Chapter 165: My Foolish Little Brother and the Kidnapped Amazing Amy
"Seriously!"
Frank thought Chuck didn't understand the significance of this. Then he recounted his experience after Wind River, when he was spotted by a mysterious organization and recruited as a professional vigilante to fight crime. That's right!
It's a career with pay!
The salary was even better than being a bodyguard for some spoiled rich kid.
It was his dream job.
So, during this time, he'd been working tirelessly to complete the missions assigned by the mysterious organization. First, he hunted down members of the evil murder website organization.
Now, he'd been assigned to get justice for the cartoonist.
"I checked. This John McCann donated all his wealth. I also checked the charity that received the donation, and I found no connection to the organization at all."
Frank wasn't a fool. He'd never take the mysterious organization's word for it without verification. Before each operation, he'd investigate the mission's ethical compliance and follow up afterwards to better understand what kind of mysterious organization he was a part of.
"So, if the organization's methods aren't flawless, then the entire fortune donated by the target wasn't actually paid to the organization. What does that mean?"
He finished, glancing at Chuck again with a knowing smile.
"Your methods are pathetically weak,"
Chuck said bluntly.
"...It's about delivering justice!"
Frank protested. "The organization isn't doing this for money, but truly practicing the vigilante way!"
"You mean anti-heroes?"
Chuck chewed slowly for a moment, swallowed, and then said, "Superheroes don't kill directly. While many people die indirectly as a result, their hands aren't directly stained with blood."
"...I think anti-heroes are the real superheroes!"
Frank paused. "Those comic book superheroes are so pathetic. They uphold the principle of not killing, allowing those scumbag criminals to wreak havoc on innocent people. How frustrating, so hypocritical! The anti-hero who shows no mercy to those criminals is the real hero!"
Chuck remained noncommittal.
Innocent lives would be harmed by anti-heroes, so the ideal world wouldn't need heroes at all.
In the world of American television these days, it's all about choosing the lesser of two evils.
"Chuck, what do you think?"
Frank pressed. "Put aside the pathetically weak methods, is there any other possibility besides truly practicing the ways of a vigilante?"
"Of course,"
Chuck said. "Perhaps this mysterious organization has a very strict hierarchy, and uses this method to select members. If a man who has suffered such a tragedy isn't willing to give his all, why would anyone else help him? How can such a man be trusted?"
"Selecting members?"
Frank rubbed his head and smiled. "That cartoonist? What's his use?"
"There are only useless leaders, not useless people,"
Chuck said bluntly. "A humble, loyal member can play a far more important role at a crucial moment than fighting and killing."
"Anything else?"
Frank said helplessly. "Besides this, can you think of any other reason?"
"Of course!"
Chuck nodded. "Maybe they know about our relationship and want to manipulate you first, make you think everything you do is just, the work of a superhero, and then, at the crucial moment, have you stab me in the back."
"...Do you have to be so paranoid?"
Frank shouted. "It's not all about you! Why would a powerful, mysterious organization target you for no reason?"
"I hate to admit it, but some people call me the Crime Slayer,"
Chuck confessed. "A transnational criminal organization has already made a move once."
"What?!"
Frank was shocked, then furious. "What organization? Why didn't you tell me?"
"An unknown mysterious organization."
Chuck looked at him. "As I said, there's a possibility they're using you to target me."
"We have to do something!"
Frank's focus was no longer on the paranoia; he was simply furious that someone would dare to attack his brother.
"No need."
Chuck shook his head. "As long as you don't hold me back, there's no problem. They don't have enough elite members to waste, so they've temporarily stopped their attacks."
"..."
Frank, furious and anxious, glared at Chuck.
Great!
The emperor isn't worried, but his servant is panicking. He's the one holding him back!
"Really, I don't have to do anything?"
Frank, concerned for his brother's safety, gritted his teeth and asked, swallowing his anger.
"No need,"
Chuck looked at him seriously, saying, "As long as you live your life well and don't cause another Wind River incident, that'll be the biggest help to me."
