The Wolf of Los Angeles.

After finishing her work in the morning, Caroline Jones spoke on the phone with Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner again. The two chatted happily, like best friends who could talk about anything.

They quickly agreed to meet in Buenos Aires that weekend.

Caroline hung up the phone, opened Twitter, selected the Argentina region, and checked the news there.

The situation there is completely under the control of the presidential palace, and relevant information has not yet been leaked.

The yacht capsized on the vast ocean, making it relatively easy to control the situation.

The news started appearing before noon.

Caroline went out and entered Hawke's office, saying, "The Argentine Maritime Authority has issued a maritime disaster notice."

Hawke checked on Twitter and found the official Twitter account of the Argentine Maritime Authority.

The latest announcement was released a dozen minutes ago.

"Early this morning, a yacht sank 78 nautical miles off the coast of La Plata due to a sudden tornado that caused it to veer off course and run aground. The Maritime Safety Administration has dispatched rescue teams to the scene to carry out rescue operations, but no survivors have been found so far."

Another Argentine media outlet's Twitter account posted several photos and videos from the scene, suggesting that a reporter had accompanied the rescue boats to the site.

Oil slicks floated on the sea surface, and some garbage debris swayed with the waves.

Not long after, Argentine media broke another bombshell.

"It is reported that the vessel involved in the shipwreck off the Gulf of La Plata is the Lion yacht owned by the famous billionaire Antonio López. According to reliable sources, Antonio López himself is on the yacht, and the rescue fleet has not yet found him. The situation is not optimistic."

This news was like a bombshell, causing a stir in much of Argentina's media industry.

Countless ships rushed towards the site of the shipwreck.

In the afternoon, news broke that rescuers had found several bodies in the sea.

Among them were Antonio Lopez and his wife, Belen Rodriguez.

Both people died in the accident caused by the hurricane.

Caroline and Hawke were having lunch together, discussing as they ate: "The Argentine Maritime Authority will make a show of conducting a full investigation into the accident and then issue a corresponding investigation announcement, stating that the yacht sank after running aground due to a natural disaster."

Hawke knew she had spoken with Christina: "All we need is an explanation on the surface."

I've issued the notice; believe it or not.

Hawke's side is a hundred and eight thousand miles away from that world.

Caroline added, "Lopez only has one younger brother left, but he's been controlled by Maximo Kirchner. He's not very capable and can't cause any trouble."

Hawke said, "Go over there and carry out the follow-up plan."

Caroline smiled and said, "No problem."

This maritime accident, involving an Argentinian tycoon, naturally garnered considerable media attention.

The Argentine Maritime Authority has been conducting search and rescue operations, but the area where the shipwreck is located is in the Atlantic Ocean, where the water is nearly 1,000 meters deep and the seabed environment is complex, making the search and rescue progress extremely slow.

The salvage operation is extremely difficult; Argentina simply does not possess the necessary technology.

When something like this happens, rumors naturally fly everywhere.

Some media outlets have analyzed that "this luxury yacht has extremely high safety performance, with equipment that is quite advanced among civilian vessels. It can withstand high-intensity storms, and the ship also has divided watertight compartments for firing. It carries helicopters and lifeboats, and can withstand flooding for a long time even if some parts are filled with water."

However, Argentina's maritime meteorological department subsequently released a so-called record showing that on the day of the shipwreck, a short-lived, localized period of extremely strong convective weather had occurred in the area where the yacht was located.

Those rumors and gossip are no match for the official loudspeaker.

The latter can also attract a large number of authoritative figures to endorse it.

Guterres, chief expert of the Argentine Maritime Search and Rescue Committee, gave a special interview to the media on this matter, saying that based on the various signs at the time of the incident, the yacht should have encountered a waterspout, a high-impact weather phenomenon. Because the crew stayed in the cabin to avoid the wind and rain, they were unable to escape when the disaster suddenly struck.

Subsequently, the maritime authority ended the rescue operation and officially announced the death of Antonio López, while also releasing a preliminary investigation report on the incident, which was largely consistent with what Guterres had said.

Javier López, the last remaining member of the López family, then stepped forward and said he would accept the maritime authority's investigation results.

