The Wolf of Los Angeles

Chapter 402 - 402: Federal Investigation Order

[Chapter 402: Federal Investigation Order]

After the lengthy questioning by the FBI, Larry Fink and Robert Kapito walked through the doors of the Marriott Hotel, looking exhausted.

Even with their lawyer present, after several hours of interrogation, Kapito was fuming. "These bastards still cling to Cold War espionage laws. It's the 21st century for crying out loud!"

Fink reassured him, "Just hang in there, it will be over tomorrow. I'm heading back to Washington to personally lobby the Federal Trade Commission."

...

Once they returned to their room, their assistant who had been sitting behind the laptop got up and said, "Sir, come quick! Twitter just released an official statement; they assisted the FBI in apprehending another Russian spy within the company."

"What?" Fink couldn't believe it and hurried over to look at the laptop. "Are Russian spies coming in bulk now?"

Kapito lashed out, "Twitter's pathetic stunts, doing this again and again. I'm going to file a complaint against Twitter and Hawke Osment!"

Fink scrutinized the tweet on the screen. Aside from the headline, there were numerous images, all showing surveillance screenshots.

Kapito saw them too. "Are they really doing this again? What's wrong with these Russians? One gets caught by the FBI and they send another one? Are those Moscow officials completely nuts?"

Fink pondered, "If all of this is true and they frame us for the spy's actions, we'll be in more trouble."

Kapito sank heavily onto the sofa, feeling his head about to explode. "What if Twitter is colluding with the Russians? Collaborating with their intelligence agencies to set us up?"

The assistant suggested, "Should we contact the media in Russia to say that BlackRock has been framed and has nothing to do with...?"

"No way!" Fink said firmly, maintaining his political acumen. "Anything involving BlackRock will only complicate matters further, regardless of what the Russians say or don't say."

Kapito posed a stark reality: "If John Kerry had won last year's election, we wouldn't be dealing with all of this trouble right now."

Fink nodded in agreement. "Exactly. George W. Bush's reelection gave Hawke Osment the confidence to initiate all of this. This is more about political failure than a business problem."

The room fell silent for a moment, realizing that this pressing issue wouldn't be resolved anytime soon.

Kapito asked, "What about the people behind this? Are they just sitting back and watching?"

Fink replied coldly, "We are the largest shareholders in BlackRock. Those bastards are looking to consume everything we have. They see us as an easy target."

Kapito turned to the assistant, "Order a private jet. As soon as we're done with the FBI, we're heading directly to Washington."

Fink agreed, "Los Angeles is their turf. We can't outmaneuver Twitter and Hawke Osment here; we need to find solutions from Washington."

The assistant quickly contacted a charter jet service.

---

The next morning, at the FBI's Los Angeles office, the public relations department had prepared for a press briefing on the case.

Although the evidence gathered from Russell's home and office was minimal, the presence of multiple Russian recordings was significant enough. One of them was a classic song from the Soviet era, Katyusha.

Additionally, they had a video of Russell's interrogation ready.

As the clock approached 9:30 a.m., Jennifer didn't rush to the nearby news hall but waited outside the office building.

An assistant received a phone call and relayed, "The DOJ representative is on their way."

Jennifer nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on the entrance.

...

Moments later, several black Chevrolets turned into the entrance and stopped in front of the office building.

Jennifer quickly descended the stairs to greet them. A middle-aged man stepped out of one of the vehicles and shook her hand. "Jennifer, long time no see."

Jennifer complimented, "John, you're looking younger every day!"

John glanced at the office building and remarked, "I'm here mainly for the briefing; let's head to the venue since time's ticking away."

Jennifer replied, "Let's go to the site first."

She followed John into the Chevrolet.

The assistant called for an FBI vehicle to escort them.

The long convoy made its way to the nearby news hall.

...

In the vehicle, Jennifer asked directly, "What's the outcome?"

"The Deputy Attorney General sent me here -- need I say more?" John tapped his briefcase. "This company has been linked to espionage cases twice now; clearly, there's an issue, and an investigation order has been issued."

Jennifer said, "That will make my job a bit easier."

...

They arrived at the news hall swiftly and entered one after the other. A live broadcast van from Fox Channel 11 was parked outside.

Inside the lobby, a team from Twitter was setting up cameras for the live video stream. Hundreds of journalists gathered inside the hall.

At 10 a.m., the press briefing commenced. The FBI began by providing an overview of the case, making sure to align their statements with Twitter's narrative.

They explained how the FBI had discovered and conducted a covert investigation on spy Russell, who was captured with assistance from Twitter and Lola.

Numerous pieces of evidence were displayed, including a video of the interrogation, in which Russell stated incredibly, "My mission was directed at Twitter and continued from the previous espionage case, primarily to approach Twitter's executives and retrieve sensitive information."

