1960: My uncle is the FBI Director

Chapter 120 Our newspaper is thriving!

The case report has been approved, and the Earl family murder case is now essentially unrelated to the two individuals.

Bernie pulled out his selection training notes and buried himself in them.

Theodore began collecting cutting-edge papers in psychology to prepare for theoretical research.

The two of them snuck into the small conference room and stole half a day of leisure.

The roads were still congested on my way home from get off work in the afternoon, but the festive atmosphere was already palpable.

Christmas is approaching.

The National Christmas tree on the South Lawn of the White House was lit up.

As early as last week, city workers began decorating the main streets of DC, especially Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue, with Christmas lights.

As soon as it gets dark, the lights come on, flashing strange lights.

Shops and department stores along the street extended their opening hours.

The artificial snow scene and star decorations in the shop window shimmered under the lights.

The store's staff, dressed in festive uniforms with Coca-Cola logo red and white frayed edges, greeted a steady stream of customers.

Since 1931, Coca-Cola has commissioned artists to create advertisements featuring Santa Claus in red suits. The image of Santa Claus in red suits with white frayed edges has become a global phenomenon along with Coca-Cola, becoming the standard image of the modern Santa Claus.

Nowadays, the Coca-Cola logo with its red and white frayed edges is everywhere.

The festive atmosphere complements the cold weather perfectly.

Bernie drove up to a department store and parked, then went inside with Theodore to shop.

He will be flying back to Felton the day after tomorrow to spend Christmas with his family, and he's just getting off work today to buy Christmas gifts.

Although it was after get off work hours, the department store was still quite busy with customers.

Most of them were government employees, like Theodore and Bernie, who came to shop after get off work.

Theodore also bought some, and Toberney helped take them to Felton.

He chose a chemistry experiment kit for Sullivan, which included various experiments such as volcanic eruptions.

Bernie was still wary of the science kit Theodore had described, and only after repeatedly confirming with Theodore that the chemistry experiment kit was safe did he reluctantly accept it.

Theodore also picked out a set of Barbie dolls for Bernie's youngest daughter, Gerty.

This product was launched last year and is now selling like hotcakes.

He also selected gifts for Gary, Wenner, Senior Superintendent Flores, Senator Santos, and Ricky.

His apartment neighbors, a married couple, also received a share.

They also met their FBI colleagues here.

By the time the two of them came out of the department store, it was completely dark.

The next day.

Although the agents behaved normally, even Theodore could sense a restlessness permeating the entire building.

Ms. Gandy informed Theodore that he would be flying to Miami with Hoover that evening for a vacation and asked if he had any other holiday plans.

Theodore's only activity during his vacation was studying cutting-edge theories in contemporary psychology to prepare for theoretical research.

This work can be done in DC, and it can be done in Miami as well.

Hoover ultimately listened to Tolson's advice and gave Theodore the space to make his own choice.

Although the selection is not extensive.

Because of a change in schedule, Theodore had to leave DC tonight, and he handed the car keys to Bernie.

In the afternoon, after exchanging 'Merry Christmas' greetings with Bernie, Theodore accompanied Ms. Gandy to Washington National Airport.

Since taking the helm of the FBI, Hoover has always departed from national airports for non-classified trips to avoid sparking media speculation about military missions.

He is very good at using the media to shape his public image.

Not only his own, but also the FBI's.

Upon arrival at the airport, a Douglas DC-6 was parked at one end of the runway.

This is Hoover's personal vehicle.

The crew had just finished their inspection, and several bodyguards were carrying luggage onto the plane. The luggage seemed very heavy, and the bodyguards were struggling to carry it.

Theodore looked down at his empty hands, then looked up at the rows of large suitcases over there.

Hoover is standing in front of the gangway filming people carrying briefcases onto the plane.

The photos were taken by the Post's photography team.

But it's only for taking photos.

After being reviewed by the FBI, the photos will appear on tomorrow's front page along with a written Christmas greeting released in advance by the FBI's Office of Public Affairs.

The content of the congratulatory message was usually reviewed and approved by Hoover himself.

Over the years, they've all been largely the same, simply emphasizing platitudes like "the FBI protects national security 24/7."
This is a gentle approach to propaganda, neither too tense nor too relaxed.

In today's tense international environment, it can make people feel safe and secure.

After the shoot, the photographer team left, and all their luggage was finally moved.

The group boarded the plane and took off for Miami.

This was Theodore's first time traveling on a private jet, and he found it quite novel.

