My chat group members are all legendary criminals.

Chapter 89 The Conditions of a Bureau Chief

Lu Yiming looked at the news notifications on his phone, feeling somewhat curious.

I flipped down a few pages. The crime scene was in a red-light district, accompanied by several blurry photos taken by the media.

The two corpses, a man and a woman, had been disemboweled, their intestines and internal organs spilling out onto the ground; their deaths were extremely gruesome.

Seeing this bloody and mangled scene, Lu Yiming felt a sense of familiarity, but couldn't immediately recall where he had seen it before.

"Junior, what are you looking at?"

Caroline rested her chin on Lu Yiming's shoulder, glancing at the screen.

"Ugh, stop looking at this disgusting stuff. Come on, let's go dancing!" She grabbed Lu Yiming's arm.

Mia, not to be outdone, joined in as well.

Her eyes lit up when she saw the crime scene on the screen. "Another murder? Why isn't it being reported in the news?"

"It's just the death of a prostitute and her client. All the major TV stations are busy broadcasting how our great governor is doing charity work. Who has time to care about this? It's probably a crime of passion or a revenge killing."

Mia was eager to try. "Let's investigate this case!"

Lu Yiming rolled his eyes. "It's 'You,' not 'We.' You go if you want, I'm not going."

He's not some Gotham City Dark Knight in a cape.

These kinds of cases that nobody cares about, offer no financial gain, and provide no recognition, so whoever wants to go can go.

Caroline hugged Lu Yiming's arm tightly, "Junior, you're a California hero now, you don't have time to worry about these things!"

"Don't give me that, you're just trying to use this as an excuse to pester him!"

There seemed to be an electric arc between the two women, and Lu Yiming felt his head was spinning.

Just then, Governor Richard, who was not far away, waved to him, signaling him to come over.

Lu Yiming felt as if he had been granted a pardon.

"Excuse me, please move aside, the boss is calling me."

He decisively pushed the two women aside, walked over, and casually picked up a glass of red wine from a passing waiter's tray.

Richard and Gu Qiu were talking while holding wine glasses.

Upon seeing Lu Yiming arrive, the two old foxes immediately put on warm smiles.

Richard's chubby face scrunched up in a smile.

"Brother Lu, you've really saved me from dire straits this time."

Lu Yiming raised his glass, clinked it against his, and nodded.

Oh yes, yes, I'm the one who saved you from that hell. As for who threw you into that hell, don't worry about that.

Gu Qiu smiled and said, "Well done. I knew I hadn't misjudged you. Your abilities are evident to everyone in the Fremont Police Department."

"It's all thanks to the two leaders' excellent guidance. But mainly it's due to the governor's strategic planning and the mayor's command."

Lu Yiming casually returned the compliment.

Gu Qiu took a sip of red wine, her smile fading, and her expression becoming more serious.

"Lu, the governor told me about your desire to be promoted to police chief. This is going to be difficult; you've been promoted too quickly."

Lu Yiming cursed inwardly.

Is this old fox going back on his word? He's resorting to his empty promises tactics again.

Gu Qiu continued, "You've solved several major cases in a row. You're comfortable holding onto your position as head of the homicide squad. But if you want to climb higher, do you know where you're lacking?"

"Management skills?"

Gu Qiu shook his head.

"Qualifications? Connections? Money?"

Gu Qiu shook her head repeatedly.

"What's missing?"

Gu Qiu stretched out his finger and tapped the table: "If you want to become the police chief, what you said is indeed important."

However, the police chief is already a high-ranking official in the management; what you lack most is prestige.

Lu Yiming was taken aback. He had bribed people throughout the entire homicide squad and the municipal police bureau; wasn't his reputation enough?

Gu Qiu seemed to understand Lu Yiming's thoughts and waved his hand. "I'm not talking about your reputation within the police station. If you're influential within the police station, that's called being a local tyrant."

I'm talking about social reputation; you need to market yourself, for example, your reputation online and in the media.

Lu Yiming blinked: "What do you mean?"

"You just graduated from the police academy not long ago. Many people are resentful that you became the head of the homicide unit in such a short time. If you want to bypass those old men who have been working for more than ten years and sit directly in the chief's chair, you need the love and support of the people."

Gu Qiu patiently explained, "If you want to climb the ladder, you have to learn to create a persona for yourself."

"So what should I do? Become a TikTok influencer and do suggestive dances?"

"Hahahaha." Richard burst out laughing.

"No need for that. Mayor Gu and I fully support you. So we plan to have you on TV."

"Go on TV? To do a talk show? I can't act." Lu Yiming waved his hands repeatedly.

"I'm not asking you to act."

Richard took out his phone, opened his email, and showed Lu Yiming a program introduction.

"There's a Discovery Channel, they have a very popular show called 'Reality America.' They're thinking of making a documentary about the daily lives of frontline police officers."

"We've decided to give you this opportunity. We'll have the production team follow you and record the entire process."

