American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

At 2 a.m., Lynn finally completed all the reporting and arrangements. Michael's family had been safely moved to a protected facility under the care of dedicated personnel. The three surviving suspects were held in separate facilities awaiting further legal proceedings.

The following morning, Lynn received a preliminary report from the technical department. By analyzing the data extracted from the suspect's phone, they discovered some interesting information.

“That encryption application is indeed very advanced, but we found some connection records,” technical expert Martin reported. “While we can’t directly trace the ‘broker’s’ identity, we know his recent activity times and approximate geographical location.”

"Where exactly?" Lynn asked.

“The signal mainly comes from Brooklyn and Queens,” Martin replied, “and it’s typically used between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m..”

What about Bitcoin transactions?

“We tracked several transactions totaling approximately $50,000,” Martin continued, “and although the Bitcoin addresses were anonymous, we discovered that these Bitcoins were ultimately converted into cash through certain exchanges.”

Which exchanges?

“It’s mainly some smaller exchanges that allow anonymous trading, but we’re contacting those platforms to see if we can get more information,” Martin said.

“Another finding,” Martin added, “is that, based on communication patterns, this ‘broker’ wasn’t working for just one employer. We discovered multiple different task assignments involving different goals and requirements.”

This information confirmed Lynn's suspicions: they were dealing with a professional criminal service network that not only worked for Victor Rodriguez but also provided services to other criminal organizations.

“Keep tracking,” Lynn instructed. “Any clue could be a breakthrough.”

At the same time, Sarah brought another important message: "Michael requests to see you; he says he has important information to tell you."

"What kind of information?"

“He said he remembered some details he had forgotten that might be helpful to the investigation,” Sarah replied.

Lynn decided to see Michael immediately. Perhaps last night's attack made the young man realize the seriousness of the threat, prompting him to recall more details.

Every clue could be the key to unraveling the entire criminal network, and Lynn doesn't want to miss any opportunity.

At 11 a.m., Lynn and Sarah arrived at the juvenile detention center again. Michael looked even more haggard than yesterday, clearly suffering a huge psychological shock from the attack on his family last night. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hands were trembling slightly, and he appeared extremely nervous.

“Michael, I heard you’ve remembered some new information?” Lynn asked directly after sitting down.

“Yes,” Michael nodded, his voice a little hoarse, “After hearing about the attack on my house yesterday, I’ve been thinking about it, trying to recall every detail. I thought if I could provide more information, maybe it would help you catch those people faster and protect my family.”

“Very good, tell me what you’re thinking of,” Lynn encouraged.

Michael took a deep breath. "I remember now. The night Tony gave me the package, the person who gave it to me—not Tony, but someone else—said something on the phone."

“What did you say?” Sarah pressed.

“He said, ‘I have to get back to Starlight Bar right away, the boss is waiting for my report,’” Michael recalled. “At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but now that I think about it, Starlight Bar was probably where they often gathered.”

Lynn and Sarah exchanged a glance. This was an important clue.

"Do you remember any other characteristics of that person?" Lynn asked.

“He was a bit older than Tony, probably in his thirties, with a heavy New York accent,” Michael tried to recall, “and he was missing a little finger on his left hand, quite obviously.”

"What about height and build?"

“He was of medium height, but very muscular, like someone who works out regularly,” Michael continued. “He was wearing a leather jacket with some metal embellishments.”

“Anything else?” Sarah asked.

“Yes,” Michael nodded. “His car was special; it was a modified Harley-Davidson motorcycle. It was very loud, and the engine sounded different from ordinary motorcycles.”

These details are all valuable. The absence of a little finger is particularly useful, as it is a very obvious identifying feature.

“Michael, you did a great job,” Lynn praised. “This information is very helpful to us.”

“I also remembered something,” Michael continued, “When that person answered the phone, I heard them say something in Spanish. Although I don’t understand Spanish, I remember the pronunciation—it sounded like…”

Sarah, who spoke some Spanish, immediately translated, "That means 'tomorrow at the warehouse.'"

Lynn nodded, further confirming the involvement of Victor Rodriguez's group. The use of Spanish and the previously mentioned Queens warehouse both pointed in the same direction.

"Michael, besides Starlight Bar, have you heard of any other places?" Lynn continued to ask.

“No,” Michael shook his head. “I was very nervous and my attention was mainly on the package; I didn’t listen carefully to their conversation.”

"How are your parents and sister now?" Sarah asked with concern.

“They were terrified, but the FBI protectors told me they were safe,” Michael replied. “My sister asked me why this happened, and I didn’t know how to explain it.”

“You don’t need to explain anything,” Lynn said. “You are a victim, not a criminal. Once we’ve resolved this, you can go back to your normal lives.”

"Can it really be resolved?" Michael's eyes were filled with hope and worry. "Those people seem very powerful. Will they continue to threaten us?"

“I assure you, we will catch them,” Lynn said firmly, “but that will take time and your continued cooperation.”

After leaving the detention center, Lynn and Sarah immediately returned to the precinct to begin investigating Starlight Bar.

"How many places in the New York area are called Starlight Bars?" Lynn asked the agent in charge of information gathering.

“I found three,” the agent replied. “One in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, one in Brooklyn, and one in Long Island City, Queens.” “The one in Queens is the most suspicious,” Sarah analyzed, “because the warehouse mentioned earlier is also in Queens.”

“I agree,” Lynn said, “but we need to investigate all three locations. Let’s start with Queens.”

Further investigation revealed a suspicious background at Starlight Bar in Queens. The bar's owner, Antonio Vasquez, had a minor criminal record, primarily involving charges of petty fraud and operating without a license. More importantly, the bar had been repeatedly reported for noise pollution and suspicious activity over the past six months, but police found no obvious violations each time they arrived.

