250: strolling

Lu Jianchuan accurately tossed the empty soda can into a distant recycling bin and clapped his hands:

"Anyway, the person has escaped, and there are no more clues for now. As for the only one captured alive, we can only wait for news from the Professional Team."

He stretched his shoulders and turned to Shen Mingyuan. "I'm going out for a walk to get some fresh air. Do you want to come along?"

Shen Mingyuan shook his head, his gaze calm behind his lenses. "I'm going back to the Law Firm to handle some matters, and while I'm at it... I'll check on how that 'snake' at home is doing."

"Alright, I'll contact you later then." Lu Jianchuan nodded and left the base alone.

It was noon, and the sun was shining brightly. The city streets were bustling with traffic and filled with daily clamor, a stark contrast to the dark silence of the Underground Ruins.

Lu Jianchuan had changed out of his uniform and was wearing simple casual clothes. With his hands in his pockets, he walked aimlessly along the sidewalk, trying to let the warm sunlight and the flowing crowd wash away the tension from the battle.

As he passed a small square, a few children playing tag caught his attention. One of The boys was sharp-eyed; he suddenly stopped, stared at Lu Jianchuan for a few seconds, and then his eyes widened. He excitedly tugged at his companion, pointing at Lu Jianchuan while shouting:

"Wow! It's Big Brother silver skeleton! It's Big Brother silver skeleton!!"

Hearing this, the other children all looked over at once. A small chorus of gasps erupted, and they swarmed around him in an instant, their little faces filled with excitement and curiosity.

Lu Jianchuan's first reaction was a sudden skip of his heart. Had his identity been exposed?!

But in the next second, he realized what was going on. His tense nerves suddenly relaxed, followed by a subtle sense of being stuck between laughter and tears.

He remembered—the official tokusatsu drama "silver skeleton," which was based on him.

"Hello there." Lu Jianchuan squatted down to bring his eyes level with the children, trying his best to offer a gentle smile, though it looked a bit awkward on his ruggedly lined face.

"Is it really Big Brother silver skeleton? The one on TV?" a little girl asked timidly but expectantly.

"Big Brother, your armor is so cool! You're su—per powerful when you fight monsters!" another boy gestured wildly.

"Take my Lightning Punch! Heh-ha!"

"Watch my Flying Kick!" The children immediately began to mimic the Moves they had seen in the show, playing with each other in high spirits.

Seeing the children's pure enthusiasm and unreserved admiration for a "hero," Lu Jianchuan felt very happy. He matched their excitement, watching them play with a smile.

After playing for a while, The boy who first recognized him suddenly looked up and asked seriously, "Big Brother silver skeleton, are you going on another secret mission to destroy strange monsters now?"

Lu Jianchuan looked at the child's bright, trusting eyes, was slightly stunned for a moment, and then let out a relaxed, heartfelt laugh.

Amused by the children's words, Lu Jianchuan shook his head and said in a relaxed tone, "Oh, not today. I'm just strolling through the streets and patrolling the city to keep everyone safe." He adopted a coaxing tone for the children. "You must remember to listen to your parents, eat plenty of vegetables, and don't be picky eaters."

He paused, looking at the children's bright eyes, and added, "Eat well and grow up well, so you can become great people who help others in the future. Remember, when you meet someone who needs help, lend a hand within your ability, okay?"

"Okay—!" the children agreed in unison, their voices crisp.

Just then, another slightly older child asked curiously, "Hey, Big Brother silver skeleton, are you really a policeman? I saw someone online saying that you're a policeman in real life!"

Lu Jianchuan nodded and said firmly, "Yes, I really am a policeman." He even instinctively reached for his pocket and smiled:

"See, I usually work at the Police Station. If you ever need help or run into trouble, you can come find me at the Police Station. Most importantly, if you ever encounter bad people, you must run to a safe place immediately and then find a police officer to report it. Do you remember?"

"We remember!" the children said in unison, looking exceptionally excited.

"Wow! Look over there! There's a big dog!" another child's shout drew everyone's attention.

The children looked in the direction he pointed and saw The Blind Man not far away, holding a guide harness. He was being led by a gentle Labrador Retriever, slowly walking along a park path.

