American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

“I don’t have a poker face.”

“You do,” Sarah said. “You always have. You know, I’ve been in this team for so long and I’ve never seen you truly laugh. I mean, a genuine, relaxed laugh, not a polite or sarcastic one.”

Lynn thought for a moment and realized that he really couldn't remember the last time he had truly laughed heartily.

“Maybe things will change today,” he said.

"I hope so."

They drove along the highway toward JFK International Airport, the scenery outside the car window gradually changing from the skyscrapers of Manhattan to the low-rise buildings of Queens, and then to the open plains and huge aircraft hangars near the airport.

“Have you ever been to Disneyland before?” Sarah asked.

“A long time ago,” Lynn said, “about twenty years ago, when I was a child. I remember a castle, a parade, and a dragon that breathed fire.”

“A fire-breathing dragon? That should be from Disney in California,” Sarah said. “Disney World in Orlando is bigger, with four theme parks. Today we’re going to the Magic Kingdom, that’s the most classic one.”

"Have you done your homework?"

“Of course,” Sarah said. “I don’t want to get there and not know what to do. I’ve already made a list—Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and that haunted house. Anything you’d like to do?”

Lynn thought for a moment. "I don't know. I don't know much about these things."

“Then come with me,” Sarah said. “I’ll make sure you have an unforgettable experience.”

They arrived at the airport with about forty minutes to spare before their flight. Sarah had already bought the tickets online, so they went straight to the security checkpoint.

As FBI agents, they were allowed to bring weapons on board, but Lynn decided not to today. The security officer looked surprised when he saw their identification, but still let them through.

The waiting hall was bustling with people. Business people were hurrying by with their suitcases, families with children were waiting in the rest area, and young couples were holding hands and looking at the planes outside the window.

Lynn and Sarah found a window seat and watched planes take off and land on the runway.

"Are you nervous?" Sarah asked.

"What's there to be nervous about?"

“By plane,” Sarah said, “considering you just experienced a plane crash last week.”

Lynn remembered the crashed propeller plane, the fear of falling into the darkness, and the violent jolts upon impact. The memories were still vivid, but strangely, he didn't feel much fear.

“Thankfully,” he said, “it was a missile strike, not a mechanical malfunction. And I believe no one would use a missile to shoot down a commercial flight.”

“I hope so,” Sarah said, “but seriously, if you feel unwell, let me know.”

"I will."

The boarding announcement came on, and they followed the flow of people to the gate. The plane was a medium-sized Boeing 737, with seats arranged neatly, and the flight attendants greeted each passenger with smiles.

Lynn and Sarah's seats were in the middle of the cabin, by the window. Lynn let Sarah sit by the window, while he sat by the aisle.

"Don't you want to see the scenery?" Sarah asked.

“You see,” Lynn said, “I’m not interested in the view outside the window.”

The plane took off quickly, broke through the clouds, and entered a stable cruising phase. Outside the window was an endless blue sky and white clouds, and the sunlight was so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.

“You know what,” Sarah said, looking out at the sea of ​​clouds, “I always wanted to be a flight attendant when I was little.”

"real?"

“Yes,” Sarah said, “I thought it was really cool to be able to fly around, go to different cities, and meet different people. But as I grew up, I realized that being a flight attendant is actually very hard work, and the pay isn’t high.”

"So you chose the FBI?"

“It wasn’t entirely a choice,” Sarah said. “I studied criminology in college, and after graduation, the FBI was hiring, so I applied, and I was surprised to get accepted.”

Do you like this job?

Sarah thought for a moment. “Most of the time I like it. Being able to catch bad guys and protect innocent people makes me feel valuable. But sometimes…” her voice lowered, “sometimes it feels exhausting. Seeing so much darkness sometimes makes me question whether there is really any hope in this world.”

“I understand,” Lynn said. “I feel the same way.”

"How did you handle it?"

Lynn thought for a moment. "I reminded myself that it is precisely because there is darkness that someone needs to bring light. If we don't do this work, who will? Bad people won't stop doing evil just because we give up; they will only become more rampant. So, no matter how tired we are, we must continue."

Sarah looked at him, a complex emotion in her eyes. "You're more profound than I thought, Lynn."

"What's the meaning?"

"I mean, you usually seem very calm and rational, like you don't care about anything. But actually, you think about a lot of things, right?"

Lynn didn't answer, but just smiled slightly.

The plane landed at Orlando International Airport a little over two hours later. The moment they stepped off the plane, a wave of warm, humid air hit them, a stark contrast to the dry autumn winds of New York.

“The weather in Florida,” Sarah said, putting on her sunglasses, “is like summer.”

They rented a car at the airport and drove along the highway toward Disney World. Palm trees and low bushes lined the road, the sky was an almost unreal blue, and huge clouds floated overhead like cotton candy.

“This place is completely different from New York,” Lynn said, looking out at the tropical scenery.

“That’s why people love vacationing in Florida,” Sarah said. “Sunshine, beaches, and Disney. A place where you can temporarily forget about reality.”

They followed the signs into the Disney World area, where they were first greeted by a huge welcome arch and the iconic Mickey Mouse logo. The roads widened and became neat, with manicured lawns and colorful flowerbeds on both sides.

“We’re here,” Sarah’s voice rang with excitement, “Disney World!” They parked the car in the parking lot and then took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. The monorail ran smoothly on the elevated track, with views of the artificial lake, hotel buildings, and Cinderella Castle faintly visible in the distance.

“Do you see that castle?” Sarah pointed out the window. “That’s Cinderella’s Castle, the symbol of the Magic Kingdom. There’s a fireworks display tonight; they say it’s very beautiful.”

Lynn gazed at the blue and white castle, shimmering in the sunlight. It was larger than he had imagined, its spires reaching into the clouds, like a building straight out of a fairy tale.

