I revived the Demonic Sect in North America

Upon hearing this, Li Ang turned to look at Karen, feigning an exaggerated expression of surprise.

Karen felt a little shy under his gaze and awkwardly touched her nose.

Why are you looking at me like that?

A mischievous smile spread across Li Ang's face:

"I never expected that the usually aloof and icy Officer Karen would actually joke around?"

"What 'ice queen'? Don't give people random nicknames!"

Karen's cheeks flushed visibly, the blush spreading all the way to her ears.

She rolled her eyes at Li Ang, which only made her look more alluring.

"Stop talking nonsense and make your choice. According to the NYPD Handbook, I only have fifteen minutes to rest."

"Yes, sir."

Li Ang smiled and raised his hand in a gesture of surrender. He then quickly chose the cheapest ham sandwich and ordered the cheapest hot Americano, without even sugar.

"Nothing more, thank you."

Karen glanced at what he was holding, said nothing, and deftly took out her wallet to pay.

"Eat before you leave, I bet you're starving tonight."

The two sat down on a high stool by the window, overlooking the silent streets and the cold police station.

This street is probably the cleanest in the entire community; there isn't even a homeless person lying dead on it.

Li Ang thanked him and then unceremoniously opened the sandwich packaging and began to eat heartily.

He hadn't eaten dinner, and after a whole night of fussing, he was really hungry.

Karen sipped her coffee, watching Li Ang wolf it down, and suddenly spoke:

"Li Ang".

"Um?"

With his mouth full of food, Li Ang mumbled a reply.

"Sometimes you don't seem like a sixteen-year-old. You're more like... an adult who's been through a lot. Why is that?"

Li Ang paused for a moment while chewing.

He swallowed his food, took a sip of his coffee, glanced at Karen, and smiled:

"Officer Karen, is this also a requirement in the NYPD Handbook's procedures? Like conducting psychological evaluations on teenage witnesses or something?"

Karen's flushed face, which had just subsided, rose again, and she quickly denied it:

"Of course not!"

She subconsciously avoided Li Ang's gaze, staring intently at the coffee swirling in her cup.

"This is just my personal curiosity. If you don't want to talk about it, just pretend I didn't ask."

"Relax, Miss Karen, I was just kidding. But to be honest, you look really cute when you're nervous."

Karen's back stiffened, and her face flushed red again, this time even her neck turned red.

Li Ang smiled, twirling the coffee cup in his hand, his gaze fixed on the still-dawn sky outside the window, and muttered to himself:

"Hmm, let me think, why am I not like a child? Probably because I had to learn to handle trouble like an adult before I could even reach the counter."

"You know what, Miss Karen? As far back as I can remember, I've never watched a single Tom and Jerry or Teletubbies cartoon from beginning to end, nor have I ever enjoyed any Halloween candy. I think about three things every day."

Karen looked up, focusing intently on Li Ang, her curiosity piqued by his words:

"What's the problem?"

Li Ang turned his gaze from the window, met Karen's eyes, and smiled slightly:

"Where did Daddy go?"

Where did Mom go?

"What kind of food did the relief station distribute today?"

Karen was slightly taken aback:

"What does this mean?"

Li Ang raised an eyebrow and continued:

My parents are both graduates of Tokyo University.

Karen asked in surprise:

"Runren?"

Li Ang nodded:

"That's what the University of Tokyo says, specifically referring to illegal immigrants who come through illegal channels."

Karen paused for a moment.

Li Ang then said:

"My parents only like three things: donuts, alcohol, and fentanyl. Obviously, I'm not one of them."

"This couple would either get drunk and fall asleep on the street every day, or get high and run into the bushes to have sex. My job was to find them and find a way to get them home."

Li Ang took a sip of his hot Americano; the bitter taste seemed quite fitting.

"I had to make sure they didn't choke to death while they were sleeping, hide in the closet when they were smashing things and arguing, and come up with excuses to stall when the landlord came to collect rent or the creditors came to collect debts. Later on, when they got a little older, I also had to learn to deal with a bunch of people like the police, social workers, the owners' committee, and the head of the school administration, so that I wouldn't suddenly end up in a shelter one day."

At this point, Li Ang seemed to have thought of something amusing, and couldn't help but chuckle, saying:

"Oh, Shit, I've been to that place once. To avoid being pinned down and having my anus violated, I fought back desperately and got beaten until my head was bleeding. In the end, I was put in solitary confinement by the headmaster because I almost bit someone to death. I never want to go back to that hellhole in my life."

Karen could no longer remain calm and couldn't help but cover her mouth, exclaiming:

"Oh my God! You've actually encountered something like this? Oh... poor Leon... my poor child..."

"It's alright, Miss Karen. As you can see, I'm perfectly fine now. I haven't lost any limbs, and I've even preserved the integrity of my backyard. Isn't that lucky?"

Li Ang smiled, looked at Karen, his eyes filled with optimism, not a trace of complaint:

"Life is the best teacher. It forced me to learn how to be humble and ingratiating, how to avoid trouble, how not to bend down to pick up the soap when showering in the asylum, and how to pick the less bad option from a bunch of terrible choices... I thank it."

After Li Ang finished speaking, both of them fell silent.

Karen felt her throat was a little dry and her eyes were a little sore.

Her fingers, gripping the coffee cup, unconsciously tightened slightly.

He couldn't muster any strength in his arms to lift the cup and bring it to his mouth.

After hesitating for a long while, Karen managed to squeeze out a weak and feeble word of comfort:

"I'm sorry, Li Ang, I feel very sad about what you've been through. But thankfully, you've become so strong and sensible. Your parents in heaven must be very proud of you."

Li Ang was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then jokingly mocked himself:

"Miss Karen, you've misunderstood. Would you be proud of a tool? Like your can opener or vacuum cleaner? Because they're useful?"

Karen didn't react in time:

"What?"

"What I mean is, a gentle and kind girl like you might develop feelings for a tool. But my biological parents certainly wouldn't."

Li Ang remained calm and said:

"They are utter scum, Ms. Karen. In the old sayings of Dongda University, these two are rotten to the core; by American standards, they are hopeless trash. Drug use, alcoholism, fraud, theft... they've done almost every conceivable despicable thing imaginable, they have absolutely no bottom line."

Karen instinctively wanted to refute Li Ang, accusing him of making such a fuss about his parents.

But the words stuck in his throat.

She recalled many families she had encountered in her work that were in similar situations to Li Ang's.

Those bodies ravaged by drugs and alcohol can hardly be called human.

Naturally, they cannot be judged by common sense.