American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others

"Do you need help, sir?" a clerk walked forward with a smile.

"That's right," Lynn scratched his head, "I'm going to meet my friend's parents tomorrow and want to choose two gifts. One for women and the other for men who like to taste wine."

The clerk nodded and smiled professionally: "If it's a lady, flowers will always be a good choice. There are just-received roses and lilies, which are very exquisitely matched. For men, we have some limited edition whiskey and red wine. , the packaging is decent."

Lynn walked to the flower area, glanced at the beautiful bouquets, and finally chose a bunch of lilies and platycodon that matched them appropriately. "This looks warm and should fit," he thought.

Then he came to the wine area. The clerk recommended him a bottle of Scottish single malt whiskey of a longer vintage and emphasized the origin and unique taste of the bottle. Lynn nodded and expressed satisfaction, packed the two gifts, and felt a little relieved.

The next afternoon, Lynn arrived at Kate's home on time. This is a small villa located in the suburbs. The garden in front of the door is well-organized and warm lights are emitted from the windows.

Kate opened the door to greet him, wearing a simple blue dress and smiling brightly: "You are so surprised by me on time, Chief Inspector."

Lynn raised the gift in his hand and smiled, "I'm afraid that being late will affect my impression points. These are gifts for your parents."

Kate took the gift and joked, "You are quite concerned. Don't worry, they will like it very much."

She took Lynn into the house, the living room was decorated in a warm and simple manner, with an old sofa and several photo frames showing the historical sense of the family. Kate's mother poked her head out of the kitchen and said with a smile, "Is this Lynn? Kate always mentions you and says you saved her several times."

"Inspector Lynn, welcome you to our house." Kate's father stood up from the chair with a kind smile on his face. He looked very kind in a simple sweater.

Lynn stepped forward and politely handed the bouquet to Kate's mother: "Madam, I hope you will enjoy these flowers."

Kate's mother took the flower and her eyes lit up: "It's so beautiful, it's so beautiful, thank you!"

Lynn handed the bottle of whiskey to Kate's father again: "This is a little bit of my choice, I hope you like it."

Kate's father took the wine and looked at it with appreciation: "Single Scottish malt? You know wine very well. This is a really good gift."

Lynn smiled and waved his hand: "I just listened to people's recommendations. My understanding of wine is actually very limited."

Dinner was held in the restaurant, and Kate's mother prepared a hearty table of family dishes, including grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, various fresh vegetable salads, and a bottle of red wine.

Kate's father raised his glass and said with a smile: "Inspector Lynn, although we met for the first time, I heard Kate say a lot about you. Thank you for protecting her in times of danger, and her mother and I will always be Thank you very much."

Lynn raised her cup and smiled slightly, "It's my duty, and Kate is a very brave person. I admire her work."

"She has been like this since she was a child and is always not afraid of taking risks." Kate's mother said with a smile, "But because of this, she always makes us worry."

"Mom!" Kate angrily said, but there was a smile on his face.

Lin En also felt a long-lost relaxation as she watched the relaxed interaction of the family. He realized that this ordinary and warm family life was a rare experience in his busy work over the years.

After dinner, Lynn stood up and said goodbye. Kate sent him to the door, and the cool breeze of the night gently blew by, and there was peace around him.

"How is it today? Are you nervous?" Kate asked with a smile.

"It's much easier than I thought," Lynn said frankly. "Your parents are easy to get along with, and I'm so glad to come."

Kaite nodded, with a softer look on his eyes: "Thank you for coming. It's really important for them to see you."

Lin En smiled slightly: "Protecting you is not only a job, but also because--" He paused for a moment, as if he was hesitant.

Kate asked with his head tilted, "Why?"

Lynn gave a meaningful smile: "Because you are someone worth protecting."

Kate was stunned for a moment, then showed a warm smile: "Thank you, Lynn."

After the two said goodbye, Lynn drove away.

The early morning sun in Manhattan has not yet fully shined on the streets, but a pungent smell of sulfur permeates a blocked alley. The police lights of the fire truck and the police car flashed interlaced, and there were still traces of burnt that were not completely extinguished at the scene.

Lynn stood in front of the burnt building, frowned and looked around. The exterior walls of the entire building were burned to black, but strangely, the fire did not spread, but seemed to be limited to a specific range by some unknown force. The air was filled with an unsettling smell of sulfur, as if it wasn't an ordinary fire.

"Inspector, here." An agent came over and handed Lynn a molten metal badge in the bag of evidence.

Lynn took the evidence and checked it carefully. This is a broken metal badge, with a pattern of flames vaguely visible on it, and the melted part makes the pattern look distorted and blurred.

"The smell of sulfur, a specific range of flames, and this badge," Lynn murmured, his eyes pondering, "It's not like a normal arson case, but more like the mark left by some capable individual."

"You mean mutants?" the agent asked tentatively.

"It's very likely." Lynn nodded, "Contact the technical department to analyze the source of the badge, and do a detailed test of the fire scene to see if there are other abnormal energy traces."

At the same time, Kate was sitting in the office, watching the report about the fire on TV news. On the screen, the host was describing the strangeness of the fire, and the fire department refused to comment on the cause.

"This is unusual." Kate whispered to herself. She quickly called an insider to try to get more information.

A few minutes later, the informant on the other end of the phone whispered: "I heard that this fire may be related to a mutant, but the details are not clear. The police have blocked the scene."

Kate hung up the phone, with a flash of curiosity and nervousness in her eyes. "Mutants? Is it another case against mutants?" She decided to contact Lynn immediately.

A few hours later, Lynn's technical team brought a preliminary report.

"Detective," the technician said, "After analysis, this badge shows that its material and design belong to a specific underground factory. This factory is related to mutants, but it was abandoned in an explosion two years ago."

