At two-thirty in the morning, a luxurious single-floor villa near the sea in the southern part of Boston.
In a room towards the back, Luo An calmly sipped on red wine while seated in a chair, opposite two elderly white men, one wearing tea-colored glasses, and the other with gray hair leaning on a cane.
"Luo An-Greenwood."
Seeing Luo An unruffled and composed, the gray-haired Edward sized him up and a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes as he asked with interest:
"Could you explain how you managed to win the card game earlier?"
Edward was referring to the gold coin card game and he was very eager to know how Luo An did it.
Luo An smiled and spread his hands:
"Just good luck, that's all."
Seeing that Luo An wasn't telling the truth, the gray-haired Edward shook his head resignedly without pursuing further, instead turning to look at Morgan with the tea-colored glasses. Morgan got straight to the point, saying:
"Group Leader Greenwood, I would like to request your assistance in investigating a case, this case…"
"Sorry, sir."
Before Morgan with the tea-colored glasses could finish, Luo An interrupted him with a smile, explaining:
"I'm currently on vacation. If the case is urgent, I can help you get in touch with the FBI Washington Headquarters. There are many experienced investigation teams there that will certainly be able to help you out."
Morgan frowned slightly, and Edward chuckled, saying:
"What if we get in touch with your superior and express our wish for Group Leader Greenwood to lead the investigation of this case?"
"As a group leader of an investigative team, I cannot refuse an order from my superior."
Luo An's expression remained serene as he smiled:
"However, in handling cases, luck often plays a big part.
Sometimes Lady Luck isn't at home, and apart from doing what needs to be done, there isn't much else I can do."
Luo An's meaning was simple: he indeed couldn't refuse an order from his superior, but case investigations are unpredictable, and there are always times when one hits a dead end.
The smile on the gray-haired Edward's face grew even more pronounced as he asked next:
"Aren't you afraid of tarnishing your reputation for a one hundred percent case-solving rate?"
Luo An smiled and countered:
"From a statistical perspective, ninety percent is somewhat more believable, isn't it?"
The gray-haired Edward was quite moved as he said:
"Luo An, you are far more outstanding than your father was at your age."
Luo An raised an eyebrow, about to inquire about his father, when Morgan with the tea-colored glasses suddenly spoke up:
"Luo An-Greenwood, my name is Morgan, the very Morgan you're thinking of.
I would like you to take on and investigate this case today, do your utmost to clarify it as swiftly as possible.
Upon conclusion, inside the Luo An Club, I will pay you with fifteen gold coins; and outside, the Morgan family will also express their gratitude."
Morgan, a surname familiar to every federal household, a surname that sounds wealthy.
Luo An's heart slightly stirred upon hearing Morgan's words, but his face remained unchanged as he asked in a calm voice:
"Sorry, Mr. Morgan, may I ask what kind of gratitude you're referring to?"
Morgan with the tea-colored glasses massaged his temples, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the sudden case, but fortunately, there was a capable FBI agent right in front of him, so he answered:
"If you can solve this case within a month, the Morgan family is willing to pay Ten Million Dollars to fund a special investigation team of yours, Greenwood."
"Money is a trivial matter; after all, I am a new member who has just joined the club, and I have a responsibility to help Mr. Morgan resolve difficulties."
Luo An sat up straight with a stern look and asked:
"Mr. Morgan, could you please describe in detail what kind of case this is?"
"…"x2
Seeing the righteous-faced Luo An in front of him, Morgan with the tea-colored glasses twitched, and Edward was also momentarily stunned.
Then Edward stretched out his mouth and started clapping for Luo An with a "pat pat pat," growing fonder of this thick-skinned young man.
Here, being thick-skinned isn't an insult to Luo An, but a compliment. Edward had seen many young people with thin skin who would get overly excited after a few compliments and then hand over real benefits on a silver platter.
Edward's family also had such young people, because of whom he often lost his temper, but now, seeing how Luo An so young had already understood the principle that practical interests are most important, his eyes were immediately filled with admiration.
Seeing the shining color of justice on Luo An's face, Morgan's mouth twitched, but he quickly steadied his emotions and explained:
"Two hours ago, around midnight, the Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania, died in a hospital in Pennsylvania."
The news of the Deputy Governor's death made Luo An frown slightly:
"What was the specific cause of death?"
"It's not clear yet, suspected poisoning."
Morgan's face darkened as he elaborated:
"Deputy Governor Whitmore had some heart issues, and he went to that hospital for a heart transplant surgery.
The heart transplant surgery took a total of 10 hours and was very successful.
But not long after he was moved to the intensive care unit, he began to experience difficulty breathing and died in the ward before the doctors could rescue him.
In addition to Deputy Governor Whitmore, in the adjacent ICU rooms, nearly ten other patients also died on the spot from breathing difficulties."
As Morgan started explaining that not long after Deputy Governor Whitmore's heart transplant he died from breathing difficulties, Luo An's gaze flickered, considering the possibility of a rejection reaction.
But upon hearing that another nearly ten bystanders also died, Luo An's expression changed slightly:
"Mass poisoning?"
Morgan nodded, his voice grave:
"Possibly, but the target was most likely Deputy Governor Whitmore."
Luo An fell silent for a moment, then said:
"Since this case happened in Pennsylvania, I need to report to my superior before I can proceed with the investigation.
Also, what is the last name of this Deputy Governor? We may need to speak with his family."
"He doesn't have the surname Morgan."
Edward and Morgan understood the subtext in Luo An's words, Morgan shook his head and replied:
"However, his wife does have the surname Morgan. I'll explain the situation to her, and I will also contact your superior. Group Leader Luo An can proceed with the investigation without worry."
"OK."
Upon hearing Morgan say that he could help resolve all external difficulties, and that Luo An only needed to conduct the case investigation, Luo An's mouth curved into a smile, he shook hands with Morgan briefly and after some pleasantries, left the room.
"An extremely interesting young man."
After the door closed, the white-haired Edward picked up his coffee and took a small sip, smiling at Morgan, asking:
"How about we take a guess at how long it will take Luo An to solve this case? I bet twenty days."
"I hope it's as short as possible."
Morgan massaged his temples, muttering:
"I bet fifteen days."
"OK, the bet is on."
Edward set down his coffee cup and asked:
"What's the stake?"
Morgan's eyes flashed as he said:
"If Luo An solves the case within fifteen days, you pay half of ten million dollars.
If Luo An solves the case after twenty days, I'll pay the entire ten million dollars.
If it's between fifteen and twenty days, it's a draw."
"Old fox."
Edward shook his head, having caught the trap in Morgan's words, but he didn't argue, just adding:
"If Luo An solves the case after twenty days, you have to upgrade his rank in the Luo An Club in your name, doubling the promised gold coins.
I want to see what kind of results he can achieve with the help of the club."
"Deal."