American comic book police officer survival manual

Penguin.

A notorious figure in the Gotham underworld, especially known for his cunning and ruthless methods, he is an extremely troublesome behind-the-scenes villain.

Well, that's all Lucius knows about the Penguin.

"The Penguin currently holds a very high position in the underworld... so it's best to avoid direct conflict during this mission. You should hide in plainclothes on Third Avenue and try to gather some intelligence."

Gordon felt a headache coming on when he thought about that top-ranking dangerous individual in Gotham City.

Not to mention the gangsters in Gotham City, even within the Gotham Police Department, there are quite a few people willing to act as informants for the Penguin.

If the contraband hadn't been so dangerous, Gordon wouldn't have put a new officer at such a risk.

In Gotham City right now, the only police officer confirmed to have no ties to the mob and who is not even known to them is Lucius.

"You just need to pretend to be any identity, such as a vendor or shop assistant, keep an eye on the suspect vehicle, and take pictures of its location and destination. Of course, it would be best if you could pinpoint the destination."

The sound of Sheriff Gordon's voice coming through the phone eased Lucius's expression considerably.

"I have sent the relevant equipment to your apartment. Remember to be in position on Third Avenue before noon tomorrow."

"clear."

Arriving at the apartment door, Lucius picked up the plain white box and took a deep breath before returning to the table.

My first assignment as a police officer came rather quickly, and it immediately involved a mob boss like the Penguin...

"What's wrong with the police in Gotham City these days? Are they assigning this kind of task to nobody like me...?"

Muttering his dissatisfaction under his breath, Lucius opened the white box and easily found several hidden cameras from the police station.

Looking at the dark locator that had appeared in the box, the familiar device reminded Lucius of a certain wealthy man who was popular with women.

"Is Commissioner Gordon planning to pass the information to Batman and let Steward Wayne handle this shipment of contraband?"

After a moment's thought, Lucius put down the special equipment and stopped putting more pressure on himself.

It's good to make contributions and get promoted, but after all, it's a survival system. If you can get stronger just by staying alive, then it's better to wait a day before messing with a creature like the Penguin and not bother with its whiskers.

"Survival is more important than making meritorious contributions."

Judging from the contents of the diary, Lucius must have had considerable financial resources in the past, and with that handsome face, he was able to attract a large number of women.

But obviously no one would write down their bank passwords in a diary... at least Lucius hasn't found any relevant information yet.

Lying helplessly on the bed, Lucius stared silently at the white ceiling.

"Or... I'll find a part-time job."

I have a mission on Third Avenue in Gotham tomorrow. I need to find a good spot and maybe take on a part-time job to earn some money to make ends meet.

"Hmm... let's do it this way."

The little bit of US dollars I have left won't last long, so it's best to make plans early.

Straining his drowsy consciousness, Lucius pulled out the police handbook he always kept close to his chest...

"Hey... why can't you be a little more proactive and let me get stronger faster?"

Name: Lucius...

Ability: Shooting Specialization (Unlock progress 49%...50%)

Botany Specialization (25% unlock progress)

"Huh?!"

Seeing a new entry appear in the ability section, Lucius suddenly sat up in bed, staring at his manual with a strange expression.

The progress bar for unlocking shooting specialization abilities has increased significantly, and it's still increasing now, which Lucius can probably understand.

After all, he is still carrying a Glock pistol, which is standard issue for police officers, so it's perfectly normal for his shooting skills to keep improving.

but...

"hiss..."

Organizing the newfound knowledge about plants and nature in his mind, this unexpected growth immediately reminded Lucius of the female botany major he had met that day.

"Are new abilities unlocked by interacting with other specific characters?"

Unlike shooting abilities that unlock automatically, the newly added botanical knowledge does not seem to unlock further over time.

"Should I still get closer to that girl? But what's the point of increasing my botany knowledge... Ha~"

After a day of nerve-wracking patrols in Gotham, an utterly exhausted Lucius closed his eyes, his consciousness beginning to fade...

correct.

An increase in botanical knowledge might be able to help me deal with Poison Ivy in the future...

As sleepiness cleared, the officer's hazy thoughts became increasingly sluggish. With his eyes closed, his body relaxed, and he ceased thinking.

"call..."

Lying down, Lucius began to snore softly and fell into a deep sleep.

And outside the officer's apartment.

A dark figure crouched atop a high-rise building, its sharp eyes fixed on the small room...

......

Gotham City, Third Avenue, Anna's Dessert Shop.

A handsome young man stood in the middle of the store, wearing a white chef's hat, guarding the ice machine.

A part-time job paying twenty dollars an hour, not including tips, actually pays better in Gotham City than in New York City, as described in Lucius's diary.

Within the sight of this part-time plainclothes police officer, a huge tanker truck was parked at the entrance to Third Avenue...

The massive tanker truck arrived on the street early this morning, which greatly concerned Lucius.

"Hey waiter! One ice cream, please."

The male voice coming from under the table made the police officer snap out of his surveillance. Lucius awkwardly picked up an ice cream cone and began making ice cream for the customer.

Even in this state, he didn't forget to keep a close eye on the white tanker truck parked at the intersection, inwardly grumbling.

"I have to say, this is truly Gotham City. Just today alone... how many 'contraband' vehicles have passed by..."

Perhaps because some of his new abilities have been unlocked, Lucius can always smell the scent of certain 'special plants' in Gotham today.

If it weren't for his 'botany expertise', Lucius, who had never encountered such substances before, wouldn't have been able to recognize those unusual 'leaves'.

But once he gained the power and secured a strategic location on Gotham's Third Avenue, he discovered that the seemingly peaceful city of Gotham harbored countless shady dealings...

Almost every ten minutes, a vehicle with a distinctive odor would speed by.

Are the police in Gotham City just sitting around doing nothing?

Only after Lucius asked himself this question did he realize why Gordon had insisted on having him as the plainclothes officer monitoring the situation.

There are really not many capable police officers left in the Gotham Police Department!

After handing the freshly made ice cream to the boy who had been waiting for a long time, Lucius glanced at the equipment in his backpack and then looked back at the white tanker truck at the intersection.

The thing was sealed very tightly, so it didn't emit any smell.

If it weren't for the fact that he absolutely had to complete Sheriff Gordon's mission today, Lucius could have easily made a profit just by arresting a few cars carrying contraband.

"Forget it, it's better to stay on the stable side."

As Lucius touched the pistol hidden at his waist and was about to clean up the scattered ice cream on the bar, he caught a glimpse of another white van driving onto Third Avenue.

The driver's side window of that peculiar white vehicle appeared to have been altered, making it impossible to see what was happening inside the driver's compartment.

The slowly approaching white truck gave the impression of a dark and sinister beast.

In that instant, Lucius realized that the real target had appeared...

"Bang!"

"boom!"

A gunshot rang out, and the white tanker truck at the street corner exploded! A wave of toxic fumes engulfed the entire street!

......