America: The Gear-Up Detective

Thursday morning.

I woke up early again to the chirping noise of Suzaku in America.

Rhodes didn't stay in bed this time; the mental exhaustion from yesterday actually put him into a deep sleep all night.

I woke up feeling refreshed and energetic.

After a quick wash, Edgar sat in the living room. He hadn't been fishing lately, and had been keeping an eye on the area around the ranch.

Rod sat at the dining table, eating breakfast. Looking at his grandfather deep in thought, he thought to himself, "It seems I should help my grandfather resolve this matter as soon as possible, and I might even get a piece of equipment along the way."

Let's check out the neighborhood this weekend.

After having breakfast and saying goodbye to Edgar, Rod drove to the police station.

Rod drove along the highway, watching the scenery slowly receding on both sides of the road, and sighed.

Los Angeles, or California, is simply a blessed place. It has mountains and sea, is close to the Pacific Ocean, and is located in the Mediterranean climate zone, with sunny days all year round. You can even see forests, snow-capped mountains, surfing beaches, and other unique places. Such a place is rare in the world.

It's a pity that this place belongs to Americans.

Rod thought of his previously planned side hustle and wondered how his adoptive brother, Kyle Lee, was doing with the inquiries. The family gathering, which had already been postponed twice, was this weekend; he could ask him then. (Chapter 24)

A gentle morning breeze blew into the driver's seat, and Rod's mood improved considerably as he thought of Kerry, who had been convicted yesterday.

Initially, Rhodes only chose to continue working as a detective because he had the system and the system's tasks were related to detectives' criminal cases.

But over this period of time, every time Rhodes found crucial evidence, every time he caught the murderer, and every time he brought these beasts in human skin to justice, Rhodes felt a sense of satisfaction from the bottom of his heart.

This is probably the self-actualization need in Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

It seems I've gone a bit astray. I can barely meet even my most basic physiological needs now, and my safety needs could collapse at any time because of my job. You could say I've skipped three levels and am now approaching my self-actualization needs.

Rod sat in the car, driving, his mind wandering aimlessly.

Before long, they arrived at the police station.

Today's task is basically to organize the case files and evidence for Sofia's disappearance and murder.

If Rod had a habit of keeping a diary, today's entry would look like this: Nothing happened today...

At noon, Luo De went out for another Chinese meal, and then spent the rest of his time slacking off in the office, chatting casually with Liu Qingxi.

"This girl seems to have less schoolwork lately; she's been asking me to chat a lot."

I heard she studies violin. Maybe I can ask her to play a piece sometime, but Liu Qingxi seems to come from a well-off family. She's probably just learning the violin as a hobby, and she probably isn't very good at it anyway. I'd better not, and not embarrass her.

Rhodes spent two days like this.

Thursday and Friday passed without incident.

Friday, near the end of the workday.

Liu Qingxi sent a message right on time, along with an emoji: "What are you doing.jpg"

Rod replied, "Getting ready to leave work, I'd like to ask you to teach me some self-defense techniques."

Rod drove to the UCLA campus and, following the navigation, saw Liu Qingxi wearing light makeup.

Liu Qingxi stood under the tree, dressed in sportswear: a loose black off-shoulder sweatshirt paired with flowing white athletic joggers and sneakers. She looked both comfortable and stylish.

The dim afternoon sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, casting a soft, white glow on her pale skin.

Rod slowly brought the car to a stop. Before he could even get out, Liu Qingxi hopped over, skillfully opened the car door, and sat in the passenger seat.

He couldn't wait to ask, "Where shall we practice?"

Rod smiled slightly and said slowly, "There's a gym near the police station that looks pretty good. They have a boxing ring on the second floor. Shall we go there?"

"Sure, whatever you say."

On their way to the Achilles gym, the two started chatting.

Liu Qingxi asked softly, "Have you been very busy lately?"

Rod focused intently on the road conditions before explaining, "We just solved a 50-year-old case a couple of days ago, and we've been organizing the case files and evidence lately."

After a pause, Liu Qingxi asked again, "Are you free tomorrow?"

"What's wrong? I'm preparing for a family gathering for my grandfather tomorrow."

Liu Qingxi's eyes lit up: "Are you going to buy a gift? How about we go shopping? What does your grandfather like? I can help you decide."

"Didn't you say you were going to train in martial arts?"

Liu Qingxi shook Luo De's arm, "You can practice anytime, but family gatherings are definitely more important!"

At Liu Qingxi's request, the two changed their route and went to Chinatown. Because Rod's grandfather, Edgar, had always liked Chinese culture and things, otherwise he would not have accepted a Chinese son-in-law. So, at Liu Qingxi's suggestion, Rod decided to take a stroll in Chinatown.

Chinatown, north of downtown Los Angeles.

The streets here are filled with Chinese signs, red lanterns, and buildings with upturned eaves, blending together with low bungalows and wide roads that have a "Southern California retro feel." Some of the faded signs and the shelves piled with goods in a mess also give off a sense of antiquity.

Inside a calligraphy shop, various paintings of figures, landscapes, and flowers and birds are displayed, exuding the charm of traditional Chinese culture.

The shop owner, an elderly Chinese man, greeted the two with English spoken in a Cantonese accent.

The two strolled around the somewhat crowded art shop, with Rod's attention mainly focused on the paintings and calligraphy.

Liu Qingxi squatted to the side, picking and choosing from a pile of calligraphy brushes.

Before long, Liu Qingxi took out a calligraphy brush with a white jade-colored handle. "This brush is quite beautiful."

Rhodes glanced at it and froze. In Rhodes's vision, the white jade brush was emitting a faint golden light.

Another piece of equipment!

Rhodes couldn't help but murmur to himself, "You can't really be my lucky charm, can you?!"

Upon hearing Luo De's words, Liu Qingxi turned her head and looked over with a puzzled expression. "Hmm?"

Rod quickly walked to her side: "Can I take a look?"

Liu Qingxi handed the calligraphy brush to Luo De: "It was originally chosen for you."

White Jade Brush: A brush made of wolf hair, crafted through complex manual techniques, embodying the artisan's dedication.

Effects: When writing, the handwriting automatically adjusts to achieve a beautiful effect; when drawing, the spirit of the image is revealed.

Rhodes held the brush in his hand, looked at the effect of the equipment, and was slightly disappointed. The effect of this equipment was indeed a bit useless.

"But that's perfect timing. I just unlocked a new system feature a couple of days ago, so I can use it to exchange for experience points."

After thinking about it, Rod bought the calligraphy brush.

"I really like this calligraphy brush, so I'll keep it. I'll pick out a new one for my grandfather."

Liu Qingxi smiled and began picking again.

Finally, I chose a landscape painting as a gift.

Just as the two were about to head to the Achilles Gym and drove out of Chinatown, Rod's phone rang.

The caller ID reads: Mom, Laura.

Rhodes answered the phone, and Laura's anxious voice came through, "Rhodes, your grandfather was bitten by a wolf. Are you at the ranch?"

P.S.: Tomorrow is Tuesday. Could you all read this tomorrow? Thanks!