Invasion of the United States

-----------------

In the room next to the infirmary, Lux, Yeager, and Maurice were each confined in a small cell, with a federal agent in each room taking notes.

Lux was lazy, looking completely indifferent. Yeager was silent, responding to the agent's questions with only the simplest answers, his attitude cold.

Maurice, on the other hand, appeared nervous and uneasy. His hands trembled, his voice quivered, and his eyes wandered, clearly terrified by the situation.

Their answers were surprisingly consistent: they were merely following their boss on a cruise vacation and knew nothing about what happened last night.

No matter how the agents inquired, they all responded with, "I don't know," evading the questions.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qingfeng was also confined in a small cell on the cruise ship.

The room was small and dark, with only a table and a chair, obviously a temporarily modified "solitary room."

The drone attack last night had thrown the entire cruise ship into chaos.

Governor Weston of Florida died on the spot in the explosion. The scene was a mess, smoke filled the air, and the survivors were dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do.

Director Schmidt pushed the governor at a critical moment, but he didn't fare well either. His head was blown off by the attacking robotic dog.

Deputy Director Carl Vincent became the highest-ranking official on the scene. He climbed out of the chaos, his face covered in dust, at a loss for what to do.

He had dreamed of handling a major case one day and becoming famous nationwide. But when the big case really broke out, he felt the weight on his shoulders was too heavy, the pressure too great.

The FBI agents on the scene, who had been complaining about working late, now had no time to complain. The issue was reported directly to Washington.

The incident was quickly classified as a terrorist attack, and no one on the scene was allowed to leave. The cruise ship was completely locked down.

Zhou Qingfeng was also held in solitary confinement for several hours, with no one paying him any attention. As time passed, he only felt a little hungry but not particularly uncomfortable. TheauthenticversionisonM|V|LEMPY_R.

When the cruise ship's whistle blew, indicating they had docked again, he walked to the small window in the room. Through the glass, he saw the pier bristling with military and police, the atmosphere tense.

But passengers and staff were forbidden to disembark, except for a few severe medical cases.

The room was small, and Zhou Qingfeng, bored, lay on the table to continue sleeping. As it grew dark, the door suddenly swung open with a loud bang.

Carl Vincent walked in, holding a few pieces of dry bread and a bottle of water. His eyes were bloodshot, his face somber, and he looked extremely tired.

Seeing Zhou Qingfeng lying on the table, he immediately became angry and scolded, "You still have the nerve to sleep? It's chaos out there!"

Zhou Qingfeng raised his head from the table, rubbed his sore neck, and, seeing the food in Carl's hand, reached out and took it without hesitation, asking nonchalantly, "What's the situation?"

Carl sighed, his face darkened as he said, "Last night, multiple terrorist attacks broke out across the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security has taken over the case. Someone will come to take your statement later. I'm no longer in charge of the case, just cooperating with the investigation.

A group called 'Tree of Justice' claimed responsibility online for the attack and vowed to continue targeting corrupt officials to 'awaken the public.'

He paused, then continued, "The drone last night was fiber-optic guided, completely impervious to electromagnetic interference.

But it's certain that the attackers were on the ship, in considerable numbers, and had an insider helping to pinpoint the governor's location."

At this, Carl sarcastically said, "I don't know if I should congratulate you. With the governor dead, no one cares about Professor Amir Khan's kidnapping anymore.

Some even suspect that the professor was involved in the terrorist attack.

There is evidence that Governor Weston's presence on the cruise was a last-minute decision, intended to privately meet with the professor away from prying eyes."

Pff... Zhou Qingfeng spat out the water in his mouth, stunned, "How is that possible? That professor... the professor is..."

He didn't know how to describe the mess in his mind—the professor was his target; could the governor also be the professor's target?

Carl continued, "You and your men were at the explosion site, which proves you weren't controlling the drone. You're very lucky."

-----------------

Next, people from the Department of Homeland Security walked into Zhou Qingfeng's small cell.