The video was short but direct, effectively guiding the narrative.

The journalists in attendance buzzed with excitement at the prospect of a big story breaking.

What was meant by the continuation of the previous espionage case and trying to obtain crucial information?

It was evident; they were referring to critical technology behind the Manhattan AI Project!

An overly eager young reporter exclaimed, "The Russians will never give up on defeating the United States!"

A somewhat older journalist nodded in agreement, "They've always been America's largest adversary! Back in my day, they threatened nuclear war against us on multiple occasions."

A more tempered voice interjected, "Twitter's Manhattan AI Project is impressive; it has drawn Russian attention repeatedly."

"There must be something great about it; those Russians aren't fools," another reporter chimed in. "Washington's claims can't be trusted, but the Russians are often more believable than they are."

Someone else concurred, "The ones who know us best are certainly our enemies."

...

At the Coast Building, in an office on the 16th floor, Hawke was sitting in front of his computer, watching Twitter's live stream.

Along with the video, they had a text and image stream.

Edward remarked, "Is that spy really that cooperative? He makes Eugene look easy to handle."

Hawke had heard Jennifer mention before that Russell had gone to extremes, choosing to completely betray Russia and side with the FBI.

Edward couldn't help but curse, "Traitor!"

Without a doubt, anywhere one went, those who betray their country were despised.

...

In the video stream, Department of Justice representative John Stone appeared on-screen.

This sharply dressed middle-aged man announced on behalf of the DOJ that given the broad implications of the espionage case and the significant media impact, the DOJ was issuing a federal investigation order. The DOJ would collaborate with the FBI for a joint investigation.

During the subsequent Q&A session, a journalist asked the first question, "Does the investigation order include BlackRock?"

John Stone replied directly, "Yes, BlackRock is included. The first Russian spy captured by the LA office was linked to BlackRock."

...

As the briefing concluded in Los Angeles, shares of BlackRock plummeted on the New York Stock Exchange.

Investor confidence in BlackRock hit rock bottom.

On this very day, a judicial investigation against BlackRock officially commenced.

The outcome of the investigation was inconsequential; as long as the DOJ dragged their feet, investors wouldn't regain confidence in BlackRock.

...

Meanwhile, in line with standard judicial procedures, the Los Angeles district court held its first hearing regarding Twitter's civil lawsuit against BlackRock.

The two sides engaged in their initial mediation.

Twitter unhesitatingly rejected BlackRock's $500 million civil compensation offer.

BlackRock wanted to resolve this turmoil quickly, but Hawke aimed to prolong it further.

Unless BlackRock offered a one-time compensation of $3.3 billion, which was impossible since BlackRock had only been public for six years and hadn't faced the rapid fluctuations of the current market.

...

After the first hearing concluded, Hawke reached out to Elizabeth at Peterson Strategic Consulting.

He stated directly, "You're free to proceed on your end."

...

In Washington D.C., at the Galloping Horse Club, one of the leading figures in the Senate's Democratic Party and chair of one of the twelve subcommittees of the Appropriations Committee, Tom Daschle, watched with two female aides as a striking female lobbyist sat across from him.

Daschle set his drink down and said, "Elizabeth, we're old acquaintances, have worked together before, so let's skip the pleasantries. You're here regarding Twitter's Manhattan AI Project, right?"

Elizabeth's fair face broke into a bright smile. "Yes, I want you to support this proposal."

Daschle crossed his legs and leaned back into the sofa. "Based on what I know, Twitter's position is quite clear -- they are siding with the right."

"That's because George W. Bush promised significant benefits to Twitter, and he's delivering!" Elizabeth argued, painting the narrative in a completely different light. "Kerry and Edwards have never even reached out to Twitter, nor sent any representatives; meanwhile, George W. Bush quietly contacted Twitter early last year, promising a series of incentives."

She countered, "If it were you or me, which side would we naturally support?"

Daschle shook his head. "That's a compelling argument, but I focus solely on the results, not the causes."

Elizabeth nodded. "Fine, let's talk results. Business is all about profit, and mainstream North American media, for instance, doesn't always support you guys. Sometimes they also side with the right, and take News Corporation; do they have a consistent stance? Twitter now stands as the leading media platform on the internet, capable of instantly broadcasting any side's policies, narratives, and ideas to the audience."

Daschle began to take the matter seriously, as it all ultimately boiled down to interests.

Elizabeth added, "Did you see the news? The Russians have sent spies twice now trying to steal Twitter's Manhattan AI Project! Tom, twice! What does that indicate? As an advocate against Russia, you should understand the implications better than I do!"

She emphasized, "Your family has significant interests in Germany and are expanding business into Eastern Europe. If Russia gains the upper hand, how will the situation in Eastern Europe change?

*****

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