"He's starting to panic..."
In a place where the group could not see, someone was also watching the situation in the room. From the moment Mr. Fox entered the room, obvious panic had appeared in his eyes. Their plan had worked.
Most criminals were not overly frightened when arrested alone, because they could choose what to confess, gloss over the important parts, or shift some of the blame onto others, thereby reducing their own crimes.
But if two or more accomplices were arrested, an uncontrollable panic would spread through them. They would wonder whether the others had confessed, what they had confessed, and how they had confessed it, as well as whether it matched what they themselves had said and thought.
Under such circumstances, two situations could arise. The first was complete silence. Such people were rare; one might not be seen even once in three to five years. The other situation was talking endlessly, holding nothing back, and telling them everything.
The Financial Crime Investigation Department was merely an office organization, but it was still an agency under the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They dealt with all kinds of criminals every day, so they knew how to pressure suspects and how to obtain what they wanted.
As soon as Lin Qi entered the room, he saw Mr. Fox trying to stand up. But Mr. Fox did not rise. The situation was somewhat delicate. After giving him a reassuring look, Lin Qi calmly sat down on the sofa.
His composed manner calmed Mr. Fox down. Some things he had not thought of earlier gradually surfaced in his mind. For example... Lin Qi had instructed him never to take loose change from anyone else.
Perhaps Lin Qi had thought of all this long ago and already made arrangements. With that thought, the tension in Mr. Fox's expression began to ease, and his body started to relax as well.
The expert in the room frowned. He saw all of Mr. Fox's changes. Although he did not understand why Lin Qi's appearance had not increased Mr. Fox's pressure but had instead caused him to relax, it was clearly not a good sign.
He immediately ordered the Action Team members in the room to continue and not wait for the lawyer to arrive. At the same time, an assumption he himself found difficult to believe arose in his mind: the person truly directing the entire case was not the old fox, Mr. Fox, but the young man who looked so ordinary.
Because of this, the thought that things were about to go badly began to grow in his mind. They had mistaken the priorities from the beginning. Their plans and methods of applying pressure were aimed at the wrong target, so the result would definitely be different.
It was like trying to shake a dynasty by torturing a soldier. Once they mistook the priorities, they would be unable to seize the key figure!
The Action Team member in the office froze for a moment, coughed lightly, glanced at Lin Qi, and said, "This... Mr. Lin Qi just arrived and may not yet know why we invited everyone here..."
While he was speaking, Mr. Fox suddenly interrupted, "We refuse to answer any questions before the lawyer arrives!"
The agent, who had been somewhat lax at first, let out a mocking laugh and pointed at Mr. Fox without the slightest courtesy. "You can shut up. I wasn't talking to you!" After speaking, he stared at Mr. Fox for a moment before turning to Lin Qi. "We received a report that you were engaging in money laundering and other criminal activities through a laundromat. Do you admit it?"
The question seemed almost childish—why would a real criminal admit to committing a crime? In fact, the agent saw that Lin Qi was young and wanted to bluff him, figuring that there would be no loss in trying. But what if it worked? There were several recording devices and cameras in the room. No matter what expression he made—even a mocking expression that nevertheless implied an admission, or a joking nod—those could all be used as evidence.
Evidence concerned objective facts. Regardless of what Lin Qi had been thinking at the time, if he admitted to it or made a gesture that implied an admission, the court would consider him to have confessed.
This trick was highly effective against young people. Their age gave them an urge and impulse to challenge authority. As long as that impulse appeared and they failed to suppress it, they were finished.
Under the agent's expectant gaze, Lin Qi's expression and movements seemed unusually slow. First, he frowned, then wore a look of confusion, as if saying, What the hell are you talking about?
Of course, Lin Qi was a highly educated young man. He would not be so rude. A few seconds later, he acted as though following a script. "Where's the evidence?" As he spoke, he leaned back, pressing his back firmly against the sofa. He spread his hands slightly. "Although I don't have a lawyer, I do know that every accusation requires evidence, including subpoenas and interrogations..." As he spoke, he looked toward Mr. Fox. The two exchanged glances for a moment, and Mr. Fox stood up.
Lin Qi gave a slight nod and tilted his head, watching Mr. Fox's performance as if he were enjoying a show.
"If Mr. Lin Qi hadn't reminded me, I would have nearly forgotten. You forcibly detained me here. Do you have a subpoena? Do you have an arrest warrant?" He immediately began making a fuss.
From a judicial-procedure perspective, whether it was the Bureau of Investigation or the Revenue Service, the proper authorizations were required during law enforcement. For example, if the Bureau of Investigation wanted to question someone, it needed a subpoena. If it needed to arrest someone, it needed an arrest warrant.
Even the Federal Bureau of Investigation had to present the relevant legal documents. Otherwise, the entire procedure was unlawful.
The young agent's eyelid twitched. Things had begun to develop beyond his expectations. Less than three minutes had passed since Lin Qi's arrival, yet the situation was already starting to slip out of control. The young agent felt completely at a loss.
The expert in the other room immediately contacted the agent through the microphone. "Tell them we caught them at the scene. Under the Forty-Third Decree of the Bayer Federation, law enforcement at the scene of a crime and while the criminal act is in progress can postpone applying for the relevant legal documents..."
In the room, the young agent calmly repeated what had just been said. "Under the Forty-Third Decree of the Bayer Federation..."
As soon as he finished, Lin Qi asked with a half-smile, "So, in other words, you don't have any evidence proving that Mr. Fox and I were involved in illegal or criminal activities..."
What kind of question was that? If they had evidence, they would not be chatting with them here. They would have arrested them long ago.
The young agent pursed his lips. After pausing for more than ten seconds, he answered, "We have been tracking money-laundering crimes in Sabine City, and we noticed you as well. We also possess the relevant legal documents proving that our actions are lawful. And this money is proof of your crimes!"
It seemed that the Bureau of Investigation had no intention of continuing to play word games with Lin Qi and Mr. Fox. Everyone at the scene wore somewhat... unpleasant expressions. They all knew that because they had misunderstood the relationship between Mr. Fox and Lin Qi, this operation might encounter unexpected complications, or even fail.
Their only hope now lay in this money. As long as they could confirm that Lin Qi had been supplying Mr. Fox with loose change for money laundering, they could convict them even if the entire procedure had been lawful.
Sometimes, the law not prohibiting people from doing something did not mean that doing it was necessarily legal. Even if it was legal, it could become unlawful because of procedural requirements or other issues, such as bribery and donations.
How it was classified still depended on the procedure. As long as the judge was willing to accept the Bureau of Investigation's interpretation and pin Mr. Fox with laundering money through the laundromat, Lin Qi, who had supplied him with the loose change, would be an accomplice. That had been their original plan.
Mr. Fox's expression remained troubled. "My lawyer still hasn't arrived..."
But Lin Qi raised his hand and interrupted him. "Let them show us." With that one sentence from Lin Qi, Mr. Fox stopped insisting on his rights. This further convinced the Bureau of Investigation's expert that Lin Qi was the one in charge.
The young agent stared at Lin Qi for a while before nodding. "Let's wait and see!"
Before long, a staff member brought over a handheld ultraviolet lamp. The agent took it, ordered the bed curtains drawn, turned off the lights in the room, and explained, "We marked all this money. You won't get away!"
He spoke with absolute certainty. They had caught plenty of people using this method, including several bank robbers and money-laundering operators. They had high hopes for this operation as well.
A smile appeared on Lin Qi's face, and he even made an inviting gesture. "Then why don't you broaden our horizons?"
The next moment, a pale violet glow lit up the room!