Chapter 197: Fuyuan is coming

"Boss, boss, are you okay?" The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the Winthrop Police Station.

Moments later, Robbins and his team burst into the room, their expressions filled with anxiety as they approached Jiang Hai, who was sitting calmly at his desk, speaking with Morris Smith. They were clearly worried that something terrible had happened.

"I'm fine," Jiang Hai reassured them with a smile. "It's just the car—it got smashed up and will take some time to repair." Seeing their concern, he felt a wave of relief knowing they cared so deeply.

"Well, I'll take my leave now. When you have some free time, Director Smith, make sure to visit me. I owe you a favor this time. When you do come, I'll make sure there's plenty of premium A-grade beef to go around, though the taste might not be as refined as usual, haha," Jiang Hai said cheerfully as he gestured for Robbins and the others to wait for him.

"Of course, of course," Morris Smith replied, standing up to shake Jiang Hai's hand. "We'll also contact the Boston police to see if they can find any leads, though you know how these things go—results might not be too promising." He sounded apologetic.

"Do your best," Jiang Hai responded seriously before leaving the police station with Robbins and his group.

Settling into the back seat of the Ford F-750, Jiang Hai finally allowed himself to relax.

"Boss, are you sure you're okay? Who were those people who attacked you?" Robbins Garcia asked anxiously as he climbed into the driver's seat. Having worked with Jiang Hai the longest, Robbins valued his job immensely—it paid well, the boss was great, and he genuinely enjoyed the work. To him, it was the perfect life.

If anyone tried to disrupt this, Robbins was ready to fight back.

"No news yet," Jiang Hai replied, shaking his head. "According to reports from Boston, several surveillance cameras at intersections have been knocked out over the past two days. These people seem to be habitual criminals who are highly skilled. I doubt we'll get any solid leads. But at least we gained something from this situation—Director Smith decided to increase patrols near our manor from one to three police cars, running 24/7. That's some added security. By the way, is the manor fully guarded?"

"Don't worry, boss," Robbins assured him. "Bell's already stationed on the roof with his favorite sniper rifle. Edward, Patrick, Tommy, Charles, and Harriman are all standing guard as well. I even let your two dogs, Little Yellow and Little White, roam free. If those people dare show up again, they won't make it out."

Hearing this, Jiang Hai felt reassured. With such strong defenses in place, it would take more than a minor gang to pose a real threat. Unless the attackers showed up with tanks—which was unlikely—there was little to worry about.

Still, Robbins pressed on. "But boss, do you really have no idea who's behind this?"

"If I knew, would I be sitting here like this?" Jiang Hai rolled his eyes. He rubbed his temples, trying to recall anyone he might have offended since moving to the U.S.

At first, he thought of Chen Eladi and the gang of troublemakers he'd dealt with early on. But those boys had long been sent to jail, and their families lived in the same town—there was no way they would dare to escalate things to this level.

Then there was Justin Bieber, but he was Canadian and unlikely to risk his career over something so reckless in the U.S.

That left only the people who had tried to poach fish from his farm while he was away. If they were bold enough to retaliate after failing to steal fish, Jiang Hai would have to rethink his strategy. It wasn't about leaving—it was about fighting back effectively.

Lost in thought, Jiang Hai didn't even notice when they arrived back at the manor.

Thanks to the heightened security and police presence, no one dared to trouble him on the way home. As soon as the car stopped, Jiang Hai's two dogs rushed over, wagging their tails in excitement. He patted their heads affectionately before heading toward the house.

Just as he was about to enter, he realized he had left his phone in the car. Retrieving it, he noticed a text message in Chinese:

"Lao Jiang, I'm on the plane. Remember to pick me up!"

Checking the timestamp, Jiang Hai saw it was sent two hours ago. That meant he still had about eleven hours before Fu Yuan landed in New York. However, given the recent events at the manor, this complicated things.

"How could I forget about him?" Jiang Hai muttered, scratching his head. He had been looking forward to his friend's visit, but now he had to consider their safety.

After some thought, Jiang Hai decided it was unlikely that the attackers would strike again so soon. Feeling somewhat reassured, he returned to the villa and instructed everyone to rest. Darlene and Marianne, who had been asleep, remained undisturbed.

Robbins had handled the situation well. There was no need to alarm the entire household, especially since Jiang Hai was unharmed. If the sisters had been woken up and insisted on rushing out, it could have led to unnecessary complications.

After checking in on the two sisters, Jiang Hai retired to his room. Exhausted from the day's events, he quickly fell asleep, his last thought being: I need to buy a better car.

The next morning, Jiang Hai woke after six hours of sleep, still feeling groggy but forcing himself out of bed. After preparing breakfast for Darlene and Marianne, he freshened up and met with Maren Rupert and Edward Anderson.

They were tasked with retrieving a helicopter from the airport, as the manor's airfield was nearing completion. Though it couldn't accommodate heavy aircraft yet, it was sufficient for helicopters—essential for safeguarding the manor and its operations.

After a quick briefing, the three of them set off for New York in the Ford F-750. The drive was smooth, and they arrived at Kennedy Airport in just under three hours.

As they parked, Jiang Hai's phone rang.

"Hello, I'm here! Where are you?" Fu Yuan's familiar voice came through, loud and excited.

"I'm at the parking lot near the exit. Come out, and I'll pick you up," Jiang Hai replied, shaking his head with a smile.

A few minutes later, Jiang Hai spotted Fu Yuan walking out of the terminal, nervously glancing around. Though Fu Yuan had passed the CET-4 English exam, his lack of speaking practice left him feeling insecure in a foreign country.

Jiang Hai strode over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Look at you, all timid! What's wrong? Jetlag?"

"Are you trying to kill me with that slap?!" Fu Yuan retorted, rubbing his shoulder. "I'm fine, just tired. Slept a bit on the plane, but my neck's killing me."

"Alright, let's get moving," Jiang Hai said, grabbing Fu Yuan's bag. "We've got a long drive ahead, plus a stop to pick up the helicopter."

The two friends exchanged smiles and headed for the car, ready to tackle the day ahead.

(To be continued...)