Chapter 75 The Butterfly Effect
A meteorologist once famously said, "If a butterfly flaps its wings a few times in the Amazon rainforest of South America, it could trigger a tornado in Texas, USA."
This phenomenon is vividly known as the "butterfly effect," and it has long been used to describe the enormous impact of a chain reaction caused by a small change. However, interpreting the above passage from another perspective, it's not difficult to deduce that:
Tornadoes are really common in Texas.
The United States is known as the "land of tornadoes," and Texas, which is located right in the tornado corridor, experiences the baptism of warm and humid air rising from the Gulf of Mexico every year.
Wherever they went, not a single piece of armor remained.
The wind picked up and grew stronger, and thick clouds obscured the sun.
Mia heard the weather report that a tornado was approaching. Although it was still quite a distance from where she was, she thought it best to go home as soon as possible, and with that thought, she stepped on the gas pedal again.
Recently, school was on holiday, and Mia was staying at her boyfriend Liam's house. Because Liam's workplace was in a remote area, his residence was also sparsely populated.
Mia thought it was perfect; the air was fresh, the scenery was beautiful, and there weren't many annoying neighbors bothering her.
However, there are also downsides, such as the risk of water and power outages during extreme weather, and the inability to find anyone to fix them.
When Mia got home, Liam had not yet returned.
She drove her car into the garage and was surprised to find a child hiding inside.
Mia got out of the car and walked over. Looking at the little guy huddled up in a ball, she felt sorry for him and squatted down to ask, "Little friend, how did you get in here?"
“They climbed in,” the little boy said, pointing to the garage window. His voice trembled, whether from fear or cold, it was hard to tell.
Mia felt a surge of pity and touched the child's hand; it was icy cold. She asked softly, "Where is your mother?"
"I don't have a mother." Her bright blue eyes were brimming with tears, as if she were about to cry.
"And what about Dad?"
"I don't know..." The little boy looked confused and helpless, sobbing pitifully, "Sister, I'm cold."
Several months have passed since Shinichi Kudo became Conan Edogawa. Unlike Ai Haibara, who has regained her normal body, Conan is still a child.
Having played a child for so long, he sometimes forgets that he is actually 17 years old. It is precisely because of this that his performances seem exceptionally genuine and unpretentious.
This would undoubtedly be extremely damaging to a 20-year-old girl.
Mia frowned. She couldn't bear to see children abandoned by their parents, all alone and helpless. Especially this child, so clever and adorable—how could the parents bear to do this?
She took the little boy's hand and said, "Let's go to my house first, okay?"
And so, the little boy obediently followed Mia into the house.
However, Mia never anticipated the storm her small act of kindness would unleash on both sides of the Pacific.
Mia found a blanket for the little boy and poured him a cup of hot milk.
"Little friend, what's your name?"
"Joseph." The little boy, now warmed up, spoke with more energy and looked even more endearing, which made Mia secretly curse his heartless parents.
You can call me Mia.
"Sister Mia, I couldn't find Daddy just now..."
"Huh? You mean Dad was here just now?"
"Yes." The little boy nodded vigorously. "Dad told me to wait for him, but he didn't come. The tornado came."
"Oh my God!" Mia exclaimed, realizing that the truth was not that the parents had abandoned their child, but that they had encountered an accident.
Just then, Liam came home. The man saw the strange child and asked, "Who is this?"
“Found in the garage, his father…” Mia pulled her boyfriend aside and whispered, “He might have been caught in a tornado.”
"Should we call the police?" Liam asked, turning his head. "Little boy, do you know your father's name?"
“My father’s name is Arthur Ferris.”
"Where do you live?"
"Living in...living in a campervan."
"Huh? You don't have a fixed address? Where does your father work?"
“Daddy’s a chef, but he’s not working right now. We’re here to have fun!” Joseph replied, looking up with his innocent little face.
"This is terrible! They're here for tourism?"
Liam then asked, "So where did you come from?"
Edinburgh.
"What?" Mia and Liam exchanged bewildered glances, then realized for a moment that this wasn't a place name in America. They began whispering to each other again, "Shouldn't we contact the embassy first?"
However, after arguing and finally deciding whether to call the police or contact the embassy first, they were saddened to find that they couldn't make the call: their signal had been cut off again, probably due to the tornado.
Mia said apologetically, "Joseph, let's go see Dad when the weather clears up. Can you stay here tonight?"
"I want my dad..." the kitten pouted pitifully.
Just when Mia and Liam were in a dilemma, their savior appeared.
A man knocked on the door and asked, "Have you seen a little boy? He's about 7 years old, and around this tall..."
"Dad!" The little boy rushed over like a gust of wind, buried himself in his father's arms, and cried tears of joy. The man was both surprised and delighted and couldn't help but shed tears as well.
Everyone present was deeply moved by this scene and felt genuinely fortunate for the father and son.
After a long while, Arthur finally looked at Mia and Liam, and bowed deeply, choking back tears, saying, "My God, you saved my son. I don't know how to thank you! Thank you so much!"
Mia kindly reminded him, "Mr. Ferris, you don't need to be so polite. Your arm is injured; would you like me to bandage it for you?"
The man looked at his arm as if waking from a dream, as if only now realizing his injury: "I'm so sorry, if you could give me some anti-inflammatory medicine and gauze, that would be great."
