Capítulo 230: Chapter 230: FBI
"After an FBI investigation, the identities of the three individuals have been conclusively verified," Neves stated while sitting on a single sofa. He spoke the plain truth, "Alex, White, and Albert not only have Russian ancestry but also received remittances from Russia in their personal secret accounts. We possess substantial evidence to establish that these three are spies who had infiltrated the American media industry."
He then glanced at Martin, who remained silent. Neves continued, "When they were conducting their operations, Martin noticed them and promptly alerted the FBI. With Martin's assistance, the FBI apprehended the three spies swiftly." Cohen, a staff member, commended, "Mr. Davis, after the incident at Burbank High School, you've once again demonstrated your unwavering courage and valor, embodying the ideals of a patriot and the American spirit."
Martin nodded at both Cohen and Neves, acknowledging, "The FBI acted swiftly and efficiently and ensured my safety. I will publicly express my gratitude for that."
Neves smiled and replied, "Mr. Davis, your gratitude is appreciated, but it's all part of the FBI's duties."
Martin then inquired, "I'd like to know the current status of these three spies and the potential outcome of their trial."
"During their apprehension, they put up violent resistance, necessitating strong measures from the FBI," Neves explained roughly. "Alex suffered a fractured brow bone, Albert dislocated his cervical vertebra, and White has a broken nose. They will be transferred to Guantanamo Bay."
Tom couldn't help but glance at Martin. It was genuinely impressive that this young Hollywood star had made such a decision without any agent or professional public relations guidance.
Mockridge chimed in, "Mr. Davis, I offer my sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused by the temporary staff of our newspaper. The News of the World will issue a formal thank-you statement in subsequent reports, expressing gratitude for your assistance in removing this cancer."
He further assured, "I can guarantee that for as long as I'm at the News of the World, your coverage in our newspaper will be entirely positive."
At this point, Cohen and Neves fell silent, leaving it to Martin and Mockridge to reach an agreement.
"I'm actually quite interested in your newspaper," Martin presented his conditions. "I used to aspire to be a writer, but my talent was rather average, and my submitted articles never received any response." Mockridge grasped the underlying meaning and refrained from speaking impulsively.
Martin added, "Over the next ten weekends, I would like to contribute my articles to the News of the World."
Mockridge nodded in agreement, "Very well."
Martin continued, "Should I be compensated for these articles? I won't demand much, just $200,000 per article."
Mockridge wanted to wrap up the matter swiftly but didn't entirely dismiss the idea, stating, "Our space is limited, so we can only accommodate two weekends' worth of articles at most."
"That's perfectly fine," Martin conceded. He recognized his own writing talent. He added, "I just need a small section."
After some back-and-forth, they quickly reached an agreement. Mockridge extended an invitation to Martin to contribute ten articles to the "News of the World," with a remuneration of $120,000 per article, paid upfront in a lump sum after signing the contract.
Subsequently, Bruce negotiated with Hilton Hotels, securing a one-time mental compensation of $400,000 for Martin.
Various aspects of the situation were settled promptly.
Both the White House and the FBI simultaneously issued press releases to the media. The News of the World publicly apologized and expressed gratitude to Martin in its upcoming issue, alongside issuing an invitation for manuscript contributions.
As for the fate of the three Russian spies headed to Guantanamo Bay, it attracted little attention.
Finally, the room fell back into silence.
Bruce ordered dinner, arranging for it to be delivered to the room.
Martin grabbed a water bottle and tossed another to Bruce. He took a sip from his bottle and remarked, "It's been a long day."
Bruce expressed his concern, "I was worried you might lose your cool and confront the news outlets head-on."
Martin quipped, "Cracking an egg against a rock? I wouldn't do that." He shifted the topic, asking, "Do you think the News of the World will restrain themselves because of today's incident? Those three weren't the only ones, for sure."
Bruce pondered for a moment before replying, "No."
"We can't afford to provoke them now, especially with the News Corporation backing them," Martin glanced at Bruce and continued, "Don't look at me like that; we're the two villains here. Going head-on might lead to our demise one day."
Bruce acknowledged, "The power of an individual pales in comparison to that of corporate giants."
Martin concurred, "So, we'll have to bide our time and wait for the right moment. Chances are, the News of the World's actions will eventually provoke other forces. If forces of comparable strength decide to take them on, their misdeeds will come to light sooner or later." Bruce was content with waiting and said, "I hope that day comes."
On July 5th, while other Washington newspapers were focused on reporting Independence Day celebrations and the presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, The Washington News and several other publications with close ties to the authorities unveiled a significant piece of news.
"Martin Davis Uncovers Three Spies, FBI Nabs Them!"
