Chapter 788: 335 Unspeakable Secret_2

After listening to David’s report, James Smith simply nodded silently, his eyes still fixed on the view outside the window. It wasn’t until he saw two black Volkswagen cars pull up to the police bureau’s gates that he slowly turned around and said, “Let’s go. Let’s welcome our colleagues from the special task force.”

David’s body trembled slightly at these words, and the brightness in his eyes dimmed momentarily. He pursed his lips, lowered his head, and quietly followed James Smith toward the building’s front doors.

As the cars came to a stop, a young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six leapt out quickly. He bent at the waist, bracing himself against the trunk with his right hand, his face pale as he vomited uncontrollably.

“Lu Xuegang?” David’s face showed a surprised expression when he saw the man. Just two days ago, while investigating the Lu Xiaoying case, they’d asked Lu Xuegang to perform a profiling analysis. He didn’t expect him to be a member of the special task force.

David quickly processed this revelation, deep in thought. Lu Xuegang, after all, was an associate professor of criminal psychology at the Los Angeles Police Academy, a Third-level Police Chief, and a renowned criminal profiler from Huaxia. He was capable of meticulously analyzing aspects such as modus operandi, crime scene arrangement, and criminal traits, constructing an accurate mental profile of an offender. From there, he could predict the perpetrator’s ethnicity, gender, age, career background, physical appearance, personal characteristics, and even their next move.

“The higher-ups are taking this case very seriously. This task force is composed entirely of the best of the best,” James Smith explained to David, his eyes focused on the figures gradually emerging from the cars.

David remained silent, observing the special task force members and mentally cataloging their profiles, which he knew by heart: “Fu Yang, a criminal investigation expert from Southern Province, who successfully cracked a massive drug trafficking case involving over a million kilograms, as well as more than a dozen major cases including a horrific series of dismemberment killings; Lantian, vice president of the World Forensic Association, a genius forensic expert from Huaxia, with eyes as sharp as an eagle’s–no trace left on a corpse ever escapes her notice; Hu Xiang, a star detective from a northwestern province, rumored to have once been a special forces operative in the military. Single-handedly, he subdued over a dozen knife-wielding rioters–an act of sheer bravery.”

As David thought this through, the final traces of resentment in his heart gradually dissipated. He understood that with the arrival of these elites, his own position as squad leader of the criminal investigation team in the Los Angeles City Bureau was now theirs to claim.

“Haha, thank you all for your hard work.” James Smith greeted the task force members warmly as they approached, his face beaming with enthusiasm.

“Director Smith, you’re too kind. To be able to participate in the resolution of such a major case is our honor.” Standing confidently and with courteous poise, Jack Thompson, the forty-something expert from Southern Province and apparent leader of the task force, stepped forward. His sharp gaze and commanding demeanor left no doubt that he was in charge. He extended his hand and firmly shook hands with Director Smith.

“Alright, let’s not waste time exchanging pleasantries here. I’ve already had the office prepared for the task force, and all the case-related materials have been meticulously organized and placed there. Time is tight, so let’s talk as we walk and get straight to analyzing the case,” Director Smith said, gesturing with a courteous “please.” He then walked side by side with the task force leader, Jack Thompson, into the police bureau.

The other task force members followed silently, their expressions stern as they trailed the duo. Each of them understood the gravity of this case and knew there was no room for error.

“Over the past few days, I’ve been closely monitoring the progress of this case. Today, Jack Thompson brought up an intriguing point just before his death–he mentioned that the children under his charge were all orphans. But how on earth did he acquire so many orphans?” Once the case was discussed, veteran detective Jack Thompson immediately slipped into full-focus mode. His expression turned deeply serious, and his eyes radiated keen insight into the case. He wasted no time, raising his questions bluntly without concern for conversational niceties.

Hearing Jack Thompson’s question, Director Smith’s face momentarily betrayed a trace of discomfort. In recent days, a slew of complex cases triggered by the Dark Law Enforcer had overwhelmed the police bureau with insufficient manpower and an avalanche of work. As a result, inquiries into the origin of Jack Thompson’s orphans had to be temporarily shelved.

However, Director Smith chose not to downplay the situation and explained candidly the current state of affairs: “Currently, the police forces are stretched thin. Regarding that particular question, we’re still actively investigating. Two possibilities have emerged: one, these orphans might have come from orphanages. However, there are only three orphanages in Los Angeles, all of which have undergone strict official scrutiny and approval processes, making this option less likely. The second possibility is that Jack Thompson acquired these children through human trafficking. But human traffickers are highly transient, and their operations are notoriously covert. We’ve yet to uncover any leads or evidence related to this theory.”

Having decades of law enforcement experience, Jack Thompson immediately discerned the resignation and difficulties concealed within Director Smith’s words. Furrowing his brow slightly, he replied tactfully, “Director Smith, we truly are constrained by limited manpower. Here’s my suggestion: assign one or two detectives to follow each lead, and allocate resources to station officers at the three orphanages–especially the orphanage funded by Oscar’s donations. My instincts tell me that these cases are intricately tied to Oscar in ways we’ve yet to uncover.”

“Alright, whatever the task force requires, I’ll do my utmost to accommodate. I’ll issue an order immediately: effective now, all personnel from the crime investigation unit will operate under your task force’s direction and schedule,” Director Smith agreed without hesitation.

“Thank you so much, Director Smith,” said Jack Thompson, expressing his gratitude.

Meanwhile, on the other side, criminal investigator David stood alone outside the police bureau’s front doors, silently watching the task force members fade into the distance until their figures disappeared from view. Only then did he slowly turn and approach the throng of reporters gathering at the building’s entrance. His eyes flickered with a mix of emotions: sorrow for his fallen comrades, coupled with a faint sense of relief after shedding the weight of responsibility.

“Hey, look! Someone’s coming out!” An observant reporter quickly noticed David and shouted loudly.

The other reporters, hearing the commotion, reacted as though a rallying cry had been sounded. They rose from where they were standing along the roadside, surging toward David in unison, encircling him completely within seconds.

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