Edward York could understand Jack Foster's worries. In the eyes of outsiders, police officers seem imposing, but in reality, Jack Foster was just a low-level figure, supporting a whole family as their pillar. If he lost his instructor position because he offended Henry Dawson, it would be a burden the whole family couldn't bear.

Unlike him, Edward York, who was all alone—not to mention a wife or kids, he didn't even have a girlfriend.

Wait a minute, I... I think I have a girlfriend...

Suddenly, the image of a woman flashed sharply through Edward York's mind.

That's my wife!

Edward York suddenly had this inexplicable thought.

But, damn it, I'm clearly single, no girlfriend, where would a wife come from?

This must be that bizarre extra memory playing tricks. If it really was a memory from his future suddenly entering his mind in this timeline, then technically, the woman in his mind right now was his future wife...

Alright, things were getting a bit messy.

Edward York shook his head, tossing out all those jumbled thoughts, and followed behind Jack Foster toward the instructor's office.

The Bajing Police Station was quite large; two years ago, they built a new office building and staff dormitory. It was an independent compound, having moved out from the Bajing Subdistrict Office.

The working conditions were pretty decent.

Every leader at the station had their own private office. Their criminal investigation team also had a separate workspace, and it was fairly spacious.

Such working conditions made some of the more remote county bureaus envious.

"Edward York, why don't you go change into some dry clothes first?"

As soon as they entered, Jack Foster said.

This was the difference between the station chief and the instructor. Relatively speaking, instructors tended to be more attentive and cared more about the daily needs of their colleagues.

Edward York was a bachelor and had been assigned a single dorm room at the station. In the past, before the new office area was expanded, there were no such conditions. Police officers like Edward York on the civil service track had to squeeze into a dorm with other colleagues.

"It's fine, Instructor Foster, let me give you a quick report on the situation first..."

Edward York knew he was anxious and said with a smile.

"Well... alright, have a seat first. I'll get you a cup of hot tea to warm up."

As Jack Foster spoke, he busied himself boiling water and looking for a teacup and tea leaves.

Although it was already May, it had been raining for days, so the weather wasn't particularly hot yet. The temperature hadn't risen, and at night, it was still a bit chilly.

Edward York knew this was just his fussy nature, so he didn't stop him and went straight to briefing him on the case.

The case, to put it simply, was actually quite simple.

"So, you're saying they originally wanted to kill that woman... what's her name? Grace Bennett?"

Jack Foster asked while boiling water.

"Yeah, her name is Grace Bennett. Then I ran into them, a fight broke out, and that's what happened."

Of course, Edward York left out the part about being struck by lightning. As for the scene sixteen years later, where detective Edward York from the Ping'an City Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division was also struck by lightning, he definitely wasn't going to mention that.

"Who is this Grace Bennett? Why did Henry Dawson's people want to kill her?"

Jack Foster's brows furrowed tightly as he asked, almost talking to himself, his expression extremely serious and tense.

Although Jack Foster wasn't originally a detective, his many years of grassroots police work had made him keenly aware that this matter was probably not simple.

Chapter 7: I'm Afraid

"You'd have to ask them about that."

Edward York replied with a smile.

He wasn't as nervous as Jack Foster. Although Edward York could understand Jack Foster's feelings, to be honest, he didn't really care.

At the end of the day, I'm a cop too. As long as I haven't done anything wrong, what do I have to be afraid of?

No matter how powerful Henry Dawson is, what can you do to me, Old Nine-Six?

"Edward York..."

Jack Foster hesitated, not knowing how to talk to Edward York.

In Jack Foster's mind, the best way to handle this was to let the people go and pretend nothing had happened. Although Frederick Turner and the others had indeed pulled knives in front of the police, nothing actually happened, right? On the contrary, each of them had been thoroughly dealt with by Edward York.

Edward York hits hard!

This was common knowledge at Bajing Police Station.

The guy was ex-special forces, heavy-handed.

But Edward York had his own explanation for this: mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself!

That's the kind of training people from the military background always received.

Understandable!

Since that's the case, it would be better to just give them a warning and let them go, to avoid trouble.

But Jack Foster also knew he couldn't just say that outright, or it would make him seem like an instructor with no principles.

This matter wasn't exactly big, but it wasn't small either.

If you wanted to make it serious, charging them with attempted murder wouldn't be out of line.

There were four of them, and three pulled knives.

It was just bad luck for them this time, running into Edward York. If it had been another officer without Edward York's skills, who knows who would have won or lost tonight, or even who would have lived or died.