Chapter 187: A Young Girl's Feelings Are Always Poetic; Gold Digger and True Love Are a Matter of Perspective!
"You're resigning?"
Chuck received a call from Jane in the office.
"Hmm... what do you think?"
Jane, whose impulses aroused by the dramatic photos instantly receded, hesitated.
"I don't care what I think, I care what you think,"
Chuck said. "This is your decision. You should make it."
"Then give me some advice,"
Jane said anxiously. "I trust your judgment. I don't care what I think, I care what you think. I'll do whatever you say. After all, you saved my life!"
Chuck was silent for a moment. "I'll talk to your supervisor. Come over and work with me on a few cases to see how it goes. If you think you can handle it, you can be my assistant detective. If you can't, it doesn't matter whether you return to the FBI or choose another career path."
"Okay!"
Jane immediately agreed happily.
This was exactly the approach she wanted.
As for whether she could handle it?
Having been following the news about Chuck, and with the help of her aunt Helen, she was well aware of Chuck's situation and had been mentally prepared.
After hanging up, Chuck called Jane's supervisor, and naturally, there were no problems. Jane's supervisor didn't even ask about the details and simply agreed.
"Helen, talk to Jane and book her a flight,"
Chuck instructed his secretary.
"Great!"
Secretary Helen agreed readily, and happily called her niece who had finally been convinced. "Pack up and come over quickly. I'll book you on the earliest flight, first class!"
"Is that appropriate?"
Jane hesitated. She had never flown first class before.
"What's inappropriate about that?"
Secretary Helen replied. "Chuck told me to book you a flight, so I'm booking you first class. Otherwise, you could just buy your own ticket."
"That's what he meant."
Jane couldn't help but smile. It wasn't that she coveted first class; for someone like her who often ventured into dangerous environments with the FBI, the difference between first class and coach wasn't that significant. She was delighted by the thoughtfulness.
"Come over quickly,"
Aunt Helen teased. "No matter what I said before, you didn't feel anything. Now you understand I wasn't lying, right? Not to mention the women Chuck will meet outside of Haven, even in Haven itself, every one of them is serious competition. You're still playing the game of keeping your distance and spiritual connection, and you won't listen to me. You'll regret it!"
"I'll go pack now."
Jane, a little embarrassed to admit she was shocked by the photo of Beth Boland's impressive figure her aunt had sent her, agreed and hung up.
In her impression, whether it was Monica, Professor Alicia Harper, or Amazing Amy, they were all on her level.
Even Dr. Bones and Susan, she thought she was no less capable than them. But this Beth Boland really made her unable to compete. She was too formidable!
And from her aunt's description, this was not an isolated case in Haven...
Secretary Helen put down the phone in a good mood. Although the boss's meeting with Dean Boland was questionable, being able to use this to motivate her niece was a win-win situation.
She believed in her niece's abilities. Maybe she wasn't as dramatically striking as some of the more exaggerated women in Haven, but in terms of the overall combination of looks and figure, she was definitely not inferior to anyone.
And she was from the FBI!
Previously, the FBI had been a negative in her eyes, but now, her resignation was a positive. It meant her niece was not only capable of self-defense but also capable of getting things done—a huge advantage compared to those stay-at-home housewives.
Chuck spent the day playing chess with Anna while sorting through the accumulated matters in Haven.
"Jane's plane is arriving,"
Secretary Helen reminded him. "Should I pick her up?"
"I'll pick her up,"
Chuck said, standing up.
"Okay,"
Secretary Helen smiled. "It's getting late. After you pick her up, don't contact me. I'll see her tomorrow."
"Okay,"
Chuck nodded.
He hadn't planned to contact Secretary Helen in the first place.
"Hello, it's me again!"
As he stepped out the door, Phil Dunphy, the enthusiastic realtor, pulled up at the gate and hurriedly got out to wave at Chuck.
Chuck simply nodded and walked toward his car.
"Dad!"
In Phil Dunphy's passenger seat sat a 13- or 14-year-old girl wearing glasses, nervously gazing out the window at Chuck. Seeing Chuck about to leave, she immediately called out in distress.
"Alex, calm down, come on out."
Phil Dunphy, understanding his daughter's predicament, hurried forward, helping her out of the car while calling out to Chuck, "Chuck, wait a minute, this is my daughter, Alex Dunphy. You're her idol."
"Dad!!!!"
Alex Dunphy, with her father's help, finally got out of the passenger seat. Hearing her father make such a blunder in front of her idol, she screamed in embarrassment and worry.
"Sorry, honey,"
Phil Dunphy quickly apologized, then looked at Chuck. "I was wrong. She's your fan."
Alex Dunphy, further mortified by her father's gaffe, glanced at Chuck anxiously and hopefully.
"Chuck Wolfe."
