Chapter 812

Chapter 812: The Japanese Interception

America is a constitutional federal republic, where each state retains considerable autonomy, including its laws, apart from recognizing the national entity and accepting certain obligations.

Therefore, it is not surprising that some individuals can wield significant influence. A saying from Chinese elementary school textbooks is true: in capitalist countries, money is supreme, and the law serves money without disguise.

Enduring shameless greed, the Boyce family has faced considerable suffering.

Hearing that Lin Mo was on his way, Bob Boyce felt an immense joy, as if he had finally received welcome rain after a long drought.

This money was a solution to his pressing problems as he found himself in a dire situation.

Once the money arrived, all his mortgage and credit card bills would vanish like smoke, and he could buy his wife a diamond necklace and toys for his children. They would even move to a wealthy neighborhood in a big city and live a happy and prosperous life.

He had put in too much effort and emotion for this "Hydrogen-Oxygen Decomposition Tank" technology, even risking his first half of life, but now it was all worth it. Everything was finally paying off.

The CIA is America’s intelligence department. Charlie and Ivan were responsible for monitoring sensitive individuals entering the country and did not interfere with their normal activities, especially in commercial matters. After all, more tax revenue for the country wouldn’t hurt, right?

Even though the CIA was aware that Lin Mo was there for the "Hydrogen-Oxygen Decomposition Tank" technology, no one could stop him from purchasing the technology unless Congress or the White House ordered it.

Washington, D.C. is relatively close to Tennessee, and Charlie Mitchell and Ivan Carter took turns driving. They stayed overnight at a motel, and the three of them reached Oak Ridge in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee the next day.

On the way, Lin Mo didn’t hold back, treating the two agents. He covered the gas cost and accommodation for the three of them.

With $28 million on the line, a little spending was no concern, and this small gesture immediately warmed the relationship between Lin Mo and the two agents.

Though they were supposed to monitor Lin Mo, it felt no different from being his bodyguards. Having the two CIA agents around kept petty troublemakers at bay, making the journey significantly more carefree.

Hidden in the 16-kilometer-long and 3.2-kilometer-wide Black Oak Ridge Valley, the small city of Oak Ridge had a population of only 30,000. Bob Boyce’s address was easy to find, located in the southeastern corner of a hillside villa area on the outskirts of Oak Ridge—a cozy two-story, beige villa with a small yard. The housing prices in America were not as high as in China, allowing a family to live comfortably.

It’s possible that the inventor’s ancestors were among the elite researchers involved in the Manhattan Project, inheriting expertise that allowed for the creation of the super Hydrogen-Oxygen Separation Tank technology, surpassing Faraday’s electrolysis technology.

Lin Mo pressed the doorbell.

“Get lost! Get out! Damn it, you bunch of scoundrels! I have nothing you want, a bunch of thugs, bastards, robbers!”

An angry roar erupted from inside, followed by heavy footsteps rapidly approaching the door.

Lin Mo was stunned. What was happening? Listening to the voice, it seemed to be the seller he had contacted on the phone.

What was going on? Was he backing out?

Lin Mo’s expression darkened again; the fate of teasing the Dragon Knight was going to be dreadful!

While he pondered what could have caused the seller’s furious reaction and his claim to cancel the deal, the door of the cozy beige villa suddenly swung open. A stout man with a Mediterranean-style receding hairline, red eyes, and black-framed glasses, the Bearded Squad Leader, rushed out, holding a hunting rifle aimed straight at Lin Mo.

Charlie Mitchell and Ivan Carter, near the gate, jumped in surprise. The two CIA agents reflexively drew their guns and rushed forward.

What the hell? Has that guy gone mad?

Charlie Mitchell and Ivan Carter felt their hearts racing. They weren’t worried about Lin Mo; they were concerned for that heavily built man with the gun, fearing a terrifying incident could erupt at any moment.

An invisible killing intent began to brew, and Lin Mo squinted slightly, as if he might vanish at any moment.

A human body was not as sturdy as an Audi; this much was clear.

“You!?”

The Bearded Squad Leader suddenly gaped at Lin Mo, his expression shifting from anger to confusion, from confusion to surprise, finally settling into a face of apology and even despair.

To the surprise of the two agents, the Bearded Squad Leader voluntarily lowered his rifle, his face turning crimson, and said apologetically, “May I ask who you are?”

It seemed that the situation was not as Lin Mo had imagined after all.

