Yes, take her out!
On Friday, with her heart as heavy as if she were attending a funeral, Wen Du entered her office wearing a bright, welcoming smile.
After browsing the tasks on the platform, she pulled open the drawer under her desk and retrieved a file folder containing her collection of invitations.
As one of the rare experts in the Sern language these days, Wen Du often received invitations from special units hoping she would come exchange ideas and share her knowledge.
Due to her packed schedule, she rarely accepted, but this time, the aloof beauty had taken the initiative. She pulled out the most recent collaboration invitation—from the research institute at Merle Language Academy in Kelian Province of the East District—polished her wording, and headed straight to the vice director’s office.
Yesuiying was still young, with a proper appearance and no crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes yet, but she had already reached the stage of needing reading glasses for books and reports. They perched on her nose, making her look far more seasoned, as if she had two decades more experience.
When Wen Du knocked, Yesuiying was reviewing some documents. She gestured for her visitor to enter while removing her reading glasses. She crossed her hands and sat up straight, shedding those extra years and revealing once more the young, sharp leader beneath.
“Vice Director Ye,” Wen Du said, “I wanted to run something by you. They’re holding a seminar on computer decryption technology in Kelian Province, and they’ve invited me to share my experience. I’ve been stuck on a cracking problem lately with no leads, so I thought going to exchange ideas with my peers might spark some inspiration.”
“Sounds great,” Yesuiying replied, clearly delighted. “Languages do require getting out there to study and connect with others. You haven’t traveled in ages—this is a perfect chance.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“And which organization in Kelian Province is it?”
“The research institute at Merle Language Academy.”
“Not bad at all. Merle’s language research leads the entire country.”
Wen Du nodded. “Yes, but the event starts this weekend, and I’m worried about the timing. I’d like the institute’s help.”
“That soon?”
“Yes. North County University’s lecture got postponed to next weekend, which I have to attend. After that, the Merle seminar will be over, so I could still go, but I’d miss out on most of the benefits.”
Yesuiying fell silent upon hearing this, her gaze dropping as she sank into thought.
Wen Du’s chest tightened. She prayed silently that this opportunity would get the attention it deserved, that Vice Director Ye could work her magic.
“Alright, get yourself ready. I’ll do what I can to sort out your travel.”
Wen Du’s heart leaped wildly. Her bottled-up emotions swelled triumphantly. She quickly tamped down her elation and nodded solemnly.
“Got it. Thank you, Director.”
“That said, you should pick a couple of your Information Room subordinates to go along and learn. This decryption work isn’t trivial—one brilliant mind can’t handle it alone. You’ll need your capable operatives to assist.”
Her sudden joy deflated sharply.
Wen Du’s trip wasn’t for learning in the first place. Merle City was right next to Meisi City, so she could use it to track Ji Tingxi’s movements there and react in time.
But colleagues and subordinates tagging along would be a major inconvenience—like carrying spies in her pocket.
No way. She couldn’t sabotage herself like that!
As Wen Du walked back, she mulled over countermeasures.
She wasn’t particularly agile or robust, but her brain was her best weapon for self-defense. By the time she covered the few dozen meters to the Information Room, a plan had taken shape, and she put it into action immediately.
“Bi Yan, I’ve been tied up in meetings lately, so I won’t finish compiling those Gailie terms by the deadline. Hand it off to you—sorry to put this on you!”
Wen Du rarely assigned extra work from her own office. She kept tabs on each subordinate’s workload and allocated tasks reasonably—never fostering idlers, but never working anyone to death either.
This time, though, she offloaded a grueling task onto Bi Yan with the express intent of squeezing her dry, forcing her to scramble for survival.
No one dared refuse a superior’s orders, but Bi Yan was a seasoned veteran herself. She grumbled all the while but promptly dumped it on her own team.
“Wan Lin, Enrui, carve out some time this weekend to code the latest terminology matches. Section Chief Bai needs it urgently. Sorry to burden you.”
That one “sorry” rippled from director down to operatives. The entire Information Room completed the task delegation—and the squeeze.
Wan Lin and Dai Enrui proved their worth as capable hands. The group leader had just tapped them when the director herself dropped by.
“You two, good news. There’s a learning opportunity this weekend on computer-assisted tech—the kind you’re into. Pack up tonight, and meet here at seven tomorrow morning.”
