America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 835 You Should Be a Hero

In the morning, the contestants departed from the hotel and headed to the television station for rehearsals.

In the hotel conference room, Bruce selected several representative photos he had just received and posted them one by one on the whiteboard.

Martin, Alexandrovich, Rebrov, and security chief Dmitrov sat on either side of the conference table.

The latter explained, "The car and people who came into contact with Olga were photographed by our people around 10:30 last night, and the people and cars that were tracking Nikia were photographed by Mr. Davis's bodyguards at 10:00 last night."

He looked at Bruce, who picked up a pen and circled the two key photos, saying, "The same car, the same person driving it, appeared in both encounters. It's very clear that the people tracking Nikia and those trying to defraud the contestants are the same group."

Alexandrovich asked, "From Los Angeles?"

"Whether they're from Los Angeles or Washington, they're trying to take a bite out of our market!" Rebrov's face hardened as he looked at Martin. "We'll cut their outstretched hands off them!"

The TV station manager clearly didn't understand Martin's style and thought he was a respectable big star.

Martin slowly began to speak, starting from the beginning: "I had my subordinates in Los Angeles investigate these people. They are involved in multiple businesses, including drug trafficking, sex work, party organization, and film investment. The first three are their main businesses, and the film investment is probably for money laundering. This is nothing unusual in Hollywood. As long as they pay their taxes in full, no one will usually cause trouble."

Rebrov didn't quite understand what Martin meant.

Martin continued, "In the male and female services, they try to find people from all over the world, including using methods similar to this one. This involves human trafficking, which is a serious crime in Ukraine, right?"

Rebrov immediately understood: "That's right, these bastards should be thrown into a Ukrainian jail and never get out!"

Martin thought further: "Following this lead, we might arrest even more people." He looked at Alexandrovich: "Interested in becoming a hero of Ukraine?"

Alexandrovich paused, then pointed to his nose: "Me? A hero?"

Rebrov began to think.

Martin further stated, "In 'Servant of the People,' you played a hero. In real life, wouldn't you want to be that kind of hero?"

Alexandrovich was stunned. Like a hero from a TV drama? A national hero like Martin? What are the practical benefits? What will the future hold?

Martin added, "Those people who cheated and swindled were definitely not just our production team; there were definitely others. You discovered these bastards, personally investigated and tracked their movements, assisted the TV station and the police in dismantling this gang, and rescued some of your compatriots. You are a hero of Ukraine."

Rebrov, who worked in media, immediately saw the benefits: "That way, our finals and the second season of 'Servant of the People' will absolutely have explosive ratings!"

Fearing that Alexandrovich might refuse, he said, "I have reliable connections within the security bureau, so cooperating with us will be no problem at all."

The pressure suddenly descended, and Alexandrovich hesitated for a moment.

This is beyond his current capabilities and he hadn't considered it before. Is it too hasty to suddenly transition from a celebrity to a hero?

Martin said softly, "Don't you want to do something for Ukraine? This identity would also be beneficial to your ideals."

Alexandrovich nodded subconsciously.

For the sake of ratings, Rebrov completely sided with Martin: "Martin makes a lot of sense. If you want to do more things, you can't do anything without status and position. Even if you stand up and speak, no one will listen."

Alexandrovich knew this was the truth.

He wasn't tall, but he had his own aspirations, and at this moment, he finally made up his mind: "If necessary, I can be this hero!"

Martin snapped his fingers: "The rest is simple."

Rebrov realized that Martin couldn't be simply regarded as a star. The fact that Martin had made a name for himself in Hollywood, becoming a prominent figure in the acting world, and even using his enormous influence to get involved in American politics, meant he was definitely not to be underestimated.

He said, "Martin, give the instructions on how to do it."

Martin thought of the FBI's specialty: fishing. He said, "Since this group belongs to a gang, let's lay some bait and lure them out. With your Ukrainian side's rich experience and capabilities, it shouldn't be difficult to pull them out of this mess once we find their weaknesses, right?"

Rebrov grinned maliciously and said, "It's easy."

Martin said, "Let's use Nikia as bait. Alessandro, you talk to Nikia and come up with a better plan."

Having decided to become a hero, Alexandrovich no longer hesitated: "Leave this to me!"

Rebrov said, "I'll contact people too."

He and security chief Demetro were the first to leave the meeting room.

Alexandrovich looked at Martin, somewhat excited: "Boss, I don't know how to thank you enough for helping me like this."

Martin said casually, "You've also brought me huge benefits."

Alexandrovich nodded vigorously, understanding how to repay his boss.

He said, "I won't let you down."

Martin looked at the still somewhat naive future village chief and said, "Do what you want to do, according to your own heart."

For some reason, Alexandrovich suddenly thought of "Vasily Petrovich," the protagonist of "Servant of the People."

Martin watched Alexandrovich leave with a determined look on his face and wondered if the village chief would awaken prematurely.

