Chapter 1264: Talk of a Transfer, and If You Want It, Come and Get It Yourself
Generally, only when police officers shot and injured a suspect or had serious psychological issues would their superior order them to go and get counseling.
John had also been forced to take leave, so this definitely wasn’t a small matter.
“How many did you kill this time?” Luke asked involuntarily.
John said unhappily, “Rubbish, it’s not that easy to die!”
But when he saw Luke’s skeptical expression, he looked away in embarra.s.sment. “Two have serious injuries, three have light injuries.”
Luke: “…Are the two with serious injuries about to die?”
John: “…They’re still in the ICU. They won’t necessarily die… right?”
Luke was lost for words.
He had nothing else to say. He took out a portion of the roast meat from the big bag he was holding and gave it to John. “I’ll treat you to a good meal. Let’s get a drink when we’re free.”
John’s nose twitched, and he nodded. “Okay.”
A takeaway box wasn’t good enough comfort for being ordered to go home for a while, but it wasn’t like Luke was his wife.
Besides, the food smelled great.
After seeing the troublemaker off, Luke sighed and entered the office.
Dustin was already waiting for him inside.
The office blinds and door weren’t closed, so Luke had clearly seen them talking.
Although John looked like he was out of luck, he was in fact the “super force” which Dustin relied on the most in the police department apart from Luke.
John and Luke were Dustin’s two trump cards.
Dustin had never forgotten that in the L.A. Nakatomi Plaza case, Luke and John had killed more than 50 professional criminals without even communicating with each other.
In that battle, John had acted in the open and Luke from the shadows. In addition to all the criminals being wiped out, only one reckless hostage had died; there had been no other casualties.
This proved that they were excellent partners.
However, most cases didn’t require two super fighters at the same time. It would be a waste to put them together.
Actually, Dustin felt that it was a waste for Selina to follow Luke.
With her abilities, she could set up her own team and groom new people in pa.s.sing.
She was the one who had brought Luke out of a small town. n.o.body could say that she wasn’t capable!
Unfortunately, it was just an idea, and unless the two of them brought it up themselves, Dustin wouldn’t be the first to mention it.
Dustin wasn’t Brad. He was always more considerate toward his subordinates, and wouldn’t only consider his own point of view.
This sort of character actually wasn’t an advantage if he was promoted, but he didn’t want to change his nature.
Enjoying the food which Luke had brought, he gestured for him to close the door.
Luke closed the door and sat on the couch. Dustin dropped the goose leg that he had been eating and wiped his mouth. “If you hadn’t come back by now, I would have called you.”
Luke asked, “Is there a major case?”
Dustin shook his head and made sure that n.o.body was outside, before he said in a low voice, “The commissioner is probably going to step down soon. It’ll be sometime this month.”
Luke wasn’t surprised, but he was puzzled. “What does that have to do with us?”
After a brief silence, Dustin finally said, “Brad wants me elsewhere.”
Luke asked, “A promotion or a transfer?”
Dustin said, “He wants me to apply for the position of director of Brooklyn’s 66th Precinct.”
Luke frowned. “What does he want to do?”
Most branch directors were either captains or deputy inspectors, so on the surface, this transfer was to a position on the same level.
However, transferring from HQ’s Detective Bureau to Brooklyn was in reality a significant drop in status and importance.
It was more like a transfer to suppress an opponent, but it was Brad who had proposed it.
Dustin said, “He said that I don’t have any practical experience in managing a department at a lower level, and I have to make up for this shortcoming before I can be promoted.”
Luke sneered when he heard that. “Does Brad have a brain disability, or does he think you have one? He dares give you such a ridiculous reason.”
Dustin smiled bitterly. “He probably thinks that I’ll agree as usual.”
Luke nodded in understanding. “Who did he make a deal with?”
Dustin said, “I don’t know, but it’s an NYPD higher-up, and might be connected to a particular councilor.”
Luke asked, “What do you think?”
It actually wasn’t a big problem, but if Dustin didn’t want to fight it, it would be inconvenient for Luke to take action.
Dustin spread his hands. “What else can I think? I can’t keep this position without backing.”
Luke chuckled. “Boss, are you willing to give up on Brad now?”
Dustin smiled self-deprecatingly. “I regard him as a good friend, but he doesn’t.”
Actually, he had noticed the change in Brad since he came to New York.
It wasn’t him forgetting his roots after achieving success; rather, it was the transformation from a police officer to a politician, where everything depended on interests.
It wasn’t a momentary impulse, nor was it something that could be affected by an old friends.h.i.+p.
He and Brad had known each other for so many years, but Dustin didn’t want to learn to prioritize benefits over all else. He was unable to say anything, and they gradually grew apart.
It was partly due to talking with Luke.
When Luke wanted to give someone a mental suggestion, it wasn’t so easy; everything he said had to be based on facts and couldn’t be created out of nothing.
Dustin wasn’t really stupid.
Luke had just solidified his impression of Brad by bringing up things that Dustin hadn’t wanted to dwell on in the past. Naturally, his “loyalty” to Brad faded.
Dustin was a good boss, and Luke wasn’t willing to switch bosses.
Even if he could shut up his new boss, a boss who was unhappy because he was forced to yield was far more inconvenient than a boss who took him into consideration.
Not all of Luke’s behavior was in keeping with a police officer’s code of conduct.
Dustin could help him withstand pressure and refuse an investigation by Internal Affairs, which was very convenient.
The position of chief inspector didn’t look impressive, but New York was under his jurisdiction, and New York was currently the center of a series of major events.
Luke was a civil servant and didn’t have a high rank. He could appear anywhere in New York and not draw any attention.
His days were so smooth because he had someone to cover for him.
A certain tyc.o.o.n was the opposite.
Tony had Stark Industries to protect him, but could he do whatever he wanted? Of course not.
The higher a person’s position in society, the more restrictions there were.
Jenny was becoming more and more powerful, but there were also more and more rules she had to follow when she did things. Luke, on the other hand, didn’t have any of that.
That was because Jenny was the person who ran t.i.tanium Phone Company, not Luke.
As he was thinking that, Luke smiled. “Isn’t that enough? In any case, we’re going to fall out with him anyway, so why give up this position? If Brad wants it, he can get it fair and square.”