Chapter 171: Walton: Money Really Can Do Anything! Chuck: What Did You Say?
"Huh? You really want me to go?"
Chandler was surprised to hear that they actually agreed.
They clearly wanted Chuck, so what was the point of him, an assistant who wasn't even involved in the case, going?
"You said it yourself."
After hanging up the phone, Chuck said matter-of-factly: "Anyone can smile and sleep well compared to you."
"I'll go with you."
Ross said instinctively.
Everyone looked over at him.
"...I mean, if Chandler feels uncomfortable going alone, as his best friend, of course I have to go with him."
Ross said stubbornly.
Of course, he couldn't admit that he wanted to see Amazing Amy.
"No!"
Chuck rejected him outright: "You're not my assistant. Chandler can go alone."
"Wouldn't I be uncomfortable going alone?"
Chandler used Ross's words to tease him.
"No,"
Chuck said firmly. "The Frosts are both total attention hogs. They dominate every conversation. Whether you're comfortable or not makes no difference to them."
"...That's me!"
Chandler's mouth twitched. He looked at everyone, pointed at himself, and said self-deprecatingly, "A professional comedian."
Chuck looked at him.
"You're not going right now, are you?"
Chandler finally caught on after being stared at for a moment.
"Of course now,"
Chuck said calmly. "Wait any longer, and there'll be no point in you going."
"Okay."
Chandler stood up, twisted his body, made an exaggerated funny face, and said self-deprecatingly as he headed for the door: "While I'm still useful~"
The Frost Residence
Outside, news vans were parked with cameras trained on the brownstone, ready to capture the latest breaking news.
"Thank you all for your hard work. Please, have some coffee."
Mr. Frost wheeled out a cart of refreshments, distributing them to the media reporters camped outside, gratitude written all over his face.
"Mr. Frost, you're so thoughtful."
The reporters, impressed by the Frosts' savvy media handling, happily accepted the offerings.
"Amy's rescue was largely due to your support,"
Mr. Frost said emotionally. "Without your continued coverage, the NYPD and the FBI wouldn't have solved this case so quickly."
The reporters were thrilled.
Although they had only learned about the story from the Frosts that morning, and Chuck had cracked the case by evening, and they had only arrived to witness the conclusion, they felt that Mr. Frost's words rang true. Without the fourth estate's oversight and pressure, how could law enforcement have solved the case so efficiently?
Chandler witnessed this scene as he arrived in a yellow cab. He was hesitating about how to approach when Mr. Frost spotted him. The man apologized to the reporters and stepped forward to greet him. "You must be Dr. Wolfe's assistant, right?"
Click! Click! Click!
The reporters' cameras immediately focused on Chandler, snapping away frantically.
"That's me."
Chandler, blinded by the camera flashes, blinked as Mr. Frost led him into the brownstone.
"How do you guys even stand this?"
Chandler grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"You get used to it."
Mr. Frost smiled and extended his hand. "What's your name?"
"Chandler,"
Chandler shook it, then, with a sudden thought, added, "Chandler Bing."
"Are you Nora's son?"
Mr. Frost stared at him in surprise.
"...I knew you'd figure it out."
Chandler's mouth twitched. "I was hoping you'd be like everyone else and not make the connection."
"Haha."
Mr. Frost chuckled noncommittally at Chandler's implicit suggestion that he didn't want him and Nora to have any special relationship. He gestured for Chandler to follow him upstairs and introduced him to the mother and daughter, "This is Dr. Wolfe's assistant, and Nora's son, Chandler Bing."
"You're Nora's son?"
Mrs. Frost couldn't help but scrutinize Chandler.
"I'm starting to wish I wasn't,"
Chandler said self-deprecatingly.
"Your mother has always been my idol."
Amy, pale and fragile-looking, smiled at Chandler. Despite feeling terrible, she still tried to make Chandler feel welcome, which immediately touched his heart.
"We're all practically family, so we'll just call you Chandler,"
Mrs. Frost said. "Chandler, how did you become Dr. Wolfe's assistant?"
"It's just part-time,"
Chandler said self-deprecatingly. "He said I have a natural talent for comedy, so he wants to develop it..."
"You really are very talented,"
Mr. Frost praised. "Dr. Wolfe has excellent judgment. Although this approach is unconventional, extraordinary people must have extraordinary methods, right?"
"Can you tell us what kind of person Dr. Wolfe is?"
Mrs. Frost asked.
"Of course."
Chandler said self-deprecatingly, "I actually came prepared for this."
Then he pulled out a large photo from his jacket, held it directly in front of his face, and said seriously, "I'm Chuck now. If you have anything you want to know, just ask."
He'd heard this idea from Monica about some genius at a psychiatric hospital who had someone help him attend social events by wearing a photo of his face as a mask.
Others thought it was weird. Although Chandler also thought it was strange, he found it hilarious. Now he had the opportunity to try it out himself.
"..."
The Frosts were speechless for a moment.
