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

The mutant's eyes were filled with struggle, and the aura around him began to weaken. But just then, a police car pulled up, and officers jumped out, quickly drawing their guns and pointing them at him.

"Don't move! Put your hands down, or we'll shoot!"

The mutant turned angrily, his aura suddenly exploding, knocking the officer to the ground. Lynn seized the opportunity, rushed forward, and used specially made handcuffs to fasten his wrists, quickly locking his powers.

The mutant struggled for a moment, but found that he could no longer use his powers, so he could only lower his head helplessly.

"You did what you were supposed to do, Inspector." One of the officers, panting, stood up and said to Lynn, "Thanks, this guy almost took us all down."

Lynn nodded, handed the mutant over to the police officer, and instructed, "His emotions are very unstable. Take him to the specialized mutant regulatory agency and let them handle it."

When he returned to the restaurant, Kate was waiting for him at the door, her face full of worry: "Are you alright?"

"It's alright." Lynn patted her clothes and smiled slightly. "But it looks like we won't be able to have dessert."

Kate breathed a sigh of relief and said with a hint of teasing, "It's okay, at least I've seen another side of the FBI agent. You really are saving the world all the time."

Lynn shrugged. "It's my duty. Now, how about we find a quiet place and have a cup of coffee to make up for it?"

Kate chuckled softly, "Okay, but you have to promise there won't be any more surprises this time."

The café was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the aroma of coffee. Lynn and Kate sat by the window, where the hustle and bustle of the street seemed to have faded away, replaced by a tranquil atmosphere.

As the two were chatting about the day's events, a little girl with pigtails walked up to their table, holding a basket of flowers. She looked up at them and said, "Sir, Madam, would you like to buy some flowers? These flowers are very fresh!"

Kate looked up, saw the little girl's smiling face, and couldn't help but smile back: "Your flowers are indeed very beautiful, but we just..."

Lynn interrupted her, reached into her pocket, pulled out a few bills, and handed them to the little girl: "I want a bunch."

The little girl happily took the money, picked out a bunch of vibrant red roses from the basket, and handed them to Lynn: "Thank you, sir, I hope you have a wonderful evening!"

Lynn took the flowers, turned around, and handed the bouquet of red roses to Kate, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Here you go, Kate. Thank you for letting me into your world."

Kate paused slightly, a flicker of surprise and emotion crossing her eyes. She took the rose, gently inhaled its fragrance, then looked up at Lynn, a tender smile playing on her lips. "Lynn, I think I should be thanking you. With you by my side tonight, everything feels a little better."

Lynn lowered her head, took a sip of coffee, and smiled calmly: "Then I'll consider it a mutual thank you."

Kate, holding roses, leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on Lynn, her tone light yet tinged with seriousness: "Detective, you know what? Sometimes you really aren't like a cold-blooded FBI agent; you're actually quite warm."

Lynn shrugged, a hint of teasing in her eyes: "Can I take that as a compliment?"

"Of course," Kate smiled gently, "and it's very high praise."

They both laughed, and the atmosphere became even more relaxed.

As night deepened, Lynn drove Kate to her hotel. Kate carried a bag of red roses, her face showing a hint of weariness, but more so a warm sense of satisfaction.

"Thank you, Lynn. It's been a wonderfully unexpected and fulfilling evening." Kate stood at the hotel entrance, turned around, and smiled at Lynn.

Lynn nodded, watched her enter the lobby, and then followed her to the front desk. He quickly checked in and booked a room next to Kate's.

"You're really cautious," Kate teased. "Are you afraid something might happen to me?"

"That's not called being cautious," Lynn smiled calmly, "it's a professional habit."

The two returned to their respective rooms. Kate gently closed the door, placed the red rose in the vase provided in the room, and looked at the vibrant red, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

Several hours passed, and the hotel gradually quieted down. However, around midnight, there was a sudden, urgent knocking on Kate's door. A man's voice came from outside, slurred and reeking of alcohol: "Miss, open the door! Don't pretend you can't hear me..."

Kate was woken up, put on her coat, and went to the door. She looked through the peephole and saw a drunk man standing outside. He was leaning against the doorframe, swaying, and seemed completely unaware that he had knocked on the wrong door.

