Chapter 1170: Director Luo Lan's Q&A with Reporters

Public opinion fermented very quickly, which might also have a certain relationship with Director Luo Lan being the focus of public opinion recently. In successive reports, more past events about Director Luo Lan were disclosed, and a "hero" completely different from what people understood appeared in front of people.

Director Luo Lan stood behind the office window. He had already pulled the curtain, used his hand to pick a slit and looked outside. Reporters had already gathered outside the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On the second page of today's "Federal Post," the news about Director Luo Lan getting married and having children in his hometown was reported.

They not only got the handwritten signature of the priest registered in the marriage book at that time, but also the priest's confession and witnesses.

The moment this news was published, it once again detonated the entire public opinion, and even to a certain extent, it covered up the limelight of the general election!

After all, Director Luo Lan can also be counted as one of the senior employees of the federal government, and he is also relatively important and famous. Not long ago, he was a hero who eradicated a tumor like the Perez family.

Immediately after, some negative news about him broke out, which made Director Luo Lan have a lot of topics.

Federal citizens have seen too many light-great-positive figures, especially during the general election propaganda period. Every presidential candidate is so excellent that it is as if God personally created them, which makes people feel a little physiological disgust.

At this time, there is an extra news figure who is so imperfect and has so many problems, people's eyes will start to chase him.

When the news that Director Luo Lan had been married and had children before was reported by "Federal Post," the entire society began to be shocked!

More eyes focused on him with the naked eye. Now he has felt the malice from Lans!

The phone bell on the table rang, making him frown and turn around to answer the phone. "This is Luo Lan."

"I read the newspaper this morning, Luo Lan, you can always give me some surprises beyond my expectations."

Mr. Maple Yuan's voice came from the receiver, which made him feel his scalp slightly numb. "Mr. Maple Yuan, I can explain, this is Lans wanting to make me lose my reputation... scheme."

"He felt a threat on me, so he would be so shameless, despicable, and try every possible means to pull me down from this position. I brought him great pressure and a sense of crisis."

"I..."

"Alright!", Mr. Maple Yuan directly interrupted his words. "Luo Lan, when we met, you weren't like this..."

"You know, I don't like to say those unpleasant words, but your actions in the past half year are indeed a bit terrible. Not only did you not complete our original plan, but you were tossed by a gang leader to the point that you almost have no power to fight back until now."

"What we need is a federal elite, a crime buster, a crime-fighting expert who can constrain, threaten, and eradicate gangs within federal society, not someone who is always giving me surprises in the news."

"You have to handle this matter as soon as possible. My patience is already limited. If any other problems appear, I can only say 'sorry' to you."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

Director Luo Lan's forehead was already covered with sweat. He pursed his lips and nodded, regardless of whether Mr. Maple Yuan on the other side of the phone could see it. "I know, I will handle this public opinion problem as soon as possible."

"I will wait for your good news."

After he put down the phone, he slumped in his chair. This series of failures finally caused Mr. Maple Yuan to express dissatisfaction with him publicly, which made him start to feel terrified!

Yes, terrified, not panicked, uneasy, it is terrified!

That kind of shock and fear produced from the inside out, from the soul, made the hand holding the cigarette tremble slightly. In a moment of carelessness, when he prepared to take a puff, the cigarette slipped from between his two fingers, popping a few sparks on his clothes. He stood up in panic, watching it fall to the floor, and then stomped on the cigarette butt as if finding a way to vent.

The small cigarette butt bore everything it shouldn't have borne. The rough stomping sound made the people working downstairs look up at the top curiously. They knew that was Director Luo Lan's office.

The office door was also knocked at this time, and the female secretary's voice came from outside the door. "What happened, do you need my help?"

Director Luo Lan stood there, panting slightly while holding the edge of the table. "No, no need, I am fine, the cigarette butt fell on the floor."

He didn't let the female secretary come in to see his embarrassed appearance at this time, looked down at the clothes that had been burned with an obvious mark, changed into another one in the inner room casually.

Fuck!

He cursed in his mouth. He knew very clearly where his fear came from—

Everything he possesses now, whether it is power, influence, the power of life and death over ordinary people, all comes from his trust and favor from Mr. Maple Yuan.

Once Mr. Maple Yuan starts to be disappointed in him, what he will lose is not just power, influence, these visible things, but also safety.

He is the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Maple Yuan's "capable assistant," then no matter who it is, wanting to hurt him, as well as the people around him, must consider the possible follow-up development of doing so.

Being targeted by the federal president is not a good thing, and this president seems to be the type with a lot of ideas.