"You are you, and he is him."
Amazing Amy reached out to remove the large photo of Chuck and looked at Chandler sincerely. "I just want to know about the person who saved me. Don't get me wrong, I just, I just..."
At this, Amazing Amy shuddered slightly, turned away, and tears began streaming down her face.
"It's okay, it's really okay."
Seeing this, Chandler immediately put away Chuck's photo. "I'm used to people asking about him. I don't mind at all. You can ask me anything. I won't take it the wrong way."
"Really?"
Amazing Amy wiped her eyes, tears still welling up, and tried to smile bravely at Chandler.
"Absolutely!"
Chandler nodded emphatically.
As they spoke, the Frosts exchanged a glance and quietly slipped out, leaving the space to the two young people.
Downstairs in the Study
Mr. Frost sat at his desk with writing materials. Mrs. Frost approached with a baby monitor.
That's right! It was one of those baby monitors that American parents use when they want to keep tabs on their children without having them sleep in the master bedroom, which would interfere with their privacy. It worked like a walkie-talkie, but one-way. One unit goes in the child's room and the other in the parents' room. Any sound from the child's room can be heard in the parents' room, but not vice versa.
"It's a shame Dr. Wolfe didn't want to come himself, otherwise we'd get firsthand material from him,"
Mrs. Frost complained.
"It doesn't matter. We'll see him again in the future. Getting some information from Nora's son first isn't a bad start."
Mr. Frost smiled and said, "How about we play up Chandler and Amy's relationship first? Nora's famous enough to generate buzz."
"Won't work."
Mrs. Frost shook her head. "It's obvious that Chandler is gay. No one will buy a romance."
"You're right."
Mr. Frost thought about it and nodded in agreement. "But we could give Chandler a gay best friend storyline."
"We'll have to run this by Nora. She's no pushover,"
Mrs. Frost frowned. "If we promote this without her consent, she'll go nuclear."
Mr. Frost smiled knowingly. Someone who would say on live television, "I really enjoyed the chicken parm afterward," wouldn't hesitate to break industry protocol and say whatever she wanted if they crossed her. That would be extremely damaging to their carefully crafted image and the continued development of the "Amazing Amy" brand.
Well, at least not right now.
Things were going perfectly at the moment.
In the book series, Amazing Amy was just becoming an adult, about to start college. They could add some romantic elements and other plot developments, but the core story remained wholesome. It wasn't time for a major pivot.
Once Amazing Amy aged out of her innocent persona, as long as Nora's fame persisted, they could even deliberately provoke her into a publicity war.
Americans love a good celebrity feud.
The baby monitor crackled with conversation between Amazing Amy and Chandler. Hearing about Chuck's extensive dating life, Mr. Frost frowned. "I want to create a brooding super genius who secretly loves and protects Amazing Amy. He..."
"That's perfect, that's perfect!"
Mrs. Frost beamed. "A brilliant but emotionally unavailable super genius who secretly loves and protects Amazing Amy, but unable to win her heart, masks his true feelings behind his playboy lifestyle. This kind of character has real depth. We could even highlight the caliber of this super genius's romantic conquests. The more accomplished these women are, the more special Amazing Amy will seem by comparison!"
As the writing duo listened to Chandler's endless stories about Chuck through the baby monitor, they crafted their plot based on these revelations.
Amazing Amy's coming of age, her adventures, her kidnapping by a billionaire, the media circus, the police, the FBI, the BAU, and her rescue by the super-genius detective—they had every marketable angle covered.
Soon, the first draft of "The Adventures of Amazing Amy" was nearly complete. As seasoned professionals, with just a few finishing touches, they could capitalize on the current buzz and get it published.
A Few Days Later
Tuesday, March 17th
Monica's Apartment
"Why did they schedule the court date for today?"
Monica complained.
Today was Paige's surprise birthday party.
"No problem,"
Chuck said matter-of-factly. "We'll be back in time. As for the party prep, you won't let anyone else help anyway, will you?"
"..."
Monica paused, then said guiltily, "Not just anyone. If you wanted to help, I'd be happy to let you."
As someone with OCD and serious control issues, Monica loved being in charge. It was why she'd forced her roommate and best friend Phoebe to move out, and even fought with her new roommate and best friend Rachel. She was hosting a surprise birthday party for Paige, and everyone else had to follow her lead—no one dared interfere.
"You ready?"
Chandler strolled in wearing a suit.
"You're going too?"
Monica frowned.
"Of course I'm going,"
Chandler said self-deprecatingly. "I'm Detective Chuck's assistant and Amazing Amy's gay best friend!"
After some deliberate promotion by certain parties, Detective Chuck's reputation had finally gained traction. Chandler had initially worried that his close relationship with Amazing Amy would spark unnecessary gossip, but then he realized no one was even considering that possibility...
The reason was that everyone already knew about his orientation and had gotten used to it. He had that kind of vibe!
"Let's go!"
Chuck headed out with Chandler to the courthouse.
