Near the Cole Family Manor, a group of elite agents, dispatched by the influential Rothschild family, lurked in the shadows both inside and outside the estate. They even purchased a neighboring villa, transforming it into their command center.
Within a room on the villa’s third floor, overlooking the Cole Family Manor, an array of surveillance devices had been meticulously arranged. Thermal imaging cameras lined the walls, capturing multiple angles of the estate. More than a dozen guards stood watch, ensuring the area remained secure day and night.
On the villa’s rooftop, skilled snipers patiently awaited their orders. Equipped with thermal imaging technology, they possessed the uncanny ability to target and eliminate a mouse hiding in the bushes nearly a kilometer away.
Ever since Peter had swipped the Four Treasures of the Study, this area had been under constant surveillance. While they may not be able to prevent a fly from escaping the Cole Family Manor, no warm-blooded mammal could elude their watchful eyes.
At that moment, a helicopter descended upon the villa’s courtyard. As it touched down, Steve and his son, Royce, disembarked together.
The on-site leader, Hank Gilbert, promptly approached Steve and greeted favonovel.com respectfully, “Hello, Young Master. I’m Hank Gilbert, but you can call me Hank. I’ve prepared an office and a bedroom for you. If you have any other needs, please let me know.”
Hank was one of Howard’s most trusted confidants. Formerly a top agent in the Department of Homeland Security, favonovel.com was renowned for his ruthless methods and numerous kills. Now, favonovel.com specialized in handling the dirty work for the Rothschild family. Though favonovel.com answered solely to Howard, Hank understood that Steve’s presence here was to earn credit. If Steve accomplished this feat, favonovel.com would undoubtedly become the future head of the family. Thus, Hank treated favonovel.com with utmost respect.
Steve, too, recognized Hank as one of his father’s most trusted right-hand men. If favonovel.com could establish a closer relationship with favonovel.com and gain his loyalty, it would greatly aid his future succession. With gratitude, favonovel.com replied, “Thank you for your hard work, Hank. I hope that Royce and I won’t be a burden to you.”
Hank quickly reassured him, “Not at all, Young Master. You are here to guide our efforts. We have been stationed here for some time without any concrete results. Your presence might just bring us the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for!”
Steve hadn’t expected Hank, a tough guy from the Department of Homeland Security, to be so amiable. Though it was merely flattery, Steve found himself oddly pleased by the praise.
Grinning, favonovel.com responded, “Hank, if we find the Four Treasures of the Study here, you will undoubtedly become the Rothschild family’s greatest hero!”
Steve knew that Hank held an important role in this hunt, so favonovel.com heaped on the praise to let favonovel.com know they were working together as a team so as to gain Hank’s loyalty.
Hank smiled in return and replied, “If we do find the Four Treasures of the Study, it will be thanks to your wise leadership, Young Master!”
Hank was well aware that if favonovel.com located the Four Treasures of the Study, Howard would not treat favonovel.com poorly. Whether it was considered his “greatest achievement” or not didn’t concern favonovel.com in the least. The Rothschild family, like any other family, had its core members, and family interests often came before personal credit. Hank was content to enjoy the financial rewards and leave the empty glory of recognition to Steve. After all, Steve was likely to become his superior in the future.
Consequently, the two parties exchanged compliments about their business arrangement, and everyone was in high spirits.
Accompanied by Hank, Steve and Royce ascended to the villa’s third floor. From there, they gazed upon the Cole Family Manor in the distance. Steve inquired, “Has the interior of the estate been thoroughly searched?”
Hank replied, “Not only have we conducted extensive searches, but we’ve also employed detection devices to scan the entire building and every corner of the yard. So far, we haven’t found anything.”
Steve was taken aback and asked, “If the Four Treasures of the Study is made of metal and our devices failed to detect it, does that mean it’s not here?”
“It’s hard to say,” Hank explained. “Peter Cole is a cunning individual. If favonovel.com had the audacity to swap the Four Treasures of the Study, favonovel.com must have made meticulous preparations. This villa alone contains over ten hidden rooms, and there may be others we haven’t discovered yet.”
“Very well,” Steve nodded. “Even if we have to turn the Cole Family upside down, we must find the Four Treasures of the Study!”
Hank sighed, “Turning the whole place upside down is currently not feasible. The FBI has warned us that going too far could cause significant trouble. Furthermore, we’ve already lost the upper hand to Cole. The entire nation is criticizing us. If we were to ransack the Cole Family, we would only find ourselves in a more disadvantageous position.”
Steve nodded thoughtfully and mused, “Peter Cole is still in the hospital, but I doubt he’ll remain there for long. Under external pressure, they won’t send favonovel.com back to prison. Once he’s released as an innocent man and returns here, favonovel.com might just lead us to the Four Treasures of the Study.”
