Catherine is actually...

The days that followed seemed to be paused, and everything was pleasant and leisurely.

Regarding the incident in St. Simon, Agent Fox of the X-Force specifically contacted Qin Jin to inform him of the follow-up:

Sure enough, three residents of the town were scratched by the monster, but after using Qin Jin's method, they were all out of danger. They expressed their gratitude to Qin Jin for proposing the treatment plan and invited him to visit Saint Simon again for a vacation.

Secondly, Sheriff Harvey has passed the critical period. He informed the FBI in detail about the huge role Qin Jin played in the whole case, and formally sent a letter to the Los Angeles Police Department to express his gratitude.

Finally, regarding the search of the town, the town and nearby mountains were cleared, and all the monster's remains were burned and disposed of, eliminating the threat...

They also officially sent a letter to the Los Angeles Police Department about all of this, which greatly pleased Chief Edward.

Overall, everything is moving in a positive direction, and life at the Canyon branch has returned to a peaceful routine.

Alessa goes to school on time every day, her gray-blue eyes still holding that detached calmness, but Qin Jin could sense that the aloofness she exuded, which kept strangers at bay, had been slightly diluted after the arrival of the furry little creature.

This little guy has become Qin Jin's full-time tagalong and the darling of the Rift team.

It was officially named "Yuanxiao" by Qin Jin, a name full of oriental charm that deepened everyone's love for it.

With ample food and a relatively safe environment, Yuanxiao recovered very quickly, shedding her initial weakness and panic, and becoming healthy and lively.

It seemed to know from birth that Qin Jin was its backer, spending most of its time sleeping on the office sofa, rubbing against the chair legs, or running around the entire homicide and serious crime division, becoming a unique sight.

The officers were initially surprised, but they were quickly won over by this clever, lively, and somewhat adorable little guy.

During lunch break, people often bring it fruit, chew toys, or specially bought pet treats to play with it.

Yuanxiao seemed to understand that these people meant no harm. When people approached it in a friendly manner, it would waddle over and rub against them, making friendly whimpering noises. It even learned to bow with its front paws, making everyone laugh.

It quickly rose to become the branch office's "unofficial mascot".

Even the usually serious supervisor, Frank, welcomed Yuanxiao to his office and even went out of his way to find Qin Jin.

"Qin! This little guy is quite adorable, but it's not easy to legally keep it in Los Angeles. Besides a special permit, the requirements for the location are also very strict."

Qin Jin yawned boredly, slightly raising his eyelids: "Yeah, I know. I've already asked Catherine to help me find a suitable place."

Frank nodded: "Okay, good that you understand. Once we find a place, if you need to get the necessary permits, I can ask around among my acquaintances. These kinds of rare pets have a few complicated procedures, but it's not impossible to get them done."

This is a rare statement from the head of the department.

"Thanks, Manager Frank."

Qin Jin responded, as if raising bears and obtaining permits were trivial matters.

Yuanxiao took the opportunity to nudge Frank's leather shoes with its wet nose, which earned it a helpless light kick to its little bottom from the supervisor.

The peaceful days flowed by until one afternoon a few days later, Qin Jin's phone rang. Neither Constanze nor Catherine were there.

One of them, Hu Tian and Hu Di, continued to handle cases outside as usual, while the other trained at the training ground.

"Qin! It's me, Logan!" came the voice of Deputy Director Logan from the other end of the phone, the background sounding somewhat noisy.

"Hey! What's up?" Qin Jin was a little surprised, as Logan rarely called him.

Logan's voice carried a hint of self-satisfaction:

"I've found you a house that's secluded, with a large yard and high walls—the kind you wanted! The location is a bit remote, but it perfectly meets your requirements!"

As Qin Jin held the microphone, a strong sense of unease welled up inside him.

The house? He clearly entrusted it to Catherine! How did Chief Logan know? And he seems quite concerned about it?

"Uncle Logan," Qin Jin said, using his own unique form of address amidst his confusion, though it made him feel a little nauseous.

"How...did you know I was looking for a place to live? I remember Catherine was handling this, wasn't she?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a loud burst of laughter:

"Hahaha! Qin, your reaction... Hahaha! Catherine? Catherine Miller? That's my daughter!"

