American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop

Jack broke the law—federal law, no less—and dragged the entire BAU team down with him.

Okay, that might be an exaggeration. All he did was treat everyone to a bowl of noodles, a simple bowl of yangchun noodles, topped with a spoonful of "crab powder."

Now, what is "crab powder"? It's not powdered crab but a delicacy made from the painstaking process of extracting every edible part of a Chinese mitten crab.

The full name of the Chinese mitten crab is Eriocheir sinensis, and it's considered an invasive species in North America. At one point, they were rampant in San Francisco, causing damage to levees and clogging drainage systems. They even spread to the East Coast, almost causing a disaster in the Hudson River in New York.

However, wild mitten crabs are vastly inferior in quality to farm-raised ones, and due to water quality issues in North America, they are generally not recommended for consumption. 

Smuggling live mitten crabs into North America is a violation of federal law, but every year, Chinese grocery stores manage to sell them through underground channels. After all, the selling price, which ranges from $30 to $50 per crab, offers a profit margin far greater than even some illicit substances.

As an FBI agent, Jack knowingly broke the law by purchasing 20 pounds of the crabs anonymously. The process was intense and thrilling, like something out of a spy movie.

Alright, still an exaggeration. In reality, it was just Justin who placed the order on the dark web, and someone delivered a batch of mitten crabs from Ceris through specialized channels.

Everyone was curious about what kind of gourmet meal Jack was going to create with such an extravagant ingredient.

One night in October, after learning that the crabs had landed, Jack rushed to the Wolf brothers' farm to begin the laborious task of de-shelling the crabs.

He first used white wine to sedate the crabs, rendering their mighty pincers useless. After soaking them in a bit of white vinegar for a refreshing cold bath, they were all invited into the sauna—steamed to a bright, appetizing red.

After removing the claws and legs, Jack, with only a pair of scissors and chopsticks, separated the meat from the shell at a speed of one crab every five minutes.

The crab roe and crab meat were divided into two portions. He then heated oil in a pan—a mixture of pork lard and rapeseed oil—added scallions, a hint of minced ginger, and garlic, followed by the crab roe and crab paste.

After just seven or eight minutes, he tossed in the crab meat, reduced the heat, added salt and a touch of white pepper, then finished it off with Shaoxing wine, carefully reducing the sauce. 

The result? A divine creation of soft, sweet crab meat, paired with fragrant and rich crab roe, unmatched by any sea crab.

He boiled a bowl of thin yangchun noodles, sprinkled chopped garlic chives on top, and then ladled a generous spoonful of crab powder over it. The taste was indescribably delicious—so much so that afterward, no other food could tempt anyone's appetite for quite some time.

Once the meal—worth its weight in top-tier caviar—was over, life returned to normal for Jack. He went back to reading, studying, attempting to write his first novel, and experimenting with interesting recipes.

One day, Rossi had the sudden idea to invite the team to an art exhibition at a private gallery in Hollywood. He said it was to cultivate everyone's abstract thinking, to avoid getting stuck between emotion and reason.

Of course, when they saw the gallery's charming female owner, everyone understood Rossi's true motives. But since they were already there, they decided to look around.

Jack could appreciate impressionism and realism, but abstract art? He didn't understand it at all. Reid, being a pure rationalist, was in the same boat. The two wandered around aimlessly, nibbling on the various desserts offered by the servers, and even stumbled upon a small surprise.

They discovered a Russian liquor-filled chocolate that evoked nostalgic childhood memories. The two of them ended up playfully fighting over the chocolates like kids.

"How old are you two? If anyone knew you were FBI agents, oh my God!" Emily exclaimed dramatically.

Both men felt a little embarrassed. They had definitely gotten carried away, and now the well-dressed guests around them were casting strange looks their way.

"Tastes pretty good," Emily teased as she swiped the last vodka-filled chocolate from the tray, grinning like a sly fox.

Frustrated but unable to retaliate, the two men exchanged glances, whispering about how they might get back at her. Just then, a voice rang out.

"Spencer Reid, is that you?" A sharp-looking Black man in a casual suit approached Reid excitedly.

Jack chuckled as he saw Reid freeze in place while the man gave him an enthusiastic bear hug. "Look at you, you haven't changed a bit."

"Oh, Spencer, really, the last time I saw you, you were only twelve, and now you still look the same."

Jack nearly burst out laughing at that backhanded compliment. It sounded like praise but felt oddly off.

"Uh, thanks," Reid replied awkwardly, introducing everyone.

"This is Parker Denley, we went to high school together. Maybe that'll help you understand."

Of course, everyone understood. Reid had graduated high school at twelve, and then went on to Caltech. If you graduated alongside a twelve-year-old prodigy who later went to a top university, a bit of jealousy would be natural. 

This kind of teasing was probably as friendly as it could get.

Reid introduced the BAU team, and JJ and Emily, who had dressed up for the occasion, caught more than a few eyes.

Before Parker could make any moves, though, JJ subtly linked arms with Jack, and Emily, not to be outdone, hooked her arm through Hotchner's, leaving him visibly stiff.

Parker wasn't fazed. He was a co-partner of the gallery and smoothly shifted the conversation to the artworks on display. That was until a small commotion erupted at the entrance.

A strikingly beautiful woman appeared, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and an elegant figure. The moment she entered, she had the air of a celebrity. Parker burst into a wide grin and rushed over to greet her.

"Layla! So glad you could make it. Hey, Spencer, come over here, I've got someone to introduce you to!"

"Do I really still look like I'm twelve?" Reid muttered to Jack under his breath.

"No, at least eighteen," Jack replied, patting Reid on the shoulder. He had long outgrown his former scrawny self, now more of a sturdy, albeit still slim, figure.

"Spencer, come on! Have you ever met a real movie star?" Parker called, waving them over.

JJ nudged Reid forward, and after a moment of hesitation, he followed along.

Sorry for the delay! I've been working on a big plot revision, and it took a bit longer than expected.

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