Chapter 563 - 368: Li Wei: Sorry, I’m a Cheater

Chapter 563: Chapter 368: Li Wei: Sorry, I’m a Cheater

Li Wei handed the whiskey to Flynn as he walked over from the living room. "Sorry for the intrusion, Chief."

"I hope you haven’t brought me a bag full of gold like a certain entrepreneur did before," Robert Flynn smiled. "If so, I’ll have to ask you to leave."

He took the bag and peered inside. "Redbreast 21-Year-Old Irish Whiskey? You really know how to choose."

"I only recently learned about it," Li Wei said with a straight face.

Hearing this, Anya smiled and gave Li Wei a light punch in the lower back.

The Flynn family’s living room wasn’t large, but it was exceptionally neat. The walls were covered with family photos: Flynn in his Marine Corps uniform during his younger days, his son Sean Flynn, and group portraits of the whole family.

The dining table was already set, and the aroma of baked pie and beef stew drifted from the kitchen.

Everyone took their seats. After some casual conversation, Flynn put down his knife and fork, looking at Li Wei.

"By the way, Li Wei, there’s something I wanted to mention to you." He wiped the corner of his mouth. "After the commemorative long-distance run last time, we ran a lab report."

Margaret stood up at the perfect moment, saying to Anya, "Darling, I’ve planted some flowers. Would you mind coming to see them with me?"

"I’d love to," Anya said. "I’ll go with you."

After the two women left, Li Wei looked at Flynn.

"Is it because the effects were too good?" he asked with a smile. "So you suspect there are stimulants in it?"

Robert Flynn nodded. "Exactly. Eighty-nine percent of our participants broke their personal best records. Several division heads from the logistics department have been bringing it up to me.

"They want me to include LW beverages in the Los Angeles Police Department’s daily procurement list, making them a standard supply for training and patrol duties."

Li Wei’s interest was piqued.

The Los Angeles Police Department had over 10,000 officers in total. If he could secure this procurement contract, it wouldn’t just be about the sales volume; it would serve as a landmark endorsement.

Once this signal was sent out, other law enforcement agencies—even military procurement departments—might come knocking on his door.

Military procurement... Now that was a massive sum of money.

Hadn’t everyone heard the legends of a bag of screws costing 70,000 USD and a single coffee cup going for 10,000 USD?

"So, what stage is the process at now?" Li Wei asked. "Is there anything you need me to do on my end?"

Flynn shook his head. "It’s still in the discussion phase."

His tone didn’t sound like he was being evasive; it seemed he was genuinely hesitant.

Li Wei glanced at his system panel.

[Adaptability (Bronze)] activated!

Flynn’s expression didn’t show any obvious changes. He picked up his whiskey glass, took a sip, and continued.

"You have to understand, this isn’t like me personally buying a few cases to keep in the office," he said. "Once it’s on the procurement list, it involves taxpayer money. We have to go through formal bidding procedures, obtain FDA qualification approvals, and pass the city council’s budget audits."

"We can participate in all the initial steps," Li Wei said. "Whatever you need from us, we will actively cooperate."

"This isn’t about the procedure." Flynn waved his hand, hesitating for a moment. "Forget it, Li Wei. We’re on the same side here, so I won’t give you any of that bureaucratic nonsense."

He paused, then said, "The main thing is, I might resign from my position as chief of police soon and fully retire to take care of my son."

Li Wei was taken aback. "Take care of your son? What happened to Sean Flynn?"

Flynn was just about to answer when the sound of keys turning in the lock came from the front door.

A tall but slightly gaunt man walked in, wearing a faded Marine Corps hoodie, a dark stubble covering his chin.

With deeply sunken eyes and heavy dark circles, he looked more like a vagrant than the only son of the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.

"Sean," Flynn’s tone softened. "Have you eaten? Your mother saved some of your favorite—"

"Not hungry."

Sean Flynn cast a glance at Li Wei, and then at Anya out in the garden. There was no ripple of emotion in his eyes, nor any expression on his face.

He simply strode straight across the living room, entered the room at the end of the hallway, and locked the door behind him.

Robert Flynn’s hand, holding his whiskey glass, froze in mid-air.

"You asked me just now what happened to Sean." He sighed. "You’ve seen it for yourself."

"Sean previously served in Afghanistan with the Marine Corps," he said with a hint of regret, his tone holding not a shred of pride.

"During an operation in Helmand Province, he stepped on an IED—an improvised explosive device," he explained. "His left leg was blown to pieces from the knee down."

"The field hospital performed emergency surgery, and they managed to save his leg," Flynn said. "But the recovery period was close to two years, and do you know what the military hospital gave him? OxyContin!"

Li Wei had some impression of it; it was a potent opioid painkiller.

"Later, the bones in his knee had to be reconstructed three times. After every surgery, the doctors increased his dosage." He absentmindedly rubbed the rim of his glass with his thumb. "Eventually, he became addicted to opioids...

"After he was discharged, I squeezed him into the Los Angeles Police Department, over at the Hollywood division," he continued. "I thought that with a stable job and a regular routine, he’d be able to kick the habit."

"There are quite a few drug-abusing celebrities in Hollywood," Li Wei noted.

"Exactly," Flynn said slowly. "And the people he met during his rehab still slip him all sorts of junk from time to time."

"And now?" Li Wei asked. "Is he doing any better?"

"Now, it’s under my forced control," Flynn said. "I used some of my influence... I’ve cut off all the channels he could possibly reach. I monitor his bank accounts and his phone. Even his partner has to report to me regularly. But as you can see, the relationship between us is incredibly strained."