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Wailing police cars were not a common sight on the streets of Xilin District. This area was almost exclusively inhabited by the elderly; they weren’t wealthy, had nothing worth stealing, and certainly nothing worth robbing.
Moreover, this was a typical residential area. Although there were also shops on the streets, if you demanded too much money from them, say, over twenty dollars, they might choose to close their shops and move elsewhere.
For the elderly in the Federation, when they entered their so-called “later years,” they lost their ability to earn money.
Without the ability to earn money, what about spending power?
With little spending power, the profits of shops were naturally not high, so law and order here were relatively better.
It’s not that the crime rate was very low in this district, but rather that serious crimes were rare. Sometimes, when elderly residents found strangers in their homes, they would wander around and leave after realizing there was nothing worth stealing. They wouldn’t make a fuss, pretending nothing had happened.
So, when two police cars stopped here and a forensic team was also present, people’s curiosity was infinitely magnified.
They gathered nearby, wanting to see what exactly had happened.
A few minutes later, another gray car arrived, and Officer Hunter got out of it.
He tucked his badge into his chest pocket, lifted the caution tape, and ducked under it.
As he walked, he put on gloves. When he entered the first floor of the small two-story building, he smelled a foul stench.
The stench of blood. Although it was already November, the weather hadn’t completely cooled down. This was a subtropical area, not far from the tropics, and the temperature was still around twenty-seven or twenty-eight degrees Celsius, which was certainly much better than before.
However, such temperatures could still allow bacteria to multiply rapidly, and the sticky blood was rich in various nutrients, making it a favorite of all bacteria.
Upon reaching the stairs, the smell became stronger. He covered his mouth and nose as he went up to the second floor, where several police officers were outside one of the rooms on the second floor.
The forensic doctor just came out of the room and saw Officer Hunter at a glance.
The City Police Department had a total of four homicide units. Today, it was Officer Hunter’s turn to be in charge. He and the forensic doctor knew each other well.
“What’s the situation?” he walked up, intending to shake hands with the forensic doctor, but seeing some bloodstains on the latter’s gloves, he gave up.
The forensic doctor, while taking off his gloves, said, “Gang retaliation, honor killing. It should be the Brotherhood’s doing.”
Every gang had its own specific style of honor killing. This strong style was like telling others why they died.
Not only were the Federal lawmakers crazy, but so were the gang members. Some gang killers would even write songs or short essays about their executions of those who offended them and distribute them everywhere, as if afraid others wouldn’t know they did it.
These songs and short essays eventually became crucial evidence in bringing them to justice.
Hunter heard this and had virtually no further questions about the case. He walked to the bedroom doorway. The deceased knelt on the floor, his hands tied behind his back with wire, the other end suspended from the ceiling.
This forced his body to lean forward to ensure his arms weren’t broken, creating a posture that resembled an apology.
Officer Hunter squatted down, resting one hand on the floor, and looked at his face and body. Blood was dripping from his mouth and nose, and there were clear lacerations on his chest. A dagger was still stuck in his chest.
The forensic doctor walked over at this moment and stood beside Officer Hunter. “The cause of death was a ruptured heart.”
“He was tortured before death, typical Brotherhood method.”
Officer Hunter’s face was flushed from squatting. He stood up and clapped his hands. “Do you have any information on his identity?”
The forensic doctor shook his head. “That’s not my job. My job is to tell you how he died and if he did anything else before dying.”
“The rest is your job.”
Soon, Hunter left with some evidence. It wasn’t difficult to figure out the young man’s identity.
He directly checked the residential registration information. The house was registered under the name of Mr. Jobav’s assistant, and this person, through comparison of identity information, directly matched the homeowner’s nephew.
Before noon, a call was made to Mr. Jobav’s assistant. “This is Hunter, head of the Second Unit, Criminal Investigation Division, Golden Port City Police Department.”
“I have some very unfortunate and sad news to inform you: your nephew died in a house you own in Xilin District.”
“We have a procedure for claiming the body, and we hope you or his other relatives can come here.”
“If his body is not handled for a long time, we might donate it to a medical university or medical institution…”
In less than half an hour, three luxury cars pulled into the City Police Department’s parking lot.
Mr. Jobav hired professional security guards, costing four hundred dollars per person each month.
Legally armed, and willing to open fire when necessary, and to shield him from bullets, these individuals were highly professional.
As for whether they were truly professional, Mr. Jobav himself didn’t know, as some security companies went bankrupt or changed names every year. However, so far, he hadn’t heard anyone say their services were unsatisfactory.
He personally accompanied his assistant to the police station, picked up a form, and then went to the morgue.
Officer Hunter pulled out one compartment from a freezer, and the assistant’s nephew lay inside, his face bloodless.
