Investigation Team 13 Office Area.
"Security company information blocked?!"
As Mona’s voice fell, Reesi, Winslow, and Michelle’s faces filled with surprised as they widened their eyes, and Chenier was also very shocked, hurriedly asking:
"Which departnt blocked it?"
Mona rapidly tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and a red warning ssage appeared on her laptop:
"It’s the USSS! (Secret Service)"
Luo An’s expression was unchanged as he asked:
"What’s the reason?"
Mona spread her hands, her expression rather grim:
"It involves secrets, no specific reason provided."
Winslow and the others exchanged glances filled with suspicion and unease. Chenier turned to Luo An and made a suggestion:
"Should we call that Secret Service agent, Alehlo-Moore, over?"
"We could try, but he’s just a regular agent, not even a team leader, with limited authority, so I’m afraid he might not have the power to help."
Luo An did not reject Chenier’s suggestion, having Reesi and Chenier go call Alehlo-Moore while he briefly organized so docunts and once again headed to Vireness’s office, carrying his laptop.
"Information is locked?"
In the office, Vireness frowned deeply as she took the laptop from Luo An. Without hesitation, she imdiately looked up the relevant phone number and called the Secret Service.
The call was quickly connected. Luo An watched the scene and picked up a coffee pot to pour coffee for himself and for Vireness. Vireness casually took the cup and said:
"Hello, I am Vireness, the Work Assistant of the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services departnt, FBI Washington Headquarters."
"Hello."
A sowhat hoarse middle-aged man’s voice ca from the other end of the phone:
"What can I do for you?"
"We are currently investigating a case here."
Vireness briefly described the overview of the case at hand, finally expressing the hope that the Secret Service would unblock the security company’s information for the FBI.
As Vireness finished speaking, there were a few seconds of silence on the phone, and the voice responded without any fluctuations:
"Sorry, I can’t help you."
Vireness’s face turned cold:
"Why?"
"The security company is involved with so governnt officials’ safety information."
The Federation Secret Service’s job is primarily to protect the Federation’s President and Vice President, their spouses and families, visiting foreign dignitaries and their spouses, important figures, governnt officials, and others.
The man on the phone was articulate and impeccable in his speech, but his attitude was perfunctory. To Vireness’s questions, his answers were simple:
Can’t do it, no authority, go find a higher-up.
– Click –
After slamming down the desk phone, Vireness’s chest heaved with anger, her face extrely unpleasant.
Breathing deeply a few tis to suppress the negative emotions, Vireness looked at Luo An sitting across from her and said in a deep voice:
"An hour ago, Mr. Clent went to Capitol Hill."
Vireness was very angry, but the Secret Service spoke in bureaucratic jargon, sound in logic, leaving no room for her to find fault. Without their cooperation, she could not force them and could only wait to seek help from Mr. Clent.
In truth, Vireness would rather not seek help from Mr. Clent because, on one hand, she was a rather proud woman who preferred to solve problems on her own in her work.
On the other hand, Vireness was sowhat afraid of being looked down upon by Luo An. She had been transferred to FBI Headquarters because of Luo An. Now encountering problems and needing to seek help from Mr. Clent, she felt like her role as a superior seed sowhat redundant.
As for seeking help from the Minister of the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Departnt, Sidis, Vireness quickly tossed that idea in the trash after a mont’s thought.
FBI Washington Headquarters, under the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Departnt, has a total of thirteen investigation teams, each team leader backed by different powers.
Minister Sidis had the support of a forr Deputy Director behind him. Due to so issues, the Deputy Director retired voluntarily, and Minister Sidis used so thods to keep his position at the price of beginning his semi-retired life.
With financial power in his hands, the majority of the work was delegated to Vireness and several other work assistants, Sidis allocating most duties.
Now, the focus was to help Luo An solve the problem; other matters could be set aside temporarily. Pushing the myriad of thoughts in her mind aside, Vireness looked at Luo An and said:
"Luo An, go back to Investigation Team 13 for now. I will take care of this matter for you tomorrow."
Luo An’s gaze flickered slightly as he put down the coffee cup and asked with a smile:
"Chief, I heard you have a pretty good relationship with the IRS?"
Luo An didn’t actually like always asking Mr. Clent for help, especially since things hadn’t reached a dead end yet.
If the Secret Service Bureau wasn’t cooperative, Luo An had other ways to get the security company’s information, such as having Mona hack in, or asking the IRS for help.
But the forr was unnecessary, and it was not quite convenient to talk about asking other departnts for help directly, as it seed important to save so face for the Chief. So Luo An subtly hinted Vireness.
"IRS?"
Vireness was taken aback for a mont, not catching on imdiately. After serious thought for a few seconds, she recalled that Luo An was referring to Supervisor Elr from the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Departnt (IRS-CI).
Vireness had cooperated with Elr in the past, and the relationship was okay, but they didn’t contact each other much on a regular basis and she didn’t think of him imdiately.
After Luo An’s reminder, Vireness suddenly rembered this and her eyes lit up. She picked up the landline and called Elr.
"Hello, this is the IRS, I’m Elr."
"Hello, Supervisor Elr, I’m Vireness."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Vireness steered the conversation to the matter at hand.
At first, Supervisor Elr was a bit hesitant, but after hearing that the case’s principal agent was Luo An, he imdiately agreed:
"No problem! Leave it to !"
"Thank you, Supervisor Elr."
After hanging up the phone, Vireness looked at Luo An with shining eyes.
Vireness knew about Elr’s rise from Group Leader to Supervisor, and she was aware of the relationship between Luo An and Supervisor Elr. She also realized that Luo An’s words had just given her a way out.
Suppressing a slightly heavy breath and calming her emotions, Vireness spoke in a very gentle tone:
"Supervisor Elr has agreed, Luo An, you go to his office later."
"OK."
Luo An smiled and nodded in agreent, tilted his head back to finish the coffee in his cup, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then got up and left the office.
Watching Luo An’s retreating back, Vireness’s bright eyes moved, and she raised her eyebrows in contemplation. After a few seconds, she opened a drawer, pulled out a small notebook, and started writing silently:
1. The coffee beans were good, Luo An seed to like them, buy more next ti.
2. So people from the Secret Service Bureau are making trouble, refusing to cooperate, I will rember this.
————
The Federal Internal Revenue Service Building, at the corner of 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in the Northwest District of Washington, D.C., looked very square and serious, not far from the FBI Washington Headquarters.
Led by an IRS agent, Luo An entered the IRS-CI (Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation) area and t Supervisor Elr in an office.
"Ha-ha, Group Leader Luo An!"
Upon entering the office, Supervisor Elr gave Luo An a big hug, patting his back and laughing:
"I really didn’t expect you to be transferred to work in Washington D.C. so quickly!"
"Lucky ."
Luo An and Supervisor Elr patted each other’s backs and laughed:
"Cracked a few cases and got transferred here."
"Lucky you?"
Elr released the hug, poured two cups of coffee for himself and Luo An, then handed Luo An two small glasses of liquor with a smile:
"To luck!"
Looking at the glass in his hand, Luo An raised an eyebrow:
"Are you allowed to drink alcohol during work hours at the IRS?"
"Of course not!"
Elr chuckled softly and whispered:
"We’ve been working overti every day this week, a little drink’s just a pick--up."
Luo An, having heard about the high pressure of work at the IRS, flashed a glint in his eyes, raised his glass to clink with Elr’s, and they both laughed and drank it down.
After putting down the glasses and exchanging a few pleasantries, they brought the conversation back to business, and Luo An asked:
"How’s the situation with that security company?"
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