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

Lynn sat in front of the computer and entered the password Jack had provided—0527, Emily's birthday. The computer started up.

"May I take a look?" Lynn asked Mrs. Morrison for permission.

“Please do as you wish,” she said, “if it helps Jack.”

Lynn began to search the computer carefully. Soon, he found a folder named "Factory Incidents" in the Documents folder. Upon opening it, he found several files and recordings.

The first one was an audio recording, dated two weeks ago. Lynn clicked play, and several men's voices came through the speaker.

“We can’t wait any longer, brothers,” a voice said, sounding inflammatory. “The longer you wait, the more time the company has to transfer assets. Even if you win the court case, you won’t get a single penny.”

“But what can we do?” It was Jack’s voice. “A prosecution takes time, but at least it’s legal.”

"Legal?" the inflammatory voice sneered. "The law serves the rich. How many workers have you seen actually get their wages back through legal means?"

“Mark’s right,” another gruff voice joined in—Lynn guessed it might be the bearded Ray Thompson—“we should take direct action. Occupy the factory, prevent them from taking any equipment; that’s the real bargaining chip.”

“Taking over the factory is one thing,” Jack said hesitantly, “but hearing you all talking about bringing weapons goes too far.”

“Weapons are for self-defense,” Mark’s voice replied. “Do you think the company’s security personnel aren’t armed? If the conflict escalates, we need to protect ourselves.”

“This will turn violent,” Jack warned. “People will get hurt.”

“That’s better than watching yourself lose everything,” Mark said. “Jack, I know you’re a good guy, but sometimes good guys are too weak. The world doesn’t reward weakness.”

The recording ended there. Lynn looked at Mrs. Morrison, whose face was pale. "My God, they really orchestrated all of this."

“Your husband tried to stop him,” Lynn said. “He’s a man of conscience.”

Lynn continued examining other files. Several screenshots were from posts saved on a workers' forum.

The content contained extremely radical rhetoric that encouraged workers to take violent actions.

But the most valuable document was a PDF file titled "Hudson Steel Plant Asset Appraisal Report." Lynn opened the file and saw the company logo in the upper right corner—it was the "Greystone Capital" that Jack had mentioned.

The report is highly professional, providing a detailed assessment of the steel plant's asset value, equipment, land, and potential restructuring value. The conclusion on the last page is particularly noteworthy:

"Recommendation: Assuming the current management is undergoing bankruptcy liquidation, acquire all assets of the plant at a low price. The acquisition price is expected to be 30-40% below market value. Considering the plant's location and equipment condition, the post-restructuring profit potential is significant. The key is to ensure that the current management's creditworthiness and financial situation deteriorate further before the acquisition, rendering them unable to resist the acquisition proposal."

Lynn stared at the text; the final piece of the puzzle had finally fallen into place. This wasn't a simple labor dispute, but a meticulously planned business operation. Greystone Capital wanted to acquire the steel mill at a low price, but first, they needed to plunge the factory into a greater crisis, rendering management powerless to resist.

What could destroy a company's reputation and finances more than a violent workers' riot? Once violence erupts, insurance companies will refuse to pay out, banks will recall loans, and partners will cancel orders. The factory will quickly fall into irreparable trouble, at which point Greystone Capital can acquire all its assets at a bargain price.

“These people are taking advantage of the workers’ desperation,” Mrs. Morrison said angrily. “They don’t care if anyone gets hurt, they don’t care how many families are ruined. All they care about is money.”

“Unfortunately, this kind of thing isn’t uncommon,” Lynn said, copying the files to his USB drive, “but this time they’ll pay the price.”

Lynn continued her search and found more evidence in the email application. Jack had apparently created a fake email account while investigating the matter, attempting to infiltrate Mark and his associates' communications network.

One email was particularly crucial; it was sent by someone named "MD"—very likely Mark Darwin—to an email address belonging to Greystone Capital. The email content was brief:
"Everything is proceeding according to plan. The workers' morale has reached a breaking point. Action is expected this week. Please prepare your acquisition proposal."

Replying to emails is equally concise:
“Very good. Make sure the situation is serious enough but doesn't result in deaths. What we need is chaos and negative news, not murder.”

Lynn felt a chilling anger. These people were using the lives of workers as pawns, and a potentially deadly riot as a business strategy. They were precisely calculating how much chaos they needed to achieve their goals, completely disregarding the real harm that such "chaos" would inflict on real people.

“I have enough evidence,” Lynn said, shutting down the computer. “Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs. Morrison. This evidence will help your husband and the other workers.”

“And what about the real bad guys?” Mrs. Morrison asked. “Those who manipulate everything?”

“They will receive the punishment they deserve,” Lynn assured him. “I will make sure that.”

It was already 2 a.m. when they returned to the hospital. Lynn told Mrs. Morrison to rest, while he sat in the car, opened his laptop, and began organizing the evidence.

First, he searched for information about "Greystone Capital." This was an investment firm registered in Delaware that specialized in acquiring distressed assets. The company's founder and CEO was a man named Victor Gray, in his fifties, nicknamed a "vulture investor" in the business world—someone who specializes in acquiring assets at low prices when companies are in trouble, then restructuring and reselling them for profit.

This business model itself is not illegal, and in some cases it is even beneficial to the economy. However, if it involves artificially creating difficulties to drive down acquisition prices, that's another matter entirely.

Lynn then searched for information on Mark Darwin. This man's background was more complicated—he had indeed been a workers' rights activist, participating in several strikes and protests. But three years ago, he suddenly disappeared from public view.