His body had been autopsied. To make the autopsy less messy, his blood had already been drained, which was why his face was so pale.
Seeing his nephew’s eyes closed forever, and what was even more despairing was that he had personally given the address to the other party, he felt an indescribable pain and hatred.
He could barely stand, and Mr. Jobav supported him.
Officer Hunter waited for their emotions to subside for a while, then held out the form for them to sign. “If this is someone you recognize, please sign here.”
“Also, we suspect he died in a gang feud. Do you have any leads you can provide us?”
“This will help us solve the case faster.”
Mr. Jobav’s assistant stroked his nephew’s cheek, still reeling from the pain of losing a loved one.
After a while, Officer Hunter asked again, and he turned to look at him. “No, can we… have you withdraw this case?”
“I want to take him home.”
“And I don’t want to dwell on this matter anymore. Everything should end now.”
Listening to the old man’s heartbroken words, Officer Hunter could only let out a heavy sigh. “This is a criminal case. Regardless of whether you pursue the responsibility of the perpetrator, we will initiate a homicide investigation mechanism and pursue it.”
“So…”
Mr. Jobav patted his assistant’s back. “I’ll talk to him.”
Officer Hunter glanced at them both, and the two walked out of the morgue.
Mr. Jobav offered him a cigarette. Although his life experience prevented him from feeling nauseous, he was certainly uncomfortable.
At this moment, a cigarette could help him alleviate the discomfort of seeing a dead person up close.
“Officer Hunter, you should be able to tell what he died from.”
Officer Hunter didn’t show any biased expression, instead saying, “I don’t understand.”
Whether he truly didn’t understand or was feigning ignorance, Mr. Jobav continued, “We are just ordinary businessmen, without a gang background. We can’t afford to offend them.”
“Someone has already learned a painful lesson because of this. It’s time to stop.”
“No matter what, this matter ends here. We won’t pursue the killer’s responsibility, nor will we pursue yours. Let everything pass.”
“This is a request from two old men to you!”
Officer Hunter stood for a while, taking several puffs of his cigarette, then nodded slightly and said, “If that’s what you wish.”
Mr. Jobav forced a smile, extended his hand, and shook Officer Hunter’s. “Thank you!”
Soon they left. As per their request, the assistant’s nephew’s body would be cremated quickly, and then the ashes would be sent back to the Empire.
Officer Hunter returned to his office, sat down and smoked for a while, then he stood up and walked to the window, looking out through the blinds at the working officers outside. Then he adjusted the blinds so that the inside couldn’t be seen from the outside.
He closed the door, walked back to his desk, and dialed Polly’s number.
“You better give me a damn good reason why you’re calling me right now…”
Before Polly could finish, Officer Hunter interrupted him, “Do I need to give you a reason too?”
Two seconds later, perhaps he was thinking about who his mother was and finally figured it out, then he laughed loudly and said, “Officer Hunter, is there anything good you want to tell me about?”
Hunter snorted twice. “What did your people do in Xilin District last night?”
Polly looked at the somewhat flustered girl next to him and motioned for her to continue.
“Did you see that punishment?”
“I had some disputes with that guy’s boss. A while ago, he arranged for someone to assassinate Jimmy. Jimmy was lucky to escape. Now, the result of our deal is to use him as a price to end this dispute.”
“There was more than one killer, Hunter!”
The “killers” Polly referred to were not just the person who actually killed the assistant’s nephew, but everyone involved in the matter, including Mr. Jobav himself, his assistant, Polly, and Jimmy. These were all killers!
“Don’t let me catch you!” Hunter warned.
Polly wasn’t bothered by the threat. “Talk when you catch me. Let’s play ball sometime. I also need to take care of my physical needs. Talk later.”
In the evening, during a casual conversation, Officer Hunter discussed this matter with Officer Lukar. This incident, indirectly, further deepened Officer Lukar’s desire for greater power.
Every day, in this city, throughout the entire Federation, countless criminals committed crimes.
However, as law enforcement officers, they were often unable to bring criminals to justice for various reasons. This was the sorrow of law enforcement, and the sorrow of the Federal judicial system.
His conversation with Chief Charlie suddenly made him realize that only by standing higher could he bear more responsibility and truly possess law enforcement power!
A few days later, Officer Lukar had kept people watching Lance, but still hadn’t found any weakness. He realized that if he hadn’t been able to stop those bullet-ridden cars at the scene back then, he had lost his last chance to arrest Lance. This quickly led him to pull back all the people watching Lance.
Because there was no practical meaning to it anymore; watching him would not only be ineffective but would also embolden him.
