At this moment, Orty's role came into play. Although the Pinkerton Detective Agency might not have offices all over the United States, there was definitely a detective agency in every major city, especially in New York, the world's largest metropolis.
The New York Police Department certainly had connections with the Pinkerton Detective Agency, similar to those between Orty and himself. Such connections could be more practical than FBI ties when in need.
After all, Luke was a contracted consultant for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, maintaining a long-term cooperative relationship.
This was also the reason he reached out to Orty, to establish good relations in advance and let her know he was in New York, rather than seeking help when in trouble.
Some women really appreciated this approach.
After breakfast, Luke and his father sat in the living room drinking tea.
Beside them, the chubby kid was video chatting with Maggie, the two were lovey-dovey. The chubby kid acted cute and coquettish, making Luke roll his eyes.
He suddenly missed Los Angeles. During this time, Los Angeles was still warm, allowing him to enjoy tea in the yard, an opportunity not available in New York.
"Dad, what are we going to do today?" Luke wanted to avoid listening to the chubby kid's mushy talk and find something to do.
Li Zhaofeng suggested, "How about I teach you how to play chess?"
"Sounds good." Luke knew how to play chess but hadn't played in years. He still remembered the rules, though his skills were uncertain.
After all, he had nothing else to do, so he might as well practice.
"Jack, go grab the chess set from inside the room."
The chubby kid complained, "Why me?"
Luke shrugged, "Do you want a beating?"
"Sure enough, you're still the 'good' brother." The chubby kid raised his voice, emphasizing a particular word.
"Thanks for the compliment."
The chubby kid turned his head, muttered under his breath, reluctantly bid Maggie farewell, and went upstairs to fetch the chess set.
Soon after, the three of them started to play chess.
Chess rules are simple and easy to grasp. The chubby kid, being young and having a good memory, learned quickly.
Luke already knew how to play, but hadn't played in a long time. After a few games, he got the hang of it again.
The joy between men is simple; as long as they can gather to study something, it becomes easily addictive.
Unconsciously, it was already noon. The chubby kid, from a novice, had mastered the rules of chess and even executed a few simple combinations.
Luke improved even faster, able to hold his own against Li Zhaofeng. He enjoyed a bold style, sometimes making exchanges that directly traded bishops, knights, and rooks.
"Ring, ring, ring..."
Suddenly, the sound of a mobile phone ringing was heard.
Li Zhaofeng took out his phone, pressed the answer key, "Zhaonian, what's up?"
"Don't worry, take it slow."
"...All right, we're coming over right away."
Li Zhaofeng hung up the call, his face looking somewhat grim.
Luke asked, "What happened?"
"The police went to your uncle's restaurant, said they wanted to find Will to understand the situation."
"Did they find Will?"
"No, that's why they came to your uncle's restaurant. Your uncle is panicking, not knowing how to respond."
Luke was puzzled, "Why are the police looking for Will?"
"It seems to be related to the person who died in Chinatown yesterday.
The deceased was the bald man who dined and dashed at the restaurant. The police seem to know he had a conflict with Will.
Your uncle doesn't know how to handle the situation now.
The police are right there, and he's not very clear about what he's saying.
He wants you to go over and help deal with it."
Luke put down the chess piece, "Let's go."
Although he didn't know the New York police, he was familiar with the way the police handled cases. He knew how to respond to police inquiries and could gather some information from their questions.
Li Zhaofeng looked at his younger son, "Jack, you stay home, I'll order you a pizza."
Luke, thinking about being followed the other night, felt uneasy about leaving his brother behind, "Let's all go together.
It's not bad to let him get exposed to some things."
Li Zhaofeng thought the elder son was worried about the younger son learning Will's rebellious ways and wanted to give him a cautionary lesson, so he nodded in agreement.
A police car was parked at the restaurant entrance, with a few neighbors occasionally peeking inside.
Li Zhaonian and his wife sat by the dining table, at a loss of what to do.
Inside the restaurant, there were two Asian patrol officers, one male and one female.
The male officer spoke in Chinese, "Mr. Li, there's no need to be nervous, we're just here to find Will to understand the situation."
Li Zhaonian said helplessly, "I've told you many times, I really don't know where he is.
What exactly do you want to understand from him?"
"Based on the clues we've received, he's likely connected to the 1.22 Chinatown murder case."
Li Zhaonian showed a worried expression, "Impossible, you must be mistaken.
My son can't be involved in a murder case."
The male officer asked, "We hope so too, which is why we want to understand the situation from him. If he's innocent, why doesn't he come forward and clear things up?"
Li Zhaonian sighed, "I really can't get in touch with him."
The male officer and his female colleague exchanged glances, "I heard that the deceased had a confrontation with Will before his death, is that true?"
Li Zhaonian clenched his fists, unsure of how to answer. If he said no, he would be lying.
If he said yes, he worried it would harm his son...
At this moment, his mind was in turmoil, unable to reach his son, and now with the police at his door.
He too wanted to know where Will had gone, why he hadn't shown up, and if it was really related to Zhang Qilong's death?