If George didn't have a little bit of cunning, he certainly wouldn't have become a Captain in the NYPD.
By noon, all of New York City was in an uproar once again.
The news that the textile mill on the edge of the city was actually a front for an assassin organization spread throughout the entire city in record time.
The media was instantly electrified. The public flocked online to follow every detail. Those involved, however, were shaking in their boots.
Especially after hearing that the NYPD had recovered a ledger from the mill, those clients who had once placed orders with the Fraternity felt their hearts sink into their stomachs.
The current Mayor was no exception.
The moment he learned of the situation, he reached for his phone to call the precinct.
*Bang!*
"Mr. Allen."
Three federal agents in suits and sunglasses pushed the doors open, stepping into the office and flashing their badges. "FBI. Please come with us."
Allen: "..."
The FBI had actually been brought into the fold after the leading mayoral contender, Ms. Casey, met with George and Beckett.
George and Beckett had been confused at first, but Ms. Casey had simply smiled and said, "The NYPD has successfully dismantled an assassin organization. That is already a massive achievement."
George and Beckett realized the implication almost simultaneously.
Dismantling the textile mill was the NYPD's credit—period. Otherwise, how could they explain it to the public? Tell the people of New York that a single man broke in and wiped out the entire place alone?
The public wouldn't believe it.
Furthermore, telling the truth would incite mass panic.
By framing it this way, the NYPD could not only emerge from the recent crisis unscathed but also be hailed as heroes. It was also time to let other agencies get a piece of the action. You couldn't let the NYPD hog all the glory.
Moreover...
Regarding that ledger, if the NYPD handled it alone under George's leadership, it would bring a lethal amount of heat down on his head.
So, they showed their hand.
Enter the FBI.
On that day, the agents of the FBI's New York field office were out in full force, making arrests based on the list. By 2:00 PM, a joint press conference was held with the NYPD.
The residents of New York were so shocked by the steady stream of revelations that they barely had an appetite for dinner.
First, the NYPD informed them that the mill under their noses was a den of killers. This morning, elite tactical units engaged in a massive firefight and wiped the organization out with zero casualties.
Then, the FBI jumped in, stating that during the joint operation, they found a ledger and had successfully arrested over a dozen suspects, including the Mayor and the head of the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau.
They were already working with the District Attorney's office to organize the evidence, and public indictments would be filed within days.
Good grief! No wonder that mill stayed open for so long—even the Mayor was a customer!
As for the Sin Hunter?
He was completely erased from the narrative. Even Locke's kidnapping case cooled down rapidly under the shadow of these back-to-back bombshells.
Watching the live broadcast on TV, Locke took a sip of bourbon.
He never intended to seek the limelight anyway.
However, George's maneuvering had indeed exceeded Locke's expectations. He had originally thought that even if the ledger reached George, the powerful figures involved would conspire to suppress it.
He hadn't expected...
"Ms. Casey."
Locke watched the screen as the elegant middle-aged woman with the pearl necklace—credited with facilitating the joint FBI-NYPD investigation—stood at the podium accepting interviews. He looked down and smiled. "This works. George has hitched his wagon to this politician; maybe he can avoid tragedy in the future."
A new leader brings a new atmosphere.
If Ms. Casey takes office, George is guaranteed a promotion and a raise. Perhaps he'll move from field duty to a desk job.
That would benefit Locke, too.
If George is behind a desk, it will be harder for them to cross paths when Locke takes contracts as Peerless in New York. It would also save Locke from having to sacrifice an Audi R8 to create "accidents" every other day.
Most importantly, if George is in administration, Locke can more easily get a pulse on NYPD operations through Gwen.
Just like yesterday.
If it weren't for Gwen's call, he would have run right into the police this morning. Now, not only is the mission complete, but Locke has completely cleared any lingering suspicion connecting him to Peerless.
After all, Locke couldn't have staged his own kidnapping, right?
The surveillance proves it.
Of course, there was still one flaw: Locke had hired someone to play the part of the Sin Hunter.
But Locke wasn't worried. No one would ever find that "actor."
"Alright."
Locke stood up, went upstairs for a shower, and returned to his bedroom. "System!"
*Ding!*
"Upgrade Resilience!"
"And upgrade Curve Bullet!"
Although Locke often talked about saving up for the Helios or Superman bloodlines he had his eye on, proper investment isn't a waste of money—it's about ensuring better returns.
If Locke hadn't bought that Copy Card and learned the Curve Bullet technique, could he have walked away with nearly 40k Achievement and Potential points from the textile mill so easily?
It's just like a video game. You can't say you're going to wait until level 150 to wear level 150 gear while running around in starter rags in the meantime. You'll get killed.
And Locke didn't have the patience of a "Sword God of the Beginner Area."
The best way was to stay steady: wear the best gear for your current level. It doesn't have to be the absolute top-tier, but you definitely need something.
Improving his attributes was a necessity.
*Ding!*
[Upgrading Resilience (Level 3) to Resilience (Transcendent Level 1) requires 10,000 Potential Points.]
[Upgrading Transcendent Curve Bullet (Intermediate) to Transcendent Curve Bullet (Advanced) requires 10,000 Potential Points.]
[Confirm/Cancel!]
"Confirm!"
*Ding!*
[Upgrade Successful.]
[Transcendent Talent: Resilience (Level 1): Your body can withstand greater damage and is completely immune to non-vital small-caliber hits. Additionally, you will gain significantly faster recovery once you are out of combat.]
[Transcendent Skill: Curve Bullet (Advanced) (Blue Quality): Your marksmanship has become even more profound, mysterious, and inconceivable!]
***
Read 30 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666