Chapter 170: Amazing Amy: Dr. Wolfe, I'm Scared~
"Amy, Amy."
Outside the gate, as JJ embraced Amazing Amy and emerged, the Frosts' cries of joy and relief echoed, accompanied by the constant crackling sound of camera flashes.
Even JJ, a veteran of media exposure, couldn't help but shield her eyes with her free right hand.
"Dad, Mom,"
Amazing Amy collapsed toward her parents.
The Frosts quickly stepped forward to catch their nearly fainting daughter, and the three of them embraced and wept openly.
The assembled media, cameras trained on the scene, snapped frantically.
Billionaire Andy Walton, escorted to the gate by police officers, paused with his usual composure, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the family of three dominating every shot.
In America, money talks, so even at this point, he didn't see this as a serious problem. At most, there would be legal proceedings to follow.
He had plenty of money for top-tier lawyers!
But watching the threesome's emotional display, he suddenly realized that Amazing Amy's mother was a bestselling author with over a decade's experience, expert at manipulating public sentiment.
Media opinion was equally powerful in America.
Once a major public outcry erupted, the surging public opinion would greatly influence both the judge and the jury. Not only would they be hesitant to side with him, they might even be stricter with him to demonstrate their impartiality.
"Are you scared now?"
JJ had already tactfully stepped out of camera range, leaving the stage entirely to the Frost family. Catching a glimpse of Andy Walton's fearful expression, she scoffed with obvious satisfaction.
"I didn't do anything, what should I be afraid of?"
Andy Walton smiled again, and as he walked past JJ, he whispered, "You think you're going to win like this? You're so naive!"
JJ ignored him, looked back, and didn't see Chuck, so she asked Gideon, "Where's Dr. Wolfe?"
"He's gone."
Gideon smiled, "He doesn't like media exposure."
"That's right."
JJ remembered that Chuck had been targeted for assassination several times by criminal organizations for his investigative work, nodded, and then said regretfully, "If he were willing to be interviewed, Detective Chuck would definitely become a household name immediately."
"That's even less worth regretting."
Reid continued, "Chuck's detective work is just a leisurely hobby. He only takes on interesting cases. Those who need to know him already do. He has no shortage of cases. Being famous with the general public would do him more harm than good. Otherwise, countless trivial cases or even fabricated ones would immediately overwhelm him."
"You really understand him."
JJ looked at Reid with a smile.
Reid rubbed his head and smiled happily, not sure if it was because of the compliment or who had given it.
"This was way too easy for him,"
said bald Morgan, stunned and incredulous.
This was a kidnapping orchestrated by a billionaire. They had never solved a case like this so smoothly before, but Chuck had not only solved it, but so quickly, without even letting the billionaire slip away.
And after hearing the details of the case, he was even more amazed.
Tracking by scent, identifying a secret room through subtle facial expressions, cracking a code with ease—each one of these skills would be incredible on its own, but Chuck had pulled them all off with such smoothness that it felt surreal.
"Chuck's not just any ordinary guy, not even a regular genius!"
Reid exclaimed immediately. "He's a true super genius!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Bald Morgan rolled his eyes at Chuck's biggest fan. "Keep talking him up and he'll be nothing short of Superman."
Reid opened his mouth to defend Chuck but was interrupted by Morgan. "And what about that fire alarm? Who set it off?"
"Who knows?"
Gideon smiled meaningfully. "Someone grew a conscience."
"..."
Morgan was speechless.
Now that he put it that way, wouldn't it be kind of heartless to keep pressing the issue?
"I heard it was that lawyer who did it,"
JJ whispered to Morgan. "He won't admit it, though, you know how it is."
"Fair enough."
Morgan glanced at the handsome defense attorney in the distance, his expression thoughtful, and nodded in acceptance.
Gideon smiled but said nothing.
Chuck had left without a trace. As Reid had said, his reputation within law enforcement circles was sufficient; widespread publicity wouldn't benefit him.
Americans can be pretty desperate for entertainment. There's no getting around it; anything genuinely fun costs money. Those with less disposable income can only resort to creating their own drama.
Hence the constant stream of bizarre news stories about people who did something reckless for attention and ended up hurt or worse. Then there were the protests and demonstrations that became like massive block parties, with people willing to drive hundreds or even thousands of miles just to join in and make noise.
Once Chuck became a media sensation, there would be a constant stream of attention-seeking stunts centered around him, and it would be complete chaos.
Monica's Apartment
Everyone sat on the couch watching the news. The TV was dominated by coverage of Amazing Amy being rescued from billionaire Andy Walton's estate in the Hamptons.
"These rich people are so despicable!"
Watching Amazing Amy on TV, tears streaming down her face like a broken strand of pearls, the sentimental Monica wiped away a tear.
"Yeah, rich people are the worst!"
