North American riot police: Start by arresting P. Diddy!

Chapter 278 Christmas (Daily Life)

In a border town in Indiana.

A yellow school bus slowly drove along a country road where the snow had not yet melted, eventually stopping at an intersection.

As soon as the car came to a stop, a thin boy in the back seat deftly grabbed his schoolbag and walked straight to the car door.

Compared to other children his age, he was unusually short.

But as he passed by, the students on both sides instinctively tucked their legs in, afraid of blocking his way. The boy kept his eyes straight ahead, not glancing to the side.

Only after his figure disappeared outside the car door and the school bus started moving again did a chorus of sighs of relief fill the carriage.

The children immediately started chattering amongst themselves:

“Wesley is getting more and more terrifying. I’m too scared to even breathe when I see him now.”

"Yeah, do you guys remember Parker from the next class? He used to bully Wesley all the time. A couple of days ago, someone found his head stuck in the toilet, and the firefighters had to use hydraulic shears to get him out."

"Oh my god, this is the third person to be shoved down the toilet! It must have been Wesley!"

"Come on, only those of you who bullied him are afraid of him. I think he's no different from before, except he's a bit better at fighting."

"That's right, Wesley never goes looking for trouble."

The children argued incessantly, their voices gradually drowned out by the roar of the engine.

Yes, that's right. The boy who was both respected and feared by all the students in the school was Wesley.

A year has passed, and his appearance has not changed much; he still looks like a primary school student with a childlike face.

The only difference is in their eyes—the once timid and evasive gaze has now become focused and open, able to look directly at anyone without any reservations.

And those hands, which should have been tender, had calluses on their knuckles, making them so rough they didn't look like a child's hands.

He still wore a hearing aid, but his expression no longer showed the inferiority complex he used to have.

A year ago, a charitable medical organization suddenly visited the school and selected him as a beneficiary of a special treatment program.

Doctors diagnosed his deafness as being caused by nerve damage. Although it is a congenital defect, with the help of advanced nerve repair technology, based on the current recovery progress, he may be able to completely get rid of hearing aids in less than two years. At that time, he will not only be able to hear the world naturally, but also be able to speak.

The thought of being able to speak in the future made Wesley's steps lighter.

During the Christmas season, this dilapidated town is bursting with a rare vitality, filled with festive joy.

Every house is adorned with bright red Christmas wreaths, jingling bells, bulging red stockings, and sparkling fairy lights.
The trees lining the streets were also decorated with a silver-white coat, and Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" was playing on a loop in the shops along the street.

It is said that since its release in 1994, this song has brought Mariah Carey at least three million dollars in royalties every year, not including her earnings from festival performances and film and television works.

This world is truly wondrous.

Some people can earn millions a year with just one song and continue to earn that income for decades; while others can't even receive the cheapest Christmas gift.

Wesley didn't know Mariah Carey, nor did he understand how much money the song playing on repeat in street shops was making.

He just felt particularly sorry for the homeless man huddled by the roadside.

On this Christmas Eve, a time for family reunion, I can only shiver in a tattered blanket.

Wesley took out the school lunch candy he had prepared for his sister from his bag and gently placed it next to the homeless man.

Besides candy and textbooks, there was also a thick stack of newspapers neatly folded inside the schoolbag.

These are news reports about Rorschach that Wesley carefully collected.

From Rorschach's assassination of Speaker Pellari after leaving his small town to the recent White House attack, he meticulously preserved and clipped every article that mentioned him, keeping them carefully in chronological order.

Unbeknownst to him, the boy had become Rorschach's most loyal follower, keeping a close eye on his idol's every move and treasuring every report.

Thinking of Rorschach, Wesley's initially cheerful mood turned heavy again.

He didn't know if he would ever have the chance to see the other person again.

News reports say that Rorschach is the most dangerous criminal in history, wanted across the United States, and in a perilous situation.

Wesley guessed that the other party was probably on the run, hiding and fleeing.

My heart felt heavy, as if a stone was pressing down on it, making it difficult to breathe.

His mother remarried when he was young, and his stepfather often beat him, which made him experience the harsh realities of life.

During the brief time he spent with Rorschach, he had already come to regard him as a true father, and that warmth was a rare treasure in his life.

Wesley walked silently with his head down, seemingly out of place with the joyful festive atmosphere around him, like a lonely outsider.

