American comic book: I, with my abundant martial virtue, love to do good to others.

Chapter 239 Key Evidence

Just then, an armored vehicle sped into the scene, and special forces poured out, quickly sealing off the area with shields and heavy-duty suppression weapons. Lynn, observing the situation, grew even more vigilant. He knew that a much larger conspiracy lay hidden behind this riot.

Through the tactical headset, the technical team transmitted new intelligence: "Detective, our surveillance footage shows that these rioters gathered at the same location—an abandoned factory in the East District—a few hours before the operation. This is likely their temporary base."

Lynn's gaze turned cold: "Notify all team members to immediately surround that factory. I suspect this riot is just a pretext; the real plan is likely still underway."

One,

Meanwhile, the center of the riot became even more chaotic, and the mutant rioters, seemingly realizing that the police were gradually gaining the upper hand, began to retreat in different directions. Lynn noticed that their retreat was not hasty but orderly, which further confirmed his judgment—these people were not simple thugs, but rather people who had undergone some kind of training and command.

Lynn didn't give chase, but quickly mobilized the remaining police force to cordon off the surrounding area. He told Carter, "Don't be fooled by their retreat; this may only be the first step. They're buying time for the people behind the scenes."

Kate had also arrived at the scene and was standing behind the cordon at a safe distance. She and her photographer were documenting everything, her face a complex mix of emotions. Her gaze pierced through the cordon, landing on Lynn's busy figure, her heart filled with conflict. She knew that no matter who was behind the riot, ordinary people would ultimately suffer, and her reporting could either reveal the truth or inadvertently deepen the rift.

When the riots subsided, Lynn received an update from the technical team: "Detective, we found several encrypted terminals in the abandoned factory, and the information on one of the terminals points to a larger plan. They are mobilizing more people, and the target location may be in the financial district."

Lynn, holding the headset, his eyes sharp, said, "Everyone assemble immediately. Target: Financial District. We don't have time." He looked up at Kate not far away, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but quickly turned and boarded the command vehicle.

the other side.

Kate sat in her dimly lit apartment, the laptop screen on her desk emitting a faint blue glow. The title of the document on the screen read clearly: "Dawn Internal Strategic Meeting Minutes (Encrypted)." It was a document she had obtained through clandestine channels at a high price, but it might be the key to uncovering the organization's core operations.

She quickly skimmed through the documents and noticed several unexpected details. The files recorded the discussions at recent high-level meetings of the Dawn organization, revealing clear signs of a split. One group of leaders, especially those codenamed "Silent Rose," advocated escalating the conflict between mutants and ordinary humans through violence, forcing the government to compromise. Another group of leaders, however, believed that extreme measures would only destroy the organization's credibility.

This would alienate more mutants from them. These members suggested that more grassroots organizations should mobilize peaceful demonstrations to garner public sympathy and support.

The document even records a heated argument that occurred during a meeting. "Silent Rose" stated bluntly, "We don't have time to wait for those politicians to slowly change their policies. Only by making this society feel pain will they take us seriously." Another member, codenamed "Dawn," strongly objected: "Violence will only turn us into monsters in the eyes of our enemies. Our goal is peaceful coexistence, not a city engulfed in flames!"

Kate's fingers hovered over the touchpad, her heart pounding. This was the first time she'd witnessed the true workings of Dawn. It wasn't just an extreme mutant organization; it was a complex network rife with internal divisions and conflicts. She realized that this division might be key—if the moderates could gain the upper hand, perhaps the current crisis could be mitigated.

She continued reading and discovered even more astonishing information. One section mentioned a draft plan.

Codenamed "Operation Dawn," this draft describes a series of radical actions spearheaded by the Silent Rose, with the ultimate goal of destroying Manhattan's financial system and inciting social unrest by paralyzing the economy. However, the document also mentions that some core members strongly oppose the plan, arguing that it will not only fail to win public support but will also lead to a larger-scale government crackdown on mutant communities.

Kate knew this information had to be given to Lynn as soon as possible. She grabbed her phone and dialed Lynn's number.

His voice was low and urgent: "Lynn, I've obtained internal documents from the Dawn Organization. These contents may change our strategy."

Lynn, on the other end of the phone, was clearly used to Kate's unexpected discovery; his voice remained consistently calm: "What exactly is it?"

Kate quickly explained, "The documents show serious divisions within Dawn. The confrontation between the violent and moderate factions has escalated, and 'Operation Dawn' is their upcoming large-scale plan, but it doesn't have the support of all members. This could be our chance to stop them."

Lynn was silent for a moment, then said, "Send me the file. I need the technical team to verify its authenticity. If it's real, this is indeed a breakthrough."

Kate hesitated for a moment, then said firmly, "Lynn, this document is more than just intelligence; it also reveals a fact—not all mutants support violence. We need to release this information so the public knows that Dawn is not a unified evil organization, but a group full of contradictions."

Lynn's voice carried a hint of warning: "Kate, doing this could complicate the situation further. If the violent faction realizes they've been betrayed from within, they might accelerate their actions."

“But it’s worth it,” Kate interrupted him. “We can’t solve the problem with just hunting down and suppressing people. If these moderates are willing to cooperate, we can use them to dismantle the entire organization.”

Lynn sighed: "Alright, send me the documents, and I'll arrange for someone to contact these moderates."

But you must promise not to act alone again. The risks this time are greater than you imagine.

Kate nodded: "I understand, I will be careful."

After hanging up the phone, Kate sent the documents to Lynn and began writing a report on the internal divisions within Dawn.

