Phil Coulson's New Method

Jack, all the way in Los Angeles, was not spared. The LAPD went straight to the hotel where Jack was staying. Jack was having breakfast with his three children; today they were going to university, and then Jack would take the other two children back to New York!

"Are you Jack Jenkins?" A group of police officers surrounded him. Jack had expected this and calmly looked up at them. The three children became a little nervous.

"Officer, is there something wrong? You've scared my children by showing up like this!" Jack said with annoyance.

"We need you to come back with us to assist with an investigation!" the leading sergeant said directly.

"Assist with an investigation? Do you need this many people? You look like you're here to arrest me. So, do you have an arrest warrant?" Jack asked, still seated, without getting up.

"No, it's just to assist with the investigation!" The sergeant frowned. The NYPD had requested assistance, but the other party didn't have evidence to apply for an arrest warrant, which put them in a difficult position. The suspect in the bank robbery was a highly dangerous individual, so they had to deploy more officers. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, two plainclothes officers would have been sufficient.

"Then I'm sorry, but today I have to take my daughter to university to register. Her semester is starting, and then I'll be taking my family back to New York. As for assisting with the investigation? I apologize, but I've only been in Los Angeles for a few days and can't possibly assist with the investigation. So far, I've only been to Hollywood and Beverly Hills in this city." Jack smiled, then looked at the children, "You three, hurry up and eat. Jennifer has to register today."

"Okay, Dad!" The three children didn't dare say more and quickly ate their breakfast.

"Jack Jenkins, I hope you'll cooperate with us. Every citizen has an obligation to cooperate with police investigations!" the sergeant persisted.

"Indeed, there is an obligation, provided it doesn't disrupt my life. Today, my daughter is going to university, which is an important day. Furthermore, I'm not familiar with Los Angeles and can't cooperate with you at all."

"I'm referring to the New York Bear Stearns Wall Street Bank robbery. You should be very clear about that, shouldn't you?"

"I know about it. Everyone in New York knows about it. But does the LAPD handle cases in New York now?" Jack asked with feigned curiosity.

"So, you're saying you don't want to cooperate?" The sergeant's eyes glinted menacingly.

"Yes, officer. Any problem? Or are you threatening me? Do you need me to find a lawyer here to talk to you?" Jack met the sergeant's gaze, and the sergeant backed down.

Lawyers were a profession that gave police headaches. Moreover, the other party had the right to find a lawyer, and this was a star-rated hotel with cameras everywhere. If he made any untoward moves, he'd be finished in court.

"Very well, we'll be keeping an eye on you. Let's go!" The police officers left in a flurry, having failed to intimidate him.

Jennifer looked at her father worriedly. "Dad, what's going on?"

"How should I know? It's probably because we suddenly became wealthy. This is American law. The banks are holding onto compensation funds and not doing anything about it, but when workers like us, who are on the verge of bankruptcy, become wealthy, it becomes a crime. This is America. So, Jennifer, you must seize the opportunity to study hard, understand?" Jack used reality to educate his daughter, then looked at the two younger ones. "You two are the same. Don't end up like your dad, working for over twenty years only to almost lose everything."

Seeds were planted in the hearts of the three children. Their father's lesson left a deep impression on them. After breakfast, Jack took his family to send Jennifer to school. However, someone was following them. Jack paid no mind to it; the other party had no evidence, and Ghost had already made them destroy all related items, including over four million dollars. Fortunately, he hadn't been greedy.

Afterward, Jack took the other two children directly to the airport and boarded a flight back to New York. The LAPD breathed a sigh of relief. "George, they've returned to New York. I'm sorry we couldn't detain him."

"Thank you. I'll buy you a drink next time I'm in New York. It's not your fault; we just don't have the evidence. We know it's them, but we can't make a move to arrest them." George Stacy had no evidence at all. Roy wasn't caught yesterday, and Jack wasn't caught in Los Angeles today. However, the good news was that Jack was back, and this time he planned to act personally.

In the main control room of the traffic monitoring center, Tony Stark was asleep on the desk. The technicians from the S.H.I.E.L.D. New York branch also looked exhausted. "Agent Coulson, we did our best, but we couldn't find any trace of them. We're very sorry."

Phil Coulson was silent for a moment, then asked, "Not even a single trace that ever appeared?"

"Yes, we've used all our technology and methods, but we can't find anything. The person is like a ghost. Of course, this phenomenon can only be explained if they never appeared. Are you sure they appeared?"

"They appeared, right in front of me. All the traffic lights were green, allowing the target to pass unimpeded. Doesn't that explain the problem? To control so many traffic lights consecutively, one can only do it from the monitoring center," Phil Coulson said.

"If that's the case, then we can only say that the technological gap is too great. We are no match for them. Someone like that is like a god in the virtual world, it's terrifying." The description by the S.H.I.E.L.D. technician sent chills down the spines of George Stacy, Phil Coulson, and others.

"If what you're saying is true, then they shouldn't have robbed the bank. They could have just hacked into the bank and transferred the money to their own accounts. Why would they contact three workers on the verge of bankruptcy to rob the bank?" George Stacy raised the question.

"This question is easily explained. The bank's account management system is changing, and everyone is introducing computer management. However, banks haven't abandoned some of their traditions. Paper records are still the safest way to keep records, and banks reconcile their accounts periodically. If they directly hacked into the system to transfer funds, it would easily expose problems, and it might not be possible to avoid leaving traces. It's not an absolutely safe and hidden method." The technician explained.

"Robbing a bank and then laundering the money in the financial market is relatively more hidden, right?" Phil Coulson asked.

"You could say that!"

George Stacy looked troubled. "So, you're saying we won't be able to catch them, right?"

"No..." Phil Coulson's eyes lit up, and he continued, "They laundered money in the financial market, which is traceable. However, they left on the day of the robbery, so the stolen money must have been hidden. As long as we keep an eye on them, we can see when they use the stolen money. Four million eight hundred thousand dollars, that's a huge temptation. Now it depends on when they use it."

"So, we'll abandon questioning them and switch to surveillance?" George Stacy asked again.

"Of course not. We'll continue to pressure them until we're completely helpless. This will lower their guard, making them think they're safe. Then, we'll switch to covert surveillance." Phil Coulson thought of a plan.