The entire voyage lasted three hours, during which Hoover spent the entire time reviewing documents, leaving Tolson and Ms. Gandy completely at his beck and call.

They kept taking documents out of suitcases that had been hidden somewhere and handing them to Hoover, then taking them back and putting them away again.

Theodore suspected that the large suitcases might be full of documents.

As they were about to land, Hoover finally stopped reviewing documents.

He glanced at Theodore, who had put away his notebook and was sitting obediently, and snorted, looking displeased.

He didn't want Theodore to become a nerd; he'd rather Theodore be as boisterous as before than a nerd.

After a slight turbulence, the plane landed on the independent apron on the north side of Miami International Airport.

The FBI's assistant director in Miami, accompanied by several agents, waited outside with the mayor of Miami and the sheriff of Dade County to pick them up.

Hoover appeared very aloof.

After descending the gangway, he first waved to his own people, then shook hands with the mayor of Miami to express his gratitude with a blank expression.

As for the Dade County sheriff, he didn't even look at it.

Hoover chose to stay at the Hotel Fontainebleau.

He booked the entire top-floor Royal Suite.

After arriving at the hotel, Hoover continued working until late at night.

This made Theodore suspect that he just wanted a change of work environment and was not actually on vacation.

The following morning, Theodore accompanied Hoover to the Holy Trinity Cathedral for Mass.

At noon, Theodore met with several political and business figures he did not recognize in the hotel banquet hall.

In the afternoon, we went to Hyeria Park Racecourse to watch the horse races, and in the evening, we met a large group of political and business figures that Theodore still did not recognize in the hotel banquet hall.

With the intention of learning from Ronald, Theodore's performance at the two banquets pleased Hoover.

The itinerary for the next few days was largely the same as that for Christmas Eve.

Hoover would handle the work in the morning and direct operations remotely.

Theodore, meanwhile, used his mornings to further his understanding of cutting-edge psychological theories of the time.

We'll have lunch together at noon, and then go out in the afternoon, either to play golf or watch a horse race.

Theodore discovered Hoover's two great hobbies: golf and horse racing.

Hoover would consistently bet on the same number, no more, no less, and $200 each time.

From the 24th until they left Miami and returned to DC, the best result he achieved with his bet numbers was fourth.

Theodore was quite satisfied with this relatively peaceful vacation, which balanced work and leisure. After enjoying the New Year's Eve fireworks from the rooftop of the Fontainebleau Hotel, the group packed up and returned to DC at the start of the new year.

Throughout the holiday, Hoover and Theodore had very little interaction, remaining at a level where they were both quite comfortable with each other.

Bernie also rushed back from Felton that afternoon.

He has discussed and decided with his wife that they will move their home to DC after the selection and training are completed.

The period after the New Year was just enough time for Mrs. Sullivan to handle various matters, such as real estate, at Felton's place.

Bernie first gave Theodore the money he had earned from helping Mrs. Sullivan deal with the furniture, and then talked about Felton's situation.

The mayor is still under investigation, and in the meantime, councilor Santos is acting as mayor.

Congressman Santos didn't put much effort into campaigning; there really wasn't much to promote, and he didn't even have any opponents.

However, Senator Santos did not have a moment to rest; on the contrary, he was very busy.

Aside from work, Bernie guessed that he was also busy having children.

Bernie told Theodore that he met with Councilman Santos at a property in the South End while he was helping deliver Christmas presents.

When they met, Senator Santos was accompanied by a female assistant, and the two acted intimately.

Senator Santos was delighted to receive the gift and repeatedly asked Bernie to convey that Theodore should visit Felton often.

Compared to the triumphant Santos, Senior Superintendent Flores looked much more haggard.

Bernie said he almost didn't recognize the senior superintendent when he met him.

It is said that Chief of Police Adams instructed a senior inspector to introduce another pair of twin detectives.

The senior police superintendent is worried about this matter.

The homicide squad of the West Precinct remains unchanged.

Deputy Superintendent Burton and Wenner seemed to be arguing again, making the atmosphere at the West Precinct tense.

Bernie said he felt that the manager, Wenner, seemed to have gained a lot of weight.

Gary and Ricky, on the other hand, remained the same.

Gary's slow and deliberate habits remained unchanged; he continued to pursue detail and comprehensiveness.

Ricky continued to work diligently and leave work as soon as he was done.

When Ricky met Bernie, he asked him about the FBI selection and training program, and seemed quite interested.

