James explained to Jimmy his reasons for arranging the Holy Baptism, and Jimmy was somewhat bewildered by the influx of so much information.
The nickname 'Butcher' had already spread far and wide, and Jimmy had indeed never received any adjustments from a psychologist. He had his own reservations about this, given that he had quite a few secrets—not just his current identity, but most importantly, the secret of his transmigration and rebirth.
If a psychologist were to coax out some words that shouldn't be said, the ensuing matters would become troublesome.
Although Jimmy was fairly confident in his ability to keep secrets, psychologists as depicted in movies and TV shows were just too skilled, whether in reading people or uncovering private thoughts, beyond Jimmy's control.
Chief James indeed had Jimmy's best interest at heart. In American society, if you are a believer, many things can be excused by others filling in the blanks for themselves; if you are an atheist, then things become a bit more troublesome.
Jimmy was not white—he was of Chinese descent. If he was a believer, many people would treat him as one of their own. If he proclaimed himself an atheist, he could easily be seen as quirky and unsociable, subject to discrimination or even viewed as an enemy.
Jimmy looked at James and asked a question he'd long wanted to know the answer to, "James, why me?"
James was a bit surprised; he looked up slightly, gazing at the sky. After a while, James said, "I think, perhaps it is God's will."
James: "My father participated in a war in Asia that took place after World War II. In that war, he and many of his comrades were captured; however, it was this captivity that allowed him to see a completely different world."
After the war ended, he and the other captured soldiers returned, but the damage wrought by the war was too deep, and society was unfair to them. Regarding his experience as a prisoner, he didn't care about the opinions of others and always remembered that time vividly.
For many years, I never understood my father, not until you arrived last year.
I never imagined I would have an ethnic Chinese underling. After observing for over two months, I admit that the experiences my father constantly reminisced about might be true. You are indeed very different from what we understood before.
Perhaps it was arranged by God. Tom wanted to find a reliable person of Asian descent, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, anyone could work, to be his friend. My police station just happened to have an ethnic Chinese auxiliary officer, and you, just happened to have committed a 'right wrong'.
So I mentioned you to Tom, and you know what happened after that."
Jimmy reflected on the events that took place after he arrived at the police station—a 'right wrong.' Before becoming a police officer, that must have been the hospital arrest he originally thought was a merit.
Jimmy: "Are you talking about the time I apprehended a criminal in the hospital? Why do you say it was a 'right wrong'?"
James: "Jimmy, at that time you were not a police officer, and you injured the other party, understand?"
Jimmy was shocked; he remembered being told during his training that as an auxiliary officer, he was only responsible for maintaining order and such. But having a criminal appear before him, capturing the person, he had somehow broken the rules? Even a bystander who catches a suspect could be considered acting bravely and righteously, so how could it be that he, as an auxiliary officer, was not allowed to act?
James: "It seems you've realized the key issue. Yes, back then, I just didn't want you to get into trouble. I didn't expect that after you became a police officer, you would do so elegantly. Your achievements this year have far surpassed everyone's expectations."
James: "Jimmy, you're a good kid. This past year has proven it, honest, kind, intelligent, brave, yet not pedantic, and you haven't become a dirty cop.
The opinion of all of us about you proves it. I am glad I did these things for you back then, leading to the police station's current brightest superstar."
James: "You're doing well, but there will always be some who target you for various reasons. Now I'm just helping you fill in the last gap. After becoming a believer, to many people, you are no longer an outsider, but one of their own. As for your ethnicity, for certain political groups, it won't be a minus but rather an advantage."
Jimmy: "Thank you, James, I truly appreciate it."
James: "Go to the confessional, and complete this step. From now on, come and pray every Sunday so that others can get to know you. It doesn't need to last very long, one or two months will suffice. If there's an incident where you shoot someone, you can come straight here to confess."
Jimmy walked into the church and through the small door that Father Royte had passed through earlier, arriving inside the church. There was a confessional, and Jimmy entered the room on the right side while Father Royte was already waiting for him on the left.
The confessional was a small wooden structure, divided into two rooms, left and right, with a perforated wood panel separating them. The priest and the penitent were on opposite sides.
Jimmy spoke about the first few times he'd shot criminals, seeking the Lord's forgiveness. To have a reason to come back in the future, he decided to leave the record of later killings for another time—telling it all at once would be too frightening.
After Father Royte replied that the Lord would forgive him, he passed a small badge through a small hole in the confessional and then left.