Chapter 50: There’s a Traitor in Our Building

There was a mole in their building.

Today’s shift had been particularly grueling—not because of the workload, since Wen Du had finished her proofreading tasks early and had plenty of time to slack off in the office.

But her mind wouldn’t stop racing, running through countless hypotheses and calculations like a computer performing data analysis and simulations. She looked dormant on the surface, but it was draining her mental battery.

At that moment, Wen Du deeply appreciated the foresight behind the rule banning electronic devices in the institute. It was clearly designed to thwart people like her—traitors in their midst. Once she sat down at her workstation, she could do nothing but work; her connection to the outside world was completely severed.

There was one wired phone she could use to call home, but it was under surveillance, so she could only exchange the most basic coded phrases.

The less she knew, the more she wanted to know about the progress.

Finally, the end of the shift arrived, and her steps home carried a hint of haste.

She wanted to rush back and hear Yue Mu’s report, but at the same time, she hoped the other woman would hold off speaking first, letting her gauge the atmosphere and steel herself mentally.

Yue Mu didn’t speak. She sat on the sofa, which was covered in a decorative cloth patterned with fig leaves that bloomed around her, making her seem serene, like a prayer in a sacred grove. But since her prayers went unanswered, even her devotion had grown weary and hopeless.

Seeing that expression, Wen Du knew how things had gone.

She sat on the armchair nearby, leaning slightly forward with her fingers interlaced near her knees. Her linen white shirt had a crisp, upright collar that mirrored her demeanor—neat and solemn.

“Everyone withdrew safely, right?”

“Yes, the sites in Xili Town and Elm Street were both evacuated without issue.”

There was no helping it; they’d reached this point…

Still, Wen Du felt a measure of relief. At least all the members had escaped unscathed, with no bloodshed or sacrifices. Though the sites were now “dead,” it was better than letting them fall into enemy hands.

Seeing Yue Mu’s low spirits, Wen Du opened her mouth to offer comfort, but the other woman spoke first. “Today, they took the Zi Qin sisters out in a shuttle van and had them recall the places they’d stopped.”

“Yeah, I figured as much.”

“But,” Yue Mu’s face darkened with the flat defeat that follows a big buildup and letdown, “the Special Action Department never went to the alley with the warehouse. They didn’t even approach the convenience store. They just cruised around Elm Street, lingered for a bit where the Zi Qin sisters had caught their taxi, and then headed back to the Guard Institute.”

Wen Du sat still on the sofa, straightening up so her back pressed against it. The sofa’s vibrant decorative cloth stood out, but not as much as the frozen look on her face.

At those words, she finally understood why Yue Mu was so despondent over this “not-so-bad” outcome—like she’d been kicked into the bottom of a well, unable to even glimpse the moon overhead.

“So she really was bluffing us.”

The shared sentiment eased Yue Mu’s furrowed brow, and she let out a long sigh.

“Maybe Station Chief Xia should’ve held out a little longer. The spot where the Zi Qin sisters got their taxi was right at the intersection of Elm Street and Bawood Street, so it wasn’t suspicious for the Special Action Department to head there. She could’ve waited until they got closer to the supermarket before ordering the withdrawal!”

Even if the Zi Qin sisters had tried to pinpoint the warehouse, they might not have remembered it anyway. The alleys twisted and turned; even with phone navigation, it was hard to navigate.

Wen Du lowered her head, her face remaining impassive, showing little emotion. She’d suppressed her feelings for so long that even when she could let them out, she instinctively held them back.

“It’s not her fault… She prioritized the members’ safety above all, and whatever she overheard on the wiretap forced her hand into ordering the pullout.”

Yue Mu fell silent, staring blankly at Wen Du.

She supported all of Wen Du’s decisions unconditionally. After spending so much time together, she’d come to understand her meticulous caution and her utmost protectiveness toward their fellow kin.

In that regard, she was just like Xia Lie.

The living room lights were off, with only a soft glow spilling in from the dining area. It illuminated half of each woman’s body while casting the other half in shadow, giving their expressions and emotions room to hide yet also amplifying them, letting the feelings spread through the room.

…

At seven in the evening, most departments had clocked out, leaving the building echoing and empty. Every door creak and footfall reverberated.

Ji Tingxi wore soft-soled leather boots for maximum stealth, but as she passed, she still stirred gusts of air, and the papers in her hand fluttered with a crisp rustle.

He De sat in his office with a cup of weak mint tea before him; the computer screen was dark.

After Ji Tingxi sat down, her posture was ramrod straight. Though her legs were neatly together in a proper pose, she exuded the confidence of a triumphant general—tempered, fortunately, by enough humility to maintain polite deference in front of her superior.

“Division Chief Ji, it looks like things turned out well.”

Ji Tingxi handed the field operative’s report to the Institute Director for review. She could have just summarized it verbally, but the hard copy made the results seem even more impressive, spurring her boss to praise her with extra enthusiasm.

“Today, the police bureau in the Elm Street district got reports that the convenience store and warehouse staff had suddenly vanished, and their phones were unreachable. Around the same time, the owner and employees at Taimo Inn in Xili Town disappeared without a trace. Strangest of all, even the regular vendors delivering fruits, vegetables, and fresh goods to the inn were gone—clearly all in on it together.”

