Chapter 421: Metropolis Suspicion (5) (Patreon)

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"Mayor White was shot and the perpetrator shot him in the head before throwing him down from the atrium."

In the banquet hall, everyone was escorted by agents to the wall and stood in a row. Only Benjamin stood in the center of the hall, reporting Mayor White's cause of death in a somewhat indifferent tone.

He stated many obvious situations, so everyone's faces were a bit impatient. However, worse news was waiting for them.

"I have just received orders from my superiors. In order to prevent large-scale spy assassination activities like last time from happening again, I need to ensure the safety of all important figures on the East Coast."

"From now on, no one is allowed to leave the mayor's mansion. Special agents will arrange for you to rest in different guest rooms later..."

The crowd was in an uproar, but just as they were about to loudly accuse Benjamin of being audacious, his next words poured cold water on everyone.

"I think everyone should have heard about the recent Philby case from the broadcast. You may think that those critics who say there is a bigger conspiracy behind it are talking nonsense, but I can tell you that it is not the case."

"Kim Philby, a Soviet spy who infiltrated MI6 and held a high position, left behind an important list of Soviet spies infiltrating the intelligence network in Europe and America before his death. We call it the 'Philby List'."

"According to reliable sources, this list was handed over by Philby to a mysterious agent who had been in contact with him. In years of investigation, some clues pointed to the East Coast of the United States."

The heated discussion in the field gradually quieted down. Everyone knew that at this time, once this issue was involved, anyone could be a target, regardless of how much wealth, status, or fame they had.

Benjamin's gaze swept across the field, and his oppressive gaze made no one willing to meet his eyes. He continued:

"In recent years, the frequent spy murders on the East Coast are not accidental. Federal authorities have discovered that there is indeed a mysterious spy intelligence network here, and the person who organized and built this network is likely the mysterious agent who obtained the Philby List."

"I regret to inform you that..." Benjamin's voice became colder and his tone became lower, as if he was announcing a death notice. He said, "According to our years of investigation, that mysterious agent is likely in a high position, which means that he is likely one of you."

"I'm sorry, everyone, but I have to say that you are all suspects, so you must stay and cooperate with the investigation."

"So, are you going to lock us up and interrogate us?" Bruce crossed his arms and said coldly, "Do you know that I have two parties to attend tomorrow night and a game to watch the day after tomorrow..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne, but this is an order from above. I cannot disobey it." Benjamin's tone towards Bruce was still polite, or rather, he was also wary of true behemoths like the Luther Group and Wayne Group...

Although he also knew that Bruce Wayne was unlikely to be a spy, the news that the president of the country was a spy was more convincing than the news that the Wayne heir being a spy.

Bruce seemed very irritable, and his attitude made the others also a little restless. They all knew that neither the CIA nor the FBI had a good way to deal with the Wayne Group. If Bruce could stand up and speak, maybe they wouldn't have to be locked up here.

At this moment, Lionel stood up. He still maintained that smile and said, "Everyone, calm down. Mayor White was just killed, and no one knows if it was the work of a spy..."

"We are all gathered here, and there are agents around. The spy wouldn't dare to make another move in a short period of time. But if everyone disperses and takes their own transportation home, no one knows if the killer will target someone who is alone."

"You have all achieved your current status and reputation through a lot of hard work. If all of this is turned into nothing because of some careless behavior, it will not only be a tragedy for yourselves, but also a loss for the East Coast cities and the entire federation..."

Langner walked to the center of the field and looked at Benjamin. "I think the head of the agency will assure us that our privacy will not be violated and that they will do their best to protect our safety, right?"

Benjamin crossed his arms. "I've already said this isn't forced censorship, just a measure to keep us contained during this special time. There are plenty of supplies in the mayor's mansion. Once the results of the external investigation are confirmed, you will be free to leave."

Upon hearing that they only had one night, many people softened their attitudes. Langner asked Benjamin, "We won't be locked in our rooms, right? As long as we don't leave the mayor's mansion, we should be free to go wherever we want, right?"

Benjamin didn't answer, just nodded and said, "You better not wander around. If there really is a spy among you, we won't be able to protect you if they attack someone who is alone."

"You mean the spy might attack us? What should we do? If he comes into my room and shoots at me, how can I avoid it?"

"You're the Federal Bureau of Investigation, right? I pay so much in taxes every year, why don't you take responsibility for our safety?!"

Bruce interrupted the group's questioning and complaining. He waved his hand impatiently and turned to walk up the stairs. "Waiter, bring me some wine. It's a terrible night without it..."

After he finished speaking, he put his arm around Selina's waist and walked up the stairs. Selina also smiled and teased him.

