The next day, Jimmy Yang arrived at the FBI's Chicago office to report in. Hughes had given him the phone number of a supervisor here, but instead of meeting anyone, he was taken straight to a conference room being used by the Special Service Bureau.

There were already many people in the conference room, with agents from the Special Service Bureau assigning tasks. Jimmy was still late.

Just by observing their arrangements, one could see the Special Service Bureau was truly impressive. They had meticulously planned every detail of the schedule, with dedicated personnel assigned to each task. The hotel hosting the banquet was the responsibility of the Special Service Bureau, while the FBI and the Chicago police were in charge of the surrounding two-block area, and traffic control along the route from the Vice President's residence to the hotel was managed by the police.

Several buildings around the hotel had been assigned specific agents to investigate and control, ensuring there were no vulnerable points facing the hotel. The surrounding roads had been designated with four ingress and egress routes, which could be adjusted as necessary. Two Cadillac limousines with bulletproof capabilities were on standby, one to be used by the Vice President and parked in the underground garage, and the other positioned discreetly outside the hotel for backup and emergency situations.

Hotel fire exits, entrances and exits, dining areas, restrooms, and ventilation ducts were all being monitored and inspected, with staff deployed at each access point to physically screen the visitors. Of course, it was impossible to completely seal off the entire hotel since there were other guests staying there as usual. The Special Service Bureau simply closed off the two floors above and below the banquet hall and any passageways connecting to the hall while other hotel guests had normal access through other routes.

At the entrance to the banquet, guests would face security screening for metals, explosives, and firearms to prevent any incidents that might jeopardize safety.

The FBI's external arrangements had already been set, with each person taking responsibility for a section of the area, paired with the police for a portion of the security. Jimmy had arrived slightly too late and thus hadn't heard the assignments. But now was not the time for questions. After everything was arranged and the meeting concluded, the teams dissolved, and Jimmy briskly approached the Special Service Bureau agent who had been explaining the security plans.

Jimmy: "Hi, I am Jimmy Yang from the FBI's New York Manhattan office. I am here to cooperate with you as instructed by headquarters. Sorry for being late, do you have any assignments for me?"

The agent frowned: "Did we request support from New York? Wait here for a moment."

The agent left his position, spoke briefly with another agent, and then both left the conference room. Jimmy looked around the empty room, having no choice but to sit and wait.

After about fifteen minutes, the agent who had been giving instructions returned, "Sorry, because you weren't on our original list, we didn't have a position for you. You'll join us on guard duty in the banquet hall tomorrow evening."

Jimmy nodded, "OK, shall I follow you now or just go straight to the banquet hall tomorrow evening?"

Agent: "Be at the banquet hall by 3 PM tomorrow, report to Agent Tom Boppach. He's in charge of the security arrangements for the banquet hall."

Jimmy: "Understood, I'll head back then. Goodbye."

Jimmy was completely unfamiliar with the staff in the Chicago office. Now that his task was internal hotel security, he had no further assignments for today and the morning after. It was time for some leisure, which was fine since it meant less to worry about.

Jimmy spent a restful day in Chicago, but he wasn't in the mood for sightseeing. Chicago wasn't a place to wander around carelessly; one of its most notorious historical aspects was the traditional Italian gangs from Chicago. Even now, Chicago remains a city plagued with violence. In 2021, there were over 3,000 shootings, averaging ten a day, and nearly 800 murder cases, nearly double that of New York. Of course, most of the deceased were African Americans, and for someone of Chinese descent like Jimmy, it was relatively safer — but only just slightly.

For Jimmy, unfamiliar with the city's environment, any incident could have significant consequences and complicate the mission arrangements. He upheld professional ethics as an FBI agent, prioritizing the task at hand during his assignment with the Special Service Bureau over tourism, which could wait for another time.

His current mission was no simple matter; survival came first. It wasn't merely about avoiding being shot or getting into trouble, but there was also something Tom hadn't explicitly expressed concern over, something that weighed heavily on Jimmy: the possibility of being betrayed or sold out. Ever since Jimmy had noticed Tom associating with Frank and his group, he realized he had put Tom in a difficult position. Tom's willingness to contact Frank privately and meet with them had only one motive: Jimmy. For Tom to decide to see Frank indicated a lack of trust and unease about him.

Silly Jimmy, if something truly happened to Tom, you would be the biggest culprit.

Jimmy lay in his hotel bed, staring at the ceiling, the television droning on with something he paid no mind to. It was time to grow up a bit.

The following afternoon, Jimmy arrived early at the hotel and found Special Service Bureau Agent Tom Boppach in the lobby, reviewing deployment plans.

Jimmy: "Hi, Agent Tom Boppach. Jimmy Yang from the FBI New York office reporting for duty."

Tom Boppach glanced at Jimmy, looked down at the folder in his hands, and checked the list before confirming Jimmy's credentials.

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