The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 347 Unexpected Changes
Upon hearing this, Eric and Tifa exchanged a glance, their understanding unspoken.

This information is far too obvious.

“Is it possible that those subsidiaries aren’t business entities at all, but…” Eric whispered.

Although she hadn't finished speaking, Tifa understood and nodded.

“Honey, I can use my privileges to access the business database and retrieve the official registration documents of any subsidiary of Vertex Industries. They should contain detailed names of directors and senior executives.”

but"

Eric continued, "But queries involving sensitive information will be logged, right?"

“Yes,” Tifa said.

"If we are not mistaken, the personal information of these special executives may have been tagged with protective labels."

They can detect any unusual queries originating from within.

Eric shook his head inwardly; this was indeed a bit difficult, not only difficult but also quite tricky.

The situation before them was clear: they had inadvertently uncovered a behemoth, touching upon a vast and intricate network whose roots were deeply embedded in the military, the CIA, and even the Department of Defense.

This means that trying to solve it using conventional methods is virtually impossible.

“No wonder they were so brazen,” Eric said.

Tifa looked up at Eric and asked, "Darling, what should we do?" There was a hint of dependence in her voice.

Eric met Tifa's gaze and smiled, "What's your opinion? Whatever it is, I support you."

Given his personality, he has always believed that he will not offend others unless they offend him, but if they do offend him, he will retaliate.

Even if you can't win, you have to bite off a piece of meat as a token gesture.

Of course, this is his way of dealing with people.

However, Tifa is inherently on the side of justice, and has a relatively pure sense of righteousness flowing in her veins; otherwise, there would be no need for her to become a lousy profiler.

Otherwise, given her family background, intelligence, and talent in psychology, wouldn't it be more comfortable for her to be a psychologist who makes easy money?
Seemingly sensing Eric's meaning, Tifa smiled with narrowed eyes:

"I want to investigate! Even if they know I've already found out here, they probably won't take such a big risk to target me."

Eric nodded and said, "After all, they haven't reached the final step yet, and it would be a loss for them to attack you now."

Tifa's situation is now very different from before; things are not what they used to be.

“Then I’ll begin!” Tifa laughed, then leaned against Eric’s chest and began typing away on the keyboard.

Eric thus witnessed the FBI's usual investigation procedures.

First, I logged into an internal portal with the FBI logo, which required two-factor authentication.

Find an authorized commercial data platform interface.

"I try to avoid using sensitive law enforcement data, such as commercial databases like LexisNexis and Westlaw. With my privileges, I have full access to their full versions."

"Perhaps sensing Eric's observation," Tifa said.

"Checking the company registration documents and executive lists here is a routine business background investigation. The traces are relatively normal and not easily marked as suspicious probing."

Of course, they won't miss any queries.

Eric glanced at the focused Tifa and asked in surprise, "You profilers study this?"

"Of course I won't learn it!" Tifa laughed.
"I learned this from a colleague and best friend named Rachel. I'll introduce you to her sometime."

This is quite impressive. Eric couldn't help but take another look at Tifa.

He had never seen a profiler with such skill.

“I learned from you! I’ll work hard to improve myself!” Tifa said without looking up, as if she could read his mind, her fingertips lightly sliding across the touchpad.

"Like that saying you always used to say, 'One who stays near ink gets stained black'!"

Eric's lips twitched, a sneer he used to mock Black. But before he could respond, Tifa's voice rose:
"Honey, we're almost there!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Tifa performed a precise search and entered the accurate registered names and identification codes of Vertex Industries and its subsidiaries.

Soon, a series of well-structured official filing documents were retrieved.

She scrolled through the page quickly, locating directly to the management section.

Next, she entered the names of all the senior officers at Camp Pendleton, the Naval Special Operations Command.

Press the Enter key one by one.

The search results were not disappointing.

In the filings of at least two of Vertex Industries' subsidiaries, Major General Gamir Ricketts, the commander of the headquarters, is listed as a special advisor, having served in his position even before the SEAL team from Reese carried out their mission.

“He’s not the only one,” Tifa whispered.

