After the meeting, Jane followed her boss, Sean, out of the LAPD conference room.
"Jane, any thoughts on this case?"
Jane frowned in thought for a moment before answering.
"I just feel like their operation went way too smoothly!"
"Oh? Elaborate."
"In this Pacific Standard Bank case, those four guys finished the whole thing in just 18 minutes. It feels like... like..."
Jane struggled for words for a second, unsure how to describe her thought.
Thankfully, Sean summarized it in one sentence.
"Like they had a script, right?"
"Yes! Exactly! A crime that goes that smoothly definitely can't be pulled off by just four guys. I suspect there were others inside the bank secretly cooperating with them!"
"Very interesting thought! Jane, take a look at this."
Sean handed a file to Jane. She skimmed it quickly and immediately looked shocked.
"This is..."
"Pacific Standard Bank branch General Manager David Abbott's massive trading losses from last month."
"Sir, you already suspected this General Manager? Then why did you come to LAPD Headquarters?"
"To see if those idiots had discovered this crucial clue, of course! Let's go, we're going to pay Mr. David Abbott a visit."
Western Los Angeles County. An estate in Malibu. A white-haired old man sat in a leather executive chair, smoking a cigar.
Three men stood in front of him: one around his age, one middle-aged, and one young man. A perfect demographic spread.
Right now, all three men looked terrified, clearly intimidated by the old man smoking the cigar.
"So, my gold is stolen, and I'm the last one to find out? And I had to hear it on the news! Luca, what's your explanation for this?"
The old man's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a heavy authority that made the three men break out in cold sweats.
The oldest of the three quickly offered an explanation.
"Mr. Bonanno, it's because the General Manager of Pacific Standard Bank, David Abbott, was stuck giving statements at the police station. He didn't dare contact us right away, so..."
This explanation was barely acceptable to the old man called Mr. Bonanno. He then looked at the middle-aged man among the three.
"Sonny, what about you? Found out who did it?"
"Mr. Bonanno, I've asked around the family. Nobody has heard anything. This crew just appeared out of nowhere."
Bonanno exhaled a smoke ring, then glared fiercely at Sonny.
"Then what are you still standing here for? Go find out! You have to find my gold before the cops do!"
Sonny quickly bowed and apologized.
"Mr. Bonanno, I'm on it right now!"
With that, the middle-aged man scrambled out of the room like something terrifying was chasing him.
"Damn it! Whose stupid idea was it to scatter the gold across those small banks anyway?"
Bonanno cursed repeatedly, making the remaining two men feel incredibly awkward.
Finally, the younger man spoke up to remind him.
"Godfather, I believe that was your idea."
Bonanno stared at the young man, his expression completely embarrassed.
"Francis, is that right?"
"Yes! A few years ago, the IRS started cracking down on family business. To prevent the family's wealth from being seized all at once, you scattered the gold across various small banks around LA."
Bonanno slapped his forehead, looking frustrated.
"Damn it! I really am getting old!"
Francis stepped forward, gently probing Bonanno with a suggestion.
"Godfather, the heat from the IRS has cooled down now. Should we consolidate the gold we have stored out there?"
Bonanno thought for a moment, then nodded.
"You make a good point. Leaving it out there is definitely risky. If another situation like Pacific Standard Bank happens... Francis, do you have a good idea?"
"Godfather, we could totally use a proxy to buy a bank on the verge of bankruptcy and use it as the family vault."
Bonanno's eyes lit up.
"That's a great idea! Francis, you'll assist Martin with this. Speaking of which, where is Martin?"
Hearing the name Martin, Francis's eyes instantly darkened.
"Young Master Martin is still in the garage messing with his race cars."
Bonanno slammed the desk, looking quite angry.
"That little brat! All he cares about is racing! He pays zero attention to the family business! Francis, go drag him out of the garage!"
"Yes, Godfather!"
Francis bowed and left the study.
Out in the hallway, Francis could faintly hear Bonanno speaking.
"Sigh, if only Martin were as sensible as Francis."
Followed by Luca's voice.
"Mr. Bonanno, Young Master Martin is still young. Give him a few more years and he'll mature. At least we have Francis holding things together right now. That should buy us enough time for Young Master Martin to grow up."
"I hope so..."
Hearing this, Francis's expression turned incredibly dark.
Later, Francis passed by the living room and saw a beautiful, mature woman sitting there.
She was dressed in elegant clothing, with an air of delicate vulnerability, looking rather unhappy.
From Francis's angle, he had a perfect view of her lush, curvy figure, and a hint of greedy lust slipped into his eyes.
Sensing the strange gaze, the beautiful, mature woman turned to look at Francis.
Even though Francis quickly averted his eyes, the woman still caught a glimpse.
She adjusted her clothes, a trace of wariness appearing on her face.
"Francis, have you finished your business?"
"Not yet. Godfather just told me to go fetch Young Master Martin."
"I see. Then you better hurry."
Francis bowed.
"Then I won't disturb you, Godmother Sophia."
Francis left the living room, and the stunning woman named Sophia let out a sigh of relief.
Even though her husband's godson always acted polite, whenever she looked at him, Sophia felt like she was staring at a jackal.
With a deep sigh, Sophia stood up, looking troubled. She decided to go for a walk in the garden; the oppressive atmosphere inside the house was suffocating her.
Breathing in the fresh air of the garden, Sophia let out a long breath.
"When will this kind of life finally end?"