Made himself a pot of tea, Jimmy drank absent-mindedly while slacking off just like Mark. He wasn't alone for long as Ruiz walked in from outside, "You're quite idle, aren't you."

Jimmy: "Just in time, I just made this tea, have a seat."

Ruiz, not standing on ceremony, picked up the tea Jimmy poured and took a sip, "I don't know if it's just my imagination, but your tea always seems to taste a bit better."

Jimmy: "Of course, it's the quality of the tea leaves. What's up?"

Ruiz: "About your subordinates, how have they been performing these past months?"

Jimmy: "Not bad, for newcomers, they're doing pretty well. Why? Are you planning to transfer them?"

Ruiz waved his hand: "No, just wanted to have a chat. Although there's no official rule, you should try to protect them. Since they've been under you for a few months, they've both already taken turns being hospitalized."

Jimmy was at a loss for words, thinking of the blow Mark took, for which he felt partly responsible, but Julia's shooting was not his fault at all. Julia was in the surveillance van with Mahong and the others; who'd have thought the gunman had three men lying in ambush outside?

Jimmy: "That was all an accident."

Ruiz: "I understand, these sorts of accidents are understandable in our line of work, but..." Ruiz was also weighing his words, knowing some things had to be made clear.

Ruiz: "You know, there's already word going around that most people who work with you end up in danger, including your former partners."

Jimmy sighed, "There's nothing I can do, hardly any of the cases we encounter are normal, and accidents are beyond anyone's control. They can say what they want, I don't care."

Ruiz: "Alright, as long as you're aware. I heard you've signed up for further education?"

Jimmy: "Yeah, you know, my educational qualifications are a bit lacking."

Ruiz: "So what are your plans? When will you finish?"

Jimmy: "Probably about a year to a year and a half... why such sudden interest? Is there an issue?"

Ruiz nodded: "I was planning to report it when restructuring occurs in the second half of the year, but... you're stuck on your qualifications."

Jimmy: "What's the problem? Wait, is it the education requirement?"

Ruiz: "An associate's degree just isn't sufficient; technically, with your current qualifications, you're not even eligible to apply to the Quantico Academy."

Jimmy took a sip of tea, realizing Ruiz had come specifically to discuss this. Clearly, it was a real problem; otherwise, as previously discussed, once he was back on track, he could be promoted to Supervisory Special Agent.

One of the FBI's recruitment standards is a college degree or higher. If it weren't for the influence of 9/11 when urgent expansion and internal referrals were needed, Jimmy wouldn't have qualified to join the FBI.

Jimmy: "Anything else?"

Ruiz shook his head: "There aren't any major issues otherwise."

Jimmy: "Alright, I understand, thanks."

Ruiz sighed too, and they casually chatted about Jimmy's upcoming wedding and honeymoon preparations before finishing their tea and parting ways.

Jimmy's mood wasn't great. He had considered that his educational qualifications might hold him back, but since they'd more or less agreed, he thought he'd be in the Supervisory Special Agent position a little longer. Now it seems he'll carry the Senior Agent title for over a year.

But rank doesn't affect his position. Ruiz had clearly stated that the temporary team leader role would soon end, and serving as Homicide Team leader as a Senior Agent wasn't a big issue. Given Jimmy's contributions, no one could really criticize.

In the afternoon, news finally came from Mahong's side. The tech department traced surveillance footage and successfully identified areas where several suspects frequented, within a few blocks of the Bronx. The remaining task was on-site investigation, but there were gaps in the road surveillance.

Jimmy had little interest in such field investigations, so he had Mark accompany Mahong, taking Jones' place for the field inquiry. Meanwhile, Mahong also pulled in additional support agents to head out with him.

The sole surviving suspect couldn't be interrogated yet. Though Jimmy hadn't aimed for the head when shooting, the bullet entered the torso at an angle. In fact, it had severely damaged his lungs, making it a miracle he'd survived. Right now, no one could speak with him as he was still reliant on an artificial lung. As to when he might improve, that depended on his recovery and the hospital's treatment capabilities.

As a result, Mahong's team had no choice but to rely on current clues to pinpoint the gunmen's location. Customs had already been contacted for information comparison, but when results would be available remained uncertain.

The auction robbery involved six robbers, plus an impersonating security guard and a driver outside, making the known team eight in total. Jimmy's group had encountered three in a warehouse and three outside, totaling six, meaning at least two were still at large.

The robbers had stolen 21 artifacts from the auction house, and Jimmy's group had recovered 13 pieces in a transaction. Although the full identification wasn't complete, Neil's side identified all 13 as stolen artifacts, leaving at least eight still with the robbers.

With such a quantity, moving it elsewhere for safekeeping would be difficult for just two people. They couldn't openly enlist help, which suggested that the artifacts were likely still at one of their former hideouts, waiting to be moved once reunited.

So if Mahong's team acted quickly, they could trap the criminals within a range. The challenge was locating them. However, it also needed to be taken into account that after the failed deal yesterday, the criminals would have heard the news, and they might have fled some with artifacts just to escape, potentially leaving New York.

After Mahong and Mark left, Jimmy contemplated for a long time before deciding to join in. Unlike others, he had an advantage with his unique skills, allowing him to see roughly what people inside a building were doing from the street. This ability was particularly useful in widespread searches, especially to detect unusual actions when agitating the criminals.

Checking the time, Jimmy went downstairs, got into his car, and drove to the Bronx. This district was the most chaotic of New York's five boroughs. It had always been said that handling cases here required extreme caution, as many seemingly inconspicuous people could be gang members, and conflicts could quickly escalate into gunfights.

Upon arrival, Jimmy received photos of the vans and the deceased from Mahong's hands. These were their only clues, and they'd need to use them to inquire throughout the neighborhood.

If it were just a regular robbery, Mahong wouldn't mobilize such a large operation. The crux was that Jones and Julia, two agents, were injured, elevating it beyond a routine case. It had become a personal grudge between the robbers and their FBI team. There was no need to hold back on retaliation; within their jurisdiction, they could act more assertively without complaints.

Jimmy noted numerous people keeping a wary eye from afar as they patrolled the neighborhood, likely hiding handguns. Though they appeared nonchalant, they observed the FBI's movements from a distance.

By evening, the entire neighborhood had been questioned, yielding no new leads, as locals were mostly uncooperative. Many, even if they knew something, would claim ignorance, effectively wasting time.

Jimmy also gained little. He could see plenty of people peeking from their windows at the agents in FBI jackets canvassing below. Still, he was certain that 90% of these observers were gang members. Identifying even their general identities would be exhausting, not to mention verifying if they were actually the target robbers.

Mahong felt helpless as well. He had to call the others via walkie-talkie to regroup and, after gathering the available information, they dispersed.

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