Howard Myerson, captain of SEAL Team Seven.

Amir Bailey, Training Commander for Special Operations at the Camp

On the screen, a network of interests hidden beneath the normal military system by senior officers at Camp Pendleton appeared.

These people are not only soldiers, but also executives of these shell companies, meaning that a portion of the 60 billion yuan has already ended up in their pockets.

“Not surprising,” Eric said, shaking his head.

"Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent soldiers to kill you."

Tifa nodded, expressionless, and copied the names of the executives one by one into a secure, encrypted document, comparing it side-by-side with the previously dubious list of Northers' board members.

For each name she confirmed that matched, she would make a brief, publicly known note next to it.

For example, a Department of Defense project advisor, a Senate assistant, etc.

The list is shocking.

Tifa and Eric exchanged a glance and laughed, "Honey, do we feel like we've stirred up a hornet's nest?"

However, Tifa said this, but she didn't feel much in her heart, because with the people behind her, she had nothing to fear.

Eric shrugged, looking completely calm.

"The most crucial point is, why are these big shots so determined to kill Rhys? I didn't understand it before, but now I'm finally starting to get a clue."

Tifa looked up at Eric.

Eric stared at the Norths Biotech company on the screen and said, "The core of the problem is this Norths."

Tifa blinked. "Darling, you mean..."

“Yes,” Eric said.

"It does sound like a very far-fetched guess, but so far, this is the only connection that links Reese's SEAL team to this biotech company: the drug trial."

Otherwise, I simply cannot imagine how a SEAL team could be associated with a biotechnology company; the connection between the two is utterly absurd.

Tifa took a deep breath and felt as if a sudden enlightenment had dawned on her.

“Do you remember the headache that Rhys had that suddenly struck tonight?” Eric asked.

Tifa nodded.

"This is unreasonable. I've seen all the medals he received in his home: the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Defense Medal of Distinguished Service, and so on."

The seals that win these honors possess willpower that far surpasses the limits of ordinary people. Eric narrowed his eyes slightly as he said...
“A soldier like Elias, who has gone through so much rigorous training and combat, could not possibly show such unbearable pain from a simple headache. There must be a more serious problem behind this.”

Tifa took a deep breath, her gaze growing increasingly serious: "You suspect that those people conducted human experiments on Rhys and the others?"

"I can only say that the possibility is very high," Eric nodded.

“We need to consider this direction. I suspect his headache might be a side effect of the experiment, otherwise it doesn’t explain why they were so determined to wipe out Rhys and his team.”

“Darling, we have to tell Rhys right away!” Tifa exclaimed excitedly.

"Have him get a full checkup as soon as possible!"

"Don't rush." ​​Eric pressed Tifa's hand and gestured to the laptop.

“We’ll talk to him in person tomorrow. Contacting him now through any means could expose the progress of our investigation and put him in a more dangerous situation.”

"Waiting until tomorrow will also make it easier for us to observe how the situation develops."

Tifa immediately understood the implications and nodded.

In the digital age, a phone call or a message can be intercepted, and as an FBI agent, she naturally understands the ins and outs of this.

Just then, the cell phone on the bedside table suddenly vibrated.

Eric glanced at it subconsciously; it was Tifa's phone. He raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw the caller ID.

“It’s Lauren on the phone,” Tifa said, exchanging a glance with Eric.

The phone call came at a rather opportune time, and late-night calls always seem to indicate something unexpected.

Eric said calmly, "Let's see."

------------

a few minutes ago.

Rhys was sitting in his study, facing his laptop, the light from the screen reflecting off his furrowed brow.

The information displayed shows Robbie Becker, Vice President of Asset Management at Vertex Industries.

Like Tifa, he also found a lot through public channels and some unofficial databases, such as the subsidiaries of Vertex Industries that were used as fronts.

This publicly available investment information is not difficult to obtain.

Rhys pinched the bridge of his nose; he could sense a large flow of funds pointing to a vague whole.

