Volume One, Chapter Sixty-Two: Ideals of a Grand Era

Chang Ke said nothing, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. The urge to retire early grew stronger by the day.

The superior exhaled a puff of smoke and asked, "Are you willing to go?"

Chang Ke gave a bitter smile. "Do I really have a choice?"

"No." The superior refused him bluntly. "And let me remind you—your relationship with that Dai girl, the one named Ame, the organization knows about it. Don’t let a fleeting romance get in the way."

Chang Ke grew anxious. "Sir, even if my work is special, shouldn’t I be allowed some privacy?"

"In our line of work, and for the foreseeable future, no one has any privacy. If you think you do," the superior took another drag, "it’s only because your secrets aren’t worth anything."

Faced with such unreasonable words, Chang Ke had nothing to say.

The superior stubbed out his cigarette. "Once you’re in this business, you need to have a sense of discipline and principle. Sometimes, when personal feelings clash with organizational interests, you have to make a choice. Then you’ll see that emotions are a burden. They’re the root of suffering—a fatal weakness. If you don’t want to suffer, you’re better off with fewer attachments."

"I want you to go to the border and complete this confidential mission alone. Your team will support you from here. You must discreetly report every move to them, then find out who’s leaking information." The superior pulled out another cigarette and bit down on it, smiling slyly. "So tomorrow, at the team meeting, you’ll volunteer for this behind-enemy-lines assignment."

Chang Ke was fully aware of how dangerous the task was, despite the superior’s casual tone. He knew there were enemies both before and behind him. Not only would he receive no protection, he’d have to deliberately make his whereabouts known and go about killing people himself—though the target was an utterly irredeemable drug lord.

"Behind enemy lines? That’s a joke. Is there even a difference between front and rear anymore? And besides, I’m an intelligence analyst, not a field operative. That’s a completely different role. Having no source of intel is the biggest risk." Chang Ke protested, resisting, though he knew it was pointless.

"This time, no one will collect intelligence for you," the superior replied. "You’ll be acting as the strike operative."

"So it’s a lone wolf mission, isn’t it?" Chang Ke finally understood.

The superior sighed. "You’re sharp. Yes, it’s the same. Only, the Lone Wolf was unlucky—he died before the mole was exposed, and his body was never found."

"There are only a handful of us. Do you have any suspects?" Chang Ke knew this was a pointless question.

"Of course. Every member of the team is a suspect." The superior paused. "As I said, aside from the deceased Lone Wolf, there’s you. The two of you have been cleared."

Chang Ke’s rebellious spirit wouldn’t let him accept the mission so easily. "That leaves four. Lone Wolf—did he have a family?"

"How do you know he didn’t?" The superior sneered.

Chang Ke was taken aback. "So, have you notified his family?"

The superior shook his head. "Not yet. It’s hard to declare him a martyr until you uncover the mole."

Chang Ke paused, knowing some secrets. "If I expose the mole, I’d be happy to let him take the credit." He spoke with an air of resignation. "But if I get killed, I hope you’ll inform my wife quickly. My son’s too young; he’ll need a new father to raise him. While he’s still little, just let him believe I never existed."

The superior nodded approvingly. "It’s good to consider the worst. I promise. But don’t be so pessimistic. You’ve been through a lot. Unless you have a fatal weakness, you shouldn’t be in danger."

Chang Ke was startled. "You mean—"

The superior nodded. "You guessed right. The Lone Wolf had his own problem. I only discovered yesterday that he’d become addicted to drugs."

Chang Ke thought back over Lone Wolf’s recent behavior. "Impossible. I never noticed."

The superior patted Chang Ke’s shoulder. "I’m completely certain. Time’s short. Any other questions will have to wait until you return."

"Alright, sir. I understand. This mission will involve killing, likely more than one. I’m not afraid of that—I know violence is a core part of the job—but I don’t want to go too far. I still want to see myself as a man of letters."

"Listen, young man. Violence may not be the true face of man, but most men have it in their nature. You think intellectuals are immune to violence?"

The superior stared into Chang Ke’s eyes. Even in this business, it’s hard to make your eyes lie, but he saw nothing. "Actually, the objective isn’t to kill. Killing Yan Nuo is just a ruse—the real goal is to flush out the mole. That’s why this operation has a codename: ‘Bait Operation.’ And the only operative is you."

Chang Ke couldn’t help but laugh. The codename was too apt—he was the bait.

He stubbed out his cigarette. "If I’m the bait, and I set the trap, what if the mole doesn’t bite? Then there’s nothing I can do."

The superior, as if by magic, produced another cigarette and handed it to him. "When you can do nothing, waiting is also a skill. Patience is a virtue."

"Wait? How am I supposed to wait?" Chang Ke took the cigarette, his dissatisfaction justified. "You mean I’m to keep stirring up trouble, committing acts of violence, until the mole can’t help but try to get rid of me?"

"I only care about the objective and the result, not the process," the superior said after a pause. "And this time, your operation is outside the protection of the law. If you’re caught by local authorities, no one will vouch for your identity. No one will take responsibility."

Chang Ke couldn’t help but shiver in the chilly early summer breeze. He forced a smile. "So, I’m about to become an outlaw? Sir, everyone knows there are corrupt cops everywhere now. Even if I break no laws, I could be framed, tortured into a confession, maybe even killed. The organization wants me to take out a criminal—I accept that. But I thought there’d be a ‘get out of jail free’ card. Yan Nuo isn’t just any criminal; he’s a kingpin who runs the whole show. If I get caught by corrupt cops who are in on the game, and you don’t step in, I’m dead, aren’t I?"

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This is a special front; normal rules don’t apply. As for corrupt cops, I can guarantee you’ll run into them. What kind of times are we living in? There’s no going back." He looked up at the galaxy of stars. "Xiao Chang, I recruited you. Can you bear to let me share a little wisdom?"

Chang Ke thought, You’ve been lecturing me all night—no wonder you’re suited to desk work.

"Go ahead, sir. Take your time."

The superior looked up at the sky. "Our society has only just come out of a century of disaster. Especially the Cultural Revolution—material deprivation, religious fervor—people were terrified of being poor and hungry, weren’t they?"

Chang Ke didn’t understand the point. "Religious fervor? What sect?"

"Personality cults, great leaders—they were gods to hundreds of millions!"

Seeing Chang Ke nod, the superior didn’t press the subject.

He went on, "Now, everyone pursues money. You can admit that, right? When Shenzhen first opened up in Guangdong, wasn’t the slogan ‘Time is Money’? It wasn’t like that before. After the Cultural Revolution, our motto was ‘Knowledge is Power.’ In 1978, I got into university to study public security. Back then, we were so full of hope and vitality. But human nature is imperfect, flawed, and never keeps up with the times. Society is going through a seismic transformation, a period of pain. In this turmoil, humanity’s darkest, greediest instincts come crawling out—the world is full of prostitutes, drug dealers, criminals, corrupt officials, and cops who run both sides of the law. Tempted by money and beauty, with gain in sight, who cares about morality? Money buys power and protection. With the chance to become rich and powerful overnight, who still cares about the law?"

Chang Ke interjected, "So you’re saying it’s a world awash in materialism, and people have lost all faith?"

"That’s how I see it. People used to live for ideals. Remember your childhood? Didn’t you look up to heroes? Back then, ideals were about others’ happiness, about sacrificing for the collective, for the country. That was true heroism. What a perfect education!"

Chang Ke recalled his own youth and nodded in agreement.