an apology!"
This kid must have some Japanese blood in him; if the car weren't so low, he'd probably be bowing deeply already. As they say, a wise person adapts to the circumstances. Cheston En has indeed grown a lot in these two months.
Dean smiled, gave a gentle, dismissive wave to the trembling Cheston En, then got in the car with Dick and the others and left.
「On the return journey.」
Dick, having experienced his first real massacre, showed no discomfort. On the contrary, he seemed exhilarated.
It seemed violence was a dominant gene in the Lucchese Family. The members of this family were innately bloodthirsty.
"Dick, what are your thoughts?"
Dick exhaled a satisfied cloud of smoke and murmured, "Cousin Dean, today I finally feel like a real Mafioso, not like those low-life street gangsters."
The Lucchese Family in New York had long been in decline. Most of their assets were in industries like dance troupes and bars. If Dean hadn't killed Dick's older brother, Diss, Dick probably would have ended up as a manager in one of those businesses in a couple of years, dedicating himself to the family's cause. Where else would he find such a blood-pumping scene?
Dean plucked the cigarette from Dick's hand and tossed it out the window. Under Dick's astonished gaze, Dean shook his head. "Dick, you must remember this: if you only rely on violence to solve problems, you'll never become a qualified family head. The core of this operation was an exchange of interests, not violence. Otherwise, how could you get away with gunning people down in broad daylight?"
Dick appeared thoughtful. He had heard similar things from his grandfather. However, hearing about it was one thing. Experiencing it firsthand imparted a much more profound understanding.
He nodded, reining in his soaring thoughts, and said earnestly, "I understand, Cousin Dean."
Dean nodded and closed his eyes to rest.
There was something else he hadn't said. When violence reaches a certain threshold, physical annihilation is far more direct and effective than any exchange of interests! So, allocate points!
Level: 17 (300/3,200)
Skills: Pistol Proficiency, Ancient Muay Thai Mastery, Trace Tracking L2, Akaz School-Mind Reading Technique L2, More (Click to open).
Cases Solved: 15, Details.
Three Attribute Points. Dean decided to max out his Spirit attribute first!
Attribute Points: 3 → 1.
As the values on his panel changed, a continuous cool sensation surged through the intricate neural pathways of Dean's brain, activating and invigorating them. Innumerable dormant memory fragments surfaced in his mind. Books he had read previously were digested and assimilated during the enhancement process, deepening his comprehension. Previously learned skills were reinforced, and his understanding of them deepened. Although their levels didn't appear to change, their profundity was vastly different.
[Skill Gained: Beast Taming L1]
[Spirit attribute has reached the current maximum...]
After a while, Dean opened his eyes.
He was still the same person, yet the world he perceived through his eyes was entirely different. He felt that he could now control many minute aspects of his body; even making his 'little brother' move up, down, left, right, and spin in circles would be no problem.
Beyond that, his mental processing, logical analysis, and other cognitive functions had all risen to a new level.
Theoretically, as long as he didn't encounter some genetically mutated monster, his brain had now reached the hardware limits of a normal human.
And... Dean tried closing and then opening his eyes. He found that external sensory inputs like sounds, smells, and vibrations were effortlessly organized in his mind into a peculiar, alternative form of perception.