Chapter 535

The next morning, when Ponda got up, the maid had already arrived and made breakfast.

Due to her pregnancy, Lisa often couldn’t get up in the morning. After Ponda finished his breakfast, he asked the maid to take extra care of Lisa, gave her an additional two dollars as a reward, and then quickly left home.

Becoming the director was very meaningful, although he couldn’t achieve it now.

The wealthy people of the Bay Area couldn’t possibly not drink. As long as he burst in while they were drinking, he would have a way to deal with this group of people.

He spent the whole night thinking about these things. Before he knew it, his car had arrived at the parking lot of the Bureau of Hazardous Materials.

As soon as he got out of the car, many colleagues greeted him enthusiastically. As one of the four senior agents, his position here could be said to be second to one, equal to four, and above a thousand.

If you ignored those at the same level, then he was second to one and above a thousand.

Whether he knew them or not, they would all greet him with a smile on their faces.

In this environment, even if he had something on his mind, his mood improved.

He first dealt with the urgent documents on his desk, and then came to the outside of Director Dale’s office.

He knocked on the door. Director Dale asked him to wait a moment.

The office door was not completely soundproof. He seemed to faintly hear some keywords, like “death penalty,” “committee,” and the like.

After about ten minutes, he was finally told to go in by Director Dale.

As soon as he entered the door, he could see that Director Dale was in a good mood. He even took the initiative to have someone send over a cup of coffee.

“I had a very important call just now. Sorry to keep you waiting outside for so long,” Director Dale said without putting on airs, which was also the reason why everyone didn’t dislike him.

“It’s okay. I was just reading the newspaper,” Ponda found an excuse so that Director Dale wouldn’t feel so “guilty.”

The relationship between superiors and subordinates is really interesting. The “perpetrator” clearly did something, but the “victim” has to worry about the “perpetrator” feeling guilty and uneasy, and proactively find reasons and excuses for his behavior.

Director Dale naturally continued the topic. “Reading the newspaper is a good habit. There’s a lot of important information hidden in it.”

“When I was in New Golden City, I had to read many newspapers every day. Sometimes the truth has already been published, it’s just that many people can’t find it!”

The secretary knocked on the door and came in with coffee.

Ponda picked it up and took a sip, praising it.

This was not a false compliment, but a real one.

The coffee beans in the coffee machine in the break room of the Bureau of Hazardous Materials were all high-end goods worth more than ten dollars a pound. They were not short of funds, so everyone from top to bottom was very “enjoying.”

When the secretary left, she closed the door. Only then did Director Dale shift the topic to Ponda’s visit. “Is there anything I can help you with?” he asked.

Ponda nodded. “I have an informant. He heard that a casino belonging to the Kodak Family has a large amount of liquor. I don’t know… should we make a move?”

Director Dale frowned slightly, a very slight one, almost imperceptible.

He hadn’t dealt with the Lance Family yet, and he wasn’t too keen on going after the Kodak Family.

The Kodak Family also had connections in Congress, and seizing their casino would affect their transfer of benefits to Congress.

At that time, if those whose interests were harmed in Congress said a word, the solution he had finally thought of would be in turmoil again for no reason.

But he couldn’t dampen the morale of his subordinates. After a little thought, he had an idea. “We definitely have to deal with it, but not now!”

“Our main focus now is to get these people to admit that they are members of the same gang, and to get them to confess their previous business proceeds.”

“Then see if there’s a way to uproot them, and the higher-level gang organizations!”

Ponda was stunned for a moment. No one had told him this before. “You mean… we’re going to make a move on Lance?”

Director Dale nodded. “Yes. We all know they are members of the Lance Family, and we also know that Lance is the mastermind behind all of this.”

“Only by arresting Lance and bringing him to court can this case be considered truly solved!”

“Ponda, you know, Lukar.”

“He was a very good person, capable, and loved this job. But just because of some things, he…”

“In the past, we didn’t have a chance, so we could ignore it for the time being. But now we have a chance. Whether it’s for the cause of justice or to avenge our friends, we must arrest Lance!”

If they really arrested Lance, it wouldn’t be a simple matter of violating the Prohibition laws. The prosecutor would also collect his other criminal evidence and sue him together.

If that day really came, Lance would be a dead man!

Ponda held his breath slightly. His heart felt as if it had been squeezed by some force, and almost stopped beating!

If Lance was really arrested, would he confess about him?

