She is a natural disaster.

Chapter 27 Two Section Chiefs

Hector Evans kicked open the office door and strode into the office with an air of authority.

He was the head of the criminal investigation department and Jolina's direct superior. He wasn't a domineering person, but he was here tonight to stand up for Jolina.

"Gregory, you've overreached."

Ignoring Barnes' increasingly unpleasant expression, Evans sat down on the sofa as if he were the master of the office.

"Gregory, I'm sitting right here. Where are you transferring Jolena?"

Upon hearing this, Jolina looked at Evans with a puzzled expression. This time, she was genuinely confused. Had her boss taken the wrong medicine tonight?

Jolena knew that Hector Evans had always taken good care of her. At first, she thought that Evans, who was middle-aged, was trying to engage in a power-for-sex deal and was a filthy old man.

However, this idea was quickly proven wrong. Jolena realized that she had misunderstood Evans. Evans' care for her was that of an elder caring for a younger person, like a kind father taking care of his daughter who was just entering society.

Jolene Joyce was grateful for this, so she didn't want to drag Evans into the dangerous situation.

Among the section chiefs of the Upper East Side Police Department, Hector Evans was the best-tempered one, so good that he had no temper at all. Almost everyone thought he was just coasting along and only looking forward to retirement.

However, this incompetent section chief actually went against the most powerful action section chief in order to protect Qiao Lina.

"Gregory, do you have the chief inspector's transfer order?" Evans asked. "If not, Jolena is still in my criminal investigation department; she's not going anywhere."

At the detective level, promotions and appointments all require the approval of the chief detective; Gregory Barnes has no authority to make such decisions on his own.

Faced with Hector Evans's probing questions, Barnes, who was known for his assertiveness, fell silent.

"Joolina, you can go out now," Evans said to Joolina. "I have something I want to talk to Gregory about."

Jolena first glanced at Evans, who was acting unusually, then at Barnes, who remained silent, before slowly walking out of the office. However, she didn't go far, as she was somewhat worried that the two section chiefs might start fighting like children.

However, Jolena's little scheme could not be hidden from the two section chiefs, and Evans got up and closed the office door.

The bright and clean section chief's office immediately fell silent, eerily quiet.

The two section chiefs were old friends and had worked together for many years, but neither of them spoke first to break the silence.

The furious Gregory Barnes remained silent, as did the uncharacteristically silent Hector Evans. They simply stared at each other in silence.

The silence between the two lasted for five minutes before the assertive Barnes finally spoke.

He asked softly, "Are you really going to stop me, Hector?"

"Did I ever stop you from dealing with Montague?" Evans countered. "I don't think I did."

Before yesterday, the lower and middle-level officers of the Upper East Side Police Station may have been unaware of the conflict between the station and Montague, but the senior section chiefs were all well aware of it.

No section chief stepped forward to stop Gregory Barnes. Some were in cahoots with him, some dared not voice their opposition, and some appeared to do nothing but harbored other plans.

"I won't stop you from climbing the ranks, nor will I stop you from continuing to deal with Montague, but not Jolene," Evans said. "As long as I'm in the police department, I'll fight anyone who dares to mess with Jolene."

"And do you know what your Jolene has done?" Barnes sneered. "She brought back four corpses last night!"

"So what if she brought back four corpses? She's a detective; it's part of her job," Evans said dismissively. "You're not that naive, are you?"

The implication is that Barnes's dealings with Montague could not be kept secret at all.

Even if Jolina hadn't brought the four bodies back to the police station, the matter would have been exposed sooner or later and become common knowledge.

Bill Montague is a well-known billionaire, and the shocking incident of his son being attacked on his way home could easily become a major scandal.

"So you know LeBon Dupont is dead?" Barnes, standing by the window, pointed outside. "His body was hung on the lamppost by the door. Do you think Joyce has nothing to do with this?"

"Of course I know that bastard Dupont is dead, otherwise why would I have rushed over from home?" Evans said dismissively. "If you ask me, that bastard Dupont should have died a long time ago."

"That bastard deserved to die, but not like this!" Barnes roared. "A senior detective dying in front of the police station is a provocation against the police system!"

Evans waved his hand and said, "It's not that serious. If they really wanted to provoke the police system, they should have hung the body in front of the newspaper office."

"Do you even know what you're saying, Hector!" Barnes stared at Evans in disbelief. Even if he wanted to protect his own, he shouldn't have gone this far!

