Sweet and sour carp is a rather troublesome dish to make, and it also uses a lot of oil, so Grace Morgan rarely makes it at home.

“Don’t speak too soon, let’s see the next dish. If sea cucumber isn’t handled properly, it can have a strong fishy smell,” Grace Morgan retorted, unconvinced.

She had been cooking her whole life and didn’t want to be outdone by her son, who was cooking for the first time.

Although it was Brian Hall’s first time cooking, it was as if the skills were engraved in his mind.

As seafood, the fishy smell of sea cucumber is unavoidable, so using scallions to remove the odor and enhance the flavor is very important. When frying scallion oil, you must use a gentle heat, letting the aroma of the scallion slowly infuse into the oil. Once the scallion pieces turn yellow, take them out.

Then add the white part of the scallion, stir-fry it together with the sea cucumber, thicken the sauce, and it’s done.

When the braised sea cucumber with scallion was served, Grace Morgan took a bite and fell silent.

Edward Hall took a bite, showed a look of savoring the taste, and winked: “Well, how is it?”

“Ahem, not bad.”

“Haha…” Edward Hall chuckled, thinking to himself, it’s more than just ‘not bad’—he could open a small restaurant with these skills.

Of course, since it was Brian Hall’s first time cooking, his speed and control of the heat still lagged behind that of a restaurant chef.

Finally, the last dish, vinegar-sautéed cabbage, was served, and the family began to eat.

“Mom, Dad, how’s the food?” Brian Hall was a bit unsure, since it was his first time cooking.

“Not bad, especially this braised sea cucumber with scallion—it’s really fresh,” Edward Hall praised endlessly.

“Son, maybe you should switch careers and become a chef. This talent for cooking is definitely inherited from your mom.”

“Haha…” Brian Hall laughed heartily.

His cooking skills were thanks to the rewards from solving cases, so naturally, he couldn’t forget his true calling.

It was rare for the family to have lunch together. As they ate and chatted, the atmosphere was warm and joyful.

Eating with his parents, Brian Hall had a great appetite. The three of them finished all the dishes on the table, leaving nothing behind.

Objectively, this proved Brian Hall’s cooking skills.

“Ding dong.”

In Brian Hall’s mind, the police badge notification sounded: “Officer 577533, your dishes have been recognized by your family. Cooking proficiency +3.”

“I’m a criminal police officer, what’s the use of learning life skills?”

“Police officers are people too. You need a balance of work and rest to stay healthy and better serve the people,” the badge prompted.

Brian Hall thought about it and found it made sense. When you’re struggling, you should take care of yourself; when you’re successful, you should help others. Only by managing your own life well can you have an upright and positive heart, and better serve the people.

After the meal, Brian Hall and his father brewed a pot of tea, planning to have some tea to help digest.

“Ring ring ring…” Suddenly, the phone rang.

Brian Hall saw it was a call from Paul Bennett: “Captain Bennett.”

“Brian Hall, you kid, you can only have half a day off today.”

“Is there a case?”

“I’ll send you an address. Hurry to the scene.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Edward Hall couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on?”

“There’s a case.”

“Go ahead, be careful,” Edward Hall reminded him.

“Son, weren’t you supposed to be off today? Why are you leaving again?” Grace Morgan came out of the kitchen.

“There’s a case. I have to go now.”

“Bang!” The door closed. Grace Morgan sighed, “Look at him, even busier than you, the station chief.”

“I was the same when I was young,” Edward Hall said with a smile.

……

Huacui Community.

This is an old residential area, low-rise slab buildings, located near the city center, considered a school district, so the housing prices aren’t low.

The crime scene was in Unit 1, Room 201.

Brian Hall was a bit surprised—there was no police tape at the door, nor any officers standing guard.

As soon as he reached the second floor, the door opened and David Thompson poked his head out: “Little Brian, come in.”

“What kind of case is this, so mysterious?”

“A kidnapping.”

Brian Hall nodded. Generally, kidnapping cases are investigated quietly to avoid provoking the kidnappers and risking the hostage’s life.

Brian Hall put on shoe covers and entered Room 201.

There were quite a few people inside. Besides Paul Bennett, Lily Turner, and James Reed, there were also technical team members monitoring the phone.

A middle-aged man, unfamiliar to Brian Hall, sat on the sofa. There was a phone on the coffee table in front of him. He looked anxious, as if waiting for something.

Brian Hall observed for a moment. “Captain Bennett, what’s the situation?”

“The victim is 13 years old, a middle school student.” David Thompson pointed to the unfamiliar man:

“This is the victim’s father, Helen Carter. He received a text message at noon today saying his son had been kidnapped. He rushed home, found the door open, the table in the living room overturned, chairs knocked over, and called the police.”

“Did you trace the source of the phone?”

“It’s the victim’s phone.”

“Any leads on the kidnapper?” Brian Hall asked.

David Thompson took over, “Based on our estimation, the kidnapper should be male, about 1.8 meters tall.”

“Did you find surveillance footage?”

“No, this is an old neighborhood, there isn’t even a property management company, let alone surveillance cameras,” David Thompson shook his head.

“Then how do you know the kidnapper’s height?” Brian Hall pressed.

“Look, there are two sets of shoe prints next to the table,” Lily Turner pointed to the corner of the living room.