Chapter 1546 - 1547: Hamster
Zhao Gongming’s exposure caught Zhang Lu and Li Tong off guard; previously, there were no signs at all. A familiar face, a hero of the research institute, suddenly turned into a traitor. The contrast was shockingly overwhelming.
And then, a strong wave of anger followed.
Zhang Lu felt slightly better, as he wasn’t close with Zhao Gongming.
Especially Li Tong, she felt extremely disgusted. Before, she even pleaded on behalf of Zhao Gongming, naturally believing he was a good comrade. But now, besides the fury overwhelming her, she no longer felt any goodwill towards Zhao Gongming.
"I must personally bring Zhao Gongming, this disgrace, to justice," Li Tong said coldly.
Ye Fan made things difficult for Zhao Gongming, aiming to prevent a second voice within the institute from issuing commands. Honestly, he hadn’t expected Zhao Gongming to be the organization’s disgrace, an undercover traitor for the enemy.
"What should we do now?" Zhang Lu asked indifferently, "Should we capture Zhao Gongming and interrogate him? Obtaining the information we need should be easy. I believe it won’t be difficult to make Zhao Gongming talk."
"Team leader, just give the word. I want to capture him myself," Li Tong promised coldly.
"Don’t alert the enemy prematurely; keeping Zhao Gongming might have unimaginable benefits. The enemy hiding in the shadows makes it difficult for us to act. We can use the Zhao Gongming incident to lure the enemy out, with the key as an irreplaceable bait," Ye Fan said resolutely.
He made this decision after thorough consideration of the pros and cons before resolutely deciding.
"What do we do next?" Li Tong asked eagerly.
"Wait," Ye Fan said with certainty.
"Wait?" Li Tong was full of doubt.
"That’s right, just wait." Ye Fan explained, "Any action might alert the enemy. So, let’s simply do nothing and let the enemy move first. We’ll counter with stillness. The key is already in the enemy’s hands; they’ll act sooner or later. We just need to track them quietly and carefully fish out the other big fish besides Zhao Gongming."
Neither Zhang Lu nor Li Tong opposed this strategy. Naturally, they fully agreed and supported it.
"How do we arrange personnel?" Li Tong worriedly asked. "The institute and action team both have enemy spies. Any slight movement may expose us and alert the enemy prematurely, which would be a disaster."
"By not using any detectable personnel, we can still gather a substantial team enough to handle upcoming crises."
Ye Fan insisted, "Let Qiu Wen, Shen Yaqing, Yang Shu, Qian Weiguo, Shen Tingting, Gao Qiang, and Zhang Kui act secretly and fully handle the Zhao Gongming incident. This way, the enemy won’t detect us early, allowing us to gain tremendous benefits."
"Surprise attack, take the enemy off guard; it can put them in a bind," Zhang Lu nodded in agreement.
"The enemy is bound to be dumbfounded," Li Tong sneered.
Ye Fan’s instructions were issued.
Qiu Wen and others were already secretly monitoring Zhao Gongming’s every move.
Next comes the waiting.
......
Zhao Gongming looked at the copied key in front of him, unable to hide his struggle and dilemma.
For the first time, he was doing something that could cost him his life; he was stuck with no way out, without any choice left.
Even now, he hesitates; one more step forward, and there’s no turning back. But he had to take that step.
After a struggle between heaven and man, he resolved himself.
And so, took out his phone and dialed a number.
The owner of this number is Cheng Mu, Zhao Gongming’s superior.
"Hamster, ha-ha, you finally called. I believe you have good news. If the situation weren’t urgent, I wouldn’t risk exposing you, setting you up for this task. After all, your value is substantial; it’s not time for your exposure yet," Cheng Mu laughed, secretly mocking Zhao Gongming for knowing his worthless status before answering the call.
The "Hamster" Cheng Mu referred to was naturally Zhao Gongming, the inside line.
Being able to plant such a deep and crucial nail in the institute shows that Cheng Mu and others have grand plans and foresight.
The key is simply too crucial; Cheng Mu and others must obtain it. Otherwise, Zhao Guangming would continue to lie dormant, not showing himself easily.
"Hamster, hello!" Cheng Mu’s charming voice came through.
"I’ve got the goods; should I deliver them to the usual place?" Zhao Gongming asked angrily and discontentedly, wanting to keep the conversation brief. His tone showed he didn’t want to indulge in unnecessary chit-chat.
"Hamster, you’ve performed well; I’m very satisfied," Cheng Mu complimented with a smile, then confusedly asked, "But why do I feel you hold a significant bias against me? In the future, our cooperation will be frequent; you will understand the stakes. How can you speak coldly to me? It makes me so sad."
She didn’t rush to answer Zhao Gongming’s question but talked about other things, trying to connect and act casually.
"You still have the nerve to say that?"
"Do you still have a face?"
"What was the original agreement? I was only supposed to do trivial things, but now, you’re forcing me into a dead end. Are you still human?"
"With you faithless scoundrels, I have nothing to say."
Zhao Gongming’s resentment was deep, unleashing a flood of complaints towards Cheng Mu.
"Is your resentment deep?" Cheng Mu giggled, unfazed by Zhao Gongming’s accusations, still greeting him with a smile. "Hamster, why can’t you understand? Ever since you betrayed your organization, we’re tied together. You should know this, but you don’t want to admit it."
Cheng Mu was patient, calmly consoling and advising.
This critical chess piece mustn’t face any issues, according to Cheng Mu.
Zhao Gongming’s role is significant; that’s an apparent truth.
Cheng Mu understood that Zhao Gongming, by venting his resentment and dissatisfaction, would earn more trust, ensuring Zhao Gongming wouldn’t falter.
If Zhao Gongming concealed everything, that’s when problems would arise.
"Enough talk; what about the goods?" Zhao Gongming asked coldly, offering Cheng Mu not a hint of kindness.
"Just a moment, I’ll consult with ’Hunter Cat’ and then give you an answer," replied Cheng Mu.