They got off the bus at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom and followed the crowd toward the gate. There was a long queue at the ticket gate, mostly families with children dressed as various Disney characters, including princesses, pirates, and superheroes.

“Look over there,” Sarah pointed to a little girl dressed in an Elsa princess dress, “she’s so cute.”

The little girl, about four or five years old, had a long braided blonde wig and was holding a magic wand. She was taking a picture with a staff member dressed as Olaf. Her smile was as bright as the sun, and she radiated pure joy.

Lynn looked at the little girl, a strange feeling welling up inside him. He thought of Little Rascal, and the expression on her face when she watched the fireflies in the Xavier's Garden. That pure, unadulterated joy was something adults rarely possessed anymore.

“What are you thinking about?” Sarah noticed his expression.

“It’s nothing,” Lynn said, “I just remembered someone.”

They passed through the ticket gate smoothly and entered the magical kingdom.

The sight before him stunned Lynn for a moment.

The street is lined with Victorian-style buildings, their windows displaying various Disney merchandise and candies. The street is crowded with tourists: families pushing strollers, couples holding hands, and staff in Disney costumes interacting with children. The air is filled with the aroma of popcorn, cotton candy, and roasted turkey legs, while upbeat Disney theme songs play in the background.

At the end of the street, Cinderella Castle stands majestically, even more magnificent than it appears from a distance.

“Welcome to the Magic Kingdom,” Sarah said, opening her arms wide and taking a deep breath, “the happiest place on Earth.”

Lynn looked around and felt as if he had stepped into another world. Here, there was no crime, no conspiracy, no gunfights, and no explosions. Only fairy tales, laughter, and carefree joy.

“You’re daydreaming,” Sarah nudged him. “Come on, let’s go to Space Mountain first, that’s the ride I most want to ride.”

Following the map, they crossed Main Street, U.S.A., and entered the Tomorrowland area. Space Mountain was a massive white domed building, shaped like a futuristic mountain peak. There was a long queue at the entrance, but thankfully it moved relatively quickly.

“Space Mountain is an indoor roller coaster,” Sarah explained to Lynn as they waited in line. “It goes through the dark, simulating the feeling of space travel. There are some sharp turns and drops, but it’s not too thrilling, suitable for beginners.”

“I’m not a beginner,” Lynn said. “I just haven’t ridden a roller coaster in a long time.”

“That’s even better,” Sarah said. “You’ll feel like it’s your first time.”

They waited in line for about forty minutes before it was finally their turn. The roller coaster seats were in pairs, and Lynn and Sarah sat together, fastening their seatbelts.

"Are you ready?" Sarah asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Ready."

The roller coaster began to move, slowly entering a tunnel. The lights in the tunnel gradually dimmed until it was completely dark. Then, stars began to appear—not real stars, but tiny points of light projected onto the ceiling, simulating the environment of space.

“It’s beautiful,” Lynn said softly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the roller coaster suddenly accelerated and plunged into a sharp turn. Lynn felt a strong centrifugal force pushing him to one side, followed by a steep drop, and his stomach felt like it was churning.

Sarah screamed beside him, her voice filled with excitement and joy. Lynn gripped the handrail tightly, feeling the wind whistling past his ears, his heart pounding at its limit.

The roller coaster zipped through the darkness, going up and down, left and right, completely disorienting Lynn. His brain told him it was unsafe, but his body was enjoying the feeling of being out of control.

When the roller coaster finally slowed down and stopped, Lynn found himself laughing.

It was a laugh he hadn't experienced in a long time—a genuine, completely relaxed laugh.

"How was it?" Sarah asked, a bright smile on her face.

“Better than I expected,” Lynn said. “How about another one?”

"certainly!"

They queued up again for Space Mountain, and then went to Splash Mountain. Splash Mountain is a water ride where the roller coaster takes them along an artificial river, through various fairytale scenes, and finally plunges down a steep waterfall, splashing up huge sprays of water.

Lynn's clothes were half-soaked, but he didn't mind. The Florida sun would dry them quickly.

“Your hair,” Sarah looked at him and couldn’t help but laugh, “is a complete mess.”

Lynn touched his hair and realized it really did look like it had been blown by a tornado. He took out his phone from his pocket, looked at his reflection, and couldn't help but laugh.

“I look like a madman.”

“A happy madman,” Sarah said. “That’s much better than you usually are.”

They continued exploring the park, enjoying attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted House, and the classic It's a Small World. Each attraction offered Lynn a different experience—some thrilling, some heartwarming, and some filled with nostalgia.

Around 3 p.m., they found a spot in the square in front of the castle to sit down and rest, eating turkey legs and lemonade they bought from a street vendor.

"Did you have fun?" Sarah asked.

Lynn took a bite of his turkey leg and thought for a moment. “Happy,” he said, “much happier than I expected. I thought Disneyland was for little kids, but I didn’t realize adults could enjoy it this much.”

“That’s the magic of Disney,” Sarah said. “It makes you temporarily forget your age, your identity, and all your worries, and become a simple, happy child again.”

Lynn looked around at the crowd. There were elderly people with white hair sitting in wheelchairs, being pushed around by their families; there were young couples taking pictures in front of the castle, their smiles radiant; there were little children riding on their fathers' shoulders, pointing at the Dumbo flying overhead and screaming.

Everyone is smiling. Everyone is enjoying the moment.

“You know,” Lynn said, “in my work, I mostly see the darkest side of humanity. Murder, kidnapping, terrorist attacks… sometimes it makes you feel like the world is full of malice. But here…”

He paused, watching a little boy run towards a staff member dressed as Mickey Mouse, opening his arms for a hug. (End of Chapter)