Chapter 655
Omitted Information
"So what do we do now?" Jason frowned and asked. "We can't just wait here, can we?"
“Let’s not alert him,” Lynn said after a moment’s thought. “I plan to go to Verus’s supermarket or cold chain warehouse under the guise of a routine inspection, meet with him, observe him closely, understand his character and style of doing things, and gather some preliminary evidence. Also, have my men closely monitor his movements, especially the Western restaurant he frequents and his cold chain warehouse. Report any unusual activity immediately.”
“Good idea,” Jason nodded. “Since Verus is in the frozen food business, it’s perfectly reasonable for him to routinely inspect fresh food supermarkets and cold chain warehouses. It won’t arouse his suspicion. Shall I go with you?”
“No need,” Lynn shook his head. “Having too many people will only arouse suspicion. I can go alone. You stay at the branch and take charge of coordinating the investigation with your subordinates, as well as organizing Black Wolf’s statements and the evidence sent by the technical department. Call me immediately if anything comes up.”
“Okay, then you must be careful,” Jason warned. “Varus is ruthless and very cunning. You must not reveal your identity. If you encounter any danger, evacuate immediately.”
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” Lynn nodded, turned and went into the locker room, changed into civilian clothes, put on a jacket with “New York Health Supervisor” printed on it, and put on his work badge, looking like an ordinary health inspector. He quickly tidied himself up, picked up a folder containing some blank inspection record sheets, and then left the FBI branch, driving towards a Verus supermarket in Manhattan.
This fresh food supermarket in Verus is located in a prime area of Manhattan with high foot traffic. Fresh fruits and vegetables are displayed at the entrance, and an electronic screen at the entrance scrolls promotional information for various fresh and frozen foods. Inside, people come and go, and the shelves are filled with various fresh meats, seafood, fruits, and vegetables. The environment is clean and tidy, and it looks no different from an ordinary fresh food supermarket. It's hard to imagine that this is one of the hideouts for drug trafficking.
Lynn parked his car and walked into the supermarket, a folder in his hand, pretending to casually inspect the place. As he walked, he observed the supermarket's environment, noticing the staff and customers, and discreetly examining the layout, looking for any unusual signs. The supermarket staff were all wearing uniforms, their attitudes were enthusiastic, and they were methodically organizing the shelves. Customers moved between the shelves, selecting the items they needed; everything seemed orderly and efficient.
"Hello, may I ask who you are?" Just as Lynn was inspecting the supermarket's back-end entrance, a middle-aged man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses approached, a gentle smile on his face, and asked politely. This man was about forty years old, tall, with a refined face and gentle eyes. He looked gentle and had the air of a businessman. This was Verus, whom Lynn was looking for.
Lynn stopped, turned around, and gave Verus a professional smile. She took out her work ID and handed it to him. "Hello, I'm Lynn, an employee of the New York Health Regulatory Bureau. I'm here today for a routine hygiene inspection, mainly to check the supermarket's food storage and hygiene conditions. Thank you for your cooperation."
Verus took the work pass, examined it carefully, his smile remaining gentle and unchanged. He returned the pass to Lynn, saying, "So it's Mr. Lynn. It's a pleasure to meet you. No problem, I'm happy to cooperate with your work. I'm the owner of this supermarket, Verus. I'll accompany you on your inspection. Please feel free to ask me any questions."
“Okay, thank you, Mr. Verus.” Lynn nodded, taking the opportunity to sized up Verus. He noticed that although Verus’s eyes were gentle, there was a hint of wariness and sharpness hidden deep within. His every move exuded composure and experience, completely unlike an ordinary fresh food supermarket owner. He seemed more like a person who had weathered many storms and was meticulous in his thinking. Moreover, he wore an expensive watch on his left wrist, a diamond ring on his finger, and his suit was also custom-made. Clearly, his wealth was far more than just the fresh food supermarket and cold chain warehouse on the surface.
Verus accompanied Lynn on a tour of the supermarket, from the front of the store to the back storage and refrigerated areas. Along the way, Verus enthusiastically explained the supermarket's hygiene management practices, his tone natural, his explanation clear and concise, without a single flaw. "Our supermarket has always placed great emphasis on food hygiene and storage safety," Verus said as they walked. "All raw and chilled foods are sourced from legitimate channels, the temperature in the refrigerated areas is always controlled within the prescribed range, and daily disinfection is carried out to ensure that the food customers buy is safe and fresh."
As Lynn listened, he carefully checked the temperature of the refrigerated section, examined the expiration dates and storage conditions of the food, and discreetly observed his surroundings. The refrigerated section was large, filled with various meats, seafood, and frozen foods. The shelves were neat, clean, and appeared perfectly normal. However, Lynn noticed a separate refrigerated cabinet in one corner, labeled "Private Storage." The cabinet's lock was specially made and looked very sturdy, unlike the other refrigerated cabinets.
"Mr. Verus, what is this refrigerator used to store?" Lynn asked casually, pointing to the individual refrigerator.
Verus looked in the direction Lynn pointed, his smile still gentle and without the slightest panic, and calmly said, "Oh, this refrigerated cabinet is where I store some personal items, as well as some rare imported ingredients. They are not usually sold to the public, so it has a sign that says 'Private Storage'."
Lynn nodded, not pressing further, but casually glanced at the refrigerator, already having formed his own conclusion. He knew this refrigerator was likely where Verus stored contraband, but without evidence, he couldn't inspect it rashly, lest it arouse Verus's suspicion.
