American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

Chapter 210 His Game is Over

The next morning, Lynn sat in the FBI technical lab. A technician was typing away at a keyboard in front of a screen. The screen displayed a series of complex data and records. The technician's name was Tony, and he was Lynn's long-trusted technical support. He pushed his glasses up on his nose, his eyes focused. As he worked, he said to Lynn, "You've really picked a tough one. This camera was indeed installed by the city government, but the storage equipment back then was quite old, and most of the footage was stored on physical tapes. It's a miracle we can even find it."

"I don't need a miracle." Lynn whispered, his tone calm and firm. "Just tell me if there is any way to find that video."

Tony didn't answer, but continued to operate. A few minutes later, an excited smile appeared on his face. "Wait, I think I have a clue - there are archived records of this camera in the municipal database." He typed on the keyboard faster, his eyes behind his glasses fixed on the screen. "The storage tape of the video was once transferred to an archive center in Brooklyn. I don't know if it's still there, but at least there is some hope."

Lynn nodded, a sharp light flashing in his eyes, "Send me the address of the archive center."

"It's already been sent to your phone." Tony paused and looked at Lynn. "But Lynn, after all these years, the chances of finding the video are slim. Even if they were found, the quality of the footage wouldn't necessarily provide any crucial evidence."

"Let me be the judge." Lin En's voice remained unwavering. He stood up and turned to leave the technical room.

A few hours later, Lynn's car stopped outside an old archive center in Brooklyn. The building looked dilapidated, with some bricks peeling off due to weather erosion, and the sign at the door was rusted, but the light at the door was still on, indicating that the center was still in operation.

Lin En walked into the archives center and found the old man in charge of the archives. The old man was about seventy years old and wore a pair of thick reading glasses. When he heard Lin En's request, he showed a slightly surprised expression.

"Tapes from 2003?" the old man muttered, looking down at a thick record book. "Files this old are probably all sent to cold storage. But you're lucky, we do have some tapes here that haven't been cleaned yet."

Lin En nodded, her tone tinged with urgency: "I need to see those videos as soon as possible."

The old man led him to the underground storage room and opened a heavy iron door, revealing a room filled with cardboard boxes and tapes. Lynn frowned, but did not complain. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and began searching by file number.

After searching for over an hour, Lin En finally found a tape in a pile of worn-out cardboard boxes. It was labeled "July 2003, 7." He picked up the tape, his heart racing slightly, but he quickly calmed down and took it to the player in the archive room.

At the beginning of the video, Lin En saw a blurry gray-white image. The camera's resolution was very low, and the image quality was mottled and even had a hint of noise. But as the image adjusted, he quickly recognized the intersection where the accident occurred.

Lin En stared at the screen intently, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He waited quietly. The street in the picture was strangely peaceful, with only a few pedestrians occasionally passing by.

Then, it happened.

In the picture, a blue Buick is slowly approaching from the right side of the screen. It's not going very fast, and even seems a little cautious. At the same time, a truck appears from the other side, moving much faster than the Buick and showing no signs of slowing down.

Lin En held his breath. He watched as the truck hurtled directly toward the Buick, followed by a violent collision. The blue Buick was spun around by the truck and slammed heavily into a pillar at the intersection.

He stared closely at the truck's movements and found that the truck showed no signs of braking in the seconds before the collision. Instead, it seemed to have deliberately accelerated and crashed into the car.

"The truck driver lied," Lin En muttered to himself, his eyes cold as ice. He rewound the scene, slowed down the speed, and carefully examined the front of the truck. Just as the scene slowed to its limit, he caught a few details: a faint logo on the front of the truck, which looked like the name of a transportation company.

Lin En quickly paused the video and took a photo of the sign. His intuition told him that this transportation company might have something to do with the accident.

After returning to FBI headquarters, Lynn immediately gave the photo to Tony and asked him to trace the background of the company. A few hours later, Tony sent back a shocking result.

"The company was called 'West Transport', a small freight company that has been dissolved." Tony's tone became serious, "But according to its registration records, the company was then affiliated with a larger group - the 'Crocks Group'."

"Krox Group?" Lin En frowned. He was familiar with the name. It was a large logistics company, but in some circles, its name was often associated with illegal transactions and money laundering.

"What's even more interesting," Tony continued, his eyes twinkling, "is that in 2003, the Crocus Group was going through an internal investigation. At the time, rumors were swirling that their employees were involved in drug trafficking."

Lin En's brow furrowed even more. He quickly looked through the relevant documents and found that the Krox Group had indeed been accused of participating in illegal transactions in 2003, but the investigation was ultimately shelved due to "insufficient evidence."

