Chapter 235: Tip-off
Sheldon's drama didn't last a full day, as he ended up having a burst of inspiration and solved the problem on his own.
Although Ron didn't know much about science, he remembered that this time, Sheldon still didn't win the Nobel Prize, and not even the MacArthur Genius Grant, which he mentioned in a casual tone but with envy written all over his face.
Maybe it was because there were too many brilliant scientists this year? In any case, as long as Sheldon stopped running around like a maniac, Ron would have a much easier time, so Ron had time to chat with Toretto again.
"Toretto, I heard that there have been a lot of luxury car thefts in Los Angeles recently. It's probably some shady dealership owner who lures naive young people into taking out loans for luxury cars, then sends people to repo the vehicles when they can't make payments. This situation has nothing to do with you, right?"
Well, although it was just a chat, Ron was actually fishing for information.
"No, this has nothing to do with me," Toretto rolled out from under the car: "I'm still running this auto shop purely as a hobby. You know how much money I have. It's not worth it for me to bother with that kind of chump change."
"That's true," Ron nodded in agreement: "I just want to remind you, if you plan to do any jobs recently, don't forget to give me a heads up, and remember to pay your taxes when it's done."
In the Brazil operation, Ron and Toretto's crew made a total of 100 million dollars. The money they scored was enough for Toretto to live the high life for the rest of his days.
Ron handed Toretto a bottle of Corona and cracked open a Lone Star beer, clinking bottles with him. Ever since Ron became a regular at Toretto's garage, he always kept at least a half-dozen Lone Star beers in his fridge. "This way, my IRS Special Operations Team will have enough leverage to protect you, understand?"
"Don't worry, I'll report any activities to you immediately." Toretto drained the beer in one gulp and said contentedly, "But if you're interested in this case, you can check out the dealership across the street.
There's an African American guy named Franklin over there who seems pretty skilled. If it were the old days, I might have recruited him to work in my shop."
Work in your shop? Wouldn't that mean joining you in the car theft ring? However, Ron still silently memorized the name, perhaps he'd have the opportunity to meet him in the future.
Ron caught Toretto's hint immediately, but he wasn't interested at all. "No, as long as this case has nothing to do with you, I'm even less interested in it."
"It's just that that big guy Hobbs seems to have his eye on this case. Word is it's connected to one of his agents, and he plans to use this opportunity to clean house."
"I get it. The Bureau's reputation hasn't been stellar lately." Toretto grabbed another bottle from the fridge and drank it, shaking his head.
"Really? What other dirt do they have? You can brighten my day. As an IRS agent, nothing makes me happier than watching other federal agencies screw up." Ron gloated.
"I just heard that some FBI agents are mixed up in drug trafficking. Just yesterday, an FBI agent's car jacked a college kid's ride not far from my shop and stole the narcotics the kids had just scored."
"Maybe next time you can record it for me, and I can show it to Hobbs at the next inter-agency meeting." Ron glanced up at the clock hanging in the garage. "Alright, it's time. I'm heading out now. We'll talk next time. I have to go escort my princess to her TV appearance now."
In two hours, Caroline and the vindictive woman who published a tell-all book smearing Mr. Channing would face off on the show. Ron had agreed to accompany them.
...
At a CNN studio in Los Angeles, Caroline was starting to get nervous.
"Ron, I don't know if I can handle that malicious woman. What if everything she says is true? She does know I have a pink canopy bed. How did she know that?"
"Because the whole world knows Barbie has a pink convertible, a pink pony, and a pink canopy bed. It was in the last birthday present I gave my niece Lily. You can relax."
"There he is! There he is! The actual Piers Morgan!" Caroline excitedly grabbed Max's hand.
"Do you think it would be inappropriate for me to ask him for a discount at his furniture store right now?" But Max's focus was slightly different.
Ron pulled out a business card and stuffed it into Max's hand: "It wouldn't be inappropriate at all if you took my business card and asked him, although I don't think your studio apartment looks like it can fit more furniture."
"He looks quite distinguished, he probably won't ask about the measurements," Caroline was obviously not on the same wavelength as the other two, but she still chatted with them: "What if he asks? I'm so scared, Ron."
"Hand me the phone, you just need to stay strong." Max pushed Caroline forward encouragingly.
"Okay, stay calm, stay calm, I can do this." Caroline psyched herself up and walked forward.
As soon as she left, Max nudged Ron with her elbow: "Hey, Sir Knight of Princess Barbie, you must be ready to defend the princess, right?"
"Yes," Ron nodded: "Although the old king isn't under this knight's protection, consider it a value-added service."
Max's eyes lit up. She knew that Ron always had tricks up his sleeve: "So what do you plan to do?"
"What do you think about me hiring a few adult entertainment workers to publicly protest the false claims in her book? I can also get someone to Photoshop a few pictures, and guarantee they'll look just like the ones in those movies you usually watch."
"You truly are a guardian knighttsk"
"Hey, I'm your guardian knight too, you know?" Ron took advantage of the moment when no one was watching and kissed Max on the lips: "As long as you need my help with anything, I'll definitely help you.
Even if someone should be jealous, it should be me, right? I always feel like you're a little too concerned about Mr. Channing's affairs."
"I just think he's a good man and shouldn't be treated like this," Max said, skillfully unlocking Caroline's phone. "Look, this is him working with UNICEF, this is him raising money for underprivileged kids in Detroit, this is him doing the Polar Bear Plunge for charity, and look at that smile... Wait!"
Max's hand, scrolling through the photos, suddenly froze, a look of shock on her face.
(End of chapter)
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