Chapter 12 Goodbye

Chapter 12 Goodbye

After listening to his story about the poor father and son, Zoe rewarded him with a kiss on the lips, saying, "Jack, you are such a kind person."

Jack sighed, I might be a single man, but I've had my fair share of ups and downs. If it weren't for a friend who helped me, I might have never recovered from it. How can I still live so cheerfully after reaching 40?

Helping the father and son today was purely driven by his empathy. If he were a police detective with the authority to handle the case independently, he might have let the man go.

Of course, Jack didn't harbor illusions about changing the reality of economic recession and the decline of the middle class in this country. He wasn't that great. His biggest wish was to rely on the system to improve his abilities and take care of the girls around him in this strange world.

As for the future, he decided to wait until he fully understood the upper limits of the system's capabilities before making any major decisions. Right now, he faced a more serious and immediate problem.

After the shootout today, he fell back into a state of manic mood and came to torment Zoe at night.

Before that, Jack consulted a friend who excelled in high school, bought several psychology books based on their advice, and even explored skill psychology (introductory), but he still couldn't find the answer.

Describing his problem to Zoe, she held his face, looked left and right, and gave him an answer that made him laugh, "I've only heard of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) when I was in the army. I've never heard of such a situation. I think maybe God thought you were too perfect, so you have this little flaw."

Zoe then playfully added, "Actually, you don't need to worry too much about it. I'll give you special permission. If you encounter a similar situation when I'm not around, you can turn to Hannah to help you out."

Jack's heart skipped a beat and he blurted out, "Are you sure?"

Seeing his quick response, Zoe teasingly left a tooth mark on his shoulder and said through gritted teeth, "Yes, you can also seek Maureen's help. I think she's quite interested in you, and she's been asking me about you since our last meeting. If she, as a psychiatrist, can't solve your problem, let her help you solve it in another way."

Loving the world of American TV shows and the allure of a mature woman, Jack suppressed the excitement in his heart but pretended to put on a wounded expression, "Darling, are you doubting me? I think I still need you to provide further treatment."

Zoe rolled her eyes unkindly, but soon exclaimed, succumbing to the waves of passion.

The next day, Jack went to Maureen's office at the EAP counseling center, not because he believed Zoe's ridiculous suggestion but because the police union demanded it.

"That's basically it. The symptoms persist after an event until I...uh...vent it out," Jack's expression was slightly awkward.

"I hope this issue won't be recorded in my file. I know if I submit my resume to departments like Internal Affairs, they'll see these records. I don't want to be seen as antisocial or emotionally unstable."

Today, Maureen wore a knee-length white dress, simple yet accentuating her figure. Her makeup was much lighter than before, portraying a ladylike demeanor. Just like last time, she didn't sit behind the desk but on the other side of the coffee table, opposite to Jack.

She wasn't wearing stockings, revealing long and slender bare legs, with the raised right foot giving a glimpse of pink nail polish through the strappy high heels. As she listened to Jack recounting his problem, she subconsciously curled her toes, looking quite adorable.

Uh, Jack didn't know why he used the word "adorable" for a woman in her thirties, nor was he some creepy foot fetishist. But he couldn't deny that Maureen, was creating a feeling of nowhere to avert one's gaze with her outfit today. No matter where he looked, it felt as if he was committing sacrilege.

After hearing Jack's narrative, Maureen elegantly picked up her tea cup and sipped it carefully, pushing up the gold-rimmed glasses on her nose. She said, "Rest assured, Zoe is my best friend. You have my assurance that there won't be any paper records or audio recordings of our chats about this issue in the future."

Seeing Jack nod gratefully, she continued, "Could you provide a detailed description of your reactions during life-and-death situations or extreme stress and your thoughts when the symptoms appear afterward?"

Jack tried to think hard, but it wasn't necessary because the scene at that time played in his mind like a slow-motion movie, frame by frame, just by recalling it.

"The first time was when the suspect sprayed my police car with automatic rifle fire on the roadside. I leaned sideways, lowered my head to dodge. At that moment, one bullet grazed my ear and hit the headrest. From that point on, I could clearly sense the surge of adrenaline in my body. Not only did my mind stay highly focused, but my visual perception, reaction time, and even my confidence were greatly enhanced."

"Until the suspect was taken down, I didn't show any normal reactions that an ordinary person would have when faced with tension. Afterward, I even forced myself to look at the suspect's body, feeling nauseous but without the desire to vomit."

"The second time was when I saw the suspect aiming the gun at Superintendent Gray. That feeling resurfaced. I realized that it was too late to reach the rifle in the back seat, but I knew I could take down the suspect at this distance. So I drew my handgun and emptied the magazine, even though I had only practiced with a 10-meter handgun at the shooting range for the past month."

Hearing this, Maureen took a report, glanced at it, and asked with great interest, "Did you actually do it? The report says that yesterday you hit the suspect's torso with all 15 shots, using single-shot mode, and completed it in less than 5 seconds?"

"Yes, it was an exceptional performance," Jack scratched his head and admitted, realizing it was the result of his mental power breaking through 20, unrelated to the damn adrenaline-induced aftereffects.

"So what's the problem? As a law enforcer, having such a super-calm combat mindset, isn't that a gift? Do you know how many police officers come to me for help because of combat fear? Most of them have to leave frontline positions," Maureen said with a mix of amusement and helplessness.

///

Please notify me if there is any typos

-----------------------------------------

If you want to read up to 12!! chapters ahead go to

patreon.com/Lazy_Panda

___

Want more chapters? Encourage me with your POWERSTONES 💎💎💎