This news conference was not broadcast live, so none of the agents from the No. 5 Investigation Group watched it on television.
Luo An sat at his workstation, chin propped on his hand, looking at the computer.
According to the information on the computer, Zem Matei is 66 years old this year, the third-generation leader of the Matai family, with the current goal of becoming the Governor of New York State through election.
If he succeeds in this election, a few more years of hard work might even give him a shot at the Presidency of Arica.
His son is nad Wilbur Matey, 34 years old, currently working in the prosecutor's office in the New York Brooklyn District.
"The standard Arican political family."
Seeing the information on the computer, Luo An slightly frowned.
Political families are a public manifestation of oligarchic governance in Arica.
The more famous ones include the Adams family, the Roosevelt Family, the Bush family, and so on, with each of these families having produced at least two Arican Presidents.
However, to the Eastern public, the Kennedy family is better known.
Because this family itself is shrouded in a mystery known as the 'Kennedy Curse':
From 1941 to 2009, nearly ten 'Kennedys' died unnatural deaths.
Among them, the most famous is that ever-smiling President.
Certainly, the Matai family does not have the nationwide influence of the aforentioned families, but after three generations of deep and ticulous cultivation in the city of New York, having extensive energy and connections radiating throughout New York, is definitely not a difficult feat for them.
As is widely known, DC Comics' famous locale, the idyllic Gotham City, is modeled after New York.
In reality, New York City is densely populated, with over 20% of the population actually living below the poverty line.
Add to this the cultural phenona of drugs, gangs, and Arica's continual advocacy and promotion of freedom...
Anyway, the annual number of felony charges in New York City starts at the base number of 100,000.
Vireness had said before that Councilman Ma Tai's campaign slogan is "Reducing New York's Cri Rate."
Luo An looked down and thought deeply for a while, then turned his head towards Mona, who was typing on the keyboard, and said:
"Mona, can you find more information on Councilman Ma Tai?"
"More information?"
At this, Mona imdiately turned back, raising her eyebrows:
"What kind of information?"
Luo An revealed a slight smile, nodded, and said in a low voice:
"Apart from what's on this computer now, all other information!"
For an old fox like Councilman Ma Tai, who has been imrsed in Arican politics for so many years, it's possible he could resort to any lowly tactic to achieve his goals.
And to protect himself, the first thing Luo An must do is to understand the other party's objectives.
With only the existing public information on the computer, Luo An couldn't accomplish this, he needed so other information.
Hearing Luo An's words, Mona didn't hesitate; her slender fingers imdiately began typing on the keyboard:
"You owe a dinner."
"No problem."
Luo An, who had just received a considerable sum of money, grinned and nodded in agreent without hesitation.
Ten minutes later, Mona stopped her movents and turned to look at Luo An with a serious face:
"One piece of good news and one piece of bad news, which do you want to hear first?"
"…I hate that phrase, Mona."
Luo An expressed his speechlessness and sighed before looking up and saying:
"You can say whichever you prefer; the choice is yours to make."
"No fun."
Mona pouted, turned her gaze back to the screen of her computer, and continued:
"The bad news is, Councilman Ma Tai is clean.
Though he is 66 years old this year, he only had a record of drunk driving once at the age of 25.
For the subsequent decades, Councilman Ma Tai has had no criminal record."
Hearing this, Luo An slightly narrowed his eyes, then spread his hands to signal Mona to continue.
"The good news is, I found a case that made the newspapers."
Mona showed Luo An the page on her computer screen with a gloomy expression:
"Six years ago, a white mother went to the NYPD to report that her 13-year-old daughter was missing.
Half a year later, the NYPD successfully apprehended a criminal organization trafficking in minors.
In the organization's ledger, the white mother's daughter's photo and na were found.
According to the record, this 13-year-old daughter was sold to a wealthy person in the New York Region.
But after an investigation, it turned out that this wealthy person's company was a shell company, and he was likely just a front; the actual person he was working for was a certain councilman."
This councilman was Councilman Ma Tai.
But, due to insufficient evidence and instructions from the higher-ups at the NYPD, the investigation into Councilman Ma Tai was inconsequently dropped.
During this period, a few NYPD officers who tried to continue investigating the case were transferred to small sub-stations in the New York Suburbs.
Not only that, right before the police could catch him, this wealthy person was found shot in the back in his own ho's garage, dead from an apparent suicide.
"..."
After reading through the information on the computer and thinking about the future Loli Island incident, Luo An's face was grim, unsure of what to say for a mont.
"Luo An?"
Seeing Luo An staring at the computer screen and looking quite troubled, Mona, tilting her head, asked:
"Why are you looking into Councilman Ma Tai?"
Mona didn't know about Councilman Ma Tai attending the press conference downstairs today.
When she was asked to check on Councilman Ma Tai's background information monts ago, Mona didn't ask for the reason and just researched it.
Mona always trusted Luo An.
Hearing the question, Luo An snapped back to reality, took a deep breath, and briefly clarified the situation.
"So, what you're saying is—"
After listening to Luo An, Mona covered her mouth in shock and exclaid:
"Councilman Ma Tai is targeting you now?!"
"..."
The sentence sounded fine on its own, but linking it to the earlier news, Luo An felt there was Sothing not quite right about it.
However, Luo An wasn't panicked; he was 25 years old, well beyond the age of a minor.
Shaking his head, Luo An put the jumbled thoughts aside, and just as he was about to speak, Mona asked with a serious expression:
"Luo An, what are you planning to do next?"
Luo An patted his arms, stood up from the chair.
He planned to stroll downstairs to see exactly why Councilman Ma Tai was attending this press conference.
If it really was for him, Luo An would find an opportunity to et with Councilman Ma Tai after the event had concluded.
No matter the other party's purpose and thoughts, only by eting and talking could he obtain more information.
Avoidance could not solve the problem.
Luo An had returned to the fifth investigation unit primarily to avoid attending the press conference and also to ask Mona to research Councilman Ma Tai's related information.
Drip—drip—
Just as Luo An was about to share his thoughts with Mona, a siren suddenly sounded from the corridor outside the fifth investigation unit's office space.
"Damn it!"
The instant they heard the siren, all agents in the fifth investigation unit's faces changed drastically.
Because this siren ant there had been an ergency in the building, and everyone must evacuate imdiately.
Luo An too was taken aback, but before he could ask what was happening, William, who was nearby, suddenly exclaid:
"Damn it! There was an explosion at the press conference just now!"
In this building, William would always be the first to receive news about anything that happened.
"What did you say?"
"How is that possible?"
"What exactly happened?"
Hearing this, all agents of the fifth investigation unit frowned deeply, and Luo An's face changed as he urgently asked aloud:
"William! Where is team leader Vireness? She... "
Hearing Luo An's question, William imdiately responded loudly:
"The team leader is injured too, but the specifics are unknown!"
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