Chapter 15: Exposure!
Page 1 of 3
Boss Dai was severely troubled. With such an excellent undercover agent, he wanted to know whether it was Phoenix Tail Orchid or Young Tiger. Young Tiger was manageable, but if it was Phoenix Tail Orchid, Boss Dai would truly be grateful. He had never realized Phoenix Tail Orchid was so reckless before. Damn it, whether it was Young Tiger or Phoenix Tail Orchid, they were his ace operatives painstakingly planted within Unit 76. How could they be exposed so easily? Thinking this, Boss Dai snorted and said, "Mao Shu, contact her immediately and tell her to keep a low profile. Also, inform her that we have our own plan, and she must stay silent during this period—no reckless moves!" After Mao Shu left, Boss Dai relayed the same instructions to Shen Xing. Thus, Shen Xing was in charge of communicating with Young Tiger, and Mao Shu with Phoenix Tail Orchid.
In the Magic City, inside the office of the director of Unit 76, Zhao Xuan arrived immediately after returning. "Information leaked? When you arrived, the Military Intelligence Bureau had already made preparations, and the Operations Division suffered heavy losses?" Hearing this, Ding Moqun was surprised and asked, looking at Zhao Xuan’s angry expression. "Exactly, uncle. Our operation was absolutely secret. From capturing that Military Intelligence agent at the photo studio to setting off again to apprehend the Military Intelligence at the Xiafei Road stronghold, it took less than two hours." "In such a short time, even if they reacted, they wouldn’t know exactly when we would act. So, uncle, there’s a mole within our ranks!" Ding Moqun smiled, nodded in satisfaction at Zhao Xuan's response, and said, "As long as you’re alright, uncle, that’s a relief. From now on, remember when going on missions: be careful, careful, and more careful." "I’ll handle this matter. You should get some rest now; it’s almost time for Xiao Ya to finish school. Go pick her up." Zhao Xuan opened his mouth to respond but only hummed before leaving Ding Moqun’s office. Watching Zhao Xuan’s reluctant expression, Ding Moqun’s smile grew wider.
After stepping out and closing the door behind him, Zhao Xuan stood at the entrance, drawing in a sharp breath. As he left, he heard Ding Moqun’s thoughts, which made him break out in a cold sweat. (Phoenix Tail Orchid, Young Tiger… never expected there were two moles hidden. If we don’t root you out this time, the losses will be tremendous.) (After this, the Pangolin operation must be suspended for now.) Recalling Ding Moqun’s thoughts, Zhao Xuan quickened his pace, leaving the office building. Had he been exposed? No, probably not. But Ding Moqun knew his codename! Unit 76 still had a Military Intelligence agent codenamed Phoenix Tail Orchid undercover? And the one Zhao Xuan worried most about, Pangolin—that must be the spy Ding Moqun had planted in Mountain City. So, both his codename and that of Phoenix Tail Orchid had been revealed to Ding Moqun by this spy. Endless questions swirled in Zhao Xuan’s mind until he drove onto Jisifeier Road and finally calmed down. Driving along Jisifeier Road, the hairs on the back of Zhao Xuan’s neck stood on end. Startled, he quickly glanced at the rearview mirror. As an experienced criminal investigator, Zhao Xuan trusted his instincts. Someone was tailing him!
Page 2 of 3
Meanwhile, inside a courtyard house on Fuzhou Road, Li Mingzhu stared coldly at a telegram she had just received, her face darkening as she clenched her fists tightly. "Wasn’t he told to remain silent? A Xuan, what’s going on with you?" Taking a deep breath, Li Mingzhu could no longer hesitate. She left immediately and activated emergency contact protocols.
...
At No. 27 Jisifeier Road, Zhao Xuan did not drive straight to pick up Dao Ya. Being followed annoyed him greatly, so he decided to return home first to see if he could uncover who was tailing him. However, Zhao Xuan was disappointed—his pursuer was a master, leaving no trace behind. “Aunt Liu, I’ll go pick up Xiao Ya from school instead.” Changing clothes and stepping out, Zhao Xuan casually said this to Aunt Liu, who was busy at home. Aunt Liu paused her work and smiled warmly. “Son-in-law, be careful on the road.” Zhao Xuan nodded and was about to leave when the phone in the living room rang. Ring-ring-ring— After two rings, the call was cut off, then rang again a few seconds later, this time ringing continuously. Aunt Liu looked at Zhao Xuan questioningly, silently asking if he would answer. (If there really is a call, how did the master know?) At that moment, Zhao Xuan wanted to die. Because of this call, he had to answer. Two rings, then continuous ringing—this was the emergency contact code between him and Li Mingzhu. It was a last-resort way to reach him when no other means worked and there was an urgent matter. This contact method had to be replaced after one use.
