Chapter 29 Special Passage

Frank was efficient. It had only been a day, and the identity issue was already resolved.

How the identity issue was resolved was still unknown, but Arthur felt that as long as it was resolved, any method would do, even if it meant getting a fake ID.

The meeting place was a café. When Arthur followed Frank into the café, he saw the person who could help him with his identity.

A middle-aged man with black-framed glasses, who looked to be in his thirties, was a bit short and chubby, a Caucasian dressed in a suit and shirt, the kind that would blend into a crowd.

Frank walked directly to the opposite side of the middle-aged man and smiled, "Hello, I'm Frank."

The middle-aged man extended his hand and gestured, "You can call me Palin. Please, have a seat."

Frank and Arthur sat down, and Palin went straight to the point, "I received a call from Mr. Smith. You need an identity?"

Frank pointed to Arthur and said, "It's him."

Palin looked at Arthur, gave him a scrutinizing look, and asked, "Do you have a criminal record?"

Arthur was taken aback for a moment and immediately said, "No!"

"Which country are you from?"

"Hua Xia."

Palin nodded and said, "Green card for a hundred thousand, citizenship for two hundred and fifty thousand, using the CIA's informant protection policy, taking the fast track for special talent protection, it can be done quickly. Any problem?"

Arthur was taken aback. This didn't seem like a fake ID, and it wasn't a joke either. But what was the CIA's informant protection program?

Seeing Arthur's confusion, Frank whispered, "Get citizenship."

A green card was a permanent residency, but citizenship meant becoming a U.S. citizen. Arthur didn't want to change his nationality, so he subconsciously shook his head and said, "I don't want to change my nationality. Just the green card will do."

Palin nodded and said, "A hundred thousand for the green card, done in three months, no need to swear allegiance, you can legally stay in the U.S. during this period."

Frank frowned and said, "Three months is a bit long. Can it be faster?"

Palin shrugged, "Yes, with an additional rush fee, an extra thirty thousand dollars can speed up the bureaucratic process."

Frank looked at Arthur and said in a tone that brooked no argument, "Choose rush."

A hundred and thirty thousand dollars. Arthur had no concept of such a large sum of money, so he didn't feel particularly upset about exchanging so much money for a green card.

Arthur nodded and said, "Then expedite it."

Palin took out a piece of paper from his briefcase and placed it on the table. He said, "Write your name, the name you want on the green card, your date of birth, and your original nationality."

Arthur took the paper and pen and wrote down his information. At this moment, Palin took out a phone, aimed it at Arthur, and said, "Look at me."

Arthur looked at Palin, and Palin took a photo. Then he took out an inkpad from his briefcase and said, "Fingerprinting, all ten fingers on the same paper."

Arthur instinctively resisted the idea of fingerprinting, so he looked at Frank. Frank, however, nodded and said, "No problem."

After fingerprinting, Arthur continued to write his information.

After finishing writing, he pushed the paper over. Palin picked it up and glanced at it, casually putting the paper into his nearby briefcase. Then he said to Frank, "Mr. Smith said he will pay me. Please confirm the amount with him. If there are no issues, I will deliver the expedited green card in three days."

Palin stood up, nodded politely, and said, "Goodbye."

Was that it?

Frank pulled Arthur, saying, "Don't stare at others. Let's go. We'll go to the company."

Arthur couldn't help but ask, "Is this real?"

"You mean the green card? Of course, it's real. It couldn't be more real."

"I mean the whole thing. It feels too easy, too easy to believe."

Frank said helplessly, "Buddy, you just spent a hundred and thirty thousand dollars. If you think it's easy, then spending money is easy. But earning one hundred and thirty thousand dollars is not easy."

"He just mentioned something about the CIA's special passage. How did he do that?"

Frank glanced at Arthur again, and said, "Of course, because he is CIA. The CIA provides immigration channels for foreign informants working for them. This is an important means for them to recruit informants."

Arthur exclaimed, "I won't be recorded as an informant by the CIA, will I? I don't want to be a CIA spy!"

"What are you thinking? This is just the CIA's way of making extra money with their informants. Don't make it seem like the CIA needs you."

Frank waved his hand, saying, "After you get the green card, apply for a gun permit and a driver's license. You need to learn to drive as soon as possible. You can't rely on me to be your driver forever."

A considerable amount of money was spent, but resolving Arthur's long-standing concern was worth it. Being undocumented felt uncomfortable, and not having an identity made everything inconvenient, even opening a bank account.

Next was the eagerly anticipated money distribution.

Everyone was called into the office. Frank got straight to the point, saying, "Our money has all been received, totaling two million and twenty thousand dollars. After deducting the costs, let's call it an even two million. Each of us gets four hundred thousand dollars."

Arthur's heart began to race. The number four hundred thousand excited him.

Frank looked at Arthur and said, "You spent a hundred and thirty thousand, so after deducting that, you have... two hundred and seventy thousand dollars?"

Arthur nodded, "Yes, two hundred and seventy thousand."

Frank let out a sigh, then smiled, "Okay, now you have two hundred and seventy thousand dollars, and you've passed the test. So, we formally invite you to join us for a big deal. Are you interested?"

Arthur's initial thought was to take the two hundred and seventy thousand dollars home, or even if he stayed in the U.S., he could send the money back home first. But considering that Frank had come this far with his proposal, could he say he wasn't interested?

"What kind of big deal?"

Frank sighed, his expression serious, "It's a deal to make big money, a deal that, if successful, could make you retire! I can't tell you exactly what it is yet. First, you must tell me if you're willing to join us."