Capítulo 432: Chapter 433: The Watchers
Ever since the first FBI Director, Edgar Hoover, established a pervasive surveillance network that monitored politicians, celebrities, and the general populace alike, securing him forty years of immense power, the concept of 'surveillance' has remained a sensitive yet inescapable topic in American society. Many significant political events in modern U.S. history, such as Watergate, Lewinsky Scandal, and PRISM, are intricately linked to surveillance.
To monitor someone and obtain their private information or leverage is essentially a form of power.
The reason Edgar Hoover remained unchallenged as FBI Director for four decades was precisely because no one dared to oppose him, fearing the immediate disclosure of their scandals.
Choosing the role of CIA Director was also a calculated and shrewd move in the political career of current President George H. W. Bush.
As for Simon, from the wiretapping incident at Plaza Hotel a few years ago, it was clear that the public's intense curiosity about this meteoric tycoon was not unfounded.
Given that Simon's mind contains the equivalent experiences of over a dozen people, his vigilance over his personal privacy in recent years is not unwarranted paranoia.
Not only politicians, but the federal government also monitors the country's super-rich.
The reasoning is simple.
In a capitalist society, money equates to power. Tycoons like Simon don't just hold financial clout. As a media mogul, Simon also controls networks that can influence news and public opinion.
Having leverage over Simon's privacy or his dark secrets would allow politicians to coerce him into acting according to their wishes.
A classic example of this was Howard Hughes, another legendary figure in Hollywood, who was under covert government surveillance throughout his rise to affluence.
Declassified FBI documents revealed that Hoover had an entire room filled with surveillance records on Hughes, including audio recordings, photographs, and personal letters. To warn Hughes to cooperate on a congressional bill, Hoover once sent him all surveillance records collected over three years, along with a card stating "With compliments from Hoover."
These records detailed Hughes' activities across all his residences and hotels on both coasts and even listed every Hollywood actress he dated over those three years, showcasing meticulous detail. Hoover used this method to remind Hughes that he was being watched and to tread carefully.
In his later years, Howard Hughes barely left his private plane and died alone, supposedly due to his severe OCD. However, it's arguable that his loss of a sense of security due to government surveillance contributed to his condition.
However, Hughes was also engaged in similar activities, monitoring his myriad girlfriends and considering them personal property, as depicted in the movie "The Aviator."
The awkward part was that due to such extensive monitoring, there were several instances where the isolated "canaries" ended up in romantic entanglements with their watchers.
Simon's miraculous rise, accumulating billions in just a few years and still growing, naturally aroused intense curiosity and ulterior motives from some quarters.
The team leader who discovered the surveillance on Simon was Martin Denham, a professional operative sourced by the Johnston family from Australia.
This reinforced the Johnston family's resources, as Simon, despite his billions, couldn't secure such personnel from federal agencies, nor would he trust them if he could.
Simon once had the old man help him discreetly bring in eleven individuals, split into two teams, in exchange for a hefty sum.
These eleven were essentially maintained by the Westeros Corporation, which Simon appreciated since people with attachments are less likely to betray. Hence, he preferred those with families.
As long as these individuals proved their worth, Simon didn't mind investing millions annually into them. Being an agent might seem mysterious to the public, but it's just a job that typically pays a modest salary comparable to a white-collar worker, perhaps with some special government benefits.
Simon offered a starting salary of $200,000—unmatched by government agencies—covering all family expenses, including medical and education. After a year, if they passed his tests, they could opt to immigrate to the U.S. with the Westeros system paying $1 million in relocation fees and securing university slots for their children in top institutions in Australia or the U.S.
Furthermore, after twenty years of service, each would receive a $5 million bonus and a pension.
Indeed, anyone joining had to sign a twenty-year contract. Simon believed in the idea that 'old habits die hard.' While it's easy to change the decorative vases around him, a specialized service team becomes more reliable the longer they work, as humans get used to a certain lifestyle and find it hard to change.
Thus, long enough service usually fosters something called 'loyalty.'
After his team concluded investigating a cyber attack on the Igneel portal, Martin Denham reported their findings to Janet. After leaving Point Dume Manor, he unexpectedly realized they were being followed.
Neither Simon nor Janet wanted their investigative team exposed, and Martin Denham was cautious.
Noticing he was being tracked, he discreetly orchestrated a
counter-surveillance, eventually identifying the follower as Frank Breeze, a man in his thirties.
According to gathered data, Frank Breeze, possibly an alias, had immigrated from the UK thirteen years ago as a student and now worked as a somewhat downtrodden plumber, living a simple, single life devoid of vices.
Upon secretly entering his residence, the team quickly found direct evidence and installed listening devices.
