You're a US police officer, what are you thinking about going back to the East for?

Lyon ignored the timid young man and maintained the smile that made the redneck men think, "This young man is really steady." He even greeted the old neighbors in front of him in a familiar manner.

"Hey Joe, how's your back and legs been lately? Grab a can of food, God doesn't want you mowing the lawn on an empty stomach tonight."

"Thanks, Officer Vance, you're a respectable kid."

As he distributed bread, he subtly glanced around the alleyways surrounding the square.

The improvement in his physical condition also brought about a slight enhancement of his five senses; he felt that he seemed to notice details more easily than before.

Right at the northwest corner of the square, at the entrance of an alley piled with discarded cardboard boxes, two pairs of eyes were watching the volunteer team.

"interesting."

Lyon chuckled inwardly.

The line moved slowly, and the thug who had given him the middle finger that morning finally sidled up to Lyon.

The guy was wearing a hoodie covered in oil stains, with one hand in his pocket.

He had just taken a bag of whole wheat bread when he lowered his voice and cursed at Leon:

"Hey, murderer, I really hope that nigger could have ripped your head off and fed it to the dogs this morning."

Lyon paused slightly, but his expression became even more amiable.

He turned his body to the side with remarkable ease, using the other person's body to completely block the view of the people queuing behind him and the pastor not far away.

"Look how thin you are, child. God will forgive your ramblings born of hunger."

Leon spoke softly, quickly in a volume only the two of them could hear:

"For the Lord's sake, I have an extra gift for you. Don't tell anyone; it's a special favor for you."

At the same time, Lyon's fingers deftly brushed through his pocket and pulled out a Walmart gift card, which is usually given out during promotions and can be used to redeem about $20 worth of goods.

The finger dexterity brought by Agility 14 made it seem to those around him that he was simply patting the back of the hand of this misguided young man, attempting some kind of spiritual persuasion.

The thug was stunned. He felt a chill, but under the watchful eyes of everyone, he dared not shout.

Lyon forcefully shoved the gift certificate into his palm.

His handsome, almost aggressive face slowly drew closer, his expression still kind:

"Take this, child. Go wherever you want to go, preferably now."

The thug glanced quickly down at his palm.

Walmart gift certificates, blue background, gold-stamped logo.

It was indeed a twenty-dollar gift certificate, enough to buy a case of cheap, near-expiry beer, or to sell it cheaply to some street vendors and get a small bag of heroin in return.

He was stunned.

Instinctively, he wanted to shove the hot potato card back into Leon's hand, but twenty dollars was a fortune for a penniless scumbag like him.

He looked up at Lyon again and saw the police officer, who had just killed someone that morning, giving him a saintly, benevolent smile.

That smile sent chills down his spine. "I...you..."

The thug muttered two words, but in the end, greed prevailed over reason.

Clutching the card and the bag of cheap bread, he stumbled through the crowd behind him, running unsteadily towards the edge of the square.

He kept glancing back at Lyon as he ran, his furtive gaze and flustered gait making him stand out even in this neighborhood full of oddballs.

Leon's smile widened as he watched the man's highly misleading running posture.

"Slow down, kid, don't fall."

If those guys stalking in the alley weren't idiots, they'd probably already be imagining a whole drama unfolding: a seasoned informant and a police officer making a secret deal under the watchful eyes of everyone, using their volunteer identities.

Sure enough, the feeling of being watched, like a thorn in someone's back, disappeared in less than a minute.

The two figures that had been hiding in the shadows of the northwest corner alley silently retreated into the deeper darkness and quickly followed the direction in which the thugs had fled.

The redneck guys queuing behind looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Officer Vance, you're being far too polite to that guy."

"Didn't the Lord say to love your neighbor?"

Leon shrugged, turned back to grab more bread from the basket, and handed it to the next homeless man in line, his tone light and cheerful.

Good afternoon, God bless you, buddy.

He didn't care at all who the two people were tailing him, nor did he care what would happen to that thug in the end.

This kind of trash who wanted to be an anti-police fighter but couldn't bear to part with twenty dollars, well, let him die. Consider it a contribution to cleaning up the community environment.

……

The distribution of relief food lasted only a little over an hour before it was called off.

The few hardened scraps left in the basket were snatched away by two quick-thinking homeless men, while those who didn't receive anything dispersed in twos and threes to go home.

Lyon patted the flour crumbs off his hands and watched the group of people stagger away, feeling a tightness in his chest.

Although he was used to the mess this place was, he still felt uncomfortable watching so many people fighting over a few pieces of bread that were about to expire.

"This place is absolutely rotten."

He muttered to himself as he bent down to tidy up the folding table.

Just then, his arm was lightly elbowed.

"Hey officer, that was pretty exciting."

The sound was crisp and clear, like the sound of someone who hadn't yet been hardened by society.

Lyon turned his head to look.

The person who stabbed him was a volunteer from the group next to him; they had been busy registering the names of homeless people.

This is a very beautiful girl, who looks to be around twenty years old.

She wore a neat ponytail, with a few strands of hair sticking to her forehead, slightly disheveled from her earlier busyness.

Instead of wearing a bulky coat, she wore a dark gray fitted turtleneck sweater underneath, and a loose-fitting bright orange volunteer vest on top.

The knitwear had good elasticity and clearly outlined her curvaceous figure.

Her skin was almost too fair, making it appear incredibly delicate.

What's most captivating are her eyes, a pale color like two translucent amber beads, staring at Leon with a hint of cunning and curiosity.

Lyon was certain he had never seen such a beautiful woman in the community before, let alone her. If he had, given his professional habits, he would have remembered her.

"What exactly did you secretly slip to that kid just now?"

The girl took a half step forward, and because they were so close, Leon could smell a faint fragrance on her, like a mixture of some kind of laboratory disinfectant and high-end shower gel.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and added with certainty, "I could see it clearly from the side just now."