My absurd experiences in North America over the years

Nashville mornings are always damp and cool, especially during the transition from late autumn to early winter.

This coolness makes people more alert.

Cole stood behind the one-way glass of the State Police Special Operations Unit, holding a cup of black coffee that had long since gone cold.

In the interrogation room on the other side of the glass, Father Crawford sat upright.

This man, who had been terrorizing the small town of St. Clair for thirty years, was still trying to maintain his false mask of compassion.

He placed his hands crossed on the cold metal tabletop, his eyes lowered, as if he were in a prayer facing God directly.

"Father Crawford, we don't want to waste time," the presiding officer said, pushing a prepared document in front of him. "Sign this plea agreement and you can go to a relatively safe federal prison, at least to save your life. Otherwise, the families of the victims outside, and your former business partners, probably won't let you die so gracefully."

Crawford's lips curled into a slight, contemptuous smile. "Officer, I've already said it. I'm just a devout servant of God, and I'm deeply saddened by the disappearance of those girls, but I know nothing about what you're saying. As for confessing? God knows my innocence best."

His current attitude is to deny his guilt to the death.

The confidence comes from two aspects.

First, he was certain that he had destroyed all the evidence. The computer hard drive used to store the "collectibles" had been formatted three times by him, and the system had even been reinstalled, so theoretically it was impossible to recover.

The other party only has one witness, and that witness might not even recognize him.

Second, he believed in that intricate network of vested interests.

Those people, for the sake of their own positions and the numbers in their bank accounts, would never stand idly by and watch him go to jail; they're probably trying to bail him out right now.

As long as he remains tight-lipped, the people outside will find a way to get him out.

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Cole gently put down his coffee cup and pushed open the heavy soundproof door of the interrogation room.

Crawford looked up when he heard the door open and saw Cole walk in. A fleeting hint of panic crossed his eyes; the other man was an absolute celebrity.

If he investigates, the outcome will likely be dire.

Cole walked straight to the table, took a black laptop from his briefcase, pressed the power button, and then turned the screen toward Crawford.

The next second, the color drained from Crawford's face at a visible speed, and his breathing became rapid.

Then he slumped into the chair, as if his spine had been removed.

The screen was playing those appalling video clips from his basement, the images were clear, the sound was jarring, and even the timestamps of the recordings were clearly visible.

"This...this is impossible..." Crawford's voice trembled with physical fear. "I clearly formatted the computer...I even reinstalled the system, how could you..."

"Father, have you forgotten that God is watching over each of us every moment? You think you are doing things that God doesn't know, but little do you know that your evil deeds are already known to everyone."

Cole looked at him coldly.

Crawford's psychological defenses completely collapsed at this moment. His proud secret, the evidence of his rampant behavior in the dark, was now laid bare in broad daylight.

Excuses are useless in the face of overwhelming evidence.

But this is not the end.

Cole pulled a neatly folded list from his pocket, slowly unfolded it, and laid it flat in front of Crawford. "Who do you think you're protecting? Take a look at this list!"

Crawford's trembling gaze swept over the names... State Attorney Allen, City Councilman Howard, Senior Superintendent Miller... Each name was a dagger piercing his heart.

This was exactly the protective shield he had imagined.

"They abandoned you a long time ago, Crawford. While you're sitting here pretending to be a saint, your friends in the cell next door are busy finding lawyers for themselves. They're in dire straits, and no one's coming to your rescue."

The police's words were like a death knell.

Crawford felt an overwhelming sense of fear engulf him, and he knew clearly that he was doomed.

After his emotional breakdown, his first thought was to sign a plea agreement.

In the U.S. justice system, once a suspect signs a plea agreement, it means that he or she has given up his or her right to a trial in exchange for a lighter sentence by pleading guilty.

The judge presiding over the case will assess his attitude toward admitting guilt.

This was his only lifeline.

"I..." Crawford finally lowered his proud head, tears mixed with cold sweat dripping onto the table. "I can tell you everything I know..."

He wanted to use the truth he knew to get a lower sentence.

As he spoke, a shocking black net was slowly pulled back.

Cole originally thought that Crawford didn't know much, at most up to the level of deputy mayor.

After all, in Tennessee, the deputy mayor's power is sufficient to cover most local crimes.

Crawford's level isn't high enough to get him anywhere higher.

However, as the interrogation progressed, an even more shocking name surfaced: he was connected to Mayor Attoville.

The two had spoken on the phone just a few days ago.

The entire dark web is far larger than imagined.

The task force dug deeper into the cult stronghold in Crawford and discovered that it was just a small node in this huge industry chain.

This is a massive human trafficking network that extends beyond Tennessee and even overseas.

This network not only traffics people, but also involves illegal organ trafficking, transnational smuggling, and drug trafficking.

Human trafficking was only one of Crawford's crimes; he also occasionally assisted in transporting other items.

The "goods" selected from his church would be transported to Memphis through specific channels, and then from Memphis to places outside of Tennessee.

Sometimes the goods are people, and sometimes they are things that even the person doesn't know about.

What's frightening is that if you follow Mayor Attoville's trail further, Cole soon discovers an even more familiar name...

Lieutenant Governor Cage was also involved.

If this whole thing is taken down, the resulting political earthquake will shock the entire United States.

This will even attract attention worldwide.

Cole sat on the sofa in his office, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, his brow furrowed.

He knew he had to stop once he got to this point.

Dig any deeper and you'll find an uncontrollable political tsunami that could even shake the Forrest family's foundation in Tennessee.

His original plan was simply to take down the prosecutors and city councilors.

