The Wolf of Los Angeles-Chapter 401: No Man Could Compare to Money

[Chapter 401: No Man Could Compare to Money]

In downtown Los Angeles, at the FBI field office.

News about the spy had been kept strictly confidential. Russell was dragged into the interrogation room, where he was personally interrogated by Chick and Bernaldo.

Spies had no rights, and even those suspected of being spies were treated with ruthless methods by the FBI. When the dreaded waterboarding began, Russell realized he was far less resilient than he had imagined. Each time the wet towel covered his mouth and nose, followed by the icy water pouring over him, he found himself not wanting to resist any longer.

From the beginning, it had been a ridiculous mission. A prominent figure scheduled to visit the European Union chose to sacrifice true patriots like them in a bid to curry favor with Western public opinion. It was not that Russell was not strong enough; it was that this kind of action shattered his ability to be strong.

When the wet towel was removed, Russell coughed up a stream of water and exclaimed, "I... I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Chick and Bernaldo exchanged glances, took seats at a table, and said, "Let's get started."

"I belong to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service..." Russell, having lost his mental faith, recounted everything he had experienced and knew.

...

The news from the interrogation room kept reaching the outside. Based on Russell's testimony, Jennifer constantly dispatched personnel to apprehend related individuals. However, aside from a minor breakthrough from those who searched Russell's place, the other deployed teams returned empty-handed.

Jennifer contacted the Federal Aviation Administration to get assistance locating a Romanian named Alexander. The FAA's departure records showed that Alexander had flown to Hungary several days prior.

With Russell's solitary line of contact leading to a dead end, they couldn't capture Alexander, making it difficult to uncover more spies. But having Russell was already a surprise.

As Hawke's accomplice, Jennifer knew Eugene Kropov was a false spy, while Russell was a genuine Russian spy. The latter could corroborate the former.

...

By that afternoon, Russell had divulged everything he could. His mental faith was utterly shattered, and he even expressed an inclination to defect to the FBI.

When a person changes, it is easy to go from one extreme to another.

...

Jennifer called Hawke, and then returned to Coast Building. They met in a conference room on the 16th floor.

Jennifer stated, "It has been confirmed that Russell's real name is Russell Karnikov, a spy linked to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. He received KGB training back during the Cold War, arriving in Los Angeles in early 1997. He has been undercover for over eight years, during which he has not performed any missions until this month..."

Hawke listened to her description, at a loss for words.

Edward handed Hawke a newspaper he picked from the rack: "There's an article on it."

Hawke glanced at it, seeing a major player in Russian politics was preparing for a visit to Brussels to discuss various cooperation matters between Russia and the EU. This was a typical pro-Western figure.

Though it seemed absurd, there were countless ludicrous incidents concocted by high-level political figures around the world. As onlookers observed the mess, it felt as if the entire world was a gigantic circus.

Hawke shifted his thoughts to more pressing issues: "Since we've confirmed the identity of the spy, can we go public? This could benefit us."

Jennifer had already considered this before coming: "I've consulted with higher-ups. We'll leak the news through Twitter tonight and hold a press briefing tomorrow morning."

After a moment's thought, she suggested, "Discovering the spy doesn't serve you much and risks provoking Russian retaliation. Instead, let's position it as the FBI uncovering the spy after a prolonged investigation, and they made the arrest today."

Hawke understood that Twitter did not require such a moniker. He also knew to keep his allies happy, saying, "Provide a detailed outline, and I'll unify our stance here; coordinate it so the case ties closely to the BlackRock espionage case."

With mutual benefits at stake, Jennifer agreed: "Russell was indeed here for the BlackRock espionage case."

Hawke tapped lightly on the armrest of his chair while pondering, "BlackRock Investment Group has now been implicated in two espionage cases. Can the FBI file a request with the Department of Justice for an extensive investigation into BlackRock?"

He paused, then continued, "I'll contact the White House. Chief of Staff Andrew Card will handle the communication; I previously discussed the matter with him in Washington."

"This series of cases makes BlackRock undeniably responsible," Jennifer noted. Coming from a family with influence, she wasn't just any ordinary person; her competency earned her the top position in the Los Angeles office: "My father works in the Justice Department. I'll call him and ask for his support to push this through."

Hawke acknowledged, "I won't say thank you more than necessary. Brian should have mentioned that once the Manhattan AI Project is officially announced, your company could become a key supplier."

Jennifer smiled, "We are already preparing."

This project was something that Twitter alone could not manage, so Hawke had teamed up with various players to push for a significant response.

