The Wolf of Los Angeles.

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

An inconspicuous SUV drove into the parking lot. Adam Smith, carrying a bouquet of flowers, got out of the car, put on a pair of sunglasses, and walked towards the cemetery.

The weather was exceptionally nice today, and quite a few people came to the national cemetery to pay their respects.

Adam Smith blended into the crowd and was inconspicuous.

Not far from him, Garcia, also holding flowers, followed the crowd into the cemetery.

Midway through, when a patrol of soldiers passed by, Garcia, like the retired U.S. military veterans around him, gave an American-style salute.

The autumn wind blew, and the Stars and Stripes on the flagpole fluttered in the wind.

Garcia moved slightly away from the crowd and whispered through his wireless headset, "Don't get too close, keep your distance."

A dozen or so people were scattered within a few hundred meters of Adam Smith.

A short distance ahead, Adam Smith turned a corner.

Garcia didn't stop, but continued walking forward, passing two more rows before turning to the other side. He found a tombstone with a clearly Latin name, placed the bouquet in front of it, and lowered his head to mutter something, as if he were deeply remembering his deceased comrade.

On the other side, Adam Smith, holding flowers in one hand and removing his sunglasses with the other, discreetly observed what was behind him through the reflection in the sunglasses.

After confirming there were no tails following him, he turned onto another side road and came to the white marble tombstone. He first placed the bouquet of flowers and then tidied and wiped the small Stars and Stripes flag.

His former comrades-in-arms are buried here.

Adam Smith stood there silently for a moment, when someone came from the other side.

Wearing a brown leather jacket, Dillon placed the flowers in his hand in front of the white marble tombstone. After taking off his sunglasses, he gently ran his fingers over the photo on the tombstone and said, "Arnold, we have been making the Elephant Party pay the price."

The war that led to the deaths of Arnold and many of his comrades was entirely initiated by the Elephant Party.

These survivors deeply resent the mastermind behind it all.

Adam Smith said softly, "Are we going to abandon the Chester Foundation?"

“The foundation has been exposed to the Washington authorities.” Dillon straightened up and said slowly, “We thwarted the Elephant Party’s hunting operation against Benladen, and some channels will inevitably be targeted by the Elephant Party.”

Even now, these people still believe that they were the ones who thwarted the Tom Emo government's operation to hunt down Benladon.

Adam Smith sighed, "What a pity for those SEALs."

Having served politicians for many years, Dillon was tainted with their aura and said quite naturally, "Sometimes sacrifices are unavoidable so that more people don't die in those meaningless wars."

Adam Smith, who has a long list of bad deeds to his name, said, "Hopefully, Joseph's rise to power will slightly change this absurd situation."

Dillon looked around. There were quite a few people in the cemetery, but no one was nearby, and there was nothing unusual about the surroundings.

He continued, "The Argentine plan has encountered a serious situation. Antonio López was shipwrecked, and almost all of his family members have sunk to the bottom of the sea."

Adam Smith, who had read about it in the newspaper, said, "Was he murdered?"

Dillon nodded slightly: "It's pretty much certain. I suspect that Hawke Osmond colluded with the Argentine presidential palace to orchestrate this accident."

“He’s incredibly audacious and ruthless,” Adam Smith couldn’t help but say. “He just took down an Argentinian billionaire like that.”

Dillon disagreed, saying, "It's normal for Lopez to be killed if he wants to kill someone."

Adam Smith said, "As for the whole family?"

Dillon, who served in Japan and South Korea during his military service, said, "On the other side of the distant Pacific Ocean, there's a saying that if you clear away all the troubles at once, no one will bother you in the future."

Adam Smith pondered for a moment: "That sounds reasonable."

Dillon got back to the main point: "Our opponents are even more ruthless than us. There are some things we have to be wary of, especially regarding Joseph's security. I'm planning to transfer you and a few other people to Joseph's side to protect him secretly."

This job is simpler than running around doing shady things.

Adam Smith replied, "Sure, I have no problem with that."