The ongoing investigation also revealed two more of Breeze's 'colleagues,' suggesting they were monitoring Simon without malice and sporadically at best, giving the impression of a lackadaisical effort.
"Only three so far, besides Frank Breeze, there's Lud Randolph, a bouncer at a dance hall in Compton, and Johnny Pist, a driver for a moving company in Koreatown. All have unstable jobs, are immigrants, and have quite noticeable profiles. Although Johnny Pist is married, it might just be a cover, a common practice for deep-cover agents. From the current data, these men seem to be just pawns. We're still tracing their superiors. Additionally, they give off a... well, 'expendable' vibe."
In an unassuming office within Universal Studios in Burbank, Simon listened to Martin Denham's briefing, questioning, "Expendables? So, they aren't federal government level?"
If it were the FBI, they wouldn't be expendables.
Given that Martin Denham identified the trio as highly skilled agents rather than ordinary informants, they couldn't be expendables unless they were foreign spies.
Nodding, Martin Denham suggested, "They could be from Stasi or possibly the KGB. With East and West Germany united, Stasi dissolved, but its spy network didn't vanish. The Stasi's former head of foreign intelligence even sought political asylum in Australia three months ago, denied unless he handed over foreign spy lists for amnesty. The KGB is another possibility; with the Soviet Union near collapse and its economy in dire straits, it lacks the resources to support a vast foreign spy network."
Considering their surnames, Simon speculated, "Stasi remnants seem more likely."
Martin Denham shook his head, "Names are just codenames; they reveal nothing."
"And do they look Slavic?" Simon inquired.
"Lud Randolph might have some Eastern European ancestry," replied Martin Denham. "Still, that proves nothing."
Realizing this, Simon curiously asked, "Martin, is your name real?"
Laughing, Martin Denham confessed, "It's fake. My real surname is Bedford. I just got used to Denham; it's on many of my passports, so I didn't change it this time."
Appreciating the commonality of the surname Bedford in the UK, U.S., and Australia, Simon knew it was a standard British surname.
Having investigated these people thoroughly, Simon was aware of Martin Denham's real surname and more.
Presumably aware of this too, Martin Denham appeared very composed.
Simon had provided enough for them, and Martin Denham didn't take it for granted.
After a brief detour in their conversation, Martin Denham asked, "So, boss, what's the next step?"
Simon responded with a question of his own, "Besides this team, do you think there are others around me?"
Shaking his head, Martin Denham admitted, "I don't know. Recently, we've only uncovered Frank Breeze and his group, and we haven't fully unearthed everyone involved."
After a moment's consideration, Simon directed, "For now, focus solely on investigating Frank Breeze and his associates. I want to know everything about them. As for the rest, I'll arrange someone else."
Martin Denham wasn't aware of other resources at Simon's disposal.
However, it was only natural for the billionaire to have more than just their team.
Without prying further, they discussed some more details before Martin Denham excused himself.
Remaining in the old-fashioned office at Universal Studios, Simon leisurely reviewed scripts sent by Ella Deutschman while pondering his next moves.
Over recent years, Simon had only been vigilant about securing his private residences, somewhat neglecting other aspects of surveillance.
Surveilling billionaires like him typically aims to capture their secrets not meant for public ears.
To many, Simon, a rapidly rising tycoon, might possess a significant secret that enabled his swift fortune—a secret many would covet, hoping to replicate his financial success.
Thus, Simon firmly believed he wasn't just surrounded by a meager group of observers.
His ostensibly meticulous security measures against wiretapping and other breaches might not be as foolproof as he hoped.
And then there were those around him.
The beautiful 'vases.'
The girls by his side were all personally vetted by Janet through proactive research, not through passive resume submissions, significantly reducing vulnerabilities.
However, even if these girls were initially unproblematic, that didn't guarantee their current reliability.
Simon believed he provided them with ample salary
and benefits, but human greed often knows no bounds.
Perhaps, this was another area needing investigation.
Simon didn't want to become paranoid, but he felt this suspicion was not undue.
To probe whether there were other surveillance teams around him and to reassess the loyalty of his close associates, more than just Martin Denham and another six-person team was necessary.
Considering this, Simon remembered that Sophia had also found some people in Europe, supposedly retired Stasi agents. Having reviewed their background investigation reports for the European maid team, which were professional and thorough, Simon thought Sophia's recruits might be capable. Maybe he could transfer a couple more teams over.
As for sourcing teams from the U.S. itself, Simon hadn't even considered it.
He had previously cooperated with professional detective agencies, but now, intending to establish his own intelligence network, he instinctively felt it best not to recruit from North America.
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