Kate frowned, picked up her phone to call the police, but heard the sound of a door opening next door. Lynn's voice was deep but intimidating: "What are you doing?"

The drunk man turned and looked at Lynn, his eyes glazed, muttering, "I...I'm looking for someone...Who are you?"

"Nobody here knows you. Go back to your room." Lynn stepped forward, her tone as cold as ice.

The drunkard was stunned by Lynn's imposing manner and hesitated for a moment, but still reluctantly muttered, "Leave me alone... I didn't do anything..."

Lynn's gaze darkened. He grabbed the drunk man's shoulder and forcefully pulled him away from Kate's room. His voice was even lower: "I said, get out of here. Either walk by yourself, or I'll take you to the front desk and let security handle it."

The drunkard finally sobered up a bit, a hint of fear flashing across his face. He struggled to nod and stumbled toward the elevator.

Lynn watched the drunk man leave before knocking on Kate's door. Kate opened the door and saw Lynn standing there, her eyes filled with apology: "Did I disturb you?"

Kate shook her head, forcing a smile: "It's alright, I always feel at ease with you here. Thank you."

Lynn nodded, her tone gentle: "Lock the door, and call me if you need anything. There won't be any more problems tonight."

Kate nodded, watching Lynn turn and go back to her room. She closed the door, but a strange sense of security welled up inside her.

The following morning, Lynn arrived at the FBI headquarters in New York for his report. Dressed in a neat suit, he walked steadily into the reception hall. After a brief verification of his identity, a receptionist smiled and said, "Detective, today you will be greeted by two of our senior detectives. They will give you a tour of headquarters and explain our work processes."

Lynn nodded and thanked them politely. A few minutes later, two detectives appeared in the hall. They walked over from the left and right, their gazes sweeping over Lynn indifferently.

"Lynn Stacy, right?" one of the tall men spoke, his tone somewhat indifferent. "I'm John, and this is Eric. We'll show you around headquarters."

Lynn extended his hand, smiled, and said, "Thank you both."

However, the two merely nodded slightly, without shaking hands with Lynn, and turned to walk inside: "Keep up, don't fall behind."

Lynn noticed their somewhat cold attitude, but didn't show any displeasure. He followed behind the two, calmly observing everything around him.

John and Eric were clearly mutants; they moved freely within headquarters, commanding their subordinates with a forceful tone and an innate sense of superiority. However, throughout the tour, they gave Lynn almost no opportunity to participate, leaving him to simply stand and watch during both the work presentations and demonstrations.

"This is the specialized equipment we use to handle mutant-related cases," Eric said casually, pointing to a row of sophisticated instruments. "Of course, you'd never see ordinary equipment like this in your Manhattan branch."

John chimed in, "Yes, how would a regular branch have the opportunity to access this kind of technology? This job isn't something just anyone can do."

Lynn remained silent, standing aside listening and observing attentively. His gaze would occasionally sweep over the instruments, and sometimes fall on the two detectives, but he never revealed any emotion.

During the tour, several technicians passed by with equipment. Eric casually gave them some instructions, but didn't explain anything to Lynn. When they demonstrated a key operation, they only gave a brief demonstration without inviting Lynn to participate.

John glanced back at Lynn, a hint of mockery in his voice: "How does it feel, Inspector? Isn't the environment at New York headquarters far more impressive than your little outpost?"

The latest novel is first published here!

Lynn smiled slightly and said calmly, "It is indeed very advanced and worth learning from. However, I think even the most advanced equipment cannot function without professional operators. I hope to have the opportunity to learn more about practical operation from you this time."

Eric raised an eyebrow, a faint sneer appearing on his face: "Practical skills aren't something everyone can learn; they require a long period of experience. Outsiders like you who only come to learn for a few days are good to watch."

Lynn remained unperturbed and nodded slightly: "Thank you for the reminder. I will do my best to seize this learning opportunity."

Just as the tour was about to end, the headquarters alarm suddenly went off, and the atmosphere in the entire building instantly became tense. John and Eric exchanged a glance and quickly connected their communicators.

"What's going on?" John asked in a deep voice.