Wan Lin looked up from her screen. She hadn’t even started pulling an all-nighter yet, but the shadows under her eyes were already forming, staking claim for full-blown dark circles.
“Thanks for the opportunity, Director, but I really can’t get away this weekend.”
“I know tasks are piling up and ideas are scarce, but that’s exactly why this trip—it’s prep for the decryption. You and Enrui are prodigies in this area. Seeing the latest research might unlock new approaches.”
Dai Enrui poked her head out too. “Director, it’s not the decryption. It’s the Gailie intel line—Section Chief Bai is breathing down our necks.”
The institute had pegged the mystery organization as the main thread, but they couldn’t let side quests fall apart.
Forces stirring trouble in North County City bloomed in every color—not just Sern. Gailie Country, for instance, doggedly refused to quit, poking at the Guard Institute now and then to keep life from getting dull.
Lately, Gailie seemed to have caught wind of the institute’s headaches and gone all-out, stirring up chaos.
Take the Swan Palace Incident leak: public outrage had been tamped down at first, but now it was resurfacing widely—likely someone fanning the flames deliberately.
Ji Tingxi was tied up with the Sern line, so the Gailie line fell to Bai Zhuo—which meant Wan Lin and Dai Enrui’s frantic overtime project.
Wen Du considered gravely and conceded that External Investigation Section’s work took priority. Her subordinates had good reason to stick to their grind.
“Fine, then you two hold down the Information Room this weekend. Thanks for the sacrifice!”
That afternoon, when submitting her roster, Wen Du expressed mild regret to Vice Director Ye. “Sorry, Director. I had two perfect subordinates in mind, but they’re slammed with urgent work and can’t break free.”
Yesuiying hesitated slightly. “So it’ll just be you?”
“Yes. Booking solo tickets is easier anyway—I scanned options, and tomorrow’s flights are scarce.”
“No problem. I’ll handle your round trip…” Yesuiying trailed off, seemingly undecided. At last, she picked up the internal phone.
“Hello, Dean He? Director Wen is heading to the East District for a seminar this weekend and needs special transport.”
“Merle Language Academy.”
“Yes, this weekend—later won’t work as well. I want her to learn ASAP to help with her current caseload.”
“Just her.”
“Got it, understood.”
Yesuiying hung up and relayed the dean’s generosity. “Dean He has a trip this weekend too, same route as yours. You can fly together. He’ll drop you at Merle, then reroute.”
Wen Du kept her hands below the desk. At those words, all ten fingers clenched, drawing strength and silently celebrating her crucial breakthrough.
“Perfect. Thank you both for your support!”
…
Xia Lie was stunned when she heard Wen Du’s plan. She knew Director Wen had finesse, but she hadn’t realized just how boldly she wielded it—to snag a ride with He De was rarer than front-row tickets to a superstar concert.
“How did you time it so perfectly for this weekend? Did they schedule the seminar just for you?”
“More precisely, it’s an exchange invite. I have the director’s contact at Merle Institute. When I heard Zi Qin and Zi Cen were headed to Meisi, I got curious and reached out. That’s why they sent the invitation.”
“You’re incredible. Now I see how you navigate any situation with ease, even in that hellhole—every detail accounted for!”
Xia Lie marveled, then frowned. “Wait, He De and Ji Tingxi’s trip is top secret. Probably only Yesuiying knows institute-wide. How are you tagging along?”
“Timing’s tight—tomorrow, tough tickets. Plus, I’m solo for institute work, aligning with He De’s goals ultimately. And since Zi Qin and Zi Cen are Sern, he might figure my language skills could come in handy.”
Xia Lie gave her a thumbs-up in admiration.
One could nitpick, of course: He De’s secrecy meant he didn’t want anyone knowing about Meisi. Wen Du joining semi-declassified the trip—if anything went wrong, she’d be suspect number one.
Handy for intel, risky for scrutiny.
But Xia Lie dismissed the worry. She trusted the meticulous Director Wen had it covered.
The first bombshell had dazzled her; the second landed like a gut punch.
“Lie, for this Meisi trip, I have a plan. I want to take out Ji Tingxi.”
Xia Lie was still basking in praise when her mental fireworks blew to bits in an instant.
“What? Say that again?”
