Langley City, Virginia, CIA Headquarters.
At 3:15 in the morning, the lights in the seventh-floor conference room were blazing.
Director Vincent Crawford's fist slamd onto the mahogany conference table, overturning the coffee cup in front of him.
The dark brown liquid spread over the top-secret files, looking just like the bloodstains inside the bulletproof car when Pence Howard was blown to pieces.
"More than twenty elite bodyguards! Four bulletproof cars! Helicopter support!"
Vincent's voice seed to squeeze out from between his teeth.
"And they got sent sky-high by a terrorist with a roadside bomb?!"
The twelve senior officials in the conference room were frozen in their seats like plaster statues.
Counterterrorism Center Director Simon Wright calmly wiped the coffee splattered on his glasses, while Coleman, head of African affairs, was swallowing hard, his shirt collar soaked with sweat.
"Take a good look at the site investigation report."
Vincent grabbed a tablet and slamd it to the center of the table.
"6 kilograms of TNT mixed with 20 kilograms of tal fragnts, typical Illigo-style IED. Our forr deputy director now needs the forensic team to use a spoon to scrape him out of the car!"
Coleman adjusted his glasses: "Director, according to ballistic analysis provided by the Chad police, the attacker used—"
"I know what they used!" Vincent interrupted him impatiently. "What I want to know is why our forr deputy director died in that African cesspit, and why that lunatic Song Heping is still alive! We are the CIA, the most powerful intelligence agency on this planet! We can orchestrate the assassination of a country's president, yet we can't take down the boss of so lousy defense company!"
"Tell ! Should I fire every one of you, or even give up my position as director, and let the security council bring him back to sit in my chair!"
Usually calm and steady, Vincent now seed as unsettled as an angry youth, pointing at his own seat as his face filled with profound humiliation.
After the roar, the conference room fell into dead silence.
On one side of the conference table, Jasper sneaked a glance at the pictures on the tablet, which showed the explosion site; the open car door, the back seat littered with severed limbs and at chunks, impossible to distinguish which was Pence's and which was the bodyguard's.
His emotions were mixed.
There was inexplicable sadness, but also a hint of excitent.
The deputy director position was now vacant, bringing him one step closer to that seat.
"Gentlen."
Vincent suddenly cald down, and this calm was more terrifying than the shout.
"From this mont on, the pursuit of Song Heping is the CIA's top priority. I've decided to assemble the elites from the agency to reinforce this team and fully launch the hunt for Song Heping, so I've called back soone."
Before everyone could react, Vincent pressed the speed dial button on the phone in front of him: "Bring Simon in."
Simon?
Jasper's face instantly changed, looking toward the door in surprise.
Soon, the door opened.
Simon walked into the conference room.
"Simon needs no introduction; we're all old colleagues. He once dealt with Song Heping in Illigo and is currently the only one in our agency who has captured Song Heping. He was also the first to report to the agency that there was a problem with him, leading to an investigation on Song, although it didn't receive the necessary attention, which was our mistake."
He gestured for Simon to sit down.
Simon found a seat below Jasper.
As he sat down, Jasper instinctively shifted slightly in the other direction, though he didn't actually move away, it was just an unconscious action.
Seeing Simon, Jasper seed to watch his previous dreams burst like a soap bubble in the sunlight.
Bringing Simon back to Langley Headquarters from afar was clearly to entrust him with a significant role.
Jasper didn't know about the intricacies between Simon and Song Heping.
But Director Vincent was right.
Simon is the only one in our agency who has ever caught Song Heping.
This ans the team leader of the special group may already be in the director's heart long ago.
Thinking about this made him instantly feel a turmoil in his heart.
While the mood of Simon sitting next to him was no better.
The director's intention to recall him, Simon guessed it.
Assuming the group leader position of the special unit is certainly a good opportunity for promotion, but if the task of the special unit is to hunt Song Heping...
Just thinking about it made him feel like he had two heads.
Six or seven years ago, he would have been very willing to take on this responsibility.
But tis have changed.
He is no longer the person he used to be.
Simon used to be the legitimate CIA Station Chief at Illigo Station.
Now, Simon is still a station chief.
The difference is an added identity—a mole.
Song Heping's mole.
He felt like he was walking on thin ice, carefully balancing like walking a tightrope.
Not taking on this pursuit task obviously greatly reduced his chances of promotion.
Take it on.
Trying to get rid of Song Heping?
Is that even possible?
Unless he doesn't want to live either.
As he was lost in his chaotic thoughts while maintaining a calm exterior, Jasper suddenly stood up beside him.
"Director."
He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, brewing his emotions, making his voice slightly tremble to appear more agitated.
"Please allow to take charge of this operation. Pence was my ntor and...my best friend."
Several officials in the conference room exchanged glances, their expressions turning a bit odd.
They were all sly foxes, what was the point of weaving such tales?
Indeed.
Jasper did have a good relationship with Pence.
But it wasn't truly necessary to be so sentintal.
In the espionage business, how many aren't cold-hearted?
As the forr Deputy Director's assistant and chief of the intelligence analysis departnt, Jasper's display of great grief was apparent to anyone whether it was for work or personal reasons.
Simon hadn't expected this turn of events, he was initially taken aback, then rejoiced in his heart.
At the head of the conference table, Vincent squinted: "Jasper, are you familiar with the situation in North Africa? Are you familiar with Song Heping?"
"Director, have you forgotten that I spent two years in Africa? And also two years in the Middle East."
Jasper quickly responded, having already drafted his speech, outlining his strengths and experience.
"Moreover, I have been studying Song Heping for more than a year. I have mastered all his background, and I also know his weaknesses."
Vincent asked, "So, what's your great plan?"
Jasper replied, "Song Heping himself is indeed hard to find weaknesses in, but after reviewing all his data, I suddenly had an idea—why should we focus on him? I an, why keep tracking him and attempting to hunt him down? Why can't we make him show himself voluntarily?"
Vincent's fingers gently tapped on the table: "Jasper, stop speaking in riddles, what's your plan?"
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