But then he thought about it again and realized there seemed to be no problem: "I am now a member of the United States, and according to the rules of the United States, we absolutely cannot stop until every last Ukrainian is dead..."

Martin also left the meeting room.

Martin said, "1+1 TV belongs to the Privat Group, one of the oligarchs in Ukraine. After this incident, Alexandrovich is likely to get closer to the Privat Group."

"You yourself would have a better chance than him running for president in the U.S. election," Bruce shook his head. "Why am I only realizing now that many of your ideas are a bit crazy?"

Martin laughed and said, "According to Washington's attitude, it's perfectly justified for the United States to mess with Ukraine."

…………

Kyiv Interstate Hotel.

Lin Qi stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the room, looking at the American embassy not far away. Hearing the door open behind him, he turned around, saw Andrei enter, and asked, "Have you thought of a way?"

"Let's deal with Nikia first!" After racking his brains for the past few days, Andrei finally came up with an idea and put it into practice: "I found a close friend of Nikia's from her hometown. I'll use her to lure Nikia out, and then kidnap her!"

Lin Qi nodded slightly: "That's one way. Let's do it, as soon as possible."

Andrei said, "I'll move all my manpower there for now and deal with Nikia first."

Lynch said, "Okay."

Andrei left the room, went downstairs, got into the car, and soon arrived at another hotel. He entered a suite where Leonid, with his beautiful blond hair, was chatting animatedly with a brown-haired girl, making her laugh every now and then.

During this time, Leonid visited Nikia's hometown again. Using his dashing appearance and lavish spending, he easily attracted Ivana's attention and even tricked her into coming to Kiev.

Andrei sat on the sofa and said, "Ivana, can you help with that thing we told you about?"

Ivana hesitated slightly: "You really don't intend to do anything to Nikia?"

Leonid put on a particularly sincere expression: "How could that be? We're just asking Nikia to get back the money she owes us! I told you last time that we were doing business with Nikia, and we entrusted her with a portion of our money. But she took the money and ran back to Ukraine. We just want our money back."

The wealthy and handsome man was particularly convincing. Ivana said, "No wonder she's been spending money like water since she came back. I really thought she'd struck it rich."

Leonid said, "Of course, we won't let you do your work for nothing."

Andrei took out an envelope and handed it to Ivana: "There are $2000 inside."

Ivana quickly took it, pulled out a bill, and examined it closely: "It's a real dollar bill!"

Andrei added, "If we can get our money back, we'll give you another $2000."

Leonid winked at Andrei, who acquiesced, and said, "If you want to come with us to America to make your fortune, that's fine too."

Ivana longed for the legendary lighthouse, but was also a little afraid: "I... let me think about it."

Leonid was particularly friendly: "No rush, let's make a phone call first, and Ionia will come out to meet us."

The three left the room and the hotel. Andrei checked the time; the athletes should have finished training. He found a public phone booth and had Ivana call Nikia's cell phone.

The first time I heard a busy tone, it seemed like the phone was switched off.

After waiting a while, Ivana finally got through on her second try.

"Nikia, it's me, Ivana. Guess where I am?" Ivana said in her usual tone, "I'm in Kyiv! I arrived yesterday to buy some things."

Her voice then took a sharp turn: "Who would have thought Kyiv would be so safe? My wallet was stolen, and I only had a little change on me. I don't know anyone here. I just happened to see your poster for the finals, so I tried calling you. Could you lend me some money? It doesn't have to be much, just enough for my train ticket back!"

They replied with a few words.

Ivana listened attentively for a while and said, "Okay, I'm available anytime, depending on your schedule. I'm currently staying at Dnieper Cafe on East 15th Street. You don't need to order anything there, and the owner won't kick you out."

Nikia trusted her childhood friend and said, "Wait for me there for a while. I need to ask for leave from the show before I can come over."

Ivana replied, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

After hanging up the phone, she looked at Leonid: "She agreed to come out and give me the money."

Leonidra opened the car door: "Get in."

Meanwhile, Andrei called to gather his men, intending to bring all his subordinates over to deal with Nikia first.

In Kyiv, the disappearance of a couple of beautiful women is not a big deal.

The three got into the car and immediately headed to the Dnieper Café.

It was an old coffee shop that was about to close down, which Andrei temporarily rented as a venue for his activities.

Almost simultaneously, Viktor the Bearded also arrived with several other men.

…………

After returning to the hotel by bus, Nikia rummaged through her wallet and took out some cash.

Ivana is her childhood friend, so she'll definitely lend a hand when she's in trouble.

The production team has a rule that if you are away from the hotel for even a little longer than necessary, you must ask for leave and you must ask Alexandrovich himself.

Nikia immediately called Alexandrovich, who said he was in a meeting and asked her to wait a few minutes.

Alexandrovich was about to communicate with Nikia about how to bait the bait when he received this call. Sensing something was wrong, he immediately contacted Martin and Rebrov.

