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

As evening fell, the man in black was taken to a specially designed quarantine facility. This facility was originally intended for handling biological threats, but it had been temporarily converted to house this particular suspect.

Lynn was ready to begin the interrogation, but first he needed to ensure that security measures were in place.

"Has the fire protection system been checked?" Lynn asked the technician.

“Yes, the entire room has an automatic fire suppression system,” the technician replied. “And we’ve installed a temperature monitoring system that automatically activates a cooling process if the temperature exceeds the safe range.”

“Very well,” Lynn said, “I need to speak with this person face to face.”

“This is too dangerous,” Sarah said worriedly. “What if he starts using that ability again?”

“I need to know his identity and motives,” Lynn insisted. “This could be the key to understanding the entire criminal network.”

The interrogation room had been specially modified, featuring a thick firewall and multiple security measures. The man in black was strapped to a specially designed chair, and his handcuffs were made of a special alloy capable of withstanding high temperatures.

When Lynn entered the interrogation room, he immediately sensed that the temperature was much higher than normal. The man in black sat calmly in the chair, but the air around him still felt slightly distorted.

"What's your name?" Lynn began his interrogation.

The man in black looked up at Lynn, his eyes flashing with an orange-red light. "Names don't matter. What matters is that you shouldn't interfere in our affairs."

"Who are you? Why are you threatening innocent children?" Lynn asked directly.

"Innocent?" the man in black sneered. "No one is truly innocent. Those children are just tools, just like me."

"You were forced into it too?" Lynn was surprised.

“Forced? No, I did it voluntarily,” the man in black replied, “because they gave me a purpose, and a place to use my power.”

"Where did you get your abilities?" Lynn asked, though he wasn't sure he'd get a real answer.

The man in black remained silent for a long time before saying, "You normal people will never understand. Some people are born different, while others acquire that difference through other means."

“Other ways?” Lynn pressed.

“An experiment,” the man in black replied curtly, “some people are willing to pay any price for power.”

This answer unsettled Lynn. If someone was conducting human experiments to create individuals with supernatural abilities, then the nature of the case would be entirely different.

"Who is conducting these experiments?" Lynn asked.

“Do you think I’d tell you?” the man in black retorted. “Even if I did, you couldn’t stop them. They’re more powerful and organized than you think.”

“Give it a try,” Lynn challenged. “We’ve already sabotaged several of their operations and arrested several members.”

“Those are just minor characters,” the man in black said dismissively. “You haven’t seen the real power yet.”

Just then, the temperature monitoring system in the interrogation room sounded an alarm. The man in black was experiencing a rapid rise in body temperature.

"System notification: Target body temperature exceeds safe range," a mechanical voice announced through the speaker. "Initiate cooling procedure."

The sprinkler system on the ceiling started working, spraying down large amounts of cold water. The man in black let out an angry roar, and the entire room instantly filled with steam.

"Control room, activate the ventilation system immediately!" Lynn commanded over the walkie-talkie.

Although the cooling system was working, the man in black's rage made his abilities more unstable. The metal parts of the chair began to glow red, and the handcuffs became scorching hot.

"He's breaking free!" the technicians in the control room warned over the intercom.

Lynn realized the situation was getting out of control. He needed to calm the man down, or the entire facility could be in danger.

“Listen,” Lynn said to the man in black, “if you continue like this, you will hurt innocent people. Is that what you want?”

"Innocent people?" The man in black laughed. "As innocent as the children we're trying to recruit?"

“Those children are truly innocent,” Lynn insisted. “They did not choose to be involved in this criminal activity.”

“A choice?” The man in black’s tone turned bitter. “Do you think I have a choice? Do you think anyone has a choice when faced with true power?”

Lynn began to understand that this person might also be a victim in some way, just in a distorted way.

“Tell me what happened,” Lynn said. “Maybe we can help you.”

The man in black's body temperature began to drop slightly. "Help? Can you turn me back into a normal person? Can you remove this curse from my body?"

"What curse?"

“This ability isn’t a gift, it’s a burden,” the man in black said painfully. “It burns my heart every day, and I can’t sleep a wink every night. Do you think controlling flames is a good thing?”

Lynn began to see another side of this man. Perhaps he was indeed a victim, just forced to live this way.

“Who was that manager who ran away?” Lynn asked. “Was he the one who forced you to do these things?”

The man in black nodded. "His name is Martin Weber, and he's one of the project leaders. He's in charge of managing products like mine."

"An experimental project?" Lynn pressed, "What specific project is it?"

“They call it ‘Project Vulcan,’” the man in black revealed. “The goal is to create a special force with supernatural abilities.”

"For whom was it created?"

“It started as a government project,” the man in black replied, “but the project was later taken over by a private organization and used for criminal activities.”

This information shocked Lynn. If the government had been involved in such human experimentation, the political implications of this case would be enormous.

“How many people like you are there?” Lynn asked.

“Not many,” the man in black replied. “Most of the experiments failed. Only a few succeeded, and each person's abilities were different.”

"What are their abilities?"

“Some people can control electricity, some can manipulate metal, and some can influence other people’s minds,” the man in black listed. “Flame control is just one of them.”

Lynn realized that the threat they faced was more complex than they had imagined. If the criminal organization possessed multiple individuals with different supernatural abilities, traditional law enforcement methods might be completely ineffective.

“Where is Martin Webber now?” Lynn asked. “I don’t know,” the man in black shook his head. “They have multiple bases and move around frequently. But I know they’re planning a large operation.”

"What kind of action?"

“We’re using recruited children to commit a major crime,” the man in black explained, “not just drug trafficking, but other, more dangerous things.”