Thinking of Li Mingzhu’s current predicament, she wouldn’t come looking for him directly. With the Magpie’s identity exposed, every agent in Unit 76 had seen Li Mingzhu’s photo. If she came here directly, the risk of exposure would be greater than using emergency contact. Furthermore, the emergency contact was set up at home because Zhao Xuan used to be home every day to pick up Dao Ya for lunch. Although Zhao Xuan had now joined Unit 76, his routine of picking up Dao Ya after school hadn’t changed, so the emergency contact remained the same. As for the risk of the call coming to his home—if Zhao Xuan could go to the rendezvous point, he wouldn’t answer; upon hearing the ring pattern, he’d go there directly. Even if someone else answered by mistake, the other side would likely just say it was a wrong number, hardly suspecting Zhao Xuan. But now, Zhao Xuan couldn’t go to the meeting point, so he had to answer! Aunt Liu’s unspoken thoughts completely unsettled Zhao Xuan. Did Ding Moqun know there would be a call? How was that possible? Even Zhao Xuan himself didn’t know. Was this Ding Moqun’s way of further screening him? Or simply a coincidence? Aunt Liu’s mental speculation about the phone might not be this call but a prearranged one. Li Mingzhu’s call happened to coincide with this timing, which explained Aunt Liu’s reaction. Analyzing this, Zhao Xuan felt this guess was the correct answer. Composing himself quickly, Zhao Xuan briskly picked up the phone. Aunt Liu stood up, moving a short distance away, pretending to wipe the cabinet. Seeing this, Zhao Xuan was utterly speechless. After answering, Zhao Xuan said directly, “May I ask who you’re looking for?” “Oh, Old Zhou’s daughter? Yes, yes, I ordered pork rib rice cakes. Someone at my home loves that taste. Delivery every other day, around this time.” “Of course it should be delivered today. Alright, that’s settled.” After hanging up, Aunt Liu beamed at him. “Son-in-law, you’re too good to the young lady. I’ve heard her mention those pork rib rice cakes countless times.” Zhao Xuan smiled and replied, “That little one is obsessed with that. I took her out for it last night, and it completely whetted her appetite. I don’t have much time to take her out now, so I arranged for it to be delivered straight home.” “Aunt Liu, I’m off now.” Saying that, Zhao Xuan turned and headed for the door.
On the other side, at a public phone booth on the main street of Fuzhou Road, Li Mingzhu froze for a moment listening to the muffled sounds on the other end, then quickly hung up and stepped out. Her expression was dark, and Zhao Xuan’s recent words kept flashing through her mind. “Of course it should be delivered today!” This meant the situation was urgent, and what he said must be followed. Just now, Li Mingzhu used the emergency contact to ask if Zhao Xuan had leaked information to the Xiafei Road stronghold. Zhao Xuan didn’t answer directly but instead said those puzzling words. Yet Li Mingzhu was not foolish; she understood Zhao Xuan was unable to speak plainly at that moment, perhaps even unable to hint at the truth. So, Zhao Xuan was being watched. And the pork rib rice cakes, made by Old Zhou’s daughter—meaning the cook surnamed Zhou. Li Mingzhu quickly identified the person Zhao Xuan referred to. Having stayed around Fuzhou Road for a long time, she was familiar with the basics here. Old Zhou was a local celebrity, a former imperial chef with excellent culinary skills. On her way to find Old Zhou, Li Mingzhu’s mind was troubled. She now realized her call might have caused trouble for Zhao Xuan. Originally, she just wanted to confirm Zhao Xuan’s safety to decide on the next step—rescue, support, or assistance. But Zhao Xuan’s words made her understand his situation was precarious, and her call, which would have been fine under normal circumstances, might have stirred up trouble this time. Therefore, the way to make amends now was to arrange everything according to Zhao Xuan’s instructions.
Page 3 of 3