Reeves asked, "Not even once?"

"No.

My mother was a very dull person. She didn't even like eating out, thinking restaurants were unhygienic. She'd always take a pessimistic view of even the smallest issues, as if her life had no joy whatsoever.

Even family meals became a burden for her, not about the happiness of being together with family,

but fretting over having to wash a few more dishes.

In her words, why should people eat?

It would be so much better to just eat one meal a day... and so on."

She was always full of negative energy and really liked to scold people, especially my father.

It wasn't so apparent when she was younger, but as she aged, she became more inclined to curse at people."

"Did she act like that in front of outsiders as well?"

"No, only in front of family was she like this."

Reeves said, "I can understand; I've met people like you're describing. They care a lot about other people's opinions, showing their good side to outsiders, and it's often those who are close to them who get hurt."

"Exactly, my parents were just like that. They would rather lower their living standard than buy one fewer piece of clothing," Walker sighed,

"sorry, I've gotten a bit off track.

My childhood was spent studying, but it lacked the joy of a childhood.

This caused me to be unable to feel joy even after I grew up.

Many people might not understand this, or even think it's a bit affected, but it's true.

The same thing that might make others burst into laughter... to me, what's there to laugh about?

I'm in pain. I want to change, but I've found… it's really hard."

"The only time in my life that I was truly happy was when I was with my grandfather. He was a cheerful old man, uneducated, a blue-collar worker, but he was sunny and happy.

Every time we were together, he'd play with me.

It wasn't a perfunctory kind of play out of obligation, but because he genuinely liked to play with me.

What I remember most is him taking me on outdoor adventures treasure hunting, driving his old pickup truck, camping together, gathering dry grass, hunting together...

Even though we never found the treasure, it was truly joyful.

I'll remember it until the day I die.

This is something I never experienced with my parents. They were competent parents, but it was more a matter of responsibility.

They didn't want their child to be inferior to others.

Whether I was happy or not, they never seemed to consider."

I want to find my own happiness, no, more precisely, I need to learn to be happy, which is why I have come here to hunt for treasure. This will be the second unforgettable experience in my life.

These past few days I've been happy, and I'm glad to have met you all.

Thank you."

That night, perhaps because of the excitement and joy of finding the treasure, the three of them talked for a long time.

An aging judge.

An energetic detective.

A financially struggling single mother fighting for custody.

Three people with different statuses, life experiences, forming a temporary treasure hunting team, yet they managed to find the treasure.

It has to be said, sometimes fate truly is amazing.

…

The next morning.

Luke brewed a pot of Dragon Well tea and sat on a chair, drinking the tea while listening to the birds chirping in the trees.

"Hah..."

Walker yawned as he walked out of the RV, "Good morning."

"Would you like a cup of green tea?"

"Tea from China?"

"That's right."

"Give me a cup. It's been a long time since I had any, and it would be nice to reminisce." Walker picked up the teacup, took a sip, and looked around, "Where's Reeves? Her car is gone?"

Luke replied, "She left."

"Why did she leave in such a hurry? She didn't even say goodbye to us. We were a team. Could it be…" Walker seemed to have realized something,

"Is our Gold Coin still here?"

"It's here; she didn't take our stuff."

Walker breathed a sigh of relief, "Sorry, I shouldn't have doubted our partner.

But why did she leave without saying goodbye? Was she worried that we would take her Gold Coin?"

Luke pointed towards an envelope on the table, "She left a letter, you should read it."

Walker picked up the envelope and opened the letter inside, "Luke, Walker…"

By the time you read this letter, I will have left.

Sorry, I deceived you, my name isn't Reeves…

I didn't trust you at the beginning, so I didn't give my real name, and for that, I'm truly sorry.

Also, Walker, I owe you an apology, a sincere apology.

The bear that attacked your tent was attracted by the honey I put out. I never meant to hurt you, I just wanted the bear to destroy your tent and supplies to prevent you from continuing the treasure hunt.

I was in desperate need of money, and I was eager to get the treasure. I was afraid someone else would get to it first. Sorry, I really feel guilty.

I don't expect your forgiveness, but…I wanted to tell you.

Because…we are a team, and I didn't want to leave with regrets.

I gathered the courage to write all this down.

It's kind of funny when you think about it—I used honey to lure the bear to your camp, but because I was so nervous and didn't secure the lid properly, the bear followed the scent to my camp and destroyed my tent as well.

I guess that was my own doing.

However, it's also because of this that I got to know you all. I'm truly glad to have been a part of your team.

I will always remember this treasure-hunting experience, and I will put this money to good use.

Thank you once again.

Alena Prout."

Walker sat in his chair reading the letter carefully twice, "Although I sensed Reeves, no, it should be Alena, was hiding something, I never expected it to be this…

It seems teaming up with you was the right choice."

Luke poured him another cup of tea, "Are you a bit disappointed?"

"A little, but on second thought, somewhat relieved.

Ultimately, she chose to trust us and told us the whole truth, including her real name," Walker sighed softly,

"Do you know?

I've been a judge for so many years, handled many cases, and sent quite a few suspects to prison.

Many of those people weren't heinous criminals…they just chose the wrong path when they were most helpless.

I always think…

if they had received help from someone when they were most helpless, perhaps they wouldn't have ended up on a criminal path.

But that's all I can do—think.

I'm a judge, and when a suspect appears before the bench, it means they might have already made a mistake.

It's too late.

This time, Elena was also in trouble, she needed money too.

If she hadn't teamed up with us, she might have not gotten the treasure and could have ended up on a criminal path.

I'm glad I could help her instead of having to judge her."

"I can understand how you feel. I was also worried she would steal our Gold Coins, not because I feared theft, but because…I didn't want to have to catch her myself," Luke was a policeman, but if he considered everything in life from a policeman's perspective, it would be very tiring.

Just like Walker, it would be hard to find joy in life again.

Walker asked, "Did you realize she was problematic early on?"

Luke smiled, "I'll go cook.

After breakfast, it's time to head home."

…

After the meal, Luke and Walker cleaned up the garbage at the campsite.

They set off on the road back home.

Back in Los Angeles, Luke and Rock said goodbye, returned the RV to the rental company, and drove his Mercedes to his mother's house.

At noon, he mooched a meal at his mom's house and talked about his past few days' experience.

Linda was somewhat skeptical at first; she had heard plenty about treasure hunting, but that was just hearsay. Those who truly found treasure were few and far between.

Luke couldn't be bothered to explain and simply gave her a Gold Coin instead.

Linda was stunned for quite a while; she'd never received such a gift in her life.

Seeing her son's sudden wealth, she believed the treasure tale was likely true.

In the afternoon, Luke went home to take a bath, stashed away the Gold Coins, and took a nap to refresh and recharge.

His sleep hadn't been great the last two days because of the treasure hunt.

Evening.

Luke went to Daisy's house for a date; everything was good in the wild, but it had been somewhat lonely.

Long nights of solitary restlessness in bed.

Young men are full of vigor; they need to keep active…

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