Chapter 319: The Red Rose of the Oil Painting Beauty
"You didn't just disapprove; you took it upon yourself to think this action would definitely anger Monica and cause her to argue with you. You were afraid of being exposed, and even considered using this to win over Rachel, so that's why you did it."
Jane had already seen through the truth.
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Los.
Los's speechless gaze betrayed everything.
"Oh my God!"
Rachel stared at Los in disbelief, then clutched her chest, exclaiming with a moved expression, "You did all this to win me over?"
"Yes."
Los gazed at Rachel with infatuation.
Just as the two were about to exchange glances, Monica interrupted them directly: "Enough, Rachel, he's just a fake Ross!"
"So?"
Rachel looked at Los with a spark in her eyes.
"He's also a damn dentist! Don't forget Barry!"
Monica complained.
"...Why are you like this!"
Hearing the word "dentist," Rachel instantly recalled unpleasant past experiences, and the attraction from the conversation vanished almost instantly.
Her fiancé, Barry, was a dentist, and a cheating one at that. He not only slept with her maid of honor but also had an affair with her younger sister.
Luckily, she had run away from the wedding, avoiding all that mess.
Although her father was a renowned physician who single-handedly provided a comfortable life for her entire family, she had always had a special fondness for doctors, always choosing boyfriends and fiancés from the medical field.
But now she proudly declared that she fully understood why her father and other respected doctors maintained the medical hierarchy.
Dentists, while making good money, weren't considered real doctors!
"Where is my brother Ross?"
Monica demanded of Los.
"I really don't know."
Los looked at Monica fearfully. "I'm a victim too."
"Jane."
Monica stared at him for a while, seeing no useful information, and could only look to Jane for help.
"Don't worry,"
Jane comforted her. "I've already sent the message through the earpiece, and they've achieved their goal.
The money has been transferred, and their operational security was excellent. There's no point in keeping Ross around anymore.
With Chuck's reputation as a deterrent, the possibility of killing him has been minimized. No one would risk their life to cross Chuck for a useless Ross!"
"I'm sure if Ross knew his life depended on his value to Chuck, he would be incredibly grateful if he could just apologize!"
Chandler teased.
"I'll contact Chuck and see where he is."
Monica's lips curled into a bitter smile as she took out her phone and dialed Chuck's number.
She knew Chuck's attitude toward Ross all too well. If it weren't for her, Chuck wouldn't care about Ross's life or death.
And even with her in the picture, Chuck, who had received the news yesterday, still hadn't arrived, which spoke volumes.
The call connected.
"Chuck, where are you?"
"On the road, heading to New York from DC."
Chuck's voice came from the other end of the line.
"Chuck..."
Jane took the phone and began recounting her findings: "What do we do now?"
"To find someone who looks exactly like Ross in such a short time, and then kidnap and replace him remotely, is clearly not something an ordinary criminal could pull off."
Chuck immediately replied. "Anyone with that kind of capability must be highly professional. Monica, contact your rabbi. Once I get to New York, I want to meet these community leaders Ross talks about!"
"You suspect the rabbi?"
Monica was stunned, then immediately exclaimed, "Impossible! The rabbi is wise and compassionate; he wouldn't treat Ross like that!"
"We're not talking about Ross now, we're talking about a billion dollars!"
Chuck reminded her. "Maybe this rabbi wouldn't, but can you guarantee that the people Ross knows won't?
Don't forget where we are. In a society where everything is about money, a billion dollars is enough for the US to launch a regional conflict, let alone just kidnapping a nobody who suddenly got rich and has no connections!"
"But those are all community leaders, our community leaders..."
Monica was somewhat unable to accept it.
"Community leaders have influence because they're backed by money and power; they wield considerable authority,"
Chuck bluntly stated. "But the fact that they've become influential in this money-driven city speaks volumes!
They have the information advantage, the capability, and the motivation to orchestrate everything."
"Let's listen to him,"
Chandler added. "Don't forget, Detective Chuck is also kind of a legend, and one of those people who can do whatever they want with resources. Doesn't he understand those influential people better than we do?"
"I'm calling the rabbi!"
Monica, though reluctant, had to admit that Chuck might be telling the truth.
Three hours later.
Chuck's car entered New York City, heading toward Monica's apartment, when he received a call from Jane.
"Chuck, come to the Nine-Nine! Ross has been rescued!"
Chuck hung up and drove straight to the 99th Precinct.
Monica and her friends had also received the news and arrived at the precinct ahead of time.
"Jake, where's Ross?"