An urgent report came through the communicator: "A hostage situation has occurred at a bank in the city center. The hostage-taker is armed with heavy weapons and has threatened the safety of the hostages. We are calling in backup."

Eric turned to Lynn, his tone indifferent: "Looks like you'll have the chance to witness the operational capabilities of our New York headquarters today. However, you'll probably only be able to observe from the sidelines."

Lynn did not respond, but simply nodded to indicate that he understood. He quickly got into the car with the two men and headed to the scene of the incident.

When Lynn arrived outside the bank, the scene had already been cordoned off by the police, and a large crowd of onlookers had gathered around. Lynn glanced around and quickly noticed that behind a window on the second floor of the bank, an armed robber was using a female hostage as a shield and shouting something agitatedly.

After John and Eric quickly handed over command to the on-site commander, the sniper took his position, but the situation was not optimistic. The sniper reported through his headset: "The target is heavily covered, the view through the window is obstructed, we dare not fire rashly."

Eric frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the stalemate: "In this situation, we must find a better angle. But time is of the essence, and the hostages' lives could be in danger at any moment."

Lynn observed for a while, then said in a deep voice, "Let me try."

John turned his head, a hint of disdain on his face: "You? Detective, this isn't a simple case like those in the Manhattan branch. This requires judgment accurate to the millisecond."

Lynn didn't argue with him, but went straight to the sniper and took the sniper rifle from him. After adjusting the scope, he lay down on the ground and calmly observed the situation inside the window.

Eric frowned: "Are you sure you can do this? Even the best snipers at headquarters would need to double-check their vision with this kind of field of view."

Lynn didn't answer; his eyes sharpened, and his finger lightly touched the trigger. He held his breath, waiting for the perfect moment.

The assailant moved around inside the window, but a moment later, he poked half his head out as he raised his gun. At that instant, Lynn pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"Bang!"

The bullet struck its target accurately, and the assailant fell to the ground, his weapon dropping to the floor. The hostage was quickly rescued by another team of SWAT officers; the entire process was swift and efficient, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Lynn stood up, handed the gun back to the sniper, and then calmly looked at John and Eric: "Looks like I can do some practical work too."

John opened his mouth, speechless for a moment, while Eric looked at Lynn with a complicated expression, and after a few seconds managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Good marksmanship, Inspector."

Lynn smiled calmly, his tone still composed: "We are a team. No matter which city we are in, we have only one responsibility: to protect innocent hostages. Tools and technology are inanimate; action and judgment are the most important."

At this moment, John and Eric finally gained a new understanding of Lynn's abilities. They stood silently to the side, while Lynn walked towards the female hostage who had just been rescued to confirm her safety.

Back at headquarters, Eric's feelings were clearly mixed. He was resentful that Lynn had stolen the spotlight in the critical moment, and he felt that the detective from the Manhattan branch was just lucky or had outstanding marksmanship, and that he might not be able to compare with a professional mutant detective like himself in other aspects.

In the locker room, Eric changed into his combat training uniform, walked up to Lynn, and smiled with a hint of provocation: "Detective, your performance just now was indeed impressive. However, marksmanship is ultimately just a long-range skill. Detectives at FBI headquarters value all-around abilities, especially close-quarters combat. Would you be interested in a spar?"

Lynn took off his coat, hung it aside, and smiled slightly: "A spar? Of course. I'm also curious about how strong the close combat is at the New York headquarters."

Eric clapped his hands, signaling his colleagues to come and watch. He walked into the training area, assumed a fighting stance, and said with obvious confidence, "Detective, I'm a mutant, so you'd better watch out. I won't hold back."

Lynn calmly walked to the center of the court, stood still, and assumed a defensive stance, saying in a calm tone, "Bring it on."

The onlookers around them wore expectant expressions. Most of them knew that Eric's ability was short-range, instantaneous acceleration, which, combined with extremely fast close-range attacks, made him virtually invincible. They felt that Lynn had almost no chance of winning and could only last a few minutes at most.

"Begin!" Eric roared, instantly launching himself and transforming into a blur as he charged towards Lynn. His speed was dazzling; ordinary people couldn't react at all. (End of Chapter)