When these surveillance police disappeared, Lance took the initiative to visit Mr. Pasoretto, Alberto’s boss, with some gifts.
The Summurian District was to the east of Xilin District, relatively close to the Bay Area, and was home to about one hundred thousand Summurians.
Besides these Summurians, there were, of course, many Federal citizens and immigrants from other regions, but overall, the Summurians were most numerous here, and the Summurian atmosphere was stronger.
Gentlemen sat in groups of three to five by the roadside, gathered around tables, sipping coffee from small cups, eating small pastries, playing cards, or doing other things.
Their attire differed from Federal styles, appearing more refined.
These individuals maintained their dignity and appearance; even a poor person would ensure they didn’t look messy or dirty.
The Pasoretto family’s stronghold was in a serene estate on the easternmost side. Upon entering the main gate, a large fountain was visible.
At least thirty to forty cars, perhaps more, were parked on either side of the fountain.
Alberto’s car was parked not far from the entrance. After he and Alberto got out, Fordis drove the car away instead of parking it there.
The two entered the room, and every Summurian looked at Lance with scrutinizing eyes, as if trying to see right through him.
Alberto constantly greeted those people, indicating that he was very familiar with all of them.
These Summurians were very tightly knit in the Federation. Federal natives didn’t usually bully them, because if you bullied one person, they would retaliate twofold.
This allowed the Summurians to quickly establish themselves in the Federation.
They came to a large room, where the situation was interesting: everyone seemed to be queuing to see Mr. Pasoretto.
He was in the room at the deepest end of the hall. Every time a few people went in, the door would close, and then after a wait, those people would leave while thanking the person inside or doing something else.
Then the next group of people would go in.
“Mr. Pasoretto seems to be very respected,” Lance whispered.
Alberto strongly agreed with his view. “Mr. Pasoretto is one of the three driving forces of Summurian influence in the Federation. We all consider them our leaders!”
Three Summurians were the spiritual leaders of Summurian immigrants in the Federation, which sounded formidable!
Fortunately, Lance didn’t have to wait long. Soon, a man in his thirties looked at them and motioned for Alberto to bring Lance over.
The two quickly got up and walked to the door. The middle-aged man slightly stopped them. “You only have ten minutes.”
The gifts Lance brought had been inspected, and were inspected again here before being allowed inside.
Upon entering the room, Lance saw him, Alberto’s boss.
He was wearing a dark brown vest with satin lapels, a white shirt, and a dark blue tie.
His hair, parted on the side and combed back, was slicked with pomade, and Lance noticed that Mr. Pasoretto’s hair was black.
He had thick eyebrows and large eyes, looking like a positive character from a movie star. His first impression was very good.
Alberto proactively walked over, took his hand, and whispered something that Lance couldn’t hear, then stood aside.
Just as Lance wondered if he should follow suit, Mr. Pasoretto stood up, extended his hand, and shook Lance’s. “Your liquor helped me a great deal. I’ve always wanted to meet you, and Alberto told me some interesting things.”
“So, it seems your trouble is resolved now?”
He asked Alberto to get some liquor, then took out two high-end cigars. “Do you like this?”
Lance didn’t refuse. One was given to Lance, one to Alberto, and he himself had a half-cigar.
“My troubles were resolved properly thanks to Alberto’s help. If it weren’t for him, I would have found it very difficult to solve these problems so easily.”
Mr. Pasoretto seemed like an easygoing person. He listened to Lance speak, nodding his head. “You and Alberto are friends, and friends should help each other.”
“Alberto told me about your cinema idea, but he wasn’t very clear. He also told me that making movies can help us solve some financial problems.”
“Honestly, sending money back and then bringing it back seems… very convenient, but it’s far less convenient than you imagine.”
“If what you say can become a reality, even if the loss is five or even ten points more than what we currently experience, it would be a very good thing for us.”
“You will gain the friendship of the Pasoretto family!”
Although the Pasoretto family’s current money laundering method had small losses, around ten percent, it carried risks and many limitations.
For example, the money was in the hands of legitimate businessmen, and they couldn’t just hand it over to Mr. Pasoretto or his subordinates without reason.
Otherwise, this would implicate those safe assets, making them unsafe.
The Federal government and the Federal Tax Bureau would certainly try every means to turn those theoretically legal assets into untaxed criminal proceeds, and then confiscate them.
So, this meant that even if the money was laundered and reached the Federation, they couldn’t directly use it themselves.
What they could enjoy were movable and immovable properties, acquiring temporary usage rights through leasing or other means.
Not spending money directly.
To spend money, they would have to go through several more procedures, and it would still pose a risk to their legitimate assets.
The money they distributed to family members was mostly black money, illegal!
If Lance could help him solve this problem, then this would be a great thing!