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Chapter 535 - Chapter 535: I’ll Handle Certain Matters Thoroughly

Benjamin Arthur couldn't be in a better mood now that William handed him a video capable of making headlines. He watched the video, edited by Sunday, twice in a row and found no flaws in the portrayal of Ethan Hunt, who was expertly disguised as him.

After only a few minutes of contemplation, Benjamin knew exactly how to make use of this video. First, he planned to leak the story about Ethan disguising himself as Benjamin to save people—and do it immediately. Then, a day or two later, he'd discreetly release the video. Given the ongoing election, Benjamin understood the mentality of the American public well: not only did they love questioning everything, but they also tended to see conspiracies everywhere.

By releasing the story about Ethan's disguise immediately, people would naturally be suspicious of how quickly the news got out. They'd wonder how something from the White House could leak so fast. Even if they didn't fully believe or dismiss it, skepticism would certainly arise. This was precisely what Benjamin needed; he didn't care whether people believed the story or not—he was after the publicity and the attention.

Even if it was eventually discovered that it was actually him in the video, it wouldn't be an issue. After all, the White House had already disclosed the truth to the public. Besides, footage of him carrying Emily to the rooftop had already been captured by the media, and there was additional video evidence of his two-hour negotiation with the hostage-takers.

With this in mind, Benjamin immediately called his private advisor. Remembering how well Ethan's disguise had fooled people, he became concerned. He instructed Michael Banning to retrieve the equipment used to create the mask. Benjamin then personally deleted all data from the computer. Unsatisfied, he also had Banning destroy all storage devices in his presence, disregarding the potential damage that the smoke might cause to the White House's walls or floors.

Only after the burning was complete did Benjamin feel at ease. He remarked to William, "It seems that when the White House is renovated, security checks should be more stringent. I can't put any trust in fingerprint or retina scans anymore."

Benjamin's caution reminded William to retrieve the smart glasses he had lent him. He smiled and said, "That's your business, buddy. What you should be focusing on now is how to deal with the hidden enemies pulling the strings. Mishandling this could cause more harm than what happened today. You might even end up having to let some people who want you dead go."

William added, "From now on, if you want to see me, it'd be better to meet elsewhere. In fact, unless necessary, let's stick to phone contact. I don't want to go through something like this again."

Benjamin understood what William meant. Even if he wanted revenge, it might be impossible to bring all the hidden players to justice. It was likely he'd have to let some go once he had secured satisfactory benefits. However, one thing was certain: Speaker Eli wouldn't be escaping accountability this time.

The thought of sparing some of the orchestrators left Benjamin fuming. With a dark expression, he said, "Don't forget, we're in this together. If I go down, you won't have an easy time either."

"Relax, you do what you need to do. There are certain matters I'll handle cleanly."

With that, William said goodbye to Benjamin, holding the sleepy Emily as he walked out of the White House and handed her over to her mother, Melissa. Emily was thrilled to see her mother and happily went to her, but she quickly turned back to William. "Mr. Devonshire, does our agreement still stand?"

William thought for a moment and smiled. "Of course. As long as your mother agrees and you're on break, you're welcome to visit Oxford Castle. The doors of Devonshire Castle will always be open to you."

With that, William put a bracelet on Emily's wrist, made up of eight small spider-robot beads, and advised her seriously, "Wear this at all times. If you're ever in danger, these beads will protect you."

"A charm?" Emily waved at William, then kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Mr. Devonshire. It's a deal—I'll visit Devonshire Castle on my next break."

"OK, no problem. Just call me, and I'll have someone come to the States to pick you up." Then, using his psychic powers, William removed two tiny earpieces from Emily's ears.

"No!" Emily protested as she felt the earpieces come out. "I still want to talk with Mr. Sunday. Please, Mr. Devonshire!"

"If you want to talk to Sunday, you can learn to go online. Once you're online, Sunday will be there."

"Really?" Emily asked, skeptical.

"Of course, really." William nodded with a smile. "Alright, you should head home now." He handed a business card to Melissa, telling her to contact him if she ever needed anything.

Melissa, slightly puzzled, took the card and thanked William. But her expression made it clear she saw him as a supervillain who might kidnap her daughter.

As for what mother and daughter would discuss once they got home, William wasn't concerned.

Just as he was about to board a helicopter provided by Benjamin's security team, he noticed Speaker Eli disembarking from another recently landed helicopter with a severe expression.

Seeing Eli, William reconsidered leaving. If he could interrogate Eli personally, he might quickly learn who was truly behind the recent incident. He followed Eli into the White House, where Benjamin presented the evidence William had provided and promptly detained Eli.

Confronted with hard evidence, Eli froze in shock. But after Banning cuffed him, Eli, realizing the game was up, began shouting that it wasn't over and that he had many powerful friends.

Watching the cursing Eli, William thought the man had completely lost his composure, actually admitting in front of everyone that he had allies behind him. Was he begging to be killed?

In that moment, William knew Eli would either commit suicide or be "suicided" soon. However, with Eli making a scene, William couldn't risk interrogating him in front of so many people. If he got involved openly, the military-industrial groups desperate to destroy evidence might turn their attention toward him.

Fortunately, he had Sunday. As William contemplated his next steps, Sunday reported to him, "Sir, regarding your earlier request to monitor the released hostages, I have identified a suspicious individual."

"Who?" William asked immediately.

"Alexander Denning, a defense contractor, arms dealer, and billionaire. From his recorded FBI interview, I noted that Denning claimed he came to the White House at the invitation of the Secretary of Defense to discuss a contract, but the Secretary had already been killed by the hostage-takers."

Donning his smart glasses, William saw Alexander Denning's photo and profile appear. He looked oddly familiar.

This wasn't someone he knew personally, so it must be a character from some movie plot. "Alright then, keep an eye on Mr. Denning for me."

"Yes, sir."

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