At four o’clock in the afternoon, the sun slanted down on the streets of Washington D.C. Thomas, carrying a briefcase, walked briskly out of the Eisenhower Building near the White House.
He looked up at the sky, and a smile unconsciously spread across his lips. In recent days, he felt particularly joyful, even the air he breathed seed fresher.
He got into his black sedan, started the engine, and drove towards Arlington.
Arlington is just across the Potomac River from Washington D.C., not only ho to the "Arlington National Cetery," but also to heavyweight institutions like ’Thor,’ ’Boeing,’ and the Pentagon.
Thomas’s ho was in this area where prosperity and solemnity intertwined.
Recently, he had a highly effective "informant," and the information provided by this informant had made him quite the sensation in his departnt.
The secrets hidden behind computer reports—the corruption of a state official, financial chaos in a local governnt, loopholes in a departnt’s regulations—he uncovered them one by one.
This information could not be captured through technical ans and required deep grassroots investigation to glimpse.
Most agents in the Ministry of Efficiency were only good with technology and report analysis, lacking grassroots experience.
Thomas’s "informant" perfectly filled this gap, earning him frequent praise from his superiors.
"Happy, really happy!" Thomas humd a little tune, his fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel. He had gotten off work early today, eager to share his joy with his wife at ho.
However, when he opened the door, the smile on his face instantly froze.
His beautiful wife stood in the living room, looking sowhat embarrassed. And on the sofa, there sat a stranger.
"Hi, Thomas. I hope you don’t mind dropping by unannounced?"
Zhou Qingfeng sat there with a cup of coffee, looking completely at ease. He raised his head to look at Thomas, smiled slightly, and waved a greeting.
Thomas’s brain buzzed as if struck by sothing hard, and he instinctively shouted, "Bastard, what are you doing in my house?"
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"Honey, could you please go pick up the kids?" Thomas signaled his wife with his eyes.
His wife hesitated slightly, her gaze flickering between Zhou Qingfeng and Thomas, with a trace of worry appearing on her face.
"Mr. Victor... is there a problem?" she asked softly, her fingers nervously twisting together, trying to peer over her husband’s shoulder to look at Zhou Qingfeng again.
"No problem, but we need to discuss so classified business matters." Thomas forced a smile, gently hugged his wife, trying to reassure her.
His wife hesitated for a mont but eventually nodded, grabbed the car keys, and hurriedly left the house.
As the door closed, Thomas’s expression imdiately darkened. He turned around, glaring fiercely at Zhou Qingfeng, "Bastard, you’ve crossed the line! You shouldn’t have co to my ho!"
Zhou Qingfeng remained leisurely on the sofa, holding that cup of coffee, "If I didn’t co to your ho, where could I find you?
Should I go to the efficiency departnt’s Eisenhower Building office? That place is in the heart of Washington D.C., quite a tourist attraction."
After speaking, he took another sip of coffee, adding with admiration, "Your wife makes a good cup of coffee, I like this rich, aromatic flavor with milk and sugar."
Thomas impatiently waved his hand, his voice carrying suppressed anger, "What exactly do you want?"
Zhou Qingfeng put down the coffee cup, "Nothing major, just wanted to let you know I can find your ho and et your young and beautiful wife. And also ask for your help to check so data."
This was a blatant threat, but Thomas had no choice.
With the outstanding performance of the "Electric Flight" project, Zhou Qingfeng’s influence was also rising, making people have to tolerate his rudeness and flaws.
"What do you want to check?" Thomas gritted his teeth and asked.
"Check the death toll in various states of the United States this year, especially the death numbers of elderly people over sixty and eighty years old.
Your Departnt of Health and Public Services hasn’t been publishing relevant data recently, I couldn’t find it online, so I ca to ask you."
Thomas frowned, puzzled, "Why check the death toll?"
Zhou Qingfeng chuckled, "I provide you with grassroots situation across the states, making the Ministry of Efficiency capable of breaking major news every two or three days, always staying in the public spotlight.
I never ask ’why,’ so why are you asking?"
Thomas was dumbfounded, unable to retort, and could only irritably pull out his phone, dialing a subordinate’s number to request the data.
The annual death rate in the United States usually accounts for about 8 per 1,000 of the population, unless there’s a major epidemic, it remains very stable.
Thomas initially didn’t take it seriously, but when his subordinate replied that they couldn’t find the relevant data, he couldn’t help but frown.
"Can’t find it? How is that possible?" Thomas’s tone beca serious, "Check the data submitted by each state and county, or directly check the databases of the major nursing hos in the United States.
The most accurate data should co from the paynt records of the pension funds, every ti an elderly person dies, the fund managent agency can save money. They wouldn’t be careless with this."
A few minutes later, a string of data was sent to Thomas’s phone. He quickly browsed through it, his face gradually turning grave, and he couldn’t help but curse: "Fuck!"
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