Chapter 85

In Seoul, a small-scale banquet was being held at the U.S. Embassy in South Korea. As the second-in-command, Consul James was dancing with a beautiful lady. The atmosphere was lively, and James was in high spirits, but at that moment, his phone in his pocket suddenly rang.

This was undoubtedly a buzzkill, but not many people knew his number, and most of those who did were important figures. Therefore, despite his reluctance, he quickly pulled out his phone and answered it. When he heard the voice on the other end, his initial unwillingness vanished, and he responded respectfully, "I'm sorry, Mr. Edward, it's a bit noisy here. Please wait a moment..."

Edward was a senior senator in the U.S. Senate, backed by powerful financial tycoons, and most importantly, he was James's benefactor. Thus, James did not dare to be negligent and quickly moved to a nearby garden before continuing, "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting..."

Edward was a kind and broad-minded elder. After calmly saying it was no problem, he simply stated, "A son of one of my old friends was stabbed twice by gang members in your area. I think you know what to do, and I want you to be ruthless, understand?"

Without Edward having to say more, James had already planned to make the perpetrator suffer, as he knew that these important figures would never show mercy, especially to someone who had harmed their family.

So, he nodded vigorously, "I understand, Mr. Edward, I can assure you!" However, when he heard the name of the victim, he was somewhat surprised, "Vincent Lee, Lee Jung-hee?"

Edward was taken aback on the other end, "What, do you know him, or is there another reason?"

James understood what Edward meant by "another reason" and immediately shook his head, "No, not really." He paused for a moment, then smiled and continued, "He's a genius, you know. He got his Ph.D. in economics from Harvard at eighteen, but now he's in the entertainment industry in South Korea, working as a screenwriter. Oh, and he also runs an entertainment company... In short, he's quite famous here."

"Ah, I see!" Edward nodded, but he wasn't too concerned about these details, so he quickly hung up the phone.

On this side, James, having received the order, did not linger at the banquet. He quickly returned to the office area and called his first secretary, Philip.

After briefly explaining the situation, he said seriously, "You need to call the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately and negotiate this issue. Tell them that if they don't give us a satisfactory response, we won't leave them any face. We will issue a public statement and involve our own people. If the situation gets out of control, we won't take any responsibility..."

He paused for a moment, then emphasized, "Remember, we want the South Korean authorities to take this matter seriously and severely punish those who harmed our people..."

Secretaries at the embassy are generally divided into three ranks: first, second, and third. Philip, as a first secretary, was the highest rank and a smart and capable person.

So, when Philip saw how angry and serious Edward was about this seemingly minor issue, he knew that a big figure must be behind it. As a result, he knew exactly what to do. After nodding seriously to show his understanding, he turned and returned to his office.

Edward, as a Consul, held a high position and would not casually make calls. Philip, on the other hand, was the one to run errands. Of course, as a first secretary, he was a powerful figure in South Korea.

After calling the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he didn't bother with formalities and shouted at the other end, "What's going on? Mr. Lee Jung-hee is a distinguished and virtuous gentleman who has contributed to your country's entertainment industry, yet he was stabbed twice by gang members in Gangwon Province... How can you not even ensure the safety of foreign friends? How can foreign investors feel secure? And what about the crackdown on gang activities you promised?"

The assistant minister in charge of the U.S. and Canada at the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kim Yong-ho, was stunned. He didn't understand why the usually polite Philip had suddenly gone berserk.

Fortunately, after Philip's tirade, he finally explained the situation in detail. At this point, Kim Yong-ho also understood that there must be a big figure behind Lee Jung-hee.

Otherwise, such a minor issue wouldn't have warranted Philip's angry call, and it was clear that Philip was under immense pressure or had received a direct order from above.

Thinking about this, Kim Yong-ho was surprised by the power behind the recently popular Lee Jung-hee in South Korea. However, he didn't dare to be negligent and quickly called the deputy minister, Wu Longbiao, who was at home, and explained the situation in detail, even mentioning Philip's attitude and the possible big figure behind him.

