Chapter 5: Assassinating the Emperor (Part Four)

When the head of the Bureau of Military Statistics returned to the agency, Wang Huichun was already waiting for him outside his office.

“Chief, here are the replies from the transit station in the Magic City and the previous telegrams,” Wang Huichun immediately stood up and handed over the documents upon seeing Dai Yunong.

Taking the files, Dai Yunong didn’t bother going into his office; he opened them right there in the hallway. The reply from the Magic City transit station confirmed that the transmission was correct, and they had triple-checked to ensure nothing was wrong.

“Haha!” Dai Yunong threw his head back in laughter.

“Huichun, this time your Telecommunications Section has done a great service.”

“Thank you, Chief!” Wang Huichun straightened his back and replied loudly.

“Huichun, this is indeed a great merit, but don’t let anything slip. You must keep your section’s lips sealed,” Dai Yunong’s smile faded as he spoke in a low voice.

“Rest assured, Chief. I’ve already instructed tonight’s duty staff to remain at the agency for the next few days, not leaving for any reason. I’m no exception,” Wang Huichun replied quietly.

“Good. Return to your section,” Dai Yunong said with a smile.

“Yes, Chief!”

As soon as Wang Huichun left, Dai Yunong hurried into his office and picked up the phone to call the Grandmaster’s residence.

Once the call connected, he quickly said, “I need an immediate audience. I have urgent intelligence to report.”

“It’s already late. If there’s something, speak tomorrow,” came a cold, indifferent voice from the other end.

“I have important information.”

“He has already retired for the night. If there’s something, speak tomorrow.” The cold voice repeated the statement.

Fury flashed across Dai Yunong’s face; he wanted to curse. But he dared not. The Aide-de-camp Office was not just for attending to daily needs—it wielded great power, akin to the Grand Council in the Qing dynasty. He could not afford to offend them.

“Please relay the message for me—I truly have major intelligence,” Dai Yunong pressed, swallowing his anger.

“If there’s something, speak tomorrow. He has already retired.”

“Damn it!” Dai Yunong cursed inwardly, then said helplessly, “My intelligence concerns the Emperor of the Island Nation.”

This time, there was no further suggestion to wait until tomorrow. Anything concerning the Emperor of the Island Nation could not be neglected.

“I’ll relay the message immediately. Do not hang up.”

“All right, all right.”

Dai Yunong dared not put down the receiver. He waited, growing anxious, and finally tucked the handset between his shoulder and ear, lighting a cigarette.

Just as he took his first drag, the line crackled.

“Come immediately.”

“Understood. I’ll be there at once.”

After hanging up, Dai Yunong grabbed the telegram and hurried out.

When he arrived at the residence, the man whose name could not be written was sipping tea in his night robe.

Dai Yunong greeted him respectfully.

“So, what’s happened in the Island Nation?” The man’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Chief, we’ve received news from our station in the Island Nation. Four days ago, someone shelled the Emperor’s residence. The day before yesterday, the same person caused an explosion in the Island Nation, killing more than a dozen people. Yesterday, notices appeared in towns near the Emperor's residence, declaring that the Emperor dared to insult China as if it were leaderless, demanding that he come forth to die, or else a new site would be bombed every day. The notice asked whether the Emperor valued his people’s lives or his own.”

The man froze, incredulous. Someone had actually declared war on the Emperor of the Island Nation? This was beyond imagination.

“Are you certain there was no mistake in the intelligence?” he asked in astonishment.

“Upon receiving the information, I had someone send inquiries to the Magic City transit station. Their reply confirmed, after repeated checks, that the telegrams were accurate. Here are the originals.”

The man snatched the documents and flipped through them. Once he confirmed their authenticity, he gave a delighted roar of laughter.

Though he believed the Emperor would surely prevail in the end—the Emperor would never surrender himself for his people, and the culprit would inevitably be caught, given the vast resources of the Island Nation—even a single day of resistance would shake the people’s faith in the Emperor. If the story was publicized, it could even undermine the morale of their troops.

The Emperor choosing his own life over his people’s was understandable, but all humans are selfish; soldiers and civilians would inevitably feel some resentment.

“Excellent. This is the best news I’ve received in years!” The man was so delighted he could not stop laughing.

Seeing his delight, Dai Yunong voiced the purpose behind bringing the telegram.

“This person dared to declare war on the Emperor of the Island Nation. It proves that a single agent or assassin can, at times, be of monumental value. That’s why I previously requested your approval to expand the agency. If we train more elite agents to wreak havoc behind enemy lines, we can tie down their frontline troops, perhaps even alter the course of the war.”

The man’s smile faded. He gazed intently at Dai Yunong. “You wish to expand the agency? I can approve it, and the funds will be allocated. Tomorrow, I’ll summon Lifu to discuss the scale of expansion. However, this person who declared war on the Emperor—he isn’t one of yours, is he?”

Dai Yunong understood. If the person wasn’t theirs, they couldn’t use him to boost their troops’ morale.

“I will immediately send people to the Island Nation to assist him. Even if he fails, I vow to bring him back,” Dai Yunong promised emphatically.

Satisfied, the man smiled. “Good. You must see this through. Even if you can’t bring him back alive, you must bring back his body. Such a hero, even in death, must not have his remains desecrated by the Island Nation.”

“Yes, I will bring him back.”

“Good. Go and make preparations.”

As Dai Yunong stepped out, the man’s laughter echoed from the room once more.

Back at the agency, Dai Yunong sat in his office, pondering briefly, then picked up the phone to call his secretary.

“Summon Zheng Yaoxian, Xu Baichuan, and Wang Tianfeng to my office immediately.”

Soon, the three arrived.

“You three are my most trusted officers. I have a formidable task for you.”

“Chief, what sort of mission requires all of us?” Zheng Yaoxian asked with a smile.

“You are to go to the Island Nation and retrieve someone. Remember, even if he’s dead, you must bring his body back. Our station there will fully support you.” Dai Yunong picked up the dossier. “I don’t have time to brief you; all the mission details are in here. Head to the Magic City tonight, fly to Hong Kong, then transfer to the Island Nation. You must be swift. Wang Tianfeng, you are in command this time.”

Zheng Yaoxian and Xu Baichuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Whenever Wang Tianfeng led a mission, the results were always spectacular—but the casualties were high. He was notorious for his ruthless methods, never sparing his men if it meant accomplishing the mission. Having him in command meant that, even if all three of them died in the Island Nation, the mission must still be completed.

“Chief, I will accomplish the mission,” Wang Tianfeng declared, accepting the dossier with a steely resolve.

“Good. Get moving. Read the details en route. Waste no time.”

“Yes, sir!”

The three left the agency without returning home, heading straight for the train station.

Once aboard, Wang Tianfeng opened the file.

His eyes widened instantly, as round as bronze bells.

“What is it? Anything unusual about this mission?” Xu Baichuan asked in a low voice.

“See for yourself,” Wang Tianfeng replied, passing the dossier over.

Xu Baichuan and Zheng Yaoxian looked—and their eyes too widened like oxen’s.

“This is a true hero. We must rescue him,” Xu Baichuan said gravely.

“We’ll do our best, but our minimum objective is to bring back the body.”

Wang Tianfeng was a madman, but not a fool. It would take them at least three days to reach the Island Nation; by then, the man might have already been captured.

To steal away the body of someone who had declared war on the Emperor, right from the heart of the Island Nation, was a near-impossible feat.

As for saving him alive—attempting that would likely cost them all their lives.

Xu Baichuan did not argue. He understood as well—rescuing the man was hopeless. Even retrieving the body could mean all of them dying in the Island Nation.