American comic book: I, with my abundant martial virtue, love to do good to others.

Chapter 242 The Most Special Glass of Soda

"What should we do then?" Lynn asked.

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

Over the next few days, Lynn and George took turns pretending to casually "pass by" Gwen's room, always stopping to listen to her rehearse. When Gwen needed help, Lynn would offer suggestions, such as adjusting her guitar tuning or even practicing harmonies with her. George, on the other hand, secretly recorded her practice sessions and edited them into short clips to send to Gwen, encouraging her for her excellent performance.

On the day of the competition, Gwen finally overcame her nervousness and went to the venue alone. She thought her family knew nothing about it until she was standing backstage preparing to go on stage when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Go Gwen! Go for it!" Lynn and George waved to her from the front row of the audience.

Gwen froze, her eyes instantly welling up with tears: "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 behave well, and we'll take care of the rest."

Lynn patted her on the shoulder: "Go ahead, don't overthink it. We're here cheering you on, no matter the outcome."

When Gwen stepped onto the stage, she was filled with emotion and confidence. She picked up her guitar and sang in a clear, bright voice.

The audience applauded her performance. Lynn and George's applause was the loudest.

After the competition, Gwen didn't win first place, but her performance received high praise from the judges. On the way home, sitting in the back seat of the car, she couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Thank you, really, thank you," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "I always thought you wouldn't care."

But you have always supported me.

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

Lynn joked, "So, next time something happens, remember to tell us directly. Don't practice secretly anymore, it's pretty silly."

The next day.

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

At first, Lynn didn't take it to heart. He felt that George had retired and should rest more, instead of being busy every day like this. 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 for a while to recover, he felt that his father shouldn't be pushing himself so hard.

"Dad, you're so old, why are you still working so hard?" Lynn asked at a casual dinner. "Community matters can be left to younger people."

George raised his head, his expression calm yet firm: "Lynn, getting old doesn't mean you're useless. There are many elderly people in the community who rarely even see their children. I'll help them as much as I can; it's better than staying at home like a useless person."

Lynn frowned slightly, but said nothing more.

A few days later, Lynn went home early after get off work. As he passed the community square, he saw a group of people gathered together, seemingly quite agitated. Several neighbors were arguing, and two elderly people stood in the middle, looking helpless. Lynn initially intended to leave, but the sight of George in the crowd made him stop.

George stood in the center of the argument, looking at his notebook, and gently clapped his hands: "Alright, alright, everyone calm down and let me say a few words."

"Old Joe, this is none of your business!" an agitated middle-aged man said.

George smiled, his tone calm yet firm: "If it's not my responsibility, who is? You've lived together for decades, what problem can't you sit down and talk it out?"

The crowd quieted down a little. George started flipping through his notebook as he spoke: "Old Li, you think Old Wang's dog is always running into your yard, but I remember last time Old Wang's dog went to help you erase those letters..."

You even praised it; Old Wang, you said Old Li's tree blocked your sunlight, but last year on a sweltering day, Old Li let you sit under its shade to cool off, right?

His words startled the two elderly people, and an awkward expression appeared on their faces. George seized the opportunity, saying with a smile, "We're neighbors; we should be considerate of each other. Are we going to spend the rest of our lives getting angry with each other?"

After a few words, the atmosphere eased, and the two elderly people began nodding and apologizing to each other. The crowd gradually dispersed.

George patted the two men on the shoulder, telling them to come to the square to play chess to pass the time. As he turned to leave, he saw Lynn standing in the distance.

"Lynn?" George was clearly surprised, but quickly walked over with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

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

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

Lynn was silent for a moment, then suddenly realized he had underestimated George's insistence. He began to understand that his father's community work was not just simple help, but a genuine and patient maintenance of connections and trust among those around him. This influence might be far more significant than he had imagined.

"Dad," Lynn said, her tone more serious, "next time you do these things, could you take me with you? I'd like to try and help."

George paused for a moment, then smiled with satisfaction: "Of course, the community welcomes you."

The following morning, Lynn returned to the police station on time and began his day's work. He habitually flipped through the case reports on his desk when his assistant, Mark, tapped on his desk, holding a wanted poster.

"Detective," Mark said casually, handing over the wanted poster, "this guy showed up again last night. He's a habitual thief who always picks up his targets in the subway station during rush hour. Honestly, catching him is easier than catching a cat."

Lynn picked up the wanted poster and glanced at it. The person in the photo was a thin, middle-aged man wearing a tattered jacket, his eyes shifting uncertainly. He nodded and stood up. "Let's go take a look, and stretch our muscles while we're at it."

In less than ten minutes, Lynn and Mark arrived at the subway station not far from the police station. The platform was bustling with people, and Lynn and Mark, posing as ordinary passengers, quietly observed their surroundings. Soon, their target appeared—a thin man was weaving through the crowd, occasionally glancing around out of the corner of his eye, clearly looking for an opportunity to strike.

"Detective, who will he choose to bet on?" Mark asked in a low voice, a hint of a joke in his eyes.

"The lady with the red scarf," Lynn replied softly, "has her bag zipper open; she's an easy target."