"Then come in, it's too windy outside."
Arthur thanked his son profusely and led him into the house. After giving his wounds a quick treatment, he began to vividly describe how he had survived the storm, how he had discovered his son was missing, and how he had finally found his way here.
Liam and Mia were horrified and exclaimed repeatedly, "Oh my god! This is terrible!"
Arthur's account may be somewhat exaggerated, but he did indeed spend some time in the storm for the sake of the show's performance.
Thanks to the new type of prosthetic skin specially developed by Yukiko and the professor, which is not only waterproof and fireproof but can also withstand gale-force winds of up to level 12, this performance was able to be completed smoothly.
“I should go cook now, Mr. Ferris, please stay and eat with us!” Mia said.
"No, no, no, how could I trouble my master to do this? I haven't repaid your kindness yet, at least give me a chance to repay it!"
"Oh, I remember now, Joseph just said you're a chef."
“Yes, so how about I cook this meal? Don’t worry, it’s definitely not some awful British cooking disaster.” Arthur made a harmless joke.
"Dad's cooking is especially delicious!" Joseph praised his father from the side.
So Mia and Liam readily agreed.
The food blogger arrived at his stronghold—the kitchen.
He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and began the most important performance of the evening. This dinner was crucial; it would determine whether the subsequent plans could proceed smoothly, and for this, he needed to showcase his best skills.
"No need to make fancy, elaborate dishes; simple, home-style cooking will do."
"The important thing is not the visual appeal, but the impact on the taste buds."
He decided to incorporate local Texas specialties into his recipe and make a beef hot pot.
Tomatoes and veal stewed until tender, then topped with onions, garlic, and red chili peppers. The kitchen was soon filled with a wonderful aroma, the rich, spicy scent so enticing Mia, who was in the living room, to rush over and ask, "Mr. Ferris, what are you making?"
"An American-style meal," the chef replied mysteriously. "Just a moment, it'll be ready soon."
When dinner was served, Mia and Liam were already drooling just from the smell, and the taste was even more incredible!
Spicy beef hot pot, crispy corn tortillas, and delicious vegetable soup.
Liam felt he had never had such a comfortable meal in his life, and Mia felt the same way. The two of them praised Arthur's superb cooking skills.
The little boy, while enjoying his meal, straightened his back proudly and said, "My dad's cooking is the best; no one can compare!"
Liam nodded in agreement, and as he ate, he started talking: "If our chefs had even a tenth, no, a hundredth, of Mr. Ferris's skill, I wouldn't be surviving on bread slices every noon!"
"Is the food bad where you are?" Arthur asked with concern.
"Don't even mention it! Ever since those two chefs left, all that's left to cook are a bunch of rookies, and it's absolutely awful. You know what? Their steaks are always only medium-rare," Liam complained angrily.
"Hmm, then why not consider hiring a new chef?"
"We haven't found it yet, so we have to use that newbie as a substitute."
Arthur hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Liam, do you think I could work there?"
"Hey? Aren't you here for tourism?"
“Yes, but that tornado just now caused me a lot of damage. I lost a lot of my luggage and the car was damaged too.” Arthur looked a little embarrassed. He glanced at his son who was eating happily, and leaned closer to Liam and said, “I’m a little short on money right now, but I promised Joseph that I would come to America for tourism. We’ve only been here a few days, and I can’t go back like this.”
“Of course, I understand.” Liam nodded, mentally calculating: because of previous instances where reporters had infiltrated and exposed inside information, the rehabilitation center had become very strict in its hiring practices. However, he didn't think Ferris seemed like someone with ulterior motives. After all, what bad intentions could a father who deeply loves his son possibly have?
Moreover, this chef's culinary skills are so outstanding that with him around, at least I can have a proper lunch during this time.
"Don't worry, I've got it covered. With my recommendation, you can start working there tomorrow," Liam said confidently.
"Thank you so much!" Arthur said sincerely.
Everything was under control, and Arthur was quite satisfied with his performance. In fact, he had already investigated everything thoroughly, even digging up Liam's high school report cards and tax records after he started working. He knew all too well what kind of person the other man was, and he also knew that without inside connections, it was absolutely impossible to get into a place like Hayama. And Liam, who was in charge of personnel, was the perfect entry point.
The cat dad, confident in his culinary skills, knew that as long as he took action, he was almost certain to get Liam the chef's job for him, thus clearing away the first obstacle to his infiltration investigation.
After the meal, Ferris and his son, unable to resist Mia and Liam's warm invitation, stayed overnight at their home.
The kitten, having had a hearty meal, nestled quietly on the sofa, snuggling warmly next to its father and falling asleep, finding a moment of peace amidst the raging storm.
Meanwhile, the cat dad was still messaging his partner, reporting on the progress of his work.
"That's outrageous! That kid gets to eat fancy meals, while I'm stuck eating sandwiches in a cheap hotel all by myself."
"I'll make you something delicious when we get home, okay?"
"It's a deal, no backing out! You'll have to make up for all the things you missed these past few days when you get home."
The cat dad readily agreed, and the golden retriever was easily appeased.
However, just as Liam failed to realize that the father and son who suddenly appeared were actually undercover agents, the police and detectives also failed to foresee how things would develop.
Some things, once started, are hard to stop, just like Pandora's box, once opened, can never be closed.
Their home is too far away; they can no longer go back.
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