Chapter 363: Shall we call it a day?

'That's great!'

An excited shout broke the silence in the interrogation room. It was the assistant to Deputy FBI Director Mueller who had shouted, but then he immediately shut his mouth, because he saw his boss and Senator Brooker staring at him with surprise and anger in their eyes. He then realized that he had shouted at the wrong person. He had shouted at the suspect being interrogated, not the member of Congress giving a speech.

'Deputy Director Mueller, is this the kind of federal agent you have under your command? If this is what federal agents in Massachusetts are like, I don't think I can help but worry about the security of Massachusetts. Perhaps the recent crime solving rate is also related to this situation.' Old Brook said to Mueller, his tone a little gritting, showing how much anger was weighing on his heart.

Old Brook could not help but be angry. After all, what Ming Zhou just said about who was committing crimes, offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands, and hiring Wharton at a high price to follow him, was all aimed at him. Although Ming Zhou did not name names, everyone in the room knew full well. You have to know that it was Deputy Director Mueller and his assistant who went to your company to arrest you in the first place. How could they not be able to tell?

Now that they all understand, and Zhou Ming is still saying this, especially with an air of pretending to answer his questions, isn't he treating him like a fool?

If it were just like this, then Old Brook would just regard it as a loss he has suffered in silence, and everyone just glaring at each other would be fine. But now with this assistant's shout, not only has the matter been directly exposed, but it has even been a heavy blow to Zhou Ming's already swollen face, and a heavy handful of salt has been thrown on it. How can Old Brook not feel angry?

However, as a senior senator, it was not appropriate for Brooke to lose his temper with a junior agent, so he directed his anger at Deputy Director Mueller.

Mueller, who had received Brooke's anger, also yelled at the junior agent, 'Agent Baker, what are you doing? Do you have any sense of being a federal agent? Go out and run five laps around the building!'

Mueller pointed casually, and the young agent, knowing he had made a mistake, had no choice but to slink out the door. Of course, before he left, Deputy Director Mueller added, 'I hope you're not fooling around, because I'll be watching the video. If I find out you didn't run, you're in luck.'

Although Mueller used the word luck, it made the young agent involuntarily shiver, and then he immediately said loudly, 'Please rest assured, Deputy Director Mueller, I promise I won't slack off!'

With the young agent leaving, the room was left with only four people: Zhou Ming, Alan, and Brooke Mueller. Everyone stared at each other, and the atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward. However, Brooke quickly broke the awkwardness. He glanced at the camera that had been working next to him and said, 'Mr. Zhou Ming, so you deliberately asked Attorney Alan to get the camera. Is that the purpose? Deliberately exonerating yourself and then framing someone else.'

Zhou Ming laughed: 'Congressman Brook, I'm afraid the term frame someone up is a bit unfair. I think I made it very clear from the beginning that I was simply asserting my rights, the rights that the US Constitution grants to every person on this land. I wanted to record this hearing to ensure that he treated me fairly and that there would be no unpleasant consequences.'

'In addition,' Zhou Ming continued, "if we're talking about framing, I think that the question you just asked me, Congressman Brook, about how I manipulated the stock price of Deep Blue Airlines, is not that a more serious framing? At least I have everything I say backed up by evidence, but Congressman Brook, I'm sorry, I don't see any evidence you've produced.'

'It seems that Mr. Zhou Ming is very suitable for performing in front of the camera," said Old Brook as he glanced at the camera next to him while speaking, as if he was quite wary of the camera.

Zhou Ming also glanced at the camera and said, 'It seems that Congressman Brook thinks that all my confidence comes from this camera, right?'

Old Brook asked Zhou Ming in return, "Isn't that the case?'

'I know that Congressman Brook really hopes that my answer is yes, but it isn't," Zhou Ming said, 'The reason is very simple. When I put away this camera, I think that's when you'll have to let me go.'

'I have to let you go, Mr. Zhou Ming. I'm curious if this is an oriental kind of humour? Please forgive me for not understanding,' asked Old Brook.

'Congressman Brook, of course you will find it a bit difficult to understand right now, but I think you will soon be able to understand,' Zhou Ming then asked, looking up. 'What time is it? I hope the food I ordered after I went out hasn't cooled down, at least I can still catch a bite of hot food,'

Faced with this question from Zhou Ming, Deputy Director Müller and Old Brook looked at each other, completely unable to understand what Zhou Ming was talking about.

But just as Zhou Ming had said, they did understand immediately, because then the young agent who was supposed to run five laps came back. He hurriedly ran up to Deputy Director Müller and, before Old Brook could lose his temper, told him unbelievable news.

