The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 169 Headache
These children, who have experienced so much, surely know how to handle such small things as avoiding injuries.

Otherwise, he would have to help clean them one by one, which would be too troublesome and unnecessary.

After saying that, Eric, as if he had completed a difficult task, looked at their ill-fitting and dirty clothes and said in Burmese.

"I'm going to buy you some clothes. Until I get back, you stay put, just take a shower, and don't do anything else."

"Zhizhimin, you supervise them!"

The four children looked at each other and nodded obediently.

-

Unfortunately, the hotel didn't have any decent clean clothes to offer.

Eric walked out of the hotel, stretched his tense body, and got back into the police car.

He then started the car, preparing to go buy clothes for the children.

The streets of Los Angeles were surprisingly empty at 5:30 a.m., with only the occasional car whizzing by.

But this sleeping city is also beginning to awaken.

The problem is that it's really difficult to buy children's clothes that fit at 5:30 a.m.

Eric found only one 24-hour neighborhood convenience store and went inside.

In addition to food and daily necessities, these supermarkets also sell basic clothing items such as socks, underwear, T-shirts, and sweatpants.

It doesn't fit well, but it's clean, so it'll do.

Under the surprised gaze of the sales clerk at the front desk, Eric paid for four sets of clothes, hurriedly left, and returned to the hotel.

However, upon entering, Eric noticed that the tallest person, Zhizhimin, was sitting on the sofa in a daze, not taking a shower with the others in the bathroom.

Upon seeing him return, Zhizhimin immediately stood up from the sofa, simply watching him quietly with unease on her face, as if afraid of what he was about to say.

"Why didn't you go in to clean?" Eric asked, raising an eyebrow.

Seeing him purse his lips, looking troubled and unsure how to begin, Eric placed the bag of clothes on the sofa.

Is it because it hurts?

Zhizhimin shook her head.

“Okay, you don’t have to wash. But you have to change into clean clothes first,” Eric joked, a rare occurrence for him.

"Otherwise, people will really think I'm kidnapping children."

As he spoke, Eric picked up a T-shirt and gestured for Zhizhimin to put it on.

Zhizhimin looked at Eric, took a deep breath, and began to take off her dirty top.

For a moment, Eric was stunned. The tallest "boy" Zhizhimin was actually a girl!
"You're a girl?" Eric instinctively turned around abruptly, his back to her.

"So why didn't you tell me?"

"I," Zhizhimin opened her mouth, her voice very low, "my mother said that boys look stronger and won't be bullied."

Eric paused for a moment, still with his back to her, and simply handed the clothes he was holding behind him:

"Sorry, I didn't ask clearly. Please put on your clothes first, and you can wash them by yourself from now on."

Zhizhimin looked at Eric and her eyes lit up slightly. She silently took the clothes and obediently put them on.

"Are you dressed?" Eric asked after waiting a while and hearing the noise behind him stop.

"All right."

Upon hearing the answer, Eric turned around and looked at Zhizhimin, who had changed into a clean T-shirt. Although the clothes were loose and ill-fitting, they were completely different, as if symbolizing a new beginning.

"Good!" Eric praised, glancing at Zhizhimin who seemed happy to be wearing new clothes, and sighed inwardly.

"I'll go see them."

After saying that, Eric picked up the rest of his clothes under Zhizhimin's watchful gaze and headed for the bathroom.

When I opened the bathroom door, I found it was completely flooded.

The three boys, soaking wet and naked, were sitting in the bathtub, completely absorbed in their play, as if all their suffering had been temporarily forgotten, and they were utterly immersed in the joy before them.

But as soon as they saw him appear at the door, they immediately stood up abruptly, instinctively lining up in a row, their faces full of unease. "Very good," Eric smiled, placing the three sets of clothes on the rack.

"You guys keep playing, but don't play for too long."

After saying that, he closed the door.

Immediately from inside the door came the sounds of three boys looking at each other and then playing even more excitedly.
Back in the lobby.

Eric glanced at his watch. After all that fuss, it was almost six o'clock, and he had to go back to the police station to hand over his shift.

Then, Eric looked at Zhizhimin, who had been staring at him, and said, "I still have some things to take care of. You all should rest here and get some sleep, understand?"

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door.

"Will you come back?" Zhizhimin's voice sounded from behind.

Eric stopped at the doorway and glanced back at her. The girl tried to maintain a calm expression, but her eyes and subtle facial expressions betrayed her inner unease.

“Yes, after you wake up,” Eric replied, opening the door and leaving, closing it gently behind him.

Zhizhi blinked, clearly relieved, and her tense body relaxed.

Just then, she heard a noise and looked towards the bathroom.

Her three younger brothers were standing obediently at the bathroom door, looking this way, while Zhizhi Min put on a stern face.

"Hurry up and finish your shower, then go to sleep!"

-

West Canyon Police Department.

Eric parked the police car back in its original position, completed all the checks, took his belongings, and got out of the car.

He first walked around the Ford Explorer patrol car that had accompanied him through the entire night shift, carefully inspecting it.

After confirming that everything was alright, they headed towards the back door of the police station.

"Finally off work." Eric breathed a sigh of relief, and thinking back, there was a good reason why patrol officers are under so much pressure.

In just one night, he experienced so much and unexpectedly gained four "burdens" that he didn't know how to deal with.

I doubt any patrol officer in the entire West Canyon Police Department had a more exciting night than him.

Just then, his phone vibrated. Eric took it out and saw that it was Ray calling.

connected.

Ray said he had settled Mia in and confirmed there were no major problems, then asked him what he planned to do with the four boys.

"What are your thoughts?" Eric asked as he walked into the police station.

Lei: "Find a reliable foster family."

"Do you think they can adapt like normal children?" Eric thought, recalling their experience.

To be honest, he was really worried that these children, who had survived the war, might one day lose control of their emotions and do something extreme to their adoptive parents.

Lei remained silent for a while before replying, "Why don't you take them under your wing and teach them the rules?"

"Damn it! I'm still so young! I don't want people to misunderstand that I'm married and have four kids!"
"Besides, I have some business to attend to and need to go out of town recently," Eric said, not intending to let Ray off the hook.

“Lei, you’re involved in this too, don’t think you can just wash your hands of it.”

Ray immediately understood that Eric wanted him to temporarily take over: "Alright. When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow or the day after," Eric added, after considering how long he would be staying with Tifa.

"Including this week's rest time, I'll probably be back in about a week."

Ray complained, "Damn it! I can already imagine what this week will be like!"

Upon hearing this, Eric could imagine Ray's headache at that moment, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. This burden was finally temporarily resolved.

"It's alright, let Mia take care of them more."

Before Lei could say anything, she hung up the phone and prepared to go in to hand over her shift, while also asking for a day or two off.

(End of this chapter)