Before he finished speaking, the thin man indeed approached the woman in red. His hand stealthily reached for her bag, but before he could react, Lynn grabbed his wrist and said in a low but authoritative voice, "Don't move, officer."

The man was startled and tried to struggle, but Lynn's grip held him firmly. Mark quickly stepped forward to help and lifted him up. The surrounding passengers looked at them with surprise and admiration, while the woman from Redwall City repeatedly thanked Lynn.

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

"I hope so," Lynn smiled, "that would save us the trouble of catching him."

After taking the suspect back to the police station, Lynn finally had a moment to spare. He went into a small café next to the police station.

I ordered an Americano, sat in a corner seat, and quietly watched the street scene outside the window.

The aroma of coffee wafted to his nose. He picked up the cup, took a sip, and his tired expression eased slightly. Although he had only handled a small case today, this sense of relaxation brought him a rare feeling of comfort.

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

Lynn looked at him, a smile playing on her lips: "Sometimes, little things can make work seem more interesting, can't they?"

Mark nodded in agreement: "Indeed. After all, not every case requires gunfights and car chases; this kind of life is quite nice too."

Mark took a sip of coffee, his eyes darting around, clearly preoccupied. He put down his cup, remained silent for a moment, and finally spoke: "Detective, don't you ever feel that—sometimes things outside of work are more troublesome than these cases?"

Lynn raised an eyebrow and put down her cup. "What do you mean by that?"

Mark sighed and said in a low voice, "I've been having some problems with my girlfriend lately. She thinks I'm too busy with work and don't spend enough time with her, and she's always complaining. Actually, I know she has a point, but every time I try to make amends, a case comes along and disrupts my plans."

Lynn leaned back in his chair, listening attentively without interrupting. His gaze softened, and his tone held a hint of understanding: "What she said isn't wrong, but you have to understand that balancing work and life does require 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 do is not just a job, but also my responsibility."

Lynn nodded and sighed softly. "I understand how you feel. You know, I was in a similar situation when I was younger. Back then, I also thought I could handle both, but actually—I neglected the other person's real needs."

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

"To be honest, that relationship didn't last." Lynn shrugged, her tone calm but tinged with regret. "But later I realized that the problem wasn't with the work itself, but with communication. You have to try to let her know that your responsibilities and your feelings for her aren't contradictory. A little more patience, a little more initiative, and maybe you can find a common ground."

Mark lowered his head, seemingly pondering Lynn's words. His fingers tapped lightly on the rim of his coffee cup, and after a moment, he looked up and said, "You have a point, but what if she still thinks I haven't changed?"

Lynn patted Mark on the shoulder, her tone encouraging: "Then you need to ask yourself how important this relationship is to you. If you think it's worth it, then prove it to her with your actions. If it's really affecting your work, I can give you a few days off to deal with this properly. You really can't neglect either life or work."

Mark paused for a moment, then gave a grateful smile: "Detective, you're a really good boss. Anyone else would probably have sent me aside to reflect on my actions long ago."

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

The two exchanged a smile, a tacit understanding settling in their silence. Mark nodded, as if making a firm decision: "Thank you, Inspector. I'll try to talk to her again; maybe this time I'll find the answer."

"It's alright. Just let me know if you need any help." Lynn picked up her glass, took a sip, looked out the window, and added softly, "After all, life itself requires a bit of wisdom to manage, doesn't it?"

Mark smiled and nodded: "Yes, thank you, Inspector."

Lynn dragged his tired body home. As soon as he opened the door, he heard laughter and chatter coming from the living room. He peeked out and saw Gwen and two friends sitting around the sofa, the table full of snacks and drinks, while George walked over with a plate of freshly baked cookies, grinning.

"You young people eat so fast! My freshly made cookies haven't even cooled down yet!" George said, putting the plate on the table and taking a bite himself.

Gwen looked up and saw Lynn, waving, "Brother, you're back! Come here, 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 to greet him, but they were clearly a little reserved. George then laughed and said to them, "Don't be shy, Lynn isn't a serious person. He was quite mischievous when he was little, he liked to hide my car keys, and I searched for them for ages!"

"Dad!" Lynn glanced at George helplessly. "I haven't done this kind of thing in over twenty years. Do you really have to bring it up?"

George waved his hand dismissively: "That's true, it's no big deal if Gwen's friends know."

Gwen covered her mouth and laughed, and Ellie and Kevin couldn't help but laugh along. George glanced at the empty drink cups and volunteered, "I'll go get you some new sodas, you two continue chatting."

A little while later, George returned with a glass of bubbly soda. Just as he handed it to Kevin, his hand slipped, and some of the soda spilled onto Kevin's pants.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" George hurriedly grabbed a tissue from the table and handed it to Kevin, saying in a flustered manner, "Please don't mind, I'm getting old, my hands aren't very steady."

Kevin smiled as he wiped his pants and said, "It's alright, Mr. Stacy, it's nothing."

Thank you for your hospitality.

George scratched his head awkwardly, while Gwen couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Dad, you're so cute!"

Lynn smiled and patted George on the shoulder: "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!"