"What a cute dog!" "It's so well-behaved!" "Can I pet it?" The children chirped and gathered around, but they politely kept a bit of distance.

Hearing the children's voices, The Blind Man had a gentle smile on his face and stopped walking. "You can, but be gentle and don't scare it."

The children excitedly moved closer and carefully patted the guide dog's broad, gentle back. The boy read out the words on the guide harness: "Hmm... 'Guide Dog, Working'... How old is it?"

The Blind Man answered patiently, "He'll be turning 8 soon."

"8 years old? He doesn't look like it. I think he looks like he's 12, he's so big!" another child said innocently.

The Blind Man was amused and explained, "When he's around 12, it'll be about time for him to retire and have a good rest in his old age."

Then, a little girl with pigtails looked up and said seriously to The Blind Man, "Then... when the doggy retires, will your eyes be better too, Uncle?"

Hearing this, The Blind Man was slightly stunned for a moment, and then his smile grew even softer. He faced the direction of the little girl's voice and said softly, "Hmm... I hope so. Maybe... they really will get better."

The children played with the gentle guide dog for a little while longer, then ran off contentedly and chirping to continue their game.

Led by the guide dog, The Blind Man also continued his slow trek, gradually fading into the distance.

Lu Jianchuan had been standing not far away, quietly watching this scene.

The sunlight spilling onto the lawn, the children's carefree laughter, the calm smile of hope and acceptance on The Blind Man's face, and that loyal, dutiful, quietly working guide dog... all these ordinary and warm scenes were like a clear stream.

The corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.

"This world... really is quite good after all," he thought silently. At this moment, his responsibility and purpose as a guardian became incredibly concrete and clear.

He took one last look at the sunlit park, turned, and walked away with a light step.

After leaving the park, the warmth in Lu Jianchuan's heart had not yet dissipated, and his steps instinctively turned toward the familiar Police Station.

Pushing the door open, the familiar atmosphere of busyness, mixed with the smell of paper, old-fashioned printers, and a faint scent of coffee, wafted over him. The Police Station was relatively quiet in the afternoon, but there were still people on duty, organizing files, or attending to members of the public who had come for business.

"Yo! Look who's back!" a hearty female voice called out from behind the reception desk. A female colleague who knew him well looked up, put down her documents, and said with a teasing smile, "Mr. Busy Man Lu, you still remember to come back to your 'maternal home' for a visit? We thought you'd been seconded to some secret department and forgotten all about us old folks!"

Her voice drew the attention of others. Another old colleague, who was brewing tea, also turned around, adjusted his glasses, and said with a chuckle, "Exactly, haven't seen hide nor hair of you for days. Not even a phone call, you've got everyone worried."

Surrounded by this familiar banter, a smile naturally appeared on Lu Jianchuan's face—the relaxation of shedding his armor and returning to daily life. He walked to the water dispenser, poured himself a cup, leaned against the desk, and responded casually, "No way, I could never forget you guys. These past few days... well, there was a joint investigation task outside, I had to go a bit far, and I just finished up."

"Joint investigation? Was it with the Municipal Bureau or some other unit again?" the female colleague asked curiously.

"Ahem, confidentiality regulations, can't say much, can't say much." Lu Jianchuan made a "hush" gesture, but his eyes were smiling as he brushed it off with his usual excuse. His colleagues were used to it, knowing that some tasks weren't to be questioned, so they didn't press further.

"Alright then, Busy Man." The old colleague walked over with his teacup and patted him on the shoulder. "It's good that you're back. There's been plenty to do at the station lately. As it happens, there's a transcript for a community mediation this afternoon. You have nice handwriting, how about helping out?"

"No problem." Lu Jianchuan agreed immediately, feeling his body and mind settle back into their familiar places. He looked around and asked, "By the way, there hasn't been any special police activity in our area lately, has there?"

"Thanks to you, our 'secret agent,' things have been fairly peaceful!" the female colleague teased with a laugh, then turned serious. "Just the usual old problems: neighborhood disputes, petty theft. We've been handling things just fine without you."

Everyone chatted about the recent happenings at the station—whose child was taking exams, which new shop on which street was good, and how a certain tricky case had finally seen some progress..."}],