He briefly explained it in the meeting room.

"Dnieper Café?" Rebrov checked on Google Maps and said, "It's in a pretty out-of-the-way location."

Martin tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said, "My bodyguards just informed Bruce that the guys watching the hotel suddenly left, and Nikia suddenly received a call and went out. What does that mean?"

Alexandrovich chimed in, "Are they going to make a move?"

"That's fantastic! The hotel security team's AKs are itching to get started!" Rebrov exclaimed.

Martin made the decision without hesitation: "Since the fish has jumped out of the water on its own, we should not delay. We should immediately mobilize people to follow it. Director, didn't you contact the Security Bureau? It's time for them to take the lead."

Rebrov said, "My people will fully cooperate with the security agency's operations."

Alexandrovich asked, "Should we inform Nikia and ask her to cooperate with us?"

"Why tell her?" Rebrov was much more decisive than the growing Alexandrovich in this regard: "If she knows the truth, she will hesitate and waver, which may arouse suspicion and cause the operation to fail."

"I understand." Alexandrovich took out his phone and called Nikia back to tell her that he agreed to her leave, but she had to be back at the hotel by 9 p.m. tonight.

Bruce picked up his phone at the same time: "You two, follow Nikia."

Rebrov invited Martin and Alexandrovich: "Come and take a look."

The group went downstairs together, got into Rebrov's black bulletproof Hummer, and headed towards the east of the city.

…………

Upon leaving the hotel, Nikia pulled her hat down low, got into a taxi, and gave them the address.

The taxi hadn't gone far when Martin's two bodyguards followed in their vehicle.

These two men had followed Martin for several years. They were mediocre in other skills, but exceptionally strong in tracking and counter-tracking.

The taxi driver was unaware that a tail was following him.

There was some distance between them, and the five cars were following them.

Among them was the bulletproof Hummer that Martin rode in.

After passing two intersections, three vehicles from the security bureau joined the convoy.

In the rush, the number of people sent by the Security Bureau was less than the number of security personnel from Rebrov's television station.

The Dnieper Café was not large; it was a standalone building. After several phone calls on the way, the two sides quickly finalized their action plan.

Martin didn't say anything more from beginning to end, nor will he show his face again. The credit for this was Alexandrovich.

It was Alexandrovich who discovered the gang, noticed Nikia's unusual behavior, and promptly notified the Security Bureau, cooperating with their operations to save many people.

Even if no one else is saved, it doesn't matter; finding a few actresses to temporarily fill in isn't difficult.

As the convoy gradually approached its destination, the vehicles drove off separately, surrounding the café from all directions.

The taxi stopped in front of the coffee shop. Nikia paid the fare, got out of the car, checked the sign to make sure she was in the right place, and then pushed open the wooden door and went inside.

There weren't many customers in the store, only seven people, one of whom was a brown-haired girl sitting in the innermost corner.

Nikia recognized her immediately; she was Ivana.

Ivana also saw Nikia and waved to her.

Nikia hurried over and said, "You..."

Before he could finish speaking, Victor, the bearded man near the door, got up and went to the door, preparing to close the shop door.

Andrei gave a signal, and the five men, including Leonid, immediately surrounded Nikia.

The money Nikia was clutching in her hand fluttered to the ground.

She looked at Ivana in surprise.

The latter lowered his head, not daring to look at her.

Andrei walked towards her: "Miss Nikia, we've been looking for you everywhere."

Nikia was filled with fear: "You, you are...?"

Andrei didn't waste any words: "Control her!"

Just as the two were about to pounce, Viktor, who was about to close the door, was kicked back into the store, staggered back several steps, and landed hard on his backside.

Andrei immediately reached for his gun, pulled out a pistol, and pointed it at a person who was entering the store.

The others also pulled out their pistols and pointed them at the shop door.

The person who came in, however, remained completely calm.

A dozen or so heavily armed men burst in.

Seven more people rushed out from the kitchen area leading to the back door.

Each of these people was carrying an AK and a submachine gun.

The dark muzzle of the gun was pointed at Andrei and the others, looking as if it might fire at any moment.

"Put down your gun!" Dmitrov, the leader, coldly ordered. "Anyone who moves, shoot him dead!"

Andrei's hands were shaking.

Leonid glanced at Nikia, then turned his gun on her, intending to take her hostage.

But this is Er Mao, who is in the same lineage as Da Mao!

bang bang bang-

A gunshot rang out, Leonid's head exploded, and he fell to the ground like a tattered sack.

This bloody scene was very shocking.

Andrei was the first to throw away his pistol.

The others also surrendered.

Then, people in security bureau uniforms came in to take control of the situation, and Alexandrovich also entered the scene. A cameraman from 1+1 TV carried a camera and filmed the scene.

The main characters include not only the security officials, but also Alexandrovich.

(End of this chapter)