Ross replied, and then sneered: "Wait, what's that guy's classic line again?"
Everyone knew what he wanted to say, but under Monica's death glare, everyone lowered their heads and suppressed their laughter, remaining silent.
"Hello?"
Seeing that no one responded, Ross called out to everyone in frustration: "He said 'I'm rich!' Chandler, remember when he hired that hitman from Vegas to scare you just for his own amusement?"
"Of course I remember."
Chandler said self-deprecatingly: "I think I'm feeling a little chill right now."
At this point, he looked down and called out dramatically: "Wait, this isn't my imagination~"
"Gross!"
Monica yelled in disgust: "Go change your pants!"
Then she stood up and started cleaning the spot where Chandler had been sitting, as if she was going to disinfect the entire area.
"..."
Chandler's mouth twitched, and he complained: "Do you understand what humor and comedy are? I'm a professional comedian certified by Chuck himself."
"Better safe than sorry."
Monica grumbled: "Who knows whether you're telling the truth or joking? Chuck will be here soon. I don't want to make him uncomfortable. After all, he's your boss. You don't want him to be disgusted, do you?"
"So rich."
Ross said sourly: "Just for being funny, he gives Chandler a monthly allowance of $5,000. If that's not rich, then who is? Monica, what were you saying earlier about rich people?"
Monica glared at her brother who was stirring up trouble. To be honest, she'd been trying her best to avoid having Chuck and Ross in the same place at the same time lately, but after all, one was her boyfriend and the other was her brother—it was impossible for them to never cross paths.
Just like now, Chuck said he was coming over, and Ross was already here. She couldn't exactly tell Ross to leave, could she?
It wasn't that she couldn't bring herself to ask.
It just hadn't reached that point yet.
"Seriously, is Chuck really paying you $5,000 a month to be a part-time investigative consultant?"
Rachel asked enviously.
"He said I was naturally funny and entertaining, and that I'm a professional,"
Chandler bragged.
"Only weekends? Only when you're free? You don't even have to show up every time? $5,000 a month?"
Rachel couldn't help but repeat the terms.
"You want to be a consultant too?"
Ross's voice grew even more envious.
"I absolutely do!"
Rachel nodded shamelessly.
The former rich girl, now understanding how hard it was to earn money, was genuinely envious of this easy yet lucrative gig.
And $5,000 a month—nobody here made that much!
Chandler, whose day job was the most lucrative among them, was only making about the same.
Ross, despite his PhD and museum position, was mainly enjoying the prestige and flexible schedule of academia. The idea that he could earn that much was laughable.
"I want in too."
Phoebe nodded. "Do you think I could do it?"
"It all depends on natural talent."
Chandler said with a grin, and then couldn't help but chuckle at himself: "Of course, there's also life experience~"
"Ha!"
Phoebe immediately laughed and pointed at herself: "Life experience? Honey, I've got that in spades!"
"...You'd be perfect."
Chandler's mouth twitched as he thought of Phoebe's constant references to her tragic childhood and life on the streets.
Knock, knock.
Knock, knock.
Knock, knock.
"He's here!"
everyone said in unison, recognizing Chuck's distinctive triple knock.
"Behave yourselves!"
Monica glanced around, seeing nothing out of place. She gave Chandler and Ross warning looks and went to open the door.
"Chuck, you're here."
"I am."
Chuck nodded and walked in.
"Thank you, thank you!"
Chandler strode forward, grabbed Chuck's hand, and shook it vigorously, his face full of exaggerated gratitude. "Thank you for letting me keep my title as the most traumatized child of celebrities!"
Amazing Amy could have surpassed him in that department, but after being saved by Chuck, she had escaped with her life and sanity intact.
Everyone: "..."
"You really are a professional comedian,"
Phoebe shrugged, impressed.
"Chuck, sit down!"
Rachel adjusted her top and, beaming, stepped forward to guide Chuck to the best seat. Her obvious flirtation made Monica's eye twitch and Ross's face flush with jealousy.
"Did you really handle this case?"
Ross demanded, his eyes burning with envy.
"Yes,"
Chuck nodded, seeing everyone staring at him expectantly.
"Really?"
Ross was skeptical. "If you solved it, why weren't you on TV?"
"I don't like fame. Too much attention becomes a burden,"
Chuck said matter-of-factly. "Unlike some people."
"..."
Ross felt completely called out.
In his opinion, nobody actually disliked fame. Just like when he and his ex-wife Carol went to their first Rangers game together after their anniversary, he was so depressed about their failing marriage, and then got hit in the face by a puck. When their shocked faces appeared on the jumbotron, he raised his hand to indicate he had made the play.
Ross was convinced Chuck was just posturing, just like when Chuck had casually mentioned being wealthy before—all for show!
"Chuck, you really saved Amazing Amy! You're incredible."