Havel had no choice but to accept it.

Buenos Aires police obtained multiple pieces of evidence against him through a couple who were involved in adultery.

Havel was not a responsible person; under duress and inducement, he chose to cooperate with others.

This would not only avoid imprisonment, but also allow him to become the legal heir of the conglomerate.

Of course, there were conditions for achieving this: Havel needed to break up the United Group and then sell it secretly.

The assets of the United Group are mainly divided into two parts: one part will be taken over by the Kirchner family, and the other part will be acquired and become US assets.

Javier couldn't refuse, and he didn't want to refuse the hundreds of millions of dollars in cash.

Caroline, representing Hawke and Twitter, arrived in Buenos Aires and was warmly welcomed by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

West Coast Technologies President Henderson arrived "at the same time" to begin business negotiations with the Kirchner family's company regarding the promotion of products such as drones and single-person transport vehicles in the Argentine market.

Henderson and Maximo have spoken about this several times in private.

The two sides reached an agreement on the purchase of Argentine military equipment.

Argentina's Ministry of Defense will invest $6.5 million over the next three years to purchase drones and individual soldier transport vehicles from West Coast Technologies. This includes not only products but also related training and services.

In the civilian market, Henderson and Maximo also signed the cooperation agreement on behalf of their respective companies.

Without a doubt, this is the largest instance of collusion between government officials and businesses in Argentina in recent years.

The assets of the United Group were divided up between the two sides during Havel's clearance sale.

The Kirchner family successfully eliminated the biggest threat in the country.

Christina also established contact with California Governor Brian Kemp.

West Coast Tech's drones have become best-selling products in Argentina.

Surprisingly, these seemingly insignificant three-wheeled vehicles have become incredibly popular in the Argentine market.

Whether electric or gasoline-powered, the three-wheeled vehicle is highly adaptable; it can be used for agricultural transportation, carrying passengers and goods, and even for roadside stalls...

People living in industrialized countries may find it hard to imagine that Argentina, a nominally developed country, cannot even manufacture a three-wheeled vehicle.

Incredibly, a small noodle-making factory somewhere managed to roll out an airplane-shaped dough.

Washington, D.C., Capitol Hill.

In a senator's office, Joseph had just finished a conversation with a representative of the teachers' union and personally escorted him out.

In every election, teachers are a group that every candidate must win over.

Despite increasingly favorable conditions, public education in American primary and secondary schools is getting worse.

Joseph returned to his desk and sat down, thinking of his half-dead eldest son and his troublesome youngest son, and felt another headache coming on.

Joseph looked noticeably older during this time, with his gray hair nearly doubling in size.

People are even a little dazed, and when they sit in one place, they will unconsciously close their eyes, as if they can fall asleep anytime, anywhere.

The intercom beeped, and the assistant said, "Dilon and Rodriguez are here."

Joseph rallied his spirits: "Let them in."

The two men went into the office and closed the door.

Joseph noticed their serious expressions and had a bad feeling. He frowned and asked, "What happened now?"

Rodriguez looked toward Dillon.

Dillon was in charge of all the matters related to the dark channels. All Dillon could say was, "We just received news from Argentina that Antonio Lopez's yacht was involved in a shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean off the Gulf of La Plata. He and his newlywed wife, Belém, and others all perished."

Lopez, a key figure in Joseph's plan, was startled upon hearing the news and asked, "Are you sure?"

Dillon said, "The Argentine Maritime Authority issued a statement saying that the Lion, the yacht Lopez was traveling on, was hit by a short-lived, small-scale waterspout. Due to malfunctions in the electronic equipment, the operators made a serious misjudgment, which led to the yacht running aground and sinking."

At this point, he added his own perspective: "It is clear that what Lopez experienced was not an accident, but a deliberate attack."

Joseph could naturally think of this.

Dillon added, "Angel has made contact with our people. According to the accurate intelligence he provided, Lopez's United Group has fallen into the hands of Javier, the only survivor of the family. Javier is negotiating with the Kirchner family and several overseas foundations, preparing to sell the United Group's valuable assets to them at a low price."

