Chapter 131: Speculation, Covering the Sky with One Hand

When Jesse voiced that complaint, Song Kai and Delina felt their hearts sink.

The previous day at the docks, Daisna had indeed discovered the container.

She had then contacted her superiors, after which a police car marked FBI had driven over.

Daisna had even spoken to the man inside.

There had been absolutely nothing wrong with any of it. It was not merely a delusion shared by Song Kai and Daisna!

And yet now, the entire FBI office seemed to know nothing about it. It was as though no one had heard of the drug case at the docks. Even at the docks themselves, aside from the missing Gedda, there no longer appeared to be any trace of a crime scene.

Just how immense was the other side’s power?

Jesse stood there with a dark expression. Suddenly remembering something, he smiled at Delina and said, “Oh, Miss Delina, I apologize. I lost my temper just now. My subordinates really are too young and reckless, and they don’t follow procedure. But, Miss Delina, if I may be so bold, I’d like to invite you for a cup of coffee so we can discuss the matter from half a month ago—the pursuit of that financial magnate. He has now fled to Israel. May I ask whether your Interpol division can assist in bringing him back?”

Delina was too unsettled to listen to him. She asked, “Director Jesse, we can discuss the other matters later. My friend, Miss Daisna, has suddenly disappeared. This is extremely serious.”

“Huh? She does that all the time.” Jesse shrugged helplessly. “So, Delina, let me tell you—although your friend is certainly a fiery woman, she really does have a habit of ignoring procedure. She often stands me up, too. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Delina waved her hand. “Director Jesse, I’m telling you something very serious. Listen carefully. Last night, we discovered a container at the docks filled with smuggled people and drugs. Daisna made a call, and one of your FBI vehicles drove over. There also seemed to be many other people wearing FBI uniforms who went to the docks. This is no joke. Now you’re saying there was no case at all, and Daisna has suddenly vanished. Isn’t that strange? Isn’t it terrifying?”

Jesse froze and looked at Delina. “What you’re saying… is it true?”

“I’m with Interpol. What reason would I have to come here and play games with you?” Delina said impatiently.

Jesse scratched his head. “Wait a moment. I’ll ask around.”

With that, Jesse left the office and called out loudly, “Hey! Has anyone seen Daisna? And did anyone go to the docks last night?”

Everyone in the office shook their heads.

There were only a little over twenty federal agents to begin with, so it did not take long for everyone to deny having seen anything.

Jesse scratched his head again. “Um, aside from Daisna, is anyone else absent from work today?”

“Luca and Madrid are also absent, but they went to New York on business. Everyone else is here.” A woman came over and pointed toward the facial-recognition attendance terminal.

Jesse nodded, then sighed at Delina. “There, beautiful Miss Delina. You see? I wasn’t lying to you. To tell you the truth, I’m eager to find Daisna myself. If she doesn’t come back soon, her pay will have to be docked.”

Delina frowned, her heart turning cold.

Xu Ling tugged at Song Kai and gave him a meaningful look.

Song Kai nodded. He pulled Delina along, then said to Jesse, “I’m sorry, Officer Jesse. Perhaps we really did make a mistake. Maybe we drank too much last night and started imagining things. Still, it’s strange that all three of us would have the same hallucination.”

Muttering to himself, Song Kai suddenly shook his head. “All right, we’ll be going now. Sorry to trouble you.”

“Don’t leave! Have a cup of coffee with me. I still have a case I’d like to consult Miss Delina about,” Jesse said with a smile.

Delina took out a business card and handed it to him. “Mr. Jesse, my mind is a little muddled at the moment, and I can’t think clearly. Let’s get in touch another day. Here’s my card.”

Jesse immediately nodded with enthusiasm. He handed Delina one of his own cards in return. “Dear Miss Delina, this is my private card. Please keep it safe.”

Delina accepted it and turned to leave.

Jesse rubbed his hands excitedly as he stared at the card. It identified Delina as the director of the Interpol Division’s Investigation Department for Mercenary Crimes.

“Such a high position?” Jesse was stunned for a moment, then smiled even more broadly. “If I get the chance, she might actually be a perfect match for me. Could it be that I’ve stayed unmarried all these years waiting for this very opportunity?”

Jesse was thoroughly enamored with himself.

…

The three of them left the office and arrived beside their car.

Delina reached for the door.

Xu Ling immediately said, “Delina, could you check the car first and make sure no one planted a bomb inside?”

“What?” Delina looked dazed for a moment, then understood.

Of course. If the enemy could suppress an entire major case without anyone noticing, planting a bomb in the car and killing all three of them was entirely possible.

Delina reached into her pocket and pulled out something resembling a laser pointer. She shone it beneath the car and through the interior, then said, “It’s fine. Get in.”

Xu Ling and Song Kai climbed into the car.

Delina drove off, her hands trembling slightly on the wheel. “Could it be that everyone in the FBI office has already been bought off by those evil people?”

“No. Jesse doesn’t seem to have been lying, but I can’t figure out what happened either.” Song Kai frowned. “The only thing I can be certain of is that we’re in great danger.”

At that moment, Xu Ling, seated beside them, spoke up. “Jesse wasn’t lying. There was only one liar in the entire office.”

“Hm? You know who?” Song Kai looked at her.

Xu Ling nodded. “Last night, Daisna did speak to an FBI agent. The man remained in the police car and never got out. He was also the one who drove us away. Later, many more people wearing FBI uniforms arrived at the docks. The man who was sitting in that car is in the office today. I recognized him. He’s sitting in the northwest corner, and his name is Edgar.”

Delina slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a stop. “Xu Ling, if you noticed all that, why didn’t you say anything at the time?”

“He wouldn’t have admitted it,” Xu Ling replied. “Last night, he had deliberately disguised himself. He even had a bandage across his nose, and there were obvious signs of heavy makeup on his face. Today, his face is completely normal. Clearly, he didn’t want to be recognized. His rank probably isn’t low. Everyone else treats Jesse with a certain degree of respect, but that man acted as though Jesse barely existed. His position should be slightly lower than Jesse’s, or perhaps about equal. I’m not entirely sure about that.”

Delina turned and looked at Xu Ling. “You figured all that out? It was dark last night, he was sitting inside a car, and he was wearing deliberate makeup. Are you certain?”

“I am.” Xu Ling frowned and analyzed the situation rapidly. “Many people wearing FBI uniforms went to the docks last night, but Edgar is the only one among them who is here in the office today. None of the others have appeared. That means the people who went to the docks last night—apart from Edgar, who is a genuine FBI agent—were all temporary impostors.”

Song Kai had complete confidence in Xu Ling’s powers of observation. He continued, “Edgar’s rank should be higher than Daisna’s. That’s why she trusted him when she saw him last night. As for the identities of the other unfamiliar FBI agents, she never suspected them because she assumed Edgar had brought them in.”

Delina gritted her teeth. “So Edgar is one of the masterminds. After we left, he kidnapped Gedda and Daisna. Then he openly transported away an enormous container and erased every trace of the entire case. Today, he came to work as though nothing had happened, while everyone else is completely unaware that the case ever existed!”

The three of them fell silent at the same time.

After a moment, Xu Ling said, “I don’t think Edgar will let us go. He failed to track us down last night, but today he’ll certainly look for an opportunity to eliminate us. That’s why I was worried someone might have planted a bomb in the car.”

Delina nodded. Then she turned around and suddenly stepped hard on the accelerator.

“Hold on tight. We’ll hide for now. You’re right—the three of us are the only witnesses left. We’re Edgar’s weak point. He definitely won’t let us go…”