Not long after, a skinny, middle-aged Asian man in a suit and tie, with a serious expression, appeared at the hotel, accompanied by an embassy military attaché.
The embassy military attaché briefly exchanged pleasantries with the FBI agents, returned their weapons and credentials, and hurriedly departed, leaving behind a business card.
The skinny, middle-aged Asian man introduced himself as Kim Jun-ho, a prosecutor in the Foreign Affairs Division of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office. This surprised Jack somewhat.
He had assumed that since the FBI had the investigative authority for this case, they would at best send a senior inspector or something to assist, with the prosecutor's turn only coming to the scene when the final hurdles were resolved.
He hadn't expected this prosecutor to be so hands-on, coming to them immediately.
However, despite his appearance, Kim Jun-ho wore a reluctance. Whether intentional or due to his height, he stood erect, his small frame giving off a look of contempt.
Jack wondered if this person knew Fish Leong. Otherwise, who had given him the courage to defy the FBI?
While the FBI, unlike the CIA, faced numerous restrictions and generally needed to maintain a low profile, that was only done with allied nations. Could a major power in the universe be considered an ally?
Even the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China before 1949 didn't pay for the military expenses of the concessions. Yet, over the past decade, the annual military expenditures of the major power in the universe have been around $800 million, and recently it had risen to over $1 billion. The fact that
a low-ranking prosecutor from a protectorate dared to act like this in front of the FBI was practically infuriating.
Jubal's expression was also dismal. He simply skipped the pleasantries and took the USB drive offered to him, handing it to Alice, who was holding a laptop.
Alice opened the USB drive on her computer and found a video file. Kim Junho, still stern, introduced the matter in English with a slight Korean accent.
"Our medical examiner found a nightclub stamp on the back of the body's hand, and the police traced it to the nightclub, 'Xueliang.' The nightclub's surveillance system is very sophisticated, so we can clearly trace Jessica's movements on the night of her disappearance."
Alice opened the video file. In the center of the flickering dance floor, Jessica Townsend, dressed in cool clothes and heavily made-up, was vigorously swaying her slender waist. A group of young girls dressed similarly gathered around her.
These girls seemed to have different skin colors and nationalities, but they all had one thing in common: youth, beauty, and amazing bodies.
"Are these girls dancing with her the same nightclub companions she went with?" Jubal asked with a frown.
Despite his somewhat awkward demeanor, Kim Junho maintained a businesslike demeanor, answering every question. "No, my people went to her residence and asked, and her friends told the police she likes to go out alone."
The video, spliced together from multiple surveillance cameras, follows Jessica Townsend throughout the entire process. A man dressed as a waiter enters the dance floor and roughly escorts her off to a nearby booth.
Three young, well-dressed Koreans sit in the booth. The one at the head table briefly exchanges words with Jessica Townsend before placing his hand on her thigh, which is exposed beneath her skirt.
"Okay, can you explain this to me?" Aubrey, a former club prince and bromantic tycoon, finds the scene incomprehensible.
Jin Junhao's face was a little strange. "This is the rule of the local nightclub. These men sit down and order a bottle of expensive wine. When they take a fancy to a woman, the waiter will call her over."
"Why? Is this forced?" Not to mention Aubrey, everyone, including the three female FBI agents present, expressed their confusion.
"It's not forced. These beautiful girls are free to spend in the nightclub. They know very well what they are doing." Jin Junhao's expression was quite difficult to describe.
Jack curled his lips. He roughly understood what was going on. "It seems that Jessica Townsend has some other part-time jobs besides teaching English locally. Maybe she is raising some money for her graduation trip."
How do those girls on budget trips manage to travel the world without spending a penny? This is the answer.
"Okay, then she needs to be reclassified as high-risk. Have you investigated the identities of these three men?" Hannah asked with a pout.
"No, it's not what you think." Kim Junho shook his head and motioned for Alice to continue playing the video. "Just keep watching and you'll see."
Sure enough, the surveillance video showed Jessica Townsend chatting and laughing naturally with three well-dressed men until a white man suddenly entered the frame and pushed his way in front of her.
It was obvious that the two knew each other. Although the video wasn't clear enough to make out the details of Jessica Townsend's expression, her body language clearly expressed resistance.
Clay began applying his recent analysis. "Hands folded over her chest, shaking her hair. She's nervous, and her resistance is obvious."
Soon, Jessica Townsend and the suddenly appearing white man disappeared from the camera, and the surveillance video ended.
"I personally went to the nightclub to investigate. I questioned the waiter and doorman on duty that night. The waiter confirmed that Jessica Townsend was alone with this man for several minutes.
According to the doorman's recollection, the man stormed out of the club first. Shortly thereafter, Jessica Townsend also left alone, around 10 PM. She has not been seen since."
Kim Junho said, looking at the FBI agents. "This unidentified white male has been designated the prime suspect. However, according to the higher-ups, it's your job to find him."
It seemed they were being treated like they were being taken advantage of. It dawned on everyone: no wonder the prosecutor had such a sour face from the start.
Jack wanted to tell him they were also being forced into this job, but after thinking about it, he didn't bother explaining. There wasn't much mutual understanding in the adult world.
The prosecutor was now serving as a liaison to the FBI. After all, his primary contact was Jubal, not Jack, so a simple sour face wasn't a big deal.
If the other party doesn't cooperate properly in subsequent operations, they'll simply be replaced. The FBI has a responsibility to uphold the long-standing, fatherly, and filial relationship between the two countries.
Jubal then made personnel arrangements. He, Jiejie, and Hannah accompanied Prosecutor Kim Junho to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to investigate any recent similar cases. Jack and Clay went to the morgue to examine the bodies, while Aubrey and Alice searched for a suitable accommodation nearby.
Since joining the FBI, Clay has been eager to learn and has made rapid progress. After all, in other departments, a single case might take months, unlike the frequent encounters with homicides in the Most Wanted Unit.
Combining theory with practice makes it difficult to slow down your growth. The only practical experience he lacks now is autopsies.
Jack is only a novice in this area. After all, forensic science relies heavily on experience. Although he has cheat codes and a wealth of theoretical knowledge, his personal experience in autopsies is limited.
Some things are unknowable until you encounter them. No amount of theoretical knowledge is as good as dissecting 100 corpses yourself. Jack, however, didn't regret it, nor did he have the motivation to further his studies.
After all, his name was Jack Tawler, not Hannibal Lecter. He was more interested in food than in dissecting corpses, and he didn't want to be associated too much with the profession of forensic medicine, as it would seriously affect the mood of those who enjoyed his food.
(End of this chapter)