Chapter 99 Cash Over Promotion
Of course, the playboy would find it difficult to get his wish.
But in any case, Tony Stark was a man of integrity, and the guys from the hunting club had none.
Thinking that, Luke’s eyes flashed coldly.
He pulled Selina out of the police station and whispered to her about the offer. The girl immediately shrieked, “Ah, Los Angeles? I’m going to Hollywood! Wait, where’s Hollywood in Los Angeles? Is it in our jurisdiction?”
Sweating hard, Luke replied, “The Westside Los Angeles Police Department covers Hollywood and West Hollywood. Beverly Hills and Sunset Boulevard are both there.”
Selina screamed again, “Ahhhh! I want to go! I have to go!”
Luke said, “…Do you have any money? You’ll starve if you don’t have money.”
Selina was frustrated. “Right, we don’t have any savings right now.”
Luke said, “That’s why I said to Chief Thomas that we would prefer cash over a promotion.”
Selina’s eyes bulged. “What? How’s that possible?”
Their transfer was weird and unconventional in the first place. Who would give them money?
Luke snorted. “If my guess is correct, a certain playboy who has too much money is behind this. The police departments in both Houston and Los Angeles will benefit a lot from our transfer. What’s wrong with asking for some money? I would rather not go if it means that we end up starving; it’s much cheaper to live in Houston, at least.”
Selina thought for a moment, but shook her head. “I wouldn’t count on us getting anything.”
Luke said, “Will you come with me if I do get us some money?”
Selina nodded quickly. “Of course. Actually, I want to go even if you don’t get any money.’
Luke said, “…You better call home and tell them about the transfer. I think it’ll happen soon.”
Things turned out exactly like he said.
Three days later, Luke and Selina set off on a Greyhound bus.
Luke’s only regret was that he couldn’t say goodbye to their “beloved” Officer Brock; when Luke left, the man had been suspended pending the FBI’s investigation.
Thomas brought them a piece of good news: the Los Angeles Police Department was willing to pay Luke and Selina a special relocation allowance.
Each of them got fifty thousand dollars, which was roughly their salary for an entire year.
Selina was confused at the reason for the money. She had never heard of a relocation allowance in her entire career before.
Officers in L.A. got a rent subsidy of two thousand dollars, not fifty thousand.
Luke merely chuckled. He knew that if Thomas had gotten a charity fund, the Los Angeles Police Department must’ve gotten something even bigger.
A hundred thousand dollars actually wasn’t a problem for the big shots in the Los Angeles Police Department, because they didn’t have to promote Luke and Selina now.
Even if Luke had asked for two hundred thousand, the Los Angeles Police Department would still have accepted it.
The Los Angeles Police Department was even more anxious than the Westside Houston Police Department was.
After the deal was made, the Los Angeles Police Department immediately urged them to come over, and even transferred them money for the plane tickets.
However… Selina said that the Greyhound bus would be more comfortable.
Of course, she only said that to Luke.
So, they took a Greyhound bus and headed west.
They saved on the money for plane tickets that way, since the Greyhound bus cost no more than one tenth of a flight. Naturally, the rest of the money went into their pockets.
Luke was fine with the bus.
Although they had just earned fifty thousand dollars each, it was never a bad idea to save money. They were told to report for duty in three days, and it would take two days at most to reach Los Angeles by bus.
Selina couldn’t take that many bags with her this time, so she simply packed up the apartment and left her luggage to her colleagues to send to her once she was settled.
They had gotten HPD a charity fund, so they didn’t feel guilty about the request at all.
What could Thomas say? He simply told the logistics division to handle the request.
Considering how much the Greyhound cost, it definitely wasn’t the most comfortable means of transport.
But Luke and Selina were both young and strong, and it wasn’t so bad for them.
They made it to Los Angeles in good time, and reported to the Los Angeles Police Department.
They had done it once just two months ago, so they were familiar with the procedure.
However, they had to take care of the paperwork themselves this time. They were a.s.signed to the Major Crimes Division.
Luke was amused. They had been in the Major Crimes Division before, and were still in the same department after the transfer.
Selina was delighted to be a.s.signed to the Westside Los Angeles Police Department; she would’ve accepted the transfer even without a relocation allowance.
Hearing that, Luke gloomily added, “You can’t live without money here. This is one of the most expensive districts in L.A. You better worry about your rent first.”
Selina was frustrated.
But soon, she was happy again. “That’s fine. Don’t we have a rent subsidy?”
Luke said, “Hehe. Do you think it’ll be enough for you to rent a shed?”
Selina glared at him. “Can you only bring up the annoying money stuff after I’ve enjoyed the wonders of this place?”
Luke said, “No, we have to find a place to stay first. We’ll use up the rent subsidy if we live in a hotel.”
They finally found a suitable apartment after three days of searching.
It was similar to their apartment in Houston.
It was a 50-square meter, two-bedroom apartment, and its only advantage was that it was already furnished with the basics.
The rent was twelve hundred dollars a month.
It would’ve been more than fifteen hundred if the apartment were slightly newer or had an elevator.
After they moved in, Selina cried, “This isn’t worth it! We’ll use up our relocation allowance on rent in a couple of years.”
Luke shrugged. “Don’t worry, I guarantee we’ll make a fortune.”
Selina wasn’t convinced. “We’re police officers. How do you plan to make a fortune?”
Pondering for a moment, Luke proposed, “How about we invent something?”
Selina laughed. “Tsk! You aren’t a kindergartner anymore. Please grow up.” She thought Luke was talking about inventing gadgets for children to play with.
Luke smiled but didn’t say anything.
He hadn’t felt the lack of money as much when he was in Houston. After all, Texas was one of the states with the lowest taxes, and California had some of the highest.
Their salaries were substantially higher after the transfer.