Chapter 222 Entrapment Law Enforcement
William and Richard found a plastic bag in the flower bed by the entrance, containing something remarkably light.
The man had been extremely cautious—he'd wrapped it in three or four layers of plastic bags.
After finally peeling away the layers, Richard and William at last laid eyes on the Crystaphene.
This was William's first time seeing Isabella's experimental achievement. It was hard to imagine that this fist-sized object would soon revolutionize the new energy market.
"Come with me," Richard said, his tone unexpectedly changed. For once, he was taking the initiative to invite William along.
To be fair, they'd found it together—William's contribution couldn't be ignored.
William's expression remained impassive as he reminded Richard, "If you don't hurry, Isabella's going to be in serious trouble."
Clutching the Crystaphene, Richard immediately took off running toward the press conference venue.
Isabella was still facing the reporters' interrogation, desperately trying to fend them off.
Richard knew he couldn't just walk up and hand it over directly—that would only invite more questions from the reporters.
They'd broadcast every detail of today's events to the world.
The company would still face suspicion.
After weighing his options, Richard decided to pull a sleight-of-hand trick right in front of the media.
He had someone prepare the necessary experimental equipment, then personally took the Crystaphene onstage.
Isabella assumed Richard was planning to come clean.
"Mr. Spencer, you know better than I do what consequences this kind of experiment will cause."
Making Isabella personally expose Infinity Ventures Corporation's deception? People would speculate they'd never actually created Crystaphene at all.
While others busied themselves setting up the experimental apparatus, Richard produced the Crystaphene from behind his back like a magician and quietly slipped it into Isabella's hand.
"Relax. We found it. I won't let you be humiliated."
The weightless, foam-like object in her hand was unmistakably the Crystaphene Isabella herself had created.
When no one was looking, Isabella made the switch.
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Isabella flashed a confident smile.
"Since everyone's so eager to see the experimental process, to prove Infinity Ventures Corporation's capabilities, I'll conduct the demonstration right now."
As the audience watched in amazement, that feather-light material effortlessly completed the charge-discharge cycle.
Just as Isabella had claimed, its storage capacity exceeded traditional new energy batteries by more than five times.
When the experiment concluded, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.
Richard, standing in the back, finally exhaled in relief.
By the time the press conference successfully wrapped up, Isabella's palms were slick with nervous sweat.
"What exactly happened? How did you suddenly find the Crystaphene? Does it have something to do with someone inside our company?" Isabella bombarded Richard with questions the moment she saw him.
William approached as well.
Isabella was about to turn hostile when Richard raised his chin slightly. "William helped find the Crystaphene this time."
Isabella froze instantly.
Richard recounted everything that had just happened. Isabella listened, utterly dumbfounded.
"Where's the man now?"
"Already handed over to the police. We should head there now to deal with it."
They needed to give statements. Isabella wanted to see for herself who this person was—the one who'd run them in circles and left her squirming onstage in embarrassment.
Isabella raised an eyebrow, then turned to look at William, who'd been following along. "He's coming too?"
William laughed in disbelief. "I'm a party to this case and an eyewitness. Plus, I helped catch the guy—and you people nearly framed me. Why the hell shouldn't I come?"
A slight smile curved Isabella's lips as she rolled her eyes upward.
"Suit yourself."
If William had time to waste, he could tag along. Isabella certainly didn't mind the hassle.
At the police station, they encountered the man who'd been scared half to death.
He had utterly unremarkable features—the kind of face you'd never look at twice in a crowd.
According to the police, his name was Jesse Turner. He was indeed a reporter, and he had indeed taken the Crystaphene.
The moment Jesse started talking about his situation, his face filled with grievance.
"I swear, I was just doing someone a favor. I did take something from that lab, but I genuinely had no idea what it was for. I thought it was some cheap little trinket!"
Isabella burst out laughing. "Your assignment today was to cover this event. How could you not know what Crystaphene does or how important it is? The lab has security access, and the cabinet where we stored the Crystaphene was locked too."
Working in a secure laboratory, Isabella had implemented excellent safety measures. If Jesse didn't have inside help, how could he have possibly bypassed two layers of security?
Jesse knew lying was futile now. His face instantly turned ashen.
His mouth worked for a moment before he finally said weakly, "Fine... the keys were given to me by some young man. When he handed them over, he also gave me fifty thousand dollars. That's all I know! When we met, he was wearing sunglasses and a mask—I have no idea what he actually looks like!"
That was the extent of his knowledge. No matter how they pressed him, Jesse insisted he knew nothing more.
"If you don't have any other questions, we'll proceed with filing the case," the officer asked them.
Given the substantial theft amount plus Jesse's severe resistance, he'd likely face aggravated charges down the line.
Neither Isabella nor Richard had anything further to add.
But William suddenly spoke up.
"Perhaps we could use him as bait—flush out whoever's really behind this."
The officer paused. "Following standard procedure, he should go straight to detention pending trial."
"If we file this as a private criminal complaint and voluntarily agree to mediation, could he be released temporarily?"