David Thompson finally turned his face to look at Brian Carter, then said in a deep voice, “Every country has its laws, every family its rules. I’m here to see you, not to bail you out. If you make a mistake and get caught, you have to accept the punishment honestly. After you get out, the price for making a mistake could very well be death. I hope you remember that.”

Brian Carter let out a breath and said helplessly, “Got it, fine. Anyway, I won’t need my driver’s license anymore. If it’s revoked, so be it.”

David Thompson said in a low voice, “The good news is it won’t go on your record, because from the moment you leave, there’s no such person as you in Huaxia anymore—in fact, there never was. So you’d better come up with a new identity for yourself before you leave, and make sure it’s believable.”

“I understand. Can I go now, Uncle Thompson?”

David Thompson glanced at his watch and said in a deep voice, “Don’t be in such a hurry to leave. Let’s just chat for a bit.”

Brian Carter unfolded the folded slip of paper and smiled, “I’m sure you’ve already seen this. Do you have any advice for me?”

As he spoke, Brian Carter had already finished looking over the so-called contact list, which only had five names and five phone numbers on it.

David Thompson said in a low voice, “I’m not familiar with the people on that list. I haven’t investigated them, nor have I contacted them. These people should all be your father’s friends, or at least trustworthy people. I have absolutely no reason to investigate or contact them, so you’ll have to choose for yourself.”

Brian Carter put away the slip of paper and smiled, “I’ve looked it over. There’s really no turning back now. I didn’t feel anything before, but after seeing it, I suddenly feel a bit nervous.”

David Thompson clasped his hands together and said quietly, “Once you’re out, be careful in everything you do. And no matter whether you’re a spy or anything else, keeping a low profile is never a bad thing. Arrogant people usually die young.”

“I’ll remember. I’ll try to keep a low profile.”

The two of them talked for a long time, at least an hour, until the door of the interrogation room was knocked on.

“Come in.”

Another ordinary-looking face poked in, and then a young man quietly said to David Thompson, “It’s been checked out.”

“Go ahead, it’s fine.”

“That Eric Palmer is a mid-level manager at a listed company. His wife is the daughter of a company board member. Grace Bennett is an American citizen studying in the UK, a student at Trinity College. Eric Palmer met Grace Bennett once in the UK, and then the two of them kept chatting online and established a romantic relationship online. During this period, Eric Palmer had already gotten engaged to his current wife. They just got married a few days ago…”

David Thompson raised his hand and said, “Focus on Grace Bennett.”

“Yes. Grace Bennett really likes this Eric Palmer, so she decided to secretly come to Huaxia to surprise him. But after she arrived in Beijing and asked Eric Palmer where he was, Eric Palmer said he was going to the US for a conference and gave her his flight number. But in reality, he was going on his honeymoon with his new wife. Unfortunately, he told the truth, so Grace Bennett drove her friend’s car to look for him. But she didn’t tell her friend she was taking the car, so her friend reported it to the police.”

David Thompson looked a bit surprised and frowned, “That’s it?”

“Yes. The three of them were interrogated separately, and their statements matched. We also got their chat records and the car owner’s testimony. After comparing everything, I think there’s no problem.”

David Thompson tapped the table with his hand, looking dissatisfied, and said, “Young people these days, really. About to get married and still messing around online.”

Brian Carter laughed, “Getting married doesn’t stop anything.”

“According to our investigation, that Eric Palmer might have some financial issues, suspected of embezzlement. Also, Grace Bennett’s family is very well-off, so Eric Palmer has been pursuing her very aggressively. But marrying his wife was the better choice…”

David Thompson waved his hand impatiently, “Alright, if there’s no problem, it’s not our business. No need to say more.”

“Yes.”

Brian Carter smiled, “So that’s it? If there’s nothing else, can I go now? I need to hurry and find a buyer for my car. The main thing is the apartment—can I sell it?”

David Thompson shook his head, “If you hadn’t taken that thing, the apartment would have been yours for life. But now, the apartment will definitely be reclaimed. The car is yours, though, so you can sell it as you like.”

Brian Carter gave a wry smile, “I really regret it now. An apartment inside the Third Ring Road, just gone like that.”

David Thompson stood up expressionlessly and said in a deep voice, “It’s too late for regrets. Let’s go.”

“Come on, that’s it? You’re not going to do anything about Eric Palmer? Won’t you hand him over to the police to investigate?”

David Thompson shook his head, “That’s outside our jurisdiction.”

Brian Carter immediately said, “Wait, wait, let me make a deal with you. People like Eric Palmer are the worst—they should get what they deserve. Just let Grace Bennett go, okay? Can you do me this favor?”

David Thompson said with a half-smile, “Do you even have any favors to call in?”

“Not right now, but maybe in the future. Don’t you think so, Uncle Thompson?”