Chapter 845

The lead officer hadn’t always treated him like this, but lately, Hector had started noticing something was off. It felt like, no matter what he did, the lead officer was always guarded around him. Not only that, Hector also realized that the major cases never seemed to come his way anymore.

Why was that? Was the lead officer afraid he might surpass him or maybe threaten his position?

Hector narrowed his eyes, connecting the dots from their earlier conversation. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

He let out a long breath. To be honest, he never had those kinds of thoughts to begin with, but the adult world was complicated. Even without desire for it, reaching a certain point meant others would begin pushing in that direction. The pressure would come, the expectations would rise, regardless of personal intention. That was just how things worked. Willing or not, the outside world had a way of pressing down, always backed by countless justifications.

Hector shook his head, trying to push those thoughts away. What he didn’t know was that, by pure accident, he had guessed the lead officer’s intentions correctly, but that would be something for later.

Hector arrived at the chief’s office and reported everything that had just happened. The chief listened, surprised but saying little.

“So, Julian Hayes is still being held at the station, right?”

Hector nodded. “Yes, Chief. Just as you instructed, we allowed him to make a phone call. But neither of those calls seemed to go well. He ended up arguing with his parents.”

At that, a thoughtful look crossed the chief’s round face. He had assumed Julian came from serious power, someone not to be messed with. That was why he had called Lucas. He hadn’t expected the guy to crumble so easily. Barely a few hits, and he was already down. The chief found that surprisingly disappointing.

Was someone this useless really worth Lucas‘ involvement? This was like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. The chief rubbed his temples, trying to figure out how to report this to Lucas.

“Alright, I got it.” The chief straightened up, looking at Hector. “You handled this well. When everything’s settled, I’ll make sure you’re properly recognized for it.”

Hector’s face lit up with genuine joy. “Thank you, Chief, I’ll keep working hard. If there’s anything you need, just say the word.”

The chief gave a slight nod, then waved his hand to signal Hector could leave. Hector, quick to pick up on cues, didn’t miss a beat. As he left, he thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

The chief was clearly pleased. Looked like it was time to bring in some fresh blood at the station, not just rely on the same old group of veterans. This young man seemed like a good pick. He was young, capable, and had solid judgment. The chief quietly made a mental note of it. Once the door shut, he waited a beat before pulling out his phone. He found Lucas‘ number and dialed.

Meanwhile, the mood in the hospital room had grown heavy, the lighthearted atmosphere from before long gone.