CHAPTER 139: CHAPTER 139: NATHANIEL GALLAGHER, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO THIS TIME?

Josephine Thompson’s steps halted, and cold sweat instantly seeped from her back. "Sixteen counterfeits, nine missing..."

She repeated these two numbers softly, each word striking her heart like a heavy hammer.

This meant that just these two branches had issues with twenty-five valuable items.

Any single one of them could cause a stir in the auction market. Now, they had been replaced with fakes and their whereabouts were unknown.

"Who is listed as the ’borrower’ for the nine missing artifacts?" She turned and asked her assistant, her voice as cold as ice.

The assistant quickly handed over a photocopied registry page: "President Thompson, it says ’Audenburg Cultural Exchange Center’ on it. But I’ve checked, they never received these artifacts, nor are there any borrowing records."

"Forged loan records..." Josephine Thompson’s fingertips slid over the false endorsement, her gaze growing more somber.

"It seems they planned their escape route in advance, even considering such thorough cover-up measures."

Fortunately.

She herself was an appraiser and discovered the problem in time.

The actions were also swift, directly detaining all the involved curators and managers.

Now.

All that could be done was to mitigate the damage and find a way to retrieve the lost artifacts.

The security captain responsible for the interrogation hurried over, his expression grave: "President Thompson, Director Linton and Curator Sterling are tight-lipped. They only claim to have been momentarily confused and refuse to disclose the whereabouts of the genuine items, nor admit to having accomplices."

"Momentarily confused?"

Josephine Thompson sneered, "To have found such skilled counterfeiters, to accurately replace artifacts without being discovered, and to forge complete loan records. Who would believe that no one was behind this?"

"Pull up their family information and banking records from the past three years, as well as communication records. I refuse to believe we can’t find a flaw."

Josephine Thompson’s tone was resolute, "Also, have someone watch Deputy Manager Linton’s family, his nephew booked a ticket to The Sunda Archipelago last night, it might not be a coincidence."

The security captain immediately responded, "Yes, I’ll get on it right away."

Josephine Thompson took a deep breath, walked to the window, and gazed at the night outside.

The lights of Audenburg were brilliant, yet they could not illuminate the gloom in her heart at this moment.

What her grandfather passed down to her was not only these artifacts but also the reputation and responsibility of the Thornton Family over several generations. Now that someone was hollowing out the foundation right under her nose, she was determined to uproot this pest, even if it meant exhausting her strength.

"President Thompson, would you like to take a break? You’ve been busy all day," Ruby couldn’t help but advise when she saw her pale face.

Josephine Thompson shook her head, her gaze becoming sharp again, "Contact the insurance team, prepare for reporting losses. Also, notify the legal department to draft accountability documents. Regardless of who it is, if they were involved in this, none of them should think about getting away."

With that said.

She personally went to the interrogation room.

...

In the interrogation room.

The light was glaringly white, and the temperature was as chilly as frost.

Director Linton and Curator Sterling were confined in separate rooms, their faces weary, yet they remained stubbornly silent.

Josephine Thompson first entered Director Linton’s interrogation room and slapped a stack of bank statements on the table: "These are the payment records for your son’s purchase of a villa and luxury car overseas last year, fully paid at twenty million dollars. With your salary, even if you don’t eat or drink for ten years, I doubt you could save that much, right?"

Director Linton’s eyes flickered, and he stubbornly retorted, "That was earned by my son through his own business, it has nothing to do with me!"

Josephine Thompson’s expression was icy, unwilling to beat around the bush, "You don’t need to argue anymore. What I want to know now is how you managed to replace the antiques?"

The three treasured museums were equipped with three security keys.

All three keys were needed to open the vault door.

Her key has always been in the safe.

She really couldn’t understand how they managed to acquire the keys?

"..." Director Linton assumed a defiant stance, refusing to utter a word.

Fortune favors the bold.

Even stealing one antique would ensure a lifetime of wealth for their family.

Tricking just a few would lead to great success.

Such temptation was hard to resist.

Josephine Thompson’s heart chilled, "Director Linton, I must give you an opportunity. As long as you return the antiques, I can give you a break. No police, and no criminal charges."

Director Linton hung his head low, remaining as obstinate as ever.

Once meat was eaten, it was impossible to spit it back out.

Sacrificing himself to enrich his entire family.

It was worth it.

"Director Linton, I will ask you one last time, where did the key for replacing the artifacts come from? Where is the genuine item you hid?"

Director Linton didn’t even raise his eyelids, as if he hadn’t heard, his hands clenched tightly at the tips of his clothes, knuckles turning white.

"Do you think playing deaf and dumb will get you off the hook?" Josephine Thompson slammed the table suddenly, causing the documents on the table to leap, "Your son’s overseas account just received half a million yesterday, the remitter was an antique dealer from Burmia. Don’t you have any idea where this money came from?"

Director Linton’s body shivered slightly, but he still gritted his teeth and remained silent.

He just buried his head even lower, as if that could block out all questioning.

Josephine Thompson stood up, walked right in front of him, and looked down at him: "If you don’t return the goods, you’ll have to spend the rest of your life in prison."

"I don’t know..." Director Linton finally squeezed out a few hoarse words, voice raspy.

"I truly don’t know anything, how the artifacts were replaced, I don’t have the slightest clue... President Thompson, please spare me, I’m old and cannot endure any more torment..."

Josephine Thompson sucked in a cold breath, realizing she wouldn’t get any results from her inquiry.

"Fine, since you won’t return the items, we’ll just have to meet in court."

With those words.

She left the interrogation room with a heart heavy as lead.

Inside, her heart was scorched as if over a hot fire, unable to find peace.

Ruby looked worried, "President Thompson, in this situation, we might have to report this to the police."

Josephine Thompson appeared somber, speaking in an exhausted manner, "If they still refuse to disclose anything tomorrow, then we’ll have no choice but to alert the police."

The lost artifacts and antiques this time.

Totaled over five billion.

If they are not recovered, the losses will be catastrophic.

"President Thompson, you’ve worked all day, you should go back and rest a bit."

"Hmm..."

Josephine Thompson was utterly exhausted, compounded by an old injury that hadn’t healed, and now she was already on the brink of collapse.

She got into the car.

The driver was just about to start the vehicle.

Xenon headlights from a Maybach came in front of her.

The lights dazzled, making her feel dizzy, having to squint to avoid the glare.

Ruby glanced at the car, her heart immediately tightened, "President Thompson, it seems to be President Gallagher."

Upon hearing this, Josephine Thompson was even more agitated and upset, "Ignore him, just start the car."

"Oh, okay..."

Before the driver could step on the gas pedal.

Nathaniel Gallagher had already gotten out of his car and was striding over.

His car effectively blocked the way.

"Knock knock knock!"

Nathaniel Gallagher walked straight up to the car door and knocked on the window.

Josephine Thompson didn’t want to deal with him.

"Knock knock knock."

Josephine Thompson’s already anxious and heavy emotions instantly erupted, "Nathaniel Gallagher, can you not bother me anymore? What are you after this time?"