Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 178 Who is the Traitor?

"Zhao Dagang".

Wu Zhiyuan was stunned.

Zhao Dagang, who looks honest and warm-hearted?

Sihai Company is a cover point for the National Security Bureau in Nancheng. Although most people do not know this, it cannot be ruled out that foreign intelligence agencies have learned of this secret.

Wang Gang discovered that Zhao Dagang had sneaked into the company's archives late last night. Although he didn't take any documents, he did look through some of the files.

"Go forward and secretly investigate Zhao Dagang, but be careful not to alert him."

"clear."

"Also, Jingjing is going back to Sihai Company tomorrow. You can find an opportunity to meet and exchange information."

"OK."

After the communication ended, Wu Zhiyuan took off the communicator, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

Is Zhao Dagang a mole?

If that's the case, then Sihai Company's situation is more dangerous than imagined.

But Wu Zhiyuan always felt that something was wrong.

If Zhao Dagang really was an inside agent, why would he make it so obvious?

Sneaking into the archives late at night—isn't that just giving away your identity?

Unless he did it on purpose.

An idea formed in Wu Zhiyuan's mind: Zhao Dagang might just be bait, and the real traitor was someone else.

The next morning, Wu Zhiyuan drove Song Yawen to the company as usual.

On the way, Song Yawen received a phone call, her expression serious.

"What's wrong, Sister Ya-wen?" Wu Zhiyuan asked.

"There's been a problem at the port," Song Ya-wen said, frowning. "A batch of our goods has been detained by customs, who say the paperwork is incomplete. But all the paperwork is in order."

"Should I go take a look?"

"No need, I've already had my assistant handle it."

However, Qianjin, after you drop me off at the company, could you help me make a trip to the port?

I'm a little worried and want you to see for yourself.

"OK."

After dropping Song Yawen off at Ya Yun Trading, Wu Zhiyuan drove to the port.

He planned to take this opportunity to investigate the robbery of the person who took the photos yesterday.

The port was still busy, but Wu Zhiyuan keenly sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat different.

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of security guards patrolling, and temporary checkpoints have been set up in some areas.

Wu Zhiyuan found the warehouse where Ya Yun Trading's goods were seized, presented the authorization document given to him by Song Ya Wen, and entered smoothly.

The goods were a batch of high-end red wine, and the customs detained them on the grounds that the labels did not comply with regulations.

However, after inspection, Wu Zhiyuan found that the label fully complied with the import standards of Country A.

"This is clearly someone deliberately making things difficult for us," the warehouse manager told Wu Zhiyuan. "Everything was fine yesterday, but suddenly they say there's a problem today."

I heard it was an order from a newly appointed deputy director of the port authority.

"The new deputy director? What's his name?"

"Chen Wenqiang, this guy has introduced a lot of new regulations since he arrived, and many companies' goods have been seized."

Wu Zhiyuan noted down the name, intending to have Liu Mingxuan investigate it when he returned.

When leaving the warehouse, Wu Zhiyuan deliberately took a detour through area C to check on container number 78.

But when he arrived at Zone C, he found that container number 78 was missing.

"Excuse me, where is the container that was originally placed here?" Wu Zhiyuan asked a worker next to him.

The worker glanced at him and said, "It was shipped out yesterday afternoon."

"Where was it taken?"

"How would I know? Containers come and go." The worker shrugged and continued working.

Wu Zhiyuan was filled with doubts.

The container and the suspicious person inside just vanished?

He walked around Zone C and found nothing unusual. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a soft "click" sound.

That's the sound of a camera shutter!

Wu Zhiyuan turned his head sharply and saw a figure quickly slip into the gap between the two containers.

He immediately gave chase.

The container yard had a maze of passageways, and the figure weaved through the maze, clearly familiar with the place.

Wu Zhiyuan gave chase, and the two engaged in a pursuit through the container maze.

After turning a corner, Wu Zhiyuan suddenly stopped.

The road ahead was a dead end, and the figure had vanished.

He looked around warily.

Suddenly, there was a noise overhead.

Wu Zhiyuan looked up and saw a person jump down from the top of the container, a cold glint flashing in his hand—it was a dagger!

He dodged to the side, grabbed the other person's wrist, and threw him to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw.

But the opponent was skilled; he rolled on the ground, quickly stood up, and thrust the dagger at him again.

Wu Zhiyuan parried and countered, and the two engaged in a fierce fight in the narrow space.

After a few rounds, Wu Zhiyuan seized an opportunity, landing a heavy punch on his opponent's abdomen, followed by an elbow strike to the opponent's chin, completely subduing him.

