Chapter 104 The FBI's Covert Investigation

At twelve noon the next day, John had already parked the G63 4x4² in a parking space, the engine still running, and the car's air conditioning on.

He was wearing a dark green polo shirt, his hair was neat, his beard was clean-shaven, and he looked full of energy.

But Mu Xin noticed that he had a Glock 19 tucked into his waistband.

"You're carrying a gun?" Mu Xin opened the car door and sat behind the passenger seat.

"Habit," John started the car. "I carry it all the time."

Mu Xin didn't press the issue; John was a retired special forces soldier, he had a concealed carry permit, and carrying a gun was legal.

The car drove out of Oxford Town, headed north along Route 73, and then turned onto Interstate 71.

The scenery outside the window slowly changed from cornfields to rolling hills, and then from hills to the gray-white industrial buildings on the outskirts of the city.

Mu Xin leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and said nothing.

John glanced at him in the rearview mirror and also said nothing.

During the two-plus-hour drive, the car was quiet, with only the roar of the engine and the rustling sound of tires rolling over the road.

At 2:50 PM, the car stopped in the visitor parking lot.

"I'll wait for you here," John said. "Call me if anything happens."

Mu Xin nodded, pushed open the car door, and straightened his collar. The security personnel at the entrance had already been notified, and after checking his identification, they let him through.

The hallway was covered in deep red carpet, and the walls were hung with oil portraits of past Governors of Ohio.

Mu Xin walked past those portraits, looking at those unfamiliar faces, his heart devoid of any ripples.

An assistant led him to the small meeting room on the second floor.

It was the same as last time, except there were two glasses of water on the table—no coffee, no tea.

Mu Xin sat down, and in less than five minutes, the door was pushed open.

Governor Mike DeWine walked in, wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt, and a dark red tie.

He looked a bit older than the last time they met; his eye bags were deeper, and the wrinkles on his face were denser.

But his eyes were still sharp, still shrewd, and still carried that calculation peculiar to old-school politicians.

"Mr. Mu." Governor DeWine extended his hand, shook it, and the grip was a bit lighter than last time.

"Governor." Mu Xin released his hand and sat back in his chair.

Governor DeWine sat opposite him, leaned back against the chair, crossed his hands over his abdomen, and looked at Mu Xin.

He was in no rush to speak, and the silence lasted for nearly ten seconds.

Mu Xin didn't rush him either, just waited quietly.

"Mr. Mu," Governor DeWine finally spoke, his voice much lower than usual. "Do you know why I asked you to come?"

"I don't know." Mu Xin shook his head.

Governor DeWine looked at him, was silent for two seconds, then took out an envelope, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Mu Xin.

"Take a look at this first."

Mu Xin picked up the envelope, opened it, and pulled out the contents.

It was a photograph.

In the photo was a building with gray-white exterior walls, with the American flag and the Ohio state flag hanging at the entrance.

Above the main entrance of the building were engraved the words: "Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office."

Mu Xin's fingers paused slightly.

He put the photo back on the table and looked at Governor DeWine.

"What does this mean?"

"It means that someone is investigating you now," Governor DeWine's voice was very low. "Not people from the State Government, but people from the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

Mu Xin's heart sank, but his expression did not change at all.

"What are they investigating me for?"

"I don't know," Governor DeWine shook his head. "But I have a friend who works at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Cincinnati Field Office."

"He told me that recently, someone pulled your entry and exit records, bank statements, and all the filing documents for your investment projects in Ohio."

"When did this happen?" Mu Xin pressed.

"It started last week."

Mu Xin sighed lightly. "Who pulled them?"

"I don't know," Governor DeWine said. "The records were pulled using an internal system; it's impossible to trace exactly who it was."

"But my friend said that this is not a routine check; someone is specifically investigating you."

"Why?" Mu Xin's brow furrowed involuntarily.

"He doesn't know either, but he did say one thing," Governor DeWine's voice lowered even further.

"He said that recently, there are people in Washington discussing the topic of 'foreign capital infiltration into local politics.'"

"It's not aimed at you personally; it's a general reference, but your projects are too big and too conspicuous."

Mu Xin was silent for a few seconds.

He thought of Acton, thought of that fine from the Environmental Protection Agency, and thought of the words Governor DeWine had said before:

"You are Chinese, no one will target you."

No one would target him, but now someone was targeting him.

"Governor, who do you think it could be?" Mu Xin asked.

"I don't know," Governor DeWine shook his head. "But there are many possibilities."

"It could be your rivals. Although the Williams Family has collapsed, they operated in Oxford Town for over half a century and knew quite a few people."

"It could also be Acton's rivals. Acton is a Democratic Party candidate, and people from the Republican Party might want to use your projects to attack her, claiming she is colluding with Chinese capital."

"It could even be…" Governor DeWine paused, "someone within the federal government engaging in 'political correctness.'"

"In recent years, attitudes toward Chinese capital have become increasingly sensitive, and your projects just happened to land right in the line of fire."

Mu Xin leaned back against the chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the tabletop.

"Governor, what do you think I should do?"

Governor DeWine looked at him, silent for a few seconds.

"Mr. Mu, I'm telling you this not to scare you, but to warn you."

"Everything you have done is within the legal framework."

"The Water Plant acquisition, the power plant acquisition, the hotel project, the infrastructure donations—all contracts, all approvals, and all tax filings can withstand scrutiny."

"But just because you can withstand scrutiny doesn't mean others won't make an issue out of you."

"In the United States, some things aren't a matter of right or wrong; they are a matter of political correctness."

"You are Chinese; that is a fact you cannot change."

"In some people's eyes, a wealthy Chinese person running a business in the United States is 'Chinese capital infiltration.'"

"No matter what you do, this label will be stuck on you."

Mu Xin's fingers paused. "So you mean I should stop?"

"Not stop," Governor DeWine shook his head. "Be low-key."

"You did very well before, keeping the hotel under a brand name, hiding yourself behind the company, not showing your face, and not being flashy."

"But your projects are too big—too big to hide."

"A 120 million dollar hotel, a 50 million dollar Medical Center, a 60 million dollar college, plus the Water Plant, power plant, and infrastructure donations—your investments in Ohio are already approaching 300 million dollars."

"This figure, in any state, would attract attention."