Intern agents wanting to become full agents not only need the appreciation and recommendation of their group leader but most importantly the signature of the department head. Without this signature, even if they join an investigation team, they can only receive the salary of an intern agent.
This is a matter of principle.
From Augustus's perspective, Luo An's performance today was remarkable.
From noon until seven in the evening, Luo An and Mona caught the murderer in just seven hours. Although this efficiency did not break the record for fastest case solved at the New York Division, it did break the record for intern agents.
So, in Augustus's eyes, today's interrogation was no issue at all. As long as Luo An's account was reasonable and free from fundamental errors, Augustus could handle any other issues and ultimately help Luo An transition to a full-time role in Investigation Team 5.
But what he didn't expect was Broson suddenly interfering.
On the surface, it seemed Broson was targeting Luo An, but in reality, he was targeting Augustus himself.
Augustus's dark complexion turned from a dull black to a matte black, his eyes fixed on Broson, his tone utterly impassive:
"Luo An is an intern agent; he has done everything an intern agent is supposed to do. Does Team Leader Broson believe that an intern agent should perform better than you?"
Hearing this, Broson's tone unchanged replied, still smiling:
"No, I was just speaking on your behalf, why are you so upset?"
Snap snap—
The group supervisor Vireness picked up a pen and tapped it on the table, indifferent to the confrontation between the two team leaders, and looking up at Luo An, asked again without expression:
"So, you don't know the reason why the murderer Conrad committed the crimes, right?"
Augustus quickly gave Luo An a glance, indicating that he should just nod his head, reiterating the point that Luo An had done everything an intern agent was supposed to, and without fundamental errors, his promotion was assured. There was no need for extra talk.
Too much talk leads to errors; less talk seeks errors—this applies everywhere.
"No, I am aware of the murderer's motive."
Giving Augustus a reassuring look, Luo An reached for Mona, who immediately handed him a yellow notebook.
"Please look at this, this is the notebook of the journalist Mike that I retrieved from the murderer Conrad. It contains the crucial reasons why Conrad killed Mike and West."
Broson's smile slowly faded.
Six months ago, the wife of Professor West Watts from New York University passed away in agony one night after enduring over three years of cancer.
Grieving deeply, West was organizing his wife's belongings when he suddenly came across a half-empty bottle of unlabeled, unbranded white medication.
West remembered that this was the cancer medication his wife had to take daily in the hospital for the past year. However, regulations require that cancer medications must have the drug's name and label on the pills, baffled, West called the hospital to inquire which company produced the medication and what its effects were.
The doctor on the phone was clueless and eventually claimed that he had never prescribed the medication West had, then abruptly hung up.
Enraged, West thought, his wife had been taking this white medication for an entire year, and now you tell me you've never prescribed this sort of medication? Where did this medicine come from? Is my wife's painful death connected to this medication?
Carrying a series of angry questions, West began to investigate the origin of this white medication.
After immense hardship, West finally learned that this medication came from the 'Morlowe Pharmaceutical Company,' it was one of their under-research drugs in clinical trials and experiments, with a very high risk of fatal side effects.
Merely using lab rats couldn't speed up test progress, so deliberately, the head of the company chose to bribe a few hospital executives to administer these drugs to cancer patients in the hospitals to accelerate drug development by observing these patients' reactions.
A blatant biological experiment!
Professor West's wife was naturally among these experimental subjects.
After learning the causes and consequences, Professor West was so shocked by the truth that he fainted for a day and a night. If not for a student visiting his home, he might have been in a coffin a few days later.
Upon waking in the hospital, West's first thought was to expose the vile actions of this company and reveal their deeds to the world!
After making several inquiries, West reached out to the war reporter Mike, hoping he could blow the whistle on the entire affair.
Mike agreed to West's request, but mere words were not enough, and the two needed more compelling evidence, so they began to gather evidence using their respective methods.
During the process of gathering evidence, Mike's movements were a bit conspicuous, and he was discovered by a senior executive of Morlowe Pharmaceutical Company.
To prevent the matter from being exposed, and to ensure the company's successful listing, the executive immediately contacted the veteran Conrad, offering five hundred thousand dollars for Mike and West to disappear from this world...
"Very good!"
After hearing the truth behind the story, Vireness's mouth slightly curved upwards in a smile. She briefly commented on Luo An, stood up from her seat, and said to Augustus:
"I'll leave first; the rest is up to you."
With that, Vireness turned and left.
"Goodbye, boss."
Augustus burst into laughter, grabbed a pen off the table and casually tossed it aside, hitting Broson on the head perfectly.
Before Broson could get angry, Augustus quickly said:
"Sorry, I stood up too fast, my hand shook!"
"..."
After giving Augustus a harsh glare, Broson left with a dark expression.
It wasn't until Broson had completely left the office for the trainee agents that Augustus, laughing, walked to the front of the office, sized up Luo An up and down and exclaimed:
"Well done, kid, you remind me of my younger self! Even your looks are almost as good as mine!"
Mona: "..."
Everyone: "..."
Looking at Augustus's big belly, thick lips, and large black face, Luo An was unsure whether Augustus was complimenting or mocking him.
But that didn't matter.
"Boss, about the car I damaged during the mission..."
Just as Luo An started speaking, Augustus waved his hand broadly:
"No worries, just deduct it from our Unit 5 investigation funds!"
"Thank you, boss!"
"???"
Trainee agent Jody and his teammates' eyes immediately turned red.
"Right."
Speaking of cars, Augustus suddenly remembered something, and directly said to the Mediterranean:
"The case has been cracked, immediately bring back the executives of Morlowe Pharmaceutical Company involved, and absolutely do not let them get wind of this and flee America."
"Understood, boss."
The Mediterranean nodded in agreement, then pointed at Jody and said:
"Jody, your team move out immediately to make the arrest, don't let those company executives escape!"
Jody's team: "..."
So all the credit goes to Luo An's team, and we're stuck with the grunt work?!