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

"I'm fine, Lynn," Kate's voice was calm and firm. "They can question me, but they can't deny the facts. My job is to uncover the truth, no matter the cost."

Lynn was silent for a moment, then said, "You don't need to face this alone. We're together."

In the headquarters conference room, the team was summarizing the results of their operation. Lynn sat at one end of the table, flipping through a thick report, his face still bearing his usual calm expression.

Eric stood up and cleared his throat. "Alright, guys, I have a few words to say." His voice drew everyone's attention, especially Lynn, who looked up at Eric with a hint of confusion.

"We've had a lot of tough times lately. Failures, doubts, arguments—these almost broke us." Eric's gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Lynn. "But there was one person who remained calm and steadfast, leading us to victory with his wisdom and actions."

Lynn frowned slightly, seemingly unaccustomed to such public praise. He was about to say something when Eric raised his hand to interrupt him.

"Let me finish, Lynn." Eric smiled slightly, his tone more sincere. "I admit, I initially had doubts about your leadership abilities, and even argued with you. But today, I must admit that you are not only an excellent detective, but also a trustworthy leader."

The meeting room was silent, everyone watching Lynn, who seemed somewhat uneasy. He said in a low voice, "This is the result of the team's efforts, not just my achievement."

"Don't be modest, Inspector." John stood up with a smile. "Eric is right. You led us out of our darkest hour. Without you, we could not have uncovered this enormous conspiracy."

John then turned to Eric and continued, "Therefore, I propose that we apply for a medal of honor from headquarters for Lynn in recognition of his outstanding performance in this operation."

A round of applause erupted in the meeting room, and the team members nodded in support. Eric led the applause, saying, "Completely agree. He deserves this honor."

Looking at these familiar faces, Lynn felt a surge of complex emotions. He took a deep breath, stood up, and looked at everyone with unwavering eyes: "Thank you for your trust and support. We won this battle together. I only hope that we can continue to fight side by side in the future, upholding the justice we believe in."

Applause rang out again, and the atmosphere in the meeting room instantly relaxed. Everyone began to chat and laugh, sharing their experiences and feelings from this period of time. The tension and barriers of the past seemed to vanish at this moment.

After the meeting, Eric walked up to Lynn and extended his hand: "Brother, I owe you an apology. Those arguments in the past were due to my stubbornness and shortsightedness."

Lynn took Eric's hand and smiled calmly: "It's okay, Eric. I know you're doing this for the team's good."

Eric nodded, his tone more relaxed: "I won't question you anymore. You're a true leader, Lynn."

A few days later, the headquarters chief met with Lynn. In the conference room, the chief stood by the window, looking down at the bustling scene of the entire headquarters through the glass. He turned around, his gaze filled with appreciation and contemplation: "Lynn, please have a seat."

Lynn nodded politely and sat down in the chair opposite his superior.

The officer cut to the chase: "Your performance in this operation was truly impressive. Not only did you successfully dismantle the experimental organization, but you also significantly restored our headquarters' reputation. Headquarters needs more people like you."

Lynn listened quietly without saying a word.

The officer continued, "So, I have a suggestion. I hope you can stay at headquarters and take direct charge of higher-level operations. This will not only allow you to fully utilize your talents but also give you a bigger stage to showcase yourself."

Lynn raised his head and looked frankly at his superior: "Thank you for your affirmation and suggestion. But I'm sorry, I'm afraid I cannot accept it."

The officer was clearly surprised, his brow furrowing slightly: "Why? This is a rare opportunity. You'll have access to more resources and more important tasks at headquarters, which will be a major step forward in your career."

Lynn smiled slightly, but her tone was firm: "I understand how important the resources and platform at headquarters are, and I thank you for your trust in me. But I always feel that the real battlefield is on the front lines, not in this office."

The officer's expression turned serious: "Lynn, you have already proven your abilities. It would be a waste of your talents to continue staying on the front lines. Besides, staying at headquarters doesn't mean you're out of the fight."