"This car accident might not just be an accident," Lynn whispered, his eyes darkening. "The Krox Group might want to get rid of someone or hide something, and Carl Miller might just be an innocent victim."

"What's next?" Tony asked.

"Investigate." Lin En's tone was as cold as ice. "I want to know every connection between the Krox Group and this case. And the truck driver, Alvin Clark, he's no coincidence. I want to know where he went."

As the investigation deepened, Lynn began to piece together more clues. Carl Miller was participating in a school community volunteer project when he accidentally came across some transaction records related to the Krox Group. Although these records were not publicly available, Lynn suspected that Carl might have discovered something secret.

"This isn't an accident," Lynn muttered, standing by the office window. He clenched his fists, and Kate's stubborn face appeared in his mind.

Lynn's investigation deepens. The connections behind the Crooks Group are complex, and the disappearance of truck driver Alvin Clarke seems no coincidence. As more information is uncovered, Lynn gradually uncovers the tip of the iceberg of this case.

Late one night a week later, Lynn sat in a private filing room at FBI headquarters, his eyes piled high with documents, surveillance footage, and clue lists. He analyzed every detail. One photo on the screen stood out: a young man in a suit, his hair immaculately combed, standing in the middle of a lavish party, a glass of champagne in hand. His smile held a certain superiority, as if he held the world in his hands.

The owner of this photo is Matthew Hallock.

Lynn placed his finger on the photo, his eyes sharp as a knife. Matthew Hallock, a name that sounded unremarkable at first, but Lynn had unearthed something intriguing from the Krox Group's archives.

Matthew is the only son of the founder of the Crocos Group, a typical "rich second generation." According to the files, he is not only the future heir to the company, but also has a reputation for scandals—excessive drinking at parties, illegal car racing, and even involvement in an undisclosed assault case. Each time, he escaped unscathed.

"What does this person have to do with the car accident?" Lynn asked himself in a low voice, flipping through the documents and continuing to look for more clues.

Tony's voice came from the headset: "Lynn, I found something new, you absolutely have to listen to this."

"explain."

"Remember the truck driver, Alvin Clark?" Tony said, his voice tinged with excitement. "I tracked down an unpublished transcript, recorded within two days of the 2003 accident. At the time, Clark claimed that he chose to remain silent because he was 'threatened.' And the person who threatened him... was Matthew Hallock."

Lin En's eyes suddenly became sharp, "Are you sure?"

"Sure." Tony's tone was very certain. "Clark mentioned in the transcript that Harlock told him to 'crash the car' and warned him that if he dared to tell anyone, he and his family would disappear."

"Why hasn't this transcript been formally investigated?" Lynn asked, with a hint of barely perceptible anger in his tone.

"That's a good question," Tony continued, "because it was suppressed by the officer in charge at the time, Frank Cowles. Cowles subsequently resigned and moved to Florida with a generous 'pension.' And Clark... you know, he completely disappeared." Lynn leaned back in her chair, her mind quickly sorting out the clues. All the evidence pointed to a fact that could not be ignored - Matthew Hallock used the resources of the Krox Group to stage an "accidental" car accident to cover up some secret, and Kate's father, Carl Miller, happened to be the innocent victim.

"Why did Matthew kill Carl?" Lynn murmured. He vaguely felt that there was more hidden behind the car accident.

"Maybe Carl knows something he doesn't want others to know." Tony guessed, "Maybe it's related to illegal transactions of the Krox Group?"

Lynn was silent for a few seconds, then stood up and said, "Continue to track Matthew Hallock's whereabouts. I want to know where he is now. Also, send me Frank Coles' address."

"Understood. The address will be on your phone shortly."

Lynn hung up the phone, sorted the papers on his desk, picked up his coat, and headed for the door. His steps were steady and powerful, his face etched with grim determination.

Two days later, in front of a luxurious beachfront villa in Florida, Lynn stood at the door and rang the doorbell. The sound of the doorbell was particularly harsh in the quiet night.

A few minutes later, a gray-haired man opened the door. His face was full of traces of time, but there was still a hint of vigilance in his eyes.

"Frank Cowles?" Lynn asked, his voice low and calm.

The old man narrowed his eyes, a hint of uneasiness in his tone, "Who are you?"

"FBI." Lynn showed his ID and then strode into the house without giving the other party a chance to refuse.

Coles was obviously intimidated by his momentum and took a few steps back. "I retired a long time ago... Whatever you want to ask, I don't know."

Lynn stood in the middle of the living room, staring at him coldly, "You know why I came to you, Coles."

"I... don't know what you're talking about." Coles' voice trembled and his eyes began to dodge around.

"The car accident in 2003," Lynn said bluntly. "You were in charge of that case, but you suppressed a crucial transcript. Why?"

