Half an hour later, William received a call from Winston. "Hey, Winston, did you find someone?"
"Can't I just chat with you? You little rascal, William," Winston said angrily.
"Alright, my bad, uncle."
Hearing William apologize, Winston finally spoke seriously, "I've already sent someone over. If you don't need to meet, just send him the photos and information. The number is xxx. Make sure to visit me when you have time."
"Alright, I'll come to New York for tea after this is over."
Feeling pleased, William hung up and sent the hitman the photos and information of Ian's group, noting that they would appear at the National Archives within the next few days.
With everything arranged, a tired William lay comfortably on the hotel bed, chatted with Ambrosio for a while, and then fell asleep.
The next day, William slept in until around ten, had breakfast, and then left the hotel in high spirits, heading to several famous tourist spots in Washington, D.C.
It would be a pity not to visit the Lincoln Memorial while he was here, and he planned to check out the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives.
Standing before the Declaration of Independence, William wondered if he could use his magical abilities to erase the invisible text on the back. Once this idea took hold, he couldn't shake it.
Acting on impulse, William placed his right hand on the bulletproof glass and tried to use his mental power to penetrate the protective case. Unfortunately, the case was a completely sealed vacuum, and no matter how hard he tried, his mental power couldn't get through.
While he could directly use fire magic to destroy the document, the numerous security cameras and guards who were already eyeing him made him abandon the idea. He would have to wait for Ian's group to steal the Declaration first.
After standing there for a few minutes, pretending to decipher the blurred text, William shook his head and left the exhibit.
Just outside, he spotted Ben Gates and Riley about to enter the Archives. Alarmed, he cursed inwardly. What were they doing here?
Ben Gates and Riley, noticing a masked man blocking their way, took a few seconds before recognizing William. Ben exclaimed, "God, what are you doing here?"
William internally scoffed, wishing he knew why they were here. He quickly put on a happy face and embraced Ben and Riley.
With a broad smile, he said, "I came to see the Declaration of Independence. Are you guys here to see it too? Why aren't you with Ian?"
Riley, who had been cheerful, immediately looked sullen at the mention of Ian. "Don't mention Ian. William, it's a good thing you left quickly; otherwise, you would have been stuck in the freezing cold with us all night."
"Oh? What happened?"
William was most curious about how these two had managed to return to Barrow. From Riley's words, it seemed they had only been stuck for one night before being rescued. Who had meddled?
After Riley recounted their ordeal, William was thunderstruck. Could Ben Gates really have been kissed by God himself to survive all this?
What William didn't know was that if he met Ben Gates again in a few years, he would realize Ben wasn't kissed by God but by Satan. By then, William would likely avoid Ben from a distance, not wanting to be near such a cursed man.
Feigning surprise, William quickly thought up an excuse and awkwardly said, "Sorry, Ben, Riley. I did feel some tremors, but I didn't hear an explosion. I might have been playing music too loudly in the snowmobile. When I felt the tremors, I thought the ice was breaking. The ice around me started to crack, so I floored it back to the boat and returned to Barrow. If I had been braver, maybe you wouldn't have had to spend a night in the cold."
Hearing this, both men felt better, understanding that anyone would have reacted similarly if the ice had started to crack.
So Ben Gates reassured a visibly embarrassed William, "It's alright, William. You couldn't have known. If it were me, I'd have done the same. And look, Riley and I are fine, so no need to blame yourself."
Even Riley, despite his usual lack of tact, comforted William, who had made his face red with effort. This genuine empathy made William feel a bit guilty, though the feeling quickly passed. He thought, honest people are easy to manipulate; I should just continue being the bad guy.
Wondering what brought the two to the Archives, he said, "Thanks, Ben. Thanks, Riley. To make it up to you and celebrate your survival, how about I treat you to a grand meal? There's a Michelin three-star French restaurant nearby. I had dinner there last night, and it was fantastic."
Hearing about the Michelin restaurant, Riley nodded eagerly and said, "That sounds great! I love French cuisine. Ben, let's go now."
Ben Gates shook his head with a smile, "Riley, don't forget why we're here. Let's finish our business first."
"Alright, let's get it done first," Riley said, then had an idea and exclaimed loudly, "Ben, I have a great idea."
Puzzled, Ben asked, "What is it?"
"Ben, listen. The agents at the bureau didn't believe us earlier, but what if William explained it to them? He's a big-name billionaire; they'd believe him over us."
God, when did Riley get so clever? William was stunned. Like hell, he would explain things to the bureau. Before a delighted Ben could respond, William quickly said, "Sorry, Riley. You might not know my situation. If I went to the bureau, they definitely wouldn't believe me and might even detain me. So, I can't help."
A surprised Ben and Riley looked at William, "Why? William, you're a billionaire. Why wouldn't they believe you? Are you still after the Declaration?"
Only then d
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id they remember that William's family was also after the treasure, making them wary of him.
"Alright, I'll be honest. Ben, I'm a special consultant for the England Safety Council, and my identity is documented in your country. Think about it: someone with my status wouldn't be trusted by the bureau. They'd think I had ulterior motives, trying to cause trouble to achieve some hidden agenda. If I stepped forward, it could complicate things, so I'm sorry. I don't want to hunt for that treasure anymore. As you know, I'm a billionaire worth tens of billions. I have no need to mess with the USA."