boyutpedia Chapter 278 This Operation Cannot Afford to Fail
Chapter 278 This Operation Cannot Afford to Fail
"Roger that," he responded calmly, his tone betraying no trace of his inner turmoil, but deep down, he was already rapidly analyzing the situation. Relocation—he had to be fully prepared in the shortest possible time.
After hanging up the phone, Su Ming sat at his desk, his brow furrowed slightly. Outwardly, he remained calm, but his thoughts surged like a tide. He was accustomed to remaining calm in critical moments; it was an instinct honed from years of surviving in the dark world. He knew this wasn't just a simple transfer, but a life-or-death test.
He first examined the contents of the USB drive. It was a detailed technology plan, covering crucial technical details. While seemingly ordinary, it could become a highly dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. He glanced at the data, quickly noting the key points. Then, he pulled a small encryption device from his pocket and completely destroyed the USB drive. Leaving any trace behind would be an unacceptable omission.
He then stood up and deftly packed up his belongings. Every item was neatly returned to its proper place, even the scraps of paper in the trash can were meticulously disposed of. His room looked like an ordinary engineer's residence, nothing out of the ordinary.
Before evacuating, he still needed to confirm one crucial issue: whether his evacuation route was safe. Su Ming sat back down at his computer and quickly connected to a remote server. He entered a complex password and immediately accessed an underground communications system hidden deep within the network. His eyes fixed on the rapidly pulsing data stream on the screen, and after a moment, he nodded.
"I haven't been targeted yet." He breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, but soon became highly alert again.
He decided to change his evacuation route tonight. According to the plan, he should head to a hidden location in the southern area, which was his usual backup evacuation point. However, this time he sensed a hint of unusual danger. Exposing his target meant that his habits and movements might have been monitored by the enemy. Any action that followed the usual pattern could expose his position.
He looked out the window. The night was still thick, the city lights flickering in the distance. Everything seemed normal, but beneath this tranquil surface, danger lurked. Su Ming smiled coldly. He was already accustomed to this kind of psychological pressure. He knew that only by remaining vigilant could he survive this invisible battle.
Half an hour later, Su Ming had disappeared into the night. Everything in the apartment was as tidy as before, as if no one had ever lived there.
Su Ming strode through the dim alleys, his steps steady and silent, the night breeze blowing gently. He had long since abandoned the city's main transportation routes, choosing instead these hidden alleyways as his means of transportation. Even in such a remote location, he remained highly alert, constantly monitoring his surroundings from the corner of his eye. Even the slightest change in light or the slightest smell on the wind would instantly catch his attention.
"There can't be any mistakes." Su Ming muttered to himself. Every mission in the past reminded him of this.
He quickly analyzed the situation. The target had been exposed, meaning someone had leaked intelligence, or the enemy had already grasped their route of movement. In either case, he had to assume he was under surveillance and could not relax for a moment.
At the end of the alley was a dilapidated warehouse, one of his temporary contact points. Su Ming didn't head straight for the warehouse, but instead circled around several neighborhoods, making sure there were no followers before quietly approaching. He knew that even if everything seemed normal, it could still be a trap.
The warehouse's door was rotten, its chain hanging loosely, as if unattended. Su Ming entered through a side door, walking on the worn concrete floor. The surroundings were as silent as if devoid of life. After entering the warehouse, he didn't go directly to the contact point. Instead, he carefully checked the surroundings to confirm that there were no abnormalities. Then, he slowly walked to a hidden corner and retrieved his communication device.
He used an earphone to connect to the encrypted channel, and a hoarse voice came from the earphone, "Are you safe?"
"For now." Su Ming responded in a deep voice.
The other party was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something, and then asked: "Have you come into contact with any new targets?"
Su Ming's eyes were cold as he recalled the mysterious contact. The USB flash drive he had handed him had now turned to ashes, and the change in the mission seemed to be related to it. He replied briefly, "There is a new contact. I received an exposure warning immediately after the mission was handed over."
A chuckle came from the other end of the phone. "It seems we underestimated the other party's ability. This mission is not that simple."
Su Ming's heart tightened slightly. The relaxed tone in the other person's voice didn't comfort him. Instead, it made him realize that the situation might be more complicated than he had expected. "What are the instructions?" he asked in a low voice.
The other party's voice turned serious. "Next, you must relocate immediately. The target location will be changed. We are searching for possible sources of leaks. You will temporarily withdraw from the operation and await further instructions."
"Disengaged?" Su Ming's heart sank. This meant his superiors no longer intended to keep him on the front lines, but to temporarily conceal him. This arrangement often meant he had become a target, not simply a matter of his mission being exposed. However, disengaging from the action didn't suit his character. He always preferred to take charge of the situation, rather than passively awaiting orders.
"Anything else?" Su Ming asked, a hint of uneasiness in his tone.
"We don't have any more information at this time." The other party paused, his tone low, "But you need to be prepared for the next mission at any time. This operation cannot afford to fail."
"Understood." Su Ming responded briefly.
After the call was disconnected, silence returned to the warehouse. Su Ming stood there, his face expressionless, but his mind was already racing. He wasn't prepared to follow his superiors' instructions completely. His intuition told him that this incident was directly related to the intelligence from his new contact, and he had to find this clue himself. Otherwise, even if he moved elsewhere, he would still be caught by fate.
Su Ming's thoughts began to drift back to his meeting with his new contact. That person had concealed himself well, leaving no extra information behind during the handover. The only thing that caught his attention was the other person's movements—the slight tremor in their fingers as they handed him the USB drive.