Working as a police officer in Mexico
Chapter 916 - 481: Comparing Backgrounds with Me, What Are You!!_2

About 15 US dollars?

"Isn't that bullying? What happened after that…" a warrior couldn't help but ask.

"When you came in, he was caught trafficking drugs, and his entire family was killed."

"People like that who bully the poor deserve to die. Good riddance!"

The elderly man nodded, "All that was left at home were Thierry's grandmother and their orphaned mother-and-child. The family was poor, and although the government waived their school fees, it was impossible to support two people's education. Thierry enlisted in the army instead, and… I didn't expect…"

At this point, he sighed heavily, visibly pained. After all, they were folks from the same village, watched each other grow up—his heart was understandably uncomfortable about it.

Tatiana, Thierry's mother, saw several men in military uniforms standing on the edge of the field. Her face instantly turned pale!

Her steps faltered, and she collapsed to the ground in an instant.

A teenage boy and another elderly woman rushed to support her.

Felix and the others hurriedly ran down to help her up. The words they had prepared to say along the way now seemed stuck in their throats—they didn't know where to begin.

"Auntie…"

"Thierry? Where is Thierry? How is he? Where was he injured? Is he in the hospital?"

The greatest "concession" of a mother was the hope that her child was still alive—even if gravely wounded, at least still alive.

Tears slid down the corner of Felix's eyes; he didn't dare lift his head to look at her.

Tatiana's vision went black, and she fainted.

The grandmother, as if struck by lightning, instantly fell limp to the ground.

"Quick! Quickly bring them inside!"

…

Inside the house, women who'd come after hearing the news helped out, whispering words of comfort while sobbing quietly.

Felix stood silently at the doorway, suppressing his emotions. He saw Thierry's younger brother sitting on a small stool, biting his lip, his eyes reddened, trying desperately to hold back his tears, though he kept wiping his eyes.

Felix walked over, gently patted his head, pulled a stuffed toy from his backpack, and handed it to him, "Your… your brother asked me to bring you this. He said you love it the most."

"Waaaaah!"

The boy burst into tears instantly, yet still tried to wipe his tears, saying:

"I can't cry… Brother said I can't cry. Now that dad is gone, we're the men of the house. We can't cry."

But his attempt at bravado couldn't stand up to his sorrow!

Felix didn't know how to comfort him; his own eyes were red.

"Officer, someone's asking for you inside," a woman came out to say.

He stiffened and walked inside. The house… was very small, probably less than 50 square meters, yet the air was filled with a musty odor—it was quite unpleasant.

Garbage piled in every corner...

Poor families couldn't bring themselves to throw anything away.

On the bed, Tatiana was lying down. When she saw him, she struggled to sit up.

"Auntie…"

Tatiana's tearful eyes were heart-wrenching to witness. She grabbed Felix's hand—it was rough and full of calluses, though she was only forty years old.

"I just want to know how Thierry died. Was… was he brave on the battlefield? Did he show courage?"

Hearing that, Felix felt as if an electric current flashed through his mind, leaving his scalp numb instantly!

"He was very brave. He was a hero!"

"That's good, that's good. General Victor helped us rise up, so we wouldn't be exploited and humiliated again. Does he still need warriors? My youngest son—even though he's only ten years old—he can still fight for Mexico. He can still fight for the General!"

Felix felt an immense pressure in his chest—it was suffocating. He hung his head, not daring to meet her eyes.

He finally understood why veterans-turned-officials would rather die far away than return home. When you go back, you realize that none of the hometown folks you took away ever came back.

The pride in your heart—it feels as though someone is digging it out, piece by piece!

Tatiana held his hand tightly, continuously expressing her gratitude for the nation's assistance. But the more she said, the heavier the weight on his heart grew.

Maybe she was exhausted—she eventually fell asleep.

When Felix left the house, he saw the elderly guide still waiting outside. He pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket, "The army's compensation will come in a few days, but in the meantime, please use this to take care of them. If anything happens, call me. Here's my card."

"Alright!"

"I'll petition for Thierry's commendation; when the time comes, I'll come back."

The elderly man agreed, looked at the name on the card, and tucked it into his pocket.

Felix walked over and gently patted the little brother's head. The boy was clutching some candy, whispering:

"Eat candy. Brother said eating candy makes it less bitter."

On the battlefield…

That's exactly what Thierry had said.

They stayed until dusk before Felix and his group left the village. The car ride was heavy with silence.

When he returned to camp, Felix shut himself in his office.

He took out a pen and began writing.

"Mom, Please Be Proud of Me."

The office light stayed on all night.

Over the next few days, Felix, as the commanding officer, had countless tasks to handle. The list of the deceased had been compiled, and he needed to provide psychological counseling to soldiers in the camp.

His schedule was packed to the brim.

At the end of April, one particular day…

He was conducting training when the communications officer reported someone had called for him, saying they were from "Tashen Kuergan Village."

He hurried back to his office and picked up the phone, "Hello, this is Felix."

The other side was silent for a long time.

Finally, a trembling and cautious voice replied, "I'm Heinz." After a pause, afraid he wouldn't understand, the speaker added, "My brother was Thierry."

"Oh, oh, oh, hello, hello, I know," Felix responded quickly. "What's the matter? Has something happened at home?"