The two continued their inspection. Verus remained enthusiastic, occasionally chatting with Lynn to inquire about hygiene regulations. His tone was natural and his attitude sincere, revealing no flaws whatsoever. Lynn reciprocated, engaging in conversation and occasionally asking about the supermarket's operations, discreetly observing Verus's behavior and trying to glean clues from his words and expressions. Through their brief conversation, Lynn formed a preliminary impression of Verus: this man, outwardly gentle and amiable, a successful businessman, was actually meticulous, highly vigilant, and adept at disguise, able to conceal his true intentions effectively. His speech was refined and logical, demonstrating a deep understanding of fresh food management and hygiene, clearly indicating thorough preparation and making it difficult to detect anything amiss.
After the inspection, Lynn took out the inspection record form, pretended to fill it out carefully, and then handed it to Verus: "Mr. Verus, after the inspection, the hygiene and food storage conditions of your supermarket meet the relevant regulations, and no problems were found. This is the inspection record form. Please sign it to confirm."
Verus took the record sheet, looked it over carefully, then picked up a pen and signed his name neatly and firmly. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Lynn," Verus said, handing the record sheet back to Lynn with his usual gentle smile. "We will continue to strictly adhere to hygiene regulations and ensure proper food hygiene and storage. You are welcome to come and inspect us at any time."
“Okay,” Lynn nodded, put away the record sheet, and gave a professional smile. “Then I won’t bother you any longer. Goodbye.”
"Take care, Mr. Lynn. I won't see you off." Verus said with a smile, watching Lynn walk out of the supermarket. Only after Lynn's figure disappeared into the crowd did the smile slowly fade from his face, his eyes sharpening. He took out his phone, dialed a number, and said in an icy tone, "A health inspector came by for an inspection just now. He seemed ordinary, but you should still check his identity and confirm whether he is really a health inspector. Don't make any mistakes."
Lynn walked out of the supermarket, got into his car, and instead of driving away immediately, he observed the activity at the supermarket entrance through the rearview mirror. He saw Verus standing at the supermarket entrance, taking out his phone to make a call, his eyes sharp, a stark contrast to the gentle and refined businessman he had just been. A cold smile curled at the corner of Lynn's lips. He knew that Verus had begun to suspect him, but this was not unexpected.
He took out his phone, dialed Jason's number, and said in a serious tone, "Jason, I've met with Verus. He's more cunning than we thought. He appears gentle and refined on the surface, but he's extremely vigilant and very good at disguising himself. I found a suspicious refrigerated display case in his supermarket's cold storage section; it looks very suspicious and is likely used to store contraband. Also, he's starting to suspect my identity. Have your men speed up the investigation, find his cold chain warehouses and other trading locations as soon as possible, collect enough evidence, and closely monitor his movements. Report any unusual activity immediately."
“Understood,” Jason’s voice came through the receiver, his tone serious. “I’ve already instructed my men to speed up the investigation; I believe we’ll have results soon. How’s it going on your end? Have you been exposed? Should I send some men to support you?”
“I haven’t been exposed,” Lynn shook his head and said, “I’ve disguised myself very well. He’s suspicious, but he has no evidence. There’s no need to send your men to support me. I’ll go back now and work with you to gather the evidence and discuss the next steps. Verus is cunning. We must be careful and make no mistakes. We must take him and his gang down completely in one fell swoop.”
"Okay, I'll wait for you at the branch."
After hanging up the phone, Lynn started the car and drove towards the FBI branch.
Back at the FBI headquarters, Jason had already organized Black Wolf's statement, the evidence from the technical department, and the information his men had gathered about Verus's cold chain warehouses, placing them all on his desk. "Lynn, you're back," Jason greeted Lynn immediately. "I've had my men locate the specific addresses of Verus's three cold chain warehouses. The one in Manhattan is definitely suspicious. My men have observed unidentified vehicles entering and exiting daily, and the security is extremely tight, with many bodyguards at the entrance. It looks very suspicious. Furthermore, the technical department has recovered all the chat logs from Black Wolf's phone. They contain a lot of information about drug deals, explicitly mentioning Verus as the mastermind, as well as the quantities and amounts of the transactions—all crucial evidence."
Lynn nodded, walked to his desk, picked up the evidence, and quickly reviewed it. The chat logs clearly recorded communications between Black Wolf and Verus's men regarding drug deals, including heroin transportation, transaction locations, and settlements. Each entry was extremely detailed, enough to prove that Verus was the mastermind behind the drug trade. Furthermore, the information about the cold chain warehouses his men investigated matched Black Wolf's account, especially the warehouse in Manhattan, which had tight security and frequent unidentified vehicle traffic—clearly Verus's main storage location for contraband.
“Very good,” Lynn said seriously, putting down the evidence. “Now, we have enough evidence. Jason, contact the emergency response team immediately and develop a detailed action plan. Tomorrow morning, we will split into three groups. One group will raid Verus’s three cold chain warehouses and seize all contraband and transaction records; another group will raid two trading locations in Brooklyn and Queens and arrest all those involved; and the third group will go to Verus’s private villa and the restaurant he frequents to arrest Verus himself. We must maintain secrecy and prevent Verus from noticing anything amiss to ensure the operation goes smoothly.”
“Understood,” Jason nodded, immediately took out his phone, and began contacting the emergency response team to formulate an action plan. “I will arrange everything to ensure the operation goes smoothly. By the way, should we interrogate Black Wolf again to confirm the address of Verus’s private villa? Also, Black Wolf mentioned the number of his bodyguards and their weapons and equipment before, so we need to confirm that again in case of any unexpected events during the operation.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Lynn nodded. “Make the arrangements. I’ll interrogate Black Wolf again later to confirm the address of Verus’s private villa, the number of bodyguards, and their weaponry. Also, ask him if there’s any other information we’ve missed. Furthermore, have your men continue to closely monitor Verus’s movements, keeping track of his every move, to ensure that the operation tomorrow morning will successfully capture him.” (End of Chapter)