Coles' face turned pale in an instant. He opened his mouth but couldn't speak.

"I know you accepted money from Matthew Hallock." Lynn stepped closer, his tone even colder. "I know you helped him cover up the truth and caused an innocent man to die in vain. And now, I want you to tell me everything."

Coles wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling. "I have no choice... The Hallock family is too powerful. They are threatening me. If I don't cooperate, my family and I will be in danger."

"So you chose silence." Lin En's voice was as icy as ice. "You made an innocent family suffer tremendously, while you took your dirty money and hid here in comfort."

"I..." Coles lowered his head, a hint of pleading in his tone, "Do you think I didn't struggle? But they are so terrifying, no one can stand up to them!"

"Now someone can," Lynn said coldly, "tell me, what did Matthew Hallock let Clark do? Why did he kill Carl Miller?"

Coles was silent for a moment, then finally sighed. "Carl Miller was participating in a community volunteer project when he stumbled upon a batch of financial documents related to the Crooks Group. Those documents recorded the flow of illegal funds. Matthew was afraid these documents would be exposed, so he ordered Carl's murder to make the car accident look like an accident."

Lynn clenched his fists, his eyes as cold as a knife. He had already obtained the truth he needed, and now, he only had one goal left - to make Matthew Hallock pay for his crimes.

"You'd better hope these words are true, Coles." Lynn said finally, turning to leave, "Otherwise, I will be the first to make you pay the price."

Night fell over the streets of Brooklyn. The sky was dark and oppressive, as if even the stars were waiting for a storm. Lynn's SUV stopped in the underground parking lot of the FBI headquarters. He stepped on the brakes, and the engine roared softly before shutting down.

The air inside the car was stiflingly heavy. On the passenger seat lay Matthew Hallock's file folder, a thick stack of documents, each page marked with his crimes. These documents were not ordinary accusations, but cold evidence, connecting the death of an innocent life.

Lin En picked up the file, his fingers slowly running across the cover, his eyes as cold as the wind on a winter night. The scene of Matthew's arrest still echoed in his mind.

Hours earlier, he and his reinforcements had stormed the lavish club where Matthew was hosting a private party. The lights were dazzling, the music was blaring, and the swankily dressed guests, drinking, reveling in the hypocritical splendor. Matthew, on the other hand, stood in the center of the dance floor like a king, surrounded by a crowd, his smile unbridled.

The moment Lynn and the agents appeared, the entire club fell into chaos. Guests screamed and fled in all directions, while Matthew showed a brief moment of shock, but soon he returned to his typical arrogant expression.

"Agent Lynn," Matthew raised his chin slightly, mockingly in his eyes, "you're making such a big fuss. What is this? Breaking into a private party? Arresting someone without a warrant? That's illegal."

"We have sufficient reasons." Lynn responded coldly, his gaze piercing Matthew's eyes like a knife. "And we have evidence. Matthew Hallock, you are formally arrested on suspicion of murder and organizing illegal transactions."

Matthew's smile gradually faltered, and a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He stepped back and tried to defuse the situation with a frivolous tone, "This is just a misunderstanding, Agent Lynn. You've got the wrong guy. I'm a businessman and a law-abiding citizen."

Lin En didn't waste time arguing with him, but waved his hand coldly, "Take him away."

When the handcuffs were fastened on Matthew's wrists, his face turned pale, but he still tried to struggle. "Do you know who my father is? Do you know how influential the Krox Group is? If you dare to touch me, you won't be able to bear the consequences!"

Lynn didn't respond. He just stared at Matthew, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at a walking corpse. Matthew tried to threaten him with words, but Lynn never showed any interest in them. He just used silence to tell Matthew that his game was over.

At this moment, Lynn stood outside the one-way glass of the interrogation room, staring at Matthew through the glass. Matthew had lost the arrogant demeanor he had at the party. He sat at the table, handcuffed to his hands, with a thin layer of cold sweat on his face.

There was only one light bulb on in the interrogation room, and the light stretched Matthew's shadow extremely long, like an invisible shackle pressing on him.

"He's already starting to sweat." Hans stood beside Lynn, his tone tinged with dry humor. "I guess you haven't really started to scare him yet?"

"Not in a hurry yet." Lin En said calmly, tapping the glass slowly with his fingers. "People like Matthew have never experienced true fear. He thinks his money and background can make him omnipotent, but today, we will make him understand that he can't buy off the law."

Hans nodded. "We've verified all the evidence, including Clark's statement, the surveillance video of the car accident, and Frank Cowles' testimony. As long as Matthew confesses, the jury will find him guilty without hesitation."

Lynn nodded, said nothing more, and opened the door and walked into the interrogation room.

(End of this chapter)