Chapter 50: The Capture

Although outwardly Dao Yan still appeared as cold and unyielding as an iceberg, her heart was already in turmoil.

(Dazhu? How could it possibly be Dazhu? If Dazhu had betrayed me, wouldn’t I have been exposed immediately?!)

(But Dazhu never revealed my identity, not even pretending to recognize me. What on earth is going on? What orders has Mountain City issued?)

(Could it be that Mountain City intends for Su Bai to infiltrate Unit 76? But none of this makes sense!)

Hearing Dao Yan’s inner thoughts, Zhao Xuan became absolutely certain that Su Bai had not defected, and his earlier guess was almost spot-on.

Mountain City was truly willing to make such a great sacrifice to let him continue his undercover work...

Wait, no!

Dao Yan’s thoughts were off!

It didn’t add up—no, it was impossible.

From beginning to end, Zhao Xuan had overlooked one crucial fact.

Su Bai didn’t even know him.

Since their encounter tonight, Su Bai’s inner voice never mentioned him. If he didn’t know him, then he definitely didn’t know he was You Hu.

Therefore, Su Bai’s mission was not to protect him. Most likely, it was to protect Dao Yan, to protect Feng Weilan!

Then, what about You Hu and his handler...

At the very moment Zhao Xuan picked up the file, Su Bai’s thoughts echoed in his mind.

“Feng Weilan, to protect you, We can only sacrifice You Hu and his handler.”

“You Hu, I’m sorry. This is Secretary Mao’s decision…”

Good, very good!

This guy had infiltrated Unit 76, and the target he was supposed to protect was Feng Weilan.

As for You Hu and the handler, Su Bai believed the intelligence was true, so he thought they had been sacrificed.

But Zhao Xuan still couldn’t fathom one thing: How could sacrificing You Hu and his handler possibly protect Feng Weilan?

Wouldn’t it simply throw Feng Weilan into the eye of the storm?

After all, with You Hu gone, Feng Weilan would be the only one left in Unit 76. Ding Moqun would never give up hunting her down.

What Su Bai was doing wasn’t protecting Feng Weilan—it was protecting You Hu.

So, the conclusion was simple.

Su Bai believed the intelligence he provided was real, but in truth, this information was a setup orchestrated by Director Shen of Mountain City, or perhaps directly by Boss Dai.

The purpose was to make everyone, even their own people, believe that You Hu had been captured—or even killed.

Deceiving their own allies!

Once Zhao Xuan figured that out, he opened the file and began reading, only to fall into another dead end.

It was the same problem as before: Su Bai’s actions only protected You Hu, while Feng Weilan became even more vulnerable.

Yet, why would Su Bai’s inner voice claim he was protecting Feng Weilan?

Therefore, Su Bai must have another mission!

Suddenly enlightened, Zhao Xuan silently put the file back into its envelope. At that moment, Lan Zehuizi smiled gently at him and said,

“Mr. Zhao, you truly are a dedicated professional. With that, the Special Operations Department is even more confident in appointing you as Deputy Chief of Unit 76’s Intelligence Division.”

...

On Fuzhou Road, inside a black Buick sedan, the farther they drove, the more anxious Zhao Xuan felt sitting in the back seat.

They had just passed the dead letterbox location set by Hu Niu. Although Zhao Xuan was unclear about Hu Niu’s exact safe house, he had a general idea.

And the destination they were heading to was within that very area.

“Mr. Zhao—no, Deputy Chief Zhao now—we’ve worked together before. Brother Xuan, since I joined, I haven’t had many people I respect, but you’re definitely one of them,” said Fan Dingfang, captain of the Operations Team, who had come with Zhao Xuan on this mission.

Hearing Fan use three different titles in one sentence, Zhao Xuan looked ahead calmly.

“Old Fan, no need for formalities between us. This mission will require your help and your team’s.”

Fan Dingfang laughed heartily and patted his chest.

“Brother Xuan, rest assured, we’ll definitely catch You Hu this time. Your position as Deputy Chief is rock solid!”

Upon arrival, Fan pointed to a house ahead.

“Brother Xuan, that’s our target’s place…”

Before he could finish, Fan suddenly grabbed Zhao Xuan’s arm and both pressed against the wall.

“They’re coming. That guy must be You Hu. He’s here to meet with his handler.”

Zhao Xuan nodded, but his feelings were mixed.

When the man appeared and knocked on the door, Zhao Xuan’s scanning mode confirmed the visitor.

Su Jian—a Military Intelligence agent, codename Prairie Dog, undercover in Unit 76, unkempt and always buried in work.

He was You Hu?

He had come to die in his place?

A wave of guilt washed over Zhao Xuan. If he still couldn’t see through things at this point, he might as well give up the undercover work—it would only harm others and himself.

What Zhao Xuan dreaded most now was this: If Su Jian was posing as You Hu and came here to meet a handler, then who was that handler?

Perhaps he didn’t need to guess. Who else could You Hu’s handler be?

As Su Jian entered, Fan Dingfang glanced at Zhao Xuan.

“Brother Xuan, let’s storm in. This mission absolutely cannot go wrong. We need to catch them off guard.”

With that, Fan waved, and the Operations Team followed immediately.

Staring at the back of Fan’s head for a moment, Zhao Xuan drew his gun and joined the charge.

For a fleeting second, Zhao Xuan truly wanted to shoot Fan Dingfang and then find a way to rescue Su Jian and Hu Niu.

But that impulse lasted only a second before he suppressed it.

They were not just accompanied by the Operations Team—there were also spies sent by Watanabe Kyoko watching his every move.

Zhao Xuan was certain the Yamaguchi-gumi had surrounded the area long ago. If he acted rashly, it wouldn’t just be a failed rescue—he would lose his own life.

Mountain City had set such an elaborate trap, and his recklessness could ruin everything.

Gunfire erupted. Zhao Xuan steadied himself, chambered his pistol, and followed behind the team as they burst into the courtyard.

Fan Dingfang, a trusted aide to Section Chief Ma Shangcheng of the Operations Department, was exceptionally skilled, especially with firearms.

The fight didn’t last long. When Zhao Xuan rushed inside, he saw Su Jian lying on the ground and others fiercely resisting in the inner room. For a moment, Zhao Xuan was stunned.

“You are You Hu? Then I must be Hu Niu. Those two codenames—clearly a pair!”

“You Hu, on the day of victory, I’ll come to take you home.”

“It’s okay, You Hu. This isn’t your fault. Undercover work is like this. Pull yourself together—we still have missions to complete.”

“You Hu, what kind of flowers do you like? Next time we meet, I’ll bring you some. You know I run a flower shop, after all.”

“You Hu, Ah Xuan, please stay silent. Don’t take risks. Hold on. On the day of victory, I will personally come to bring you home...”

...

The moment Zhao Xuan saw Li Mingzhu, all the words she had once said to him echoed in his mind—every smile, every look of concern—gripping his heart as if squeezed by a mighty hand.