Invasion of America

Chapter 23 Teacher
Let’s go back to late last night.

The dark basement workshop is lit by seven or eight screens, and the LED lights of routers and servers flicker constantly. The hum of cooling fans is the constant tone of this place.

'Gray Shark' sat in front of the computer in a wheelchair. The cold light from the screen made his face look even thinner and more mysterious.

He was talking to Zhou Qingfeng with headphones on, his skinny fingers moving the mouse quickly. With the crisp sound of keys, several documents and pictures opened on the screen.

"In addition to the recovered recordings, I also found several clues, all pointing to the White Beach Police Department and William Congers."

At this moment, the 'Gray Shark' was as excited as a hunter who had discovered the traces of prey.

"I contacted Amazon's operations staff and easily found William Congers' purchase records in the e-commerce database.

He bought the drone a month before the incident, and it was a high-end, remote-controlled model.”

“Also,” Gray Shark quickly switched pages, “in the FedEx database, there’s his delivery information.

The cargo manifest showed he had purchased a prepaid cell phone less than a week after buying the drone.

This type of prepaid phone is usually used to conceal one's identity. He must have a specific purpose for buying it."

Gray Shark leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and waited for Zhou Qingfeng's reply on the phone.

Zhou Qingfeng was outside the car wash, looking up blankly at the night sky. His scalp was tingling, his heart was beating faster, and a feeling of uneasiness was spreading in his heart.

Various details of the "Bar Lottery" case kept emerging in his mind. He could never have imagined that behind the seemingly peaceful town, there were actually a lot of dark sides hidden.

"Besides," Gray Shark's voice sounded again, "when the 'Bar Lottery' case happened, William Congers was one of the first people to know about it, and he was the person most likely to have made advance preparations.

He has worked in the police department for many years and knows the situation in the town very well, so it is easy for him to make arrangements in advance."

Gray Shark was certain he had found the key figure in Zhou Qingfeng's extortion scheme. "The FBI listed him as their prime suspect for a reason."

Zhou Qingfeng broke out in a cold sweat after hearing this. He didn't dare to believe Gray Shark's judgment, but he really couldn't find any evidence to refute it.

The drone and prepaid mobile phone were purchased before the 'lottery' case, so to speak, as preparation for other things.

But the voice on the ransom call was unmistakable; it was definitely Congers.

A month after the "bar lottery" case, he endured it and did not make any move, like a wild beast lurking in the dark, waiting for the best opportunity.

It was not until Zhou Qingfeng went to redeem the lottery ticket that he made the threatening call.

But what was he really after? Was he worried that Zhou Qingfeng would sign the back of the lottery ticket, so even if he stole it, it would be useless?

Although lottery tickets are bearer, the owner can sign on the back to confirm that it is theirs. After all, it is impossible for Zhang San to sign Li Si's name on the back of his lottery ticket.

But if Zhou Qingfeng secretly claimed the prize and ran away immediately, Kangges would be helpless and would get nothing.

After all, there is a full month in between, which is too long and anything can happen.

"No, there must be something wrong?" Zhou Qingfeng muttered to himself. His mind seemed like a tangled mess that he couldn't figure out.

He always felt that it was too unreasonable for Congers to be the mastermind behind the incident, but he could hardly find a clue in his confused mind.

He paced back and forth in the night wind. With every step he took, he could feel his heartbeat quickening, and the feeling of uneasiness and tension grew stronger and stronger.

"I have to find Congers." Regardless of whether Zhou Qingfeng believed it or not, the current direction of investigation was William Congers.

"Don't rush to find someone." Gray Shark continued, "Inspector Carl's operation will be over before dawn. The part-time worker I found for you will call you at any time.

You'd better find a place to hide first. The police will be more active in their pursuit after daybreak. If you drive around, you will definitely be caught."

Avoid?

Zhou Qingfeng really didn’t know where to hide?
Baitan Town seems familiar, but at the moment he has nowhere to go. There are only a handful of people he can trust, and it is even harder to find a place to hide.

Gray Shark added, "By the way, your original phone number is no longer available. But I'm monitoring this number through my communications provider's backend."

Several people have tried to contact you, including Kelly, who introduced you to me, and your attorney, Baker Hughes.

Most calls were abandoned when they couldn’t get through. But one number not only called continuously but also sent several text messages.”

Kelly and Old Baker were both smart people. They knew that Zhou Qingfeng would definitely not be able to answer the phone at the moment, and they would not call him openly to discuss anything.