Rachel had maneuvered Chuck to the apartment's only armchair, and she was perched on the arm beside him. Hearing the praise, she couldn't help but flip her hair and smile flirtatiously.
"I know."
Chuck leaned away from Rachel's cascading hair.
"I'd love to see you solve a case in person."
Rachel's smile faltered when she saw Chuck pulling away, but she quickly recovered and continued. "By the way, I heard Chandler is your assistant. Do you need another one? I'm not like Chandler. I'm available 24/7~"
"I don't want assistants who are available 24/7,"
Chuck said bluntly. "I need my personal space."
"..."
Rachel was mortified, feeling like Chuck was completely immune to her charms.
Monica, who had initially felt a pang of jealousy, suddenly smiled. Any other guy would have jumped at the chance to have a knockout like Rachel offering to be his round-the-clock assistant.
But Chuck had already made it clear their one-night experiment was over, and now Rachel wanted to follow him around 24/7? What kind of fantasy was that?
"Yeah,"
Chandler teased. "Rachel's way better than me. If you hired her as your assistant, you'd get both a female assistant and eye candy. Two birds with one stone~"
"Hahaha."
Laughter erupted throughout the apartment, everyone understanding that Chandler was referencing Rachel's reputation as the popular cheerleader from Lincoln High who had dated half the football team.
Rachel glared at Chandler and said viciously, "If I ever find out which jerk started that rumor, I'll have him beaten to a pulp!"
Ross sank lower in his seat, looking guilty.
"Let's talk about something important."
Monica smoothly moved between Rachel and Chuck, pushing Rachel aside, and said, "Next Tuesday, March 17th, is Paige's birthday. I'm planning a surprise party for her. What do you think? Will she like it?"
Most people would definitely love it, but Monica couldn't be sure about Paige, because the girl was truly exceptional.
"She'll love it,"
Chuck said, remembering the scene from Young Sheldon where Paige told Sheldon—who hated surprises more than anything—that she absolutely loved them. He nodded confidently.
"Great!"
Monica said happily, "Please come. Oh, and could you convince Sheldon to come too? He's one of Paige's few real friends, but he doesn't seem to enjoy social gatherings."
"Chuck's the best at handling difficult kids,"
Chandler joked. "He's got a real gift for it."
"Fine,"
Chuck agreed calmly.
Even with Sheldon, whom others considered impossible to deal with, he was indeed quite skilled and persuasive.
"By the way, that painting you promised Paige."
Monica reminded him.
"I already have it."
Chuck nodded.
"You care an awful lot about this gifted kid, don't you?"
Phoebe teased, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were her mom!"
"What mom?"
Monica shrieked, "At most, like a big sister!"
Glancing at the 23-year-old Chuck, she thought to herself: she had only been 23 for a few months herself~
A few months past 23, and Paige, who was 11 going on 12—they were practically siblings no matter how you looked at it.
"Whether it's mom or big sister, you're incredibly good to Paige."
Rachel agreed, "It goes way beyond professional obligations."
"How could I not be? Paige is so sweet..."
Monica sighed, "And she's been through so much."
Chuck glanced at her, understanding the real reason behind her maternal instincts. Monica, with her nurturing personality and deep empathy, was faced with a beautiful, brilliant girl whose parents had divorced because of her genius, whose mother was now focused on a new relationship, whose father didn't understand her, and who had nearly been driven to self-harm. It was completely natural for Monica to offer care that went far beyond her job description.
Just then, Chuck's phone rang.
"You're so popular,"
Ross said sarcastically, watching everyone gathered around Chuck. "Let me guess—is that Amazing Amy calling to thank you for saving her life?"
Even now, he still couldn't quite believe Chuck had actually rescued Amazing Amy.
Chuck answered and, glancing at Ross, put the call on speaker. The Frosts' voices came through clearly: "Dr. Wolfe, thank you for saving our daughter. Amy has something she wants to tell you."
Then Amazing Amy's voice came through: "Dr. Wolfe? It's Amy. Thank you for saving me. You're my hero."
Ross: "..."
"Dr. Wolfe, Amy's been really emotionally unstable since the rescue. She keeps having terrible flashbacks and she's shaking constantly. Could you please come over? You're her hero—you'd definitely be able to calm her down,"
Mrs. Frost pleaded desperately.
"No."
Chuck shook his head. Seeing that everyone was hanging on his every word, he redirected: "If necessary, I can send my assistant over. He's the best at this kind of thing."
Chandler saw everyone looking at him, pointed at himself, and grinned: "That's right, you're talking about me! The most traumatized child of celebrities! Compared to me, anyone can feel better about their life and sleep soundly~"
"Okay."
There was a moment of silence on the other end. Obviously someone was covering the receiver to discuss this unexpected offer. Then Mrs. Frost's voice returned: "Thank you for your help, Dr. Wolfe."
(End of Chapter)
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