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

Chapter 235 Interview
Three days later, at Lei's home.

Eric and Ray sat at the kitchen table, on which lay some documents and a notebook.

The four Burmese children were quietly watching TV and learning English programs in the living room, but their ears were perked up, keeping an eye on the sounds coming from the kitchen.

They had discussed it beforehand and were both mentally prepared to separate and move on to new family lives.

After all, in Eric's words, no matter how scattered they are, everyone will be in Los Angeles, and there will always be a chance to meet.

“Father Donnie is basically all set,” Ray said in a low voice, taking a sip of his coffee.

“He heard about the children’s situation and felt great sympathy. The church is willing to provide the necessary guarantees and support. He will personally contact several families that he knows well and who have always wanted to do some good deeds by adopting orphans.”

Eric breathed a sigh of relief. Since he had made a promise to Zhizhimin, he naturally had to keep it.

He personally investigated Father Donnie, whom Ray had mentioned, and found him to be a good person, certainly not the kind of priest with pedophilic tendencies.

Regarding fees.

Lei waved his hand to interrupt him: "I mentioned it to the priest, and he said that the church has a small charitable fund that can cover part of the legal and initial resettlement costs. As for the rest, he said that the Lord will guide generous hearts, which means that church members will donate."

With things already said this far, what could Eric say? He could only shrug.

"OK, I'll help out whenever Father Donnie's church starts fundraising."

Ray pointed at Eric, speechless for a moment, and could only laugh. This guy really didn't like owing favors to others.

"I'll let you know when the time comes. If you can become a member of the church, that would be the best way to repay you."

Eric paused for a moment. As a Chinese person, it's actually quite difficult to have religious beliefs; people just worship heaven and earth, ancestors, sages, and so on.

But after thinking about it, Eric still said, "Can you get rid of the bad luck on me? I've been having a lot of bad luck lately."

Ray's eyes flashed with pity. He had already heard about Eric's ordeal on his journey—his plane, car, and train had all been involved in accidents; it was truly horrific.

But after thinking about it seriously, he said, "It might have some effect?" Then he added gloatingly:

"Okay, this might not be of any use to you."

Eric rolled his eyes. Ever since he learned about these things from him, this guy had been looking at him with a strange look that was a mixture of pity and mockery.

Of course, the story of Anli Cafe is just a brief overview, since that other world seems too far removed from ordinary people.

“Just kidding, God will protect you, Eric,” Ray said seriously.

"However," Lei abruptly changed the subject, leaning forward slightly and lowering his voice, "then,"

“Father Donnie mentioned someone who I think is very special and might be a perfect fit for Zhizhimin.”

"Oh?" Eric's interest was piqued. "Who is it?"

“A lady named Helen Wick, whom Father Donnie said was one of the kindest and most peaceful people he had ever met.”

Lei said, "But her husband doesn't seem to show up very often. I heard he does some kind of special security consulting? Anyway, he's very well-off."

Importantly, Helen herself had a serious illness a few years ago. After recovering, she seemed to have come to terms with many things and has been quietly involved in church charity activities, especially in helping children.

She had confided in Father Donnie about wanting to adopt a child, but didn't have any good options.

Special security consultant? Helen Wick? Eric frowned slightly, a name that suddenly came to mind that had been connected to him in his past life, but he didn't think much of it.

After all, there are too many people with the same surname in America.

“Don’t worry, since Father Donnie vouched for them, they must be good people,” Ray said, looking at Eric’s expression. He paused, a hint of emotion in his eyes. “Father Donnie said that he and his wife had always wanted a child, but had tried several times without success.”

Therefore, Father Donnie felt that Helen would be an ideal candidate if given the opportunity to provide a stable and loving home, especially for a sensitive and precocious girl like Zhizhimin.

She said she longed to guide a soul, not just provide food and lodging.

Eric listened attentively and finally nodded, saying, "It certainly sounds like a rare opportunity. The important thing is that the people involved are good."

“Father Donnie vouched for Helen’s goodness with his own integrity,” Ray said definitively.

“He arranged for us to go to the church tomorrow afternoon to talk. Helen wants to hear the details herself, especially about Zhizhimin. If she thinks it’s appropriate, she would be very willing to meet.”

"That's good. I also want to see the families who want to adopt in person." Eric breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that things were moving in a positive direction.

He glanced at Zhizhimin, who seemed focused on the TV in the living room but actually looked somewhat uneasy, and sighed inwardly. That was all he could do; he could only continue to observe from now on.

If all else fails, he'll step in; at worst, he'll just treat it as another younger sister in the family.

"As for the three boys," Ray flipped through his notebook, "the priest also found two families. One was a middle-aged engineer couple whose child was in college and their house was empty. They wanted some liveliness and were willing to take in two boys as companions."

The other family is a primary school physical education teacher, single, but a very sunny and energetic person who loves outdoor sports and wants to take care of a boy.

However, this might require considering the children's personalities to determine the most suitable allocation.

Eric nodded and said, "Then we'll go see Father Donnie tomorrow."

Lei said, "Okay."

-

In a small lounge in the side aisle of the church, the air was filled with a faint, mixed scent of old wood and beeswax candles.

Sunlight streamed through the tall, narrow stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor and making the space both tranquil and imbued with a sense of sacred solemnity.

Zhizhimin sat on a dark wooden bench, her fingers nervously picking at the folds of her skirt.

Her gaze was lowered, her eyes still filled with the sadness of seeing her brothers off, but her eyes would occasionally dart quickly toward Eric over there.

Whenever Eric whispered a word to Ray or the priest, her attention would be immediately drawn to him, her eyes revealing a subtle longing.

Unfortunately, Zhizhi Min understood that this was just her own desire.

The kind priest then left, bringing with him a woman.

Attracted the attention of everyone present.

Eric, standing to the side, squinted as he observed the woman named Helen Wick.

The other person was wearing a soft, off-white knitted cardigan and dark trousers, dressed simply yet elegantly.

Her face was slightly pale and thin, which clearly showed the traces of her past suffering from illness, but it seemed that she was still not cured.

It was mainly those eyes that made Eric nod in satisfaction.

It is said that the eyes are the windows to the heart, and one can roughly see a person's state of mind through their eyes.

Perhaps because she had once been seriously ill, this woman's eyes were filled with only calmness and gentleness; her smile was faint, yet extremely sincere.

(End of this chapter)