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

Lynn wasn't sure who the abbreviation represented, but based on the context, it seemed to be the person behind the whole plan, responsible for facilitating connections between Washington and New York.

He needs to find out the true identity of this "TH".

Lynn memorized the key points of the report and then closed the file. He dared not download or copy the file, as the system might record such actions and arouse suspicion.

He decided to digest this information first, and then find a way to conduct an in-depth investigation.

At 6 p.m., Lynn left Huaxing Trading and headed to Jinsha Pavilion.

As a member of management, his work is now divided into two parts—handling intelligence and administrative affairs at Huaxing Trading during the day, and overseeing casino operations at Jinshage at night. This arrangement allows him to access different levels of the organization and obtain more information.

The underground casino remained bustling with activity. The light from the crystal chandeliers spilled onto every gambling table, the clatter of chips, the clinking of dice, and the shouts of the dealers blending together. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and alcohol, and background music drifted in and out, creating a scene that resembled a decadent, intoxicating dream.

Lynn walked into the office area and began processing the day's financial data.

Around 8 p.m., A-Qiang walked into the office area.

"Jack, do you have time?"

"Yes, what is it?"

“Walk with me for a bit,” Ah Qiang said. “There are some things I want to talk to you about.”

Lynn stood up and followed Ah Qiang out of the office area. They walked through the casino lobby and came to a relatively quiet corner—a small room for employees to rest, with a few sofas and a coffee machine.

Ah-Qiang poured himself a cup of coffee, then leaned back on the sofa and looked at Lynn.

"You know about Mr. Wang's visit this afternoon, right?"

"Yes, I attended the meeting."

"So what do you think of those projects?"

Lynn thought for a moment and said, "These all seem like excellent opportunities. If we can secure them, it will greatly benefit the organization's development."

“Yes,” Ah-Qiang took a sip of coffee and sighed, “It’s a pity we didn’t manage to secure that East Coast Manhattan project last time. That was a lucrative deal, over five billion dollars, with profits alone reaching billions.”

"I heard it's because that operation failed?"

Ah Qiang gave him a wary look. "Who told you that?"

"I just overheard it," Lynn said casually. "People in the office were talking about it."

Ah Qiang was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, that operation did indeed fail. Everything was planned perfectly, but the FBI ruined it."

"FBI?"

“Yes, an agent named Ashford,” Ah Qiang said, his tone tinged with obvious resentment, “supposedly a very capable guy, specializing in investigating organizations like ours. He's the one who sabotaged that operation.”

Lynn maintained a calm expression, but a strange feeling welled up inside him—what was it like to be evaluated in this way by one's enemy?
"Where is that person now?" he asked, feigning curiosity.

“Who knows,” Ah-Qiang shrugged. “He’s probably still in New York continuing his investigation. But I heard the higher-ups are already making arrangements to get rid of him sooner or later.”

"Get rid of it?"

“Yeah, you know,” Ah Qiang made a throat-slitting gesture, “keeping someone like him in the way is just causing trouble.”

Lynn nodded and said nothing more.

They chatted for a while longer, the topic shifting from the New York project to business in the Bay Area. Ah-Qiang told him some inside information about the operation of Jinsha Pavilion—which clients were VIPs, how much money they owed, who was easy to mess with, and who was not to be offended.

“Oh, right,” Ah Qiang suddenly remembered something, “have you ever heard of a company called ‘Empire Real Estate’?”

Lynn's heart skipped a beat. "I've heard of it; it's apparently a large real estate company in New York."

“That’s right,” Ah Qiang nodded, “They are our biggest rivals in New York. They snatched the East Coast project from us last time.”

"Are they very capable?"

“They’re formidable, and their connections are very deep,” Ah Qiang said in a low voice. “I’ve heard they have some very powerful people backing them, including some bigwigs on Wall Street and some politicians in Washington. The reason we lost to them last time was because our network of connections hadn’t fully penetrated those circles.”

"And what about this time?"