Upon arrival, Chandler immediately sought out the precinct's detective.
"Didn't you see him?"
The detective asked with a strange expression.
"Where?"
Chandler looked left and right.
His other friends also stared wide-eyed, scanning the people in the station.
"I'm here."
A weak voice responded from someone with a badly swollen face. Noticing his old friends repeatedly glancing at him without stopping, the pain and frustration of the past few days made him raise his hand and shout angrily, "Hey!!!"
"What's he doing?"
Rachel, startled, hid behind Monica.
"Stop joking, Jake, where's Ross?"
Chandler shoved the detective. "You can't possibly say this guy is our Ross, can you?"
"He is,"
the detective said, suppressing a laugh. "At least he says he is. Can't you recognize him?"
"Holy crap!"
Chandler and the others, seeing that the detective wasn't joking this time, stared again at the completely unrecognizable swollen-faced man and exclaimed.
"Ross?"
Monica ran over and touched the swollen face.
"It's me, ow, that hurts!"
Ross, moved to tears that his sister had finally recognized him, cried out in pain when Monica touched his face.
"Are you really Ross?"
Monica was still somewhat doubtful.
"Who else could it be but me?"
Ross noticed the disbelief in Monica's eyes and couldn't help but feel furious.
Chandler immediately pulled out his phone and showed Ross the photos of them hanging out with Los.
"This bastard isn't me!"
Ross gritted his teeth, staring at the imposter in the photo, seething with hatred. "And you guys are supposed to be my best friends, and you can't even tell the real me from the fake!!!"
"Even if we brought your parents over right now, they still wouldn't be able to tell who the real Ross is and who the fake Ross is!"
Chandler couldn't help but tease.
"Alright, if Monica hadn't realized that the fake Ross was suspicious and gone to Chuck again, and I hadn't used Chuck's name to intimidate them, do you really think you'd make it out alive?"
Jane frowned.
"By the way, Chuck!"
The swollen-faced Ross immediately looked at Jane pleadingly. "Where is he now? I need his help! My money! My $2.04 billion! He has to help me get it back!"
"You can go find your community leaders!"
Chuck, who had just arrived at the precinct with Lisa, said calmly upon hearing this.
"Chuck!"
The swollen-faced Ross immediately ran over. "You have to help me! For Monica's sake!"
"Monica's sake might not be enough now~"
Chandler looked at the rosy-cheeked Lisa and subconsciously teased.
Seeing Monica and Jane's dangerous gazes sweep over him, he immediately shrank back, forcing a dry laugh to make amends: "I mean, money may be gone, but people are safe. The most important thing is that everyone's okay. For Chuck, that's enough."
"This is what you call okay?!?"
Swollen-faced Ross pointed at his face, which was so badly beaten that even his mother and group of old friends couldn't recognize him, and roared indignantly.
"Remember Shrek?"
Chuck bluntly said: "You look just like him right now!"
"..."
Swollen-faced Ross was so frustrated. Seeing that Chuck ignored him, he could only look pleadingly at Monica.
"Chuck, although it's great that he's back, if you can investigate, please continue investigating. That's a billion dollars!"
Monica looked at Chuck for help.
"Don't worry, this case has huge implications, and the FBI will take it on."
Seeing that Chuck didn't speak, Jane took the initiative to put her arm around Monica's shoulder and comfort her.
"How did you escape?"
Chuck looked at swollen-faced Ross.
"I don't know either. When I woke up, that terrifying masked person was gone. I waited for an hour before I worked up the courage to go to the door, and then struggled to open it and escape..."
The swollen-faced Ross explained what he knew.
"We've already sent people to seal off that warehouse,"
the detective chimed in. "Detective Chuck, want to go check it out?"
"Yeah,"
Chuck agreed.
"Ross, let's go to the hospital first."
Monica breathed a sigh of relief when Chuck agreed, and immediately pulled Ross, who was determined to reclaim his fortune despite his injuries, to the hospital.
Later that evening.
At the hospital.
"How is it?"
Ross, his face still covered in bandages, urged Monica to ask about the case.
In his most desperate moment during the kidnapping, he saw the $2.04 billion prize as a curse, swearing in his head more than once why he had won it.
But now that he was released, his mindset had changed. That was his money!
His fortune!
He had to get it back!
"Can you please stop thinking about that money!"
Monica couldn't take it anymore and yelled. "If it weren't for this money, you wouldn't have suffered like this. I heard from Jane that after Los impersonated you and received the money, it was transferred away shortly afterward, and it's impossible to get it back.
