UGB Chapter 679 Extending a Helping Hand!
Chapter 679 Extending a Helping Hand!
“Okay!” Gwen immediately let go of him and nodded. “Then I’ll go pack my things, and we’ll leave this afternoon!”
Lynn nodded, picked up his luggage, and went into the bathroom. The bathroom was steamy, and hot water flowed down from the showerhead, washing away his fatigue and grime, and also washing away the cruel images in his mind. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and had only one thought in his mind—to spend quality time with Gwen and ensure she had a happy and peaceful childhood.
Half an hour later, Lynn finished showering, changed into clean casual clothes, and walked out of the bathroom. Gwen was already ready; she had changed into clean shoes, was carrying a small backpack, and was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, looking at him expectantly.
"Brother, are you ready? Can we leave now?" Gwen asked anxiously as soon as she saw Lynn.
“Alright, let’s go.” Lynn said with a smile, picked up his keys, and walked out of the house with Gwen.
The two walked out of the residential complex, hailed a taxi, and gave the address of Fifth Avenue in New York. Fifth Avenue is one of the most bustling streets in New York, with many well-known brand stores and a dazzling array of goods, making it a great place for shopping. Gwen sat in the taxi, watching the scenery rushing past the window, her eyes full of excitement, constantly asking Lynn all sorts of questions.
"Brother, which store should we go to? I heard Fifth Avenue has lots of nice clothes."
“Whichever store you want to go to, we’ll go there,” Lynn said with a smile. “As long as you like it, no matter how much it costs, your brother will buy it for you.”
“Great!” Gwen exclaimed excitedly. “I want to go to that pink shop. I passed by with my classmate last time and saw that they had lots of pretty dresses, they were so beautiful.”
“Okay, let’s go to that place.” Lynn nodded, looking at Gwen with affection.
A dozen minutes later, the taxi arrived at Fifth Avenue. The two opened the car door and stepped into this bustling street. The shop windows on both sides of the street were exquisitely decorated, displaying the latest clothes, shoes, and accessories. Pedestrians came and went, most of them dressed fashionably, and the air was filled with a stylish and sophisticated atmosphere. The sunlight shone on the street, warm and bright, making the whole street look exceptionally lively.
Gwen, holding Lynn's hand, skipped and hopped forward, her eyes constantly scanning the shops along the roadside, her face full of curiosity and excitement. "Brother, look, that's it!" Gwen pointed to a pink shop not far away and shouted excitedly, pulling Lynn quickly over.
A variety of dresses were displayed at the store entrance, brightly colored and stylish. Gwen was immediately drawn to them as soon as she entered, her eyes sparkling. The shop assistants greeted them warmly as soon as they came in.
"Hello, welcome! How can I help you?" the shop assistant asked with a smile and a warm tone.
“I want to buy my sister a new outfit,” Lynn said with a smile, pointing to Gwen beside her. “She likes dresses, you can recommend a few suitable ones for her.”
“Okay, no problem,” the shop assistant nodded, her gaze falling on Gwen. “Little girl, what style of dress do you like? We have princess dresses, dresses, and casual dresses, all of the latest styles.”
Gwen tugged at Lynn's sleeve shyly and whispered, "I like princess dresses, the kind with lace and bows."
"Okay," the sales assistant said with a smile, "then I'll recommend a few princess dresses for you to try on and see if they suit you, okay?"
“Okay.” Gwen nodded, a shy smile on her face.
The shop assistant turned around, took out several princess dresses of different colors from the shelf, and handed them to Gwen: "Little girl, go to the fitting room and try them on. These are all suitable for your age, and the size should be right. If they don't fit, I'll exchange them for you."
"Thank you, sister." Gwen took the dress, smiled at the shop assistant, and took Lynn's hand, heading towards the fitting room.
"Brother, wait for me outside, I'll be done soon." Gwen went into the fitting room and closed the door.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you outside. Take your time, no rush,” Lynn said with a smile, leaning against the wall by the fitting room door, her eyes scanning the other items in the store.
The store was bustling with activity, filled with parents and children buying clothes. The children's laughter and the shop assistants' warm greetings mingled together, creating a cozy atmosphere. Lynn watched all this, a faint smile playing on his lips. He cherished this peaceful and warm moment; it was precisely the meaning behind his desperate efforts to protect it.
Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the store entrance. He was wearing a clean shop assistant uniform, his hair was neatly combed, and he had a gentle smile on his face, warmly greeting customers who entered the store. Lynn frowned, looked closely, and felt that this person looked familiar, but couldn't remember where he had seen him before.
The man seemed to notice Lynn as well. He stopped what he was doing, looked at Lynn, paused for a moment, then showed a surprised expression and quickly walked towards Lynn.
"Detective Lynn?" The man walked up to Lynn, his tone a mixture of uncertainty and excitement. "You...you are Detective Lynn?"
Lynn looked at the man in front of him, thought carefully for a moment, and finally remembered who he was. The man in front of him was named Tony, a former drug addict. Three years ago, Lynn arrested Tony and his accomplices during a raid on a drug trafficking ring. At that time, Tony was emaciated, with cloudy eyes, full of malice, and had no hope for life.
“Tony?” Lynn said in surprise, “Is it really you? You… how come you’re here?” He looked at Tony, who was completely different from the Tony of three years ago. Not only had his figure become more balanced, but his eyes had also become clear and firm. He no longer had the violent aura of an addict, but instead had become more gentle and down-to-earth.
When Tony heard Lynn call his name, he trembled slightly with excitement. He nodded vigorously, his eyes reddening slightly. "It's me, Inspector, it's me, Tony. I work here; I'm a clerk in this store now."
