Legendary FBI Detective

Sunday evening, at a small hotel.

Philip, who sported a Mediterranean hairstyle, extended his hand towards Luo An with a beaming smile. Luo An shook it and chuckled:

"Nice to meet you, just call me Luo An. This is my first time meeting someone who openly admits to being with the CIA."

The reputation of the CIA isn't that great within the Federation either.

Hearing Luo An's words, Philip let out a chuckle and was about to reply when the young girl Adanna next to him, beat him to it with a curious look on her face, asking:

"Luo An, uncle Philip calls you Group Leader. Which department's leader are you?"

Luo An smiled without answering her question directly. Philip gave Luo An an apologetic look, then snatched the wine glass from Adanna's hand and sternly said:

"Stop it, Adanna. Group Leader Luo An and I need to discuss some matters. Go and play with your classmates."

With her wine glass taken away, Adanna rolled her eyes at Philip, then she somehow produced a golden business card and stuffed it into Luo An's suit pocket, grinning as she said:

"Group Leader Luo An, this is my business card and contact information. You're very handsome, I will definitely come to find you again.

Also, I'll be turning 18 in a month too. As for matters of a boyfriend, from now on, I'll make my own decisions."

After saying her piece, Adanna turned her head back, scrunched her nose at Philip with a cold huff, and walked away, leaving a beautiful impression behind her.

"..."

Taking the golden business card out of his pocket, Luo An glanced at it and casually placed it aside, then smilingly asked:

"Could you tell me a bit about this Miss Adanna?"

Naturally, Luo An wasn't really interested in Adanna. However, dealing with rebellious youths could be troublesome. It wasn't the girl herself that was important, but her parents who Luo An needed to be wary of.

"Adanna's father is an assistant director at the IRS, and her mother works for a film company in Hollywood."

Philip briefly introduced Adanna's parental backgrounds and implied that Luo An needn't mind her. Adanna was just a bit spoiled, and if she pesters him later on, he should just call her parents.

Luo An just laughed in response, clinked glasses with Philip, and shifted the conversation from the girl to other topics.

"Group Leader Luo An, I've heard about you a long time ago while I was at the FBI Washington Headquarters."

Philip moved with Luo An to a sofa in the corner of the banquet hall, sat down together, and smiled as he said:

"A 25-year-old leader of the Special Investigation Team, you're quite the remarkable young man."

"That was last year."

Luo An put down his glass, picked up a grape from the table, and laughed as he spoke:

"This year, I'm 26. I'm already getting old."

"..."

Hearing Luo An, not even thirty, call himself old, nearly fifty-year-old Philip couldn't help twitching the corners of his mouth, his forehead creased with lines.

Luo An continued to eat fruit at an unhurried pace, pretending not to notice the expression on Philip's face.

Luo An didn't know why this Philip had made such mysterious contact with him, and what he ultimately wanted. Since the man kept beating around the bush, Luo An was in no rush. Chattering about everything under the sun was something Luo An enjoyed tremendously.

Moments later, Luo An moved from the taste of each fruit on the table to chit-chat about signs of life deep in the Mariana Trench, which made Philip's eyelids twitch uncontrollably until he could no longer sit still, coughing lightly before asking:

"Group Leader Luo An, what do you think about the work of the CIA?"

"It's so-so."

Hearing this, a glimmer flickered in Luo An's eyes before he shook his head and answered:

"I've seen the CIA's work overseas, it's really too dangerous, nowhere near as safe as within the Federation... although it's not particularly safe here either."

Luo An glanced at Philip without a ripple, wondering if this guy intended to recruit him to the CIA for overseas duties.

"You're right, the work of the CIA overseas is indeed very dangerous."

To Luo An's surprise, Philip did not deny his words but nodded in agreement with a face that said 'indeed so,' then suddenly mentioned:

"However, there are some jobs at the Federation's foreign governmental departments that aren't as dangerous as the CIA's work."

Luo An didn't respond, continuing to taste the fruits on the table on his own.

Elmer had indeed given a lot of importance to his elder daughter's adulthood ceremony today. Not only were the fruits on the table all fresh, but there was also a wide variety. Many Luo An had never seen before.

"..."