Plus, with the Liberal Party being suppressed by the Socialist Party, it is foreseeable that during his term, the Presidential Palace and the Liberal Party senators in Congress will be highly united, which is the most terrifying part.

If they can also win more Senate seats to become the majority party in the Senate, then they will be invincible in the political arena!

Even the top brass of the Socialist Party are unwilling to be targeted by them, so he will gain a better future, greater power, and be able to realize his idea of achieving absolute justice.

But all of this has a prerequisite: he must be able to gain Mr. Porter's long-term trust and favor.

Once he loses these things, he will have nothing, and people like Lanse can take revenge on him without any scruples.

He knows very well that his compromise with the big shots back home stemmed from his fear of the social resources and power they controlled; they could easily get rid of him without having to bear any responsibility.

Lanse also has such ability; with important Socialist Party senators backing him, as a bargaining chip in a potentially insignificant transaction, his life as Director Luo Lan is like the smallest coin, easily handed over.

It is no longer a matter of whether he can realize his dreams, but whether he can still survive.

The situation is very serious, more serious than he imagined; he paces back and forth in his office, countless thoughts gathering and colliding in his mind, sparking some fire.

After a long time, about twenty minutes, he smoked several cigarettes in a row before sitting back down, picking up the phone, and pressing a button.

The secretary outside the door immediately answered his call, "Director, is there anything you need me to do?"

Director Luo Lan sat there, staring blankly for several seconds, "Make an announcement, I am going to hold a press conference, invite the reporters outside in, and go to the conference room."

People inside the Bureau of Investigation already knew about the reporters outside, and many of them had also seen the news, so they knew what had happened.

Some people had doubts about Director Luo Lan, while others still firmly believed that this was a smear against him, but in any case, the best way was indeed to stand up and respond, rather than continuing to stay in his office like an ostrich.

Ten-plus minutes later, in a large conference room at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the flashes were blinking so constantly that Director Luo Lan could barely open his eyes the moment he walked in from outside.

After waiting for ten-plus seconds, the flashing of the cameras stopped slightly.

The reporters began to ask questions frantically. Looking at these reporters, Director Luo Lan waited expressionlessly for them to make a scene. After they had been making a scene for more than a minute, everyone seemed to realize that if they kept asking like this, Director Luo Lan would say nothing, and soon they spontaneously began to quiet down.

At this moment, Director Luo Lan shifted his body forward and leaned close to the microphone, "First of all, thank you all for being able to come here to listen to what I have to say."

"Secondly, I have also seen the news from the past few days, and I can say that this is a malicious slander and attack against me."

"As the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, during my tenure, I have already accomplished the task of eradicating the Perez family, and I will continue to persist in the struggle against gangs."

"I know this has touched many gangs, making them start to worry and fear. They are helpless against me, so they have started using such methods to smear me, hoping that I will be abandoned by society and abandoned by the federal government."

"I don't know if my successors will have my determination to resolutely eradicate gangs when facing them. At least before me, I have never seen a director like me; otherwise, the five major federal families and the five major local families would not have been allowed to exist for so long."

"This is a long and arduous struggle. We are facing a group of the most vicious, brutal, and cunning criminals. We cannot have the slightest relaxation, or they will pounce and bite hard, just like they are doing now."

"Even things that have never happened will become the direction of their attacks on me, and there will also be...", he looked at these reporters with a mocking gaze, "... so many people who believe this. I feel a bit sad and sorrowful about this."

"When a hero is attacked, people choose to doubt rather than believe. This has also caused me to waver somewhat: should I continue to persist in the ideals and career in my heart, even if I have to endure more harm that I shouldn't have to endure!"

After he finished speaking, he was silent for a while, as if brewing some emotions. Some people also saw the tears in his eyes. In short, facing the reporters, he made the reporters very satisfied now.

Reporters are actually a group of people who care the least about justice and evil. All they want is big news, influence, box office appeal, and a better future for themselves.

As for anything else?

What does that have to do with them?

At this time, a reporter suddenly asked, "Director Luo Lan, so you mean that the report saying you were married back home is false."

"You don't know the lady in the report, and you have nothing to do with those two children?"

This question immediately attracted higher attention from the reporters. Director Luo Lan had stayed in the office for so long just now precisely to consider how to answer this question.

This question was not easy to answer. Although he hadn't told anyone that he was married at the time, some people knew his wife. After all, during the passionate period, the city wasn't that big, and he would always run into acquaintances.

If he couldn't resolve this issue, his explanation would seem ridiculous.