Even if Chuck can help you catch the culprit, what's the point?
If you can't get the money back, and you're broke and powerless, do you really dare to go after the crimes of those wealthy, powerful, and organized criminals?
Aren't you afraid of another kidnapping?"
"No!!!"
Ross shuddered upon hearing this, recalling his ordeal during the kidnapping. But thinking about the $2.04 billion he had lost, he was filled with extreme resentment and could only shout in helpless rage.
"Chuck's so powerful! He's a senior advisor to the IRS, can't he contact those offshore banks and get the money back? Even just a little bit would be great!"
"You know influential people! Why don't you ask them for help!"
Monica, seeing Ross's expression and thinking of Chuck's indifferent attitude, as well as Lisa, whom Chandler mentioned had more 'pull' with Chuck, felt conflicted and snapped at him irritably.
"I'll contact them, I'm trying to contact the rabbi..."
Ross's voice was much softer, muttering weakly.
He did contact the influential person he had met once immediately, but unfortunately, he couldn't even get through.
Then he called the rabbi, but the rabbi couldn't do anything either, only saying that those important people were too busy.
Obviously, these influential people were very well-informed and must already know that his windfall was gone.
And without the $2.04 billion he'd won, what right did Ross have to talk to them and chat so casually?
Not to mention, Chuck suspected these community leaders were the prime suspects behind the scenes, and he actually had his own suspicions.
He just couldn't accept it!
"Chuck, how's it going?"
Monica called Chuck again after Ross's desperate pleas, asking for the latest developments.
"The other side is very professional; they didn't leave any useful clues,"
Chuck said. "The money has been passed through countless accounts and is unrecoverable. I'm contacting the people Ross mentioned and have arranged a meeting, but don't get your hopes up too high.
These people become influential because they're all highly calculating. My micro-expression analysis is unlikely to be effective against them. If they're determined to hide it, and we have no other leads, it's basically a dead end."
"You're Detective Chuck!"
Ross couldn't help but exclaim. "How can you not find out?"
"You're still alive, aren't you?"
Chuck said flatly. "For me, that's enough. If you were dead, I promise you, I would investigate to the end. Are you willing?"
"..."
Ross fell silent immediately.
"Forget it, Ross, we're not meant for sudden wealth. Wasn't the simple, happy life we had before good enough?"
Monica advised.
She already knew Chuck's attitude. With Ross dead, Chuck would do anything to find out, just to comfort her.
But the living Ross only deserved this much attention from Chuck.
Even she felt that her brother's life and future safety were clearly more important than the $2.04 billion!
"Wait!"
Ross's expression kept changing, but because he was bandaged up, no one could tell.
Without the $2.04 billion fortune and the added prestige of knowing influential people, he, needing Chuck's help, didn't dare speak loudly to him and could only listen with resentment.
But he didn't want to accept Chuck's lukewarm attitude of not wanting to investigate fully. He racked his brains, and suddenly had a flash of insight. He gritted his teeth: "I have another clue!"
"What are you doing? You're injured like that, the doctor told you not to move... Ow, what's this?"
Monica's voice came through.
"This must be an important clue, right?"
Ross's frustrated voice rang out.
"Oh my God!"
At this moment, Chandler pushed open the door and, seeing this scene, immediately covered his eyes and pretended to leave.
But under Monica's scolding, he abandoned his joking thoughts, walked over, and seriously examined the tattoo. He spoke uncertainly to Chuck on the other end of the phone,
"Chuck, Ross has a really flashy tattoo on his lower back. I can't imagine what he went through..."
"Chandler!!!"
Ross roared, but Chandler's soothing voice came through: "Don't get excited, don't get excited. I'll take a picture and send it to Chuck. Maybe he can figure something out and help you get your $2.04 billion back! Don't move, hold that pose, yes, beautiful~"
While Ross was about to have a stroke from Chandler's words, Chuck also received the picture Chandler had sent of the tattoo on Ross's lower back.
"That's a rose, right?"
Chandler's voice continued. "Ross, a rose, that makes sense. But a guy who sees Ross as a rose, oh my god, that's terrifying~"
In English, "Ross" and "rose" sound very similar.
Chuck saw the rose but ignored Chandler's teasing and how ridiculously flashy the tattoo was for a grown man like Ross. He adjusted his decorative glasses, and as his wristwatch vibrated—a signal only he could detect—his eyes already held the answer.
This rose wasn't for Ross; it was for him!
(End of Chapter)
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