Jimmy: "Where do you plan to go today?"

Kevin: "What about you?"

Jimmy: "Coming to Alaska, I definitely want to see the glaciers, oh, and the Northern Lights. Other than that, there's not much I'm particularly keen on, so seeing a grizzly bear would be nice too."

Nia coughed, almost spitting out her food, then quickly took a sip of milk before speaking: "You've come at the wrong time. To see the Northern Lights, you might have to wait another month."

Jimmy was a bit disappointed, "You guys haven't seen them yet either?"

Kevin: "Well, we're not in the peak period for the Northern Lights right now, so they're basically invisible."

Jimmy: "Alright, you guys can choose then, I'm indifferent."

Kevin: "Okay, we'll just explore around here, then head to other places."

Veering off the usual park route, what you could see was more primitive. In this undeveloped area, the vegetation was visibly more complex, with green grass and various small flowers interwoven aimlessly but looking very pleasant, delivering a more natural sensory impression than the planned zones.

Of course, it's also much more dangerous this way. After walking just a short distance, they saw a pair of grizzly bears—either father-son or mother-child—searching for food on a hillside. They were a bit far away, but the size difference between the bears was too substantial, and they didn't look weak, suggesting that there was enough food here for them, which was good; they wouldn't want to attack humans.

Denali National Park has lots of peaks and mountain ranges; many mountaintops are white as the snow hasn't melted, interspersed with the greenery below and the yellow and brown mid-mountain areas. This distant scenery is truly beautiful, and if you had a good camera, you would definitely take plenty of desktop-worthy photos.

Kevin and the others were here to take refuge, while Jimmy had decided to come spontaneously. Sadly, they only had a point-and-shoot camera, whose results probably wouldn't be great, though it was enough for group photos.

After wandering the park, as they returned near the cabin, Jimmy's phone rang. Jimmy picked it up and glanced at it, then quickly answered, "Isabel, did something happen?"

Isabel, assistant to the head of the Public Affairs Office, replied urgently: "Where are you, Jimmy?"

Jimmy: "Uh... I can only say I'm not in New York. What's up?"

Isabel: "How soon can you return? It's very urgent."

Jimmy: "You have to tell me what's going on."

Isabel: "Come back as soon as possible; Mrs. Mason wants to see you." With that, Isabel hung up.

Jimmy frowned, lowering the phone from his ear, standing there. Nia grabbed Jimmy's hand and asked, "What's wrong?"

Jimmy: "The office called me, asked me to hurry back, but didn't give a reason."

Nia: "Seems like it's really urgent; then let's go back. I'll tell my parents."

Nia let go of Jimmy's hand, walked quickly to Kevin and his wife's side, and whispered a few words. Kevin turned his head toward Jimmy, "Jimmy, let's go back."

Jimmy approached: "Sorry, I originally planned to stay with you for a few more days here. I can go back on my own; you can stay at another place for more fun."

Kevin shook his head: "It's okay, we've been out for quite a while already, it's time to go back."

Jimmy was genuinely helpless; he intended to slack off and relax, but the impromptu vacation was abruptly over.

The time Nia and the others were supposedly on vacation was actually to avoid possible danger, keeping them quite tense. Now that it's over, Jimmy planned to accompany Nia and the others for some fun, but after just one night and sleeping on the couch once, they headed back to New York; life was unmanageable.

Returning to the cabin for a bit, they drove two cars directly to Anchorage, booking return tickets to New York while driving. Fortunately, there was a flight with availability that night, although they'd arrive in New York at dawn, but it was the fastest they could get.

The next morning, Jimmy arrived early at the Public Affairs Office. His single office had been unused for a while, so with no one else to help, he could only clean the desk on his own before waiting.

Mrs. Mason clocked into work punctually and knocked on Jimmy's office door as she passed by, waving for him to join her in her office.

Mrs. Mason: "How's your case?"

Jimmy: "DHS has identified the terrorist organization's suspects and cleared their headquarters. They're now wrapping things up."

Mrs. Mason: "So you should be done, right?"

Jimmy nodded: "Yes, but I still need to finalize the report. What is so urgent that you called me back?"

Mrs. Mason: "Have you contacted anyone else?"

Jimmy blinked in confusion: "No, I've been busy with the case recently."

Mrs. Mason: "Hughes retired."

Jimmy: "What? I don't understand."

Mrs. Mason: "Under pressure from some higher-ups, Hughes retired early. He left the office yesterday."

Jimmy: "Why?"

Mrs. Mason: "As I said, pressure from some higher-ups; Hughes' investigation into a case involved a Federation Senator."

Jimmy frowned as he listened to Mrs. Mason's words, having been in the Public Affairs Office for several months. During this time, he had not followed their cases, particularly any major ones involving a Federation Senator, which would be confidential, keeping him in the dark.

Jimmy: "Who?"

Mrs. Mason: "Peter Bullock."

Jimmy: "I see. Thank you, Mrs. Mason. What do I need to do?"

Mrs. Mason: "Get ready; it might not be long before you'll return."

Jimmy nodded: "Thank you, I understand. I'll contact Hughes to check."

Mrs. Mason waved, and Jimmy left her office, taking out his phone to dial Hughes' number as he walked toward the elevator.

Hughes quickly answered: "Jimmy, what's up?"

Jimmy: "Where are you? I just learned about your situation."

Hughes: "Come to my place."

Jimmy: "Alright, I'll be there soon."

Jimmy drove the temporary C240 to Hughes' house, having been there many times, sure not to get lost.

He knocked on the door, and Hughes came over to let Jimmy in. As they sat in the living room, Jimmy spoke first: "Hughes, what exactly happened?"

Hughes: "Peter and his team investigated a murder case involving Kafrey's family member, capturing a suspect. The suspect was assassinated during transfer to prison; later, they uncovered the suspect's family's prior matters and pinned down the mastermind."

Jimmy: "Who?"

Hughes: "Terrance Pratt, a Federation Senator from Maryland."

Jimmy: "So, Peter's investigation alarmed this esteemed Federation Senator, who pressured you into retirement?"

Hughes: "Actually, it's not too bad. Full pension, retired early again, Peter's team won't be reassigned, at least for now, it's a decent outcome."

Jimmy: "So how far has the investigation progressed?"

Hughes: "Peter's team used surveillance methods during the Pratt investigation, gaining a conversation between Pratt and a real estate developer. They investigated the developer, and afterward, Peter's car was tampered with and crashed."

Jimmy frowned: "Peter had a car accident? When?"

Hughes: "Some time ago; he's been discharged now."

Jimmy: "Continue, what else?"

Hughes: "They captured evidence of the developer's corruption and arrested him, but he hasn't disclosed his connection with Senator Pratt, breaking this line."

Jimmy: "So, this exposed Peter's team's actions, attracting Senator Pratt's attention, followed by you..."

(Adjusted the timing)