Gu Qiu added, "The camera will follow you to and from get off work, recording the entire process of your investigation and solving of cases."

Showcase your superior intelligence and your heroic spirit in protecting the citizens.

This also shows your approachable and warm side in private.

Richard excitedly chimed in, "Then, we'll hire an online army to hype you up on Twitter. We'll design the perfect persona for you."

"A Chinese-American detective! A crime fighter! California's youngest and most promising police officer! Add a touch of race, and the buzz will explode."

Lu Yiming understood completely.

Isn't this just a star-making campaign? Packaging him into a flawless, politically correct detective.

According to police regulations, filming is strictly prohibited during investigations.

But there are always exceptions. You can't make movies in prisons, but as long as it's called a documentary, it can still be filmed as usual.

Once filmed and packaged, it becomes a movie, and even murderers can be whitewashed into international film queens.

As long as a persona is well-established, there will be people who like it. Netizens buy into this; it's all too common in America.

Although I had been featured in the news twice before, I had not deliberately marketed myself.

Lu Yiming stroked his chin. "But... where in Fremont are I going to find so many big cases to solve? This is California, not Gotham."

Without a serial killer and a major case, the image of a Chinese-American detective wouldn't hold up.

You can't exactly film him drinking Mixue Ice Cream and pasting receipts in his office every day, can you?

"Haha! You don't need to worry about that."

Richard's smile widened. "If there really aren't any cases, I'll arrange a few myself, guaranteed to be exciting enough!"

Lu Yiming gasped.

The governor personally orchestrated a murder case just to film a TV show? That's something else.

However, politicians are the best actors.

Richard constantly markets himself as a philanthropist protecting underage children, but in reality, he's a frequent visitor to Lolita Island.

Gu Qiutian constantly markets himself as an incorruptible law enforcer, but behind the scenes he's even more ruthless than a gangster.

"Since both leaders have made arrangements, I will obey orders." Lu Yiming readily agreed.

There's no reason to refuse such a good thing that can bring both fame and fortune.

"Congratulations, future Chinese-American detective." Richard raised his glass.

"Once the show airs, your reputation will be enough; becoming the bureau chief will be a natural progression."

After finishing his drink, Lu Yiming tactfully took his leave.

After he walked away, Richard clinked his glass against Gu Qiu's.

"Your methods are really ruthless; you're putting him on the hot seat. If he makes even the slightest mistake, he'll be torn apart by netizens."

Gu Qiu swirled the wine in his glass.

"As long as he can be used by us, fame is his best shield. But if he gets out of control, fame is also the fastest weapon to destroy him."

Richard laughed heartily. "You're ruthless enough."

Lu Yiming had no interest in listening to the rest of the dinner.

His mind was now filled with Richard and Gu Qiu's star-making plan, and how he could take advantage of this popularity to gain more benefits.

We still need to figure out how to dispose of our batch of weapons.

After the banquet was completely over, the guests began to leave one after another.

Lu Yiming had just stepped out of the manor gates, and hadn't even had a chance to breathe in the fresh air...

Both of his arms were grabbed tightly at the same time.

"Junior, hop in my car, I'll take you for a ride." Caroline took Lu Yiming's left arm and pressed her body against him.

"Bitch, you drank so much, aren't you afraid of being caught driving under the influence?"

Mia grabbed Lu Yiming's right arm. "Let's go home tonight. Ruoyan has tomorrow off, so the three of us can play games together tonight."

"How childish of them to be playing video games!"

"It's better than going drunk driving and speeding with you!"

Lu Yiming was caught in the middle, feeling like a rag doll.

The celebrities passing by cast gossipy and envious glances their way.

Who is this guy? Someone that Rockefeller's daughter and Kennedy's daughter were fighting over in the street.

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Lu Yiming abruptly pulled his hands away.

He straightened his suit jacket. "Thank you both for your kindness, but I have some things to take care of tonight... I drove here myself, so I'll go take care of them first..."

Without giving the two women time to react, he slipped away and disappeared.

Back in the car, Lu Yiming immediately took out his phone and called Butcher.

"What about the goods? I have to go back to Fremont first," Lu Yiming said bluntly.

"Things are too tense right now, nobody dares to take on such a large shipment at this time. Brother, you'll have to help me hide it for a couple more days."

"Hide it for two days? Do you think I'm some kind of tax collector who's afraid of no one? This truckload of weapons is a hot potato right now, with a storage fee of $20,000 a day."

"Fine, fine! Twenty thousand it is. Hide it well and wait for my news!" The butcher agreed through gritted teeth.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Yiming rubbed his temples.

He drove back to the rented warehouse, where the wooden crates of the automated weapons were piled up.

He will have to be careful in the coming period.

The television crew is about to move into the police station. Countless cameras will be watching him.

The persona of a Chinese-American detective can bring huge political capital, but it also means that his every move will be exposed to the public eye...