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

Chapter 149 A More Realistic View of Federal Law Enforcement: Framing

Amidst increasing media scrutiny and the growing strain on the British Consulate, which had been inexplicably dragged into the situation, the investigation team from the Bureau of Investigation suddenly announced significant progress—

"Through our meticulous investigation and detailed analysis, the existing evidence strongly points to the fact that the series of crimes committed by the 'President' fraud gang were very likely orchestrated by a large bootlegging syndicate!"

"Their aim is to disrupt the market and undermine competitors!"

The media immediately became excited upon hearing this.

Oh wow, you guys actually investigated this seriously?

The expansion of Chicago gangs' bootlegging empires was not without precedent; some media outlets have long analyzed the possibility that "Chicago gangs used their elite members to eliminate rivals."

The Bureau of Investigation's conclusion sounds plausible!
So, is the next step going to be getting beaten up by the Chicago mob? Oh no, I mean, a battle between good and evil with the Chicago mob?

The media, and even the British consulate, eagerly prepared to watch the spectacle.

Wait, why did you send people to California?
Does California have a large bootlegging crime ring?
Well, it's hard to say whether they're a criminal organization or not, but the "bootlegging" group is quite large.

Before Prohibition, winemaking was not valued by American society, but the situation was quite different in California.

California has a long-standing wine culture and grows large areas of grapevines for winemaking.

After Prohibition took effect, California vineyard owners seized the opportunity. They planted specific grape varieties on a large scale and included detailed "warning instructions" with the grapes, clearly "instructing" consumers how to "avoid" storing the grape juice at specific temperatures for too long, otherwise it would "accidentally" ferment into wine.

Naturally, countless people craving a drink "legally" bought these grape bricks, and then "accidentally" violated the warnings in the instructions.

The price of grapes in California has also skyrocketed from an average of $9.5 per ton before Prohibition to over $100 today.

California's vineyard owners all look like big, fat sheep!

Of course, federal law enforcement agencies are definitely protecting the people; what bad intentions could they possibly have?

The investigation team sent to California was led by a young, handsome man.

A gigolo in the literal sense!
He seemed to be someone who never saw the sun, or a plaster statue displayed in a museum, exuding a gloomy aura.

The young man went directly to the president of the California Association of Vineyard Owners in Napa Valley.

Upon meeting, before the president could even exchange pleasantries, he preemptively spoke in a flat, emotionless tone, "President, given the well-known reasons, before we begin our formal discussion, I suggest you verify our group's identity and the authenticity of our authorization for this trip to California through public channels."

The president almost laughed when he heard this.

He was certainly aware of the recent impersonation scandal in Seattle, and just hearing about it made it clear how unpopular the Bureau of Investigation was these days.

And he actually went and verified it.

He called the CBI's public whistleblower hotline in Chicago and its Washington headquarters. After a series of tedious transfers and confirmations, both sides confirmed that a capable team had indeed been dispatched to California to conduct an investigation related to the "president's" case, and they hoped for his cooperation.

Yes, when he mentioned "pretty boy," they specifically reminded him not to call him that to his face, as someone might get angry... The information matches perfectly.

After the verification was completed, the president's heart was not at ease, but rather filled with anxiety.

Why are these scoundrels not chasing after that lawless swindler, but instead traveling all the way to California to find law-abiding vineyard owners like themselves?
He didn't see this as concern from the federal government. The pretty boy seemed quite pleased with the chairman's expression, a mixture of confusion and wariness, a faint, unsettling smile playing on his lips.

"Mr. President, we have obtained some preliminary evidence that the mastermind behind the 'President' gang's fraudulent activities in Seattle is your California vineyard owner!"

"what?!"

The president felt that his intelligence and common sense had been insulted.

"What need or motive do we California vineyard owners have to instruct a bunch of con artists to impersonate your Bureau of Investigation and go to Seattle to scam a bootlegging dealer and a group of corrupt police officers?!"

The young man seemed to have anticipated his reaction, and calmly pulled out a photocopy: "Roy Ohmdes' testimony indicates that his smuggling of whiskey and other spirits from Canada has encroached on the market share of alcoholic beverages, posing a potential threat to your California wine business."

"Seattle police have also confessed that eliminating Roy Omdes, a major bootlegging distributor on the Northwest Coast, was in the business interest of you California vineyard owners."

"Absurd! This is even more absurd!"

The chairman was so angry he was almost incoherent, not even glancing at the so-called testimony.

"Our wines and grape bricks are always in high demand! The market is huge, and we have absolutely no need to mess with Seattle bootleggers! This is complete slander!"

Does Roy Omdes have any connection with their California Vineyard Owners Association?
some.

Roy Omdes once wanted to buy out their wine, or rather, their fermented grape juice, but they refused.

As he said, their products have no shortage of sales channels at all; the people in Seattle are really dreaming!

I can't believe he dared to frame them!

The pretty boy ignored the president's furious outburst, slightly turning his head to instruct his assistant, who was responsible for taking notes.
"The interrogation record was supplemented with the following: The president of the California Vintners Association admitted that his association's business was in market competition with the Northwest Coast bootlegging business, acknowledged the potential conflict of interest, and expressed strong emotions about it. This can be used as circumstantial evidence that he had a criminal motive and should be included in the case file."

"!!!"

The president's eyes practically popped out of their sockets!
what is this? !

What the hell is this?!

To so blatantly and openly misinterpret his meaning in front of him, even to the point of fabricating a confession on the spot, and forcibly pinning the crime on them?!

He had always known that federal law enforcement could be inefficient and bureaucratic, but he never imagined that law enforcement could be so shameless and corrupt!
You guys are so damn honest! You didn't even bother to cover it up, just openly and brazenly framed someone!

"Don't talk nonsense," the young man said calmly, but his words were like the spitting of a venomous snake. "We're just perfecting our testimony!"

“You know, someone has to be held accountable for what happened in Seattle. After all, Roy Omdes accused you.”

A confession?!
So they really treat them like criminals?
The president, enraged, was about to slam his fist on the table and roar that he would throw this bastard and his shameless accusations out—

"But then again..."

……

(End of this chapter)