The news reported the incident relatively vaguely, mentioning that Martin had identified three reporters who had infiltrated the media circle while at the Hilton Hotel. He had urgently contacted the FBI, which had taken swift and forceful action to apprehend the spies.
While it didn't explicitly state the origin of the spies, the lines hinted at a particular polar bear.
At the White House's regular press conference that morning, the spokesperson also mentioned the matter.
"The spy was discovered by Martin Davis?"
"Yes, Martin discovered the clues and notified the Secret Service. The Secret Service reported to the President, and the President personally issued the order!"
"I see, what was the spy targeting?"
"It involves national secrets, no comment!"
Later, the FBI also confirmed this information.
Martin's fame and influence skyrocketed once again during this time.
...
Los Angeles, Burbank.
After completing his jeans promotional tour, Blake woke up from a late nap, freshened up, and found that only his brother Eric was at home.
She went downstairs to grab a sandwich from the kitchen and, while eating, headed to the door to grab a newspaper. She settled on the couch next to Eric.
Eric glanced at Blake and said, "Looking for news about Martin again? Aren't you tired of reading about him every day?"
Blake casually picked up a newspaper and responded, "Martin is my spiritual boyfriend! I can't get enough of him in a lifetime." She flipped through the newspaper pages and exclaimed, "Martin caught three spies!"
"Spies?" Eric was skeptical. "Are you kidding me?"
Blake quickly read the news and handed it over to Eric. "Take a look. See what a real hero looks like."
Eric took the newspaper, examined it carefully, and the more he read, the more surprised he became. He looked at the newspaper again, realizing it wasn't a sensationalist tabloid.
Blake grabbed the remote control, turned on the TV, changed a few channels, and when she landed on CNN, she pointed to the screen, saying, "Don't believe me? Look, Martin is being interviewed by CNN!" On the television screen, Martin spoke casually:
"I was able to discover them only by chance, mainly because my bodyguard noticed something amiss, and the FBI acted swiftly and decisively..."
Eric grinned. "He's one lucky guy!"
"Luck?" Blake frowned. "You think this is just luck? My brother, if you think it's just luck, try saving people from gunmen or catching a few spies."
Eric had no response. To this day, he still remembered being flattened and pushed around on the beach, unable to resist.
Blake gazed at Martin on the TV screen with starry eyes. "I really want to go to Washington and see Martin. I can't wait to see him."
Eric couldn't help but shake his head. "You're obsessed!"
Ignoring him, Blake ran upstairs to grab her cellphone and called Martin.
...
In Washington, after Martin finished his interview, he headed back to his room upstairs to pack his things. He planned to leave in the afternoon.
He felt comfortable in Atlanta; it was where he'd built his fortune, after all. Los Angeles was manageable, with familiar surroundings.
However, the waters ran deep in Washington, and he constantly had to be on guard. In this city, running into someone on the street might mean bumping into a member of the House of Representatives or a high-ranking government official.
"Can we talk?" Someone suddenly blocked his path.
Martin recognized Kate, a female reporter from the Washington News. He nodded and asked, "What brings you here?"
Kate invited Martin to the lounge area and said, "I had a feeling something wasn't right about today's news, so I came looking for you, the person at the center of it all."
Martin replied vaguely, "I don't have all the details. I've shared everything I can. The rest is under an FBI confidentiality agreement."
Kate had a keen nose for news and sensed something amiss with the spy story. She was determined to get to the bottom of it. "Just tell me one thing, please. I promise not to tell anyone else."
Martin hesitated but ultimately shook his head. "Nothing special."
Kate glanced around and lowered her voice, "You promise to tell me, and I'll go up with you right now. You can do whatever you need to do, and I'll stay with you till the end."
Martin thought to himself, "Why do women always set traps like this?" He stood up and began to leave.
Kate was adamant. "I'm serious."
Martin responded casually, "Everything I can share has already been made public."
Kate remained unconvinced.
Martin exited the lounge and took the elevator back upstairs. He hoped the female reporter wouldn't do anything foolish and end up as a missing person at such a young age or worse.
In the room, Bruce was busy packing his bags. When he saw Martin return, he remarked, "Aren't you going to buy some souvenirs?"
"Nah, you can find them in Los Angeles," Martin replied playfully. "I remember I still have a few trinkets."
Bruce added, "I sent a message to the hunting company in Queensland. They'll be sending a new batch of goods to Los Angeles shortly."
As they packed together, Martin said, "We'll go hunting in Australia when we have the time. We can take down some crocs and bison, and the things we send out will be truly worthy."
Bruce chuckled.
In the afternoon, the two left the Hilton Hotel and returned to Los Angeles without any hiccups.
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