Chapter 144: Everything made sense, there was only one truth!
"Makes sense?"
Jane, on the other end of the line, was speechless but also secretly delighted. She asked tentatively, "So you'll come to Las Vegas again?"
Honestly, ever since the case was solved, she'd been nauseated by the urban legends surrounding Las Vegas and Lake Mead, and she wished she could transfer away immediately.
God knows how many "suicides" like this have sunk to the bottom of Lake Mead.
Las Vegas is undoubtedly the world's gambling capital, and Lake Mead National Recreation Area is one of the five most visited national parks in the United States, with 10 million visitors annually.
The idea that beneath the glittering lights and beautiful scenery lay such a sinister and terrifying side truly made her feel uneasy.
Especially since she had to drink bottled water every day now.
She was also worried that if even she became like this, Chuck, with his severe cleanliness standards, would probably never come again.
"I'll go if there's a case,"
Chuck nodded.
"Why?"
Jane was delighted but also puzzled. "Don't you think Lake Mead is contaminated? Almost all the drinking water around here comes from Lake Mead."
"I've been to the Hudson River near New York,"
Chuck said calmly. "Lake Mead is polluted, but it will take decades to become completely toxic. Of course, if corporations cut more corners, that's another matter."
"..."
Jane was speechless.
Okay.
Lake Mead was created in 1935, less than 60 years ago. The United States has only been a country for about two hundred years, while industrial pollution along the Hudson River has been accumulating for over a century.
She had also heard the corporate cost-cutting jokes.
"Do you have anything to say to me?"
After finishing the business, Jane couldn't help but change her tone and asked shyly.
"Get Danny Cooper an appropriate cellmate,"
Chuck said. "Let him experience his wife's feelings in prison, and put her off from thinking about him. If she ever moves on, maybe she can still have a decent life. Well, people shouldn't make things difficult for themselves."
"Ha!"
Jane burst out laughing on the other end of the line, nodding and agreeing. "Okay!"
She was also an FBI agent, well-versed in prison dynamics. She knew that the stories of American prisons had become world-famous thanks to television and film. The arrangement Chuck described was easily manageable.
Furthermore, she had absolutely no sympathy for the gambler and murderer who had used his wife as collateral and killed her father. She had previously worried that the naive woman, betrayed by her husband, would continue to be foolish.
After the truth of the case was revealed when Danny Cooper was found with his father-in-law's expensive watch, the naive woman revealed her potential as a devoted daughter. She cried and begged for mercy. No matter how much they reminded her of the facts, she completely ignored that her worthless husband had murdered her father, who had stood up for her, and continued to defend him. It was a sight that made one's blood pressure rise.
Ultimately, Chuck's dark humor was fitting.
People shouldn't hurt themselves, and victims shouldn't enable their abusers.
If they ever meet again in this life, maybe as fellow survivors, supporting each other.
Jane found the scenario both disturbing and oddly satisfying.
"Anything else?"
Jane felt her elevated blood pressure and the depression she'd felt while working on the case instantly dissipate. With a smile growing more eager, she asked, "Do you have anything else to say to me?"
Her tone emphasized "to me."
Chuck's comments about other people were certainly sharp, but she wanted to hear more about their own connection.
"Yes,"
Chuck said matter-of-factly, "Stay hydrated and get enough rest."
"..."
Jane's smile faltered.
While she didn't know why Chuck's advice sounded so generic, she knew he meant well, and she should appreciate it... but that was it?
In that moment, she understood how women everywhere felt when faced with their boyfriend's well-meaning but impersonal concern.
Then, hearing no response, Chuck hung up.
Jane: "..."
Monica's apartment.
"What's all this talk about corpses and toxic rivers?"
Monica couldn't help but ask.
Chuck briefly explained the story of gambler Danny Cooper, then looked at Ross: "Want to play cards?"
"..."
Ross's face suddenly darkened: "I'm not a gambler!"
"Would you dare to gamble?"
Chuck asked calmly.
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
Ross couldn't stand such provocation. Although he knew he was no match for Chuck and would lose every bet, he was stubborn at heart, speaking without backing down.
"That's right."
Chuck nodded: "You don't have a wife to lose anymore."
"Hahaha."
Rachel and the others couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, clutching their sides and shouting, "I finally understand what Chandler meant—Chuck, you're so savage! Oh, I can't stop laughing!"
Ross's face turned pale.
As the target of ridicule from someone he disliked, having his painful divorce brought up and making his crush laugh so hard was a triple blow.