“That’s great,” Lynn looked at Tony, a relieved smile on his face. “Seeing you like this makes me really happy. How are you doing? Have you completely kicked the habit?” “Yes, Inspector, I’ve completely kicked the habit!” Tony nodded vigorously, his tone firm. “After you arrested me three years ago, I was sent to a rehab center. In the rehab center, I thought a lot. I realized that I had done many wrong things in the past, hurting not only myself but also my family. I made up my mind to kick the habit and start a new life.”
He paused, his eyes filled with gratitude: "Detective, thank you so much. If you hadn't caught me back then, I might still be stuck in this quagmire, or I might have died from a drug overdose. It was you who gave me a chance to start anew. It was you who made me realize that there is still hope in life, and that I can still have a life of my own."
Looking into Tony's sincere eyes, Lynn felt a warmth in her heart: "You're welcome, Tony. This is all the result of your own efforts. Being able to kick your addiction and start a new life is the result of your own perseverance. I just did what I should do."
“No, Inspector, you did more than just what you were supposed to do; you saved my life,” Tony said excitedly. “In the rehab center, I met many people just like me. We encouraged and supported each other, and worked together to get rid of drugs. The process of quitting drugs was very painful, and many times I wanted to give up, but when I thought of what you said to me back then, I had the courage to persevere.”
"What did I say?" Lynn was stunned. He couldn't remember what he had said to Tony back then.
“Yes,” Tony nodded, his eyes filled with memories. “When you arrested me, you didn’t verbally abuse me like others did, nor did you look down on me. You just patted me on the shoulder and said, ‘Tony, you’re still young. Don’t ruin your life because of a moment of confusion. If you’re willing, you still have a chance to start over and make amends for your mistakes.’ It was those words that sustained me and helped me overcome my addiction.”
Lynn looked at Tony, a wave of emotion washing over him. He hadn't expected that a casual remark he'd made years ago would have such a profound impact on Tony. "I don't even remember," Lynn smiled, "but seeing you doing well puts my mind at ease. How are you finding working here?"
“Very good, Inspector,” Tony said with a smile, his tone full of satisfaction. “The owner of this store is very kind and takes good care of me. My colleagues are also very friendly, and I am very happy working here. Although the monthly salary is not much, it is enough for me to live on. I can even save some money to send to my mother to make up for the hurt I caused her in the past.”
"That's good," Lynn nodded. "As long as you can live a stable life, work hard, and take good care of yourself and your family, that's better than anything else. If you encounter any difficulties or problems in the future, you can contact me, and I will do my best to help you."
"Thank you, Inspector! Thank you, Inspector!" Tony said repeatedly, his eyes brimming with tears. "I will work hard and live well. I will never make the same mistakes again and I will never let you down."
“I believe in you,” Lynn patted Tony on the shoulder, her tone firm. “You’ve done a great job, keep it up.”
Just then, the fitting room door opened, and Gwen walked out in a pink princess dress. The dress had delicate lace and bows, making Gwen look like a little princess, incredibly cute. Gwen walked up to Lynn, twirled around, and smiled shyly: "Brother, look, isn't it pretty?"
Lynn turned her head, saw Gwen, and immediately smiled gently: "Beautiful, so beautiful, our Gwen looks good in anything."
Tony looked at Gwen and smiled gently. "Detective, is this your sister? She's so cute, and looks beautiful in that dress."
“Yes, this is my sister, Gwen,” Lynn said with a smile, taking Gwen’s hand. “Gwen, quickly call him Brother Tony.”
Gwen glanced at Tony shyly and whispered, "Hello, Tony."
“Hello, Gwen,” Tony said with a smile, his voice gentle. “You look beautiful in this dress, like a little princess.”
Gwen smiled happily upon hearing Tony's praise, then lowered her head shyly.
“Detective, this dress suits Gwen very well,” Tony said with a smile. “Besides, it’s a new style in our store, the quality is excellent, and the price is very reasonable. I’ll give you a discount as a small token of my appreciation.”
“No need, Tony,” Lynn shook his head and said with a smile, “You don’t need to give me a discount, just pay the original price. You work hard and it’s not easy for you to earn money, I can’t take advantage of you.”
“Detective, please don’t be so polite,” Tony insisted. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be who I am today. This discount is nothing. Please accept it, or I’ll feel bad about it.”
Looking into Tony's sincere eyes, Lynn knew that if she refused again, Tony would feel uneasy, so she nodded: "Okay, then thank you, Tony."
"You're welcome, Inspector. It's what I should do." Tony smiled happily. "Gwen, why don't you try on some other dresses? See if there's anything you like. I'll give you a discount."
Gwen's eyes lit up as she looked at Lynn, her gaze full of anticipation: "Brother, can I try something else?"
“Of course,” Lynn said with a smile. “Try whatever you like, and your brother will buy it for you.”
"Great! Thank you, brother!" Gwen said excitedly, taking Tony's hand. "Brother Tony, could you get me a few more dresses? I want to try them all on."
“Okay, no problem,” Tony said with a smile, pulling Gwen toward the shelves. “Little girl, I’ll get you a few of the prettiest ones, I guarantee you’ll like them.”
Lynn stood there, watching Tony and Gwen's retreating figures, a relieved smile on his face. He hadn't imagined that one of his arrests years ago could change a person's life, allowing a drug addict mired in addiction to rediscover hope and regain happiness. This feeling brought him more satisfaction and gratification than completing any other arduous mission.
Sunlight streamed through the shop windows, falling warmly and brightly on Lynn. Inside, Gwen's laughter, Tony's enthusiastic greetings, and the chatter of other customers mingled together, creating a heartwarming and beautiful scene. Lynn knew that life might have its darkness and cruelty, but as long as there was hope in her heart, as long as she was willing to work hard, and as long as someone was willing to lend a helping hand, she would surely emerge from the shadows and usher in her own light and happiness. (End of Chapter)