Dillon put on his sunglasses: "Go back and prepare yourself. I'll give you a brand new identity that's suitable for formal occasions."

“Okay.” Adam Smith looked down at his comrade and gently patted the tombstone.

Dillon walked back the way he came.

Adam Smith went the other way.

Dozens of meters away, people came and went to pay their respects.

Some people even had badges or similar pins on their coats.

Some of them inevitably swept over Dillon and Adam Smith.

At this moment, Garcia was already sitting in the van he had brought with him.

All situations were reported to him immediately.

"The new target is in the car." Garcia heard his subordinate's voice through his earpiece. "He's driving a black Cadillac, the license plate number is..."

Another person promptly reported: "The other two vehicles have started up and are following behind the new target vehicle, suspected to be the protectors."

Garcia had just entered the license plate number into the query system, confirmed that it matched the vehicle, and issued a cautious instruction: "Do not track new targets, avoid exposure."

The people on this side did not make any rash moves, quietly watching the Cadillac disappear at the end of the road.

On the way back to Washington from Arlington, the two cars behind Dillon frequently changed positions and modes of transportation to check the surroundings.

Once they entered the city, the person in charge reported via the vehicle's walkie-talkie: "Everything is normal."

“Stay alert,” Dillon replied, then turned and headed to a trading company in Washington to process new identities for Adam Smith and others.

Normally, apart from mentally unstable individuals like John Sinclair, attacks against important political figures in Washington are not typically carried out.

But our opponents are ruthless and insane.

In particular, the relationship between the two parties has deteriorated so badly that all other contradictions are insignificant in the face of partisan conflict.

Dillon even suspected that if things continued this way, it wouldn't be long before the American Civil War broke out.

Meanwhile, Garcia had returned to his temporary base in Arlington, retrieved his laptop, and briefly organized the photos and videos he had taken. He then connected to Starlink's special signal channel and transmitted the content to Los Angeles.

He then made another phone call and described the situation on the other side.

...Los Angeles, Coast Building.

Campos and Edward accompanied Hawke to the supercomputing technology center.

Haaland has already directed several technicians to begin a systematic screening process.

When he met Hawke, he said, "Through the license plate number and some online information, we found the owner of that black Cadillac."

A technician tapped a key on the keyboard, and the relevant information appeared on the large screen.

Harland told Hawke, "The records show that the car belongs to the Washington Delaware Club. It was purchased and registered in Virginia five years ago. The owner of the Delaware Club, Jack Jones, is a businessman from Delaware who mainly deals in finance and energy and has many business dealings with a shell company of James Joseph."

Edward had a feeling that he hadn't expected it, and said, "It really was those bastards who did it."

Hawke looked at the information on the big screen and said, "Jack Jones also has business dealings in the Middle East?"

Harland said, "Travel records show that he has traveled to the Middle East several times to discuss oil and gas business with Saudi Arabia."

Campos crossed his arms and interjected, "Joseph has been cultivating armed forces in the Middle East in recent years, providing financial support through clandestine channels. Could Jack Jones be the glove that's being extended?"

“Very likely.” Hawke instructed Edward, “Remember to inform Pierce Madden and have him find a way to investigate the Delaware Club’s financial situation.”

Edward wrote it down.

Hawke's gaze was fixed on the person Garcia had just discovered.

This man was about the same age as Adam Smith, with an unremarkable appearance; he would be the most inconspicuous person in a crowd.

Besides the people, there are also white marble tombstones at Arlington Cemetery.

The photo on the tombstone is of a white man named Arnold Nichols.

This kind of information is very easy to find; it appears on the screen quickly.

Arnold Nichols, who served in Delta Force and was killed in action in Iraq, was a recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, and is considered an American hero.

But their hero is my enemy.

With this person's information, combined with the photos taken by Garcia, Dillon's identity information quickly appeared on the screen.