They knew that Gray Shark was connected to Zhou Qingfeng, so they were naturally not in a hurry. But who was the other number?
"Text message?" Zhou Qingfeng asked curiously, "Who sent it?"

Gray Shark smiled teasingly in front of his computer: "I did a random search online and found the owner of this phone number on a matchmaking website.

It's a high school teacher named Helen. Her profile shows she's looking for a significant other, but judging by her updates, she doesn't seem to have the courage to take that step.

A graceful and mature woman appeared on the computer screen, with a gentle face and an elegant smile. She was the one that "Gray Shark" had copied from the matchmaking website.

"She's my history teacher." When Zhou Qingfeng heard the name, he immediately thought of the times he'd been called to the office after class. Teacher Helen was quite nice to him.

"Uh," Gray Shark deliberately dragged out the tone, and the smile on his face became more and more playful, like a cunning fox that finally caught its prey.

He leaned closer to the computer screen, took a closer look at Helen's face, and then said, "Teacher, your awareness of internet safety is so poor that it's speechless.

The security cameras in her home were open, allowing anyone to see what was going on inside. Even more outrageous was the password she used for her online space: it was her birthday.

Also, you would never guess that she signed up for OnlyFans.”

"OnlyFans?" Zhou Qingfeng couldn't help but let out a strange cry when he heard the word, his tone shocked. "It's the adult platform that launches paid content to generate revenue, right?"

"Come on, why are you screaming so loudly? Don't pretend to be innocent. I don't believe that you, a young man, haven't seen this." "Gray Shark" said indignantly.

"So what if I've seen it? What does this have to do with my history teacher? Did she post some paid private photos on OnlyFans?"

Zhou Qingfeng had a bad feeling.

When Gray Shark heard this question, he didn't answer directly, but responded with an ambiguous laugh of "Hehehe". That laugh made Zhou Qingfeng feel uneasy.

"No, your history teacher didn't post private photos, but she paid to watch a lot of premium videos. Do you want to know what her fetish is?"

"Fuck you, Potter. I'm in a hurry to find a place to hide, but you come to talk about my teacher's hobby. What does it matter?" Zhou Qingfeng cursed.

Gray Shark laughed even louder. He found great pleasure in making Zhou Qingfeng feel humiliated. "Do you want to know what message Teacher Helen sent you?"

"Go ahead and tell me, don't keep me in suspense." Zhou Qingfeng realized that things were not simple, and his voice unconsciously lowered a few degrees.

"Your teacher Helen said that there have been a lot of rumors in town since the Congers family was wanted and ran away. She is very worried about your current situation."

Gray Shark suppressed his laughter and said seriously, "She said that as an overseas student, you must be very scared when you encounter such a sudden change.

She thinks you definitely need love and care. She even says you can stay at her house for a while if you're interested. Oh, and she even texts you something rather cheesy, calling you "my favorite student," explaining that it's just a gesture of affection and asking you not to take it the wrong way.

Do you want me to read you her short letter?

First of all, I'm not jealous, I'm just feeling a little physically uncomfortable. Is this kind of teacher-student relationship appropriate? I think it's not appropriate."

"Fuck you, Potter." Zhou Qingfeng cursed for the second time. Although it was a text message from Helen, he felt that his privacy was leaked.

"Hahahaha," "Gray Shark" laughed even more unscrupulously, and he almost fell off his chair.

This guy's life in the basement is actually quite boring. In order to maintain his mysterious and cold personality, no one jokes with him.

Zhou Qingfeng finally showed up, and both sides had something on the other side, finally catching a "loyal" target to play with.

After laughing enough, Gray Shark suggested, "You could contact Teacher Helen and try to live with her."

"why?"

"From what I can tell, your teacher is quite sentimental and has a fondness for you. If you ask her for help, she might even risk her life to help you.

No one knows about your relationship because she has never said it publicly.

I checked all her network information and mobile phone call records, including the webcam in her home at the moment, which is very secure.

By the way, your teacher has a nice figure. I've been watching her home surveillance for half an hour, she's a nice woman.

Although I am annoyed, Gray Shark's advice is very pertinent.

Zhou Qingfeng had been out of the police's investigation sight before because no one would have thought that he was related to the lottery.

The same thing happened to Helen. No one thought she would take in Zhou Qingfeng.

"Do you want me to help you contact them?" Gray Shark asked, looking like he was offering assistance quite normally.

"No, I'll do it myself." Zhou Qingfeng didn't want 'Gray Shark' to interfere in his private affairs.