He didn’t know, and he didn’t want to know.

The unease in his heart did not show on his face. He just pretended to agree with Director Dale’s idea. “Yes, you’re right. We should solve the problems at hand first, and then consider others.”

Director Dale was happy that this capable subordinate understood him. “I’m glad you think so!”

“The Kodak Family’s casino is right there. They are providing liquor to their customers now, so they won’t stop in the future. So we can make a move on them at any time.”

“There’s no need to be in such a hurry to arrest them right now.”

“As long as the result meets our requirements, the time, the process, can actually be compromised a little!”

He paused for a moment. “Alright, do you have any other work to do?”

He meant that Ponda could leave. Ponda picked up his coffee and then stood up. “No, I’m going to work.”

He pointed at the coffee cup in his hand. Director Dale said with a smile, “Take it with you. Just remember to have someone take it to the sink after you’re done.”

After Ponda came out of the director’s office, his expression visibly worsened. He now had two vulnerabilities.

Lisa and the child, and Lance.

He cursed a few times under his breath, then returned to his office and began to deal with the work at hand. A large number of documents needed his review and signature, but his mind was always thinking about Director Dale’s attitude.

The morning flashed by in a variety of things that were not absolutely important but would occupy his time.

At 11:55, he put down his work, rubbed his wrist, and smoked a cigarette.

When the time pointed to 11:59:59, the phone suddenly rang. At the same time, the hour, minute, and second hands all pointed to “0”.

He immediately picked up the phone. “This is Ponda.”

“Any results?”

Lance’s voice came from the receiver.

Ponda did not speak immediately. He needed to organize his words and was also thinking about how to tell Lance about this.

He couldn’t just open his mouth and say “he wants to kill you,” could he?

Lance did not rush him. Since he was not speaking, it meant that something unexpected might have happened.

After about a minute or two, Lance also lit a cigarette. Only then did Ponda speak.

“First thing, the director did not agree. He doesn’t seem to want me to make a move on the Kodak Family.”

“I have to report this kind of action to him. If he doesn’t agree, I can’t take people out on my own. It will cause trouble.”

“Second thing…”

Lance was about to say “if you can’t, then forget it,” but then there was a “second thing.” He realized that something had changed beyond his expectations.

He remained silent. Only his occasional smoking and the slight crackling sound of the cigarette butt burning could be heard through the receiver.

“This morning when I was at the door of his office, I heard him talking to someone on the phone. They were talking about some ‘death penalty’ and some ‘committee’.”

Lance added at this time, “Was it the ‘Prohibition Committee’?”

Ponda did not admit it. “I didn’t hear clearly, so I can’t say for sure.”

“Then, when we were discussing your current case, he mentioned that he wanted to continue to trace it back to the source…”

He paused for a moment when he said this. “…He said the ultimate goal is you. You are more valuable than others.”

Lance was stunned for a moment, and then laughter came from the receiver. “Arrest me?”

He found it a little funny.

But Ponda did not laugh. “Yes, he wants us to find a way to get confessions, to get them to admit that they all belong to the Lance Family and work for you.”

“He wants to make a big case, a case that can shock the whole country.”

At this moment, Ponda also gradually figured this out. In fact, since the beginning of the establishment of the Bureau of Hazardous Materials, Director Dale had been trying his best to make big cases.

He was even a little crazy and had someone falsely report the value of a case. The purpose was to create a sensation and attract the attention of Congress.

His mind was not on Prohibition at all. He just wanted to use the Bureau of Hazardous Materials as a springboard to return to Golden State.

Lance laughed for a while, and his laughter gradually turned cold, until it finally stopped.

“What do you think, Ponda?”

Ponda didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want anything to happen to Lance, because if something happened to Lance, it meant that something would happen to him.

But he couldn’t say that now. It was contrary to everything he had insisted on in the past. He could only remain silent.

Lance didn’t force him either. “You find out for a while. If something accidental happens to Dale, where will the successor come from?”

“Since he already sees me as an opponent, then I will no longer show him any mercy.”

“I don’t require you to be on my side, but you can’t be on his side either. Do you understand what I mean?”

“As for the Kodak Family, since you can’t do it, then forget it. I will find other ways.”

Soon the phone was hung up. Ponda slowly placed the receiver back on the base of the phone, leaned back in his chair, and sighed.

Life, why are there so many troubles?

(End of a Chapter)