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

"What can we do?" Lynn asked.

George smiled. "We'll help her secretly. Come on, I have an idea."

In the following days, Lynn and George took turns pretending to "pass by" Gwen's room, always taking the opportunity to stop and listen to her rehearse. When Gwen needed help, Lynn would offer suggestions, like helping her tune her guitar or even practicing harmonies with her. George, on the other hand, secretly made small recordings of her practicing and helped her edit them into short clips to show Gwen, encouraging her that she was doing great.

On the day of the competition, Gwen finally composed herself and went to the venue alone. She thought her family knew nothing about it, until she was backstage preparing to go on stage and suddenly heard familiar voices.

"Gwen! Good luck!" Lynn and George stood in the front row of the audience, waving to her.

Gwen was stunned, her eyes instantly turning red. "You… how did you know?"

George laughed and said, "You're my daughter, how could we not know what you're doing? You just need to perform well, leave the rest to us."

Lynn patted her on the shoulder. "Go, don't think too much. We're here cheering for you, no matter the result."

As Gwen walked onto the stage, her heart was filled with emotion and confidence. She played her guitar and sang with a clear voice, and the audience applauded her performance. Lynn and George's applause was the most enthusiastic.

After the competition, Gwen didn't win first place, but her performance received high praise from the judges. On the way home, she sat in the back seat of the car, unable to hold back her tears.

"Thank you, really, thank you," she choked out. "I always thought you wouldn't care, but you've always been supporting me."

George reached out and patted her shoulder, smiling. "You're part of our family, how could we not care? Always remember, no matter what you do, we're here."

Lynn teased, "So, next time something's up, remember to tell us directly. Stop practicing in secret, it's kind of silly."

The next day.

Lynn noticed that George left home promptly every morning, carrying an old cloth bag containing a notebook, medicines, and some small tools. Every time Lynn asked him where he was going, George would simply answer, "There are still many people in the community who need help, don't worry about me."

Initially, Lynn didn't pay much attention to it. He felt that George was retired and should rest more, instead of being busy like this every day. Especially when Lynn noticed that George's body was gradually showing signs of strain, occasionally coughing after returning home in the morning, or needing to sit down for a while to recover, he felt even more that his father shouldn't be pushing himself.

"Dad, you're so old, why are you still working so hard?" Lynn asked during a casual dinner. "The community's affairs can be handed over to younger people."

George raised his head, his expression calm but with a hint of insistence. "Lynn, just because someone is old doesn't mean they're useless. There are many elderly people in the community who rarely even see their children. I'll help as much as I can, it's better than staying at home doing nothing."

Lynn frowned slightly, but didn't say anything more.

A few days later, Lynn came home early from work. As he passed the community square, he saw a group of people gathered together, looking quite agitated. Several neighbors were arguing, with two elderly people standing in the middle, looking helpless. Lynn wanted to leave, but George's figure in the crowd made him stop.

George stood in the center of the argument, holding a notebook in his hand, gently clapping his hands. "Alright, alright, everyone calm down and listen to me for a moment."

"Old George, this isn't something you should be involved in!" an agitated middle-aged man said.

George smiled, his tone peaceful and firm. "If it's not something I should be involved in, who will? You've lived together for decades, can't you sit down and talk things out?"

The crowd quieted down a bit. George started flipping through his notebook while speaking. "Old Li, you think Old Wang's dog always runs into your yard, but I remember last time Old Wang's dog ran to help you pick up the letters you dropped, and you even praised it; Old Wang, you say Old Li's tree blocks your light, but last year during the hot weather, Old Li let you sit under the shade of the tree to cool off, right?"

His words made the two old men pause, with embarrassed expressions on their faces. George seized the opportunity, smiling and saying, "Everyone is a neighbor, you should be considerate of each other. Are we going to spend the rest of our lives being angry with each other?"

After a few words, the atmosphere eased, and the two old men began to nod and apologize to each other. The crowd gradually dispersed, and George patted the two men on the shoulders, telling them to come to the square to play chess and relieve boredom when they had time. He turned to leave and saw Lynn standing in the distance.

