American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

"Do you need any help, sir?" A clerk came forward with a smile.

"Look," Lynn scratched his head, "I'm meeting my friend's parents tomorrow and want to choose two gifts. One for the lady, and the other for a man who enjoys wine tasting."

The clerk nodded and gave a professional smile. "For ladies, flowers are always a good choice. We have newly arrived roses and lilies, beautifully paired. For men, we have some limited edition whiskeys and red wines, beautifully packaged."

Lin En walked to the flower section, his eyes scanning the beautiful bouquets, and finally chose a bouquet of lilies and lisianthus that matched well. "This looks warm, it should be suitable," he thought.

Next, he visited the liquor section. The clerk recommended a bottle of aged Scottish single malt whisky, emphasizing its origin and unique taste. Lynn nodded in satisfaction, checked out and packed the two gifts, and breathed a sigh of relief.

The next afternoon, Lynn arrived at Kate's house on time. It was a small villa in the suburbs, with a well-kept garden in front and warm lights shining through the windows.

Kate opened the door to greet him, wearing a simple blue dress and a bright smile. "You surprise me with your punctuality, Inspector."

Lin En held up the gifts in her hand and smiled, "I'm afraid being late will affect my impression points. These are gifts for your parents."

Kate took the gift and teased, "You're quite thoughtful. Don't worry, they'll love it."

She led Lynn into the house. The living room was warm and simple, with an old sofa and several photo frames reflecting the family's history. Kate's mother poked her head out of the kitchen and said with a smile, "Is this Lynn? Kate always mentioned you, saying you saved her several times."

"Inspector Lynn, welcome to our home." Kate's father stood up from his chair with a kind smile on his face. He was wearing a simple sweater and looked very kind.

Lynn stepped forward and politely handed the bouquet to Kate's mother: "Madam, I hope you like these flowers."

Kate's mother took the flowers and her eyes lit up: "It's so beautiful, really beautiful, thank you!"

Lin En handed the bottle of whiskey to Kate's father again: "This is a little gift I picked for you. I hope you like it."

Kate's father took the wine with an admiring look in his eyes: "Scottish single malt? You know a lot about wine. This is a really nice gift."

Lin En smiled and waved his hand: "I just heard it recommended by someone. My knowledge of wine is actually very limited."

Dinner was held in the dining room, and Kate's mother prepared a table of sumptuous family dishes, including roast chicken, mashed potatoes, a variety of fresh vegetable salads, and a bottle of red wine.

Kate's father raised his glass and said with a smile: "Detective Lynn, although this is the first time we have met, I have heard Kate say a lot about you. Thank you for protecting her in the dangerous moment. Her mother and I will always be grateful."

Lynn raised her glass and smiled slightly. "This is my duty, and Kate is a very brave person. I admire her work."

"She's been like this since she was little, never afraid of taking risks," Kate's mother said with a smile. "But, because of that, she always makes us worry."

"Mom!" Kate scolded, but with a smile on her face.

Lin En watched the family's relaxed interactions and felt a long-lost sense of relaxation. He realized that this ordinary and warm family life was a rare experience in his busy work life.

After dinner, Lynn stood up to say goodbye. Kate walked him to the door. The cool night breeze blew gently, and the surroundings were quiet.

"How was your day? Nervous?" Kate asked with a smile.

"It's a lot easier than I thought," Lynn said frankly. "Your parents are very easy to get along with. I'm glad to be here."

Kate nodded, her eyes softening. "Thank you for coming. It's really important for them to see you."

Lin En smiled slightly: "Protecting you is not just work, it's also because-" He paused, seeming to hesitate.

Kate tilted her head and asked, "Why?"

Lin En gave a meaningful smile: "Because you are someone worth protecting."

Kate was stunned for a moment, then smiled warmly: "Thank you, Lynn."

After the two said goodbye, Lynn drove away.

The early morning sun in Manhattan hadn't yet fully bathed the streets, but a pungent smell of sulfur filled a blocked-off alley. Fire trucks and police cars flashed their lights, leaving traces of charred remains at the scene.

Lin En stood in front of the burned-out building, frowning as he surveyed his surroundings. The entire exterior of the building was charred black, but strangely, the fire didn't spread, seemingly confined to a specific area by some unknown force. The air was filled with an unsettling smell of sulfur, as if this wasn't just any ordinary fire.

"Detective, here." An agent came over and handed Lynn a melted metal badge in an evidence bag.

Lin En took the evidence and examined it carefully. It was a damaged metal badge with a faint flame pattern visible on it. The melted part made the pattern distorted and blurred.

"The smell of sulfur, the specific range of the flames, and this badge," Lynn muttered, his eyes thoughtful. "This doesn't seem like an ordinary arson case. It's more like a mark left by some powerful individual."

"You mean mutants?" the agent asked tentatively.

"It's very likely." Lin En nodded. "Contact the technical department to analyze the source of the badge. At the same time, conduct a detailed inspection of the fire scene to see if there are any other abnormal energy traces."

Meanwhile, Kate sat in her office and watched a report on the fire on TV news. On the screen, the anchor was describing the strangeness of the fire, while the fire department refused to comment on the cause.

"That's unusual," Kate whispered to herself. She quickly called an insider to try to get more information.

A few minutes later, the informant on the other end of the phone whispered, "I heard that this fire might be related to a mutant, but the details are still unclear. The police have cordoned off the scene."

Kate hung up the phone, a hint of curiosity and nervousness in her eyes. "Mutants? Is this another case targeting mutants?" She decided to contact Lynn immediately.

A few hours later, Lynn's technical team returned with a preliminary report.

"Inspector," the technician said, "Analysis of this badge shows that its material and design belong to a specific underground factory. This factory is associated with mutants, but it was abandoned in an explosion two years ago."