Manhattan Criminal Court
"Dr. Wolfe, you made it."
JJ, Gideon, and the others had already arrived. As key witnesses in the case, they all had to testify.
Chuck nodded.
"Hi, I'm Chandler, Chuck's assistant,"
Chandler introduced himself with a smile.
JJ smiled back at him, then, with a grave expression, whispered to Chuck, "The situation looks bad. Even though all the evidence points to Andy Walton as the mastermind, word is the judge might grant him bail."
"That's not surprising,"
Chuck said calmly.
American law favors the wealthy, and the bail system is designed exactly for that purpose. Anyone with money can post high bail and avoid jail time by simply putting up a large bond. This allows the rich to continue their comfortable lifestyles. It's not uncommon for those released on bail to immediately return to criminal activity, or even flee the country when the evidence is overwhelming. The so-called American rule of law, despite its global reach, has always been powerless against such criminals.
The courts actually prefer this approach. If these wealthy defendants skip town or violate their bail conditions, the hefty bonds they paid are forfeited. That's money in the bank!
Easy profit, right?
"So what do we do?"
JJ instinctively looked to Chuck. She'd already discussed this with her colleagues, but aside from increased surveillance, no one had any other ideas. She felt Chuck might have some unexpected yet effective solution.
"We'll see,"
Chuck said noncommittally.
A commotion erupted outside, and Amazing Amy entered with her parents, escorted by NYPD officers.
"Hello, Dr. Wolfe, I'm Amy."
Amazing Amy walked up to Chuck and, with her parents' introduction, extended her hand.
Chuck shook it.
After some brief pleasantries, everyone entered the courtroom.
Andy Walton, wearing his custom-tailored suit, entered under guard. He glanced at Amazing Amy, then at Chuck and the others, a smug smile playing on his lips.
His legal team had changed. It was no longer Harvey from Suits, nor anyone from Pearson Hardman. Whether it was because Pearson Hardman specialized in corporate law rather than criminal defense, or because Harvey had been fired for some ethical breach, was unclear.
From the start, the defense attorneys began systematically discrediting the key witness—the security chief—proving from every angle that he was a pathological liar with contradictory testimony that couldn't be trusted.
JJ grew anxious. If the opposing lawyers succeeded, they would lose their most compelling direct evidence proving Andy Walton was the mastermind.
Andy Walton could easily claim that he had just returned home and was unaware of the situation, and that this "misunderstanding" had occurred before he could rescue Amazing Amy, who had been imprisoned in his basement by the rogue security chief.
Amazing Amy, as the victim, couldn't single-handedly prove his malicious intent. Moreover, given her traumatic state, the frightened Amazing Amy might have psychological issues and could have misinterpreted his actions.
As for Chuck and the three investigators, they hadn't witnessed the entire incident and might have jumped to conclusions about his intentions.
They were simply well-meaning but mistaken, and he would graciously forgive them.
Unfortunately, this security chief—trusted by a billionaire to handle his dirty work—was a complete disaster. The defense attorneys picked apart every detail, leaving the security chief speechless and agreeing to whatever the opposing counsel suggested.
"The court orders: Release on bail pending trial. Bail set at $5 million!"
the judge announced his final ruling.
After the proceedings, the jury was dismissed. Andy Walton approached with a smile, addressing the group, "I forgive all of you."
"Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have money! We will see justice done!"
JJ glared at him furiously.
Andy Walton exchanged a satisfied look with his expensive attorney, then looked at JJ and said smugly, "Sorry, but money really can do whatever I want!"
He ignored JJ, whose face had gone white with rage, and glanced at Chuck, sneering, "Detective Chuck?"
While in custody, he naturally hadn't been completely cut off from the outside world. He'd been keeping close tabs on Chuck—the man who had ruined his plans and captured him—and was well aware that Chuck had earned the nickname "Detective."
Just as they were about to leave, an assistant hurried over and whispered something to the lawyer. The attorney's face changed, and he muttered, "Are you sure?"
"What's wrong?"
Andy Walton frowned.
"Mr. Walton, we have a financial problem."
The lawyer hesitated and said, "If you can't post the $5 million bail, I'm afraid you won't be leaving anytime soon."
"What?"
Andy Walton was stunned, then laughed, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
How could he, a billionaire, not be able to come up with a measly $5 million?
He'd only been in jail for a few days, not completely isolated from the world.
"It's true!"
The lawyer's expression darkened. "I'm hearing that massive short positions were taken against your company's stock, causing a complete collapse... Do you have access to other funds?"
Andy Walton's face went ashen.
Chuck looked at him calmly: "What did you say?"
"He said that money really can do whatever you want~"
Chandler chimed in mockingly: "I think he makes an excellent point, but unfortunately he left out the most important part... 'I'm rich~'"
Andy Walton: "..."
(End of Chapter)
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Review!
P*atreon/Soulforger (50+ advanced chapters)
Buy me coffee - ko-fi*com/soulforger01