“This time we’re going to try a different approach,” Ah Qiang smiled mysteriously. “President Wang says he has a way to dismantle Empire Real Estate from within. I don’t know the specifics, but it sounds like a pretty ruthless method.”

"Disintegration from within?"

“Well, don’t ask too many questions,” Ah Qiang stood up. “These things aren’t for people at our level to know. Just do your job.”

"clear."

After Ah Qiang left, Lynn sat alone in the lounge, pondering the information she had just heard.

Empire State Properties, Wall Street moguls, Washington politicians.
The fraternity's rival to those Bay Area capitalists turned out to be a vast network of influence. This wasn't a simple business competition, but a power struggle between two enormous interest groups.

And he, Lynn Ashford, unexpectedly found himself in a crucial position in this game.

He prevented the Times Square bombing, disrupting the fraternity's plans and causing them to lose their East Coast Manhattan project. Now, he's infiltrated undercover within the fraternity, with the opportunity to uncover more of their secrets.

If he could find direct evidence linking the Brotherhood to those capitalists, he could dismantle this vast criminal network in one fell swoop. But at the same time, he also needed to understand the forces behind Imperial Properties—if they were also a similar criminal organization, the situation would be far more complicated.

He decided to start with Imperial Properties, investigating the company's background and its competitive relationship with the Brotherhood.

At 11 p.m., Lynn left the Sands Pavilion and returned to the hotel.

Kevin was still waiting for him, sitting on the sofa looking at the computer screen. He looked excited, as if he had discovered something important.

“Lynn, you’re back,” Kevin looked up. “I’ve made a major discovery.”

"What discovery?"

“Regarding ‘Falcon’s’ identity,” Kevin turned the computer screen to show Lynn the content, “I’ve tracked all his communications and activity records over the past three years and discovered a very clear pattern.”

"What mode?"

“His activities were highly correlated with classified FBI operations,” Kevin said. “Falcon would become unusually active before each major FBI operation against the Brotherhood, and then disappear for a while after the operation failed.”

"You mean, he's tipping off the Brotherhood?"

“It’s almost certain,” Kevin nodded, “and I’ve discovered another important clue—the codename ‘Falcon’ first appeared in the FBI system five years ago, and his superior was…”

He paused, his expression becoming complicated. "Who is it?"

“A man named Thomas Harrison,” Kevin said, “a high-ranking official in the FBI’s counterterrorism division, even higher in rank than Deputy Director Morrison.”

Lynn's eyes narrowed. "Thomas Harrison."

“TH,” Kevin added, “the same abbreviation you saw in that report.”

Linn was silent.

If Thomas Harrison is indeed "TH," it means the Brotherhood has a very high-ranking informant within the FBI. This person not only has access to classified intelligence but can also influence the FBI's decision-making and operations.

This explains why Zhou Jianguo was discovered to be an informant—because his information was leaked to the Brotherhood.

This also explains why Erin Shaw said, "The people around you may be much more complicated than you think"—she knew there was a mole within the FBI.

“We need to confirm this speculation,” Lynn said. “We can’t accuse a senior FBI official based on mere conjecture.”

“I know,” Kevin said, “but we can approach it from another angle—Imperial Properties.”

"Imperial Properties?"

“Yes,” Kevin opened another page on his computer, “I looked into Empire Realty’s background. On the surface, it’s one of the largest real estate developers in New York, but its shareholder structure is extremely complex, with several layers of holding companies and trusts behind it.”

"What did you find out?"

“One of the largest shareholders of Imperial Properties is a company called Atlantic Investment Group,” Kevin said. “And on Atlantic Investment Group’s board of directors, there’s an interesting name—Thomas Harrison.”

Lynn's pupils contracted slightly.

"You mean, Thomas Harrison is both a high-ranking FBI official and a behind-the-scenes shareholder of Empire State Properties?"

“Exactly,” Kevin nodded. “If that’s true, then he’s betting on both sides—informing the Brotherhood on one hand, and supporting Imperial Estates in their competition with the Brotherhood on the other. He’s probably trying to reap the benefits, profiting from whichever side wins.”

