The Wolf of Los Angeles.

Several cars drove along Pennsylvania Avenue and into the White House.

A group of middle-aged men in suits got out of the car and, greeted by their special assistant Regina, quickly entered the Oval Office.

Tom Emer sat behind his desk, waiting for the people to sit down, and said, "Any more concrete news from the Middle East?"

The head of the intelligence office in this administration is Doug, Tom Emer's most trusted advisor.

The latter had been deeply involved in intelligence work while working in Congress and is definitely an expert.

Doug gathered his thoughts and said, "Based on the clues discovered in the previous investigations, the CIA's special pursuit team has gradually tracked down Benladen's trail. Nada Bakos's team is basically certain that Benladen is hiding in Pakistan, specifically along the Kabul-Islamabad line, closer to the latter."

Although the latter is the capital of a country, in the eyes of Americans, it is also a place where the US military can freely enter and exit.

Tom Emer said, "We need to pinpoint the exact hiding place as soon as possible and complete this hunt before the national convention next year."

“We have narrowed down the area, which will make it much easier to find people within it.” Doug has been communicating with the intelligence team in the Middle East many times in the past few months and has even flown to Baghdad. He is confident that he can find Benladin’s hiding place and even thinks that it will be completed in a while.

He continued, “Nada Backs’ team has developed a large number of informants over there. Over the decades, we have done a lot of work on propaganda in Pakistan. Many people there secretly favor the United States and regard it as their ideal country. We don’t even have to pay them; they are willing to collect information for the United States on their own initiative.”

Tom Emer nodded with satisfaction, but said aloud, "They're all brainless idiots."

The chief of staff chimed in, "They're like pigs, cattle, and sheep raised on a ranch, waiting to be bled dry and butchered until they're all gone, then they're worthless."

Doug coughed lightly, bringing the topic back on track as it was about to veer off course, and said, "The initial clue that led us to Benladen was also provided by this group. We didn't pay them much money, and they are still actively searching for Benladen's whereabouts, hoping to become Americans through this."

Tom Emer remained noncommittal, saying, "Once we find the exact location, the rest will be easy to handle."

He looked at the chief of staff: "Have the SEALs conduct targeted training. Airstrikes and missile attacks are not acceptable. We need video or photos of Ben Laden being killed."

Another person then interjected, "If the person is near Islamabad, the Pakistani side..."

“We’ll discuss it then.” Tom Emer said very directly: “The Palestinians have no choice but to accept it, whether they like it or not.”

None of the people present thought this was a problem.

Putting aside everything else, the F-16s that Pakistan purchased alone are their Achilles' heel, something they simply cannot afford.

The United States can lock down their aircraft at any time, preventing them from using advanced fighter jets to confront India.

The basic outline of the hunting plan has been finalized.

The CIA Special Pursuit Intelligence Team pinpointed the location, and Navy SEALs, aboard Black Hawk helicopters, made a low-altitude infiltration and launched a deadly attack on the target.

The most important task at present is to determine the exact hiding place of Benla Deng.

Doug accepted the important task and decided to personally travel to the Middle East again.

After all the outsiders had left, Regina, who had just received a phone call, quickly came to Tom Emmer's side and whispered, "I just received news that Jessica Belt was on her way to Maryland for vacation when she collided with a truck carrying construction waste. It was a horrific accident, and all four people in the truck perished."

"These bastards, how dare they use such methods!" Tom Emer was furious. Someone like him would never believe that this was an accident.

Jessica Belt is investigating Prescott Walker's numerous illegal activities when she suddenly gets into a car accident...

It's obvious who did it all.

Tom Emer still harbored some illusions: if the death of an independent prosecutor could provide direct evidence against him, then it would be worthwhile.

He asked, "Do you have any evidence?"

“There is no evidence whatsoever,” Regina said quickly. “The truck driver was a high-drug addict who died on the spot in the accident. Our people checked his background; he had no family or children, and his bank accounts were all normal.”

