Hydra

Police Commissioner Ken Martin received a call from Chief George Stacy. After a moment of silence, he asked, "George, is there really a technical intrusion in this case?"

"Currently, it does seem like there's a technical intrusion. If not at the bank, then perhaps not here, but definitely at the traffic monitoring center. Unless the number of insiders there is very large, even to the point of complete control, then this organization would be too massive. Moreover, the internal videos from the monitoring center were deleted, and there isn't the slightest trace of who did it. This kind of deletion requires certain permissions, and unfortunately, we can't find out who!" George Stacy was now also completely certain there had been a technical intrusion.

Those with this kind of technology wouldn't need many insiders; they wouldn't need any at all. Tracing insiders was already a dead end, so it was more realistic to temporarily abandon the insider issue and focus directly on the technology. However, if even the genius Tony Stark's technology wasn't enough, then for the time being, he could only think of national resources.

"Commissioner, we have many agencies in America, surely there are entities with even more powerful technology, right?" George Stacy asked.

"How would I know? I'm just the Police Commissioner of the NYPD, not the director of intelligence agencies like the FBI or CIA. Alright, I'll report this to the Mayor and see what he says!" Ken Martin hung up the phone and rubbed his forehead.

The pressure from this case was considerable. Bear Stearns, as one of the six major commercial banks, wielded significant influence, putting immense pressure on the police department. Naturally, the Mayor was also under considerable pressure from those capitalists who were difficult to deal with.

If the Mayor wanted to keep his position, it was best not to offend them. And what could the Mayor do? Naturally, he would put unlimited pressure on the NYPD. Ken Martin had already received several calls from the Mayor in the past few days.

To solve this case, they needed to request national support. Ken Martin finally picked up the phone again. "I'd like to speak with the Mayor. This is Ken Martin!"

"Martin, I hope you have some good news!" the Mayor said directly.

"There's good news, but the bad news is even more serious." Ken Martin had a good relationship with the Mayor; otherwise, he wouldn't have been appointed to his position.

"What do you mean?"

"The police chief in charge of this robbery, George Stacy, has a hypothesis: that this robbery didn't involve any insiders. All the methods were completed by the perpetrators using their advanced computer technology to hack into the bank's and the monitoring center's mainframes. Theoretically, this is entirely feasible. If so, we have a direction for investigation." Ken Martin said.

"This is good news?"

"Yes. As for the bad news, even Mr. Tony Stark couldn't infiltrate so silently and leave without a trace. This means our current technology is no match for the robbers. I can only seek your support."

"It's truly bad news. Are you sure Tony Stark can't do it?"

"I'm sure. George was initially a bit suspicious of Stark, but based on his observations, Stark couldn't do it either. Therefore, I need stronger technical support."

"There really are no insiders?"

"Probably not. If they wanted to achieve this level of operation using insiders, the number of insiders in the monitoring center would have to be enormous. The cost would be too high, and it's unlikely. Now it seems the most likely scenario is purely technological. With such technology, they wouldn't need insiders. Combined with the three people who carried out the robbery, perhaps this operation could have been completed by just four people, wouldn't you agree?"

"That's truly terrifying. If that's the case, can't they rob banks anytime they want?" the Mayor asked with some alarm.

"Theoretically, yes!" the Commissioner nodded, admitting the possibility.

"Then do you have any defensive measures?" the Mayor quickly asked again.

"I'm sorry, we don't. When they call the emergency number, we have to respond. New York is too big, and we're already short-staffed. There's a lot of crime every day, and it's impossible to defend against an opponent like this."

"Okay, I understand. I'll go request support immediately!" The Mayor hung up the phone, took out a handkerchief, and wiped his broad forehead. After a moment of thought, he hesitated before picking up the phone again and dialing.

"You shouldn't be making this call!" The voice on the other end was clearly displeased. Who else could speak to the Mayor of New York like that?

"I apologize, but I've encountered a problem, and I hope for Mr. Pierce's help!" The Mayor still held the handkerchief in one hand, constantly wiping away cold sweat.

"Stern, I've always thought highly of you. You have the opportunity to run for senator, and the position of Mayor of New York is also very important right now. I hope you can remain calm when facing issues. Are you sweating again?" the man named Pierce said.

"Yes, sir. I will calm down, but this problem is quite serious. A bank robbery, I imagine you've seen the media reports." The Mayor's full name was Sam Stern. He had joined an organization early in his career and, relying on its power, had climbed step by step to become the Mayor of the international metropolis of New York. The organization intended for him to run for senator.

This was the direction he had been working towards, and perhaps one day he could become president. His desire for power was extremely strong, and the person he was speaking with was the leader of this organization. Of course, he also knew that the organization's influence was immense, and there were too many things he didn't clearly understand, which was why he was so apprehensive.

"Tell me the specifics!"

"It's like this..." Mayor Stern recounted the situation. The person on the other end, Pierce, fell silent.

"Such technology exists? Is the NYPD's assessment incorrect?"

"It shouldn't be. Ken Martin is very experienced. I promoted him for the sake of New York's public safety, and George Stacy, who works under him, has a very high case-solving rate and is the best candidate for the next commissioner."

"In that case, I'm very interested in meeting such a talented individual. I understand. I will arrange for someone to provide support..."

"Thank you, sir. Hail Hydra!"

"Hail Hydra... click" The other party hung up the phone, leaving only a dial tone.

"Hoo..." Mayor Stern finally put down the phone. "Even without face-to-face interaction, the pressure is immense. I truly dislike contacting him every time..." Stern took a few breaths before calling Ken Martin again to inform him that support would arrive soon.