“Ethan, let’s set aside our prior discussion for now. I need to address this issue at hand,” Miles declared.
Ethan gave Mall Manager Li a look of pity, seeing him picking a fight with Miles. Didn’t he know who Miles really was – a ghost tamer?
In the current world, it was wise not to cross paths with those who commanded evil spirits. These individuals could vary enormously from benevolent to malevolent. The kind-hearted ones allied themselves with Ghost Tamers HQ, safeguarding peace, aiding in the Earth’s prosperity, and preserving the human race. Despite sounding lofty, this was the reality.
On the flip side, the wicked ones could become evil spirits themselves.
People of our kind had myriad ways to dispatch an ordinary person without them ever realizing how or when their demise occurred.
“I’ll await your follow-up,” Ethan nodded.
Turning to Mall Manager Li, Miles extended his hand. “Caterpillar, your stage awaits.”
“What? Who are you calling a caterpillar?”
Enraged, Mall Manager Li bellowed, “You all see this, see this security guard’s disrespect? He’s the one who extorted me at the mall. He took over 1.8 million from my account to his. Surely such a hefty sum warrants an investigation, doesn’t it?”
“Young man, your name, please? Could you also show us your identification?”
“I believe there’s a misunderstanding here, gentlemen,” Miles answered. “I didn’t extort him. Mall Manager Li and I had a business arrangement, and he paid me in advance for my services. If you have any doubts, you can confirm this with the others who accompanied us.”
“We will conduct a thorough investigation. In the meantime, we require your name and ID. Please cooperate,” another case worker requested.
Off to the side, Mall Manager Li watched Miles with a self-satisfied smirk.
This little security guard thought he could outwit him. Today, he would ensure Miles paid back every single cent.
“My name is Miles. Here is my ID,” Miles said cooperatively, handing over his ID. “Verify it.”
One of the officers accepted the ID, passing it to a colleague who began cross-referencing the information with their system, searching for any criminal records or personal data.
The remaining officer proceeded with his line of questioning. “Mall Manager Li alleges that you extorted him at the mall, accusing you of a theft amounting to $1,854,863. Can you confirm or deny this?”
“I’m an honest person. I wouldn’t commit such a crime,” Miles retorted. “This is a clear case of defamation.”
“Nonsense. You, an honest person?” Mall Manager Li retorted. “Here are the transfer records. These show the previous transactions from Miles’ account.”
“Do you acknowledge that this is your account? If you do, we can confirm the transactions took place and will start a probe against you,” the officer stated.
With a chuckle, Miles replied, “This account doesn’t belong to me.”
And in truth, it didn’t. It was his mother’s.
“Don’t worry, if he doesn’t confess, a swift bank check will reveal the true cardholder,” Mall Manager Li interjected.
“Keep a close eye on them both.”
One officer, armed with the account information, departed to secure further evidence.
Once he had left, Mall Manager Li leaned in and murmured, “Young man, consider what’s best for you. You’ve already amassed over ten million by rescuing a few individuals. Return my money, and we’ll consider the matter settled. I won’t pursue this further. If you’re charged with embezzling over 1.8 million, you’ll be looking at a decade or more behind bars.”
Miles responded with a smirk, “I’m fine with returning your money, but only if you crawl back to the fifth floor of the mall, just like a caterpillar. If you can manage that, I’ll wire your money back straight away.”
At this, Mall Manager Li’s complexion altered, his eyes betraying a flicker of fear. He had sworn never to step foot in that ghost-ridden place ever again.
“Sure, you saved me, and that’s commendable. But verbal assertions are worthless in a court of law. It’s all about tangible evidence. I have friends in the legal field, so I know these matters better than you. You can’t beat me. As I’ve said, simply return my money and I won’t press charges for embezzlement,” Mall Manager Li countered.
“You’re a truly loathsome creature, betraying those who have aided you. Had I known your true colors earlier, I would have crushed you like the worm you are,”
Miles’ eyes frosted over, “While I’m not particularly inclined to engage with you, it’d be wise for you to back down now while you still can. It’s not too late to walk away. But if you insist on pestering me here…”
Leaning in, Miles murmured into Mall Manager Li’s ear, “I wouldn’t hesitate to show you the true meaning of terror.”
A shiver shot down Mall Manager Li’s spine, but recalling his current safety and the crowd around him for protection, he dismissed his fear of this mere security guard. He scoffed, “Afraid of you? If you’re brave enough, then show me. The ungrateful one here is you.”
Meanwhile, at the other end…
“Captain Bright, take a look at this,” called out one of the officers investigating Miles. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on Nove1Fire.net
“What is it?” Captain Bright approached.
“It’s this guy’s profile. Something doesn’t add up,” the officer gestured towards the laptop screen.
The screen displayed Miles’ profile, but it held none of his personal details. It simply read, ‘File Confidential, Access Denied’.
“We don’t have the authorization to access this?” Captain Bright was visibly surprised. With a solemn tone, he instructed, “Hand me the ID. I’ll inquire higher up.”
He promptly picked up his phone and dialed a number, “Yes, it’s me, Bright. I have an ID from a person of interest. I can’t get access to the details. Could you check on your end?”
“Captain Bright, you sure know how to make my job harder. The clearance level for this file is extremely high. Not even my superior has access to it. Hang on, I just got a call while digging into this individual’s profile.”
The voice trailed off on the other end.
“Hello? Are you there?” Captain Bright queried.
After an extended silence, the colleague at the other end of the line reluctantly spoke, “It’s an anti-tracing measure. We’ve been advised by our superiors to cease any investigation into this individual named Miles. His clearance level is significantly above ours.”
“If Miles has indeed committed a crime, we may commence an investigation, but we don’t have the power to arrest him. We need to seek authorization from our superiors before taking any further action. Captain, we need to tread carefully to avoid manipulation by any parties with hidden agendas. It’s been made clear by those at the top that anyone attempting to frame others will face severe repercussions.”
“I understand. I appreciate the warning.” Captain Bright took a moment before ending the call.
He cast a glance towards Miles, who was standing nearby.
Miles’ ID indicated he was only eighteen. No matter how talented he was, achieving such a high-ranking status at such a young age seemed improbable.
“Could he be like Agent Right?” Captain Bright mused, understanding the situation better.
Individuals like Right were the ones who would be granted special considerations from various countries.
“I’ll handle Miles’ case. You all can focus on other matters,” Captain Bright instructed his team.