Lynn pondered for a moment.

If this conjecture is true, then Thomas Harrison is the most dangerous person in the whole affair—a double agent deeply embedded in the FBI, with connections to two rival criminal organizations.

He must find conclusive evidence.

“Continue investigating Thomas Harrison,” he told Kevin. “Check his financial records, communications records, travel records, anything that might reveal his identity. Meanwhile, I will gather more information about 'TH' from within the fraternity.”

"clear."

Lynn walked to the window and looked at the night view outside.

The lights of San Francisco flickered in the darkness, like countless eyes watching him. The distant bay shimmered silver in the moonlight, and the sea breeze carried a hint of saltiness and chill.

He initially thought he was hunting the Brotherhood, but now it seems the game is far more complex than he imagined. The Brotherhood, Empire Estates, Bay Area capitalists, an FBI mole—all these forces are intertwined, forming a vast labyrinth.

He must find the truth in this labyrinth.

“Lynn,” Kevin’s voice came from behind, “have you ever considered that this might all be a trap?”

Lynn turned around and looked at Kevin. "What do you mean?"

“I mean,” Kevin said with a worried look, “if Thomas Harrison really is the mole, then he probably already knows you're investigating him. Maybe he's waiting for you to fall into his trap.”

Lynn remained silent for a moment.

He had considered this possibility. But he had no choice—he had already come this far and could not back down.

“Even if it’s a trap, I’ll step into it,” he concluded, “because only in this way can the whole truth be revealed.”

The next morning, Lynn arrived at Huaxing Trading as usual.

Sunlight filters through the narrow streets of Chinatown, casting dappled shadows on the old buildings. The air is filled with the aroma of fried dough sticks from breakfast stalls and milk tea from tea restaurants. Several elderly people practice Tai Chi in the park on the street corner, their movements slow and graceful.

Everything seemed so normal.

Lynn pushed open the door of Huaxing Trading Company. The middle-aged woman at the front desk was still reading a magazine. She looked up at him, her expression as indifferent as ever, then lowered her head to continue flipping through the fashion magazine in her hands.

"Good morning." Lynn nodded to her.

"morning."

He went up the stairs to the third floor and pushed open the door to the office area.

Then he stopped.

The atmosphere in the office was completely different from usual. The young people who were usually engrossed in their work all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him. Li Xue stood in the corner, her expression as cold as ice. In the center of the office, Mr. Chen sat in a chair with his legs crossed, holding a document in his hand, his gaze sharply fixed on him.

“Jack,” Mr. Chen said, his voice unusually calm, “come in and close the door.”

Lynn's heart raced, but his expression remained unchanged. He walked into the office area and casually closed the door behind him.

"Mr. Chen, is there anything I can help you with?"

Mr. Chen did not answer immediately. He looked down at the documents in his hand, then looked up, a playful smile appearing on his lips.

“Jack Bryan,” he read the name, “a retired Marine, who served in the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in San Diego from 2016 to 2024. After retiring, he worked as a security guard in Los Angeles for several years before moving to San Francisco to look for opportunities. His resume is complete, and the background check was fine.”

He paused for a moment and placed the document on the table next to him.

"But do you know what's interesting?"

Lynn didn't speak, she just looked at him quietly.

“Interestingly,” Mr. Chen continued, “last night, a friend of ours sent us a photo from New York. It showed an FBI agent named Lynn Ashford.”

He took a printed photo out of his pocket and handed it to Li Xue, who was standing next to him. Li Xue took the photo, walked up to Lin En, and held it up to his eyes.

The person in the photo is wearing a standard FBI jacket and standing in front of a building with a serious expression.

That is himself.

“Do you know what surprised me the most?” Mr. Chen stood up and slowly walked towards Lynn. “This Lynn Ashford looks exactly like our Jack Brian.”

The air in the office seemed to freeze. All eyes were fixed on Lynn, like a pack of predators eyeing their prey. (End of Chapter)