I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 147 Shocking! For money, the Investigation Bureau actually... (Bonus chapter for 2000 monthly votes)

When Logan's response was published, the media, which had been trying to stir things up, were rendered speechless, like ducks with their necks choked.

The people across the country were absolutely laughing their heads off!
"Rich experience with being brain-dead" quickly became a hot topic this year!

The media, jumping up and down in protest, became the most ridiculous supporting characters in the scam, the kind who even volunteered to be on stage.

Their absurdity even overshadowed the level of attention given to another target of Logan's casual mockery—the Bureau of Investigation.

What were the Investigation Bureau's thoughts at this point?
Hmm, the investigation bureau doesn't even want to think about it.

They were almost completely bewildered throughout the entire process.

Scammers impersonating law enforcement swindled a huge fortune from Seattle’s biggest bootlegging dealer.

The investigation bureau was furious.

Then the scammer said they'd give half as "compensation"? And they actually did?

The entire investigation bureau was completely baffled.

The compensation had barely been received when the Ministry of Justice, sensing an opportunity, began to try and get a share, and the two sides started arguing back and forth.

Then, something even more magical happened.

Before they could fully process the shock of being impersonated the first time, news came from Seattle: they had been impersonated again!

The same group of scammers, using the same guise, have once again smeared the remaining "remnants" of the Seattle Police Department under the spotlight of the entire American media!
This time, the investigation bureau wasn't furious; they were just completely bewildered.

Because soon there will be money to receive again.

Yes, the "president" is as principled as ever, and has once again sent "copyright fees" and "damages for reputation"!
Although this was a small amount of money, only tens of thousands of dollars, taken from the ill-gotten gains of those corrupt police officers, it was still free money!
This experience is so unique.

It's like walking down the street and being punched by a stranger for no reason, then the assailant gives you a wad of cash as "medical expenses"; before you can even react, the same person rushes up and kicks you again, then gives you another wad of cash.

Are you angry? Of course I'm angry; my dignity has been trampled on.

But looking at that gleaming silver, no, that gleaming green US dollar bills... I can't just give up my money for the sake of dignity!

The entire investigation bureau was in a state of bewilderment, as if "we did nothing and then we became rich."

Even Hoover, who had just taken office and was determined to rebuild the Bureau of Investigation's authority and professional image, thought this was utterly absurd!

However, his superior, William Pence, who was in charge of the Bureau of Investigation, did not fly into a rage as Hoover had expected after hearing the whole report, nor did he order the capture of the madman at all costs.

Instead, he stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming with a light akin to a businessman seeing a new business model.

Hoover had a strange, bad feeling about him.

“Edgar, have a seat.” Pence gestured to the chair opposite him, his tone relaxed. “What do you think about these two… well, ‘compensation’ payments in Seattle?”

Hoover frowned and cautiously replied, "Sir, this is embezzled money, a blatant provocation against the authority of our Bureau of Investigation! We must..."

“Hey—” Pence drew out, interrupting Hoover, leaning forward. “Edgar, don’t be so rigid. Think about it, if we follow normal law enforcement procedures, won’t all the confiscated illegal proceeds eventually go to the Department of Justice, and then they’ll allocate them to the national treasury?”

"But what about now? Someone is 'voluntarily' compensating our Bureau of Investigation for 'reputational damage.' It doesn't require going through those complicated financial procedures; we accept it with a clear conscience and without any qualms!"

Hoover: "..."

Boss, while we all think the same thing, did you have to be so blunt?! But Pence, because of Hoover's uncle, had clearly already considered him one of his own, and openly conveyed his further thoughts.

"I'm considering whether this model can be sustained. Well, we don't need to do it too often, once or twice a year is enough. We can even 'sell' some less sensitive investigation documents and files to those principled 'heroes'..."

Hoover was stunned!
Although he himself had considered reaching a certain degree of "tacit understanding" or "cooperation" with certain underground forces in order to obtain intelligence, funds, or even maintain a certain order, these were all unspoken rules hidden in the shadows.

To discuss selling information from national law enforcement agencies to criminals in such a blatant and almost public manner is simply...

"Sir, this is appalling!" Hoover's voice was hoarse with shock. "I can't imagine what the consequences will be..."

“Shocking? Consequences?” William Pence leaned back in his chair as if he had heard something amusing. “My dear Edgar, you are still too young.”

"You think this is outrageous? Then let me tell you something 'normal'."

“You know the Department of Justice made a fortune recently, right? Yes, that’s why they allowed us to keep at least half of the ‘compensation’ instead of taking it all.”

"Do you know how they made their fortune? It was the Department of Justice that tacitly approved or even condoned the New York gangs' large-scale demolition campaigns, and then collected franchise taxes through underground gambling."

"You know the Veterans Affairs Bureau made a fortune too, right? Forbes (the bureau chief) sent a bunch of veterans to the battlefield, where they were never seen again, and then he said he'd build a veterans' hospital there, haha..."

“If you’re going to build a hospital, then build a hospital. But he deliberately awarded the project to a construction company that quoted a price far above the market rate, because the company was willing to return one-third of the project cost to the management bureau as a kickback.”

"Not to mention the purchase of hospital equipment, they spent $7 on floor wax and floor cleaner—enough to last 100 years, costing only 4 cents per gallon, but the administration bought them for 98 cents per gallon!"

"A large portion of the price difference goes into Forbes' personal pocket, but a considerable portion also goes into the Administration's slush fund!"

"That's the 'reality'—every department has a way to fill its own slush fund! Even if you don't fill your own pocket, you still have to ensure the department's benefits!"

Finally, he leaned closer to Hoover, his voice almost a whisper: "Most importantly, you thought those ideas were just mine alone? No, they were also Attorney General Dougherty's ideas."

"He can't guarantee our department's budget for the next quarter. If we don't find a way to make it ourselves, we'll have to find a way to lay off staff."

"Edgar, you don't want your first goal after taking office to be layoffs, do you?"

Hoover: ...

It's refreshingly cool, but it doesn't make my heart soar!

He knew that the Ohio clique promoted by President Harding had a bad reputation, but he never imagined that corruption would be so systematic and so blatant.

For money—or, to put it more grandly, for "departmental interests" or "departmental funds"—they were actually willing to let the Bureau of Investigation, which symbolizes national justice, degenerate into "big thugs managing small thugs," and even actively cooperate with criminals to share the spoils!
This is not the "cooperation between the police and criminals" he envisioned!
In his plan, the Bureau of Investigation should first go undercover, and only when it has an absolute advantage in power should it take the initiative to "cooperate" with the criminal forces—this ensures who is the master and who is the servant.

but now?
Between the Bureau of Investigation and the American underworld, whose power is greater? Need I say more?

Hoover pursed his lips as he thought of the mastermind behind Chicago that he had yet to uncover.

He suddenly remembered what Logan had said—

"Only the ship of the nation is leaking from the top!"

"Instead of letting those worms mess things up, it's better to let them run wild and let America grow unchecked!"

Yes, the "sun" always makes sense!

……

(End of this chapter)