Zoe completely ignored Jack's oath and coquettishly leaned forward, licking his ear.
Jack shivered and incredulously asked, "Here?"
"We've never tried it in the car, have we?"
"My garage door isn't even closed."
"The windows are closed, aren't they?"
"I think I should consider getting a new car."
As he was indulging in the moment, a nursery rhyme from his previous life faintly echoed in Jack's mind: "Daddy's daddy is called grandpa, daddy's mommy is called grandma."
The successful resolution of this terrorism case indeed brought great pride to the LAPD higher-ups. Commissioner Grey's promotion was practically guaranteed, and both John and Lucy would face evaluations right after the Christmas break. If they passed, they would end their rookie period.
The department was even generous enough to allocate some funds as bonuses to the meritorious officers, which was undoubtedly good news for Jack as it meant his bathroom renovation plan could proceed.
Due to the complexity and involvement of multiple units in the case, everyone was given a two-week administrative leave, which was a rare treat for officers who usually had to rotate shifts even during Christmas.
However, this also meant that their planned gathering was canceled. John flew back to Pennsylvania to see his son and handle property matters with his ex-wife.
Tim, perhaps having gained some clarity after his near-death experience, went back to his hometown to visit his long-lost sister.
Angela and Wesley, who had recently become inseparable, had officially moved in together and went to Hawaii for vacation. Lucy whispered that Wesley might propose during the trip.
Jack, who enjoyed gossip but disliked romantic drama, didn't bother to dig into their affairs. Besides exercising and studying, he had a new dining companion, Nila Harper, who loved spicy food and was as much a heavy drinker as Tim.
Nila Harper had a tragic story herself. She abandoned her family for her career and went undercover in a gang for years, only to end up with a broken family. Now, she chose to return to being a regular patrol officer to have a stable job and more time with her daughter, though she had lost custody.
Through her experiences, Jack became more resolute in his belief that he would never go undercover; if anyone tried to persuade him, he'd knock some sense into them.
Of course, her meals weren't free. After a few Sichuan dishes, Jack managed to extract a wealth of information about drugs, dealers, and related gangs from Harper. This knowledge wasn't available in books and could only be gained from a seasoned undercover officer like her.
Now, when Jack looked at the tattoos on street kids, he could identify their gang affiliations and whether they had committed any serious crimes. He also became adept at understanding most of the gang slang.
Besides this, he didn't idle. After renovating his kitchen, he began working on the bathroom, demolishing the old tub and building a large concrete frame that took up two-thirds of the space.
He then bought a bunch of treated marine oak planks, applied three thick layers of waterproof coating to the concrete frame, and meticulously fitted the oak planks inside, sanding them smooth. The result was a luxurious bathtub that could comfortably fit three people.
It was undeniably comfortable; both Zoe and Maureen praised it.
However, due to certain unspeakable reasons, neither could spend Christmas with Jack. Maureen had to attend the Anderson family Christmas dinner as her partner.
Jack, indifferent to Christmas but regretting the canceled dinner with John and the others, ended up at the Hunter's house, where he made dumplings for the elderly couple, and they had a joyful time.
In the first week after New Year's, just before the end of the holiday, everyone, including Angela who was vacationing in Hawaii, returned for the LAPD's annual New Year's banquet.
Even the governor attended the banquet to present medals to the officers.
Besides Jack and four other officers from different precincts receiving the Police Star, John and Lucy, as rookies, surprisingly received a Distinguished Service Medal. The Wilshire precinct also won an Outstanding Unit Commendation. It was a night of triumph.
As the representative receiving the Outstanding Unit Commendation, Commissioner Grey was visibly emotional, even shedding a few tears during his speech.
Standing on stage with his medal, Jack watched this scene and couldn't help but smile. It seemed it wouldn't be long before everyone started calling Grey "Chief Grey."
Bored, Jack glanced around the venue. Many familiar faces were present. Maureen attended as Zoe's date (or partner?), with the two stunning women, one in uniform and the other in a glamorous evening dress, their eyes frequently drifting towards Jack.
The Hunters were there, having just shared a meal with Jack. Zoe's grandfather, old Anderson, was also present. Jack had seen his picture in Zoe's family album, and it seemed he was close with the Hunters, chatting animatedly with them.
Jack recalled Zoe mentioning that the congressman behind the Kleiner Foundation was about to fall, with old Anderson playing a significant role in his downfall. He hadn't expected the Anderson family, a local powerhouse in California, to wield such influence even in Washington.
He pondered whether to contact his accountant, Christian Wolff, soon. The terrorism case and two medals had earned him six system gold coins, far exceeding his expectations.
This meant he could significantly advance their original three-month plan and obtain a favor from the accountant. He wanted to leverage Christian and his backer Justin's abilities to conduct preliminary reconnaissance on the Kleiner Foundation.
After all, when he had watched the show, he had focused too much on the explosive action scenes and only remembered the foundation's name and their counterfeit money operation.
Lost in his thoughts, Jack suddenly felt a peculiar gaze on him. He followed the direction and saw Taylor Kelly, the news anchor, in a low-cut blue starry evening dress, holding the arm of a man in his fifties or sixties with a dignified demeanor. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on him without blinking.
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