You're a US police officer, what are you thinking about going back to the East for?

"Bang."

Hernandez quickly came over carrying two plastic trays piled high, placed them heavily on the greasy plastic table, and casually pushed two bottles of chilled Corona beer in front of the two of them.

"Double the pork and jalapeños! Enjoy, sir!"

Old Mo greeted him warmly, then turned back to deal with the iron plate.

Leon picked up a tissue from the table and habitually wiped the oily surface in front of him.

Before he could even grab a beer, Chloe, sitting opposite him, had already unceremoniously reached out and grabbed a taco that was bigger than her palm.

She didn't care at all whether the greasy plastic table would get her sleeves dirty, nor did she care about the hygiene conditions of the roadside stall. She opened her mouth and took a big bite.

"Mmm! Delicious!"

Chloe's bright blue eyes lit up instantly, and she mumbled a praise while chewing on the sizzling roast pork.

The rich sauce dripped down her chin and onto her fair fingers.

She casually stuck out her tongue and licked the hot sauce off her fingers, then picked up the chilled Corona and took a big gulp.

Lyon sat opposite her, his brows slightly furrowed, watching the girl who was eating with her mouth full of oil.

The streets of Seattle were still damp and cold. The plastic table and chairs they were sitting on were placed on the curb, and less than two meters away was a green municipal trash can.

For any woman with even a modicum of attractiveness, or even a low-level white-collar worker, sitting here eating cumin-scented street food while wearing a clean white shirt and miniskirt would be an absolute disaster.

They might complain about stepping on greasy tiles, about car exhaust getting their hair dirty, or hint at why the man doesn't take them downtown for steak.

But Chloe had none of these worldly troubles.

Her legs, clad in black stockings, swung happily under the plastic chair as she ate a five-dollar roadside taco, feeling as if she were enjoying a gourmet meal at a Michelin three-star restaurant.

He's clearly a terrorist who could send a building to the sky at any moment, but right now he's as happy as a fool over a bite of grilled meat.

Looking at her carefree demeanor, the tension in Leon's heart inexplicably dissipated a little.

Wipe your mouth.

Lyon grabbed a napkin, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it directly at Chloe's face.

"oh."

Chloe caught the crumpled paper, wiped it haphazardly on her mouth a couple of times, then rested her chin on her hand and looked at Leon with a grin:

"Boss, you specifically singled me out to treat us, you didn't just do it to make me eat this, did you?"

"Eating can't shut you up."

Lyon also picked up a taco, took a bite, and got down to business:

"We're on the same side now."

"I know you won't be stupid enough to go around telling everyone about what happened last night. But a partnership based solely on mutual incriminating evidence won't last. There has to be a different price to pay."

Leon leaned back in his cheap plastic chair, staring intently at her:

"I need to confirm exactly what you want. Only after we understand your price can our future cooperation be finalized."

"Since you're willing to take the blame for the building bombing with me, I naturally have to give you appropriate compensation."

"Want money? I can give you a hefty side hustle from ACU's shady accounts. Want a promotion? I can get Sterling to get you an interview for a police inspector position in a while."

Name your price.

After hearing this, Chloe paused in her biting of the taco.

She blinked, looked at Leon across from her with a serious expression, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Boss, look at my outfit."

Chloe pointed to her beret and black stockings:

Do you think I'm the kind of person who knows how to do financial planning, or who cares about salary and retirement benefits?

Lyon looked her up and down.

"You look like a delinquent girl who, every month after receiving her salary, immediately spends it on hair dye, goes to nightclubs to drown her sorrows, or pays bail," he commented truthfully.

"That's more like it!"

Chloe slammed her hand on the table and nodded in strong agreement:

"What would I need so much money for?"

"Should I buy a few LV bags, or make a down payment on a property in an upscale neighborhood?"

"I have no parents, not even a dog to take care of. My current apartment contains nothing but a mattress and a bunch of bomb disposal tools."

"As for promotion? Go sit in an office filling out forms, and then watch others go out and kick down the door?"

"Spare me. If I liked that, I wouldn't have been kicked out of the SWAT team for blowing up the door."

Lyon's brow furrowed even deeper.

I don't want this, I don't want that.

If a person has no worldly desires, it is difficult to control her using conventional methods.

"Then what are you after? Don't tell me you became a police officer to protect the peace of America."

Lyon asked in a deep voice, sounding somewhat impatient.