"You attacked Montague first, so can't Montague retaliate?" Evans said matter-of-factly. "I think this is just the beginning. Since Montague has started to fight back, he can't just target that fat pig."

Gregory Barnes knew this perfectly well, without Hector Evans needing to remind him.

Montague's official retaliation and pressure are easy to deal with; those at higher levels will take full responsibility and retaliate, making it impossible for Montague to recover.

However, Barnes had to deal with Montague's private revenge on his own, which is why he stayed in the police station office. As long as he didn't leave the police station, it would be difficult for the private revenge to fall on him.

However, Le Bon Dupont died, and his body was hung on a street lamp directly opposite the police station's entrance. The Upper Town Police Station was humiliated, and its authority was rendered meaningless.

Once a secret revenge begins, it will never end easily. Montagu's sword is already hanging over Barnes' head, ready to fall at any moment.

"From the moment you decided to target Montague, you should have expected this day to come," Evans continued. "Montague is not some nobody who can be easily manipulated."

"Did I have a choice?" Barnes gave a wry smile. "I didn't have a choice. I was just the glove they chose, a glove that could be discarded at any time."

Hector Evans, a seasoned veteran of the police system for decades, knew the ins and outs of it all. His old friend had no choice but to obey orders.

Either Montague and his entire family die, or Barnes and his entire family die; the ending was written from the very beginning.

"Of course, I never thought of refusing. Why would I refuse? This is an opportunity I've been dreaming of!" Barnes said.

The window reflected Gregory Barnes's silhouette, which looked somewhat deranged.

"As long as the attack on Mike Montague is a huge success, as long as Bill Montague is trampled to death, I'll gain the approval of my superiors, and I'll rise through the ranks!"

Gregory Barnes suddenly turned around and pointed at Hector Evans, who was sitting on the sofa.

Barnes continued, "Do you think I had a choice? I didn't. I could only become a disposable glove, the only way I could keep climbing! Climbing into the Central District Office, into the Security Bureau, even into the Administrative Division!"

Gregory Barnes, standing by the window, had a distorted expression, a look that was neither a smile nor a cry.

The goddess of fate is a bitch, and that has never changed from beginning to end.

Hector Evans sighed helplessly; he was powerless to change his old friend's fate, or even to offer any effective help.

The attack on Mike Montagu was orchestrated by the Beyonders, a fact well known to the police chiefs. The Bureau of Paranormal Investigations had already visited and taken away the attacker's body.

Since the attack was orchestrated by the Beyonders, Montague's retaliation will inevitably also be orchestrated by them. The gates of the Upper City Police Department may stop the Beyonders for a while, but they will not stop them forever. Sooner or later, they will find Gregory Barnes.

Gregory Barnes wants to survive, but he must either betray the owner of the glove or end this persecution of the Montagues as soon as possible, leaving the Montague family with nowhere to be buried.

"Gregory, perhaps you could ask the chief inspector for help," Evans said. "He might have a way."

"Don't mention that good-for-nothing to me," Barnes said. "A good-for-nothing who only climbed to the position of chief inspector because of his family's connections. I'd rather die than ask him for help."

Hector Evans knew his old friend would refuse the offer without hesitation; he simply wanted to remind Barnes that their chief inspector might be able to mediate and protect Barnes in the power struggle between the two sides.

Having said all that, Evans didn't want to try to persuade him anymore. Since Barnes had chosen to gamble his life on a future, he should accept the consequences.

"Gregory, I have only one request," Hector Evans said, "Don't hurt Jolene."

"You really treat her like your own daughter," Barnes said. "Does she know that your mistake killed her father?"

Hector Evans fell silent.

"So she knew nothing at all," Barnes continued. "If she knew the truth about what happened back then, what do you think she would think of you?"

“That’s Jolina’s business. If she wants to kill me, I’ll give her my life,” Evans said. “It’s something I owe them, mother and daughter. Debts always have to be repaid.”

"I'm sorry, Hector, I cannot grant your request," Barnes said. "If she continues to interfere, she will only be a casualty of Montagu."

As he spoke, Gregory Barnes suddenly laughed.

He continued, "If she really were to be buried with Montague, then the debt would be settled with her, and you would owe no one anything."

Hector Evans shook his head, clearly disagreeing with Gregory Barnes's claim that debts are settled upon death, implying that the debts he owed could never be repaid in his lifetime.

"I'll collect your body, Gregory."

"Thank you, Hector."