Chapter 1 Family

Morning broke in Los Angeles.

The alarm on the phone beside the bed buzzed incessantly.

A young man, sporting a bandage on his head, stirred from his sleep. His dark eyes and hair contrasted with the deep, Western contours of his face.

He used to be a Chinese criminal policeman. Half a month has passed since he crossed over, yet every morning still feels surreal.

Now, he goes by Luke Lee, a detective in the Los Angeles Police Department.

His father is Chinese.

His mother is Western.

Though still a policeman with Chinese roots, he finds his new identity unsettling.

The body's original owner had a flashy personality, unpredictable actions, and moods swinging with his whims.

Handsome on the outside, he was often cursed as a jerk behind his back.

To put it bluntly, his emotional intelligence was low, and he had offended many people.

This starkly contrasts with his previous low-key lifestyle, making his current situation challenging.

Even worse, the original owner had strained family relations, and now Luke has to live at his mother's house, an awkward predicament.

Yet, crossing over has its perks; he's younger and stronger now.

The window's reflection isn't clear, but the outline of his muscles is faintly visible.

Overall, a second chance at life isn't too bad...

"Jack, come downstairs for breakfast! If you miss the school bus again, I won't drive you!"

A woman's voice echoed from downstairs; it was his current mother, Linda.

Jack is his brother, a plump thirteen-year-old—not exactly adorable.

Their home is a wooden two-story villa. The first floor holds the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom.

The second floor houses the bathroom, study, and the brothers' bedrooms.

It's early March, with temperatures in Los Angeles comfortably between 10° and 20°.

Luke emerged from his bedroom in a thick blue shirt and grey jeans, heading to the adjacent bathroom to wash up.

After freshening up, Luke prepared to go downstairs.

His footsteps creaked on the wooden stairs.

To the right of the stairs was the living room; to the left, the open kitchen.

A white woman in a Hello Kitty apron was busy in the kitchen.

Luke forced a smile. "Hi, Mom, good morning."

Linda didn't look up. "No, I'm not good at all. You came home late last night with a bandage on your head and a suitcase. The neighbors will be gossiping again."

Luke sighed. "I didn't want this either, but I broke up with Lena...I need a place to stay for a while."

Linda set down the spatula. "I told you not to be with that woman. She has no respect for elders. Such a girl isn't worth dating. And you? You ignored my advice."

Luke nodded. "She's not worth it, so I dumped her."

"You mean she dumped you," Linda retorted knowingly.

Luke smiled and remained silent.

Linda was taken aback. Her eldest son usually never backed down on such issues. He would argue, quarrel, and rage...

This calm smile was unusual, making her uneasy.

This kid...is different today. Has he finally matured?

Luke walked to the entrance, picked up his black helmet, and greeted her, "I'm off to work."

"Crack..."

Descending the stairs, a chubby thirteen-year-old boy rubbed his eyes with his pudgy hands. "Mom, I'm still growing. Can't you let me sleep a bit longer?"

Linda shrugged. "You're only growing fatter. You need exercise."

Luke grinned, "Yo! Isn't this my cute little brother? How's it going?"

The chubby boy rolled his eyes. "Not good. When I remember being cheated out of all my pocket money, I feel like turning into the Hulk."

Luke froze but knew he couldn't ignore it if he wanted to mend family relations.

He rolled up his sleeves. "Brother, who took your pocket money? Tell me, and I'll handle it."

The chubby boy looked at Luke blankly, as if to say, 'keep pretending.'

Luke had merged most of the original owner's memories, but some details were hazy.

Seeing his brother's gesture, he realized there might be a problem and carefully recalled the original owner's memories...

He felt embarrassed.

"That... I borrowed the New Year's money. I'll return it soon, with interest."

Luke glanced at his watch. "I'm going to be late. Bye." He donned his leather gloves and fled under his family's puzzled gaze.

First attempt to improve family relations: Fail.

"Bang!" The door closed.

The chubby boy took a milk carton from the fridge and poured it into a glass. "Mom, did I hear wrong, or did he actually offer to pay back the money?"

Linda placed an omelet on his plate. "He got hit hard on the head. It's normal for him to talk nonsense. Don't get your hopes up."

"I understand." The chubby boy sighed. "Is this guy really my blood brother?"

"Although I don't want to admit it, it's a fact."

The chubby boy showed a mature expression beyond his years. "Yeah, that's the saddest part."

Linda pointed the spatula at him. "Jack, focus on the right things. If you don't get more than a B this time, say goodbye to your game console."

...

Luke's family lives in a middle-class community with a good environment.

Their house is a small apartment with a 20 to 30 square meter yard. To the east is a green lawn, and to the west is a garage with a concrete floor in front.

A 'muscular' black motorcycle was parked there, a 2021 Harley-Davidson model.

Schwarzenegger drove this model in Terminator II.

Luke removed the bandage from his head; it wasn't doing much anyway.

He put on the helmet, stepped on the motorcycle, shifted into first gear, twisted the accelerator lightly, and minimized the roar of the motorcycle.

He didn't want to wake the neighbors.

The motorcycle rolled along the community road. The farther from home, the higher the gear, and the faster the speed.

"Woooo..."

Riding a Harley is a thrill!

The heavy body and low seat make it feel more like driving than riding.

The scenery along the Los Angeles highway is stunning. One side features the blue Pacific Ocean, while the other showcases steep cliffs and mountains. Many come here for scenic drives.

Of course, no matter how beautiful, the highway shares a common problem everywhere: traffic jams.

Luke had no choice but to stop and wait.

A red convertible was parked beside him, with a brown-haired woman in the driver's seat, applying makeup in the mirror.

She was stunning, wearing a burgundy short shirt that drew many eyes to her ample chest.

Luke took off his helmet and waved. "Hi, beauty, excuse me."

The brown-haired woman pursed her red lips, glanced at Luke, and said coolly, "I already have a boyfriend."

Luke smiled. "Okay, I just wanted to tell you your tire is flat."

The woman put down her lipstick and looked. The front tire was indeed flat.

She looked at Luke again and squeezed out a smile. "Sir, could you change it for me? There's a spare in the car."

At that moment, the traffic ahead cleared.

"I'm in a hurry; ask your boyfriend to change it."

Luke twisted the accelerator, and the motorcycle roared away...