Chapter 958: The Meddlers

He Yuzhu was uncharacteristically patient, laying out facts and reasoning, gesturing as he spoke, and finally managed to persuade Director Li.

After hearing He Yuzhu's account, Director Li very much wanted to send him packing early to avoid any further trouble.

But he couldn't handle He Yuzhu's relentless stream of arguments, and was ultimately talked into letting He Yuzhu stay.

From then on, the delegation continued to discuss trade details day by day as planned, holding meetings and signing documents as required, everything as usual.

The commotion caused by that underground fighting match seemed to have blown over like a gust of wind; no one mentioned it again, as if it had never happened.

But over at the White House, the atmosphere was not so relaxed.

Those prominent figures joined forces to apply pressure, somehow elevating an underground fighting match that couldn't be brought into the light to the level of national security.

On both sides of the long table in the Department of Justice conference room sat FBI Bureau Chief Fuli and CIA Bureau Chief Tenite, facing each other, with Attorney General Jenny sitting upright between them.

Her expression was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Fuli slammed the file in his hand onto the table and said: "Madam Attorney General, we have turned the scene upside down, and the more we investigate, the more sinister it feels. That manor has hosted at least a hundred fighting matches, and never has such a disaster occurred. Why is it that as soon as this Huaxia man arrives, the stands collapse and the building falls, as if there were an earthquake? If there isn't something fishy going on, I'll resign from this Bureau Chief position!"

His eyes were wide with indignation, clearly intending to use this fire to get He Yuzhu arrested and interrogated.

Jenny didn't rush to respond, her gaze falling leisurely on Tenite: "What do you think?"

Tenite was not as reckless as Fuli.

He knew clearly in his heart how heavy those two words were—over the years, the number of CIA core personnel lost to Shadow alone added up to nearly two hundred, not counting the soldiers. If that He Jian really was Shadow himself, he didn't even dare to imagine the consequences of provoking this dragon that had crossed the river.

He took a deep breath and said calmly: "Attorney General Jenny, my view is exactly the opposite of Fuli's. This kind of underground fighting activity is not something that can be brought to light in the first place; if you really dig deep, no one can withstand an investigation. Besides, that He Jian is officially a member of the Huaxia negotiation delegation, and no matter who he is, we cannot move against him at this juncture. Even if he really is Shadow, if pushed too far, no one knows what kind of chaos he could cause; furthermore, we have no procedural standing. If we really make a move, Huaxia will never let it go."

Upon hearing this, Fuli's brows knitted into a tight knot: "Madam Attorney General, those who watched the match that day, which one of them isn't a prominent member of a noble family? Now these people are blocking my door one by one demanding an explanation. If I don't give them one, they might just tear my office apart!"

Hearing this, the corners of Tenite's mouth twitched slightly, carrying a hint of mockery: "Fuli, using human lives as bets—if the outside world finds out about this, what will they think of us? What will they think of our democratic system? When that time comes, we will be the ones left holding the bag."

The two went back and forth, their words growing more heated, sparks almost flying in the air.

Jenny frowned, raised her hand to press down, and interrupted their argument.

She looked steadily at Fuli, her tone so calm it didn't sound like a discussion: "Mr. Fuli, if that He Jian is truly Shadow, and he can manipulate the stands and the ceiling without anyone noticing, then this person's power is far deeper than we imagined. To be honest, I lean toward Tenite's opinion; for a person like this, it is best not to act if you don't have to."

Fuli, however, didn't buy it at all, his lip curling with utter disdain: "We hold the most powerful military force in the world; we can strike whoever we want. It's just arresting a consultant for a delegation, how big of a deal could it be? Would Huaxia really turn against us over a person like this?"

Tenite couldn't help but sigh, his tone carrying the helplessness of someone who had seen it all: "Mr. Fuli, I know you have achieved great success in New York, and I admire that. But this Shadow business is extremely deep, far from the street gangs you usually strike. If you insist on your current view, I suggest you go back and look through the old files in the archives, get a clear understanding of Shadow's background, and then we can sit down and talk. If you still have this attitude then, I will definitely not stop you."

Jenny nodded, her gaze sweeping slowly across their faces before finally landing on Fuli: "Mr. Fuli, Tenite makes sense. There is no rush to make a final decision on this matter. I will report both of your opinions exactly as they are to the Boss and see how he decides. You two go back first; continue investigating what needs to be investigated, and report any new developments at any time."

With things said to this point, although Fuli still wore a look of unwillingness and his lips twitched a few times, he ultimately didn't talk back, gave a sullen response, and stood up to leave.

Five days later, when Tyson found He Yuzhu again, his face wore a rare look of embarrassment: "Mr. He, your bonus... I'm afraid it's in jeopardy. Of the five investors, one is now dead, two are disabled, and the remaining two are also seriously injured, lying in the hospital unable to even get out of bed."

After hearing this, He Yuzhu just shook his head. He hadn't held much hope for that money to begin with, but at this point, he couldn't just swallow this breath.

He spoke slowly: "Mr. Tyson, if they dare to welsh on the debt, then I will hire the best lawyers in M Country and settle the account with them slowly. This matter is no longer about money, but about dignity. I risked my life to fight in that match, and in the end, I didn't get a single cent; that's a bit unreasonable, isn't it? Do you sign contracts just to tear them up? Then what are contracts for? What is the law for? If you push me too far, I will spill the whole story, from beginning to end. Reputation isn't worth much to me, but they are different; they are all prominent figures, and they can't afford to lose face. By the way, I forgot to tell you, I have the whole thing on video."

Upon hearing this, Tyson's face changed instantly, and he stood there for a long time without saying a word.

In fact, when he went to ask for the money, those people didn't say they wouldn't pay, but they all put on miserable, overwhelmed faces, pushing the excuse that they couldn't spare the time to resolve this matter right now, implying that the FBI had already intervened. They also hoped Tyson wouldn't get involved anymore.

Tyson didn't have much to do with this matter to begin with and didn't want to look for trouble, so he simply wanted He Yuzhu to retreat in the face of difficulties and just turn the page.

But seeing He Yuzhu's attitude now, it was clear he was not going to let it go.

Tyson weighed it in his mind and simply washed his hands of it: "Mr. He, I will pass your words on to them exactly as they are. As for what happens after, I won't get involved. If you want to go through legal channels, that's up to you; I'm out."

After saying this, he turned and left, his back carrying a sense of relief, as if he had shaken off a hot potato.

In the Department of Justice conference room, Jenny called Fuli and Tenite together again.

She leaned back in her chair, her voice not loud but carrying undeniable weight: "The Big Boss said that no relevant government departments should come forward in this matter. If those noble gentlemen are not satisfied, they can go take their revenge themselves. But I'll say this first—don't leave any evidence, otherwise no one can help them."

Fuli shook his head repeatedly, his unwillingness almost overflowing: "I've checked what Shadow has done over the years; it's too much. We already suspect He Jian is Shadow, so we should arrest him. This is a once-in-a-century opportunity! If we miss it, where will we find another one?"

Tenite stood up directly and said: "I listen to the Big Boss; our people will not participate."

After saying this, he walked out without looking back.

Jenny also stood up and followed Tenite out of the conference room.

In the empty conference room, only Fuli remained.

He watched those two retreating figures, his fists clenched until they creaked, and finally he couldn't help but curse out loud: "A bunch of cowards! If you don't dare, I will!"