Similarly, within their profession, they have faced exceedingly high expectations. They were criticized by the public for being superior and not catering to the masses needs. There were complaints about not allowing the groups to take pictures of police vehicles, and they were accused of being unsympathetic.
It’s just a picture, why are you making a big fuss?
During an explosion or a fire, they were unable to enter due to safety concerns. However, the crowd implored them to rush into the fire without proper protective measures, arguing that failure to do so would label them as heartless and that they did not deserve to wear their uniforms…
Even when some of their colleagues took breaks and smoked, when photographed, they faced severe criticism.
It was as if they are expected not to smoke, not to take breaks, and not to prioritize their families…
The public’s “standard” for them has been elevated due to excessive praise.
They were just ordinary people!
Rather than asking others to treat them as heroes, they wanted to be treated as regular people…
Johnny’s mind was filled with various thoughts.
When he snapped back to reality, the leader on the stage was still speaking, “So… Johnny sacrificed himself to safeguard the front lines and safety for our masses! He’s an exemplary and exceptional person…”
Johnny was taken aback.
He was not young anymore, he was in his thirties, and his wife and children often complained about his work keeping him busy, leaving little time for home.
Friends and relatives even questioned the significance of his seemingly thankless job.
However, at that moment, he suddenly felt a renewed sense of purpose.
“Protecting front line and safety of the masses”…
It was just an official statement, yet Johnny’s eyes welled up with tears.
And he was not the only one—many of his comrades and colleagues in similar frontline positions unexpectedly received the recognition that morning.
They initially suspected that it might be a superficial gesture concocted by higher-ups to create a positive image or something similar.
However, as Johnny read through the document titled “Caring for Comrades in Frontline Posts,” he discovered numerous practical measures listed within it. The document even included the well-being of frontline personnel as one of the criteria for evaluating supervisors.
In other words, it was not just an empty show, but a tangible initiative that could be implemented.
“Who’s behind all this…” Johnny muttered to himself.
The person who created and issued this document must be a capable leader who truly understands the needs of frontline personnel!
Once again, Johnny’s heart swelled with emotion. It was like walking for a long time and suddenly glimpsing the dawn on the horizon.
It was the same dawn they envisioned when they made a heartfelt commitment to this line of work!
With renewed faith, Johnny adjusted his hat, stepped out confidently, and hurried to his assigned post.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the leader whom Johnny admired, Blake, was wearing an apron and clumsily attempting to cook poached eggs for Lilly.
Having never cooked such a delicate egg before, he struggled to determine whether they were overcooked or misshapen.
“Another failure,” Blake sighed in dismay as he gazed at a bowl of sparse and unappetizing poached eggs.
He took a few spoonfuls of the messy mixture and forced himself to eat it, determined to try again.
Hugh was hospitalized, and Bettany had to keep him company. Margaret usually took care of the cooking and frequently sent meals over.
But this morning, Blake had a sudden urge to cook poached eggs for Lilly.
Blake thought it would be an easy dish to cook…
At that moment, Lilly woke up, held a little rabbit, yawned, and asked in a daze, “What are you doing, Daddy?”
Blake turned around and said, “Oh, you’re awake? Take a seat, Daddy’s making poached eggs for you.”
Apart from poached eggs, he also needed to prepare some meat.
Blake was not skilled in cooking delicate dishes like meat loaves or salt-baked chicken…
He could handle roasted chicken, boiled chicken, and even chicken alfredo.
“Forget it, I’ll just do whatever I can.”
Blake rubbed salt on the whole chicken, wrapped it in tin foil, and placed it in the oven.
After waiting for a while, Blake served a bowl of poached eggs first and said, “Start with the poached eggs, the roasted chicken will be ready soon.”
Lilly’s eyes widened as she asked skeptically, “Are these poached eggs?”
Blake replied, “Well… they’re a bit different from your Grandma’s.”
He did his best.
Lilly picked up the soup ladle and tasted it, nodding repeatedly, “It’s delicious! Daddy, won’t you have a bite?”
Blake felt secretly proud, waved his hand, and said, “No, Daddy’s not eating.”
He had already eaten his fill while testing how to make poached eggs.
Although they did not look perfect, they still tasted alright.
After waiting for a long time, the oven beeped, and the roasted chicken was ready.
To his surprise, it smelled incredibly fragrant.
Upon seeing Lilly enjoy her meal, Blake felt an indescribable sense of fulfillment. He understood why the old lady was so delighted to cook for Lilly.
After they finished eating and drinking, Lilly made a phone call to ask about her grandfather’s condition and then began practicing combat techniques at home.
“You want to engage in real combat?” Blake was surprised. “With whom?”
Don’t I have a sandbag?
Neither the malignant spirits in the jar of souls nor Beelzebub was worthy opponents for her.
Lilly shook the Palace of the Ring of Hell and said, “I’ll practice with King Libra”
In the past, after exhausting all her strength and nearly losing her life, she managed to capture King Libra.
She had always been hesitant to spar with King Libra freely because she knew she was not ready yet.
Now Lilly believed she could give it a try.
Blake nodded and said, “Alright, you should expand the Palace of the Ruler of Hell, but remember to stay within the boundaries of it…”
Since she controlled the Palace of the Ruler of Hell, she could always control it within its boundaries.
Lilly understood and raised her hand, enlarging the Palace of the Ruler of Hell.
Inside the expansive space of the hall, King Libra fixed his gaze on the five hidden valleys in front of him!
The Palace of the Ruler of Hell could be made large enough to accommodate five hidden valleys.
Initially, King Libra saw the five hidden valleys but could not be bothered to make a move.
He did not want to work for Lilly for anything!
However, after waiting for a long time, King Libra started to waver day by day, fearing that Lilly was deceiving him intentionally. So, after obtaining the soul flower, he suddenly snatched it away.
But Lilly had paid no attention to the soul-flower for such a long time that it seemed she had forgotten about it!
Thus, King Libra stood up, exerted great effort to walk into the hidden valley, and emerged with the soul flower in his hand.
“Ha…haha!”
No one’s stopping me?
The soul flower was all his!
King Libra was overjoyed and was about to stuff the soul flower into his mouth…