“I said, I want to take out Ji Tingxi.”
Wen Du’s voice held no real inflection. She’d mulled it over all last night; even huge stakes now came with built-in immunity.
“But… she’s Wei Investigation Institute brass. We can’t touch them lightly.”
Xia Lie itched for blood, but Giel Organization wouldn’t move on Guard Institute folks casually. Assassination bred hatred, hatred bred brutality—and even if they escaped clean, they’d doom thousands of Sern kin in the city.
Homer People still played at civility for now, veiling their “civilized elegance.” But push too far, and they’d drop the mask for mass slaughter and reprisals.
“I know. That’s why my plan prioritizes our safety.”
Xia Lie frowned. “Lay it out.”
“First off, Ji Tingxi sniffed our trail, so the whole institute’s eyes are on us. The city’s crackdown on Sern people has tightened. He De’s heading to Meisi to reinterrogate prisoners. Zi Qin and her sister aren’t trained operatives—they won’t hold up.
“If they crack, our network’s fully exposed. We’d abandon most sites and routes. Building new ones under scrutiny? Near impossible. The border’s finally cracked open—a golden window for smuggling people out. Ruining it now would be a waste!
“I’ve thought it through. To stop the interrogation, we eliminate Ji Tingxi. This trip’s just He De, her, and me to the East District. If she goes down, He De confers with me. My odds of reaching the Zi Qin sisters skyrocket.
“But…” Xia Lie sensed the plan’s recklessness, clashing with Wen Du’s steady style. “You said it’s only you three. If Ji Tingxi drops suddenly, won’t He De suspect you?”
“He will. That’s my second layer. Meisi’s on the eastern fringe, near Ludis Country—Jili Organization territory. They hate Wei Investigation Institute guts and want them dead.
“Arrange for our people to pose as Libo Faction, leak the intel to Jili. Let them hit Director Ji from North County Guard Institute. Jili’s always flashy, no subtlety—they’d announce an assassination. He De tracing it back? Easy.”
Xia Lie digested it slowly. She’d just praised Wen Du’s caution; now her view updated again.
—Utterly prudent when needed, utterly bold when the moment called.
“So, we’re redirecting fire, steering Guard Institute focus to Libo Faction?”
“Right. Remember, when Ji Tingxi was at West District Wei Investigation Institute, she crushed countless Libo ops, costing them Ganteming stronghold. They hate her teeth-grindingly. Leaking for a hit now? Perfectly plausible.”
Libo had been mighty in Ganteming before, now squeezed to West District borders and abroad.
Ji Tingxi had thrived as North County director because Libo was weak there, no threat. Now she was leaving her safe zone—prime opportunity.
Xia Lie reviewed the logic end to end and reluctantly bought in.
It checked out, but it was gutsy. They were cornered—not break through boldly, how to turn the tide?
As a conscientious station chief, Xia Lie double-checked. “I can execute, Ah Du. Last time: are you sure? Take out Ji Tingxi?”
Wen Du didn’t answer right away. Even after a night of rumination, she couldn’t commit unwaveringly.
She and Ji Tingxi were mortal enemies—but the kind who rubbed elbows daily. On the surface, their banter bordered on affectionate foes.
Sweet nothings exchanged? A pound or eight ounces’ worth, even if insincere—enough to brew false fondness.
At this knife-edge moment, that phony warmth crept in, stirring unexpected tenderness.
She recalled the Shattered Ice Blue blooming fresh in her office; the dedicated passenger seat; the rides home; that smile-drenched line: How could it be a bother? You’ll never be one to me.
Never a bother, really?
Not even now, scheming your downfall?
Wen Du admitted Ji Tingxi’s words rang false. But she owned up: they stirred real feeling in her.
Her brows quivered. She still couldn’t decide.
She was reluctant.
Reluctant for the flowers? The seat? Or… Ji Tingxi herself?
Slowly, the quiver spread, shaking loose older memories.
She thought of Duo Lin at He Lilin’s; Yuan Miu at Sha Jiali’s; the Sern schoolkids chanting daily, “This little fish is important, but I am not.”
The memories steadied her. Truth was, she couldn’t commit—not ever, to this.
But like bottling her feelings, she could shove them down, leaving only cool-headed focus on the big picture.
“Yes, take her out!”
