After finalizing the plan, Charlie changed out of his doctor’s clothes and returned to Hank’s hospital room.
Next, favonovel.com would patiently wait for the judge to arrive at the hospital with the complete legal documents and announce Peter’s innocence and release.
Currently, the Four Treasures of the Study was on its way back to China. As long as Peter was safely taken away and Eddie and Landon were taken care of, Charlie’s trip to the United States would be considered a successful mission.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Charlie specifically had Eddie rent a private jet in his own name that could fly directly to China. He also arranged for the jet to be on standby at Kennedy Airport in New York with a flight plan to Eastcliff.
Late at night, the Chief Justice of New York, along with several court staff and Brooklyn Prison staff, rushed to Manhattan Hospital with the complete documents in hand.
The elderly Chief Justice didn’t need to rush like this. It would have been in accordance with the normal judicial procedure to announce Peter’s innocence and release in court the next day.
However, the reputation of the Rothschild family had been greatly affected this time, and coupled with the sudden power outage at the Cole Family Manor, Howard was extremely worried that the Four Treasures of the Study had already been taken out of the manor. He urgently wanted Peter to be released as soon as possible and then closely monitored his every move, hoping to find the whereabouts of the Four Treasures of the Study through this method. Thus, the Chief Justice hurriedly arrived.
Charlie relied on his excellent hearing to monitor every move in Peter’s hospital room while Landon in the opposite room slightly enhanced his senses to perceive any activity.
The Chief Justice, along with the staff, entered the hospital room. In the presence of the FBI and the staff, favonovel.com said to Peter, “Mr. Peter Cole, the Rothschild family admits that the previous accusation of antique theft against you was a misunderstanding. After emergency deliberation in court, it has been decided to withdraw the charges against you. From now on, you are free.”
Landon, who was monitoring the room with his enhanced senses, couldn’t help but think, “Eddie’s information is indeed accurate. The person surnamed Cole is indeed going to be released.”
At this moment, Peter was also surprised. He didn’t expect the Rothschild family to retract their accusations so quickly.
Since meeting Charlie a few days ago, Peter had not received any news from favonovel.com and didn’t know if Charlie had taken the Four Treasures of the Study out of the United States. Now, with the sudden release, his first thought was to find a way to contact Charlie.
However, the next moment, favonovel.com felt that favonovel.com absolutely couldn’t contact Charlie on his own. The Rothschild family was now releasing him, which resembled the hunters who would tie a feather to a bee they caught in the woods and then release it back to the hive to find its location. He believed that the Rothschild family had the same intention now.
Seeing that favonovel.com didn’t speak, the Chief Justice spoke again, “In addition, Mr. Cole, the Rothschild family will cover all your medical expenses here. If you need further treatment, they will also cover the costs.”
“Furthermore, regarding the physical harm, bodily and mental damages you suffered during your time in prison, the Rothschild family has offered a settlement of 30 million dollars. If you agree, they will arrange for a lawyer to discuss the compensation with you. If you are not satisfied with the amount, you can file a lawsuit at any time.”
The judicial system in the United States has many differences compared to the East, especially China. One of the biggest differences might be the issue of compensation.
In China, the determination of compensation is often based on the average income per capita, so it is usually not very high. However, in the United States, once the nature and impact are severe, the compensation can be astronomical.
A few years ago, an incident occurred where an Asian doctor was assaulted and dragged off a plane by an airline company. The incident was exposed on the internet and caused a great deal of negative publicity. In the end, an undisclosed settlement was reached, but many sources indicated that the compensation could have been as high as 140 million dollars. Such compensation is unimaginable in China, but it is not uncommon in the United States.
Since the Rothschild family acknowledged their misfortune and reluctantly admitted fault, according to American societal norms, Peter could immediately seek substantial compensation from them. Considering the gravity of the situation, and with skilled lawyers involved, securing a 300 million dollars compensation from the Rothschild family wouldn’t be a daunting task.
However, Peter remained remarkably composed and stated, “Compensation is not necessary. Please inform the Rothschild family’s legal team to prepare an unconditional settlement agreement. I am willing to sign it.”