Tom Emer couldn't help but swear, emphasizing, "Make sure others are careful to protect themselves; similar incidents must never happen again."

Regina responded, then added, "Two more incidents happened yesterday and this morning. One of the witnesses who reported Prescott Walker drowned in his own bathtub due to a drug overdose; the other left a suicide note stating that he suffered from a long-term mental illness and was tormented by paranoia, and hanged himself from the rafters of his own house."

She emphasized, "The former died from drug overdose, and the latter claimed to have mental illness. Their testimonies and reports are unlikely to be applied to legal proceedings."

These things did not change Tom Emer's decision. He said with a grim face, "Change the personnel, continue to investigate Prescott Walker and all the illegal activities of the Walker family, push for the federal court to begin the trial process, and tell Hughie of the Department of Justice that I want to see results as soon as possible."

Attorney General Hughes is Jennifer Ferguson's father and a key political ally of Tom Emmer.

Tom Emer added, "The investigation into Prescott Walker is handed over to Prosecutor Starr."

The federal independent prosecutor was established after the Watergate scandal. Its main responsibility is to investigate and prosecute illegal and criminal activities of executive officials. It is independent of the Department of Justice in order to eliminate political interference and more effectively combat political corruption.

In the simply decorated office, middle-aged man Starr flipped through Prescott Walker's file, his thick eyebrows almost furrowed together.

The other party served as the state land commissioner, and it was indeed within the scope of his responsibilities to investigate.

Starr put down the documents and picked up the newspaper next to him.

A news report about a car accident caught his attention.

Jessica Belt and her family were killed in a car accident in Maryland.

This case is quite troublesome.

Starr is much older and more experienced than Jessica, and he is also more rational in his actions than Jessica, who is heavily biased towards Cthulhu.

Even so-called independent investigations must take into account the background of the subjects being investigated.

The Walker family has produced two presidents, not to mention governors and senators.

Starr was very worried that he would one day drown in his toilet, just like the suicides that had been happening to whistleblowers in recent months.

But the current president, Tom Emmanuel, also needs to give an explanation.

Starr got to his current position precisely because he got through the President's connections.

He pressed the intercom, called his assistant in, and said, "Cheryl, please make an appointment with Dr. Brian for me. I have a very bad headache and need to see him immediately." The assistant, clearly concerned for her boss, quickly asked, "Should I drive you there?"

Starr looked exhausted and nodded slightly: "Thank you for your help."

Cheryl first called her private doctor, then drove to the office building entrance, and after Starr got in the car, headed straight for a nearby private clinic.

Starr went to see the doctor alone for a check-up, and not long after, a nurse called Cheryl in.

Cheryl received a report that Starr's blood pressure had suddenly spiked, causing problems with his heart and brain, and he needed to be hospitalized for a period of time.

He may be unable to work for the next two to three months.

Starr was transferred to a nursing home, and the work he hadn't finished was handed over to Cheryl.

Work that had not yet begun, such as the investigation into Prescott Walker, was all cancelled.

News of Starr's illness spread like wildfire within certain professional circles, and for a time, no one was willing to take on the investigation into Prescott Walker's case.

Under pressure from the president, an independent prosecutor finally took the case, but the investigation became a mere formality.

Meanwhile, the case concerning the illegal activities of Winston Financial Corporation and Harman Investment Corporation entered the trial process, which was very unfavorable to the Walker family.

…………

Los Angeles, West Coast Technology & Environmental Company.

Hawke, who had just arrived, met Hearst, who was returning to Los Angeles, and Henderson, who was with him.

The former detailed the recent situation in Washington: "The most recent trial was very unfavorable to the Walker family's companies. It is very likely that executives from both Winston and Harman will be imprisoned as a result."

Hawke had anticipated this, saying, "Under normal legal procedures, the Walker family will definitely have to pay some price in the short term."

He had already discussed these matters with George Walker, so he changed the subject: "When will they arrive?"

Hearst glanced at the wall clock: "Soon."

