Johnny Wong, who had always been anxious, never imagined that his supposedly secret cooperation with Nick Connan would be exposed by a policewoman who looked more like a supermodel than a cop.
Johnny Wong's face broke out in cold sweat instantly. He slightly raised his head, which had been half-buried, and looked at the two people sitting across from him. Realizing that they seemed confident and had him cornered, he understood that the police weren't bluffing; they really knew about his dealings with Nick Connan.
Sweat the size of soybeans started to form on Johnny Wong's face. He struggled internally, thinking about taking the blame alone, but fearing Nick Connan's brutal methods. Then, he heard the familiar man sitting next to the beautiful policewoman say, "I know what you're thinking. You're scared, right? You're afraid that Nick Connan will kill you for ratting him out, aren't you?
You know exactly what kind of demon you're dealing with, right?
You might even know that he's a ruthless killer, don't you?"
Caught in a mental battle and planning to deny knowing Nick Connan, Johnny Wong froze upon hearing Castle's words. He couldn't understand why the police, who already knew so much, were still questioning him.
Pale-faced, Johnny Wong's psychological defenses shattered under Castle's words. He looked up with difficulty at the man and woman sitting confidently across from him. "Why? If you know everything about me and Nick Connan, why put on this act?"
At this point, Beckett, the on-duty officer, couldn't say more. It had to come from Castle, the police consultant in name only. "Heh, because we only have intel on your relationship and transactions with Nick Connan. We haven't had time to get the evidence from your warehouse yet, so you'll have to confess. Don't worry, we'll tell the judge about your cooperation when the time comes."
Beckett, who had been silently pressuring Johnny Wong, couldn't stay silent anymore when Castle went too far. She glanced at the unreliable "consultant" and then formally addressed Johnny Wong. "Don't think you can get away with this. We've already applied for a search warrant while we were outside. My officers are now searching your warehouse where you store those DVDs from Hong Kong. We've found the white powder hidden in the DVDs.
We know it's not yours but Nick Connan's and his backer, Vulcan Simmons. To be clear, our targets are them, not you. You now have the chance to make a deal with us and the DA. This deal can save you from prosecution and get you into the witness protection program. You'll get a new identity and start over elsewhere. But the condition is, you must cooperate with us to take down Nick Connan and Vulcan Simmons..."
Beckett deliberately left her sentence unfinished, allowing Johnny Wong to ponder. Then she fell silent, watching the uneasy man across from her, confident that he was close to surrendering.
But to Beckett's surprise, even after she laid things out, Johnny Wong stubbornly kept silent, biting his lip hard. Beckett glanced at Castle, wondering if he had misjudged Johnny Wong's resilience or underestimated the fear Nick Connan instilled in him.
Noticing Beckett's dissatisfied look, Castle stopped observing and addressed the core issue directly. "It seems you're not just a transporter coerced by Nick Connan. From your behavior, you seem to have a deep understanding of Nick Connan and his backers' power.
Are you afraid that cooperating with the police might get you killed by them?
Do you even trust the police?
Right?"
Castle's words shocked Johnny Wong and surprised Beckett. She couldn't believe Castle was almost suggesting that there were people in the police working for Nick Connan. How could this not astonish her?
Castle couldn't explain too much in front of Johnny Wong. The priority was to dispel Johnny Wong's fear of Nick Connan and his backers. Ignoring Beckett's surprised look, Castle calmly told Johnny Wong, "I'm not a cop, just a police consultant. I know all about your dealings with Nick Connan. I can assure you, no matter how powerful his backers are or what arrangements they have within the police, he's done for.
Do you think you can escape unscathed?
I believe Nick Connan already knows you're in police custody. Do you think it makes any difference if you talk or not?
Even if we let you go, can you still survive?
Buddy, your only choice is to help us take down Nick Connan and Vulcan Simmons and join the witness protection program to start over. Think it over!"
Perhaps Castle's words struck a chord with Johnny Wong. After a brief silence, he finally raised his head. "Can you really get the DA to drop charges and put me in witness protection?"
Castle and Beckett exchanged a knowing glance, seeing that Johnny Wong had lost hope. Beckett seriously assured Johnny Wong, "Yes, if you cooperate, we'll apply to the DA to grant you immunity and put you in the witness protection program. Besides the four of us and my boss, no one in the police will know. You can rest assured."
Finally reassured by the police's formal promise, Johnny Wong felt relieved. Though he knew the DA would need to officially confirm the agreement, his broken psychological defenses couldn't wait. He began to recount his involvement in Nick Connan and Vulcan Simmons' drug ring.
Beckett didn't trick Johnny Wong, a key figure in the case but just a pawn to dismantle Nick Connan's drug network. When the DA arrived at the station, Beckett briefly paused Johnny Wong's confession to explain their deal. The DA supported Beckett's decision. When she re-entered the interrogation room, she wasn't alone. The DA presented the immunity papers to Johnny Wong.
Only then did Johnny Wong believe the police. With the DA's promise not to prosecute and immediate witness protection, he spilled everything about Nick Connan, the seemingly legitimate businessman, who was the biggest heroin smuggler from Afghanistan to New York, aside from the US military.
The interrogation lasted until nightfall. Castle quietly left after the DA arrived, needing to change clothes and reassure his daughter, Alexis, who had been alone since the previous night.
Alexis, a well-behaved child, managed fine without Castle's attention, and her grandmother, Martha, was with her boyfriend. Castle just needed to give Alexis enough allowance before fully focusing on helping Beckett handle the impending storm.
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