Just as he was about to turn the corner, a familiar dog bark suddenly came from afar.

Wesley looked up sharply—a white sheepdog, almost as tall as him, was running happily toward him, wagging its tail and barking enthusiastically with its tongue lolling out!
"Bubrian!"

Wesley uttered the long-unheard name with difficulty, opening his arms to welcome his running companion.

He hugged Brian tightly, buried his face in its soft fur, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly looked around, and when he saw the leather-clad figure leaning against the street lamp, he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning!

"Daddy!"

----------

Inside the department store, Wesley happily swung the leash of Brian, running across the gleaming marble floor like a bird released from its cage, drawing sidelong glances and smiles from many passersby.

Not far behind him, Luo Xia followed slowly with his hands in his pockets, a rare smile on his face, his eyes always following the jubilant little figure.

Scarlett, standing beside him, sported striking red, tousled hair and was thoughtfully observing her surroundings.

This is the largest department store in the city closest to the town.

After Rorschach reunited with Wesley, he initially planned to take him out for a big meal, but upon seeing the boy's faded clothes and tattered backpack, he immediately changed his mind and brought him here to get a new outfit.

"This child looks ordinary, is he really your son?"

Scarlett glanced at the short Wesley and the tall Rorschach, especially at their hair color.

The boy's hair was slightly brown, while Rorschach's was pure black; they had no resemblance whatsoever.

She couldn't see any genetic traits at all. Could it be that the child's mother's genes were particularly strong?

With this question in mind, Scarlett couldn't help but ask, "Where's his mother? Why is it only you who came to see him?"

Rorschach was already used to women's curiosity, and explained helplessly, "Wesley and I are not related by blood, so why would we look alike?" "Huh? Then why did he call you Dad just now?" Scarlett's eyes widened.

Rorschach lit a cigarette and began to recount how he met Wesley a year ago.

From being severely wounded by warplanes in the Gary Mountains to leaving the town for Washington.

His way of speaking was blunt and rough, mixed with a lot of profanity, but Scarlett listened intently, even unconsciously softening her breathing.

When the story was finished, Scarlett had no heart to go shopping. She leaned against the glass of the sightseeing elevator, staring blankly at the dessert counter not far away.

There, Rorschach, with Wesley in his left arm and Brian by his right, was choosing ice cream flavors.

Wesley seemed uneasy, as if it were his first time in such a place, his little hands nervously clutching Rorschach's clothes.

On the contrary, Brian scratched at the counter with his front paws in a very serious manner, wagging his tail like a propeller. His adorable appearance attracted the female shop assistants to come over and pet the dog's head, and they also enthusiastically offered the dog samples of various flavors of ice cream.

They really look like a family of two. Oh no, a family of three.

Scarlett's lips unconsciously curled up as this thought suddenly entered her mind.

"Hey, what are you daydreaming about!" Luo Xia waved and shouted at her, "Buy two get one free today, count it as yours."

"Huh? Oh!" Scarlett suddenly realized what was happening and quickly walked over.

Reaching the counter, she took Wesley from Rorschach's arms, a rare gentle smile on her face, and lightly pinched the boy's cheek.

Wesley was actually quite helpless.

I'm almost ten years old now. Although I am indeed shorter than my peers, I'm long past the age of being held in someone's arms.

But today, not only Daddy did this, but even the sister he just met picked him up without saying a word and pinched his cheeks like a baby.

This warmed his heart, which had been deprived of family affection for a long time, yet he also felt awkward and his ears turned red.

After finishing their ice cream, the three people and their dog went to the lobby on the first floor to line up for a photo with Santa Claus.

This is a regular feature in major shopping malls every Christmas.

An overweight staff member, wearing a white wig and beard and Santa's iconic red velvet suit, sat in an ornate chair and posed for photos with the children.

After the photo is taken, Santa Claus will randomly give you a gift box.

The gifts inside aren't expensive or fancy; they're usually just plush toys or cheap stationery on sale at the mall. What seems like a simple activity costs thirty dollars just for taking photos, and you have to wait in a long line.

For Wesley, who had never been to a large shopping mall in the city before, everything was new and exciting. What's more, with his beloved Rorschach and Brian by his side, he felt as happy as if he were walking on clouds, so unreal.

"Come on, look at the camera."

