Chapter 3833: The Nameless Bat (14)

"Hello, Mr. Stagg." Schiller walked up and shook hands with the young man in front of him. This person was a bit too young, looking like he had just graduated from college, wearing a high-neck knit sweater, wearing black-rimmed glasses, not looking like a group leader at all.

However, considering that his uncle, Simon Stagg, was sentenced to more than 200 years in prison for colluding with Scarecrow to carry out terrorist attacks in Cat Getan, it was normal for him to take over so hurriedly.

Although Stagg Group had a biopharmaceutical department, it was like the Wei En Group, with a very wide range of business. The financial industry could also be considered one of the pillar industries. Although the biopharmaceutical department was shut down, it didn't affect the operation of other departments. Such groups that could gain a foothold in Cat Getan were deep-rooted and couldn't be moved easily.

"I'm very sorry about Abidonis's death," Stagg said, "We did chat at a cocktail party before, but we only chatted for a few minutes, and then there was no contact. So regarding this case, I'm afraid I can't help."

"No rush, Mr. Stagg. Just a few questions need to be asked of you as a routine. Won't you invite me to sit down?"

Stagg had no choice but to lead him to the guest area sofa to sit down. Schiller looked at the ashtray as if inadvertently.

"Before I came up, I heard the lady at the front desk say you had an appointment. I'm very sorry, I visited rashly and disturbed your business."

"It's okay, Agent. Ask whatever questions you have."

"Regarding this person Abidonis, how much do you know?"

"In fact, I'm very unfamiliar with him. I haven't taken over the group for long, and I can't even recognize everyone in my own group, let alone the Wei En Group. And he was in charge of the information security department; to avoid suspicion, I couldn't chat with him much either. I really don't know more."

"What did you chat about at that cocktail party?"

"About the President's new policies," Stagg pushed his glasses and said, "Mr. President has made some big moves on the East Coast, and everyone present had some complaints. He brought this up, and I followed up with a few complaints. That's all."

"So that's how it is. But he was a person from the Wei En Group, how could he complain about the policies of President Wei En?"

"I'm not too clear about this either, but I heard he had investments on Diamond Street. It's possible the new policies affected the investment returns." Stagg looked very honest, and he said, "I heard Mrs. Abidonis is a professional fund manager and would give him some investment advice, which is normal."

"Perhaps you don't know yet, the current prime suspect in killing Mr. Abidonis is his wife."

"Oh, God." Stagg sighed, "Did their relationship break down?"

"I'm afraid it's not just a relationship breakdown," Schiller shook his head lightly and said, "Their 5-year-old little daughter mentioned that before the murder occurred, they had an argument over a certain fund."

Schiller keenly noticed Stagg's fingertips move. Schiller sighed lightly and said: "To tell you the truth, such a thing has happened, the President is bound to be angry. Even if he is busy with diplomatic affairs now and has no time to deal with it for the time being, he will definitely settle accounts after the autumn."

"The current financial policies have already been tightened; if such a thing happens again, the President will probably think even more that finance is ruining the country, and thus launch some policies that are not good for Diamond Street again. I think you might not want to see such a thing happen, right? Sir?"

"What do you mean?"

"A professional fund manager is not enough to soothe Mr. President's anger. If you don't want Diamond Street to suffer together, it's best to push out someone with more weight. And it's not like the FBI can just catch a small fry after being busy for a while, right?"

Stagg's fingers kept twisting, as if he was thinking. He said: "You want to catch a big fish to make a contribution?"

"To tell you the truth, I do have this intention. Some time ago, the FBI underwent a major purge, and many positions were vacated. And this incident involves Mr. President's hometown, and I also spent a lot of effort to be able to go on this business trip. I'm not willing to go back empty-handed, and my subordinates aren't willing either. Even if I want to define this matter as an ordinary murder case, they won't agree."

Stagg sat there thinking, and he said: "You want to use his daughter's testimony to find someone with more weight on Diamond Street to take the blame, to help Mr. President strike at Diamond Street's arrogance."

"Yes. If you ask me, this matter definitely can't be traced to you; no matter what, it won't be Stagg taking the blame. However, the President might not think so."

Stagg widened his eyes slightly, staring tightly at Schiller and saying: "What do you mean? What does the President think?"

"You know, before, your uncle and Scarecrow joined forces to carry out terrorist attacks, almost poisoning the whole city. The President is already very dissatisfied with Stagg Group. And you are too young to suppress those restless shareholders, the so-called 'strike while he's sick'. The President might want to use this case to pin the black pot on you, letting Stagg be finished once and for all."

"That won't do!" Stagg gritted his teeth and said, "I don't even know that Abidonis! He can't frame me!"

"You know he can." Schiller was still very calm and said, "How many big groups have been cleaned up since he took office, I don't think I need to say more. How many times have they felt they could pull him down, and haven't they all failed?"

"Still the same sentence, you are very young." Schiller lowered his voice and said, "Mr. President is also very young. He has long been fed up with those old antiques who don't know how to change. He needs fresh blood, needs powerful young knights to guard his rule. People like us are exactly what he needs. As long as we can climb to under his eyelids and get his support, who else do we need to look at the face of?"

Stagg tightened his fist slightly, and he said: "What do you want me to do?"

"No rush. Tell me first who came to visit you just now."