After nearly an hour of discussion, Jennifer said her goodbyes and left to return to the field office, continuing to handle the spy case.

...

Hawke asked Edward to call Lola, requesting her to come to the 16th floor.

Upon seeing Hawke, Lola asked, "Has the person been taken away by the FBI? Was his identity confirmed?"

Hawke replied directly: "You need to brace yourself; Russell is from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service and is a spy who has been undercover in Los Angeles for over eight years. His approach to you was related to the BlackRock espionage case, aiming to gain critical intelligence through you."

"I never expected he was that kind of person!" Lola's face showed a hint of bitterness, but she didn't dwell too much on it. "I'm sorry, Hawke. I've brought trouble to the company..."

Hawke interrupted her: "You don't need to apologize. You are blameless in this matter. Thanks to your prompt feedback, we avoided what could have been a significant loss for the company in the future."

Lola smiled lightly: "As a Twitter employee, Twitter pays me a handsome salary, and I can't just watch the company's interests suffer."

This was sincere because without Twitter, finding another company offering such lucrative pay would be challenging.

As for entrepreneurship, Lola and Kasim had experienced a failed venture. Were it not for Twitter's acquisition, they would have gone bankrupt.

"The company will issue an internal memo acknowledging your contribution in this matter," Hawke indicated, noting that the spy's merit would lean toward the FBI: "Regarding the Russian spy involvement, if you become too entangled, it won't do you any favors."

Lola nodded in agreement.

Hawke wouldn't just provide encouragement but also tangible rewards: "You will receive a special bonus of $500,000. You can decide how to spend it."

Lola beamed with delight: "Thank you, thank you, company! Thank you, Chairman!"

"You can get back to work now," Hawke said, "The bonus will be disbursed within a week."

Lola left the office happily, leaving Russell behind in her thoughts.

No man could compare to $500,000.

...

Hawke told Edward to issue the notice in the name of the Chairman's Office, keeping it vague, stating that Lola assisted the FBI in capturing a Russian spy and the company would reward her generously.

Edward went to issue the announcement.

Twitter had paused cooperation with Infolytika; Harland led a professional team to conduct thorough inspections of the company's fiber optics.

The legal department would also increase civil suit terms based on the situation, holding BlackRock fully responsible for this loss and compensation.

...

As the end of the workday approached, Jennifer called again.

Hawke had Edward release the security department's captured video images on Twitter's official account.

These images were carefully selected not to reveal any individual's identity.

Twitter posted mainly photographs alongside text headlines -- Twitter cooperated again with the FBI, capturing a Russian spy!

Once the news was released, it sparked a flurry of replies.

Fox 11's Twitter account inquired: "Is there a second one caught?"

The Los Angeles Times commented: "Can you disclose more information?"

ABC's account asked: "When will the press conference take place?"

...

At 6 PM, the FBI's Los Angeles field office issued a notification announcing a press briefing concerning the latest espionage case set for 10 AM the next morning.

The media across Los Angeles and California erupted with excitement.

Had the previous espionage case not concluded before another was caught? Was it still related to Twitter?

...

In the Coast Building office, Hawke was in the midst of a video conference with Public Relations Director Hearst and Elizabeth Carter from the Peterson Consulting Company in Washington.

Elizabeth asked, "Have we confirmed it's a Russian spy?"

Hawke leaned back in his chair and replied, "It's 100% confirmed, directly linked to the Manhattan AI Project."

Hearst laughed, saying, "That's good news; it will certainly stir up more interest in the Manhattan AI Project."

Elizabeth added, "This significantly aids our lobbying efforts in Washington. The Russian side sending a second wave of spies targeting Twitter shows that The Manhattan AI Project has posed a tangible threat to the Russians."

Hawke clarified, "This is precisely why I called this meeting. After tomorrow's FBI press conference, we will integrate this case into our lobbying efforts."

Elizabeth replied bluntly, "Thanks to the Russian big shots for their assist."

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Hearst laughed heartily: "I've never found the Russians this endearing. I must raise a toast to them later."

Hawke chuckled too: "You'll have your chance. A pro-Western Russian bigshot is soon heading to the EU headquarters in Brussels for a visit. You might attend their reception banquet."

Elizabeth responded, "I'd rather stay in Washington and push for congressional representatives to express their outrage against the Russians."

Hawke then inquired about the progress of their lobbying work.

After securing support from Vice President Cheney, Elizabeth had also gained Johnny McCain's backing, and she had successfully communicated with several members of Congress.

They were currently preparing to approach Tom Emmer, the third-ranking Republican.

*****

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