Lynn frowned slightly: "Abandoned factory? Can you find the specific location?" "It has been locked down. It is an abandoned industrial area in lower Manhattan." The technician replied.

Lin En quickly ordered: "Arrange a team to go to that factory and take a look. If this case is related to mutants, we need to confirm it as soon as possible."

Lin En led the team to the industrial zone. The factory's exterior was covered in graffiti and cracks, and its doors and windows were boarded up. However, the interior of the factory appeared unusually clean, with even some signs of cleaning visible.

"This place doesn't look abandoned." Carter examined the footprints on the ground. "Someone has been here recently."

"Continue searching." Lynn said in a deep voice.

In the center of the factory, they found some strange equipment and tools, as well as several burned documents. Lin En carefully flipped through the documents and found a few drawings that hadn't been completely destroyed. They had a flame pattern on them, and next to it was a name: "Heart of Flame."

"Heart of Fire?" Carter murmured. "Is that a code name?"

"It's probably a code name for a mutant," Lynn said coldly. "But the markings on these drawings aren't just device designs; they seem to include research on the application of abilities. This means this person isn't just acting randomly; he's probably testing his own abilities."

"And these documents mention multiple locations." Carter pointed to a marked point on a map. "Other places in Manhattan may also be his targets."

Meanwhile, Kate learns of the existence of the abandoned factory through her own clues. She sneaks up on the factory and tries to observe from the outside, but unexpectedly runs into Lynn who is evacuating.

"Kate?" Lynn frowned at her. "Why are you here?"

"I'm following the reports of the fire." Kate looked directly at Lynn. "This case is clearly unusual. I have a right to know the truth."

Lynn sighed: "Kate, this is not a case you can interfere in. Now that mutants are involved, the danger behind this fire is far beyond your imagination."

"Then let me help," Kate insisted. "You know my resources and intelligence channels can come in handy."

Lin En hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay, but you must be careful. You are not within the protection range, and I can't guarantee your safety."

With Kate's help, Lynn obtained some new clues, indicating that "Heart of Fire" may be related to an extreme mutant organization. The goal of this organization is to declare war on society by triggering a series of destructive actions and forcing the public to accept their existence.

Lynn and Kate realize that the arson is just the beginning of a bigger crisis, and the "Heart of Fire" is just the tip of the iceberg.

"Where will he act next?" Kate asked in a low voice.

Lin En looked at the map in his hand and said coldly, "We must find him before his next move, otherwise the whole city will fall into chaos."

The next day.

Kate, holding her press card, went straight to the FBI's Manhattan branch. She gave the receptionist a professional smile and said, "I'm Kate Bennett, a reporter for the Manhattan Times. I have an urgent interview request. I'm looking for Detective Lynn."

The receptionist looked up at her and seemed familiar with the name: "Please wait, I will help you contact."

A few minutes later, Lin En came from the end of the corridor, his expression calm, but with a hint of vigilance in his eyes. He saw Kate and frowned slightly: "Kate, why are you here?"

"Lynn, I need your help." Kate said bluntly, "This arson case involves mutants, and I think the public has the right to know the truth behind it."

Lynn sighed and motioned for her to follow him to a small conference room. He closed the door and turned, "Kate, this case involves too much sensitive information. Publicizing it will only cause unnecessary panic."

"But you can't deny that the relationship between mutants and ordinary people is already tense enough," Kate argued. "The public needs to know the facts, not be dominated by rumors and fear."

"I understand your position, but now is not the right time." Lin En said in a low voice, "We don't have enough evidence to confirm who is behind this. Revealing it rashly will only make the situation get out of control."

Kate looked at Lynn and knew that he rarely compromised on principles. She was silent for a moment and nodded: "Okay, but if there is anything I can help you with, please let me know."

Lynn nodded and watched her leave, but he had a vague feeling that this was not Kate's retreat, but that she was ready to act in her own way.

After leaving the FBI, Kate returned to the Manhattan Times office, turned on her computer, and began to retrieve all the information she had about mutants. She focused on the code name "Heart of Fire" and contacted some of her personal informants in the hope of obtaining more information.

From an informant familiar with the mutant community, Kate learned an important clue: "Flame Heart" is a mutant who once worked in the underground community. His ability is related to fire control, but his personality is extreme and he may be connected to an extremist organization.

Kate immediately realized that this might be related to the case mentioned by Lynn. She tried to dig deeper, but found that the informant was also afraid of "Heart of Fire" and refused to reveal more information.

"Kate, this isn't your place to get involved," the informant warned over the phone. "When these people start fighting, they won't care if you're a reporter."

Kate sneered, "Thank you for your concern, but this isn't the first time I've faced danger."

The next day, Lynn met Kate in a cafe. Apparently, he had learned through some channels that she was tracking down the "Heart of Fire".

"Kate, what are you doing?" Lynn put down the coffee cup, her tone full of displeasure.

"I'm pursuing the truth, just like you." Kate said without giving in. "'Heart of Fire' is not just a code name. He may be involved in a larger conspiracy, and you know this."

Lin En stared at her, his tone even colder. "But you don't have any protection, nor do you have permission to enter certain areas. Your investigation is not only dangerous, it may also interfere with our operations."

"Lynn, I respect your work, but journalism is equally important." Kate looked him straight in the eye. "If the public knew the facts sooner, perhaps more conflicts could have been avoided."

Lynn was silent for a moment and took a deep breath. "Kate, I don't want you to be the next target. These people are more dangerous than you think. Stop it."

Kate smiled and said, "I know you're worried about me, but Lynn, I have my own judgment. Even without you, I can find my clues."

Lin En shook his head and said nothing more. He knew Kate's stubbornness and could only secretly decide in his heart that he would ensure her safety no matter what. (End of this chapter)