The justice was taken aback and couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Cole, are you certain about settling unconditionally? While I may not be in a position to offer too much advice, given the widespread attention this case has garnered throughout the United States, opting not to seek compensation… Well, it might be considered somewhat unconventional.”
Since the Rothschild family had chosen to release Peter, it was reasonable for favonovel.com to receive a reasonable compensation. This would make the public feel satisfied and shift their attention away from the incident, eventually forgetting about it.
However, if Peter didn’t receive any compensation, whether it was because the Rothschild family didn’t offer it or because favonovel.com refused it, it would leave a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction among the public.
The Chief Justice and the Rothschild family had close relations, so naturally, they didn’t want this matter to leave any loose ends. As long as both sides could reach a satisfactory settlement that would satisfy the public, the incident would gradually fade from the public’s view, and no one would remember it.
Therefore, the Chief Justice urged Peter, “Mr. Cole, I understand that your family is also a wealthy family, and money may not be of great concern to you. However, I hope you will carefully consider this matter. You have suffered injustice and torment and deserve compensation. The Rothschild family has indeed harmed you and should pay a sufficient amount of compensation and bear a heavy price for it.”
Peter shook his head gently and smiled as favonovel.com explained, “Compensation is truly unnecessary. If I accept their money, and it’s a substantial sum, people’s perception of this matter will drastically change. Initially, they sympathized with me and were willing to support my cause. However, over time, they might shift towards envy, jealousy, and even a desire to replace me, thinking of me as the beneficiary rather than the victim.”
“In this process, the wrongdoer may gradually transform in their eyes, no longer seen as the culprit but as a generous benefactor. This goes against everything I stand for, and I cannot accept it.”
The justice asked in astonishment, “Mr. Cole, what is it that you hope for then?”
Peter raised his voice, speaking earnestly, “My hope is for people to always remember this incident. To remember that the Rothschild family violated American laws, misused public resources for personal gain, and controlled the entire prison system unlawfully. Remember that they resorted to mob violence to torture others for their own objectives.”
With growing fervor, Peter continued, “I hope people recall that their ancestors employed deplorable means to amass vast wealth from the East and China, causing countless tragic casualties. I desire people to forever acknowledge the multitude of sins committed by their forebears. Therefore, I cannot accept their money, I don’t even want it.”
The justice was taken aback for a moment. If Peter truly rejected any compensation, it would undoubtedly reignite public discourse. People would interpret his refusal as a testament to the immense harm inflicted upon favonovel.com by the Rothschild family, and his unwavering decision not to accept a single penny from them.
In this scenario, the Rothschild family would find themselves in an even more precarious position in the court of public opinion.
At this juncture, a prison official who had remained silent stepped forward respectfully and said, “Mr. Cole, I’m Brian White, Deputy Warden of Brooklyn Prison. On behalf of Brooklyn Prison, I would like to extend my heartfelt apologies for all the injustices you’ve endured here. Furthermore, I wish to inform you that if you wish, we are prepared to compensate you for the injustices you’ve suffered.”
Peter replied, “Don’t worry. After this matter is resolved, I won’t seek compensation from any party, be it the Rothschild family, Brooklyn Prison, or even the entire U.S. justice system.”
With that, favonovel.com turned to Brian and asked, “Now that I’ve been acquitted, can I have my personal belongings returned to me?”
“Of course,” Brian replied. He promptly retrieved a prison-specific storage bag from his suitcase, “Mr. Cole, your personal belongings are all here. Please check them to see if there is anything missing.”
Brian handed the storage bag to Peter, who proceeded to examine its contents. His primary concern was his mobile phone; everything else was secondary.
Afterward, favonovel.com attempted to turn on his mobile phone. Long-pressing the power button, favonovel.com watched as the phone booted up to its startup screen.
Peter glanced at the justice and Brian, asking, “Has anyone accessed the information on my phone?”