When he tried to delve deeper and find out who the actual controllers of these subsidiaries were, and who the executives were really signing off behind the scenes, layers of encryption and legitimate business privacy protections acted like an invisible wall, firmly keeping him out.

"Damn it." Rhys shook his head, rubbing his temples hard with his fingertips. The feeling of scratching an itch through his boots made him extremely irritated.

This deep thought seemed to trigger something, and a familiar, excruciating pain exploded from inside his skull without warning, more violent than ever before.

My vision distorted instantly, and the blinking cursor on the screen turned into a blurry spot of light.

Rhys grunted, his arm sweeping uncontrollably across the table, the water glass crashing to the floor with a shattering sound that was particularly jarring in the quiet room.

"Rhys?"

Lauren stood in the doorway, her face filled with terror. She saw her husband's face was ashen, and the hand pressing on his head was trembling violently from the extreme pressure.

"Are you alright?" Lauren rushed over immediately, hugged Rhys, and felt his whole body convulsing uncontrollably.

"I...I don't know what's going on."

Rhys closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing amidst the intense pain, and took a deep breath, saying, "This pain is a bit abnormal. I think my previous actions may have indeed had some impact on me."

Lauren hugged Rhys tightly and said, "Then let's go see a doctor, right now."

“Okay!” Rhys did not object. The excruciating pain had shattered his willpower, and besides, he had to attend a funeral the next day. Rhys said weakly.

"But don't go to a big hospital, find a relatively secluded place."

“Dr. Stephenson!” Lauren exclaimed, as if struck by a sudden thought.

"Do you remember him? He now runs a private medical center in the west of the city."

Rhys forced a smile: "That old guy who always says my medical report makes me look like a twenty-year-old?"

“Yes, that’s him.” Lauren helped Rhys to his feet and got up to begin making contact.

“I’ll contact him right away! At this time, only he can receive us immediately.”

Just as Lauren turned to look for her phone, Rhys suddenly grabbed her wrist.

The excruciating pain caused his fingers to tremble uncontrollably, but his eyes remained unusually clear.

"I need to take Jenny with me, and also contact Eric and the others to let them know! Otherwise, I won't feel at ease!"

If he's alright, that's fine, but going out in his current state makes it hard to say he won't encounter some mishap, especially since he hasn't forgotten that the CIA is also involved.

Lauren hesitated for a moment, but nodded under Reese's gaze.

As Rhys's wife, she naturally knew what Rhys was thinking, and this was a necessary precaution.

After all, the experiences of the day are unforgettable.

“Okay, I’ll go wake Jenny up and dress her in more clothes,” Lauren replied softly, though her heart was filled with unease.

“I’ll call Tifa right now. Although it’s a bit presumptuous of me to call at this time.”

As she spoke, she took out her phone and found Tifa's number.

Before pressing the dial button, Lauren glanced worriedly at her husband, who was still struggling with excruciating pain.

“They will understand.” Rhys seemed to see through her concerns, his eyes closed, his voice weak but firm.

Lauren nodded and dialed the number.

To her surprise, the call was answered shortly after she dialed it.

"Lauren?"

Hearing Tifa's voice, Lauren's tense nerves inexplicably relaxed a little.

“Tifa!” she tried to keep her tone steady.

“I’m sorry to bother you so late, but Lisris is not doing well. He has a terrible headache, and we’re going to see Dr. Stephenson in the west of the city.”

He insisted on bringing Jenny along and made me inform you.”

On the other end of the phone.

Tifa paused, then looked at Eric.

Eric was equally surprised; plans had failed to keep up with changes, and the unexpected turn of events had caught him completely off guard.

He originally thought things wouldn't develop until at least tomorrow, but he didn't expect it to erupt so quickly.

Eric nodded to Tifa and got up to start packing. Under her watchful eye, Eric walked to the wardrobe, opened it, and rummaged through the clothes for a while before pulling out the bottom door.

As the automatic sensor lights came on, a meticulously arranged rack of weapons and equipment embedded in the wall came into view.

“Wait for us! We’re coming to pick you up right away. It’s too dangerous for you to act alone in this situation,” Tifa said.

(End of this chapter)