When Joel Nash was firm, everyone in the office had to yield. As men, few enjoyed being soft, so the meeting ended hastily in a somber atmosphere.
Everyone was well aware of the President's objective: to leverage the alien incident to cultivate a power base loyal only to him. Their displeasure stemmed from Amanda.
That woman was incredibly cunning and would undoubtedly use this opportunity to siphon off power from various departments to build her own influence.
In fact, Amanda did exactly that.
As soon as the meeting concluded, the FBI, CIA, and Department of Defense all received a personnel list. The individuals on the list were requested to contribute to the nation, meaning to join the newly formed Argus.
Every one of these individuals was a top-tier talent.
Talent is hard to find, a truth everyone understands, but faced with a transfer order personally signed by the President, the department heads could only grudgingly let their people go.
Amanda assembled a special operations team in just one day, then boarded an Air Force jet, heading to the US West Coast.
At 2 PM, two black Hummers appeared at the entrance of a discreet bar in Coast City.
Amanda, dressed in a black suit dress, stepped out of the car, instructed her subordinates to wait outside, and entered the bar alone.
The bar was sparsely populated, with only a female bartender and a flirting customer.
Amanda walked to the bar, ordered a glass of purified water, and said in a low voice,
"Why meet in a place like this?"
Luke took a sip of his cocktail, winked at the bartender, Lena, and said in Portuguese,
"Wait for me in the back; there'll be a big surprise later."
Lena gave him a shy glance and swayed her ample hips as she left.
Luke's gaze followed the girl's backside, bobbing up and down, and it was a while before he reluctantly pulled his eyes away.
"I've been dealing with some troublesome matters lately and can't show my face."
Amanda said disbelievingly, "There are problems in Coast City that give you a headache?"
Luke shrugged, "I'm a human, not a god."
"Is it a woman?"
Luke gave a thumbs-up, "I like talking to smart people! So, what do you want?"
"Did that red-skinned alien come looking for you?"
"A guess?"
Amanda didn't deny it, "Dick Cheney told me the alien got a name from him, and that name was yours."
Luke sighed, "People from the White House are indeed untrustworthy. I explicitly told him not to reveal my name. It seems he needs some punishment..."
"I threatened his two daughters' lives."
Luke paused, "Ms. Waller, you truly are a complete villain."
"The feeling is mutual."
Luke put down his glass and said, "You guessed correctly; the alien did come looking for me. We had a cordial and friendly exchange, and then it left covered in injuries."
"He's injured!"
Amanda's heart leaped with joy, and she quickly asked, "Where is he?"
Luke tilted his head back, chugged his cocktail, and got up to leave.
Amanda suppressed her anxiety and said coldly,
"Tell me, where is he?"
Luke shook his finger, "Ms. Waller, don't always expect others to help. Cooperation requires equal strength. If you can't even solve this small matter, my hundred-dollar investment will be for nothing."
As his voice faded, he disappeared.
"Bastard!"
Amanda cursed under her breath, pulling out ten dollars and slapping it on the table.
Half an hour later, a member of the Young Master Gang entered the bar, placed a beautifully decorated gift box on the counter, and said to the annoyed bartender, Lena,
"This is a surprise from our boss."
With that, he turned and left.
Lena curiously opened the gift box. On a red lining, a large, jade-made vibrating mushroom stood tall.
Lena's pretty, freckled face flushed visibly, and in just three seconds, everything above her chest turned crimson. She bit her lip lightly, glanced left and right, and, seeing no one was paying attention, quickly shoved the giant surprise under the counter... Unable to get answers from Luke, Amanda had to find another way. Soon, she found the hiding Adam Hammond, learned from him the reason the alien went to the base, and, based on various intelligence, deduced that the alien's target was likely Hector Hammond.
Since he was the target, everything became simpler.
Two days later, Amanda, as the person in charge of the kidnapping case, held a press conference. During it, she emphasized President Joel Nash's various contributions and effective measures in safeguarding national security. Towards the end of the conference, she inadvertently revealed the news that Hector was still alive.
The reporters, like sharks smelling blood, immediately pressed for more information, but Amanda shook her head, stating that she had misspoken and they shouldn't take it seriously.
Inside Base Two, Luke, having watched the news, was speechless.
True to her reputation as "the Great Demon," Amanda was making full use of every bit of information. However, this trap was so obvious; Sinestro should be able to see through it, right?
Luke pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly. It didn't matter if he couldn't see through it. Sinestro had the Green Lantern Corps behind him. If a conflict truly erupted, the US government would definitely be at a disadvantage.
As a gang boss, he would welcome the government's setback with open arms.
Just then, Adam walked up.
"Young Master, Director Hugo called and wants to meet with you."
"Tell him I'm busy."
Luke impatiently waved his hand. That fat pig only ever wanted money or help; there would be no other reason.
Adam turned to leave, but returned shortly after.
"He said it's a very important matter and he absolutely must meet in person. He pleaded with you to go."
Luke put down the design drawing in his hand, thought for a moment, and said,
"Ava!"
"Young Master, I'm here."
"Where is that fat guy?"
"His current location is the Coast City Police Department, Building Two, Ninth Floor, Office Three."
"Who is with him?"
"Please wait..."
A few seconds later, a soft electronic synthesized voice sounded, "Twenty minutes ago, FBI Director Jack Harvey appeared at the police station entrance and has not left. Based on speculation, he is likely in Office Three, with Director Hugo."
"That fat pig! I told you to be less greedy, but you never listen."
Luke said exasperatedly, "Call him back and tell him 8 PM, second floor of Cape Restaurant."
"Understood, Young Master."
Time passed silently, and soon, night fell.
At the entrance of Cape Restaurant, Luke, dressed in a formal suit, stepped out of his BMW. Before he could even close the car door, a sweating middle-aged Fat Man grabbed his arm.
"Luke, Young Master Xiao, you're finally here! You must save me this time, you must save me!"
Luke pulled his arm free, "Get away from me, I'm not into that."
"Where's Jack Harvey?"
Hugo said in shock, "How did you know it was him?"
Luke gave him a cold look, and the latter, as if struck by lightning, quickly explained,
"I didn't betray the Young Master Gang, really, not at all. He has evidence of my corruption, and I really had no choice but to ask you for help. That guy means trouble; you must be careful."
"Follow behind."
Luke snorted coldly and strode towards the restaurant. Director Hugo followed closely like a subordinate.
As soon as he entered the main door, he saw several familiar figures.
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