Until the FBI restarted the investigation of Kongges, he knew his opportunity had arrived.
Leaving the police station, Elvin drove to a corner near White Beach High School, turned off the engine, rolled down the window, and honked the horn, waving at the idle delinquents by the school gates.
The delinquents were grouped in threes and fives, leaning against the wall smoking, occasionally letting out shrill laughs. Seeing the police car stop in front of them, they shoved each other and slowly walked over.
Elvin leaned on the window and asked, "Who knows where Victor is? The Asian kid from your school.
Anyone who can provide a clue, I’ll pay a hundred dollars." He took a bill from his pocket and waved it between his fingers.
The delinquents’ eyes immediately lit up but soon dimmed. They looked at each other, no one daring to speak.
A tall, thin boy scratched his head and said in a low voice, "We don’t know where he is. That Asian kid never interacts with us."
Elvin frowned and continued, "Does that Asian kid have any friends? Has anyone seen him in the past two or three days?"
Another boy spoke up, "That Victor... he’s close with the school nurse Jennifer. We often see him coming to school in a red sports car."
Elvin had long known about Zhou Qingfeng’s connection with Jennifer, which was one of the reasons he hadn’t dared to act rashly.
Jennifer’s father was truly wealthy, capable of donating a hundred thousand US dollars to the police station, asking the officers to "take care" of his daughter.
If Zhou Qingfeng had Jennifer’s father’s protection, Elvin really couldn’t do anything about it. But he was unwilling to give up.
Sending the edited video to the FBI’s deputy director was his way of showing that he wasn’t giving up. He didn’t hope to deprive Zhou Qingfeng of money, just wanted to create some pressure.
"No other information at all?"
The delinquents all shook their heads. When Elvin said "scram," they scattered like frightened sparrows, quickly disappearing.
Right now, Elvin had no mind to go after Kongges; his head was filled with thoughts of how to control Zhou Qingfeng.
He was desperate to understand Zhou Qingfeng’s current situation to make the right countermeasures. But now he couldn’t get through on the phone, couldn’t contact him, couldn’t even try to scare him, which made him anxious.
He sat in the police car for a while. A short boy ran back, timidly asking, "Will you really give me a hundred dollars?"
Elvin was overjoyed and promised quickly, "If you help me find that kid Victor, I can give you a thousand dollars."
The short boy thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "I don’t know where Victor is, but he’s quite close to Teacher Helen from school.
Teacher Helen hasn’t been to class yesterday and today; she took leave. I don’t know if this is a clue, so you..."
Elvin slapped a hundred dollars into the boy’s hand, delighted, "Tell me, where does that bitch Helen live?"
Five hundred meters in the air, a quadcopter drone silently glided over White Beach Town, overlooking the ground like a falcon.
Its rotors spun rapidly in the air, producing a loud buzzing noise, but at a distance of five hundred meters, people on the ground couldn’t hear a thing or see its trace.
The onboard high-definition camera swept the ground, sharply capturing the police car’s license plate, then using facial recognition to lock onto Elvin in the driver’s seat.
The footage was transmitted in real-time to a pickup truck also in town, where Elvin’s every move was clearly displayed on the drone’s control screen.
"The target’s car is moving, turning from Third Street, looks like he’s heading home." Old Hammer stared at the controller screen, his tone carrying the excitement of an old rascal.
One-click cruise, automatic path planning, license plate and facial recognition, target tracking, low battery automatic return—high-end gadgets are always worth the money.
Zhou Qingfeng sat in the driver’s seat, his hand on the steering wheel, his eyes occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror to ensure he wasn’t being followed by unrelated parties.
Old Hammer was having a blast, laughing and saying, "Victor, you definitely can’t play with such a good drone in China, right?"
"What?" Zhou Qingfeng snickered, disdainingly retorting, "This drone sells for less than half the price in China compared to the United States. Guess why?"
Old Hammer obviously didn’t believe it. He carefully examined the controller in his hand, turned it over, and saw the words "Made in PRC."
The old man’s face darkened slightly, muttering indignantly, "Damn, this thing is made in China too? You guys should only be producing clothes and toys, right?"
"You’re too old, old enough to be left behind by the times." Zhou Qingfeng sarcastically mocked, "Or rather, the times have advanced too quickly, ruthlessly abandoning you."
But Old Hammer wouldn’t let it go, persistently asking, "Victor, you came to the United States, you must want to stay, right?"
Zhou Qingfeng shrugged, self-mockingly saying, "I don’t deny the United States is powerful. But I came here because I couldn’t get into college in China, just to bide my time."
After saying that, he pointed at the remote in Old Hammer’s hand, "Keep an eye on it. If we lose track, there’s no more fun."
Old Hammer almost choked, huffed, and refocused his attention on the screen.
In the drone’s surveillance footage, Elvin’s police car slowly drove into his garage. Not long after, the garage door opened again, and an ordinary black sedan drove out.
The driver was now in casual clothes with a hat pulled low, but the drone’s camera still clearly captured his face—still Elvin.