North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 586 - 332_1

Having looked through the basic information on the USB drive, Dean breathed a sigh of relief, yet he was somewhat surprised as well. According to the information, the pharmaceutical company Niel wanted to acquire was named "Chinese Pharmaceuticals." As the name suggested, this company had been founded by Chinese people. But this wasn't why Dean was surprised; he was surprised because this pharmaceutical company was actually just a shell company for money laundering.

Because of his plan to start a company, Dean had incidentally learned some basics. In the United States, starting a company is very simple, even in the medical and military industries, as specialized agencies can handle the procedures. However, whether the business can make money, whether the products can be marketed, and whether operations are compliant are entirely different matters. These latter aspects, due to industry specificity, involve many more regulations and restrictions.

Niel chose not to start from scratch but to directly acquire an existing pharmaceutical company because "Chinese Pharmaceuticals," although a shell company, had been established for over thirty years. Perhaps it was to avoid trouble from the locals. Chinese Pharmaceuticals also produced some 'health' related packets of medicine, health teas, and medicinal wines. It had rudimentary production lines, manufacturing bases, and complete qualifications. Acquiring it could help Dean avoid many problems and save a lot of time. This was what Niel valued.

Setting aside the money laundering for now, what truly surprised Dean was the information about the company's owner: Yu Linfen, ethnic Chinese, seventy-six years old, originally from Mist City in China, found dead in her apartment on September 28th... The information also included her photo from over thirty years ago. She was a woman with a somewhat grim face, sporting an old-fashioned short curly hairstyle. Her style reminded Dean of the landlady from a movie called "Kung Fu" he had seen in his previous life. However, she wasn't as heavy, and her gaze was far more fierce than that film character's, indicating she was not an easy person to deal with.

The key was that the cause of death and residence matched exactly with the case of the elderly Chinese lady's death that Harry had described in the hospital! Dean hadn't heard Harry mention the deceased's name, nor had he seen her photo. But such a coincidence seemed highly unlikely; the two must be the same person.

This was getting interesting. The owner of a money laundering shell company, mysteriously dead in her apartment, and the case being handled by his own team. And his girlfriend just happened to want to acquire this very pharmaceutical company. What a coincidence!

Dean thought a bit more. First, is Niel aware of the issues with this pharmaceutical company? He quickly found an answer in his mind. Niel likely doesn't know about the situation with Chinese Pharmaceuticals. Acquiring a shell company is meant for convenience, saving time, and avoiding trouble. Chinese Pharmaceuticals, with its significant problems, is exactly the kind of hassle Niel would avoid if she knew; she certainly wouldn't choose this seemingly cost-effective company. Second, when Harry recounted the case earlier, he didn't mention the deceased elderly lady's background, let alone that she owned a pharmaceutical company that was up for sale. A transfer of interests is a very common motive for murder. This is a point that could easily arouse suspicion. If Harry, or the police, knew this, they couldn't possibly overlook it. But from what Harry said, Old Hunter and Carlo are focusing their attention on the deceased's tenant. That's strange.

He pulled out the USB drive. Dean tapped the desk. He had already been interested in this case, which had left almost no useful clues. Now, he was even more eager to uncover the truth behind it.

It seems I'm growing more fond of the process of solving these cases... Dean took the pipe Niel had given him and put it in his mouth, musing aloud, "This pursuit of the truth is like my first time—full of anticipation, peeling back the layers of an onion one by one, seeing the pinkish-white within, and reveling in the tears brought on by its sharp scent..."

After crushing the USB drive in his hand, Dean called Little Mike to gain a more detailed understanding of Chinese Pharmaceuticals. According to Little Mike, he was only concerned that Dean's pharmaceutical company might encounter problems with its progress. That's why he had casually used his technical skills to check up on 'Chinese Pharmaceuticals.' He decided to alert Dean because of the money laundering forces behind 'Chinese Pharmaceuticals.'

Little Mike had hacked into the bank system connected to Chinese Pharmaceuticals. He discovered that, aside from normal expenditures, most of the funds flowed to a Chinese individual named Cheng Chuanbiao. This person had connections with the HuaQing Gang, a Chinese gang in Los Angeles. The HuaQing Gang, in turn, had ties to the old Green Gang from Mist City in China, resulting in a complex social background.

Issues related to gang-affiliated money laundering could be dangerous. Therefore, Little Mike chose to warn Dean to prevent his partner from getting into trouble because of his girlfriend, which could affect the pharmaceutical company's progress.

Even though Little Mike spoke nonchalantly, Dean was still very grateful. He was just a person; he couldn't predict the future nor could he preemptively shield his loved ones from potential dangers. Reality isn't like the movies, where the villain captures the heroine and conveniently waits for the protagonist to arrive before making a move, thus giving the hero a chance to turn the tables.

Now things were different. Dean planned to personally intervene in the case; he certainly wouldn't let his girlfriend fall into danger!