'Deputy Director Müller, if it's news related to this case, please make it public immediately. If it's about something else, I can't help but doubt your ability to control your subordinates,' said Old Brook.

'Mr. Brook, I'm sorry to tell you that I'm afraid you can't doubt me anymore, because my subordinates told me that the governor just called and said that he has signed an executive order to immediately stop the investigation of Mr. Zhou Ming,' said Müller.

Old Brook was stunned for the first time, but immediately exploded, 'Why stop? The current investigation is at a critical juncture, and I was entrusted by the parliament. The governor's executive order cannot effectively stop me!'

'I'm afraid not,' said Mueller, 'because this order was authorised by the parliament.'

If Lao Brook was just stunned a moment ago, now he was completely dumbfounded. It was as if Müller's words were a heavy bomb that instantly blew his mind blank, and all he could do was mumble like an Alzheimer's patient, 'Why is this happening?'

This time Zhou Ming answered him, 'In fact, the reason is not difficult to understand, because this matter has risen to the level of a country and has evolved into a foreign-related incident.'

'Foreign-related incident? What do you mean by that?' asked an alert Brooke.

'If I'm not mistaken, it was our Chinese consulate that called the governor and the speaker of the house, using diplomatic channels to pressure them into giving such authorisation.' Zhou Ming then asked, 'So, Mr Brooke, do you really think that I just asked Lawyer Allen to go out and buy a civilian camera?'

'You also asked Lawyer Allen to notify the consulate for you? And let them pressure the state government?' Old Brook asked again.

Zhou Ming was happy to hear this and said, 'Mr. Brook, congratulations, you've learned to answer quickly!'

Old Brook looked at Zhou Ming and a wave of anger rose in his heart. Although at this time the big Northeast liar was still accumulating strength, this sentence alone was enough to mock.

Zhou Ming could of course continue to mock Brook heavily, but Zhou Ming didn't want to do that. After all, Zhou Ming always remembered the saying that pretending to be smart will get you struck by lightning, and Zhou Ming didn't want to become an idiot. Therefore, he then stood up and said, 'So, Mr. Brook, and Deputy Director Mueller, since the governor and the speaker have already spoken, shall we call it a day for today's game? I have something to attend to, so I'll be going first?'

As the saying goes, 'If I don't kill my neighbour, my neighbour will die because of me.' The same thing is now happening to Zhou Ming. Even though Zhou Ming didn't want to continue to mock him, and he even tried to tone down his words as much as possible, it still made Old Brook and Mueller feel a burning pain on their faces.

Both Bruck and Mueller were so angry that they could not speak. In the end, Mueller said, 'Mr. Zhou Ming, now that the executive order has been confirmed to have been issued, then this case is naturally over, and you can leave at any time.'

Zhou Ming thanked Mueller and then walked towards the door. But just as Zhou Ming and Allen were about to leave, Bruck suddenly said, 'Mr. Zhou Ming, can I ask you, what position do you hold in your country? You were able to get the consulate to intercede for you.'

Zhou Ming hesitated for a moment and replied, 'Regarding this question, Mr. Brook, it's not that I don't want to answer you, but I can only answer you with one word...guess.'

After leaving such a bloody answer for old Brook, Zhou Ming and Allen left the FBI branch building in style. Allen gave Zhou Ming a thumbs-up: 'Mr. Zhou Ming, you are the most amazing person I have ever met!'

Alan meant every word of this, because if things had gone the way he wanted, he would have been stuck with Brooke for a long time. He believed that this was also the thinking of almost all American lawyers, but Zhou Ming had told them that in fact, in this case, they still had a chance to counter their opponent, even if the opponent was a veteran senator who had used his power to the extreme.

As Brooke pressed them to answer his ridiculous question, only Ming could think of the way to directly address the case in front of the camera.

However, Ming was not happy after hearing this, but looked back at the FBI building and said, 'Actually, sometimes I would rather be in there, for real.'

Alan was quite surprised by this.

Meanwhile, in the corridor of the FBI building, as Zhou Ming looked back at the building, so did the old Brooke. His eyes were fixed on Zhou Ming's back like a hawk, and he said with clenched teeth, 'Good for you, Zhou Ming, if you don't surrender, then I'll find a way to make you do it. Let's wait and see!'

He heard footsteps approaching, and when he turned his head, he saw Deputy Director Müller about to leave. It was as if he had eyes in the back of his head. Before Brook could say anything, he said, 'Don't worry, Senator Brook, I didn't hear anything just now.'

Brook then grinned and said, "Deputy Director Müller, that's a smart guy."