The lead agent, expressionless, handed him a phone. The screen was lit, showing a call in progress.

Zhou Qingfeng suspiciously took the phone, put it to his ear, and said, "Hello?"...

A hoarse voice came through the receiver, "Victor, don't panic, it's Dias. The ship is now full of our people."

Hearing this name, Zhou Qingfeng almost jumped up from his chair.

Dias—the "friend" from the Department of Homeland Security. Zhou Qingfeng had donated thirty million US Dollars to the "Patriot Foundation" behind Dias.

In his mind, Zhou Qingfeng recalled Old Hammer's smiling face, immediately associating last night's terrorist attack with him.

That old guy was harmful, more than just senile, adept at setting traps. It's one thing to want money, but dragging him into such a murky situation was another.

Zhou Qingfeng had been calm for the past several hours, but now he couldn't stay calm. He wanted to shout into the phone:

"I'm not an American patriot; can I get my thirty million US Dollars back? I don't want to be involved in your affairs anymore!"

Dias continued, "I'm sure you've guessed by now, the 'Patriot Foundation' is the 'Tree of Justice.'

Thank you for the thirty million US Dollars; the money was a great help to us. Don't worry, we won't let you suffer because of your predicament.

I also want to apologize; our intelligence failed, and last night's action got you involved. Fortunately, you're unharmed.

Of course, that's provided you keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, the two bodyguards assigned to you—they can do the work, but they can also kill you."

Zhou Qingfeng was all too familiar with this tactic—mutually assured destruction, mutual threats. This was the same strategy he used to deal with "Gray Shark."

Now, unexpectedly, he had become the one being threatened.

He had originally thought of replacing Lux and Yeager because they were disobedient.

But now, not only could he not replace them, but he also had to use them well.

After all, they were 'bodyguards' sent by Dias, also 'overseers,' and could turn into 'assassins' at any time.

This explained why Governor Weston was attacked. Ordinary terrorists couldn't track a governor's whereabouts. Only those with significant resources could do that.

"Victor, from now on, you'll be restricted by an exit ban, but you'll also be under our protection and granted more privileges.

The 'Patriots' will uphold justice, save America, and free it from the grip of bloodthirsty capital and corrupt bureaucrats. We hope you'll join us."

Zhou Qingfeng held the phone, silent for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and replied in a low voice, "I understand, long live justice."

-----------------

When Carl left Zhou Qingfeng's solitary room, he thought the people from Homeland Security would surely get to the bottom of everything, and Zhou Qingfeng would suffer.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Qingfeng came out half an hour later, looking refreshed, packing his luggage to leave—not even needing a vehicle, with a helicopter coming to pick him up.

"You brat, how did you..." Deputy Director Carl found it unbelievable. Since when was Homeland Security so easy to deal with?

Lux and Yeager were following behind Zhou Qingfeng like protectors. There was also an unfamiliar woman in their group. As for Maurice... he was no longer shaking, even a bit excited.

Zhou Qingfeng shrugged at Carl, heading to the cruise ship's helicopter platform, boarded, and left, returning to his duplex apartment in Yunding Mansion.

On the helicopter, Zhou Qingfeng asked the unfamiliar woman, "Who are you...?"

"Monica." The woman casually made up a name, her expression sometimes cold, sometimes charming, overall looking very dubious.

"Were you the one who seduced Professor Amir Khan last night?" Zhou Qingfeng asked.

"Yes." The woman nodded, "I want a three hundred thousand annual salary."

"What do you mean?" Zhou Qingfeng felt something was seriously wrong.

"It means you now have three bodyguards watching you." The woman didn't conceal anything, sneering, "Did you really think you could control billions of dollars?

When you took down the Chris Clan, we had already set our sights on you. You just didn't realize it.

Have you ever thought, why should you have so much money? Be a good puppet, and you might live longer, be happier, and suffer less."