Through the FBI's database, Lynn discovered that Mark had been accused of misappropriating union funds during that period. Although he was not ultimately prosecuted, his reputation was ruined, and he was ostracized by the labor movement. After that, he had no record of public activity.

He has reappeared as a “workers’ rights consultant” until now, but in reality he works for Greystone Capital, using his knowledge of the labor movement to manipulate and incite.

Lynn also looked up Ray Thompson's information. This bearded worker had a criminal record for violence—he had been arrested five years earlier for a drunken brawl, but was only fined because the offense was minor. Such people are easily incited and could become the vanguard of violent acts.

At four in the morning, Lynn sent a detailed report email to Supervisor Jensen, attaching copies of all the evidence. He knew his supervisor would see it in the morning and take action. Then, Lynn called Chief Brady. Although it was late, this matter couldn't wait.

“Chief Brady, this is Lynn Hall,” Lynn said. “I apologize for bothering you so late, but I’ve discovered some important information.”

Brady's voice sounded sleepy on the other end of the phone, "What message?"

“This riot was orchestrated,” Lynn briefly explained his findings. “I need you to issue an arrest warrant immediately for Mark Darwin and several of his associates.”

Brady immediately snapped to attention. "Are you sure?"

“I have evidence,” Lynn said. “Recordings, emails, financial documents. Enough to prosecute them for sedition and conspiracy.”

“Give me their specific information,” Brady said, “and I’ll act immediately.”

Lynn provided all the information he had about Mark Darwin and several other suspects. Brady assured him that action would be taken immediately at daybreak.

At 9:00 a.m. the following day, Lynn walked into the interrogation room of the FBI's New York field office. After a night of searching, local police arrested Mark Darwin at a motel at 4:30 a.m. The so-called "workers' rights consultant" attempted to escape upon arrest but was eventually subdued.

The interrogation room was standard equipment—gray walls, a metal table, two chairs, and a camera in the corner recording everything. Behind the one-way glass was an observation room where Supervisor Jensen and several colleagues monitored the proceedings.

Lynn held a thick folder in his hand, containing printouts of all the evidence obtained from Jack's house. He sat down on one side of the table; the chair opposite him was still empty.

“Bring him in,” Lynn said to the guard at the door.

A few minutes later, Mark Darwin was brought in. He was about thirty-five years old, of medium build, with neatly trimmed short hair and a beard, and wearing a wrinkled shirt—the one he had worn to bed the night before. His hands were handcuffed, making a metallic clanging sound as he walked.

But what was most striking was his gaze—not of fear or anxiety, but of a cool arrogance. He glanced around the interrogation room, then sat down opposite Lynn, leaning back in his chair with an air of ease.

“Mark Darwin,” Lynn began, his voice calm and authoritative, “I am FBI Agent Lynn Hall. I think you know why you are here.”

Mark didn't answer immediately, but stared at Lynn for a few seconds before a cold smile appeared on his lips. "I think I have the right to contact a lawyer."

“Of course,” Lynn said. “Have you been informed of your Miranda rights?”

“Yes, at the time of my arrest,” Mark said, “but I want to make it clear again—I requested that my lawyer be present.”

“Your lawyer is on his way,” Lynn said, which was true, “but we can have a brief chat before he arrives.”

“I have nothing to say,” Mark said bluntly.

“Then listen to me,” Lynn said, opening the folder. “I want you to know what we’ve got.”

He took out the first document—the asset valuation report of Greystone Capital—and pushed it in front of Mark.

“This report details who you worked for and the purpose of the entire operation,” Lynn said. “Acquiring Hudson Steel at a low price and using a worker riot to drive down prices. It was a very clever business strategy, if not illegal.”

Mark glanced at the report, his expression unchanged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't know?" Lynn pulled out another document—a printout of the email. "What about this email? Sent from your inbox to Graystone Capital, clearly stating 'everything is proceeding as planned.' That should help you remember, right?"

Mark remained silent, but Lynn noticed his eyes quickly scanned the email before looking away.

“And these,” Lynn continued, producing more documents—transcripts of recordings, screenshots of forum posts—“all of this proves that you’ve been inciting workers to take radical action over the past two weeks. You’re not helping them; you’re exploiting them.”

“Those recordings are illegal,” Mark finally spoke. “Recordings made without my consent cannot be used as evidence in court.”

“In New Jersey, recording is legal as long as one party consents,” Lynn immediately countered. “And Jack Morrison, the person recording, clearly consented to the recording. So this evidence is perfectly legal.”

Mark's expression shifted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "Even with this so-called evidence, you can't prove I've done anything wrong. I'm simply providing advice and helping the workers protect their rights. If they choose to take radical action, that's their own decision."

“Helping workers defend their rights?” Lynn’s voice was laced with sarcasm. “You’re advising them to carry weapons, to take hostages, to use violence. This isn’t defending rights; this is inciting riots.”

“I never suggested any illegal activity,” Mark insisted. “If you listen carefully to those recordings, you’ll see that I was just discussing possibilities, not issuing orders or instructions.”

Lynn had to admit that Mark was cunning. His words were carefully crafted, always remaining at the level of suggestions and discussions, never directly ordering the workers to commit any specific illegal acts. In court, this ambiguity could be exploited by defense lawyers.

“What about Greystone Capital?” Lynn changed the subject. “Can you explain why you would work for an investment firm while simultaneously claiming to be helping workers? There’s a clear conflict of interest.”

“I am an independent consultant,” Mark said. “I advise many organizations. Greystone Capital is one of my clients, but that doesn’t mean I represent their interests in every project.”

“But in this project, you did represent their interests,” Lynn pointed out. “You helped them create chaos so they could acquire the factory at a low price.” (End of Chapter)