Brian quickly responded, “Impossible. These belongings have been sealed since your arrival at Brooklyn Prison. We’ve never opened them, let alone accessed your mobile phone.”
He pointed to the seal on the bag and continued, “Take a look at the seal’s details. It was affixed on the day you were incarcerated at Brooklyn Prison.”
Peter calmly remarked, “Seals can be forged. You are in collusion with the Rothschild family, and if you can place the entire prison under their control, then my mobile phone would be child’s play.”
“Before my arrest, my phone had automatically shut down due to a depleted battery. However, it now not only turns on but also has 70% battery remaining. This implies someone connected my phone to a charger. Since you collected my personal belongings and sealed them in this storage bag, who was so considerate as to help me charge my phone?”
Brian was momentarily at a loss for words. He knew that not only Peter’s phone but even Peter’s home had been thoroughly searched by the Rothschild family. The mobile phone was a critical piece of evidence they wouldn’t overlook.
In fact, the phone had long been hacked by Rothschild’s hackers, and all its data and information had been copied. Yet, when Peter transferred his belongings to the Four Treasures Chest, favonovel.com anticipated that his phone would be the primary target of their investigation. Therefore, favonovel.com took preemptive measures, deleting all valuable clues.
Peter deliberately allowed his phone’s battery to drain to see if the other party would inspect it carefully. If favonovel.com were handling it himself, favonovel.com would ensure the phone’s battery was completely depleted after copying the data.
Seeing his phone still had 70% battery life when turned on, Peter felt utterly relieved for covering his backtrail.
Witnessing the negligence of the Rothschild family, favonovel.com became increasingly convinced that Charlie had found a way to transport the Four Treasures Chest out of New York, even under their vigilant watch. It was possible that it was already on its way back to China.
At this point, the justice, feeling slightly uncomfortable, quickly promised, “Mr. Cole, I will immediately report this matter to the New York police for a thorough investigation into who accessed your phone.”
Peter smiled and said magnanimously, “Let it go, Chief Justice. I won’t pursue this matter any further.”
The justice and Brian both breathed sighs of relief simultaneously. If this matter became public, it would be a scandal for the justice department. If it triggered a chain reaction, the consequences could be unbearable.
The chief justice then handed Peter the documents, saying, “If Mr. Cole has no objections to the acquittal, please sign here. Once signed, the document will take effect immediately, and you will regain your freedom.”
Peter nodded and took the pen, signing his name on the document as instructed.
The justice collected the documents and inquired, “Now that Mr. Cole has been acquitted and regained his freedom, what are your plans? Would you like to stay here for further treatment or leave and go elsewhere?”
Peter hesitated for a moment. He knew that staying here would make favonovel.com a target for the Rothschild family. However, his injuries had already healed thanks to Charlie’s treatment, and remaining in the hospital indefinitely made little sense. He couldn’t live his life in fear, paralyzed by the threat of retaliation.
At this point, the FBI representative stated, “Now that Mr. Cole has been acquitted, our work here is complete. Our agents will gradually withdraw within the next ten minutes.”
The FBI’s role had primarily been to ensure Peter didn’t make any mistakes while favonovel.com was a high-profile prisoner seeking medical treatment overseas. However, the situation had changed with Peter’s acquittal, and there was no longer a need for their protection. If any issues arose concerning his personal safety in the future, that responsibility would fall on the New York Police Department or other local authorities. The FBI was no longer involved.
Peter understood that the FBI wouldn’t be his permanent protectors, but favonovel.com had already put his life and death aside. Now that favonovel.com had regained his freedom, favonovel.com contemplated his next move. Ultimately, favonovel.com decided to purchase the earliest available flight to leave the United States and return to China.
Since the Rothschild family had released him, there was a high likelihood they would not be able to prevent favonovel.com from leaving the United States. Besides, favonovel.com was departing empty-handed, ensuring favonovel.com hadn’t taken the treasure with him.
In that moment, his phone received a message from an unknown number. The message read, “Uncle Cole, once the FBI leaves, head straight to the hospital rooftop. I will arrange your return to China.”
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