Chuck, seeing this, changed direction, walked over, and offered the girl a handshake.
The girl before him was clearly a genius, a type of academic overachiever who defied the mainstream in contemporary culture. Her admiration was always sincere, and Chuck didn't mind taking a moment to offer her some positive reinforcement.
"Alex Dunphy,"
the bespectacled girl blushed shyly as she shook Chuck's hand. "Dr. Wolfe, it's such an honor to meet you."
"Alex has always admired you. She says you're a top mathematician, a true genius. She's a genius too, so you two must have a lot in common."
Phil Dunphy chimed in, "Alex, I've always said I knew Chuck. Now you believe me, don't you?"
"Dad, I'm not a genius,"
Alex protested sheepishly, glancing at Chuck. "No one is a genius compared to Dr. Wolfe."
"Of course you are!"
Phil Dunphy retorted. "We all know you're a genius. Everyone knows it!"
Although their family had always worried about their middle daughter Alex's precociousness and sometimes worried that her academic focus wouldn't allow her to make many friends, their daughter's genius was a matter of great pride, and no one, not even her, would question it.
Chuck nodded to the father and daughter and turned away.
All the positive feedback needed had already been given; there was no need for more.
"Chuck, can you say a few words to Alex?"
Phil Dunphy couldn't help but call out. "Encourage her?"
Chuck walked to his car, stood by the door, looked at the expectant father and daughter, and said, "The only goal of student life is to learn. Don't forget this in order to fit in with the so-called social scene. The mainstream atmosphere on campus now is not healthy. Deliberately fitting in will only hinder your growth and make you ordinary."
He ended with a sentence, got in the car and left: "Study hard and improve yourself every day."
"Study hard and improve yourself every day, what great advice."
As an enthusiastic father, Phil Dunphy really loved Chuck's words. He hugged his middle daughter and repeated these words with a smile on his face. "It's so inspiring!"
"Don't deliberately fit in and become ordinary..."
Young Alex's focus differed from her father Phil's. As she muttered these words, her eyes grew brighter beneath her glasses.
Deep down, she was proud of her intelligence, but she couldn't avoid some confusion in her daily life and studies.
She saw her older sister, Haley, as completely vapid, someone who needed to think long and hard about how to answer even "1+1" and couldn't quite get it right. Yet, even this older sister was popular, surrounded by fashionable friends and a constant stream of handsome boyfriends.
Her younger brother, Luke, was also somewhat slow and gullible.
As the only rational and intelligent child in the family, she wasn't favored by her parents, but rather viewed with concern. They often expressed worry about her precociousness and disapproved of her high intelligence and hard work. She was certain they allowed Haley to frequently characterize her as a "weirdo."
If even her parents and siblings were like this, let alone the discrimination she faced at school, despite being a diligent and hardworking student.
In this environment, while she still spoke disparagingly about her older sister Haley's stupidity, she subconsciously felt compelled to align with the prevailing values. She began to yearn for her sister's carefree, happy life, even wondering if she would be happier if she weren't so smart.
Now, at this moment of confusion, hearing her idol's words was like a revelation, instantly making her realize the pointlessness of such compromise. Truth lies with the few. Trying to fit in is simply becoming ordinary, something the wise avoid!
She, Alex Dunphy, is not Haley Dunphy, and she has no desire to be one! The exciting life she faces is definitely beyond the imagination of Haley and all future Haleys!
"Alex, don't you think it's inspiring?"
Phil Dunphy had no idea that his middle daughter, already processing Chuck's profound words, was having a breakthrough. He kept saying, "If I'd known, I should have brought Haley and Luke along so they could hear it for themselves."
"Please,"
Alex said, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think Haley and Luke, with their intelligence, can grasp the true meaning of this?"
"What's there to not understand?"
Phil said, bewildered. "It's just encouraging hard work in school."
"Haha,"
Alex chuckled, her eyes sparkling as she watched Chuck's car depart.
As a fan, she'd first learned of Chuck's status as a top mathematician and had been quietly following him. After his fame grew, she'd gathered countless details from the news and gained a deeper understanding of him than her own father.
She knew Chuck must have seen through her confusion. These words were meant specifically for her, to clear her doubts and point her in the right direction.
Their airheaded eldest sister, Haley, would be completely oblivious to the meaning behind this, nor would she care. Her shallow mind was surely captivated by Dr. Wolfe's handsome face and physique, and the fame of Detective Chuck.
"..."
Old father Phil disliked his middle daughter's attitude. This chuckle felt like a mockery not only of Haley, the eldest, but also of himself. He felt something was different about his middle daughter, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
The two returned to the Dunphy residence.
"What?!!!"
