Chapter 542 - A Professional: What Does It Mean to Be Handsome?
After the video finished playing, Selina brought up photos of the two men. “Based on their appearances, I had Sonia check the street security footage before the time of the incident, and she found the suspects.”
The man in the first photo had Indian heritage. His name was Crystal Vince.
The other suspect was a white middle-aged man called George Huck.
“Both of them have criminal records. You should be able to guess what they were convicted for,” said Selina.
“Robbery?” Luke’s eyes turned back to his cooking.
Selina said, “Yes, but George Huck’s most severe crime was robbing a jewelry store, while Crystal Vince… really is a professional bank robber. But neither of them have ever killed anyone. One was in jail for two years, and the other for a year and a half, before they were released.”
Luke smacked his lips. “Alright, it seems our prisons are almost too full and their parole officers couldn’t wait to throw these guys out to endanger society once again.”
Selina didn’t offer any comment. It was a fact that there weren’t enough prisons in America.
Considering L.A.’s crime rate, there would be no room in the prisons if the lesser criminals weren’t released.
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She simply continued, “Elizabeth helped investigate them. Neither of them has an official job right now. According to sources, they’re both engaged in illegal odd jobs around the city.” Luke asked, “Hitmen? Or mercenaries?”
Selina said, “Pretty much, but nothing that serious. They only accept minor jobs, like collecting debts or beating people up. Their lives aren’t that great.”
“So, they were planning to do something big this time.” Luke stuffed what was in his hands into the oven.
He patted his hands. “Okay, the situation is clear now. We’ll consult the professionals after dinner.”
Selina said, “Alright. What are we eating tonight?”
Luke said, “Chicken.”
As night fell, it was pandemonium in a certain bar in east L.A.. The music was loud and there were all sorts of people.
There were all kinds of clothes and tattoos on the customers, and the mix of sweat, body odor, perfume, smoke and alcohol in the air made the place look like hell.
While it wasn’t hell, the smell was absolutely hellish.
The people here were either hideous or ferocious, and had intimidating expressions.
Luke and Selina drew some attention when they entered, but most people minded their own business as they continued with their own fun.
Luke was dressed in the hip-hop style, with a long T-shirt and wide shorts, the type where the crotch was about to fall to his knees. He had also put on a mid-length golden wig and a mustache.
Even then, he still wasn’t the most bizarre-looking person in the bar. Selina was wearing a purple wig and glamorous makeup. It was impossible to tell what she originally looked like.
She was also wearing a large T-shirt in the hip-hop style, but she was wearing a skintight tank top underneath, which made a lot of people look away in disappointment.
At the counter, Luke raised his head and looked at a board behind the bartender. On the board were a bunch of ineffable names and prices.
Not paying too much attention, he tapped the counter. “Two glasses of water.”
The bartender’s expression didn’t change as he swiftly poured two glasses of iced water. “New here?”
Luke nodded with a smile. “Sort of. We’re looking for two people.”
The bartender hummed and didn’t continue the conversation.
Unbothered, Luke said casually, “Someone told me that one of them is named George and the other Crystal. They’re both prudent in what they do. I have a minor job for them.”
The bartender paused and looked at Luke for a moment, before he shook his head with a smile. “Kid, you shouldn’t be here. Go home and find yourself a girlfriend, and go out to the movies. Live a better life.”
Chuckling, Luke hooked an arm around Selina, who was next to him. “Sorry, but I already have a girlfriend.”
The bartender’s eyes twitched, before he said, “Then you don’t need to call your girlfriend. Just go home.”
Luke heaved a sigh. Suddenly, his face changed, and he turned his head.
Not far away, a man was swearing as he opened the door and entered the bar.
When he got to the counter, the man took out a card and two hundred bucks. “Give the money back to that little girl. I’m a hitman, not a counseling service. Is it my business that her boyfriend was beaten up by a love rival? Pretty boys deserve to be beaten.
“Sam, did you distribute flyers for the bar in random places again? How is it that even little kids are running over to your bar now to hire a hitman for love spats?” As he spoke, he glanced at Luke and Selina and gave them an easy smile. “Well, I don’t mean you.”
Luke touched his face and smiled. “Actually, I don’t mind being called a pretty boy, since it usually means I’m more handsome.”
The newcomer: “…”
The bartender: “….”
The newcomer tapped the counter and signaled the bartender to pour him a drink. He said, “Generally speaking, pretty boy means a pussy, and doesn’t refer to your looks. A truly handsome man should be like me. See this?”
He pointed at his stubble and the pink and blue T-shirt that he was wearing.
After a brief silence, Luke said, “If being sloppy from not shaving and being dirty from not washing your T-shirt for several days is what is called handsome, that word has become a lot less valuable.”
The bartender gave a bark of laughter and spilled some of the alcohol he was holding. “Wade, kids always love to tell the truth. You’re no emperor; no one’s going to fawn on your ‘handsome’ new clothes.” The bartender wiped up the spill on the counter with a towel before passing what was left of the drink to the newcomer without topping it up again.
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The man named Wade picked up the drink resentfully and took a sip. “Damn, did you add water to this? Why does the taste get worse and worse?”
The bartender said unashamedly, “You’ll trash my bar even more often if the alcohol content is too high. So that you don’t have to pay me more in damages, I added more ice to your drink. Something wrong with that?”
“What a crooked businessman!” Wade mumbled before he stopped talking.
Luke smiled as he watched them bicker. He then said to Wade, “Mr. Hitman, I have a job for you. Do you want to take it?”Wade peeked at him and then at Selina behind him. “Don’t tell me you want me to help you beat up your love rival too? Though you have skills, I’ll give you that.”
Selina snorted and turned her head away unhappily.
She took issue with Wade’s implication.
Wasn’t he insinuating that it was rare for a young man like Luke to be able to hook a mature beauty like her?
Luke shook his head with a smile. “I’m looking for two men.”
The bartender was busy with his own thing, leaving them to do whatever they wanted.
Wade grew interested. “What’s the reward?”
Luke said, “A thousand dollars for their exact hideout.”