Wu Longbiao was also taken aback. Such a minor issue had escalated so much. Of course, with a big figure involved, the situation had indeed become serious. He needed to handle it properly, or he would suffer the consequences.

So, after some thought, he quickly made two calls. He didn't shout, as it wasn't necessary, but he did explain the gravity of the situation clearly. This was not the time for tactics; the most important thing was to get the other party to take it seriously and handle the matter properly.

Everyone should be happy!

In the office of the Gangwon Provincial Police Chief, Chief Tian Maosheng was leisurely drinking tea, eating snacks, and listening to music, humming along contentedly. Suddenly, the phone rang loudly, breaking the tranquility.

As the head of the Gangwon Provincial Police, he frowned in annoyance, slowly picked up the phone, and said impatiently, "Who is it?"

"Idiot!" The sudden shout on the other end nearly scared him out of his wits. He quickly stood up, spilling his tea on the table, but he didn't care. Instead, he stood straight, bowed his head slightly, and replied respectfully, "I'm sorry, Chief..."

This "Chief" was actually a deputy chief, but he was the deputy chief of the Central Police Headquarters, waiting to take over as chief, and he was also Tian Maosheng's benefactor.

So, Tian Maosheng didn't dare to show any temper. The other end didn't shout again but sternly asked, "Do you know that the recently famous Lee Jung-hee was stabbed twice by gang members in your area?"

Tian Maosheng was startled, guessing what was happening. He didn't dare to hide it and admitted that he wasn't aware. The other end didn't scold him but added, "It's not too late, but I want to remind you that a big figure is watching this case. You need to handle it clearly and quickly, understand?"

"Yes, Chief!" Tian Maosheng nodded firmly, his eyes flashing with determination. This was a chance to catch the attention of a big figure, and he intended to handle it perfectly.

After hanging up, he was about to call someone when the phone rang again. He was taken aback but didn't dare to be casual. He answered politely, "Hello, Gangwon Provincial Police!"

"Hello, I'm Deputy Minister Wu Longbiao from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in charge of the U.S. and Canada!" Wu Longbiao's name made Tian Maosheng stand straight again. Wu Longbiao then got straight to the point, "Chief Tian, I just received a message from the U.S. Embassy that an American citizen, Mr. Lee Jung-hee, was attacked by gang members in your area and stabbed twice... This is a serious situation and affects our country's image among foreign friends. I hope you will investigate it quickly..."

He then explained the gravity of the situation in detail before hanging up.

Tian Maosheng was sweating. The U.S. Embassy was involved, and they were threatening to issue a public statement and even send their own people to intervene. If this escalated, his benefactor would kick him out and send him home to sell sweet potatoes!

So, after hanging up, his morale and determination soared. He stood in his office and shouted, "Get all those loafers in here..."

Of course, he didn't mean actual loafers but the heads of various departments under the Gangwon Provincial Police. He then berated them harshly, "You useless fools, such a major incident happened in Gangwon, and you're still here enjoying yourselves... I'm giving you one day to investigate this thoroughly. If you fail, I'll kick you all out. Get to work!"

As they were about to leave, he added menacingly, "I don't care if some of you are clean, but if anyone leaks information, finds a scapegoat, or messes this up, I'll personally hand their head over. Understand?"

His roar left no room for misunderstanding. The seasoned officials knew that if something could make Tian Maosheng jump, it must be serious. No one dared to play games at this moment.

They all rushed out, shouting orders and mobilizing their teams, either to start the investigation or to vent their anger over the phone.

The Gangwon Provincial Police Headquarters became bustling due to these two calls, and the local prosecutor's office in Gangwon also received two calls, one from their supervisory department, the Central Legal Affairs Department, and the other from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, they remained relatively quiet, but a serious and cold atmosphere was brewing...

Thus, from top to bottom, a vast net slowly began to close in on the culprit...