Upon hearing Luo An's words, Michelle hurriedly said:
"What's the problem?"
Luo An looked at Horst in front of him:
"Do I have the authority to ask Group Leader Potante Byrne, you, and Mona to accompany me to the Monitoring Department?"
Horst's brow twitched slightly upon hearing this, and the agents behind him frowned deeply, one of which even intended to interrupt Michelle.
Michelle ignored them and nodded:
"According to... Article 22, you have that right.
However, while you're being interrogated, we can only observe and cannot help you answer questions."
"That's fine, as long as you guys can go."
Luo An nodded in satisfaction, then smirked at the agents behind Horst:
"I'm just a bit worried that the Monitoring Department may use unclean methods during the interrogation, so I need some people to be there to witness."
The color drained from the faces of the agents behind Horst upon hearing this, but Horst raised his hand to stop them and asked coldly:
"Deputy Group Leader Greenwood, may I ask when do you plan to leave with us?"
"Michelle, go call Group Leader Potante Byrne."
Luo An patted Michelle on the shoulder, signaling her to go fetch someone, then spread his hands:
"As soon as the group leader arrives, I'll go with you."
After speaking, Luo An turned around, taking Mona with him deeper into the office area, and whispered:
"Mona, there's something I need you to do."
Mona, looking anxious and already sensing something, was about to speak, but Luo An covered her mouth and whispered:
"Later, stay at the Special Investigation Team's entrance. Except for me and Reesi, no one else is allowed to enter.
If they try to force their way in, shoot!"
Mona initially wanted to ask about Michelle or Potante Byrne, but seeing the cold light in Luo An's eyes, she realized something. After hesitating for a few seconds, she nodded silently.
Seeing this, Luo An breathed a sigh of relief and whispered:
Mona didn't say much, just lightly kissing the corner of Luo An's mouth where the other agents couldn't see.
Group Leader Potante Byrne arrived quickly, and seeing the group with Horst, his face couldn't have looked worse.
But seeing Luo An grinning at him, Potante Byrne suppressed the anger in his heart and said coldly to Horst:
Horst didn't say much and turned toward the nearby elevator, with Luo An, Michelle, and Potante Byrne sandwiched by the other agents. Mona stayed at the entrance of the Special Investigation Team, her eyes full of worry as she watched Luo An's retreating figure.
In the Monitoring Department, interrogation room.
Luo An sat in a chair, his hands uncuffed, legs crossed, gazing around curiously.
This interrogation room was much larger than the typical investigation team's, and also much better decorated, with more surveillance cameras covering all directions.
It was the year 2005, yet Luo An felt as if he was experiencing the advancements of 15 or even 20 years in the future here.
At the moment, only Luo An was in the interrogation room. Next to the interrogation room was the monitoring room, where Potante Byrne and Michelle could only stay.
At this time, Potante Byrne's face was grim, pointing at Horst and shouting angrily:
"￥#%*…mother fuc-r, how do you guys even do your job? Why would you think Luo An Greenwood is the killer of that Pearson?"
Potante Byrne felt like he was about to explode with anger, and at the same time, a chill ran down his spine.
Years of experience grappling with life and death had him seriously doubting that Luo An had been set up, and right now, Luo An was investigating the murder of Group Leader Owen...
Potante Byrne felt a dire sense of urgency, now uncertain about his own safety, his mind racing with thousands of thoughts as he cursed out loud while silently planning his next moves...
Beside him, Michelle looked at Luo An, silent.
After so many days of interaction, Michelle felt although Luo An was a bit petty, a bit greedy, a bit narcissistic, and liked to tease Reesi when bored... among a whole bunch of other flaws.
Aside from these, Luo An mostly carried himself with integrity and couldn't possibly be the murderer of Pearson.
But with her low rank and limited influence, and lack of evidence at hand, all Michelle could do was silently pray and wait to watch over those responsible for interrogating Luo An, making sure they didn't do anything against regulations.
Horst ignored Potante Byrne, and after a while, a female agent brought a cup of Eastern tea. Taking the cup of tea, he left the surveillance room with another agent and entered the interrogation room.
"Good afternoon, Deputy Group Leader Greenwood."
Placing the tea on the table in front of Luo An, Horst sat in the chair across from him and said:
"Since you already know why we called you here today, can you explain what's the deal with that gun?"
Luo An picked up the cup of tea and smelled it, didn't drink it, and looked at Horst in front of him for a few seconds. Then he suddenly smiled, turned his head to the male agent who had come in with Horst, and asked:
The male agent was slightly taken aback and answered:
Luo An smiled and nodded, then straightened his suit, leaned back in a strategic posture, and replied:
"I'm sure you must have checked the filing on the William Mas Gang case; I've already written about those two guns there.
If you haven't checked, go check it now."
The gun mentioned by the Monitoring Department was exactly the weapon from one of the gunmen that Luo An had killed during the action at the direct-reading factory.
The investigation after the case showed that the gunman had committed several crimes, commonly using three guns, but during that factory action, Luo An only encountered two.
"We have indeed checked the filing on that case."
Horst took out a photo of a bullet found in Pearson's head, laid it in front of Luo An, and asked:
"According to the file description, there were no other people around when you killed that gunman."
"Hey, you guys are being a bit excessive."
Luo An spread his hands:
"When I killed that gunman, my team supervisor, Potante Byrne, was right behind me, less than two meters away.
There's no way he wouldn't have seen if I took a gun.
Besides, investigations are about evidence, and from the moment you appeared before me to now, speaking with me, I haven't seen you present any solid evidence."
"Of course we have evidence."
Hearing what Luo An said, Horst looked at Yurik beside him, who immediately turned the laptop screen he had brought to display its video to Luo An.
There were two videos: the first was the night Pearson was murdered, captured by the surveillance camera of a neighbor diagonally across from Pearson's house, showing a person in black clothes and pants with an unidentifiable face sneaking into Pearson's house.
The second video was from the back street of the apartment where Luo An and Mona were renting, with footage from a corner surveillance camera showing that black-clad person avoiding others and entering the building where Luo An lived.
The height, build, and body shape of the person in black were all very similar to Luo An, and the person was also wearing the same model of sports shoes that Luo An owned.
After watching the two surveillance clips, Luo An's eyebrows slightly raised.
He was sure that he was definitely not the murderer of Pearson, and at the time shown in the video, Mona had not yet identified Pearson as a person of interest.
Just as Luo An was contemplating, there was a sudden knock on the door of the interrogation room.