Invasion of the United States
Chapter 326 - 13: Identity Exposed
CHAPTER 326: CHAPTER 13: IDENTITY EXPOSED
Director Carl Vincent has recently been promoted, moving up from the FBI’s Miami Branch to the headquarters in Washington D.C., becoming a Senior Crime Investigation Specialist.
This was his third promotion in a year, ascending directly from local to central.
But no colleague envied his good fortune, because the Justice Department initiated an epidemic investigation, and his job was to trace the origin of the virus.
The investigation itself is not difficult.
Carl and his subordinates quickly found the whereabouts of Wayne Herbert—conducting virus research requires the highest P4 level of protection, and there aren’t many places in the United States that meet the criteria.
But during the investigation, he saw the last person he wanted to see—drones originally used to monitor Meiken Town clearly captured the confrontation between Zhou Qingfeng and the ’fake couple.’
The FBI did not know ’Harden’ would appear on the front line, and the surveillance staff wouldn’t think that the agile and ruthless man on the screen was the Minister of the ’Ministry of Efficiency.’
Without these disturbing details, Carl, after repeatedly playing back the surveillance video, directly determined the truth.
"It’s Victor, he’s just in disguise, can fool others but not me." —Carl’s impression of Zhou Qingfeng was too deep, familiar as if ’he could recognize him even if he turned to ashes.’
"Why did that kid appear in Meiken Town? Even killing in the street." The director’s heartbeat was pounding, feeling he was a step closer to the truth of a certain mystery.
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When Ernst arrived at the scene of the skirmish, he only saw a large pool of blood on the ground and a corpse of an adult male, but Zhou Qingfeng himself was not there.
The moment he discovered the corpse, he determined that the operation had deviated from the planned direction. He dared not stop the car, hurriedly leaving the scene, and called Zhou Qingfeng’s phone, which naturally could not be connected.
"Damn it. From the moment I started driving to arrival, it only took two or three minutes, what happened?" Ernst sat in the car and pounded the steering wheel, his emotions becoming extremely agitated.
Being an inside man is not easy, especially being an informant under someone like ’Harden’ who is lawless and untouchable.
Ever since taking on the task assigned by the Chief of Staff, Ernst has been in constant psychological torment. He had to leak information while worrying about revealing clues and feared that the Chief of Staff would also treat him as a pawn, manipulating him at will.
Or rather, he realized that he was a pawn that pleased neither side, doomed to be taken out sooner or later. But now, he had no choice but to continue down this path.
Unable to contact Zhou Qingfeng, Ernst could only call the Chief of Staff’s assistant, starting with: "Harden is missing, I may have been exposed, you have to find a way to save me."
A voice on the other end responded with an "Oh..." sound, apparently only hearing "Harden missing" and completely ignoring the rest of his words.
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At this moment, the "medical center" in Meiken Town had its interior, a converted small gymnasium, brightly lit.
Wayne Herbert, who was in charge of the "X Virus" research, beamed with satisfaction as he enthusiastically showcased his cutting-edge achievements to the visiting White House Chief of Staff.
At the center of the gym, on the plastic running track, two testers in tight sportswear were performing an awe-inspiring demonstration.
The muscular man sprinted like an arrow released from a bow, easily breaking the ten-second mark for a hundred meters, so fast it seemed like a blurred afterimage. This performance could qualify for the Olympics.
The other young woman ran at a steady pace, with the electronic timer clearly showing that she completed ten thousand meters in half an hour, her face flushed but her breathing only slightly more rapid than normal.
Then, in the strength testing area, the two of them respectively lifted barbells more than twice their body weights, their muscle lines smooth and bursting with power.
This was an all-round athlete surpassing human limits! Strength, endurance, and agility reached a perfect level.
"Very good, extremely good, this is the new kind of humanity for the future."
"The United States has grasped the truth, as long as this enhancement can be widespread, a new era will begin, and all the costs paid during the epidemic will be worth it."
The Chief of Staff watched all the testing projects with great interest, full of praises, and was about to ask some details when his personal assistant approached hurriedly, whispering in his ear.
Others discreetly stepped back a few paces, but were still curious about what happened?
Because the smile on the Chief of Staff’s face instantly froze, replaced by a somber expression, and he lowered his voice with anger, asking sharply, "When did this happen?"
"Just a few minutes ago." The assistant’s voice was also uneasy, "That insider didn’t find Harden, and the people we arranged have also lost track."
"He won’t get far!" The Chief of Staff concluded categorically: "Immediately contact the police stations in Meiken Town and the surrounding areas, seal off any potential roads leading outside, and ensure he is captured and brought to justice!"
Standing nearby, Wayne Herbert frowned, couldn’t help but interject, asking, "Meiken Town? Who do you need to capture in our town?"
The Chief of Staff wasn’t willing to elaborate, replying perfunctorily, "It’s a rogue trying to investigate you, but he has lost his utility value now, he must be taken out."
"Oh..." Herbert nodded, not probing further, instead pointing confidently at the two recently showcased enhanced testers, suggesting with a smile, "Need help?
My super agents are incredibly powerful, well-versed in the environment inside and outside the town. To capture anyone, just give them the command, and they’ll surely complete the mission smoothly."