“How does the boss teach people? Do you even know the rules?!”

Someone hurriedly tried to calm things down: “It’s fine, Brother Carter, genes capable of evolution are one in a million. Even if she touches that stone, nothing will happen…”

The place was in an uproar, the environment chaotic. The hostess took the chance to stare intently at the stone, but in the blink of an eye, Eric Carter stuffed it into his collar and it disappeared.

Meanwhile, the image was transmitted in real time through her transparent contact lens to the surveillance screen inside the command vehicle.

With a snap, Brian Sullivan pressed the pause button, staring at the bluish glowing stone on the screen.

“Can you tell if it’s a real evolution source?” After a moment, he frowned and asked Jason Brooks.

Jason Brooks leaned in to scrutinize the screen, then shook his head in embarrassment after a while: “Senior, you specialize in this. If even you can’t tell, how could I possibly…”

Privately possessing an evolution source is a serious crime, but because of the huge profits on the black market, forging evolution sources has already become a new industry chain.

In the early days, they used low-quality fluorescent iron ore, and real evolvers could spot the fakes at a glance. But later, with advances in technology using radioactive materials and purified biocarbon sources, even top experts like Brian Sullivan could no longer distinguish real from fake with the naked eye.

“The Carter Family has power, influence, and money. I tend to think he wouldn’t use a fake evolution source just to make a profit, but it’s best to take it back to the bureau for testing with instruments,” Jason Brooks furrowed his brow. “But we still don’t know who his buyer is. It’s safer to wait until Eric Carter meets with the buyer and then catch them all at once.”

But just then, the bug picked up the noisy voices from the booth, sounding like people trying to stop him: “Brother Carter, Brother Carter, don’t leave!” “It’s not even ten o’clock yet!”

But Eric Carter was clearly already in a bad mood: “I’ve got an appointment, I’m leaving first. You guys have fun.”

“—Why is he leaving now? The intel said Eric Carter’s deal with the buyer was set for eleven!” Jason Brooks looked down at his watch and immediately panicked: “No, the tracking team isn’t in position yet!”

No one expected Eric Carter to leave early because he was in a bad mood. The sudden change caught everyone off guard, and everyone in the command vehicle tensed up. Brian Sullivan gave a low order: “Contact the tracking team, the plan has changed. Get people ready to follow him immediately.” Then he pressed the earpiece connected to the scene: “1002, find a way to keep the target at the scene or go with him, now!”

The “host boy” with the action number 1002 was a fresh graduate who had just joined the bureau. Disguising himself as a money boy already made him want to cry, but compared to being an MB, he was even more terrified of Inspector Sullivan, so he forced himself to act like a delicate flower, pitifully reaching out to tug at Eric Carter’s sleeve:

“Brother Carter, why are you leaving so soon? Stay with me a bit longer. Tonight, I won’t see anyone but Brother Carter…”

Normally, Eric Carter couldn’t resist such a sweet, delicate young man, but right now he was in no mood, his mind only on the upcoming deal. He brushed the boy off perfunctorily: “Next time, I’ll come find you next time, be good.”

There won’t be a next time! If I don’t stop you today, tomorrow Inspector Sullivan will really have me castrated and sent here as an MB!

The boy lunged forward and hugged Eric Carter’s leg, his teeth chattering: “Brother Carter, Brother Carter, don’t go, Brother Carter, take me with you! I can’t bear to be apart from you!!”

All around, people laughed and took the chance to try to keep him: “This kid is so clingy.”

Eric Carter glanced at his watch—there was still more than an hour until the scheduled deal—but at this point, his mood was completely ruined by the little incident. He waved his hand, uninterested: “Be good, I have business tonight. I’ll take you out to play tomorrow night, okay?”

Eric Carter strode toward the exit, and the boy was nearly frantic: “Take me with you, Brother Carter! I don’t want anything, I just want to be with you! Don’t go, don’t go!!”

“Hey, why are you clinging like this!” Eric Carter was getting annoyed too, and kicked the boy off: “Let go!”

Meanwhile, in the command vehicle.

“No, Captain, there’s no time!” A bureau team member looked up anxiously, phone in hand. “The local police are preparing to send reinforcements, but it’ll take another half hour for them to get here!”

Jason Brooks almost blurted out a curse, but swallowed it back down. “Senior, what should we—Senior?!”

He saw Brian Sullivan take off his command headset with one hand and quickly strip off his suit jacket. Underneath, he wore a white dress shirt, the cut outlining his straight shoulders and back, his waist slim and taut, tucked into black suit pants:

“Everyone stay where you are. Tech team, get ready to track my location.”

Everyone in the car: “?”

Brian Sullivan stood up, pulled open the car door, loosened his tie with one hand, and strode toward the noisy nightclub in the distance.

All the team members stared in shock: “—In-inspector!”

As soon as the nightclub door opened, the pounding music hit like a wave, almost swallowing him whole.

Men and women danced wildly, young faces flashing with intoxicated light under the colored lights. Brian Sullivan’s face was expressionless as he strode across the dance floor. Passing an empty table, he grabbed a bottle of whiskey with just a bit left, took a swig straight from the bottle, then poured the rest over himself.

The strong liquor ran down his open collar, soaking his white shirt, clinging to his chest and back, even outlining the faint lines of his abs.

“Hey handsome, want to make friends?”

“Handsome, want a drink?”