Lin Mo breathed a sigh of relief and smiled slightly to show his kindness. He said, “Are you Bob Boyce? I am Morin!”

“Morin!” The overweight man widened his eyes in surprise and exclaimed, “Oh my! You came! I am Bob, oh no, how should I say this?” He seemed to be in some trouble, helplessly pacing in circles at the door.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to invite me in for a while?”

The smile on Lin Mo’s face grew wider; he had indeed found the right person.

“Oh, right, right, I’m sorry! I’ve been rude!” Bob suddenly realized, but when he saw two armed strangers standing behind Lin Mo, he immediately became tense and asked, “Who are they?”

“Um! Bodyguards!” Lin Mo turned around to glance, adding a layer of disguise to the CIA agents. It was better for civilians not to know; this was an understanding between him and the CIA.

“Uh! Come in together!”

Bob didn’t suspect anything because finding just any Oriental man to impersonate wasn’t an easy task, and only he knew about the guest named Morin; not even his family was aware.

Bob’s wife was a slender woman named Lisa, with wavy red hair and playful freckles on her nose. Standing next to Bob, they looked like flowers in a pile of manure.

The room was a bit messy, but it was clear that there had been a hasty cleanup, maybe to make a good impression on the arriving guests.

Lisa made excellent coffee, and a few cups of strong coffee along with two plates of small pastries were brought to the coffee table. The aroma of roasted malt filled the entire room.

After ensuring his shotgun was safe, Bob gently placed it in the corner and sat on the sofa, cradling his head as he looked at Lin Mo and said bitterly, “I’m really sorry; I’m afraid I can’t complete this deal.”

Bob looked dejected, as if he had just faced some blow, his eyes red.

The two agents exchanged glances and then looked at Lin Mo, thinking this trip might be for nothing. Their surveillance mission was about to end.

“What exactly happened? Can you tell me, Mr. Boyce?”

Lin Mo was startled, but the mental resilience of an Air Knight allowed him to calm down quickly; after all, this was no small matter.

It was minor if someone stood him up, but if someone intercepted him, it would be a loss of face for the Dragon Knight. He had heard hints from the seller that other companies were pressuring him to hand over this technology; it seemed he had come a step too late.

“Mr. Morin, I’m so sorry; this is all my fault…”

Bob took off his glasses and, unable to bear the memories, wiped away his tears, crying like a big man in front of a stranger.

In fact, a subsidiary of a Japanese consortium was engaged in green energy business in America, Tiger Energy, and they had somehow learned about his efficient Hydrogen-Oxygen Decomposition Tank technology and immediately sought to buy it.

Bob was very willing to sell the technology and make a fortune.

However, the other party was as miserly as Grandet, insisting on a very low price and wanting to acquire the technology for next to nothing.

The amount offered by Tiger Energy was so small that it didn’t even cover the experimental costs of the “Boyce Hydrogen-Oxygen Decomposition Tank”; of course, Bob refused to accept such a loss.

After several rounds of negotiations, the deal naturally fell apart.

But Tiger Energy showed no sign of giving up, visiting every two days, then every day, and finally escalating to three visits a day, knocking on the door and making endless phone calls. Even his family was frightened.

This started to make Bob angry. Business is about reputation; what was this shameless behavior? He originally planned to negotiate, so he’d let them have a little, but finally told them that no matter how much they offered, he absolutely wouldn’t sell, and resolutely posted the decomposition tank technology on a hidden technical exchange website known only to professionals called “Roswell Paradise,” hoping to let Tiger Energy give up sooner.

Now, he had stirred up a hornet’s nest. Tiger Energy, for some unknown reason, launched various lowly tactics that caused Bob’s family great distress, pushing them to the brink of bankruptcy.

The night before Lin Mo’s arrival, a group of masked men barged into Bob’s home.

These masked thugs pointed guns at Bob’s wife and child, forcing Bob to hand over the “Boyce Hydrogen-Oxygen Decomposition Tank” technical data and the sole sample for technical verification.

It was obvious that these robber-like strangers were affiliated with Tiger Energy.

To ensure his family’s safety, Bob had no choice but to yield. Though extremely angry, he helplessly handed over the technical data and the verification sample he had devoted his life to, which he treasured like his own life.

Although his family was finally safe, his life’s work was gone, and even the backups were extorted. All the computers at home were taken, and even if Bob wanted to restart, human memory wasn’t like a computer; he could not recall the countless complex parameters and derivation formulas.