Lake’s Interrogation

Back at the hotel.

As Lake stepped out of the elevator, he suddenly realized something. He had apprehended Brian O’Conner directly, which seemed to confirm Brian’s undercover identity.

This…

Lake shook his head and opened his room.

Rachel, seeing Lake enter, turned off the television she was watching and looked at him. "So, your car was found?"

Lake grunted.

Hearing the hint of displeasure in Lake’s voice, Rachel asked curiously, "The car was found, wasn’t it? Did something happen to it?"

Lake’s expression was blank. "It was repainted."

The car was found.

But the score hadn’t been settled yet. Whoever repainted it would have their hands chopped off, and whoever orchestrated it would also have their hands chopped off.

Rachel frowned. "In that case, should Josie and I head back first?"

Lake looked at Rachel. "Why?"

Rachel shrugged. "You need to work."

Lake spread his hands. "Give me three days, and I’ll resolve this matter. Then, as planned, we’ll go on vacation to the beaches of Santa Barbara. I’ve already rented a villa; I booked it in advance, and the deposit is non-refundable."

There was no other way.

It was peak tourist season, and places were like this everywhere. Being able to book this villa at a preferential price in advance was thanks to Cassel’s help, finding someone in their circle who owned property in Santa Barbara to rent it out.

Rachel didn’t want to disturb Lake’s important work because of them. Hearing Lake say this, she smiled. "As long as it doesn’t delay your business, I’ll take Josie shopping around here."

Lake let out a laugh.

The next day.

Lake went directly to the Homeland Security office in Los Angeles.

"Sir."

"Where is that federal undercover agent?"

"This way."

Adam, who had assisted with the operation yesterday, was responsible for receiving Lake. Led by Adam, Lake directly pushed open the door to an interrogation room and saw Brian O’Conner sitting inside.

Brian immediately looked at Lake as he entered. "You didn’t tell Mia about my identity, did you?"

That tone…

It seemed to carry a hint of nervousness.

Dude, you’re the undercover agent.

Lake suddenly thought of something. It seemed that as long as the opposing side had a beautiful young sister or older sister, that undercover agent and that beautiful young lady or older sister would definitely have their brains replaced by love-struck thinking instead of their intellect.

Without exception.

Not to mention many, but basically, out of a hundred undercover agents, about twenty of them, while on undercover missions, would fall in love with the sister, older sister… wife of their target due to love-struck thinking.

This was truly magical.

Lake’s expression was blank as he pulled out a chair and sat down. With two snaps, he slid two photos onto the table.

One was a photo of Lake’s original white Porsche Cayenne.

The other was a photo of his new car, which had been dyed sky blue with inferior car paint.

"Explain."

Lake crossed his hands and looked at Brian O’Conner opposite him. "What happened? Who received the car? Who repainted my car? Who is the mastermind behind this car-receiving organization?"

Brian frowned. "I don’t know. That place was just a cover for my undercover identity."

Lake chuckled. "You don’t know?"

Brian nodded.

Lake didn’t press further. He gathered his photos and stood up, his expression indifferent. "Adam!"

Adam pushed the door open and walked in.

Without even looking, Lake walked towards the door. "Mail him to New York. When I get back, I’ll entertain him properly."

Adam nodded.

Brian was instantly stunned and shouted at Lake’s retreating back, "Wait, hold on, wait…"

Lake had already disappeared.

In the adjacent interrogation room.

The car dealership owner had bandages on his legs and his hands were cuffed to the chair.

After Lake entered, he glanced up at the monitor in the top left corner.

The monitor’s light instantly went out.

Understood.

Lake chuckled.

The agent in the monitoring room unconsciously touched his nose, feeling that the day of promotion and salary increase was not far off.

Looking at Lake sitting opposite him, the car dealership owner’s first sentence was to ask for a lawyer.

Lake chuckled, "A lawyer? Suspected of endangering Homeland Security. Sorry, your lawyer can’t help you. I ask, you answer. Answer well, and you can leave. Answer poorly, and I’ll throw you directly into Alcatraz prison."

The car dealership owner frowned, "Alcatraz prison? Isn’t that place already closed?"

Lake smiled at the car dealership owner, then said in a low voice, "A secret prison, it doesn’t exist in any records. The FBI has overseas prisons, and we at Homeland Security naturally do too. Don’t worry, if you don’t want to talk, I’ll reserve the best spot for you inside. You can be roommates with that Texas serial killer Billy, who killed ninety-six people in three days. How about that?"

"What?"

"Don’t like it?"

