Reborn: The Rookie Detective

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the rednecks' inherited martial virtue.

"And then?"

"I shot and killed them, father and son. The woman I called 'Auntie' went mad. When the police arrived, she screamed and told everything."

"The one who set the fire was my devilish uncle. A company called Clarence Chemicals hired him to intimidate my parents."

"Why?" Jack asked, puzzled. He thought it was just a simple case of seizing family property; why did a chemical company have to come along?

"It's said that because of pollution in the nearby river, my father hired an investigator from the Environmental Protection Agency, which alerted the chemical company, leading them to resort to these dirty tricks."

"Afterwards, Zoe's parents came to Texas and became my guardians because our mothers are sisters."

Jack suddenly understood; so there was this connection between Zoe and Hannah.

"Zoe's father used a lot of connections to file a lawsuit against that chemical company, but it ended in a settlement."

"He said that Clarence Chemicals' parent company was very powerful, and that members of Congress were involved. I know he did his best."

"If things had continued, even Zoe's family would have been threatened. It's said that the EPA investigator died unexpectedly not long after, so I asked Uncle Anderson to sell my parents' farm and move to Los Angeles with them."

"From that day on, I set my sights on the FBI and vowed to find out who was behind it all and hold them accountable for my parents' deaths."

Jack blinked, feeling that the plot seemed familiar. Could this chemical company be backed by some powerful political family? Of course, this was just a joke. Although the background of the American TV series world was highly similar to his previous life, at least the recent presidents were names he had never heard of.

"So what's the name of that parent company?"

"Kleiner Industries. It also has a Kleiner Foundation behind it. Clarence Chemicals was shut down not long after."

Hannah seemed to feel uncomfortable about something and adjusted her posture.

Jack suddenly realized — wasn't this the villainous company from the American TV series *Reacher*? This show, disguised as a mystery, was actually incredibly action-packed and gritty; it was one of his favorite old-school American dramas back in the day.

Hmm, the female lead's self-sacrificing scene was also one of the reasons he was drawn to it, but unfortunately, she was a bit small, far less impressive than Hannah's overwhelming presence.

"So I guess what you want isn't just to find the real culprit, but to avenge your parents yourself. Does Zoe know what you're thinking?" This was more like the redneck's style, wasn't it?

"She told me to be completely honest with you, to hear your thoughts. She thinks your perspective is more mature than hers on some things."

Why did these two sisters seem to be clinging to him like this?

"No one should dictate your thoughts in this matter. If avenging your parents makes you feel better, then go ahead and do it. I'll be with you."

Anyway, he now has the system's skills, and with that big guy Jack Reacher charging into battle, even if he does nothing, the real culprit will eventually be taken down. At most, Hannah will have to do it herself.

With a "pop," Hannah happily gave Jack another kiss, then straightened up and mischievously pressed down, almost making Jack lose his balance.

"Stop! No, don't move, Hannah! You'll regret this!"

Hannah's round face showed a defiant look: "Am I not as pretty as Zoe, or is my figure worse than hers? Why can you accept her but always reject me?"

'Where did I refuse? Is respecting you wrong?' Of course, Jack knew this wasn't the time to reason; he had to find a way to appease this girl first, otherwise, things might really get out of hand.

"You already know about my relationship with Zoe, so you should..."

Hannah leaned down again, her expression a half-smile: "I not only know that you go to Zoe after each shooting, but I also know that you went to see Maureen, even though we're the ones living in the same house."

'What a bizarre relationship! Even harem novels wouldn't dare write something like this.'

"Since you know all this, why did you still..."

"But Daddy had many lovers too, like Aunt Daisy, Aunt Chris. Mommy said that as long as Daddy's favorite people are her and me, that's enough."

'What a distorted education! Does your family believe in something unconventional?' Jack had a bellyful of complaints he couldn't express.

"Zoe is getting married to Maureen soon. I know what they're up to, but no matter how many lovers you have, I want to be your only wife."

"Isn't it a bit early to say that?" Jack forced a dry smile.

"But I can't live without you. I won't find another man in this country who can treat me better than you. I want you to cook for me and take care of me for the rest of your life."

"I want to be like Lois Lane, and you are my Superman. That day at Bronson Tower, I thought I was really going to die, and you appeared in front of me like Superman. From that moment on..."

Hannah didn't finish her sentence, instead pressing her cheek tightly against his.

Jack's restless heart calmed down inexplicably. He didn't speak again, but reached out and hugged Hannah, gently patting her back, as if comforting a frightened little girl.

After a long while, he finally rolled over and picked her up, coaxing her softly, "I promise, I'll always be by your side until you get tired of me, my angel."

Hannah finally smiled with satisfaction and whispered back, "Me too."

Back in his attic bed, Jack gave a wry smile. Now he had three girls in his life, thankfully nothing had gone wrong. It seemed he needed to work on his "central air conditioning" habit. Meeting girls like Zoe and Hannah was pure luck; if he'd run into someone obsessive, he'd be in for a rough time.

He vaguely remembered that Nolan, another warm-hearted older man, seemed to have encountered someone like that, one with both high IQ and EQ, who almost drove him crazy.

Casually flipping through the practical encyclopedia on his bedside table, Jack quickly immersed himself in the sea of knowledge.