America: The Gear-Up Detective

Upon hearing this answer, Rod choked up.

"So when did you start living on the streets?"

Daniel thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "From the time I was born, my mother was a homeless woman. She gave birth to me, and then we became homeless together."

Rhodes remained silent.

In his mind, such a young child should go to school with a frown every day and have his parents arrange everything for him when he gets home.

However, Rhodes also knew about the so-called "happy education" that the American underclass received, and their lives of going bankrupt and wandering around all the time.

But such a young child?

"I'm sorry, there's not much I can do to help you."

Rod didn't even consider contacting the Child Protective Services (CPS). Just kidding, Rod knew perfectly well that although Daniel was having a hard time right now, at least he was free.

If you're "protected" by the Child Protective Service or some other children's rights organization (Children's Rights Inc.), you might be lucky enough to find a host family and live there.

What if you're unlucky?

Rod didn't think about it any further, but looking at the thin Daniel, he suddenly asked, "How old are you?"

"sixteen."

Looking at his physique, which was about the size of an eleven or twelve-year-old child, Rod simply took out a few twenty-dollar bills and whispered to Daniel:

"Just walk straight down this road, and you'll see a hot dog stand. Go buy some food there; that's all I can do for you."

Rod pulled out a business card with his contact information printed on it. "I really am a police officer. If anything happens, or if anyone gives you trouble, feel free to call me anytime."

Daniel took the business card, gave Rod a deep look, rested his head on his knees, and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Mr. Rod."

The night in Los Angeles wasn't too good; dark clouds obscured the moonlight, but occasional gusts of wind did dissipate some of the heat.

Daniel walked step by step along the streetlights, while Rod followed at a distance in his car.

On one hand, it was to protect Daniel, who was carrying a large sum of money.

On the other hand, they also wanted to see what Daniel would do with the money.

Rod knew that some gangs specifically trained these kinds of kids to gain sympathy from passersby on the street and then use that sympathy to make a fortune.

Some ruthless gangs will even use this to maim children in order to gain sympathy.

However, Daniel was probably telling the truth; he walked all the way to Enzo's hot dog stand without interacting with anyone along the way.

Enzo looked at the child holding some cash and Rod's business card and understood Rod's meaning.

Rod saw Enzo hand a hot dog to Daniel, give him some soda, and then drive away.

A little kindness now and then is enough; the suffering in this world can never be completely relieved.

Just like Emily before, some people fight with all their might to survive, while others kill because they are not as well off as others.

......

It was almost midnight when we got back to my grandfather's ranch.

Rod tiptoed into his room, careful not to wake his light-sleeping grandfather.

"It's time to go out and find a place to live on my own."

The last reward was $10,000, and even after deducting all the taxes and fees, it was still around $8,000.

Yesterday was Friday, and I received half a month's salary, which totaled about 12,000 yuan, enough for Rod to rent a decent apartment.

"But let's get our hands on that equipment for the library first tomorrow."

I sent a message to Liu Qingxi in advance to arrange to meet tomorrow.

Rhodes lay in bed, thinking about tomorrow's plans, before falling into a deep sleep.

......

Sunday morning.

Perhaps because he had just added 0.1 to his constitution attribute last night, Rhodes woke up before his alarm this morning.

Feeling refreshed after waking up, Rhode observed the changes in his body and wondered to himself, "Does this feeling... do my body experience these changes for one or two days after each attribute boost?"

The last time I took extra care of myself, I felt very energetic every day for the next day or two, and I was full of energy when I woke up in the morning.

After washing up, Grandpa Edgar was still not up. This time, Rod made breakfast himself and also made a portion for Grandpa.

However, Edgar didn't have many ingredients, so Rhodes could only cook some white food.

After a quick breakfast, Rod drove to the place they had agreed to meet the day before.

This time, Luo De was not late, but Liu Qingxi had not yet arrived.

He sat in the car and waited for a while.

While doing so, I started checking out housing prices around Los Angeles and began looking for a new house for myself.

"Hi, Officer Rhodes, good morning."

Rod was sitting in the driver's seat, engrossed in his phone, when he heard someone knocking on the car window.

Looking up, I saw an oval face with light makeup.

Rod opened the car door and then noticed Liu Qingxi's outfit today.

She wore a white camisole that accentuated her slender waist. Perhaps feeling that the camisole was too revealing, she wore a thin gray jacket over it. She paired it with jeans, which made her body curves even more prominent.

Her hair, now cut short, draped over her shoulders, slightly obscuring the fair skin of her neck.

She has completely changed her style and looks full of energy.

After giving Liu Qingxi a long, generous look, Luo De waved to her and said, "Good morning, you look beautiful today. I'll have to trouble you again this time."

Liu Qingxi waved her hand dismissively, appearing quite composed. "It's alright. Yesterday was the first time I'd ever been to such an event. It was really interesting."

He paused, realizing his words might be inappropriate, and quickly explained, "I didn't mean that the lady's death from poisoning was interesting, it's just..."

Seeing that Liu Qingxi was somewhat anxious to explain, Rod patted her shoulder, indicating that she didn't need to take it to heart.

There were hardly any people on campus in the early morning.

"It seems that even in universities across the ocean, college students are reluctant to get up early."

The two then got into Rod's car and drove straight to the Clark Memorial Library.

The Clark Memorial Library is affiliated with UCLA, but it is not located on the main campus. Instead, it is situated in the West Adams district of Los Angeles, about 16 kilometers from the UCLA main campus.

Half an hour later, Rod parked his car in the parking lot outside the library.

The two arrived at the library entrance, and Rod looked around at the library, which was full of historical charm and academic atmosphere.

The library occupies the entire block, surrounded by a rustic red brick wall that separates it from the street, offering a sense of privacy. Furthermore, the meticulously manicured gardens and sculptures outside add to the tranquility.

The library is full of classical European style and decorative art. The main body is made of red bricks, and the joints between the bricks are filled with a unique lavender-colored mortar, making the overall appearance extremely unique.

The front of the main entrance features six striking small round windows, and above the recessed door frame are exquisite and unique decorative lines.

"This place is beautiful and full of artistic atmosphere."

Rhodes sighed to Liu Qingxi, then silently swallowed the rest of his sentence, "I wonder where I put my equipment?"