Campos said, "Alan Dillon, from Delaware, served in Delta Force alongside Arnold Nichols and Adam Smith, among others, and was their direct superior at the time. Shortly after Arnold was killed in Iraq, Dillon was discharged from active duty due to injury. He worked for the Secret Service for two years before resigning for family reasons. His Social Security records show that he has been working for the Delaware Club in recent years."

As the supercomputer operates at high speed, new relevant data is constantly being extracted.

Campos continued, "Several others from the Delaware Club also served in Delta Force, and like Adam Smith, they were in the same assault squadron as Dillon."

Comrades-in-arms in the military are often more reliable than relationships in society.

Hawke could easily conclude: "It seems these people are Joseph's hidden forces."

Campos agreed: "Their resumes are not very useful in overt political competition, but they can be a powerful tool in certain situations."

After reviewing the information, Edward said, "Dylon should be the core leader. Adam Smith and the others were all under his command at the time."

Hawke walked to the computer next to him, selected Dillon with the mouse, and said, "Conduct a detailed background investigation on this person, including his daily work routine, the situation of his family and friends, relevant criminal records, etc., the more detailed the better."

Campos replied, "I'll have someone investigate discreetly."

Hawke continued, "Check all the other subordinates as well."

Campos sent Edward to copy the relevant materials.

With Joseph's hidden power exposed to Hawke, Hawke will not rush to make a move.

The perceived threat from the enemy has decreased dramatically.

Hawke's request was very simple: keep an eye on this group and see if there were any unexpected gains.

Furthermore, when it's time to take action, you must ensure that everyone is caught in one fell swoop.

Similarly, Jack Jones, the owner of the Delaware Club, is also a key figure to watch.

This person is most likely a front man for the Joseph family.

Campos immediately returned to the Flower Butterfly Company to make the necessary arrangements.

Hawke then instructed Edward to send the relevant information to Hurricane Africa.

Among the men found to be Dillon's subordinates, there were not only white men, but also two who were clearly of mixed race, with appearances leaning towards Middle Eastern Arab white men.

Jack Jones had traveled to the Middle East many times, and if Joseph had indeed used him to contact those armed groups, there would have been traces left behind.

From its inception, Hurricane Africa has focused on cultivating Arab intelligence personnel and has deployed a large number of them to regions such as Israel, Palestine, and Syria.

The Aksa militia, established by Jurani in the name of Walid, has had its officers, including members of the Hurricane Company, become Jurani's adjutants.

When Campos left, Hawke went with him to Butterfly Security, and they took a yacht from the dock to the private airport on Catalina Island.

He waited in the lounge for a moment before the AI ​​Manhattan Project business jet landed and slowly taxied onto the tarmac.

A group of people returning from Argentina disembarked from the plane.

Hawke came to the tarmac to greet her, first shaking hands with Caroline, who was dressed in a high-fashion business suit, and praised her, "Well done, maintain good relations with the Argentine Presidential Palace."

Caroline smiled brightly: "Without your support, Christina wouldn't have been able to negotiate with us on an equal footing, let alone achieve the series of collaborations that followed."

Hawke nodded slightly to her, then shook hands with Henderson and the others, offering words of encouragement.

Upon returning to the company, West Coast Technology will naturally provide corresponding rewards.

Henderson specifically told Hawke, "In addition to the large deal we signed with the Argentine military, with the help of the Presidential Palace, we also reached agreements with the Argentine Livestock Association and the Argentine Plantation Association, signing orders worth $5500 million each."

He paused briefly, then added, "We've also established relationships with the Argentine Forestry Association and the Argentine National Fire Administration, and are currently negotiating with them regarding the purchase of drones."

Hawke was quite satisfied and said, "Well done."

Thanks to the support of the Argentine authorities, or more precisely, through collusion between government and business, West Coast Technology ultimately secured orders worth nearly $10 billion during its trip to Argentina.

The wealth jointly divided between the two parties was naturally not included.

On the yacht back to Los Angeles, Caroline followed Hawke to the upper deck and specifically said, "You have to treat me tonight, right? I called Megan." (End of Chapter)