“This fits the characteristics of organized crime,” James analyzed. “They typically choose to meet in fringe locations where the owners have criminal backgrounds and are not cooperative with police investigations.”

“Furthermore, Long Island City in Queens has a very strategic location,” Sarah added. “It’s close to industrial areas, with many warehouses and abandoned buildings, making it ideal for covert operations.”

Lynn decided to investigate the bar himself. However, as an FBI agent, he couldn't directly enter a potential crime scene, as this would expose the investigation and potentially jeopardize his safety. He needed to disguise himself.

“I’m going to go into the bar disguised as a regular customer,” Lynn announced.

“This is too dangerous,” Sarah said worriedly. “What if they recognize you?”

“We need inside intelligence,” Lynn explained. “External surveillance can only tell us who goes in and out, but it can’t tell us about internal activities and conversations.”

“I can go with you,” Sarah offered.

“No, you’re too young, and you’re Asian. You’ll stand out in that environment,” Lynn shook his head. “I’ll take James with me. We can disguise ourselves as ordinary workers.”

James nodded in agreement. "We can say we work at a nearby factory and come back for drinks after get off work."

“What about the support plan?” Sarah asked.

“The SWAT team will be on standby nearby, but far enough away not to be detected,” Lynn planned. “You and the other agents will be responsible for perimeter surveillance, recording all people entering and leaving.”

That afternoon, Lynn and James began preparing their disguises. They changed into work clothes; Lynn wore a baseball cap to conceal part of his facial features, while James wore glasses and grew a beard. They used an ordinary secondhand pickup truck, not an FBI official vehicle.

“Remember, we’re just two workers, just off work and want to relax with a drink,” Lynn checked the plan one last time in the car. “Don’t show any professional interest, just be natural.”

"What if we encounter danger?" James asked.

“We’ve all brought concealed recording equipment and locators,” Lynn replied. “If things get dangerous, we’re out of there. Remember, tonight is just reconnaissance, not an operation.”

At seven o'clock in the evening, they arrived near the Starlight Bar. The bar was located on a relatively quiet street, surrounded by some small factories and auto repair shops. The building itself looked quite old, with dark red brick walls and heavy curtains in the windows, obscuring the interior from the outside.

Several motorcycles and some old cars were parked in front of the gate. One Harley-Davidson motorcycle was particularly eye-catching, its modified engine and chrome trim gleaming under the streetlights.

“That Harley might be the one Michael mentioned,” James whispered.

“Very likely,” Lynn replied. “Remember the license plate number.”

They parked their pickup truck in an open space across the street and then walked across the road to the bar.

The bar had a heavy wooden door with a small neon sign that read "Starlight Bar." As they pushed the door open, music and conversations immediately filled the air.

The bar was larger inside than it appeared from the outside, with an industrial style decor featuring exposed brick walls and metal pipes. The lighting was dim, relying mainly on hanging bulbs and neon lights. The air was filled with the aromas of beer, cigarettes, and some spice that Lynn couldn't quite place.

There were about twenty customers in the bar, mostly men between twenty and forty years old, dressed in various ways—some in work clothes, some in leather jackets, and a few in suits. Behind the bar stood a Latino man in his fifties, presumably the owner, Antonio Vasquez.

Lynn and James sat down at a table near the door, a spot that offered a good view of the entire bar and allowed them to leave at any time.

"Two beers," James said to the approaching waiter.

The waitress was a young Latina woman. She nodded and went to get the beer without saying anything more.

Lynn began cautiously observing the patrons around him. In a relatively private corner at the back of the bar, three men were talking in hushed tones. One of them caught Lynn's attention: medium height, stocky build, and the fact that his left hand was indeed missing a little finger. This was very likely the man Michael had described.

"Eleven o'clock, in the back corner," Lynn whispered to James, "the one missing his little finger on his left hand."

James glanced in that direction casually, then nodded in confirmation.

The three men weren't speaking loudly, but Lynn could catch some words. They were indeed speaking Spanish, occasionally interspersed with English words. Lynn's Spanish was limited, but he could understand some basic vocabulary.

One of them mentioned tomorrow, a warehouse, and police, which matched what Michael had heard.

Just then, the back door of the bar opened, and a figure that Lynn recognized walked in. Although the light was dim, Lynn recognized the man almost immediately—it was Tony, the one Michael had described as the one who had directly threatened him.

Tony walked to the table in the back corner and greeted the three men. Now the four of them were together, and the discussion became even more heated.

“We need to get a little closer,” Lynn said to James, “but naturally.”

James nodded, stood up, and said, "I'll go order some food."

He walked toward the bar, a route that would pass near that table. Though it was only a brief stop, James tried his best to hear some of the conversation.

Back at the table, James whispered, "They're discussing some kind of operation for tomorrow night, mentioning 'new stock' and 'Chinese restaurant.'"

The word "Chinese restaurant" worried Lynn. Although Michael's family had been protected, other Chinese restaurants might be targeted.

"Anything else?" Lynn asked.

“They mentioned a time, 10 p.m., and an address, but all I heard was ‘47th Street,’” James continued to report.

At that moment, the man missing his little finger stood up and went to the bar to order a drink. This gave Lynn a chance to observe him closely. The man did indeed match Michael's description: in his thirties, stocky, missing his left little finger, and wearing a leather jacket with metal embellishments. More importantly, Lynn noticed a tattoo on his neck; although it was partially obscured by the collar, it was clear that it contained some letters. (End of Chapter)