Frank shot up from his chair and glared at Chuck. His fists itched. If it weren't for the throbbing pain in his rear, he'd have wanted to fight Chuck again.
Chuck ignored him and quietly enjoyed his meal.
Frank stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly smiled. "You know, being a vigilante, you make money and do good things at the same time. It's all upside. The only downside is that sometimes the missions are really twisted."
Seeing Chuck didn't react, Frank sat down, looked at Chuck with a smile, and continued, "For example, this time when we were getting justice for that cartoonist, I originally planned to just rush in guns blazing and blow those bastards to pieces. But this mysterious organization insisted on making it poetic justice, and it was disgusting!"
He then recounted what he had done to the Criminal Six.
In short, it was an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Normally, he'd already practiced this once before in Wind River, so the reaction wouldn't be this severe. But this time, it lasted longer and was far more intense.
He hadn't wanted to talk about these disgusting things, but after being shut down by Chuck several times, he felt the need to tell Chuck in detail while he ate.
The boss hadn't wanted money, just that the cartoonist had to watch them assault his fiancée and, in the end, castrate him.
The result of this eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for-a-tooth tactic was that the second-ranked underling, who had said, "Boss, you know me," successfully turned on himself and took power. He made his boss watch him for a long, long time in front of a full-length mirror. Before their final moments, the six men were forced to accept the despairing reality of their complete defeat by their second-in-command...
Frank, the man who carried out this operation, had also suffered a degree of psychological contamination, and now he wanted to contaminate Chuck, causing him displeasure.
Unfortunately, Chuck listened to him while eating, completely unperturbed.
"Don't you think that's messed up?"
Frank asked angrily.
"The one who asked you to carry out this retaliatory act was a pervert,"
Chuck replied calmly. "So you always have to be careful."
"I know."
Frank, seeing himself constantly being shut down, and reflecting on how he'd gathered all his strength to attack his brother, yet felt even more inadequate than when he'd been severely injured in his weakened state last time, looked at Chuck in confusion: "Have you made significant progress again?"
"Yes,"
Chuck didn't deny it.
In fact, due to his involvement in numerous exciting cases, the constant barrage of Sheldon's breakdowns, and Chandler's antics, his experience points were accumulating at a faster rate. He had just recently absorbed the second enhancement boost into himself, and his various attributes had improved to a certain extent.
"How did you do it?"
Frank looked at Chuck in disbelief.
Chuck's strength far surpassed his own, and he was already shocked, considering himself to be close to the peak of human combat ability. Now Chuck could actually improve further, which completely subverted his understanding.
"Eat more vegetables, get more rest, and exercise less."
Chuck said seriously.
Frank was silent. He felt that this advice was a bit unprofessional, as if his older brother was mocking his mistake in Wind River last time. He just felt that it was really difficult to talk to his brother. At this moment, he suddenly felt that the separation over the past years wasn't as painful as he had imagined.
"Chuck, remember I complained before that we hadn't seen each other for all these years? Actually, I was too emotional. Maybe that separation was the right choice."
"I told you that a long time ago."
Chuck said calmly.
Frank: "..."
There were no more words exchanged. The two finished eating in silence.
"Dad's birthday is coming up soon."
Seeing that Chuck could remain silent forever, Frank could only take the initiative to say: "Why don't we call him together now?"
"No!"
Chuck put the dishes into the dishwasher and refused flatly.
"Why?"
Frank complained. "We finally got together, wouldn't it be nice to call Dad together? Have you forgotten what he taught us about brotherhood? He'd be happy to see us calling him together."
"I call every year on schedule."
Chuck shook his head. "It's not time yet."
"Birthdays count, don't they!"
Frank asked, puzzled. "Do you have a problem with Dad?"
"Talk to me next year."
Chuck glanced at him.
He had decided to assign Frank more missions involving the US military this year.
"Why next year?"