Lynn shook his head, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Headquarters does need strategists and decision-makers, but I'm better suited to be on the ground, working alongside my team. I know their capabilities, and they trust me. We are an inseparable force."

The officer pondered for a moment, seemingly weighing Lynn's words. He finally sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness and respect: "Alright, Lynn. I respect your choice. While it's regrettable to lose such an outstanding senior commander, I believe you will continue to create miracles on the front lines."

Lynn stood up and extended his hand to his superior: "Thank you, sir. I will continue to do my job well, uphold justice, and protect this society."

The two shook hands, and the superior nodded: "If you ever change your mind, the doors of headquarters are always open for you."

Lynn smiled and said, "Thank you, but I don't think that day will come anytime soon."

As Lynn walked through the lobby leaving headquarters, his gaze swept over the busy agents and technicians bustling about. He knew this was a vital hub, but his heart remained with the front lines of operations, with those who had to directly confront threats and dangers.

Back in the office, Eric greeted him with a smile: "What's up, Inspector? Does the superior want to keep you at headquarters?"

"Yes," Lynn shrugged, "but I refused."

Eric laughed loudly, "I knew you wouldn't leave us. Seriously, Lynn, we don't know what we'd do without you."

Lynn patted Eric on the shoulder, a determined look in his eyes: "Don't worry, I'm not planning to retire yet. There are still many things we need to accomplish together."

The following evening, Lynn and Kate finally returned to Manhattan. Lynn drove through the familiar streets, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the street scenes outside the car window, a long-lost sense of peace returning to her heart.

"You haven't been home for so long, don't your family think you've disappeared?" Kate teased, her tone laced with a hint of amusement.

Lynn smiled slightly: "George won't care too much; he's used to it. But Gwen might have a lot of problems waiting for me."

The car stopped in front of Lynn's house, the sunset painting the sky crimson. The two got out and walked towards the door. Lynn had just taken out her keys when the door suddenly opened.

"Brother!" Gwen stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, her face full of displeasure. "So you finally decided to come back? Dad and I were practically treating you like a legendary figure."

Lynn gently ruffled her hair: "Sorry, I've been a bit busy lately. But look, I brought some guests back with me."

Kate stood to the side, smiling and waving to Gwen: "Hello, Gwen. I'm Kate."

Gwen's eyes swept back and forth between the two women, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Hello, Kate, welcome to our home."

Inside, George was carrying a steaming plate of food out of the kitchen. Seeing Lynn and Kate walk in, he smiled kindly and said, "Oh, Lynn, you've finally brought a friend home this time. Come on in, don't just stand there."

Lynn and Kate changed their shoes and went into the dining room. The table was already laden with dishes. Lynn sniffed the food and couldn't help but smile, asking, "George, did you make all of this yourself?"

"Of course," George replied proudly. "Even though you don't come back often, our family traditions must be maintained."

During the meal, George and Kate chatted warmly. He inquired about Kate's work with concern, and Kate responded politely, occasionally sharing amusing anecdotes from her time as a journalist, which made George laugh heartily.

Gwen nudged Lynn's leg under the table and whispered, "So, is Kate your girlfriend?"

Lynn glanced at her and shook her head: "Don't make wild guesses."

Gwen scoffed dismissively, then continued chatting with Kate: "Kate, you know, my brother was really slow-witted when he was little. He always tried to act cool, but he was actually a total coward."

Kate couldn't help but laugh: "Really? I thought he'd always been a cold-blooded detective since he was a kid."

The latest novel is first published here!

"No way!" Gwen said seriously. "He used to run away from bugs when he was a kid, it was hilarious."

Lynn sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Fine, this is dinner specifically designed to expose my secrets."

The meal was a lively affair, filled with laughter throughout the house. Afterwards, George brewed some hot tea and sat on the sofa with Kate to continue chatting, while Lynn and Gwen helped clear the table.