Hawke's trip to Washington was not because of Tom Emer and George Walker, but because of an Argentinian businessman whom Hearst had met when he was a senator.

Hearst emphasized: "This person mainly engages in ranching cattle and sheep breeding and farm planting in Argentina. He controls one of the largest agricultural and livestock companies in Argentina. Last month, he came to the United States to visit farm mechanization. He was very interested in the tricycles that facilitate transportation and the drones that can spray pesticides. He specifically contacted me to talk about cooperation."

Hawke wouldn't have come if Hearst hadn't invited him; this kind of business has always been handled independently by West Coast Technologies.

Less than five minutes later, several Argentinians entered the meeting room.

The leader, Lopez, looked to be under forty. Upon seeing Hawke, he quickly stepped forward to shake hands and said, "It's been a worthwhile trip to meet a legendary figure like you."

Hawke smiled, invited the other person to sit down, and got straight to the point: "I heard from Hearst that you're looking to collaborate with West Coast Technologies on drones and single-person transport vehicles?"

“Yes,” Lopez explained in detail. “I own the largest ranches and farms in Argentina and will use a large number of machinery products. I recently visited several farms in California and was impressed by the affordability of drones. The maneuverability of single-person transport vehicles can make up for the shortcomings of large transport vehicles.”

He laughed: "Of course, I wouldn't dare to bother you so much because of this small amount of goods. There's another reason why I troubled Hearst to contact you: could we cooperate in Argentina to sell these products? Based on my understanding of Argentine agriculture and animal husbandry, these two products have a promising market prospect."

West Coast Technologies has been expanding into international markets, but its primary targets are neighboring Canada and Mexico.

The former, in industries such as ranching and forest protection, has already adopted West Coast brand drones and three-wheeled vehicles on a large scale.

In the latter plantations, which grow avocados, agave, and corn, more than 80 percent of the drones are West Coast brands.

And Costa Rica.

The country has no army and outsources many of its operations; Hurricane Corporation is now Costa Rica’s largest private defense contractor.

From city security and police stability maintenance to farm security and theft prevention, Hurricane Company's security personnel can be seen everywhere.

Even without Lopez, West Coast Tech will enter the Argentine market in no time.

There are also neighboring countries like Brazil and Chile.

Latin America is, after all, America's backyard, making it exceptionally easy to exploit.

Hawke said he wouldn't get involved in such specific business, telling Lopez, "The Argentine market is vast, and we do have plans to enter it. If you'd like to cooperate, you can discuss it in detail with West Coast Technologies."

Henderson chimed in, "I can assemble a research team so that when you return to Argentina, we can go together to Argentina to conduct preliminary market research."

The fact that the other party did not directly refuse meant that there was a possibility of cooperation, and Lopez readily agreed: "Sure, Argentina is a free market, and it is almost a blank slate in terms of drones and single-person transport vehicles."

He has over a decade of experience in animal husbandry and agriculture, and he is certain that these two products have enormous market potential.

Unfortunately, Argentina cannot manufacture such industrial products and has to rely on imports.

Henderson and Lopez had a detailed discussion.

These two OEM products have incredibly high profit margins in North America. Once labeled with an American brand and exported to various parts of South America, the profits can continue to rise.

From the US-Mexico border southwards to the Drake Passage at the southernmost tip, among so many Latin American countries, only Brazil possesses a certain level of industrial production capacity.

People like Hawke, who mainly live on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, are prone to developing a huge illusion about life—that such a simple thing cannot be produced by countries with populations of tens of millions.
The meeting, which Hearst facilitated, ended in less than an hour.

Hawke handed over the subsequent reception arrangements to Henderson and Hearst.

As he was leaving West Coast Tech, he suddenly remembered Mr. Dong's collaboration with the Indians.

There are too many truths and lies in business, and sometimes what you see on the surface may not be the truth.

Hawke informed Vicente del Bosque of Costa Rica, instructing him to send someone to Argentina to gather more specific information. (End of Chapter)