Rorschach gestured to Wesley, who was sitting on Santa's lap.

When the boy flashed a bright smile, he quickly pressed the shutter, capturing this precious moment.

Rorschach and Brian then took photos with Wesley, and the group also took several individual photos. Even Scarlett was pulled over by Wesley, who put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a rare smile for the camera.

After receiving the photo, Wesley looked at himself riding on Brian's back in the picture, with Rorschach and Scarlett on either side of him, and smiled so hard that his eyes curved into crescents, his little hands tightly clutching the photo.

During their shopping trip, they bought bags and bags of clothes and daily necessities.

Somewhat surprisingly, most of these items were not chosen by Wesley for himself. Apart from a few necessities, he mainly selected gifts for his sister and mother, and even thoughtfully prepared a razor for his stepfather.

At first, he resolutely refused to spend too much of Rorschach's money, and no amount of persuasion from Rorschach could change his mind. It wasn't until Rorschach pulled out a thick wad of cash and said that this expense was nothing at all that the boy finally blushed and nodded in agreement.

As night fell, Scarlett drove Wesley home.

The little guy, exhausted from a day of playing, was fast asleep, nestled against Brian in the back seat.

Brian stared longingly at the roast turkey he had taken from a fancy restaurant and was drooling so much it was practically dripping onto the seat, but he held back from moving for fear of waking his little master.

In the passenger seat, Rorschach was on the phone with the head of the medical foundation responsible for Wesley's treatment.

This foundation is actually a private project funded by Harold. The entire team serves only Wesley, and all medical resources are focused on one goal—to restore Wesley's hearing and speech abilities.

"I gave you almost a year, and you guys just used that money to go on vacation?!"

"To this day, Wesley can only say 'Dad' and 'Brian,' and he can't live without his hearing aid! Is this all you've accomplished?!"

"Stop giving me that medical complexity nonsense and stop showing off your jargon. I'm giving you another year. If ten million isn't enough, I'll have twenty million. If twenty million isn't enough, I'll have a hundred million! No matter how much it costs, I'll cure my child's illness! If Wesley still can't communicate like a normal child after a year, I'll withdraw all the funds! You're not the only institution in the world that's proficient in treating sensorineural hearing loss!"

After hanging up the phone, the gentle smile he had when he was with Wesley was gone from Rorschach's face, replaced by a gloomy displeasure.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you threaten an ordinary person.” Scarlett raised an eyebrow at him.

Rorschach didn't respond, but silently stared at Wesley sleeping in the rearview mirror, his voice low: "If this child can't live like a normal person in the future, I won't die in peace."

“Is it really that serious?” Scarlett asked, puzzled. “Wesley has been deaf and mute since he was a child, he should be used to it by now.”

“It’s precisely because he’s used to it that I’m even more determined to change all of this!” Luo Xia glared at her with dissatisfaction. “If this hospital doesn’t work, we’ll go to another one. I refuse to believe that throwing money at it won’t create a miracle and give this child a new voice!”

Scarlett shrugged and said no more.

Shortly after, the car stopped in front of a dilapidated wooden house.

At the entrance, a woman in her thirties was pacing anxiously back and forth, glancing at the end of the road every now and then.

Upon seeing the unfamiliar luxury car suddenly stop in front of the door, the woman was initially startled and took a half-step back warily. But when Rorschach carried the sleepy-eyed Wesley out of the car, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"Wesley!"

She instinctively shielded her son behind her, warily eyeing the stranger.

Rorschach immediately showed his identification and explained, "You must be Wesley's mother, right? I am Logan, the head of the medical foundation. I have been personally overseeing Wesley's treatment plan."

"It's Mr. Logan!"

Wesley's mother's eyes lit up, and she tightly grasped Rorschach's hand, thanking him repeatedly.

Upon learning that they hadn't had dinner yet, she warmly invited everyone into her house to share a Christmas Eve dinner.

Rorschach had already planned this, winked at the grinning Wesley, and turned to get the pre-ordered roast turkey from the car.

However, as soon as the car door opened, he froze on the spot—

The turkey, wrapped in tin foil, had already been torn to pieces. Brian's mouth was greasy, and when Rorschach noticed, he immediately drooped his ears, stuck out his tongue, and pretended to be innocent and harmless.

"Fuck! You greedy, stupid dog!!!"

(End of this chapter)