He De took the papers, focusing on the times and locations of the incidents. Once confirmed, his body relaxed, but his gaze sharpened again—his mind easing while the situation tightened. Looking back at Ji Tingxi, his expression mixed complicated admiration.

“Looks like your judgment was spot on. There really is a mysterious organization smuggling Sern people out of the city.”

Earlier, after the run-ins with the Jili Organization in Taimo and the Libo Faction in Meisi—plus lacking testimony from the Zi Qin sisters—He De had leaned, both from the case’s trajectory and his own performance metrics, toward pursuing the Libo Faction instead of wasting time on some shadowy group.

But upon his return, he’d held off issuing orders, waiting for Ji Tingxi’s results.

He’d given her a tight deadline: results by the end of the week. And she’d delivered.

“Indeed, these findings back up my deductions from the meeting. This organization has been operating for quite some time, with strong organization and secrecy. Even with the entire External Investigation Section mobilized, we didn’t catch a single person or find a shred of physical evidence. They were slipperier than eels, vanishing without a trace.”

But no matter how slippery, they’d now exposed their tail. It was only a matter of time.

With answers in hand, the next steps were clear. Yet He De’s brows furrowed as he spoke meaningfully.

“The outcome is good, but to get a convicted criminal out of the camp, you made such bold promises to the higher-ups—practically wagering your position as division chief. Weren’t you afraid something might go wrong and you couldn’t deliver within the timeframe?”

Ji Tingxi smiled. “The deadline was fair. After all, I posited the existence of this mysterious organization at the start of the month. Now, two weeks later, it’s time for solid proof. Otherwise, I’d be unworthy of the division chief role and stepping aside would be the wise choice.”

Having just showcased her competence, she now displayed unshakeable confidence. Together, they gilded her with an aura of invincibility. He De took it in and finally accepted the reality, offering the backing befitting a leader.

“Very well. You’ll have full authority on rooting out the Sern Organization. I’ll handle coordination with North County Station and the Police Bureau to get their maximum cooperation. North County needs a massive purge—this cancer has burrowed deep!”

…

The room fell silent.

Yue Mu suddenly reached out and grasped the back of Wen Du’s hand.

Wen Du’s lashes fluttered as she snapped back to the moment, then gripped Yue Mu’s hand in return, squeezing the palm tightly. With that solid warmth in her grasp, her emotions finally surfaced, and she murmured softly.

“In the end, I still lost the bet…”

This time, she truly had.

Ji Tingxi could wager her career, but Wen Du couldn’t risk lives on two fronts.

If she’d been a bit more ruthless and gone all in—even if members on both lines got caught, they’d stay silent, denying any aid to the Zi Qin sisters.

No surveillance, no witnesses—just consistent stories from the members, denying the mysterious organization’s existence. They were ordinary Sern citizens; what right did anyone have to arrest them?

Would that have preserved the organization’s network and debunked the “mysterious organization” theory?

It sounded good, but… she hadn’t dared to bet on it.

What if they’d flipped the wager? If Ji Tingxi couldn’t prove the organization’s existence, her eight subordinates would’ve been executed. Would Wen Du have bet then?

In her mental fog, Wen Du realized she believed Ji Tingxi would dare—even staking lives, she’d go all in. Ji Tingxi was ruthlessness incarnate!

When it came to gambling, Ji Tingxi had the edge by nature. Ruthless people bet bigger stakes without flinching at the chips.

On the table of high-stakes gambling, the heartless went the farthest.

Yue Mu squeezed her hand tighter; now it was her turn to console. “It’s okay. You lost the bet, but at least we saved eight members. The communication lines are cut, but we can rebuild them!”

“Rebuilding will be tough.”

“I know. The Special Action Department’s operations will ramp up, but we can handle it. We’ve overcome worse.”

“It’s not external—it’s internal.”

Yue Mu’s expression soured; she didn’t want to hear about that.

Wen Du paused her thoughts, then finally raised her head, her eyes heavy with meaning.

“Our members got away clean, so next, Ji Tingxi’s going to wonder how she got that tip-off about the arrests leaking out.”

…

Nightfall brought quiet, enveloping the Institute Director’s office and silently urging everyone to wrap up and go home.

Though the thick darkness favored their kind’s movements, tonight wasn’t the time. Their targets had fled, leaving a long trail for another day.

The priority now was rest and recovery for the long haul ahead.

He De glanced at the time and stowed the report. “Let’s call it. Go home and recharge fully—won’t be clocking out on time much longer.”

Ji Tingxi didn’t budge, her gaze lingering on the desk. She wasn’t done.

“What is it?”

“Director, now that the mysterious organization is confirmed, what about the other matter? Can we start investigating that too?”

He De’s chest jolted as if struck by a rogue golf ball. He instantly knew what she meant but kept his composure, waiting for her to elaborate.

Ji Tingxi smiled apologetically, as if sorry to pile on, but after the smile came the stern declaration of the Special Action Department’s division chief.

“There’s a traitor in our building. Can we start investigating now?”