"When?" Lynn asked urgently.

“Soon,” the man in black replied, “probably within the next few days.”

After the interrogation, Lynn immediately convened an emergency meeting. He needed to relay the information he had gathered to his team and develop new strategies.

“The situation is far more complex than we initially thought,” Lynn reported to the team. “We’re not just dealing with a criminal organization, but also a secret project involving supernatural abilities.”

The next morning, Lynn threw himself into tracking Martin Weber. Yesterday's encounter with the mutants made him realize that the case was far more complex than he had imagined, and that Weber, the escaped administrator, might be the key to unraveling the entire mystery of "Project Vulcan".

"Technical department, I need you to retrieve footage from all traffic cameras in the Flushing area between 3 PM and 6 PM yesterday," Lynn instructed at the morning meeting. "Focus on a middle-aged man of medium height, wearing a gray suit, who may have a leg injury."

“Detective, that area is too large,” technical expert Martin reported. “There are over two hundred cameras in Flushing alone, and three hours of video footage would be a huge amount.”

“Then let’s narrow it down,” Sarah suggested. “Start from the location of the incident and trace the most likely escape route.”

“Good idea,” Lynn agreed. “First, check the hospital and clinic surveillance footage. Weber was shot in the leg; he needs medical attention.”

James added, "I contacted local hospitals to inquire about gunshot wound patients, but so far no cases matching the description have been found."

“They might have private doctors,” Lynn analyzed. “Criminal groups typically don’t use the public healthcare system.”

After four hours of meticulous searching, the technical team finally made a discovery. Martin excitedly ran into Lynn's office, holding a stack of printed surveillance screenshots.

“Detective, we’ve found him!” Martin said. “Weber did appear on several security cameras.”

Lynn examined the pictures carefully. The first one showed Webber limping toward a black sedan parked on a street corner. The second picture showed him getting into the car, and it was clear that his leg was wrapped in a makeshift bandage.

“There’s more,” Martin continued. “We tracked the car’s route.”

The following pictures show the black sedan driving along several major roads in Queens before finally entering an affluent neighborhood on Long Island.

“This is the last one,” Martin said, pointing to the clearest photo. “The vehicle has entered the gates of this estate.”

Lynn examined the photograph closely. The manor gate was a classic stone structure with exquisite carvings on the pillars, looking extremely expensive. Through the gate, a winding private driveway led to a magnificent building.

"Where is this place?" Lynn asked.

“Let me check,” Martin said, quickly searching on his computer. “This address… wow, it’s Victor Caravaggio’s private estate.”

“Victor Caravaggio?” Sara repeated. “That name sounds familiar.”

“You should be familiar with him,” James said. “He’s one of the wealthiest businessmen in New York, with investments in real estate, entertainment, and technology. But there have always been rumors of his ties to organized crime.”

Lynn frowned. If Martin Weber and Caravaggio were connected, then the complexity of the case would be compounded by another layer.

“Did Caravaggio have a criminal record?” Lynn asked.

“There’s no official record,” James replied, “but the FBI’s Organized Crime Unit has been monitoring him. He’s suspected of being a source of funding for several criminal groups, but there’s never been enough evidence to prosecute him.”

“Then how do we get close to his estate?” Sarah asked. “Security must be very tight in a place like that.”

“We need a legitimate reason to get in,” Lynn pondered. “Breaking in directly will cause legal problems, and what if there are really more people with supernatural abilities inside?”

Just then, Martin made another discovery. "Detective, I've found some interesting information. There's a charity dinner being held at Caravaggio's estate tonight."

"A charity gala?" Lynn asked with interest.

“Yes, ostensibly it’s a fundraising event for a children’s education fund,” Martin read from the screen. “The invitees are all members of New York’s high society: politicians, businessmen, celebrities, and so on.”

Sarah's eyes lit up. "This is perfect cover! If we can get the invitation..."

"But how do you get an invitation?" James asked doubtfully. "For a party of that caliber, the invitation list is definitely strictly controlled."

Lynn pondered for a moment, then said, "I have an idea. Sarah, do you remember Emily Hart?"

“Of course, that assistant prosecutor,” Sarah replied, “she helped us a lot in the Taron case.”

“The Emily family has deep roots in New York; her father is a prominent lawyer with many connections in high society,” Lynn explained. “Perhaps she can help us get an invitation.”

“It’s worth a try,” James agreed, “but we also need a suitable cover identity.”

Lynn picked up her phone and dialed Emily's number.

“Emily, it’s me, Lynn,” Lynn said after the call connected. “I need your help.”

“Lynn, it’s nice to hear your voice,” Emily’s voice came through. “What happened?”

“I’m investigating a case and need to get into Victor Caravaggio’s charity gala tonight,” Lynn said directly. “Do you have a way to get me an invitation?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. "Caravaggio? Lynn, that man is dangerous. Rumor has it he's involved in a lot of shady dealings."

“I know, and that’s precisely why I need to get close to him,” Lynn said. “This is an important case.”

“Let me think,” Emily pondered. “My father’s law firm did receive an invitation, but he’s not in New York today. However…”

"But what?"

“I can attend as a representative of my law firm and bring you along as my client,” Emily said, “but we need a plausible cover.”

"What kind of identity?" Lynn asked.

“A businessman, an investor, or a representative of a charitable foundation,” Emily suggested, “someone whose identity is appropriate for the occasion.”

“I can impersonate the owner of a private security company,” Lynn thought. “That would explain my alertness and allow me to carry some necessary equipment.” (End of Chapter)