He ripped off the other person's mask and froze.

It's Lee Kang-kin!

A salesman for Sihai Company and a colleague of Zhao Dagang!

"Li Gangjian? How is it you?" Wu Zhiyuan asked in shock.

Blood trickled from the corner of Li Gangjian's mouth, yet he revealed a strange smile: "Wu Qianjin, or rather, should I call you Wu Zhiyuan?"

Wu Zhiyuan was shocked, but remained calm on the surface: "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop pretending." Li Gangjian said, panting. "I know your true identity. A national security agent, codename 'Falcon,' right?"

"Who are you?" Wu Zhiyuan's hand gripped Li Gangjian's neck, tightening his grip.

"Me? I'm just a deliveryman," Li Gangjian said with difficulty. "Someone asked me to pass on a message to you."

"What did you say?"

"The tide is coming, the harbor will turn into a sea of ​​blood. To stop it, come alone to Warehouse No. 7 at the dock tomorrow night at 10 PM."

After Li Gangjian finished speaking, he suddenly bit open the poison sac hidden in his teeth.

Wu Zhiyuan tried to stop him, but it was too late. Li Gangjian's body convulsed violently a few times, and he quickly stopped breathing.

Poison sacs! This is standard equipment for assassins!

Wu Zhiyuan quickly searched Li Gangjian's body and found nothing of value except a disposable cell phone and a few port passes.

He looked around. Fortunately, the place was secluded, and the fight had gone unnoticed.

Wu Zhiyuan dragged Li Gangjian's body to a secluded spot and hid it before quickly leaving the scene.

On the way back, his mood was extremely heavy.

Is Li Gangjian the mole? Then what about Zhao Dagang? Did Wang Gang's investigation go in the wrong direction?

And that invitation—tomorrow night at 10 PM, warehouse number 7 at the dock—is clearly a trap.

But this is also an opportunity.

If the enemy shows themselves, we might be able to figure out their plans.

Wu Zhiyuan did not go directly back to the Song family, but went to Sihai Company first.

He needed to report to Liu Mingxuan immediately.

But when he walked into the company, he found the atmosphere unusually tense.

When Xiao Chen, the receptionist, saw him, she hurried over and whispered, "Mr. Wu, General Manager Liu wants you to go to his office immediately."

An ominous premonition rose in Wu Zhiyuan's heart.

The door to Liu Mingxuan's office was ajar.

Wu Zhiyuan pushed open the door and went in. He saw Liu Mingxuan, An Jing, and Wang Gang all there, and all three of them looked very serious.

"Qianjin, you've come at the right time," Liu Mingxuan said. "Something big has happened."

"What's wrong?"

"Zhao Dagang is dead," An Jing said in a low voice. "This morning, his body was found in an alley not far from the company. He was stabbed in the neck and died instantly."

Wu Zhiyuan was stunned.

Zhao Dagang is dead? What about Li Gangjian? Who is the mole?

"What's worse," Wang Gang continued, "before Zhao Dagang died, he wrote his name on the ground in blood."

"What's your name?"

"Wu Qianjin." Liu Mingxuan looked at Wu Zhiyuan.

The atmosphere in the office froze instantly.

Wu Zhiyuan understood—this was a meticulously planned frame-up.

"Mr. Liu, quiet down, Wang Gang, listen to me." Wu Zhiyuan took a deep breath. "I just came back from the port. Li Gangjian attacked me; he's the mole."

He recounted in detail his experiences at the port, including Li Gangjian's death and the invitation.

After listening to Wu Zhiyuan's account, all three fell silent.

"Zhao Dagang's death was his final act of betrayal before he died," An Jing analyzed. "But the question is, are there any other traitors within the company?"

"Li Gangjian mentioned that someone asked him to pass on a message to me, which means he has someone backing him up," Wu Zhiyuan said. "The invitation to the pier tomorrow night is clearly a trap."

Liu Mingxuan said, "But this is also an opportunity. If we plan carefully, we might be able to turn the tables on you."

"The problem is we don't know who the enemy is or how many people they have," Wang Gang frowned. "And the police will definitely investigate Zhao Dagang's death."

The blood-red lettering points forward; he will become a suspect.

"I can explain..."

"I can't explain it." Anjing shook her head. "You don't have an alibi."

There are no surveillance cameras in the alley.

Country A is a poor country and doesn't have any surveillance systems like the Skynet project.

If the police investigate further, your fake identity may be exposed.