"This is a fake news story, but it's not entirely fake, because I do know this lady and once had a passionate relationship with her for a period of time."

"Later, because of some private reasons, we separated. I heard that she married someone else, and this is also a regret of my youth."

"If she could be my wife, then I would truly feel happy, but we cannot destroy other people's happy and peaceful lives because of my personal reasons!"

He did not hide his relationship with his wife, but chose to speak it out generously. The Federation doesn't forbid two single men and women from dating; even God wouldn't, let alone the law!

This answer made some reporters very satisfied. An ex-girlfriend, a good gimmick, but this news wasn't that explosive.

So another reporter raised his hand, and Director Luo Lan let that reporter who looked very honest stand up.

"Thank you, Director, for letting me ask a question. My question is, did you make your current wife have an abortion because of your ex-girlfriend?"

"I heard some rumors from society saying that you... well, your ex-girlfriend's child is actually yours, and in order not to make your ex-girlfriend and your child sad, you didn't allow your current wife to get pregnant and have children."

"When you knew she was pregnant, even if you were willing to risk huge moral and legal risks, you had to find a place for her to have an abortion, is that so?"

Director Luo Lan looked at this reporter with shock and anger, his gaze also falling on the other party's press card. His gaze was very sharp, stabbing people like a knife.

But obviously, he couldn't stab this reporter, because the angrier he was, the happier the reporter was. They just wanted Director Luo Lan to lose his composure and curse, and then... show a hysterical characteristic.

People want to see a hero fall from the altar, covered in wounds, rather than see him become more and more glorious.

There are too many people who are upright and righteous. Mr. Porter has been doing charity to help the poor since elementary school. Although some reporters suspect that given the Porter family's situation, it is unlikely that there were poor people where he went to school, it doesn't prevent the public from believing it.

Who doesn't hope that their country's ruler is a compassionate person full of mercy and benevolence?

Those rumors about Mr. Porter satisfy most of people's fantasies about an ideal ruler. Although it always seems to be the same old thing, which is already a bit uncomfortable, people are still willing to accept it.

Just like a saint, who wouldn't hope that a saint would appear when they are in trouble and save them from suffering?

Although many people may not have a good impression of saints, feeling that they are hypocritical, disgusting, and pretentious, it doesn't prevent them from becoming beneficiaries of saints themselves.

So the more it is like this, the more people hope for a negative side to serve as a foil.

This reporter's question angle was indeed very tricky. Director Luo Lan snorted angrily, "It's simply absurd!"

"What does her child with someone else have to do with me and my wife?"

"And I have already explained before that during her pregnancy, she took some hormonal drugs because of illness. The doctor told us that our child had a high probability of being deformed, so we took a huge risk to let him leave this world early."

"It's not that we didn't welcome him, but that we didn't want him to come into this world just to suffer and be discriminated against by everyone. We also put in a lot of effort and courage; this was not a simple decision!"

"Such questions seriously hurt the feelings between me and my wife, and I hope it won't happen again."

"Besides...", he looked back at the agents standing behind him, and he pointed at the reporter, "Kick this guy out, his questions are terrible!"

That reporter didn't seem to expect that this would make Director Luo Lan fly into a rage out of shame, but while a smile appeared on his face, he shouted for help and struggled under the escort of the agents with a very exaggerated expression!

"You don't have the right to do this, I am a registered reporter, you must respect my right to interview..."

The reporters' cameras turned to that reporter, who even exposed his white belly while struggling, and there were smiles on people's faces. This could also be considered a small, attractive explosive point.

After that reporter was dragged out, Director Luo Lan pursed his lips, "The annoying person has finally left. I hope the following questions won't be so annoying. At least before asking, you need to think about how you would feel if someone asked you the same question."

"So...", he pointed to another reporter, "This lady, you have been chosen."

A female reporter with golden-brown hair stood up. In this era, female reporters are still relatively rare. After all, this is not yet an era of... equal rights, although they are working hard in this direction.

"Thank you, Director Luo Lan. May I know why you didn't have the idea of having children again after having one?"

"Perhaps this question can let the public have more understanding and comprehension of you and your family on this issue."

Director Luo Lan considered it for a while, and it seemed there was no big problem, so he replied, "Because God hasn't given us a new opportunity yet. Maybe we made Him feel sad before."

The female reporter asked with a smile, "In other words, if you have the opportunity to get pregnant, will you keep this child this time?"

Director Luo Lan nodded, "Yes!"

"This is a gift from God, and we will not refuse!"

(End of chapter)