Kate sat in her apartment, her screen filled with densely packed documents. This information, gathered through various channels, concerned some of the hidden records of the "Heart of Flame's" past. She discovered that this mutant named Marcos Ramirez wasn't always so extremely violent. His name appeared in a document from many years ago, the title of which made her frown instantly—"Cohen Industries Special Abilities Research Project."

She carefully read the documents, gradually piecing together a heartbreaking story. Marcos was once an ordinary mutant teenager. Although his fire abilities caused him to be ostracized in daily life, he always tried to integrate into normal society. Until one day, he was arrested because of a community conflict and then taken away by "Cohen Industries" under the pretext of helping him control his abilities.

The document detailed the experiments, and the cold, indifferent language made Kate clench her fists involuntarily. Under the cover of government contracts, Korn Industries was conducting high-risk weaponization research using mutant abilities. Marcos became a subject of these experiments; his fire abilities were forcibly enhanced through drugs and surgery.

They were even used to test the effectiveness of new weapons.

The experiment came at a tremendous cost. The document states that Marcos made several attempts to escape, only to be suppressed with even more brutal methods. His abilities became increasingly unstable, even threatening his own life, while the researchers regarded him merely as an "asset."

Kate took a deep breath and continued reviewing the documents. She discovered that after the experiment, Marcos was abandoned on the grounds of "power loss," and Korn Industries even erased all records related to him. Deprived of experimental funding and identity support, he was forced to live on the streets and was taken in by the mutant community. It was during these years that he began to transform from a young man trying to integrate into society into the furious "Heart of Fire" he is today.

Kate suddenly felt a tightness in her chest. This wasn't just a story of being let down by society; it was a victim's declaration of revenge. Every action Marcos took was like a cry for justice, a desperate demand for it from this indifferent world.

She immediately dialed Lynn's number, her voice filled with urgency: "Lynn, I've found out about Marcos's past, which might change our opinion of him."

Lynn asked in a deep voice on the other end of the phone, "What is it?"

"Marcus was once a test subject for Cohen Industries," Kate said quickly. "His fire abilities were forcibly enhanced, and his anger stems from the pain inflicted by those experiments. His actions were not simply destruction, but an extreme retaliation against social injustice."

Lynn was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, then her voice grew even lower: "What does this mean? He's just a victim?"

“He is a victim, but that doesn’t excuse his violence,” Kate said firmly, but then added, “However, if we can show him that continuing this behavior will only deepen prejudice against mutants, perhaps we can make him stop. I suspect his anger stems more from isolation and despair.”

Lynn sighed. "Kate, do you know how difficult this is? He's already deeply involved, and we don't even know if he'll listen to any advice."

Kate gripped the document tightly, her eyes resolute: "I have to try. People need to know his story, to know that he wasn't a born monster, but a victim of this system. If we can get the public to realize this, perhaps we can salvage some of the situation."

Lynn pondered for a moment, then finally said, "Bring these documents to the branch office. I need to verify this information. If they're genuine, perhaps we can find a breakthrough with this data."

Kate hung up the phone, packed all the documents into her bag, and secretly decided that this time she would not only help Lynn stop the "Heart of Flame" sabotage, but also let the world know that behind the anger and violence among mutants lies the long-term oppression and exploitation of society.

A few hours later, Kate arrived at the FBI branch and handed the documents to Lynn. Lynn's gaze swept over the cold, hard experimental records, his brow furrowing. "Cohen Industries, this isn't the first time we've heard this name. They're not just supporters of 'Dawn,' they're clearly manipulating these extremists on a deeper level."

“So, it’s not just about capturing the ‘Heart of Flame’,” Kate said softly. “It’s a systemic problem. If Cohen Industries isn’t exposed, stories like Marcos’ will keep repeating themselves.”

Lynn nodded, a cold glint in his eyes: "I will intensify the investigation into Cohen Industries, but we cannot let up on the pursuit of 'Heart of Flame.' His plan has reached a critical stage, and any delay could plunge Manhattan into even greater chaos."

The two stared at each other for a moment, both sensing the complexity and weight of the battle.

the other side.

Lynn sat in his office with an important search warrant application in front of him. However, his boss said to him in a serious and unquestionable tone, "Lynn, this application cannot be approved. This matter involves too many areas and has too far-reaching consequences."

"Impact?" Lynn looked up, a hint of suppressed anger in his voice. "Isn't the safety of Manhattan the most far-reaching issue? We have enough evidence to prove that Cohen Industries is manipulating 'Dawn' behind the scenes. If we don't take action, the impending disaster will be unavoidable!"

His superior's expression was stern, yet a hint of unease flickered across his face. He said in a deep voice, "Lynn, I understand how you feel."

But we can't rashly take action against such a large corporation. Cohen Industries' top management has connections across multiple departments, and their legal team could render all our efforts futile. Moreover, your speculation lacks direct evidence of a connection.

Suppressing his anger, Lynn slammed the documents onto the table, his tone resolute: "We can't do nothing just because we're afraid of failure. Delaying now will only give these people more time to clean up the evidence; they've already caused enough damage to this city."

The superior was silent for a moment, then finally shook his head: "Lynn, this is an order. Temporarily halt the direct investigation into Cohen Industries and focus your attention on the immediate crisis."

Lynn didn't argue further, but simply stood up and walked out of the office without a word. His heart was heavy.

They knew this wasn't just a personal decision by their superiors, but rather pressure from higher levels. Cohen Industries was clearly exerting some kind of influence behind the scenes; their power extended not only to the economic and political spheres but also to law enforcement.

He returned to his office, closed the door, and sat down alone. His desk was piled high with files on "Dawn" and financial records from Cohen Industries, every page brimming with an aura of conspiracy. However, these documents were like scattered puzzle pieces, missing the final, crucial piece of evidence that could directly reveal the truth.