"Uh, how come I remember..." Qin Jin took a deep breath and spat out the words through gritted teeth, "Isn't your daughter named Dolly?"

"Dolly is her middle name, that's what we call her at home," Logan said casually, "but outside, she's called Catherine!"

Boom!

Qin Jin felt as if an invisible bolt of lightning had struck him precisely on the head, instantly scorching him to a crisp! Holding the microphone, he froze, his mind buzzing.

Catherine Miller? Logan Miller's...daughter?!

Back then, to refuse Logan's offer to introduce his daughter Dolly to him, he chose not to join Logan's detective department and instead became a regular detective at the Canyon Precinct. He thought he had escaped unscathed, but who knew...

The ordinary patrol officer she carefully selected from the Western Precinct turned out to be... Catherine is actually Dolly?! Who can she complain to about this?

Logan was still laughing hysterically on the other end of the phone:

"How about that? Surprised? Hahaha! She came back and told me that Detective Qin wants to find a secluded place to raise a bear cub! He even emphasized that it needs to be well-hidden! When I heard that, I thought, 'Isn't this perfect?' I know a place where confiscated assets are going to be auctioned off next month, which is absolutely perfect for you... Qin, Qin! Are you listening?"

Qin Jin took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He almost gritted his teeth, trying his best to make his voice sound calm:

"...I'm listening! Uncle Logan, this...is indeed unexpected! Thank you for your concern."

"Haha, no problem at all! How about it? Are you free now? I happen to be nearby, shall I take you there?" Logan's enthusiasm remained undiminished.

"……good."

What could Qin Jin say? He could only bite the bullet and agree, feeling a strange itch in his teeth.

Half an hour later, Qin Jin drove his car, following Chief Logan's SUV, to the edge of a relatively desolate industrial area on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

The destination was an abandoned courtyard surrounded by a tall red brick wall, with a rusty iron gate tightly closed.

Logan took out the key, unlocked the padlock, and pushed open the heavy iron door with a grating creak.

The first thing that catches the eye is a fairly large courtyard, with cement flooring making up most of it and dense weeds growing alongside it.

On one side of the courtyard is a detached two-story building, old-fashioned and small, with most of the windows broken; on the other side is a steel-framed factory building, which looks empty and the door is broken.

The entire courtyard exuded a sense of dilapidation and desolation, but when Qin Jin put Yuanxiao down, it became very excited, running around the courtyard as if it particularly liked it.

"There it is."

Logan clapped his hands and pointed to the yard:

"Is the place big enough? Are the walls high and sturdy enough? That factory used to be a small machine shop, which is perfect for shooting practice. It's just that the small building needs to be renovated, which will cost some money."

Qin Jin looked around. The location was indeed quite remote, with few residents nearby. The tall walls effectively blocked out the view and noise. Most importantly, the school bus stop was just a short walk away, making it very convenient for Alessa to go to school.

He nodded: "It's a good place. What about the price?"

"This is an asset confiscated in a case handled by the bureau, with clear ownership," Logan said.

"The public auction will be held in the middle of next month. I estimate the land and these buildings, including the starting price and all taxes and fees, will cost around one million. What do you think? Is that enough for your budget?"

Qin Jin quickly calculated in his mind—

The cash he had on hand, plus what he earned from the Tong family, amounted to only three or four hundred thousand US dollars at most, which was still a shortfall.

However, if he needed money, he could go to Texas, where he had several hiding places for his money, including US dollars, gold, and jewelry, all of which he had acquired during those turbulent times.

Qin Jin hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'll figure out the money. Uncle Logan, could you please keep an eye on the auction's time and procedures?"

"No problem! I've got it covered!" Logan patted his chest and assured him.

The two were standing in the courtyard, pointing at the dilapidated factory buildings and small buildings, planning the possible future renovations of the site.

Suddenly, Qin Jin's cell phone rang urgently in his pocket.

Qin Jin answered the phone: "Hey? This is Qin Jin."

The voice of Director Edward came through the phone, sounding grave and urgent:

"Qin! Where are you? There's a case that needs your help. Can you come to my office now?"

"No problem, it will probably take..." Qin Jin thought for a moment, "...forty minutes."

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

Seeing that there was a case, Deputy Director Logan didn't say much and drove away with Qin Jin.