Everyone was used to Bruce's ridiculous behavior and words. They all knew that Wayne was a playboy who didn't study.

Moreover, Bruce was only 19 years old this year. You couldn't expect a 19-year-old child to be overly cautious. The restless people saw Bruce's attitude of living for today and sighed with envy and jealousy.

After most of the people went upstairs, Schiller also followed the crowd. A female agent led him to his room and tried to talk to him along the way.

"I guess you will assign a special agent to each person to get close to them and gather intelligence. What do you want to ask?" Schiller said straightforwardly to the female agent named Kayla.

"You can call me Kayla. You don't seem to be very opposed to agents. Have you ever worked with us before?"

"Of course, I have participated in cases where FBI agents were involved in the investigation. I have worked with them before."

Kayla's expression seemed a bit unnatural. She said, "Yes, sometimes we are also responsible for solving some difficult cases."

"To be honest, your colleagues are not very serious when investigating cases. They won't circle around the body, only holding a notebook and asking questions. They are only useful when applying for a search warrant or conducting a forced search."

"This is the nature of our work."

"But this cannot conceal the fact that your investigation level is very poor. The efficiency of solving cases is low, there are too many formalities, and some people have many bad habits and waste time..."

Kayla perfunctorily agreed and listened to Schiller scolding FBI agents all the way. She couldn't find a chance to interrupt.

When Schiller opened the door to his room, he went in but didn't close the door. He said to Kayla, "Miss Kayla, I can tell that you haven't been with the Central Intelligence Agency for very long..."

"I... What? I'm from the Federal Bureau of Investigation!"

"Is that so? If you really are an agent from the FBI, when I say the words 'your investigative abilities are like dog shit,' you should have pulled out your gun and pointed it at my head."

Kayla glared at Schiller, and Schiller smiled and said, "You probably haven't experienced the benefits of having law enforcement authority within the federal territory, so you can't imitate their arrogance."

"Anyway, thank you for bringing me here. If you have any questions or troubles to solve, I welcome you to come find me. But for now, goodnight."

After saying that, the door slammed shut. Kayla stared at the door for a while, and just as she was about to turn around and leave, there was a creaking sound, and the door opened again. Kayla turned back and saw that Schiller had stuck a piece of paper on the door, which read "Do Not Disturb."

"I was just being polite earlier, don't misunderstand." Schiller said, and the door closed again.

On the other side, in Bruce's room, where there was just laughter and conversation, as soon as they entered the room, they paused for a moment and then began searching the room in perfect harmony.

"The quality of the bed sheets is good enough. It can cover our range down to the first floor." Selina lifted the pillows and blankets, pulling down the bedsheet as she spoke.

Bruce took out a razor from the en-suite bathroom connected to the master bedroom and said, "I can dismantle a part from here to pick the lock. After all, if we break through the main door, it will be easily noticed."

Saying that, he walked to the window and looked down, saying, "It seems like they have arranged some dangerous individuals on the higher floors, including Professor Schiller. Perhaps they think we pose no threat, so they only placed us on the fourth floor..."

Selina twisted the bedsheet into a rope while saying, "We need to get our equipment, but when we come back, you shouldn't be wearing your combat suit. Otherwise, it will be too obvious."

"I know that. I don't intend to turn this place into an arena. On the contrary, I want to see what they're up to." Bruce squinted his eyes and looked at the agents patrolling the yard.

After a while, Selina finished her task and joined Bruce on the balcony. She looked left and right at the patrol routes of the agents and said with some confusion, "Where are these agents from? I feel like they're not even as good as Gotham's gangs."

"You see, there's a blind spot in their patrol right there, next to the flower bed... If I climb up the pine tree and jump down, they probably won't notice."

"And there, those two people turn around at the same time, with their timing so close. I could even charge straight through..."

Selina frowned, full of disdain, and said, "Even the notorious gang leaders in the East District wouldn't set up such a poorly guarded patrol route. Otherwise, I would have already stolen everything from their mansion."

Bruce sighed helplessly. He was about to say something when Selina turned around and said, "The plan has changed. They are too amateurish. You don't need to go out. I'll just bring back the equipment for you."

Bruce opened his mouth in surprise. It was the first time he heard someone offer to take care of everything for him during a mission. But Selina waved her hand nonchalantly, and after a moment of thought, Bruce said, "Alright, the key to the helicopter is..."

Selina turned around, sweetly smiled at Bruce, and then flicked her right hand. A key with a keychain appeared at her fingertips. She said, "It's right here... along with your heart."

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 422: Metropolis Doubts (6)