The thorough deep cleaning of the apartment took Hunter nearly an hour.
However, the time wasn't wasted.
An hour later, Hunter went downstairs to throw away the bagged trash.
Upon returning to the apartment, his face remained calm and unchanged.
But inside, he was seething with rage.
"One camera, four bugs."
"I'm being watched. Who is it?"
During the hour-long cleanup, Hunter confirmed that his earlier suspicions weren't just paranoia.
His home had definitely been broken into within the last ten days.
And the intruder hadn't been there long.
Judging by the signs, it likely happened within the last two or three days.
While cleaning, he noticed the dust distribution on the floor and appliances. Some areas were thick with dust, while others were cleaner, revealing faint traces left by the intruder.
If Hunter guessed correctly, there was only one intruder, likely male.
He found two faint footprints in the dust—one under a cabinet and one under the fridge.
The footprint was about a size 44 (US size 10.5), significantly larger than Hunter's feet, and the tread pattern was different from any shoe Hunter owned.
Inside his home, an extremely inconspicuous camera had been installed, aimed at his living room.
There were also four listening devices: one in a kitchen cabinet, one under the fridge, one sewn into the sofa, and one taped under the bed slats in the bedroom.
The placement of these bugs was tricky—hidden, yet positioned in the best spots to gather intelligence within the apartment.
Whoever installed them was clearly a professional.
If Hunter's five attributes weren't more than double that of a normal human, and if he hadn't been searching so meticulously, he likely would never have found these hidden devices.
"Who could it be?"
After "cleaning" the house, Hunter sat down on the sofa—right on top of one of the bugs—and began to think seriously.
He had offended quite a few people in the past few months.
However, Hunter had always been cautious.
Although he had crossed several factions, the only ones who might suspect him were the FBI and the LAPD.
As for the Russian mob behind Moscow Nights in Boston... even if they knew what he looked like, they couldn't have found him this quickly.
When he went to Boston, he used fake identities for everything from plane tickets to hotel check-ins.
Even if the Russians suspected him, they couldn't have tracked him down here and installed surveillance so fast.
Besides, he didn't believe those Russians would use such "gentle" methods if they found him.
"So, the ones watching me must be the FBI or the LAPD."
"Planting cameras and bugs... that fits their modus operandi."
The reason the FBI and LAPD would target him undoubtedly had to do with Dom Toretto.
The only thing Hunter couldn't be sure of was Dom's current situation.
He realized he couldn't visit Dom for the time being. If he was being watched by the feds or the police, then Dom's crew was likely already fully exposed.
However, regarding the evidence the authorities wanted...
The shipment of stolen electronics Dom's crew had hijacked was already fenced by Hunter in Boston.
In the US, it was easy to convict the poor without much evidence.
But convicting the rich without solid proof was difficult.
Dom's crew wasn't short on money. So, without concrete evidence, even the FBI and LAPD would struggle to make charges stick.
Dom had been under FBI surveillance for a while.
And Hunter likely entered their radar when he posted bail for Dom's crew earlier.
Thinking about it this way, everything seemed to make sense.
But as his brain raced, another possibility suddenly struck him.
"I almost forgot!"
"There is one more possibility."
"Stella might have exposed me. Or maybe Charlie Croker and his crew suspect me!"
Hunter had been incredibly careful when stealing Steve's gold.
So careful that, for over ten days after the heist, Charlie and his team likely didn't even know someone had beaten them to it.
But later, driven by the desire to level up his [Lockpicking] skill—and lust for her body—he had saved Stella.
In doing so, he not only exposed himself but also let the beautiful safecracker know the truth about her situation.
During the ten days he spent with Stella, Hunter realized something.
Stella was indeed one of the world's top safecrackers, and she was smart.
But perhaps she spent too much time practicing locks and studying... she lacked street smarts.
After Hunter killed Steve and avenged her father...
When he faced the passionate Stella that night, he discovered she was still a "virgin" (inexperienced/pure).
Recall the plot of The Italian Job: Stella was easily manipulated by Charlie into joining his team.
Later, she was caught by Steve, exposing herself and Charlie's crew.
Hunter suddenly felt that after Stella returned...
If Charlie and his team found her and asked how she escaped Steve, they might have intentionally tricked the information out of her, inadvertently exposing Hunter.
Charlie had been stealing across the globe for decades.
He had only ever been outsmarted twice: once by his own man, Steve, and once by the transmigrator, Hunter.
Charlie was not only meticulous but brilliantly clever.
Then there was Handsome Rob from Charlie's team. That guy was an ace driver and pilot—cars, boats, helicopters, he could drive anything.
And Rob was a playboy, an expert at handling women.
With those two involved, Hunter wouldn't be surprised if Stella was tricked into revealing him.
So, after reviewing the suspects...
Hunter realized he had three potential targets monitoring him.
The most likely and dangerous was the FBI.
Next was Charlie Croker's crew.
Hunter didn't remove the cameras and bugs immediately, fearing he would alert the enemy.
But whoever was watching him, it wasn't good news.
He knew he had to identify the hidden observer quickly and eliminate the threat.
"Looks like I'll be busy for a while."
At this thought, Hunter felt an uncontrollable excitement rising in his heart.
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