Monica held her forehead. She finally understood that Chuck was really petty, taking revenge on her brother whenever he got the chance.
But she didn't say anything.
First of all, she saw clearly that it was always her brother who made snide comments first, and Chuck was fighting back, so of course she would side with what was right instead of just supporting family.
Secondly, since childhood, her brother Ross had never been protective of her, never giving in to her, and as long as Chuck didn't go too far, she was actually happy to see Ross get taken down a peg.
Thirdly, when it came to Chuck versus Ross, it was hard for her to say who was more important to her...
"This Danny Cooper's last name is Cooper. Is he related to little Sheldon?"
Monica ignored her brother Ross's grim expression and changed the subject directly: "If little Sheldon hears this news... poor little guy."
"You reminded me, you're right."
Chuck said seriously: "I'll tell him the news when I see him at school after New Year's."
"..."
Monica's mouth twitched: "Chuck, he's still a child. This isn't appropriate. How can you tell a child about this?"
"He's going to learn about it anyway,"
Chuck said. "It's better for me to tell him than for someone else to break the news."
"You could at least tell him gently."
Monica advised: "I think his mother will know how to handle it."
"Danny Cooper may be a real criminal, but Sheldon Cooper is not Ross Geller."
Chuck shook his head.
"Okay, enough!"
Ross could no longer bear it. He stood up angrily and glared at Chuck.
"Chuck, you..."
Monica was at a loss for words.
Marcel was their family pet monkey when they were little, Ross's favorite companion. Later, when he became too difficult to handle, their parents gave him to a zoo, telling Ross he was going to a nice sanctuary.
Using a beloved family member like Marcel to compare with a criminal and scumbag like Danny Cooper was insulting in itself. Furthermore, she had always known her brother considered himself a genius, only to encounter the true geniuses like Paige, Sheldon, and Chuck...
Chuck, jokingly comparing little Sheldon and Ross, was full of sarcasm.
These constant jabs showed Chuck's sharp wit.
Chuck calmly met Ross's gaze. Ross, whose face was flushed with anger, suddenly felt his rage deflate. His body, like a deflating balloon, sank back onto the sofa and instantly retreated.
"What's the name of that little cousin you mentioned?"
Chuck noticed Ross's movements were practiced and familiar, and a thought struck him as he glanced at Monica.
"You mean the little cousin Mom calls 'sweetie'?"
Monica was startled before realizing who they were talking about. She couldn't help but smile. "His name is Howard Wolowitz. He's ten years old, quite smart, maybe the smartest kid in our extended family."
Chuck nodded slightly.
It was him!
Howard from The Big Bang Theory.
No wonder. He remembered clearly that Howard Wolowitz was also conflict-averse. His angry posturing was just for show. Given an escape route or a bigger threat, he'd instantly back down, his movements even smoother than Ross's.
Howard and Ross were both Jewish.
Howard's mother, though rarely seen, seemed quite domineering, just like Monica's mother could be.
Howard's mother loved to collect free things. Her house was filled with countless promotional items and samples, all acquired from various establishments.
Just like how Ross's grandmother hoarded condiment packets from restaurants, and Ross's own tendency to take hotel amenities.
In a few years, when Howard hit adolescence, he'd develop his infamous behavior patterns. Ross might influence his young cousin with inappropriate stories, leading Howard down a questionable path.
By then, Howard would have gone through puberty. Being impressionable, he might be influenced by his cousin's poor example, developing the famous inappropriate behaviors that would follow him into adulthood.
Now that Chuck knew they were related, everything made sense.
"He's not the smartest!"
Ross, who always prided himself on his intelligence, and whose parents had always praised him as the brightest in the family, suddenly couldn't stand it and protested.
But no one paid him any attention.
"Why did you ask about my little cousin?"
Monica asked curiously.
"Tell your little cousin to stay away from Ross,"
Chuck said bluntly. "Children are influenced by the company they keep. Exposing them to inappropriate behavior at a young age will have a very negative impact on their development. Early exposure to adult situations will desensitize them, and normal relationships won't satisfy them when they grow up. As a result, they may develop unhealthy patterns and there's a high probability they'll become problematic adults."
"..."
Monica looked at her brother's sullen face and smiled nervously, "That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"
"This is basic developmental psychology,"
Chuck said matter-of-factly. "If you don't believe me, you can consult a child psychologist or read their research. I recommend Dr. Beverly Hofstadter, a neuroscientist, parenting expert, and psychiatrist. She's a professional who studies behavioral development, especially how childhood experiences shape adult dysfunction."
(End of Chapter)
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