Chapter 578
“We received an anonymous report saying you discovered a gold mine and intended to mine it illegally,” a Mistmere Police Department officer said.
The village chief sat in the interrogation room, still in a daze as he wondered, ‘A gold mine? Mining? How did the cops find out? And where’s the county chief? Why didn’t he cover this up?’
The interrogator seemed to read his mind and added, “If you’re waiting for your protector, I can tell you this report was sent straight to the mayor. The city is taking this matter very seriously. Your position as village chief has already been suspended, and even the county chief is being interrogated next door.”
The contents of the recording were played back. The audio had been edited so that the identities of the chief and the county magistrate were clear, but Bryan’s identity was hidden entirely.
Carmen wasn’t stupid enough to let Bryan get dragged into this mess. Now that the chief was under control, Bryan would have to lie low for a while. However, if Bryan were caught up in the illegal gold mining scandal, the Wilson Group would be dragged down with him.
She had already seen the Wilson Group as her personal property. She didn’t care if Bryan ended up in jail, but what mattered was that nothing could happen to Wilson Group right now.
The village chief mentally replayed the list of everyone who was present there that night, racking his brain until it hurt, but he was completely stumped. He just couldn’t figure out who would do such a thing to him. He contemplated, ‘Was it the county chief? Is he crazy? Is he tired of living? Was it someone from Wilson Group? There’s no way. That would just be asking for trouble.’
“I have no idea what this recording is about. Perhaps someone had faked it,” the chief said.
Seeing the village chief’s defiant attitude, the interrogator’s temper flared. Just as he was about to threaten him, the door to the interrogation room swung open.
A higher-ranking officer motioned for the interrogator to come over and whispered something to him. The chief watched as the interrogator, who had been so stern and arrogant just moments ago, suddenly bowed and nodded, speaking in a tone of deference.
‘Isn’t that the department director?’ the chief thought.
Just then, a young man in casual clothes walked in.
He looked young, maybe twenty at most, and he was strikingly handsome. He even reminded the chief of the man he had seen at Josephine’s house.
‘Who could this be? It seems like he is someone important enough for the department director to bring in himself,’ the village chief wondered.
“Who are you?” the chief asked.
Alvin sat down across from the chief and gave a slight smile, “Alvin Turner from the Turner Group in Rithol City.”
‘Turner?’ the chief thought.
He immediately thought of Bowen and Aubree. Thanks to Bryan, the village chief already knew who they really were.
He’d been plotting to have the villagers kick those two out the next time they showed up, but before he could do anything, he was the one hauled off to the police station.
“What’s your relationship with Bowen?” the chief asked.
Alvin replied calmly, “He’s my uncle. Strictly speaking, we’re rivals, too, but none of that matters. I can make sure you walk out of here without a scratch. I can do so just because I am part of the Turner family.”
The chief knew that Alvin’s words carried real weight. Not only had the police department director been fawning over him, but even someone as powerful as Bryan, someone the chief could never hope to cross paths with, showed a hint of wariness whenever the Turner family was mentioned.
“How do I know you truly want to help me?” the village chief asked. He was not about to be fooled. He knew that whether it was Alvin or Aubree, their real goal was the Ridgehaven Town redevelopment project, and he was the key to making it happen.
He had to hold on tight to his bargaining chips, or he’d be worth nothing at all.
Besides, the interrogator’s words might not be entirely accurate. The county chief wasn’t someone who could be brought down that easily.