"Lynn?" George was clearly surprised, but quickly smiled and walked over. "What are you doing here?"

Lynn looked at his father, paused, and said, "I saw it. You were… very impressive just now."

George waved his hand, his tone relaxed. "It's nothing, I just understand them. When you get older, you always want more harmony between neighbors, it's better than everyone living behind closed doors."

Lynn was silent for a moment, then suddenly felt that he had underestimated George's persistence in the past. He began to understand that his father's community work was not just simple help, but maintaining the connections and trust of the people around him with sincerity and patience. This kind of influence might be more important than he imagined.

"Dad," Lynn said, his tone a bit more serious, "next time you do these things, can you take me with you? I want to try to help."

George was stunned for a moment, then showed a gratified smile. "Of course, the community welcomes you."

The next morning, Lynn returned to the police station on time and started his day's work. He habitually flipped through the case reports on his desk. His assistant, Mark, knocked on his desk, holding a wanted notice in his hand.

"Detective," Mark handed over the wanted notice, his tone relaxed, "this guy showed up again last night. He's a habitual thief who specializes in pickpocketing at subway stations during the morning rush hour. Honestly, catching him is easier than catching a cat."

Lynn picked up the wanted notice and glanced at it. The person in the photo was a thin middle-aged man, wearing a worn jacket, his eyes darting around. He nodded and stood up. "Then let's go take a look, and stretch our muscles a bit."

In less than ten minutes, Lynn and Mark arrived at the subway station not far from the police station. The platform was crowded with people. Lynn and Mark pretended to be ordinary passengers, quietly observing the surroundings. Soon, the target appeared—the thin man was wandering through the crowd, occasionally glancing around, obviously looking for an opportunity to strike.

"Detective, who do you bet he'll pick?" Mark said in a low voice, with a hint of a joke in his eyes.

"The lady with the red scarf," Lynn responded softly, "the zipper on her bag is open, she's an easy target."

Before he finished speaking, the thin man approached the lady with the red scarf as expected. His hand quietly reached for her bag, but before he could succeed, Lynn grabbed his wrist, saying in a voice that was not loud but authoritative enough, "Don't move, police."

The man was stunned and tried to struggle, but Lynn's grip made him unable to move. Mark quickly stepped forward to help, handcuffing him. The surrounding passengers looked at them, their faces full of surprise and respect, and the lady with the red scarf thanked Lynn repeatedly.

"This guy is as dumb as ever," Mark joked, "Detective, I think this time the judge might make him stay in prison a little longer."

"Hopefully," Lynn smiled, "it'll save us the trouble of catching him again."

After sending the suspect back to the police station, Lynn finally had a moment of free time. He walked into the small coffee shop next to the police station, ordered an Americano, and sat in a corner seat, quietly looking at the street scene outside the window.

The aroma of coffee lingered in his nose. He picked up the cup and took a sip, his tired expression slightly relieved. Although he had only handled a small case today, this relaxation made him feel a rare sense of contentment.

Mark walked over with a cappuccino and sat down opposite him. "Detective, it's rare for you to have time to enjoy coffee, you seem to be in a good mood?"

Lynn looked at him, a smile on the corner of his mouth. "Sometimes, small things can make you feel that work is still a bit meaningful, don't you think?"

Mark nodded in agreement. "Indeed. After all, not every case requires gunfights and car chases, these days are pretty good too."

Mark took a sip of his coffee, his eyes a little distracted, obviously with something on his mind. He put down his cup, was silent for a while, and finally spoke. "Detective, don't you think… sometimes things outside of work are more of a headache than these cases?"

Lynn raised his eyebrows and put down his cup. "What do you mean by that?"

Mark sighed and said in a low voice, "I've been having some problems with my girlfriend recently. She thinks I'm too busy with work and don't spend enough time with her, she's always complaining. Actually, I know she's right, but every time I try to make up for it, a case comes along and messes up the plan."

