A fine evening was ruined by this vexing brawl, and it didn't escalate into a major case. The only officer who fired was Jimmy, and even those two shots were aimed at an empty lot with no casualties.
As for the injuries from the fight, they meant nothing to these hoodlums; they didn't even need to visit a hospital for X-rays or examinations.
For Jimmy, the biggest loss was an evening that had been near perfect.
Day after boring day, as mentioned before, it seemed like public safety had suddenly improved. The calls transferred from 911 were all simple support missions. Jimmy had complained several times but to no avail; it was as if staying at the police station and being a "salary thief" was a cardinal sin, and they were determined to keep him busy.
As the weather gradually warmed up, so did Jimmy's workload. Besides his regular shifts, he also had looming exams, and then there was the part-time job he had just started.
The jobs Justin recommended lately were all minor tasks, such as temporarily sealing off an intersection or playing courier to deliver things—a breeze for Jimmy to handle and not challenging at all.
Although not all tasks came with Gold Coins, the cash was good enough, and a strong supplement to Jimmy's current financial situation.
The only problem was that Jimmy couldn't figure out what to do with the cash just yet. He could save some of it, but he couldn't deposit too much without attracting unwanted attention.
Most of the cash was now stored in a unit at one of the many public self-storage facilities found around cities in the United States. These facilities typically have dozens, if not hundreds, of units lined up, each spanning around ten plus square meters and secured with a roll-up door offering great privacy.
Jimmy had carefully chosen a storage company with good security and low crime rates and rented a unit there under a different identity.
In this storage unit, Jimmy kept some belongings he didn't need immediate access to. He also bought a second-hand safe to keep there, where he stashed the cash and sensitive items.
Jimmy's inspiration came from a movie he had seen before. Working at the police station allowed him access to a lot of odd but interesting information, opening up opportunities for him to manipulate things to his advantage.
This storage unit had become Jimmy's primary concern. Occasionally, when on duty, he would make detours to check on it, more often under the cover of night.
Jimmy's supplies were now quite complete. The unit had everything he needed for basic living, ensuring he could acquire most of what he would need in case of any emergency.
As for weapons, Jimmy had no immediate plans to procure any. Buying weapons personally was a hassle, but now that he had a connection through Justin, he wasn't in a hurry. In time, as his relationship with Justin grew and trust increased, Jimmy would definitely look to get anonymous self-defense weapons from him.
That night, Jimmy went to the bar for a drink as usual. Justin's Camelot Bar was an old-school establishment with a small stage for resident singers or for customers who wanted to perform. Usually, it just played background music. The bar was mostly frequented by regulars or visitors looking for a quieter spot.
Jimmy's favorite spot was still at the bar. Regulars at Camelot Bar all knew Jimmy, a young Chinese-American cop who was upright and dependable. Aside from his race and youthful appearance, there was nothing to criticize.
Jimmy's driver's license stated he was 25 years old, but he was actually only 21. Asians typically look younger than they are, but Jimmy in particular could be mistaken for a high school student. Occasionally, he even enjoyed drinks paid for by others, though often with ulterior motives.
Today, Justin seemed different than usual. As the owner and bartender, his everyday attire was usually a black vest, black bowtie, and a rolled-up white shirt. Sometimes he chose a white shirt with an apron, sans vest. At least during work hours, that was his basic look.
But that day, Justin was wearing a black French shirt with a proper tie pin, trading his usual black bowtie for a black necktie, matched with a black vest and suit. What typically looked like a bartender in his forties had transformed into a dapper middle-aged man ready for some upscale social gathering.
"Hey, Justin, looking sharp. Got any special event tonight?"
"Ah, Jimmy," Justin, who was just standing behind the bar letting other bartenders attend to customers, greeted Jimmy as he reached for his bottle from the shelf, poured him a glass of Whiskey, and added some ice cubes before passing it across the bar.
"We have some special guests coming tonight," Justin responded after pouring Jimmy's drink.
"Looks like really special guests, considering your suit. Hook me up with your tailor sometime," Jimmy commented.
"Of course, he's a top-class tailor from Rome; you won't be disappointed," replied Justin.
"You go on with your business; I'll head over there," Jimmy said, taking his glass and heading to a table in the middle of the bar to sit and casually scan the customers around him.
Since Justin was expecting someone, Jimmy didn't continue to disturb him as there was nothing urgent that needed his attention.
Jimmy hadn't finished his drink when he noticed two men enter the bar and approach the counter. This time, the bartenders didn't greet them; Justin himself stepped forward to welcome them, indicating these two were the people Justin was waiting for.
Jimmy lifted his glass, watching the two men while taking a sip—one white, one black, both in suits. Because of the angle, he couldn't see their faces, but he could make out their builds.
The white man had slightly longer hair, not long enough to reach the shoulders, and appeared about the same height as Jimmy, probably in the range of 183-185 cm. The black man was bald, seemingly the same height as the white man, but looking a touch shorter due to his lack of hair.
After exchanging a few words with them, Justin accompanied the two men to a private room that Jimmy was familiar with, bending down to retrieve a black hard-shell briefcase from under the bar before entering. A bartender followed with a tray carrying two glasses of drinks.
The bartender came out quickly, while Justin and the two guests remained in the room. Curiosity piqued, Jimmy finished his drink and went back to the bar for a refill, keeping an eye on the activities inside the private room.
Justin was roughly 185 cm tall, but Jimmy knew his figure well enough to distinguish him from the others. The three of them sat on separate couches with Justin placing the briefcase on the table, extracting some document-like items, and handing them to one of the men.
The two examined the documents on the coffee table, looking through the pages one by one, setting each aside after viewing. The document seemed to be only 6-7 pages long, and it took them close to ten minutes to peruse it.