"You two are a good match," Gwen said softly, holding a plate in her hand, but her gaze was fixed on Kate on the sofa.

Lynn sighed, "I know what you want to say, but matters of the heart aren't urgent. Let me finish what I need to do first."

Gwen didn't say anything more, she just nodded.

As night deepened, Kate said goodbye to George and Gwen, and Lynn drove her home. On the way, they were silent for a moment, then Kate suddenly spoke up: "Your family is really kind, Lynn."

"Thank you." Lynn looked intently at the road ahead. "They are my most important support."

Kate glanced at him and said softly, "You are their pride too."

Lynn's lips curved slightly upward, and her eyes softened: "Kate, thank you."

The next morning, Lynn pushed open the office door and was greeted by a mountain of documents on his desk and several colleagues who looked anxious. The office was obviously busier than usual; the phone rang incessantly, the printer kept spitting out papers, and his assistant Mark was buried in a pile of documents, working hard.

"Detective! You're finally back!" Mark looked at Lynn as if he'd seen a savior, immediately standing up from behind his desk with several unprocessed reports in his hand. "These cases are all waiting for your approval. I wanted to share some of the workload, but there are just too many."

Lynn glanced at the documents on the table, frowned slightly, then put down her coffee and rolled up her sleeves: "Okay, let me see how it goes."

Mark began his rapid report: "While you were away these past few days, we received a series of cases—a serial robbery where the suspect appears to be using some kind of mutant ability; two reports of illegal arms dealing, for which we still need to confirm the source of the intelligence; and another case involving a missing child, whose family has been pressing us for help several times."

Lynn picked up the top document, flipped through it, and said in a low voice, "It seems that none of them are simple."

Mark nodded, a hint of weariness in his voice: "There's one more thing. City Hall is also urging us to provide a summary report on the last gene experiment organization operation. They want to use this report to deal with public pressure."

Lynn's lips twitched. "Looks like they're using us as a shield. But that report can wait; these cases are far more important than political games."

He placed the missing children case files in the center of the table: "Start with this. Missing children cases involve the safety of families and children, so we must prioritize them. Mark, call the detective in charge of this case and have him explain the situation to me in detail."

Mark nodded quickly and ran to contact the relevant personnel.

Lynn sat down and began to review the reports of the other cases one by one. As he read, he quickly jotted down the key points, his mind racing to organize the crucial clues and priorities for each case.

A moment later, a detective in charge of missing persons cases walked into the office, carrying a stack of more detailed investigation materials: "Detective, this is the latest update on the missing child case. The child's name is Emily, 10 years old, and she went missing three days ago on her way home from school. Her family has provided some clues from eyewitnesses, but there is no CCTV footage of her disappearing."

Lynn flipped through the documents and quickly asked, "Did the eyewitness accounts mention any suspicious vehicles or strangers approaching her?"

The detective shook his head: "There was no specific vehicle, but two witnesses mentioned that they seemed to see her talking to a man wearing a dark hoodie."

Lynn nodded: "Have you checked the nearby surveillance footage? See if there's anyone suspicious in a dark hoodie?"

"We've checked, but most of the surveillance cameras in that area are broken, so the information we can provide is very limited," the agent replied helplessly.

"Okay, continue gathering more clues." Lynn closed the file, her gaze firm. "We can start with the suspect's possible identity and check the criminal records of the nearby neighborhoods to see if there are similar cases. Mark, you're in charge of coordinating with the community police officers to go door-to-door to find more witnesses. No detail can be overlooked."

Mark readily agreed and grabbed his coat, ready to get started.

"Oh, right," Lynn added before he left, "the files on the serial robbery case are on the table. I'll review them as soon as I've finished this case. The intelligence on the illegal arms deal will be analyzed by the technical department to see if it's a false lead." (End of Chapter)