NOVEL WEB Chapter 157 The FBI's Intervention_2
He left a business card.
Without waiting for the female agent to respond, Dean turned and left.
His speech seemed arrogant, but it was merely a negotiation tactic, not genuine disdain. I'm no longer the small fry I used to be, Dean thought. The FBI has many tactics that can be used on ordinary people, but if they used them on me, it would just give me leverage for extortion.
On the surface, Dean was associated with Monet, a henchman for the Los Angeles Ashton Family. In secret, however, he was a specially contracted employee of the FBI and NSA, which granted him significantly different authority. He also had complex relationships with individuals like Amon and Anthony. And right, Dean also knew Ross, the spendthrift scion of a wealthy but simple-minded family, and was financially supported by a mysterious, wealthy woman named Niel.
Whether through covert plots or overt maneuvers, as long as I'm not killed outright with a bullet, dealing with the aftermath will be incredibly troublesome and complex.
Smart people always consider the gains and losses before acting. Dean believed his insolence would make Ruth, the agent before him, apprehensive rather than infuriated to the point of forgoing credit just to spite him, even if it harmed her own interests. Of course, if Cheston En were in charge of this, I'd use a different, more suitable set of words, rather than being so aggressively blunt, he mused.
Upon leaving the café, Dean immediately called his captain, Monet.
Sounding arrogant is one thing, Dean thought, but actions require caution. This time, I'm determined to go on a killing spree. That being the case, I need to find a heavyweight willing to take the blame, someone who can get things done for me, earn their superior's appreciation, and reduce my own risk.
The call connected. Monet seemed to be in a sensitive location; his voice was low and restrained. "Dean, I received Harry's message. Are you alright?"
"The FBI came looking for me," Dean said. "Ordinarily, I wouldn't want to get involved, but there are some hidden details concerning Mike Smith's death, and I'm not sure if the Ashton Family might be implicated."
Monet's voice was tinged with surprise. "You just woke up from a coma, how do you already have new information?"
In fact, Monet was currently quite frustrated. He had initially taken on the Mike Smith case, and Dean had quickly made progress, uncovering the organization known as "The Source of Pain." The person backing Monet was very curious about Mike Smith's hidden identity. After all, large families weren't always peaceful internally. If they could gain some leverage through this, it might become a trump card down the line.
But those people were too reckless; they had even planted explosives in the city's underground tunnels. The ensuing commotion was so significant that it gave the local FBI an excuse to intervene.
The case had been snatched away, and Dean was in poor condition. Monet was wondering how to explain this to his backer when Dean, freshly awakened from his coma, unexpectedly called, hinting at a turnaround.
Dean truly is my lucky charm! Monet thought.
While Monet was mulling things over, Dean briefly explained the situation, persuasively adding, "Captain, Mike Smith was recruiting fresh blood from students. Those new recruits then targeted homeless children. No one knows how many people are involved, or what Mike Smith intended to do using his title as an advisor to the Ashton Family. The FBI also has a complex internal composition. Are the people backing you truly comfortable with them handling this?"
After a moment of silence, Monet said hesitantly, "Dean, actually, the reason Mike Smith became an advisor to the Ashton Family is because the current head's youngest son is quite fond of him. This matter is very complicated. I'll get back to you later."
After hanging up, Dean lit a cigarette, pondering the information about the person backing Monet.
There was little public information about the members of the Ashton Family, but Monet had once revealed that the person supporting him was set to become the Mayor of Los Angeles this year. Only a few people are qualified to compete for this position. And there's only one person in politics with the surname Ashton: Saul Aston.
Dean had researched him. This man is quite interesting. Like me, he also has Chinese heritage. Saul Aston's mother was the daughter of a political family from a small island of China, part of an early, politically motivated marriage of convenience, which was also a strategic arrangement. However, as China's national strength visibly grew, the significance of this marriage alliance diminished.
That unlucky fellow, Saul Aston, had a fairly good run before turning thirty and often appeared in media reports. In the last decade, as his perceived value decreased, he lost his family's support. Unable to withstand the pressure from the Carmen Family, Saul Aston fell into decline and became disheartened. However, due to his mother's influence, Saul Aston liked to recruit intelligent Chinese subordinates. Lacking family resources, he used this group to form his own interest bloc, simultaneously winning over many wealthy Chinese-American tycoons. But his luck was truly awful. When the Carmen Family was powerful, he wasn't particularly prominent among the city council members, somewhat like Monet in the squad before I arrived—a middle-aged man going nowhere.
It could be said that my and Anbei Pifu's actions in annihilating the Carmen Family not only salvaged Monet's political career but also indirectly revived Saul Aston. He seized the opportunity, leveraging the resources of his wealthy Chinese-American backers to regain his footing within the family. Furthermore, he secured substantial political support, becoming the Ashton Family's public political figure in Los Angeles, with a promising future.
Dean knew that someone like Saul Aston, who had experienced such ups and downs, such low points, would unleash all his repressed ambition upon seizing another chance. His heart would no longer hold warmth; he'd prioritize only benefits, not kinship. So... did he have Monet watch the Mike Smith case because he has designs on the main lineage of the Ashton Family?
Dean shook his head. These powerful families are full of deceit. Even among kin, they wear masks, their smiles devoid of warmth. Utterly pointless. But even if the entire Ashton Family were wiped out, it wouldn't matter to me. Right now, I just want to find someone to clean up my mess, a backup plan now that the FBI is involved. That way, even if that Ruth doesn't want to cooperate, I can just ignore them and do things my way.
He had also prepared another contingency.
As for The Source of Pain, those high-IQ madmen proficient in criminal psychology with their twisted minds, I can't underestimate them in the slightest. I've resolved to wipe them out completely, a humane extermination!
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Monet called back. "Dean, this matter has become too big, and the FBI is already involved. The truth of it no longer holds any significance for the person backing us."
"Alright!" Dean responded, somewhat disappointed by this outcome, and couldn't help but scoff, "Captain, it's just Mr. Saul Aston. You didn't need to be so mysterious about it!"
"COUGH, COUGH!" Monet said awkwardly, "Sorry, Mr. Aston has been laying low for so long that I've developed a habit of being mysterious. Anyway, you focus on your recovery. Mr. Aston would like to meet you at the end of the month."
"Got it!"
After hanging up the phone, Dean glanced at the time, then called Harry and asked him to drive him to the Smith family's villa estate.
Knowing the true cause of Mike Smith's death, he was certain that the Smith family's villa estate held information about The Source of Pain's secret base.
Right now, I only want to do one thing, Dean thought. Find that group of high-IQ psychopaths and tell them with bullets that in their next life, they shouldn't try to provoke a brute who prefers to solve problems physically! A battle of wits? Sorry. When dealing with psychopaths, I prefer to empty my magazine!