Lynn leaned back in his chair, listening carefully, without interrupting. His gaze softened a little, and his tone was more understanding. "She's not entirely wrong, but you have to understand that balancing work and life does take some thought."

"The problem is, I don't know how to balance it," Mark said helplessly. "She always says I don't understand her feelings, but I don't know how to make her understand that what I'm doing is not just a job, but also my responsibility."

Lynn nodded and sighed softly. "I understand how you feel. You know, I had a similar situation when I was younger. At that time, I also thought I could handle both ends, but actually… I ignored the other person's real needs."

Mark looked up, curiously looking at Lynn. "Detective, how did you solve it?"

"To be honest, that relationship didn't last," Lynn shrugged, his tone calm but with a bit of emotion. "But later I understood that the problem wasn't the job itself, but communication. You have to try to let her know that your responsibility and your feelings for her are not opposed. A little more patience, a little more initiative, and maybe you can find a common rhythm."

Mark lowered his head, seemingly thinking about Lynn's words. His fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the coffee cup, and after a moment he looked up and said, "You make sense, but what if she still feels like I haven't changed?"

Lynn patted Mark on the shoulder, his tone encouraging. "Then you have to ask yourself how important this relationship is to you. If you think it's worth it, then prove it to her with actions. If it really affects your work, I can give you a few days off to handle this. Life and work really can't be neglected."

Mark was stunned for a moment, then showed a grateful smile. "Detective, you're really a good boss. Anyone else would have told me to go reflect on my own."

Lynn chuckled softly. "I've just taken a few more detours than you. Believe me, finding a balance is much more important than just being busy."

The two looked at each other and smiled, a tacit understanding in the silence. Mark nodded, seemingly making a decision. "Thank you, Detective. I'll try to talk to her again, maybe this time I can find an answer."

"It's okay, if you need help, tell me anytime." Lynn picked up his cup and took a sip, looking out the window and adding softly, "After all, life itself needs a little wisdom to manage, doesn't it?"

Mark smiled and nodded. "Yeah, thank you, Detective."

Lynn dragged his tired body home. As soon as he opened the door, he heard laughter coming from the living room. He poked his head in and saw Gwen and two friends sitting around the sofa, the table filled with snacks and drinks, and George was holding a plate of freshly baked cookies, smiling as he walked over.

"You young people eat so fast, the cookies I just made haven't even cooled down yet!" George said, putting the plate on the table and casually taking one to try himself.

Gwen looked up and saw Lynn, waving her hand. "Bro, you're back! Come over, these are my friends Ellie and Kevin."

Lynn walked into the living room and nodded slightly. "Hello, I'm Lynn, Gwen's brother."

Ellie and Kevin stood up at the same time and greeted him, but they were clearly a little reserved. George laughed and said to them, "Don't be so restrained, Lynn isn't a serious person. He was very naughty when he was a kid, he liked to hide my car keys, making me search for them for a long time!"

"Dad!" Lynn looked at George helplessly. "I haven't done that in over twenty years, do you have to bring it up?"

George waved his hand dismissively. "That's the truth, it's okay for Gwen's friends to know."

Gwen covered her mouth and laughed, and Ellie and Kevin couldn't help but laugh along. George looked at the empty drink glasses and volunteered, "I'll get you some new soda, you guys keep chatting."

After a while, George came back with a glass of bubbling soda, and as he handed it to Kevin, he accidentally shook his hand, and some of the soda spilled on Kevin's pants.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" George quickly picked up a tissue from the table and handed it to Kevin, saying in a flustered tone, "Don't mind me, I'm getting old and my hands aren't very steady."

Kevin smiled as he wiped his pants, saying, "It's okay, Mr. Stacy, these are small things. Thank you for your hospitality."

George scratched his head awkwardly, and Gwen couldn't help but laugh. "Dad, you're so cute!"

Lynn smiled, patted George on the shoulder, and said, "It's okay, Dad, Kevin won't mind, right?"

Kevin nodded and smiled. "Of course not, this is the most special soda I've ever had!"(End of chapter)