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"That's right."
Haley glanced at Chuck and retorted to her father with a smile: "Chuck said that bald is more distinguished than balding."
The chief was so frustrated that he protested: "Don't use your brother as a shield, there's no way he said that!"
"I did say that."
Chuck was completely straightforward.
"..."
The chief was speechless for a moment, but Chuck wasn't his biological child after all. Seeing his wife peeking over from the kitchen, he could only suppress his complaints and said with a forced smile: "Chuck, Haley is so young and she's a girl—is this really necessary?"
"Of course it's necessary."
Haley quickly replied: "Girls, even when they're just staying home, need to know how to protect themselves, because predators can show up at your door at any time."
"If someone comes to our door, won't you shoot them?"
The chief shot back: "This is Texas!"
"What if we encounter them when we're out?"
Haley countered: "I can't exactly carry a gun to school, can I?"
The chief was stumped.
This was Texas, the state where everyone owns guns, and it wasn't chaos.
But even here, a teenage girl couldn't carry a gun to school.
"And even if you have a gun at home, what if you don't have enough firepower?"
Haley pressed on, raising a crucial question that applied everywhere.
"You're being ridiculous. Not enough firepower?" the chief exclaimed, unable to contain himself any longer. "Do you think we're going to war?"
"Isn't that the issue?"
Haley pointed out. "You're the head of the regional IRS department. You can't hide any equipment purchases from yourself. Haven't gun purchases, especially high-powered ones, been increasing?"
"That's for other law enforcement agencies..."
The chief tried to argue, but faltered under his daughter's gaze.
Everyone understood that the growing demand for firepower by police and other law enforcement agencies was fundamentally due to the increasing firepower of criminals.
Safety-first law enforcement, with their priority on officer protection, needed overwhelming firepower, which naturally meant they had to continuously upgrade their arsenal.
"Haley, don't worry."
The chief said helplessly, "We're about to move to Washington, D.C., which is the capital..."
At this point, he was interrupted by Haley: "Chuck, you're a detective, tell me, is the capital safer than other places? Are there no predators there?"
"No."
Chuck continued, "Washington, D.C. itself has a very high crime rate. Just looking at the most serious violent crimes, according to FBI statistics, Washington, D.C. has 45.1 violent crimes per 10,000 residents, ranking 22nd in the nation.
It's only 40 miles from Baltimore, which ranks first in the country with 98.6 violent crimes per 10,000 residents.
It's only 140 miles from Philadelphia, which ranks 19th in the country with 46.8 violent crimes per 10,000 residents."
"Did you hear that?"
Haley smiled triumphantly. "This is data from the FBI. It has to be relatively official and conservative. And that's just violent crime. What's so special about the capital? The capital and its surrounding areas are basically the epicenter of violent crime. It's not like Texas where everyone can carry guns for protection. Dad, tell me, shouldn't I learn some self-defense skills?"
"...What else can I say?"
The chief was dumbfounded, showing the same deeply helpless expression as George Cooper. "Should I just not take the Washington job?"
"Don't do that," Haley waved her hand. "I don't want you blaming me for holding back your career later."
"Are you transferring to headquarters?"
Chuck asked.
"Yes," the chief nodded glumly. "I'll be heading up the major crimes task force there. In the future, when we encounter difficult cases like the Cooper family genius situation, we might need your help."
"Just hire me as a consultant," Chuck nodded.
"I'll do my best."
The chief finally managed to calm down a bit as they got down to business. Trying not to look at his mischievous, sharp-tongued daughter, he added, "But I'm afraid the pay won't be much."
"As long as it's an interesting case, I'll even do it for free," Chuck stated his terms.
He had earned his first substantial income thanks to his reputation in the accounting field. Later, using his superior intelligence and knowledge from his past life to invest, he had already easily achieved financial independence, and his assets would continue to grow steadily. If it weren't for the long-term, large-scale investments required for some of his projects, he would have lost interest in money altogether.
Even so, his detective work—with its feast-or-famine nature of 'no cases for months, then one big payday'—was enough to cover all expenses without touching his investment portfolio.
After all, for someone with his capabilities, the easiest money to make came from wealthy clients.
Therefore, in any field, anything interesting enough to stimulate rapid personal growth, he was willing to participate in, even for free.
"I understand."
The chief, having reached his current position despite his receding hairline, was clearly a smart man, and he immediately grasped Chuck's intention.
While he didn't understand Chuck's personal system or motivations, from what he knew, he assumed that Chuck, with his severe autism, was trying to find meaning and purpose in life.
So, he decided that whenever he encountered an interesting case in the future, he shouldn't just ask Chuck for help occasionally, but should always reach out to him, even for cases outside police jurisdiction.
With this in mind, he tentatively said, "Give me some of your business cards. In Washington, D.C., I'll be meeting many more people than I do here. If they have any interesting cases that need your expertise, you could take them on, okay?"
"Okay."
Chuck glanced at the chief and nodded.
It seemed like his decision to come here was the right one.
Being able to connect with a law enforcement department head at such a level, and having someone who understood his needs and was willing to help, was incredibly valuable to Chuck.
The chief smiled with satisfaction.
Although Chuck didn't show any obvious gratitude, for someone like Chuck to accept his offer was a welcome development.
"You guys have it all figured out, so what about me?"
Haley interrupted.
"You?"
The chief's smile faded. Looking at his daughter, who could be infuriating beyond belief, he said unhappily, "As long as Chuck agrees to train you, I'll go along with whatever you want."
"Then it's settled."
Haley smiled with satisfaction. "Chuck, when do we start?"
"Right now."
Chuck stood up.
If his plans for Haley's training had seemed somewhat abstract before consulting with the police chief, then after getting his agreement and learning they were about to move to Washington, D.C., he, like Haley, felt the urgency.
This kid really needed some tough training to experience firsthand just how dangerous the world could be.
(End of this chapter)
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