Now the only option is to force the mayor to find a reason to resign, give the public an explanation, and incidentally clean up the local cancers.

However, the tree wants to be quiet but the wind keeps on.

Perhaps Cole's actions were too swift, leading outsiders to believe that he was truly determined to get to the bottom of things.

Mayor Attorney thought he was truly cornered. Just three nights after Crawford signed his plea agreement, a horrific incident occurred at the Nashville Municipal Jail.

A police officer named Jason, who was on night patrol, used his position to sneak into the cell where Crawford was being held and staged a suicide by hanging.

This seemingly foolish assassination attempt turned out to be the final straw that broke the camel's back.

This corrupt cop clearly underestimated how much the Forrest family valued this case.

Although he turned off the prison's surveillance cameras for five minutes, the task force had already placed sentries across from the cells.

Jensen's every move exposed him, and he was caught red-handed on the spot.

In order to protect himself, he became even more ruthless, directly implicating Nashville Mayor Artorville, who was behind it all.

Things have gotten somewhat out of control at this point.

But it also gave Cole a perfect excuse.

The following morning, Michael, the head of the task force and a senior superintendent of the state police department, arrived at the mayor's residence with his team members and a thick stack of documents.

Artorville sat in his spacious study, his face as pale as paper.

"Mr. Mayor," Michael pushed a document in front of him, his tone cold and forceful, "I think you should know why we're here."

Atauvir did not put up any resistance.

However, compared to those idiots, he was smart enough, and he immediately asked to see Cole.

He knew that Cole was the one driving the whole thing.

The two met in a private space where they would not be disturbed by outsiders.

They were both intelligent people; one said he would plead guilty and take full responsibility, while the other said that this was all he could find out.

They all hoped that the matter would end there.

This is political compromise and exchange.

To protect an even bigger secret, and to prevent the situation from completely collapsing, Artorville knew he had to be the one to sacrifice himself.

Ultimately, Atauville was charged by prosecutors with first-degree murder abetting, as well as multiple corruption charges.

He signed a plea agreement, but even so, he will still be sentenced to twenty years in prison. Whether he, a man in his fifties, will be able to get out is unknown.

Of course, in exchange, his family would receive a sum of money from elsewhere that would provide them with enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

The premise is that they must go overseas and never return.

Cole didn't know these details, but he could find them if he wanted to.

But how could he possibly block that road?

There's a reason why unspoken rules exist; making them public will offend people.

Making enemies out of thin air is harmful to others and not beneficial to oneself.

He didn't investigate further and pretended not to know anything.

Soon, with the mayor's confession and acceptance of punishment, the sensational case of the disappearance in the small town of St. Clair finally came to an end.

Police announced that, based on clues provided by Crawford before his death, they successfully dismantled three well-hidden human trafficking rings and rescued more than 100 missing persons.

Those who protected them were dealt with according to the law.

This is a huge victory and a grand celebration.

Countless people took to the streets to celebrate.

However, Li Fu could not find Odovia's name on the list of rescued people, which contained more than a hundred names.

According to Crawford's testimony before his death, Odovia would normally have been moved out of Tennessee within seven days of being taken away from the town.

In other words, she was already out of the country before the task force was established. To track down her whereabouts, it would mean extending the search beyond the state and even across borders.

That would implicate even more untouchable big shots, and Cole wouldn't take that risk for one person, much less cross that red line that had already been agreed upon.

In other words, from the official standpoint, this case is now closed.

Li Fu stood in Cole's office, looking out at the bustling Nashville street scene, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He naturally wouldn't make such an unreasonable request as to continue the investigation.

After thinking for a long time, he made a seemingly insignificant request.

When the media reports on the case extensively, please be sure to describe Odovia's disappearance as the trigger for the entire incident.

He wanted to tell everyone that it was the search for Odovia that set the stage for all of this.

Cole paused for a moment, then understood his intention.

Li Fu wanted to use this to tell the gangsters and smugglers hiding in the shadows that Odovia was an important figure, and that as long as she didn't go home, someone would continue to investigate.

No one knows if doing this will work.

But there's no reason to refuse this request.

Besides, that's also a fact.

As planned, with the case settled and the truth revealed, a media storm swept across the United States.

Through the combined efforts of the police and the media, Li Fu was portrayed as a superhero who single-handedly infiltrated a den of thieves, demonstrating courage, resourcefulness, and fearlessness in obtaining crucial evidence.

His blurry profile appeared on the front page of the newspaper, with the headline "The Silent Guardian: How He Lifted the Dark Veil of St. Clair." His name was sung throughout the streets of Nashville, and he became an embodiment of justice, with countless families hailing him as their benefactor.

The Forrest family, on the other hand, won widespread praise from the American public for this swift and decisive crackdown on organized crime.

They are no longer aloof and indifferent nobles, but leaders who dare to confront evil and truly speak out for the people.

Public opinion has become overwhelmingly one-sided.

If an election were held now, Cole could be elected mayor or even a U.S. senator by an overwhelming majority.

With his current reputation and experience, he could very well become the next governor at such a young age.

As the eldest daughter of the Forrest family, Lucy naturally received unprecedented popularity among the people.

Amidst the overwhelming praise, a glittering path to political success has quietly been paved beneath her feet.

As Li Fu walked out of the state government office building, the sunlight was dazzling. He squinted and looked at the bustling crowd in the distance.

Regardless, they won.

But how is he going to explain this to Thompson and his parents?

Justice is not always served; this is Cole's own words, and it is also the truth of this world.

Even the Forrest family can only touch upon many things without going into detail.