Haley, the eldest, had been home playing with her phone. When she heard Phil recount his experience and mention the name Chuck Wolfe, she was stunned and screamed, "You took Alex to see Detective Chuck, but didn't think of taking me? Am I still your favorite daughter?!"
"Haley, you never said you liked Chuck,"
Phil Dunphy explained, pained. "Of course you're Daddy's favorite daughter... one of them."
He spoke the last part quietly, glancing worriedly at Alex, the middle daughter.
"Don't worry about me."
Alex laughed. "Only children would be so immature as to worry about who loves them most."
"Of course I like Chuck!"
Haley shouted. "He's so famous right now, and he's even been linked to Amazing Amy. He's so handsome and cool, okay? All the girls at our school are crazy about him lately! Don't you know? You really don't pay attention to me at all!"
"..."
Phil Dunphy, the well-meaning father, gave his wife Claire a helpless and pitiful look.
He usually wanted to show interest in his eldest daughter Haley, but she complained that she was too old to need her father's excessive attention, and now she was saying this.
"Actually, Chuck and our family have a strong connection."
Claire smiled and said, "When he came to Haven, the office and the hillside villa were rented through your father, who was his real estate agent. Later, he worked as an accountant for your grandfather."
"Wow!"
Haley was immediately excited. "I have this connection with Detective Chuck, so quickly call him over and introduce us. This is so cool!"
"That depends on your father's ability."
Claire looked at her embarrassed husband teasingly. "Chuck was only your grandfather's accountant for a short while, and we haven't been in contact for a long time."
"Why?"
The youngest son Luke was puzzled. "Why doesn't Chuck continue to be Grandpa's accountant?"
"Dummy, because Grandpa can't afford him anymore."
Alex said bluntly. "Although Grandpa has some money, he could only afford Dr. Wolfe when he was just starting out. As his fame grew, Grandpa soon couldn't justify hiring him and couldn't afford him."
"Is that true?"
Youngest son Luke looked at his mother in surprise. "Grandpa's rich, isn't he?"
He remembered his grandfather as wealthy. Otherwise, at 65, he wouldn't have married Gloria, a Colombian woman decades younger with a stunning figure.
Grandpa and his family always claimed they were in love, but he kept hearing his mother, Claire, complain at home about Gloria being a gold digger.
He believed his mother, and since such a gold digger chose his grandfather, it meant he was truly wealthy.
"Rich depends on who you compare yourself to!"
Haley, having read gossip magazines and having a firm grasp on the public's most pressing issue, said, "Detective Chuck is a multimillionaire himself, as wealthy as Grandpa. Do you think Grandpa would be willing to hire someone of that caliber as his accountant?"
"Oh,"
Luke nodded thoughtfully, then looked at his middle sister, Alex. "It seems geniuses can make money too."
"You're already thinking about riding someone's coattails?"
Alex quipped cheerfully.
"Is that okay?"
asked the youngest son Luke with a smile.
"Sure."
Though she was basking in Chuck's reflected glory, Alex still felt a surge of satisfaction.
"Ha!"
Haley, her eldest daughter, scoffed. "You're thinking about riding her coattails? You think you'll make a fortune just by studying hard? Don't be ridiculous. There's only one Detective Chuck! But there are thousands of Glorias. If you really want to ride someone's coattails, why not mine? Don't you think I, with my natural beauty, am any less attractive than Gloria?"
"Ugh!"
Claire, her mother, couldn't bear to hear any more and interrupted. "Gloria and your grandfather are truly in love. If you want to emulate her, just do so in this respect!"
"Please!"
Haley rolled her eyes. "Who's always calling Gloria a gold digger?"
"..."
Claire was speechless. In that moment, she felt both regret and anger.
She regretted saying such things in front of her children. She didn't mean it seriously, but her children took it to heart.
She was angry that her father, at 65 years old, had insisted on marrying such a young and attractive woman. It was such a negative influence on her children and husband!
Exactly!
It wasn't just her daughter, Haley, but also her husband, Phil. Every time they had a family dinner, Phil couldn't help but glance at his attractive stepmother-in-law, Gloria. She knew her husband was tempted, but she kept quiet about it.
Now, Haley had even said she wanted to emulate Gloria and become a gold digger, which infuriated her.
"Don't worry,"
Haley waved her hand dismissively. "Even if I were to emulate Gloria, I'd definitely emulate her best qualities and only seek true love. But the tricky part about true love is that it has to involve money."
"You're so brilliant,"
Alex said sarcastically, giving her older sister, Haley, a thumbs-up.
This remark was both sarcastic and sincere, because in her opinion, Haley, with her limited intellect, would have had to resort to one of humanity's oldest professions to survive without her parents. She had simply discarded those useless fantasies and planned to marry a wealthy man. She was truly a prime example of how even limited thinking can lead to practical solutions.
(End of Chapter)
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