Lake raised an eyebrow, stroked his chin, and thought, "Then how about being locked up with that guy in Hawaii who forced himself on twenty women and fifty men within a month, known as the ‘fifty-times-a-day’ stud?"

The car dealership owner broke out in a cold sweat. Who were these people? He shook his head like a rattle drum and stammered, "I’ll talk, I’ll talk! As long as I talk, can I leave?"

Lake smiled, "Of course."

The car dealership owner took a deep breath, "I’ll talk. What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"…"

Lake glanced at the car dealership owner, leaned back in his chair, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, offered one to the car dealership owner, lit it for him, and then lit one for himself. "First, tell me when you received my car."

The car dealership owner took a drag from his cigarette, seeming to have calmed down a bit. "I was only responsible for receiving the cars. This batch of cars was driven to me last night."

He paused.

The car dealership owner seemed to have thought of something and tapped on the sky blue Porsche Cayenne on the table. "I was only responsible for providing the backyard. They pay me a monthly rental fee of ten thousand US dollars, and if there are any cars, I can also sell them at the cheapest price. They quoted me a price of fifteen thousand US dollars for this car."

Lake’s expression was unreadable. "I paid nearly fifty thousand when I bought it."

The car dealership owner said, "It was 80% new, with quite a few miles on it, and you bought it in New York, right?"

Lake grunted.

The car dealership owner said, "In Los Angeles, a car like this, 99% new and without any issues, would only cost twenty-five thousand US dollars."

Lake’s mouth twitched.

Was I ripped off?

Wait a minute.

Lake tapped the table. "We’re getting off track. Continue."

The car dealership owner seemed to have relaxed as well, pointing at a photo. "Yesterday morning, Brian and those five people arrived in six cars. I reserved this one. Then this morning, I asked Brian to check it in the back for any potential problems. Those five people were waiting to get paid after the inspection and leave. I don’t know anything."

Lake said, "Brian."

The car dealership owner said, "Yes, he’s a federal agent. For God’s sake, I only provided a location. I really don’t know anything."

He felt wronged. He was just a businessman. The FBI found him and, using the excuse that his backyard was a warehouse for stolen cars, asked him to place an undercover agent there to get close to Dom.

Lake looked at the wronged expression on the car dealership owner’s face. "You asked Brian to receive the car. He’s a federal undercover agent. What were you thinking?"

The car dealership owner irritably took a drag from his cigarette butt. "I don’t know, they asked me to."

"Who asked you?"

"The person who’s been contacting me and paying me ten thousand US dollars a month. He called and specifically asked Brian to go with them to receive the car. What could I do?"

"…How did they know Brian was undercover?"

"I don’t know."

Lake nodded and got up to leave.

Good heavens.

This whole situation is getting more and more interesting. Even I only knew about Brian’s undercover identity through foreknowledge of the plot. How did these car thieves find out?

"Can I leave now?"

"No."

"You lied to me, you bastard…"

"Bang!"

Lake directly closed the door and gestured to Adam by the entrance, pointing to the interrogation room behind him. "New York, air transport."

Adam nodded.

"What about Brian?"

"Still inside, wants to see you."

"He hasn’t been put on the plane."

"You blinked."

"Haha, Adam, interested in going to New York?"

"No."

"Alright."

Lake nodded to the burly Adam and gave his promise, "If you want to go to New York, just let me know, and I’ll arrange it immediately."

Adam said thank you, then started talking with the two teammates who walked over.

Lake re-entered Brian’s interrogation room.

Brian looked at Lake as he walked back in and said, "I can’t go to New York."

Lake silently pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at Brian expressionlessly. "You have ten seconds. The owner of that car dealership told me a lot. If you can’t give me any new information, and you can’t go to New York, then I’ll send you to Guantanamo."

Brian lifted his bound hands. "I told you, I’m undercover. I don’t know anything. I just received a call last night and drove your car back. That’s all."

Lake let out a cold laugh. "That’s all? You’re a federal agent. You saw someone transporting stolen cars and didn’t do anything? That’s all?"

Brian was a bit speechless. "I was on an undercover mission. I was at a party at Dom’s house. The boss called me to do something. I thought it was a good way to gain trust, so I deliberately told Dom that I was going to do something for the boss. When I went there, Dom was following me."

What’s the best way to gain favor with a criminal organization?

It’s to carry out a criminal act under their watchful eyes. This way, you can show that you’re all on the same side.

This is also the fastest and most efficient method within criminal organizations.

Brian said, "Besides, I didn’t even know it was your car. We picked up the car and started heading back. If you want to know where that big truck carrying seven or eight cars went, you can ask Dom. They didn’t follow us back when we returned."

Lake: "…"