Wu Zhiyuan sensed that things were getting out of control.

"I have a plan," Liu Mingxuan said. "Qianjin, go to the dock tomorrow night, but don't go alone."

We will make preparations in advance, lying in ambush nearby. Once the enemy shows themselves, we will wipe them out in one fell swoop.

"It's too risky," An Jing objected. "If the enemy is numerous or has heavy weapons, we could be wiped out."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Liu Mingxuan asked.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, he said, "I think we should leave Nancheng temporarily to avoid the storm. We can come back when things have calmed down."

"No," Wu Zhiyuan said firmly. "If I leave now, the mission will fail."

The Tide Project is still underway, and Premier Long Yun is in danger at any moment; I cannot leave.

"Qianjin is right," Liu Mingxuan agreed. "We are soldiers; we cannot desert our posts."

Anjing looked at the two of them quietly, and finally sighed: "Alright, let's go with Mr. Liu's plan. But we must be fully prepared."

"Wang Gang, go prepare the equipment, the best of everything," Liu Mingxuan ordered. "An Jing, you're in charge of coordinating external support."

"Go forward, continue your journey back to the Song family, maintain normal operations, and do not arouse the enemy's suspicion."

"clear."

"Also," Liu Mingxuan added, "I've already sent people to handle Li Gangjian's body. Don't worry about the port; we have inside contacts."

Wu Zhiyuan nodded, but still had doubts in his heart.

It was all too coincidental—Li Gangjian's attack, Zhao Dagang's death, the blood-written frame-up, the invitation at the dock…

It's as if there's an invisible hand manipulating everything.

The owner of this hand is very likely the planner of Project Tide.

After leaving Sihai Company, Wu Zhiyuan drove back to the Song family home.

His thoughts were in disarray and needed to be sorted out.

It's pretty much certain that Li Gangjian is the mole.

But who is behind him? Is it the CIA, or some other force?

Zhao Dagang's death was clearly a combination of silencing witnesses and framing.

This indicates that the enemy already knows Wu Zhiyuan's true identity, or at least suspects it.

So why didn't the enemy directly target Wu Zhiyuan, but instead used such a complicated method?

Unless, of course, the enemy wants to use him to achieve some purpose.

The invitation from the dock was clearly a trap.

But what is the target of the trap? To kill him? Or to capture him alive?

Wu Zhiyuan suddenly realized a possibility: the enemy wanted to use him to find the entire network of the National Security Bureau in Nancheng.

If that's the case, then tomorrow night's trip to the pier would be suicide.

But he had to go.

This is not only for the mission, but also to find out who is behind it all.

Upon arriving at the Song family villa, Wu Zhiyuan noticed that the atmosphere was somewhat strange.

The servants looked nervous and whispered among themselves.

Upon seeing Wu Zhiyuan, they immediately shut up and avoided eye contact.

"What happened?" Wu Zhiyuan asked a maid.

"Mr. Wu, didn't you know?" the maid said cautiously, "Master is furious and is scolding Miss in his study."

Wu Zhiyuan was startled and quickly walked towards the study.

The study door was tightly closed, but Song Yaozu's angry roar could be heard from inside:

"How many times have I told you! Don't meddle in things you shouldn't know! Just focus on your business!"

"But Father, those people..."

"Shut up!" Song Yaozu interrupted Song Yawen. "Everything I've done is for this family, for all of you!"

If you still consider me your father, then do as I say!

Then came the sound of things being smashed.

Wu Zhiyuan stood outside the door.

At that moment, the study door suddenly opened, and Song Yawen walked out with red eyes. She was stunned for a moment when she saw Wu Zhiyuan, and then quickly left.

Wu Zhiyuan followed.

Song Ya-wen did not return to her room, but instead walked directly out of the villa and went to the gazebo in the garden.

Wu Zhiyuan followed her to the outside of the pavilion, but did not go in. He simply stood a short distance away to ensure her safety.

After a while, Song Yawen calmed down and turned to Wu Zhiyuan, saying, "Qianjin, come in."

Wu Zhiyuan walked into the pavilion.

"You heard everything?" Song Ya-wen asked.

"I heard some."

"My father, he's changed." Song Ya-wen's voice was choked with sobs. "He wasn't like this before."

Although their business was large, at least they abided by the law and had a bottom line. But now…”

She paused, then continued, "Today someone told me that my father is collaborating with Suha to create a disturbance on the day of the military base's opening ceremony and frame the government."

Wu Zhiyuan was shocked, but remained outwardly calm: "Who told you?"