"Lex Luthor." Stagg said, "The helmsman of Luthor Group. He came to find me, saying he hoped Stagg Group would invest in a certain hedge fund he recently established. You came too fast, I didn't have a chance to talk to him in depth, and I'm not too clear about what's going on either. However, he is very determined, so he hasn't left yet."

"Good. I hope you tell him later that the investment matter is open for discussion, but because the FBI wants to inspect inside this building, you need to go to a more private place. Later you will send a car to pick him up to your manor."

Stagg frowned slightly and said: "Why do you want to do this?"

"That's none of your business." Schiller shook his head lightly.

He turned his head to look out the window. A faint light flashed on the roof of the building opposite. Cat Getan had no strong sunlight, so the light reflected by the small mirror was imperceptible. If it weren't for Schiller deliberately timing it to look over there, he wouldn't have felt it either.

Schiller stood up and said: "Tell me an unimportant floor, I will pretend to search inside the building."

"Go to the 3rd floor, there is a restaurant and bar there." Stagg said.

"Even better." Schiller nodded at him and walked out of the room.

Not long after he walked out, another figure in a suit and leather shoes entered the room. He was wearing a crisp suit, his leather shoes were polished until they shone, he was bald, but his features were quite handsome, and his expression was half-smiling, revealing a temperament of having everything in his grasp.

"Hello, Mr. Luthor. Regarding the fund you mentioned, I'm actually quite interested, but unfortunately, it's really not a good time to talk now. That damn agent insists on investigating in the building."

Stagg made a difficult look, and he said: "Actually, I'm still quite interested in hedge funds; after all, the new policies... How about this, let's go to my hillside manor to talk in detail, how about it?"

Luthor nodded. Stagg said: "I'll go prepare the car."

"No need." Luthor said, "Let me prepare the car. This fund has a lot of confidential information, it's best to take a secure vehicle."

Stagg frowned slightly; this was actually a very impolite proposal. The other party seemed not to trust him at all. But the current Stagg Group couldn't afford to offend the Luthor Group. Moreover, remembering what Agent Rodriguez said before, he decided to endure it for a while.

"No problem, Mr. Luthor. Shall we go directly to the underground parking garage?"

"No, go to the main entrance. My secure vehicle isn't parked in the underground parking garage, but in another parking lot nearby."

Stagg clenched his fists angrily. If it was just some distrust before, now it was an obvious provocation.

You prepared a secure vehicle, but didn't park it in the parking garage of my building? Isn't this clearly worrying that I would do something to your secure vehicle? It's simply bullying people too much!

Stagg took a deep breath and endured it silently again. He said: "Fine, let's go to the main entrance."

The two took the elevator all the way to the main entrance of the group. But as soon as they went out, they saw many patrol police standing on the side of the road, some writing tickets, some checking cars, and some arguing with car owners.

Stagg was a bit confused: "Have these patrol police lost their minds? Daring to come to Diamond Street to check for illegal parking?"

But soon he found something wrong. These cars parked on the sides of the road were indeed illegally parked. Both sides of the road were completely full, and many cars could only park next to the cars on both sides of the road. The original two lanes were blocked into one lane.

Stagg heard a person in a suit and leather shoes roaring at the patrol police: "Why did I park illegally? You tell me why I parked illegally?! I'm fucking going to deliver a bid of over a billion, but I can't find any parking space on Diamond Street, I don't park the car here and hurry up, if I lose my job, will you make it up for me?!"

Next to him, there were car owners stuck in traffic cursing: "What the hell are you guys doing? So many police can't clear the traffic?! I pay millions in taxes every year..."

"It seems your secure vehicle won't be able to arrive for a while." Stagg turned to Luthor with some schadenfreude. But he saw Luthor's expression was a bit ugly.

Suddenly, a faint flash of light appeared. Luthor widened his eyes instantly, flew back toward the inside of the lobby, pushed the front desk behind the counter away, and hid behind the counter himself.

Stagg, who was standing in place, was confused, looked left and right, didn't see any danger, so he had to walk to the counter and knock on the desktop and say: "Mr. Luthor, what's wrong with you? Are you okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance for you?"

"Shut up! You damn idiot!" Luthor cursed out loud.

At the same time, Schiller, who was admiring the traffic jam downstairs by the bar window on the 3rd floor, dialed the fire department's phone number.

"Hello? Diamond Street Fire Department? It's like this, the smoke alarm here at the Navigator Building seems to have been triggered, didn't you receive the news?"

Schiller said while walking to the door of the bar kitchen, lit a cigarette, took a deep breath and exhaled smoke and said: "Yes, I also think it might be a false alarm..."

Beep—beep—beep—!!!

The sharp sound of the smoke alarm was enough to penetrate more than a dozen floors. The fire department's alarm sounded at the same time. As the most prosperous and economically valuable street in Cat Getan, Diamond Street possessed the best firefighters and the most complete fire equipment. Fully armed firefighters picked up their equipment and got into the car, accompanied by the sharp fire alarm sound—and then were blocked at the entrance of Diamond Street.

Hearing the smoke alarm, Luthor's face turned as black as it could be. And listening to the fire alarm that kept screaming at the street corner without getting closer at all, he slammed his fist on the table.

"Damn Bruce Wei En, you really want my life!!!"