Rodriguez finally spoke: "From the perspective of who benefits most and who is the most suspicious, the Kirchner family and the people behind these foundations are the real culprits who killed Lopez."

Joseph asked, "Does Angel have any evidence he can use to make a claim?"

“No.” Dillon shook his head: “That’s Argentina. We can’t do everything we’re capable of.”

Joseph coughed twice, took a sip of water, and said, "Don't overthink it. Hawke Osment has definitely discovered our plan. Although we don't know where the problem lies, it must be Hawke Osment who made the move."

Dillon paused for a moment, then said, "That does sound a lot like Hawke Osment's style—either he holds back or delivers a fatal blow."

“Now that Argentina’s plan has been exposed, let’s put it on hold. There’s no point in continuing.” Joseph was also quite decisive: “Continuing like this could very well expose us to Hawke Osment.”

Dillon, however, considered the worst-case scenario: "We're not sure exactly how much Hawke Osment knows. He's ruthless and controls a fortune worth tens of billions. Your security detail must be strengthened."

Although a senator of Joseph's rank would normally have a Secret Service agent by his side, he was aware of the dark side of politics and immediately nodded: "Transfer a few of your most reliable men to follow me around on a daily basis."

“Yes.” Dillon’s first thought was of Adam Smith, who was idling around in Arlington.

Since the SEAL incident, Joseph has been under considerable pressure from the Washington authorities.

The Chester Foundation, located in Arlington, has been under investigation recently.

Dillon had to temporarily remove some key personnel hidden within the Foundation.

Rodriguez then asked, "Is there any progress in the operation in Los Angeles?"

Dillon said, "The prosecutors who are biased towards us have been keeping an eye on the Los Angeles federal prison, and the people we've brought in are also trying to integrate into Los Angeles, looking for an opportunity to launch a fatal blow."

Joseph nodded: "Let's proceed as planned."

Dillon and Rodriguez left the Capitol building quickly.

The former found a place, called Adam Smith, and arranged to meet in the next few days.

Adam Smith, who had nothing to do recently and was just about to return home, decided to stay in Arlington for a few more days after receiving a phone call.

…………

Los Angeles, hilltop villa.

When Erica returned home, she noticed that something had changed in front of the villa.

She got out of the Mercedes G-Class, stood in front of a huge pink landscape rock, and asked Hawke, who came out of the villa, "Darling, what is this?"

Hawke patted the uniquely shaped red stone and said, "It's a gift from Argentine President Cristina. It seems to be their national stone, a type of rhodochrosite called rhodochrosite."

Erica examined it closely; the cross-section of the landscape stone resembled a blooming pink rose, complete with heart-shaped stripes—it was indeed very beautiful.

Hawke added, "The Argentinians call this the Inca Rose, and it's said that there aren't many pieces this big."

Erica touched it and said, "You've collected quite a few gems recently."

Hawke shrugged: "There's always someone who'll offer to deliver it."

Erica, thinking about what he had been doing recently, asked, "Is everything settled in Argentina?"

“It’s basically done,” Hawke said roughly. “An Argentinian tycoon, under the guise of a technology partnership with the West Coast, is trying to lure me to South America and then kill me.”

Erica said coldly, "He deserves to die!"

Hawke smiled. "Have you heard about that recent shipwreck in Argentina?"

Erica had seen it on the news, and after briefly recalling the content, she said, "Well done!"

Hokra led Erica into the house, saying as they went, "Not only that, we also divided up his wealth through cooperation with the Argentine Presidential Palace."

With the Kirchner family currently in power, both sides are in a honeymoon period of cooperation. When the time is right, all of Argentina's assets can be sold off.

Erica said, "Since they've decided to target you, they should be prepared to face our brutal retaliation."

Hawke's considerations went beyond that: "The United States is still the only superpower in the world, and many countries follow its orders. There are always a few who are not thinking straight. Lopez's shipwreck can make them understand that there are some things they cannot get involved in."

The Argentine government has managed to control the media, but it can't stop rumors from spreading like wildfire.

These rumors, in a way, serve as a warning. (End of Chapter)