Seeing Luo An not picking up on the conversation, Philip almost lost his breath in frustration, forgetting most of the prepared speech he had in his mind.

After a deep breath and a twitch of his eyelids, Philip stopped beating around the bush and directly asked:

"Group Leader Luo An, are you interested in the work at the Federation's embassies in other countries?"

Luo An's eyebrows shot up, turning back somewhat surprised, he asked:

"Mr. Clement, aren't you working with the CIA?"

Philip took a sip of his wine, implying that working for the CIA was just one of his jobs; he was also employed by the DIA.

DIA, the Federal Defense Intelligence Agency, is a major foreign military intelligence organization under the federal Ministry of Defense. It's the supervisory authority of the Federation's defense attaché system, primarily responsible for dispatched military attachés, Federation embassies, and consulates abroad, as well as other duties.

Luo An realized that the CIA was probably just a cover Philip had wrapped around himself; he actually worked for the DIA.

With agencies like the FBI, CIA, NSA (National Security Bureau), DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency), ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence), etc., the Federation has a total of 18 intelligence departments.

When carrying out missions, they would switch roles and identities, layer upon layer, letting other departments take the blame and face the criticism. This kind of thing wasn't novel in the Federation.

Luo An stroked his chin, remarking:

"The work at the embassy, I've never really experienced that."

At Luo An's words, Philip's eyes lit up, just as he was about to speak, Luo An continued with a smile, shaking his head and pointing to the speaker who had started his address on stage:

"Mr. Philip, the coming-of-age ceremony has officially started. It's time to give the gifts."

The thought of risking his life for the Federation abroad had never once crossed Luo An's mind.

Solving cases, sending murderers to prison, and making some money on the side while enjoying the dull, decadent capitalist life of the Federation—easy work, close to home, tallying more cash—that's what Luo An liked best in his life.

Having figured out the other person's intentions, Luo An casually chatted with him for a bit longer, then stood up and left under Philip's helpless gaze.

After giving the prepared gift to Elmer's eldest daughter and sitting down with Mona to taste food, Luo An frowned slightly, a swarm of thoughts flashing through his mind.

As his performances continued to improve and his status rose, more and more people would take notice; Philip wouldn't be the last person to try to woo him.

The individuals that had shown up so far were of average status and capability—Luo An could afford to ignore them.

But in the future, if someone with a strong hand like or even of higher status than Mr. Clement tried to recruit Luo An, he truly wouldn't have a proper way to refuse.

Even worse, there could be someone who might take his vulnerability hostage to force him to work for them.

Such things were not beyond the realm of possibility in the Federation.

Suddenly, Luo An felt a light nudge from Mona and turned to see her full of confusion, asking:

"Luo An, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking of a line from a movie."

"What line?"

"One must rely on oneself."

Facing Mona's bewildered expression, Luo An slightly squinted his eyes and grinned.

In a capitalist country like the Federation, money = power = status.

The formula isn't rigorous but the principle behind it is more or less the same.

Luo An swallowed the food in his mouth, a glimmer flashed in his eyes, silently setting a small goal for himself:

Before the financial crisis erupts, make two billion US dollars.

When the financial crisis breaks out, turn that two billion into ten billion!

After the coming-of-age ceremony dinner ended, Luo An exchanged a few simple pleasantries with Elmer's family and left. On the way, Mona suddenly asked from the passenger seat:

"Luo An, what's the deal with that girl?"

While driving, Luo An yawned:

"She thinks I'm handsome and wants to be my girlfriend."

"Really?"

Mona narrowed her eyes, reaching out to grab Luo An's thigh:

"So how did you respond?"

"I threw away her business card, what else could I say?"

Suddenly, Luo An's expression changed, his tone serious:

"Mona, I'm driving."

"You drive your way, I'll do mine, without disturbing each other."

"…Fu-k!"

Luo An's eyelids twitched and he quickly steered the car into a dark alley.

He had seen similar cases in his files during his time at the FBI; he didn't want to end up with a wrecked car and lost lives.

Mona lifted her head, her face full of confusion:

"Why did the car stop?"

"What do you think?"

Luo An flashed a grin, turned off the ignition, and thought that this car wasn't nice to drive; he needed to switch to another car!