Lynn frowned slightly: "Abandoned factory? Can you find the specific location?"

"It has been locked, an abandoned industrial area in Lower Manhattan." The technician replied.

Lynn quickly ordered: "Arrange a team to go to that factory. If this case is related to mutants, we need to confirm it as soon as possible."

Lynn led the team to the industrial area. The exterior wall of the factory was full of graffiti and cracks, and the doors and windows were sealed with wooden boards. However, the interior of the factory seemed unusually clean, and even some traces of cleaning could be seen.

"This place doesn't look abandoned." Carter checked the footprints on the ground, "Someone has been here recently."

"Continue searching." Lynn said in a deep voice.

They found some strange equipment and tools in the center of the factory, as well as several burned documents. Lynn carefully flipped through the files and found several drawings that had not been completely destroyed. There were flame patterns on them, and a name next to them: "Heart of Flame."

"Heart of Flame?" Carter whispered, "Is this a code name?"

"It may be a code name for mutants." Lynn said coldly, "But the markings on these drawings are not just device designs, but also seem to be research on the application of abilities. This shows that this person is not just acting randomly, he may be testing his abilities."

"And these files mention multiple locations." Carter pointed to a marked point on a map, "Other places in Manhattan may also be his targets."

At the same time, Kate learned about the existence of the abandoned factory through her own clues. She sneaked up to the outside of the factory and tried to observe from the outside, but unexpectedly ran into Lynn who was evacuating.

"Kate?" Lynn frowned at her, "Why are you here?"

"I'm following the reports of the fire." Kate looked directly at Lynn, "This case is obviously unusual, I have the right to know the truth."

Lynn sighed: "Kate, this is not a case you can intervene in. Now it involves mutants, the danger behind this fire is far beyond your imagination."

"Then let me help," Kate insisted, "You know my resources and intelligence channels can come in handy."

Lynn hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay, but be careful. You are not within the protection range, I can't guarantee your safety."

With Kate's help, Lynn obtained some new clues, showing that "Heart of Fire" may be related to an extreme mutant organization. The goal of this organization is to declare war on society by triggering a series of sabotage actions and force the public to accept their existence.

Lynn and Kate realized that this arson case was just a prelude, a bigger crisis was approaching, and "Heart of Fire" was just the tip of the iceberg.

"Where will he act next?" Kate whispered.

Lynn looked at the map in his hand and said coldly: "We must find him before his next move, otherwise the whole city will fall into chaos."

The next day.

Kate took her press card and went directly to the FBI Manhattan branch. She gave a professional smile to the receptionist at the door: "I am Kate Bennett, a reporter from the Manhattan Times. I have an urgent interview request. I want to find Detective Lynn."

The receptionist looked up at her and seemed familiar with the name: "Please wait, I will help you contact."

A few minutes later, Lynn came from the end of the corridor with a calm expression, but a hint of vigilance in his eyes. He saw Kate and frowned slightly: "Kate, why are you here?"

"Lynn, I need your help." Kate said bluntly, "This arson case involves mutants, and I think the public has the right to know the truth behind it."

Lynn sighed and motioned for her to follow him to a small meeting room. He closed the door, turned around and said, "Kate, this case involves too much sensitive information, and public reporting will only cause unnecessary panic."

"But you can't deny that the relationship between mutants and ordinary people is already tense enough," Kate argued, "The public needs to know the facts, not be dominated by rumors and fear."

"I understand your position, but now is not the right time." Lynn said in a low voice, "We don't have enough evidence to determine who is behind it, and rash disclosure will only make the situation out of control."

Kate looked at Lynn, knowing that he rarely compromised in principle. She was silent for a moment and nodded, "Okay, but feel free to tell me if you need anything."

Lynn nodded and watched her leave, but he vaguely felt that it was not Kate's retreat, but that she was ready to act in her own way.

After leaving the FBI, Kate returned to the office of the Manhattan Times, turned on the computer, and began to retrieve all the information related to the mutants in her hands. She focused on the code name "Heart of Fire" and contacted some of her private informants in hopes of more information.

At an informant who is familiar with the mutant community, Kate learned an important clue: "Heart of Fire" is a mutant who has been active in an underground community. His abilities are related to flame control, but his personality is extreme. It may be associated with an extremist organization.

Kate immediately realized that this might be related to the case Lynn mentioned. She tried to dig further, but found that the informant was also afraid of "Heart of Fire" and refused to disclose more information.

"Kate, this is not something you should interfere," the informant warned on the phone. "These people will not care about what kind of reporter you are."

Kate sneered: "Thank you for your concern, but it's not the first time I've faced danger."

The next day, Lynn meets Kate in a cafe. Apparently, he learned through some channels that she was chasing the "Heart of Fire".

"Kate, what are you doing?" Lynn put down his coffee cup, his tone of displeasure.

"I'm following the truth, just like you," Kate said without any reluctance. "'Heart of Fire' is not only a code name, he may be involved in a bigger conspiracy, and you know that."

Lynn stared at her, speaking colder: "But you have no protections and no authority to enter certain areas. Your investigation is not only dangerous, but may also interfere with our actions."

"Lynn, I respect your work, but journalism is equally important." Kate looked him in the eye. "If the public could know the facts earlier, perhaps more conflict could be avoided."

Lynn was silent for a moment, taking a deep breath: "Kate, I don't want you to be the next target. These people are more dangerous than you think, stop."

Kate smiled, "I know you're worried about me, but Lynn, I have my own judgment. Even if I don't pass you, I can find my clues."

Lynn shook his head and finally said nothing more. He knew Kate's stubbornness and could only make a decision in his heart to ensure her safety no matter what. (End of this chapter)