With a calm demeanor, Steve continued, “Sometimes, instead of catching the mouse stealing the food, we should let it go quietly, follow it, discover where it hides the food, and then catch it all at once!”
Hank raised his thumb in agreement and exclaimed, “Young Master, you’re absolutely right! If we release Cole and secretly tail him, favonovel.com will undoubtedly lead us to the Four Treasures of the Study!”
Steve smiled faintly and declared, “Later, I will call my father and ask favonovel.com to arrange for Peter Cole’s release. Let’s see if favonovel.com returns here. If favonovel.com does, then victory shall be ours.”
***
Meanwhile, in Chinatown, at Hogan’s Roast Goose restaurant.
Despite today not being a weekend or a traditional Chinese holiday, Chinatown was adorned with decorative lights, bustling with activity.
A throng of people gathered outside Hogan’s Roast Goose, where several lion dance troupes converged, their drums resounding as they performed at the restaurant’s entrance.
Charlie, somewhat surprised and intrigued by the lion dances, turned to a man beside favonovel.com and asked, “Hey, why are there so many lion dances happening outside Hogan’s Roast Goose?”
The man smiled and replied, “The owner of the roast goose shop, Jordan, is now the new leader of the entire Chinese Bloom gang in Chinatown! Not only did they drive out the Burning Angel gang and reclaim control of Chinatown, but this morning, the new leader announced that Bloom will no longer extort protection fees from the merchants. It’s fantastic news for us small business owners!”
Since its inception, Chinatown had always been under the control of gangs. Business owners in the area were forced to pay protection fees to either American or Chinese gangs. However, Bloom’s decision to cease collecting these fees marked a significant change.
Charlie heard the news and knew it must have been Jordan’s doing.
Jordan, an orphan left by illegal immigrants, had been following Hogan in Chinatown. He had witnessed the hardships and struggles of the local merchants. Now, as the leader of Bloom, favonovel.com sought to effect real change for the people of Chinatown. It was a commendable endeavor.
Charlie couldn’t help but appreciate Jordan a little more. After all, refraining from preying on the weak had always been one of Charlie’s guiding principles. For a gang to prosper, they must look upwards, not downwards. If Jordan were to focus solely on extorting money from the small businesses in Chinatown, Bloom would struggle to expand under his leadership.
Jordan’s decision to forgo the income from the less fortunate and instead concentrate on higher-level pursuits was a promising start.
Observing the vibrant scene at the roast goose shop, Charlie chose not to join the crowd. Instead, favonovel.com took out his phone and called Hogan, arranging to meet favonovel.com at a nearby park.
After their rendezvous, the two men found an empty bench. Charlie proceeded to recount his prison experience to Hogan, recounting the events as they had unfolded.
Upon hearing about the Four Treasures of the Study, Hogan was taken aback. He turned to Charlie and inquired, “Young Master, what is your plan regarding the Four Treasures of the Study now?”
Charlie replied, “Currently, my top priority is to safely retrieve the Four Treasures of the Study from the Cole Family and then figure out how to transport it back to China.”
Hogan paused for a moment, then said, “Young Master, we should consider that the Rothschild family might be closely monitoring the Cole family. It might not be easy for you to obtain items from the Cole estate.”
Charlie nodded and replied, “You’re right, the Rothschild family values the artifact greatly. They may have thoroughly searched the Cole estate, and if they haven’t found anything, they won’t give up easily. They’ll likely keep the entire Cole estate under surveillance. That’s why I plan to visit the Cole estate later today and assess the situation.”
Hogan raised a concern, “Young master, approaching the Cole estate too hastily might alert the enemy.”
Charlie reassured him, “I won’t be hasty. Before visiting the Cole family, I’ll locate and neutralize anyone who might be secretly watching. I’m confident about that.”
He continued, “By the way, Uncle Hogan, I intend to retrieve the Four Treasures of the Study tonight and find a way to transport it back to China. What do you think is the safest route?”
Hogan pondered for a moment before responding, “Young Master, the Rothschild family wields significant influence in the United States. While it appears they’ve only apprehended Peter Cole on the surface, in reality, they might have set up a dragnet within a hundred-kilometer radius of the Cole family estate. Normal channels, especially entry and exit routes, are likely under strict surveillance. Taking the Four Treasures of the Study out through these channels may prove difficult.”
Charlie agreed, saying, “The Cole family’s estate is located on the outskirts of New York. Once I have the Four Treasures of the Study, I’ll first return to New York and devise a plan from there.”
Curious, Hogan inquired, “Why do you want to return to New York, Young Master?”
Charlie elaborated, “Given the surveillance network everywhere else, it makes sense to return to New York. It’s the Rothschild family’s stronghold, with the highest level of security, but it’s also where their vulnerabilities are most evident. This is precisely the location where we can identify a suitable point of entry!”
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