After recounting his experiences on his return to Felton, Bernie mysteriously pulled a package out from under his luggage.

Seeing Theodore looking over, he immediately and cautiously stuffed the package back into his luggage.

Theodore asked him what he was hiding, but Bernie just shook his head.

After dinner that evening, I returned to my apartment.

As was customary, Theodore would have continued his studies in psychology, while Bernie would have continued his self-study of selection training courses.

But tonight, Theodore noticed that Bernie didn't seem to be studying his notes.

He was reading some third-rate tabloid.

He watched with great interest, occasionally grinning and laughing out loud, looking just like a fool.

Bernie went back to Felton and caught up on all the issues he missed in December!
Theodore knew that Bernie was a big fan of the Felton Star and had a hobby of collecting it.

He would cut out his favorite parts from each issue of the newspaper and paste them into a notebook.

That notebook was originally used by Bernie to collect newspaper articles about him and Theodore.

It has completely changed its flavor now, becoming a collection of ghost stories.

Theodore, full of questions, inquired with Bernie why the newspaper hadn't gone out of business yet.

Bernie sat up from the sofa and excitedly told Theodore that the Felton Star had become the second best-selling newspaper in the industry.

The Felton Star not only didn't go out of business, but it's thriving!
Theodore found it hard to accept.

He flipped through the recent issues of third-rate tabloids and found that this already influential but dilapidated newspaper had no sense of professionalism whatsoever, and its scoops were even more aggressive than those of the Felton Times.

This lousy newspaper has completely gone off the rails.

It stopped publishing any social hot topics or current affairs news, not even rugby games; all its pages were dedicated to the Gemini Detective series.

This not only prevented the newspaper from going bankrupt, but it also allowed it to overtake its competitors and become Felton's second-largest newspaper in terms of sales.

Bernie also told Theodore that there were rumors that the Twin Detectives might team up with DC's Justice League.

When he returned to Felton, he heard that people from DC had made a special trip to Felton in December to negotiate with the Star, preparing to create comic book characters based on the Twin Detectives.

It's DC, not DC.

During this period, DC was the absolute leader in the Emily comics world, selling nationwide.

I've never even heard of Marvel or Spider-Man.

Bernie was particularly excited about this, and kept talking to Theodore about how the Twin Detectives would become a national sensation.

The following day. The holiday ended.

Pennsylvania Avenue was completely blocked.

Theodore was driving today.

Bernie had been reading the story so late that he needed to catch up on sleep on the way.

Upon arriving at the Department of Justice building, Bernie had regained his energetic appearance and greeted the agents.

At noon, Theodore found Hoover and Thorson, who were having lunch at a nearby restaurant, through Ms. Gandy.

Amid the astonished looks of the two men, Theodore proposed borrowing money from Hoover to acquire a newspaper.

Hoover frowned.

He put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth, and asked for the name of the newspaper.

Theodore: "The Felton Star".

Hoover felt like he'd heard the name before and looked at Thorson.

Tolson thought for a moment, unsure: "It seems to be a newspaper that writes stories about the Twin Detectives."

After Tolson's reminder, Hoover remembered that he had seen the name in Felton's report.

Theodore was somewhat surprised that they knew about that third-rate tabloid.

This made him feel even more threatened.

Even Hoover and Thorson of DC know about it, which is absolutely terrifying!

Hoover wasn't afraid of Theodore's antics, nor was he afraid of spending money.

He was also happy to see Theodore causing trouble.

However, he did not agree immediately, but planned to send an agent to investigate the newspaper in the afternoon.

Hoover then inquired about the preparations for Theodore's selection and training.

The selection and training will begin on January 4th, which is the day after tomorrow.

In the next two days, trainees from all over the country who participated in the selection and training will arrive in DC one after another.

They will first report to FBI headquarters, using a letter from the Director's office as proof, and the Training and Oversight Department will arrange accommodation for them.

He reminded Theodore that the selection and training would not make an exception for him just because his surname was Hoover.

Theodore also reminded Hoover of the agreement they had made.

Hoover snorted: "You and that Irishman won't be assigned any cases during the entire training period."

Theodore dismissed it: "I've investigated. People commit crimes across state lines between DC and Maryland every day."

He looked at the sumptuous lunch on the table and patted his stomach.

Hoover snorted again, pointed to the seat next to him, and said with some smugness, "Those cases won't end up in your hands either."

"No cases will be assigned to you, so just obediently complete the training."

(End of this chapter)