"What are you afraid of?" Carter turned confidently, then waved the gun around as if showing off a new toy. "Look. It's all still under my control!"
The next second, Carter's confident expression froze.
"Be careful, it could go off accidentally," Lance replied, quickly swatting the gun barrel aside and stepping forward, like a magician dismissing danger with a single hand movement.
"Hey, don't be tense!" Lee's face turned pale. He hurriedly raised his hands and tried to smile as if everything was fine, even though it clearly wasn't.
Swiftly, Lee pulled Consul Han behind him. Lee's eyes never left Lance, scanning the man's movements warily.
Consul Han stepped half a step forward, narrowing his eyes, his tone sharp, "Are you the one who kidnapped Soo Yung? What do you really want?"
"Ah, this is just a misunderstanding." Lance smiled casually as he holstered his weapon, raising both hands slightly. "My name is Lance White. My aunt, August Wu, heard that Consul Han was in trouble. So, she sent me to help."
Consul Han looked confused for a moment. "You... are the nephew of Adam Gulliver and Miss August Wu?"
"Yes." Lance nodded. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips. Then, without turning around, Lance suddenly elbowed backward. Carter, who was trying to ambush Lance from the side, was sent flying 360 degrees in the air, landing hard on the sofa like a sack of rice thrown carelessly.
Lee gaped. "Wow... truly a master!"
"Excuse me." Lance bowed politely to Lee, full of etiquette and honor. "You are Officer Lee, right? I've heard a lot about you from Aunt Wu. She said you are the most honest and dedicated police officer on Hong Kong Island."
"Thank you," Lee replied stiffly. He forced a smile, but his thoughts were elsewhere. Lee's eyes were still restless, filled with worry.
Not without reason. Lee had a close relationship with Consul Han, and more than that—Lee was the teacher of Soo Yung, the little girl who was now missing. And for Lee, that student was like his own child.
Consul Han stepped forward. His voice was filled with concern. "Mr. Gulliver told me that you have a special ability in tracking people. I wonder if..."
"Don't move!!"
"Don't move!!!"
The shouts from outside broke the tension. All heads turned in unison.
After Lance dispelled his magic, the flock of attacking birds flew away one by one, like dusk sweeping the sky with its lonely wings. The embarrassed FBI agents, like a disoriented troop, hurried back, stumbling, and when they saw the unfamiliar figure of Lance, they immediately surrounded him again, forming a tight circle as if it were a defensive tactic.
Consul Han hurriedly interjected, his voice anxious yet trying to sound reassuring, "Mr. Ross, this is just another misunderstanding. This is Mr. Lance, the assistant I invited to help."
Ross, the stern and relentless leader of the FBI team, snorted angrily. "Consul Han, how many assistants are going to show up this time?" His voice trembled with annoyance.
Consul Han remained calm despite his blank expression, looking like someone used to sharp questions. "Mr. Lance is very skilled at finding people. I believe his presence will be very helpful in locating Soo Yung."
Ross, who seemed uninterested in anything other than methods he deemed effective, scoffed. "Consul Han, compared to some police officers or private detectives, I think the FBI's methods are far more useful!"
Carter, who always longed for a chance to disrupt the atmosphere, casually rubbed his waist and then stood up with a huff. "No need for the FBI, no need for private detectives. Lee and I can handle it ourselves!"
Ross glared at Carter with a sharp look, as if trying to penetrate the wall of rudeness that Carter had built. "Officer Carter, you should focus on that G14 mission. That's your job."
The highly classified G14 mission seemed to be the FBI's way of keeping Lee out of the main issue. They didn't want the Hong Kong police involved, and of course, they didn't want the Los Angeles police causing a ruckus. With a dreadful name, the mission was intended to restrain Carter's freedom to keep him alert. However, the rule-breaking Carter immediately began his own investigation after picking up Lee at the airport. Worried, Lee eventually found a way to get rid of Carter, going to the consulate alone, and then had a fierce argument with the FBI agents.
"Hahaha, I love this secret G14 mission the most," Carter muttered with an unmistakable sarcasm on his face. "Now I will report to the director..." Carter said while picking up the phone on the table, pretending to make a call, even though the voice on the other end spoke calmly.
"Are you FBI?" the voice on the other end asked in a threatening tone.
"What do you mean?" Carter was startled, but quickly replied, "I am FBI!"
"If you want the girl, just listen to me!" The kidnapper's voice added to the tension, making the atmosphere in the room even more oppressive.
Ross reached out, intending to snatch the phone from Carter, but Carter, with quick steps, ran around the table. Ross had no choice but to give up and let Carter act as the unauthorized operator.
"I'm listening. I'll grab a pen," Carter said casually, though the tension in the air was becoming increasingly palpable.
"The ransom is 50 million US dollars, to be paid by 11 PM tonight."
"50 million dollars?" Carter scoffed, his face full of mockery. "Do you think the person you kidnapped is Chelsea Clinton's daughter?"
The kidnapper ignored Carter's comment and continued, "Remember, I want all old bills. 20 million in 50-dollar bills, 20 million in 20-dollar bills, and the last 10 million in 10-dollar bills."
"Fifty dollars, twenty dollars, ten dollars... what about five-dollar bills?" Carter kept teasing, unable to hold back.
Carter's incessant interruptions caused the kidnapper to pause for a moment, then the person asked firmly, "What's your name?"
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