Frank had no idea that his perverted boss, as Chuck called him, had already made his plans clear.
"You'll understand,"
Chuck said, then ignored him and went back to his own business.
"So, that Haley, do you get along with her like this too?"
Frank observed Chuck's indifferent activities, unable to resist his curiosity.
"No!"
Chuck shook his head.
"What's that like?"
Frank was a little upset, thinking to himself: "Is he closer to that half-sister than to his biological brother? Just because she's a girl?"
"Basically, I spar with Haley during meals, sleep, and snacks!"
Chuck said frankly.
"What?"
Frank was stunned for a moment, then grinned: "Do you spar with her often?"
"Yes."
Chuck nodded: "Like you, she asked for it. The difference between you two is that she can hold on much longer than you, and never gives up until she reaches her limit."
"I just don't want to be beaten meaninglessly!"
Frank complained: "Isn't she a little crazy? A girl actually likes to get beaten up so much?"
"She is much smarter than you."
Chuck told the truth.
"Hey!"
Frank was immediately displeased: "I am your biological brother! We share more DNA, she only has half, how could she be smarter than me?"
"This is a fact."
Chuck said calmly: "I'll give you an example and you'll understand. After she learned what happened to you in Wind River, she liked sparring more than before, because she said that although she didn't have your weakness of freezing up, it was better to get beaten by me regularly than to get beaten by others when encountering a crisis. Isn't this smarter than you?"
"..."
Frank's face darkened, and he scratched his crew cut hard, saying frantically: "Are you done yet! Just that one time! And why did you tell her about this kind of thing!!!"
It seemed like the incident of freezing up in Wind River would never be over!
"You don't care about her."
Chuck looked at him. "You're not planning on meeting her, so what's the problem with telling her or not? We're three siblings and have a lot in common, so using you as an example is more practical."
"So I'm the cautionary tale, right?"
Frank said with a sullen face. "And she and I have nothing in common!"
"You do."
Chuck nodded honestly. "In fact, you and her have far more in common than you think."
"How are we alike?"
Frank shouted.
"You both have the same signature move."
Chuck glanced at him.
"...No, that's impossible."
Frank was stunned at first. He didn't even know what signature move he had. Then, a thought occurred to him, his expression contorted, his eyes questioning. "Is it appropriate for a girl to do that?"
"Precisely because she's a girl, while she has talent, she's still lacking in strength compared to us. That's why she likes to practice this move,"
Chuck said seriously. "Now it seems that your mysterious organization, while perverted, has done something right. They've taught you this move. Even if you freeze up, you can just duck down and use this signature move to strike a vital point, a one-hit takedown!"
"..."
Frank didn't choose to stay.
Even though Chuck had planned for him to stay for a few days so Justine could get an early vacation, even though he had initially thought of using this mission to spend more time with his brother, there was always a gap between imagination and reality.
Faced with Chuck's repeated references to the Wind River freezing incident, and the realization that brotherhood was just empty talk, Frank felt it would be more comfortable to return to his own place.
The next morning.
Chuck received a call from Director Kate of the FBI's New York field office. Director Kate asked on the other end, "Do you know Amazing Amy?"
"I don't know her, but I've heard of her,"
Chuck said.
"She's been kidnapped."
Director Kate said, "The BAU is already heading this way. You should come over soon."
"Okay."
Chuck didn't refuse. After hanging up the phone, he had breakfast, packed up, and then drove to the FBI's New York field office.
"You're here."
Director Kate looked up from her office and saw Chuck approaching. She waved to him, and after Chuck entered, she introduced him to a middle-aged man and woman sitting in the office: "Mr. Elliott, Mrs. Elliott, this is Dr. Chuck Wolfe, a renowned detective and consultant to the bureau. He will help find Amy and bring her home safely."
"Dr. Wolfe, I know you!"
Amazing Amy's mother grabbed Chuck's hand and said excitedly: "You are the detective who caught that corrupt senator and her daughter! This time you must save my Amy."
(End of this chapter)
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