Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 127: The Breaking Point

Nancy couldn't wait any longer and pressed for an answer. "Captain Simmons, what about my brother? He played such a huge role in this. Surely he’s finally being transferred to Headquarters now?"

This immediately struck a chord with the rest of the task force, who chimed in one after another.

"She’s right, Captain! Simon absolutely has to be transferred this time!"

"The only reason we walked away with a Team Award is because of the strategy and leadership from Simon and Ms. Nancy!"

"Exactly! When that last tomb robber tried to smash the disc, if it hadn't been for Simon’s takedown, that national treasure would be in pieces right now!"

"Simon’s move was incredible. I’ve never seen anything that clean and precise!"

Sitting nearby as a mere background character, Jack’s face turned a bruised shade of purple. Several of these task force members had worked with him in the past. Hearing their heartfelt praise for Simon felt like a series of sharp slaps to his face.

Captain Simmons looked at the unified team before him, his eyes full of pride. "Of course he’s being transferred!"

"This was Simon’s first time leading a special task force, and solving a case of this magnitude in under forty-eight hours is a brilliant achievement. A Meritorious Service Medal is guaranteed."

Simmons smiled at the siblings and added, "If the final assessment determines the case had an exceptionally high social impact, there’s even a strong chance he could push for Officer of the Year!" He felt that with a duo like this on the force, the entire department would only get better.

Nancy was so excited she grabbed Simon’s arm and shook it. "That’s amazing!"

A smile finally reached Simon’s eyes, and he ruffled Nancy’s hair. "Yeah. I’ll find a place to rent halfway between Headquarters and the zoo."

That way, it would be convenient for both his commute and for taking care of his sister. With the move to Headquarters, his salary and benefits would see a significant jump, including a housing subsidy. After the deductions, he’d only be paying a few hundred dollars out of pocket for rent.

Nancy began counting on her fingers, her eyes sparkling as she did the math. "When I signed the consultant contract with Sam, it said that if I helped solve five major cases, I’d get a high-performance domestic car as a bonus."

She grew more excited as she calculated, her voice turning light and airy. "The rainy night manor murder, the missing national swimmer case, and now this tomb robbery and homicide... that’s three major cases already!"

She had decided that she would pull an all-nighter memorizing every detail and information about the criminals on the loose that had warrants out for their arrests online. "Only two more cases until I get my little car, and seven more until I get a big house!" She wanted to be a bounty hunter and arrests them all. Tremble in fear, criminals!

Just then, the food Captain Simmons had ordered arrived. Simon took the meals and saw his sister still lost in her dreams of future rewards, muttering to herself while her fingers kept moving.

A trace of silent indulgence flickered in his eyes. He walked over to her side, expertly opened a meal container, and placed it gently in front of her.

"Stop counting," Simon said, his voice low and warm, filled with an undeniable note of concern as he pressed a fork into Nancy’s hand. "Eat first. The car and the house aren't going to grow legs and run away."

Nancy took the fork, realized she was starving, and immediately dug in. She ate with gusto, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed. Watching her eat so heartily and with such satisfaction caused Simon’s expression to soften. He looked like an elder watching a child enjoy a meal they had truly earned.

He naturally moved the large, braised chicken leg from his own container into her bowl, his tone perfectly steady. "Eat slowly, don't choke. Once I’ve settled on a place to rent, I’ll cook you a feast every single day."

"You can start thinking about what you want to eat right now."

Nancy didn't even stop to swallow before blurting out excitedly, "Really? Then I’m starting my list right now! It’s going to be very long!"

Seeing his sister finally acting like a carefree girl again, the smile in Simon’s eyes deepened. He nodded solemnly. "Fine. As long as you name the dish, I’ll find a way to make it."

Halfway through the meal, a young officer burst into the room clutching a notebook, his face a mask of disbelief. "Captain Simmons! Simon! The interrogation is going weird—it’s going almost too well!"

"It’s that suspect nicknamed Finn, the one with the red welts all over his face."

"At first, Finn was just shivering and refusing to say a word. We followed protocol and gave him a lunch box. But the second he took a bite, it was like he was possessed! He slammed the whole box onto the floor!"

The officer mimicked the scene, continuing, "We were about to reprimand him for wasting food, but then he just burst into tears! He started spilling everything like beans out of a bag! We couldn't even stop him!"

Nancy grew curious, biting her fork. "Wait... what was the main course in the lunch box you gave him?"

The officer slapped his thigh. "Spicy stir-fried chicken! The side was tomato and eggs—standard stuff! Who knew that with his very first forkful, he’d accurately pick up a whole chicken head with its eyes staring right at him? He just snapped and confessed to everything on the spot."