After listening to his story about the poor father and son, Zoe gave him a kiss on the lips as a reward: "Jack, you're such a kind person."
Jack sighed. Although he had always been single in his previous life, he had also experienced hardship. If it weren't for a friend's help, he might have been completely devastated and wouldn't be living such a carefree life after 40.
Helping the father and son today was purely for his own peace of mind. If he were a detective capable of handling cases independently, he might have simply released them. After all, he knew all too well the state of Arican child welfare agencies; they could very well take that little boy away from his father for so inexplicable reason.
Of course, Jack had no desire or ability to change the reality of Arica's economic recession and the decline of the middle class. He wasn't that noble. Being able to improve his abilities in this strange world through the system and take care of the girls around him was his biggest wish at the mont.
As for the future, he would wait until he fully understood the upper limit of the system's abilities before making a decision. Right now, there was a more serious and realistic problem facing him.
After the gunfight earlier that day, he relapsed into his previous manic state and gave Zoe a good fucking that evening.
Jack had previously consulted a forr high school friend who was a top student, and on her advice, bought several psychology books and even learned the basics of psychology, but still couldn't find the answer.
After Jack described his problem, Zoe cupped his face, looking him over from all angles, and gave him a reply that made him both laugh and cry: "When I was in the army, I only heard of PTSD. I've never heard of this condition before. I think maybe God thought you were too perfect, so He gave you this little flaw."
Then, the beautiful, mature woman smiled mischievously, "Actually, you don't need to worry about this too much. I've given you special permission; if you encounter a similar situation when I'm not around, you can ask Hannah for help."
Jack's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "Are you sure?"
Seeing his reply...
"You answered so quickly," Zoe said and bit him, leaving a tooth mark on his shoulder. "Yes, you can also talk to Maureen. I think she's very interested in you. She's been asking about you ever since we had dinner last ti. If she, as a psychologist, can't solve your problem, let her try a different approach."
Jack suppressed his inner elation, feigning a hurt expression. "Honey, are you doubting ? I think I need further treatnt from you."
Zoe rolled her eyes, then let out a gasp, seemingly lost in the surging waves of emotion.
The next day, Jack went to Maureen's office at the EAP counseling center as usual, not because he believed Zoe's absurd suggestion, but because of a mandatory requirent from the police union.
"Basically, that's it. The symptoms will persist after the event until I... uh... release them." Jack's expression was slightly embarrassed.
"I hope this question won't go into my file. I know if I submit my resu to the FBI or similar agencies, they'll see those files. I don't want to be seen as a pervert."
Maureen was wearing a knee-length white dress today, simple yet flattering. Her makeup was noticeably lighter than last ti, going for a ladylike look. Like last ti, she wasn't sitting behind her desk, but across the coffee table from Jack on the sofa.
She wasn't wearing stockings; her bare legs were long and straight. Her right foot, raised high through her open heels, revealed pink nail polish on her toes. As she listened to Jack explain his problem, she unconsciously curled her toes while thinking, looking quite adorable.
'Uh', Jack didn't know why he would use the word "adorable" to describe a woman in her thirties. He wasn't a disgusting foot fetishist, but he had to admit, Maureen's outfit today made him feel uneasy, giving him a sense of impropriety no matter where he looked.
After listening to Jack's account, Maureen elegantly picked up her teacup, took a careful sip, adjusted her gold-rimd glasses, and said, "Don't worry, Zoe is my best friend. With my guarantee, there will be no written records or recordings of any future conversations about this issue between us."
Seeing Jack nod gratefully, she continued, "Could you describe in detail your reaction when facing a life-or-death situation or extre tension, and your specific thoughts when those symptoms appeared afterward?"
Jack pretended to think hard, but there was no need for that, because the scene was like a slow-motion movie; with just a little recollection, he could replay it fra by fra as if playing a video player.
"The first ti was when the suspect opened fire on my police car with an automatic rifle on the roadside. I ducked and dodged, and a bullet grazed my ear and lodged in the cushion. From that mont on, I could clearly feel the adrenaline rush in my body. Not only did I maintain a high level of concentration, but my observation skills, reaction speed, and even my overall confidence were greatly enhanced."
"Until I killed the suspect, I didn't show the normal reaction of a normal person when facing tension. Afterwards, I even forced myself to look at the suspect's body. Although I felt disgusted, I didn't have the urge to vomit."
"The second ti was yesterday when I saw the suspect aiming his gun at Commander Gray. That feeling ca back. I knew it was too late to grab the rifle from the back seat. I knew I could kill him at that distance, so I imdiately drew my pistol and emptied the magazine, even though I had been practicing on 10-ter pistol targets at the range for the past month."
Hearing this, Maureen picked up a report, glanced at it, and asked with interest, "You actually did it, didn't you? The report says that all 15 bullets you fired yesterday hit the suspect's torso, and you used single-shot mode and completed it in less than 5 seconds?"
"Yes, that was an exceptional performance." Jack scratched his head and admitted, thinking that this was the effect of his ntal strength breaking through 20, and had absolutely nothing to do with the aftereffects of that damn adrenaline.
"So what's the problem? As a law enforcent officer, isn't having this kind of super-calm combat ntality a talent? Do you know how many police officers co to for help every year because of combat phobia? Most of them have to leave their frontline positions." Maureen's tone was sowhat amused and exasperated.
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