19, Assignment

As a student assistant to the police, John had limited access to the details of the case. He only skimmed the summary to get a general idea of what was going on.

The summary stated that the killer had hypnotic powers and was constantly on the move. He came from another city and was very vicious and smart. The police from all over the world were offering rewards for his capture, but he was elusive.

He had been hiding in this city for three months and had committed many crimes.

Humanity had unified and built huge cities on Earth and beyond. John's city was named "Star City" and had a population of over 10 million. There were also massive human settlements on the moon, Mars, and other planets in the Milky Way.

To travel to these places, people had to apply for a wormhole jump permit from the government and buy an expensive starship ticket.

But the ticket was too pricey for most people, only the wealthy could afford it. It was a luxury to visit other planets where humans lived. Besides, it was very hard for ordinary people to get the approval, so many earthlings would never have the chance to see other planets in their lives, just like many people never left their countries three hundred years ago.

"He's a formidable fighter, and his vitality is probably over 1. But luckily, he doesn't have a gun." The middle-aged cop tapped on the big screen, and a three-dimensional image popped up.

It was a lifelike representation of a young man, around thirty years old. He had a cold expression, a wicked gaze, and a disdainful look at every one.

"You're all students. You don't have to confront him directly. Your job is to search a designated area. If you spot him, let us know right away, and keep an eye on him from a safe distance. Don't let him notice you, or you'll be in danger."

"Understood!" John got up. "I'll follow orders."

"So will we!" Several other male and female students said.

The middle-aged cop nodded: "This is a test for you. We'll grade you based on your performance. If you do well, your record will be filed. If you want to join us after graduation, it will help you in the police academy entrance exam.

"You'll get 10 stars for the salary, even if you don't find the crook. But if you do find him, let us know. If we fail to catch him, you'll get 300 stars! And if we succeed, you'll get a reward of 5,000 stars. If…" The middle-aged cop hesitated for a moment and went on:

"If something bad happens, the police department will only pay you some compensation, so you better watch out for your own safety, got it? If you agree, sign an electronic contract now!"

"Got it!" Everyone said together.

"Alright, you're now reserve cops. There are six of you here, and I'll give you your assignments." The middle-aged cop looked at the group in front of him: "John, you and Mona will team up, act like a couple, and search the pedestrian street area. Be alert, this is where the crook is most likely to show up. The rest of you, split up and search the commercial areas, residential areas, stations…"

"I have to act like a couple with a high school kid?" The one called Mona was a female college student with a small mouth and a pretty face.

She was shocked at this moment.

"What? Do you have a problem?" The middle-aged cop glared at her with piercing eyes.

"I'll follow the order!" Mona Lynn said quickly. She didn't want to lose her temporary job or get a bad record in her file. It would make it hard for her to get into the police academy after graduation.

"Good, get going now. Remember to report anything suspicious."

"Yes sir!"

All the students were enthusiastic and capable.

They left after they got their search assignments. The middle-aged cop in the serious crime unit sighed: "The students these days are so talented. When we were in school, none of us could do Boneless Jiu-Jitsu."

"True, those college students have strong vitality and can be the pillars of our police force."

"But this case we're handling now, the suspect is a member of the Restoration Organization. It's risky to involve these students, what if something happens…"

Some of the more cautious cops voiced their concerns.

"They're all outstanding students in the school. They can get training according to the government rules." The middle-aged cop said: "Don't look down on these students. Those gifted ones with 1 vitality in Star High School can beat almost all of us in the police, only military instructors can match them. We can't even ask them to help us with the case, they won't come. This time we just need them to help with the search. We'll handle the real arrest ourselves. So, there's not much risk."

"My son also goes to Star High School, but he's not so lucky. His vitality score never goes up, it's always 0.7." A cop said sadly.

"Hey, your son is only in his first year of high school. He still has time. Maybe he'll be 0.8 in his second year and 0.9 in his third year. He'll get into the police academy after that, and he'll outrank you."

"I wish that were true."

"Oh, by the way, I remember last year another serious crime team also hired some students to help them with the case, and they actually caught the rogue army officer. What was that student's name…"

"Tedd." The middle-aged cop checked the information: "Tedd was a second-year student in Star High School and one of the top students. His current vitality test is 0.98. His punch can deliver 0.9 tons of force, and he can run 100 meters in 5.5 seconds. Oh, and that John we just saw is his brother."

"He's only a second-year high school student, and his punch is 0.9 tons? That means none of us in the serious crime team can take him on?" A cop exclaimed: "The vitality is 0.98, and he's close to breaking through 1. He's a potential candidate for Star and Space University."

"Wow, if you get into Star and Space University, you're set for life. The chief of our Star City Police Headquarters graduated from there, and he was the kind of student who barely passed with the lowest grades. But he has such a high position in our city." A cop said with envy: "If my son can make it, our whole family will be proud."

"Well, that Tedd has a great future ahead of him, and I wonder how his brother is…" The middle-aged cop looked at the documents one by one: "Also, we need to send more temporary work tasks to the school to attract more outstanding students to join this case. We don't have enough people to search everywhere. Preferably girls. The crook only goes after girls."

"Got it!"