CHAPTER 1 SYSTEM BINDING

"Now get out!"

Following this scream, a man stepped out of the Commissioner's office, and a file was also thrown out at him, which hit him directly in his chest.

"And listen, Walters! This is your last warning. I am giving you an ultimatum of one month– if you can't improve your performance, I will suspend you from field duty and put your ass on a desk job! Do you understand?"

Dave Walters nodded as he took the file and zipped up his police jacket, after being scolded by his supervisor for his low arrest record. 

The entire precinct was happy with their quarter yearly report, but Dave wanted to leave early so that he could spend the rest of his evening in a pub, drowning his sadness in cheap beer. 

Just as he reached for the door, a group of his colleagues surrounded him, smirking and taunting. 

"Hey, Dave, leaving so soon? Please tell us, do you have an appointment with the President?" 

"Or are you leaving early because you want to go somewhere important… oh! Right, are you late to your girlfriend's wedding?"

"So, buddy! Do you have a hot date for your girlfriend's wedding, or are you just going alone like a desperate creep?" 

Another one of them asked with a smirk.

"Guys, come on-"

One of his colleagues, Peter, tried to intervene, but someone else quickly spoke up, 

"Yeah, come on! What if our buddy Dave is just trying to find a new job by catering at the wedding?"

"Actually, you know what? That's a great idea! Because I heard your arrest record is so low, that even the criminals are starting to pity you. Maybe you really should consider a new career – if you don't like catering, how about a florist?" 

"I think your girlfriend's new husband will give you a good review also, I heard she marrying a millionaire!"

A third officer, with a smirk playing on his face, added, 

"Wow, Walters, your girlfriend has really upgraded in life! She went from having a loser as her boyfriend to a millionaire as her husband, in just one week!"

"She did find a sugar daddy really quick, don't you think?"

"Well, if I was in her place, I would be looking for better options since the first day of my relationship with Walters!"

These taunts not only reminded Dave of his professional shortcomings, but they were a direct assault on his personal life.

For a few minutes, he was completely shocked, not knowing how to respond or what to say.

Peter felt sympathy for him, as the two of them had been in the same training camp.

"Okay, enough! Now knock it off! You have already said too much, now leave him alone."

Saying this, he put one hand on Dave's shoulder and led him outside, saying,

"You don't need to pay attention to them, they are just in the habit of finding a target for their frustration. So don't let their words affect you, okay?"

Dave nodded, feeling grateful to Peter. He finally broke his silence,

"Thank you for standing up for me, I really appreciate it."

"Of course! That's what friends are for. And listen, if you ever feel like sharing your burden, then I'm here. Now, I think I should go, my wife and kids must be waiting. Can I drop you off somewhere?"

Dave just shook his head in a 'no' and turned in the other direction, pulling out a cigarette to distract himself from his thoughts. 

The old scars which he had barely managed to cover up, had become fresh again; and he remembered the betrayal he had been given by Julia, his girlfriend of five years.

They had been in a relationship since college, and she was the love of his life. She had promised to be by his side through thick and thin, and for five years, they were very happy together… or so he thought.

Because the day he proposed to her, after spending months arranging the perfect proposal and selecting the perfect ring… that was the day he saw another side of his lovely girlfriend.

In his memory, the events of that evening were stuck in a loop, and he kept replaying every detail as he took long drags from his cigarette. 

He could see her in his memory, as she stepped into the garden which he had decorated with roses and fairy lights. And her expression was completely different than what he had imagined! 

Instead of looking happy, she looked absolutely humiliated. Still, he decided to go down on one knee and propose, thinking that maybe she was just surprised and didn't know how to control her shock.

But the moment he asked her, "Will you marry me?" She had started screaming at him.

Not only did she reject his proposal, but she threw the bouquet of red roses that she was holding in her hands.

Her words were still fresh in his mind, 

"Do you really think I will spend my life with you! How delusional can you be? For a woman of my level, it would be a shame to call myself your wife!"

"But… I thought you love-"

"Love? Hah! Listen, you have got the completely wrong idea. It was nice when you pampered me and brought me gifts, and I also talked to you to entertain myself. You know, like a good hobby to pass my time! But never in a hundred years was I going to marry a loser like you!"

He could still hear her mocking laughter, as she brutally crushed his heart under her heels.

"And look at that ring! It's cheap, just like you! Can you imagine how humiliated I will be in front of my friends, if I show it to them! Oh, you can just sell it and use the money to get some treatment, because you are completely insane to even think that I will say yes to you!"

On recalling her bitter words, Dave felt a pang of hurt and betrayal in his heart. The more he thought about her actions, the more angry he felt! 

Because just after breaking his heart so brutally, she had announced her engagement to Noah Stone, one of the wealthy businessmen of the city who was known to be a playboy!

And today, after only ten days of breaking up with him, she was getting married at the Plaza Hotel.

As if this was not enough, that witch had actually sent wedding invitations to their entire precinct, only to humiliate Dave further. 

What kind of evil plans did that greedy woman have?

Just as he was about to crush the cigarette under his shoe to extinguish it, he heard a strange voice echoing around in his head. 

[Ding! Congratulations on activating the Criminal Capturing System. Would you like to bind the system?]

At first, Dave was frozen in shock, and the next moment, he panicked and turned around in a complete circle, observing his surroundings with a sharp gaze.

But he was standing at a secluded spot near the parking lot, and there was not a single soul present there at that moment. 

So where did that sound come from?

A system?

Wasn't that something only found in novels and games? 

But he was sure that this was his real life, and definitely not a game. 

Of course, it wasn't a dream… although, he had definitely heard the voice of a lady in his head… so could he really be the chosen one?

[Ding! Would you like to bind the Criminal Capturing  System?]

Before he could think anything else, the voice popped up again, snapping him out of his confusion.

At the end, he decided to try his luck. 

"Yes, bind it now."

[System binding successful!]