This guy must have been bored out of his mind in his basement. He said, "I know all the secrets of your teacher now. You can ask me anything you want."
-
The clock hands quietly pointed to ten o'clock in the evening. Baitan Town was wrapped in the night. In the silence, sharp sirens were heard from time to time, breaking the tranquil night.

Those were police cars on night duty patrolling everywhere, their lights flashing in the darkness, reflecting the helplessness of the small town's insufficient police force.

As a mature woman, Helen Grant lived alone in a small community villa less than 500 meters away from the school.

Her relationship with her neighbors was lukewarm. There were no intense conflicts, nor were there deep friendships.

My daily work was unremarkable, and I didn't have close relationships with my colleagues. No student at Baitan High School was interested in studying history.

Every night, she would carefully close the doors and windows and turn on the home alarm to build a safety line for herself.

She would also place a self-defense pistol by the bed, and pick up a historical novel as a hypnotic reading, gradually falling asleep while listening to the lingering words.

But tonight, everything was a little different.

After taking a bath, Helen wore a simple suspender nightgown and leaned lazily against the headboard of the bed. She held the Plantagenet Dynasty in her hands, but her eyes could not stay on the pages.

She couldn't concentrate and kept glancing at the silent phone on the bedside, afraid of missing any important calls or messages.

Since nightfall, she has been sitting at the head of the bed, either looking out the window into the darkness, or making phone calls and sending text messages.

But the response I get is either the cold shutdown tone or the silence as deep as the sea.

"Where would that kid Victor be now?" Helen murmured to herself, her fingers gently stroking the screen of her mobile phone.

There is a lot of information about Congers in the social group. Everyone is discussing how many crimes this "black policeman" has committed, or criticizing his daily tyranny.

Only Helen was worried about Zhou Qingfeng who was staying at the Congers' house. She wanted to know how he was doing, but she was also worried that her behavior was too presumptuous and would cause resentment.

Finally, she sighed deeply, shook her head slowly, and put her phone on the bedside table.

"Forget it, forget it, this is crazy. That kid might think I'm sexually harassing him, and if he keeps this up, I'll lose my teaching job."

She tried to convince herself to give up the idea, but she couldn't let it go.

Just as she was about to let go of her worries and force herself to fall asleep, her cell phone suddenly vibrated slightly, and the sharp ringtone instantly broke the silence in the room.

Helen trembled violently as if she had been electrocuted. Then she reached out and grabbed the phone as quickly as possible and answered the call immediately.

She pressed the phone tightly to her ear, her voice trembling slightly, but she tried to remain calm as she whispered, "Hello, this is Helen Grant."

"This is Victor." Zhou Qingfeng's slightly tired voice came from the other end of the phone, "Teacher Helen, I'm sorry to bother you so late. I saw the text message you sent me."

Helen was completely speechless for a few seconds when she heard this voice.

She had never expected that Zhou Qingfeng would call her on his own initiative. This sudden call made her a little overwhelmed.

"Uh yes, I called you and texted you. I wanted to ask..."

"Teacher, I really have nowhere to go now, and I'm in some trouble. If I can live in your house, it would be great." Zhou Qingfeng asked for help.

"No problem, come on. Oh, it's not so late now. It's definitely not convenient for you to go out, and it's not safe at night. I can drive to pick you up."

Helen spoke very quickly, almost blurting out her words. Her cheeks were slightly flushed with excitement, her mind was racing, and her words were a little incoherent.

"No, you don't have to come pick me up. I'm not at the Congers' house right now. But I have a car and will be there in about three hours."

Zhou Qingfeng paused and continued, "Also, I must explain to you that I'm in big trouble now.

I was with an FBI agent named Carl. He was injured, but I couldn't call the police or get help through the normal channels.

There are moles in both the White Beach Police Department and the FBI.

I must find a temporary shelter and wait until the situation becomes clear before making a decision. If you take me in, there will be some danger."

Before Zhou Qingfeng finished speaking, Helen interrupted him without hesitation and said firmly: "Come to me, I will protect you. I believe you are not a bad person.

Victor, you have no idea how special you are.

You're the only student in the school who's willing to listen to my history class. I can't help but notice you.

The only happy thing for me at school is seeing you, and I have always wanted to take care of you. I am very happy that you think of me at this moment.

Helen's voice was full of tenderness and determination. At this moment, she was ready to face the difficulties together with Zhou Qingfeng.

But she obviously didn't know how big the difficulties were.
(End of this chapter)