"Do you think they’ll expect us to co back again?"
Under the dim light in the warehouse, two young n were swiftly ransacking valuable goods, having deliberately obtained two leaflets from street kids and studied the list of the most profitable items to steal.
In terms of sheer value, the second-hand cars parked in another lot are undoubtedly more valuable.
However, those are hard to steal, as they didn’t master the ignition technique that doesn’t require keys.
Even if they managed to get the cars, fencing them was extrely dangerous.
In Bail Federal, car theft gangs are organized cri and have ford an industry chain. If the car-thieves in Sabin City were found, Lynch’s car’s appearance and information would surely be on their list.
They hold not only this list but similar album-like lists in other cities as well.
When soone places an order, they will steal the designated car or motorcycle for delivery.
This ensures only one gang in a region. They wouldn’t want clients or their upstream and downstream contacts to be disappointed. If any wandering theft gang entered Sabin City, the first to hassle them would be the local car-theft group, not the police.
The other person laughed and shook his head, pretending to be clever, "They certainly won’t expect us to co back again so soon!"
The duo was not afraid; theft wasn’t a felony in the Federation. According to Federation law, even if caught, their sentence would not exceed three years and could even be just two or three months plus around six months of community service. The low cost of cri made them unconcerned about being caught.
The two quickly searched for portable yet high-priced goods while outside, a Blue Vest smoked in the shadows.
He didn’t think anyone would notice him at this ti. As a Blue Vest in the Warehouse District, he knew how deep the water ran there.
It’s normal for so warehouses to lose items, so long as the losses aren’t too big, no one would pursue it.
This has beco a tacit rule, everyone partakes in it, which is why even though being a Blue Strap is strenuous work, many still opt for it because reporting to the police wouldn’t change anything.
With around one to two thousand permanent workers in the Warehouse District, finding suspects isn’t easy, making investigation costs high and rewards minimal, eventually resulting in unresolved cases.
But this ti, they were bound to face trouble because Lynch wasn’t the average person, nor was he willing to abide by so rules others might.
After nearly finishing his cigarette, the Blue Vest took out the pocket watch from his grandfather and checked the ti under a streetlight. Ten minutes had passed.
Perhaps it was because the cigarette was over, or maybe his attention began to waver, making the flow of ti seem slower in his perception, and his impatience grew.
He wanted to urge those two idiots but decided against it, opting to wait quietly.
anwhile, Senior Soldier and his five mbers, a total of six people, had already neared this warehouse under Lynch’s instructions and had observed the Blue Straps for a while.
Holding the policy of catching a thief with stolen goods, they didn’t act imdiately but waited quietly.
Born from biological fear towards nature, the Blue Strap didn’t know he was under scrutiny but felt more and more restless and anxious, as those two fools had been inside too long.
Though the warehouse district’s security doesn’t strictly patrol at night, this adds unpredictability to risks. It’s more dangerous than regular patrols, as one never knows when security might suddenly decide to roam.
Seven or eight minutes later, the two ca out from the pried-open door. They could’ve co out minutes prior but decided to pocket what they deed most valuable, not intending to share.
While friends with the Blue Strap, at this mont, they weren’t completely on the sa team. The major risk they took to gain funds was shared with Blue Strap who did nothing but open a door, making them less joyful.
Thus hiding so valuable items seed justified.
Under the night sky, Blue Strap couldn’t see if they concealed anything, he just muttered, "Why are you out only now," before gently closing the pried-open door and leading them into the darkness.
At their departure through the side door from the warehouse district, Senior Soldier acted.
Soon, all three were caught red-handed. They phoned the police, who quickly arrived at the scene, taking custody of the trio.
Seeing their pale, trembling faces, Senior Soldier reported the situation to Lynch, which pleased Lynch greatly.
He didn’t intend to administer private justice. In the Federation, private justice breaches the law, and he believed the Police Station would teach them cri carries consequences.
Lynch thought the matter was settled until the next day when he received an unbelievable result.
"You an... those three were released?" Lynch’s voice carried a tone of inexplicable absurdity as the Police Station contacted the response number left after their report last night, informing them of the case’s outco.
The unexpected result caused Lynch to call the Police Station for confirmation, his tone calm but hiding displeasure, "Last night, thieves broke into my warehouse, and after their arrest, you were notified, but now you tell they’ve been released. I need an explanation."
On the other end, the operator, a young woman, asked Lynch to wait as she checked, which took seven or eight minutes before informing Lynch that the three were indeed released.
"Mr. Lynch, I apologize for your experience. The case was processed swiftly by Sabin City’s local court, and given it was their first recorded cri, they received sympathy from the Judge, avoiding criminal charges, which turned into community service not less than twenty hours weekly, enduring..." the operator paused, flipping through pages audibly, "for nine months."
The call ended quickly, leaving Lynch feeling this outco was absurdly ridiculous.
He imdiately called Ferrari, his intention post-trial was to display the cri and punishnt visibly around his warehouse so people know where they couldn’t trespass.
Unexpectedly, the trio was sentenced only to community service, practically equating to no punishnt.
Everyone knows community service firms won’t offend residents, unless ordered by administration or supervised by the court. Otherwise, they tily report to judicial authorities that those people completed community service, even if they did nothing.
This wasn’t the outco Lynch wanted; it only emboldens those people’s daring further. He needed to know what went wrong.
Ferrari offered Lynch so comfort, explaining the local Sabin City prisons no longer accepted lightweight cri inmates.
In other words, the prison doors were closed, partly due to worsening law and order in Sabin City filling the prisons.
Another issue was many found themselves unemployed and struggling, even finding als difficult.
But in prison, they could get work without worrying about als, and the prison hospital would sowhat cover dical costs—only for minor ailnts.
Judging minor ailnts mainly depends on treatnt costs compared to autopsy and cremation fees, as well as whether it’s contagious.
Many people began willingly committing cris and surrendering, ensuring their sentences wouldn’t be long, allowing them comfort with food and work.
These people beca not quality resources but a burden to prisons, with no marketability for their products, stopping inmate intake.
With prisons rejecting inmates, courts lack authority to detain them, and police stations can’t hold them either. Ferrari ntioned Sabin City’s Police Station and several precincts faced serious manpower shortages, resulting in community service sentences unless for major offenses.
This isn’t targeting anyone; it’s simply an unavoidable solution.
anwhile, the three released n felt sothing indescribable churning inside them, having committed cris but judged innocent.
At least they regarded community service as akin to an innocence verdict, never hearing of cri without jail ti, deciding after brief rest to give the Warehouse District and those who captured them so trouble, to teach them a lesson.
To show so people are untouchable.
Driven by this idea, they grew bolder. This ti not intending to steal, of course not rob either as robbery carries major offense stature, they just planned to move.
Taking so items from one place and moving them elsewhere!
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