"Since the first incident, we've been investigating for half a month, interrogated over thirty people, and monitored communications in all confidential departnts." Casare couldn't continue.
"But got nothing."
Victor finished for him, "Instead, during this period, we've lost two more experts. One died in a 'car accident' in Spain, another 'drowned while swimming' in Italy. Their families narrowly escaped because their plans changed last minute."
The office fell into deathly silence.
Victor walked to the liquor cabinet, poured a glass of tequila, and downed it in one go, the burning sensation of the alcohol making him slightly more alert.
"Casare, do you know what the most terrifying thing is?" He spoke facing away from Casare, "It's not the enemy's cruelty, it's our ignorance about our own people. We don't know who's betraying us, don't know how close the traitor is, don't know where the next leak will occur."
He turned around, a decisive look in his eyes: "If conventional thods don't work, then we'll use unconventional ans. From today, I will personally investigate."
Casare was shocked: "Boss, this... the workload is too large! You have national affairs to handle..."
"National affairs?"
Victor sneered, "If we can't clean up our own house, what to talk about national affairs? The British have already reached for my dining table, I will sever that hand and shove it back down their throats."
He grabbed his coat: "Inform everyone, for the next three days, I will visit all confidential departnts: Counterintelligence Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs Investigation Bureau, President's Secret Room, NTSC Personnel Departnt, 'Silicon Valley xico' project team. Do not announce ahead, I'll go where I please."
"Yes!" Casare stood to attention.
"Also," Victor paused at the door, "have Reinhardt deal with the remaining killers. Record it and anonymously send it to the BBC, CNN, and all major European dia. Include a ssage: for every drop of blood spilled targeting xican citizens, we will repay tenfold."
Casare took a deep breath: "Understood."
...
In the following three days, xico City's core of power was enveloped in an invisible pressure.
Victor suddenly appeared in a departnt, sat for half a day, went through docunts, retrieved records, and engaged in "casual" conversations with the staff. No one knew what he was looking for, but everyone felt those eyes scrutinizing every detail.
The first day, he visited the Ministry of Internal Affairs Investigation Bureau. He reviewed the dossiers of all confidential personnel background checks from the past three months and spoke separately with seven reviewers.
The day ended late at night, Victor's eyes were bloodshot, but he gained nothing.
The second day, he went to the President's Secret Room.
This is the hub for all top-secret docunts, with twelve confidential staff rotating shifts, each undergone the strictest political vetting. Victor reviewed their schedules, docunt circulation records, and even the shredded paper in the trash. He noticed a detail: three months ago, the Secret Room replaced its shredder, the old one was collected and disposed of by the logistics departnt. He imdiately ordered a search for the old machine, but logistics records showed it was "accidentally" damaged in the warehouse and had been sold as scrap tal.
"Coincidence?" Victor asked the room's director.
The director was sweating: "Leader, that machine was indeed severely aged, we'd been applying for replacent for half a year..."
Victor said nothing, simply noting the detail.
The third morning, he went to the NTSC Personnel Departnt. Here are complete dossiers of all prospective experts, including ho addresses, contact information, research directions, and itinerary arrangents. The minister nervously reported: only five people have access to full dossiers - the minister himself, two deputy ministers, the archives director, and the confidential secretary. These five had no abnormal communication records nor suspicious bank activity in the past three months.
Victor felt a wave of frustration, how can they find anything like this needle in a haystack?
His eyes were sore from staring.
"Go to Counterintelligence Bureau." He glanced at his watch, "Just right, for lunch over there."
"Boss, you've not had a proper rest for three days." Casare couldn't help but say.
Victor rubbed his temples: "Once I catch that rat, I'll sleep for three days and nights."
The Counterintelligence Bureau is located in the southwestern part of xico City, an unobtrusive six-story gray building.
Upon hearing of the leader's sudden visit, Director Bennett hurried downstairs from his office to greet him.
"Leader, you should've inford us in advance so we could prepare..." Bennett was cut off by Victor raising his hand.
"No preparation needed, I'm just passing through, stopping for lunch." Victor's tone was casual, "How's your cafeteria?"
Bennett froze, then quickly responded: "It's... it's quite good, I'll take you there."
The cafeteria of the Counterintelligence Bureau is on the second basent level, spacious yet modest. During lunch, dozens of employees were eating, and seeing Victor suddenly appear, everyone froze, then hurriedly stood up.
"Stay seated, continue eating." Victor waved, walking to the serving counter, "Any recomndations?"
The cafeteria manager was so nervous they could barely speak: "To... today's roasted chicken, beef wraps, bean soup..."
"Beef wrap then." Victor chose, taking a tray and finding a corner seat to sit. Casare and Bennett also quickly picked up their als and sat opposite him.
The cafeteria was terrifyingly quiet, only the slight sounds of utensils clashing. Everyone ate with their heads down, but their eyes kept glancing towards the corner.
Victor leisurely ate the beef wrap, occasionally chatting with Bennett about work, inquiring about recent counter-espionage situation. Bennett reported one by one, stating intensified surveillance over all foreign communications, intercepted several suspicious signals, but hadn't traced them to specific individuals yet.
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