A Recording That Shouldn't Exist
The outspoken FBI special agent, dumbfounded, asked, "What time is this?!"
"Oh, you're asking when the recording was made? That was the day you two illegally took me to the home of State Representative Mike Liddell Holden State."
"What If...? you continue listening, you can hear the recording of my conversation with Congressman Paul, confirming his identity and location. This is different from what you two said about cooperating with the investigation. Shouldn't it just be a matter of going to your FBI office for questioning?"
"So I'm curious, is this 'cooperation with the investigation' the same thing? Once I go with you, I'll go to some unknown place, and then something unspeakable will happen."
"You—what nonsense are you spouting!" The agent's harsh tone clearly indicated something was amiss.
The flashbulbs of the entertainment reporters on site went off again; this time, everyone was playing the role of political reporters. The people taking pictures were two FBI special agents.
Some newbies had foolishly used up all the film in their cameras, and now they're hurriedly changing the film.
Of course, some veteran reporters also managed to shoot through the film. But then they skillfully pulled out a second camera and started snapping away!
Henry, however, had no intention of shutting up. He voluntarily lowered his hands and continued, "The two officers said they were going to investigate Congressman Halton, but I know nothing about it. Because after arriving at the location, I left very quickly."
"On the contrary, whose orders were you two following when you took me to Congressman Halton's house? And for what reason did you take me there? And why, knowing all this, did you still ask me about Congressman Halton?"
"You all know more about these things than I do, someone who's still completely clueless. So why do you insist on my cooperation with the investigation and ask me these kinds of questions?"
Henry was subtly implying that the FBI was planning to frame him. Every reporter present was shrewd; even without these hints, they knew what the most sensational headlines would be and from what angle to approach the matter.
Another FBI special agent reacted more quickly, shouting, "You're obstructing a justice investigation! Your ridiculous recordings are completely inadmissible as evidence. The person speaking never identified themselves; you're just implying and slandering us!"
"With today's advanced scientific identification methods, such a small problem could be easily solved by comparing voiceprints to determine if the speaker is indeed one of you two superiors. This hasty denial—are you sure this isn't a sign of your guilty conscience?"
"Okay, give me the tape. I'll have the FBI lab do the forensic work."
Faced with an agent who held a gun in one hand and demanded evidence in the other, Henry refused to hand over his Walkman, instead saying, "Is it the FBI's rule to have a client holding a gun and demanding evidence?"
"Maybe this is the rule on the West Coast, but it's really opened my eyes. Should I contact my DO in Washington?"
Have a good talk with your friends, tell them about the absurd things happening on the West Coast.
The person who spoke was Tony Stark, who appeared after pushing aside the crowd. His arrival once again caused a stir among the reporters' cameras.
However, the flashes were sparse, as most people were in a hurry to change their film, which annoyed the young master.
With this man's appearance, Owen Davis could no longer allow his men to continue holding their guns. If a gun were to accidentally discharge, the consequences would be severe, regardless of whether the man was hit or not.
Tony Stark's current backers are a bunch of U.S. military thugs. Who in the political arena would dare to go head-to-head with such a group? Aren't they afraid of being strapped to a missile and fired at some strange place?
Moreover, he still had to figure out how to resolve that farce. The recording in the other party's possession was indeed an unexpected problem. If he had known about it beforehand, he would never have agreed to take the other party away in such a public place, especially with reporters present.
"Mr. Stark, I am Owen Davis, Assistant Director of the FBI Los Angeles Office." He said, extending a friendly hand to the young man who was much younger than himself.
Tony didn't shake hands; he just looked at the other person, then leaned slightly closer to someone beside him and asked, "So, between that assistant supervisor and the bureau chief, who's higher-ranking?"
The shrewd-looking white elite next to him smiled wryly and said, "The assistant director is basically the head of the FBI Los Angeles Office." He avoided the question of comparing himself to the director.
Having received the answer, Tony ignored the outstretched hand and walked directly towards Henry, saying, "You can give your tape evidence to the lawyer; they'll handle it."
A middle-aged white man, carrying a briefcase and wearing glasses, with a sharp and capable appearance, stepped forward and greeted him, "Mr. Brown, hello. I am Gauss Cheadle, a lawyer employed by the Stark Group."
"You can give me the recording, and I guarantee that all forensic procedures will be conducted fairly and impartially. No innocent person will be wrongly accused."
Henry didn't just hand over the tapes; he gave away the entire Walkman to his lawyer.
Tony, who had just walked over, looked at the Walkman with a strange expression and said, "You actually have this kind of recording?"
"When faced with questionable conversations, preserving evidence is the best way to protect yourself. I've never dealt with federal officials, and they haven't explained their intentions. Knowing nothing, I have no choice but to protect myself."
Tony didn't even bother asking where this guy hid the recording equipment.
Seeing this big boss appear at Stark Studios after so long, the veterans of the studio rushed forward to greet him. Even if they weren't as good at winning the boss's favor as the young Henry Brown, they risked being targeted if the boss took a liking to them.
The other film company representatives who were sent to the inauguration banquet hurriedly contacted their bosses. Don't be fooled by the Hollywood Big Eight or any other film company; they're not in the same league as Stark Industries.
Tony Stark has appeared; shouldn't they come and make an appearance?
But the one who was most anxious was none other than Owen Davis, the head of the FBI Los Angeles Office.
If this matter isn't resolved properly today, it could implicate me. Since I was there, I can't escape it even if I wanted to.
If it weren't for the pressure of solving the case, who would be willing to make this trip? But he had no choice but to take the risk; after all, once he had the person in his hands, a gunshot wound to the back could be ruled a suicide. But this time, things really went wrong!
He said hastily, "Mr. Stark, I think there must be some misunderstanding."
"Coming to my territory to arrest the CEO I appointed? What's the misunderstanding?" Tony Stark didn't turn around, but simply tilted his head, questioning the FBI's regional chief.
His words clearly conveyed a desire to protect her.