Chapter 151: Like a spy movie.
Vice President Meng looked up at Weijun, with narrowed eyes. "What did you say son?"
Weijun took a step back, before the agents protecting the VP could make him do so, forcefully. Liwu pulled her husband’s arm, gesturing with her eyes for him to step back. But, Weijun was determined not to do so. "With all due respect Sir, I booked them first. They should solve my case first before being assigned elsewhere."
Chief Abby pulled Weijun back forcefully, nearly yanking him off his feet. "Forgive the overzealous politician Sir, he has a tendency to think we work for him."
The VP replied sarcastically, "Yes, I have heard." His eyes flicked to Liwu, as if accusing her of something.
She looked back at him, unblinking. If an accusation was going to be made, she was all ears. They could bring it on.
"Detective Liwu," the VP said, voice clipped, "Your husband’s case is closed. Do I make myself clear?"
Liwu almost rolled her eyes. Was there a need to specify that Weijun was her husband? And why single her out personally, it wasn’t as if she asked for the cases. The Chief, or her mother assigned them. Not to offend her superior, she replied, "Crystal, Sir."
"But---" Weijun started.
The VP’s gaze silenced him. "This is a matter of national security. One more word from you and I will have you thrown out of here and your access to the bureau minimized to a zero."
Weijun considered replying, not if my mother-in-law has something to say about it. But considering that his political aspirations extended beyond the city, he zipped his mouth. Anyway, as long as the bureau was working on his case, it didn’t matter which team was taking the lead.
Chief Abby leaned forward, "Sir, I suppose those images on our screen belong to you." They were images of a body covered by a white sheet and phone records.
The VP nodded. "These pictures you are seeing were taken outside our embassy in Vienna. Austria. The deceased is Professor Yan Huikun, a visiting professor at a university."
"So a spy." Weijun blurted.
Many heads in the room turned his way, giving him the ’you are an idiot’ stare. Of course he was a spy, they all knew this.
"Yes," The VP smiled dryly, "A spy. The fall of systems changed the playing ground in that field as well. Nations are always poaching talent from each other. The university the professor was teaching at attracts at least 500 to 850 students from our country per year. It was the professor’s job to remind the extraordinary ones of patriotism and the need to return home."
Weijun made a sort of whimpery sound and covered his mouth, to hide his bemused smile.
The VP ignored him and continued. "His identity must have been leaked because there was an assassination attempt on his life and his home and office were ransacked. The professor managed to make it to the embassy where he said he had stumbled on to something. He said he would only talk when he was safely back home.
He was in the embassy, waiting for extraction when he got a voice message from....." he paused like he was weighing his next words. "a high ranking officer. The voice told him he was in danger inside and he should come out. The professor was already paranoid, so he left, without informing anyone. As soon as he stepped out of the gates, he was shot dead."
Weijun’s jaw dropped. To his ears, this was kind of awesome, like a real spy-action movie playing out on a big screen.
"Investigations were done, naturally and we discovered two problems. One was that the call came from inside the embassy and two, the officer’s voice was impersonated to perfection. The real man was not even aware that the professor was at the embassy."
Liwu’s breath caught. "So he was impersonated. If it was a 100% match than the other party had to be a system host."
The VP nodded. "We came to that conclusion after running the voice through many diagnostics. Now we have strict rules when it comes to employing system hosts in embassies that sit on foreign soil. Tai Alix is certain that someone, among the workers is a system host who is not on our radar.
Your team is being sent in on her insistence. You will have thirty six hours once you land to identify who this person is."
Liwu raised her hand.
The VP ignored it. "Your cover story is simple: you are part of a training exchange delegation on law enforcement among SOB branches worldwide. The exchange is for three days. After that, your presence at the embassy will be found suspicious and whoever it is will figure out why you are really there. My personal deadline for you is twenty four hours. If you can find the culprit, then you can spend two days touring Europe on my bill."
Linlin clapped her hands and stopped after finding herself on the receiving end of a sharp glare from the VP. "It is also the presidents deadline for you. We don’t know what had the professor scared like that. Capturing this person might provide us with some answers."
Su Jin groaned. "You want us to hunt a phantom in twenty-four hours? How do you suppose we go about that?"
The VP’s tone was steel. "You are the detectives so I am sure you will figure it out. All the President’s office wants are results. If a system host is impersonating voices of high ranking officers we are in trouble. They can command every spy we have all over the world, soldiers, banking institutions, anyone. That’s a threat bigger than the gangs you were about to investigate."
Liwu nodded. This was bigger than the cases they had worked so far since moving to this city.
"Whose voice was impersonated?" The Chief asked. "And before you say it’s classified, we need to know just in case this person can only imitate one voice."
"General Gu." Xuanji blurted out. "I have met him before, I am good at remembering voices and I am sure that is his voice."
The VP looked at his watch. "You have the facts and you know the stakes. Pack up and get ready to be flown out with the other law enforcement officers going for the exchange. You will be leaving in three hours."
The VP left, escorted by Chief Abby.
Weijun giggled like a school girl.
Liwu turned to the team. "I say we solve this in twenty four hours so that I can get the honeymoon I missed out on."
They all left the station, rushing home to pack their bags.
Naturally, everyone assumed that Liwu and Weijun had returned because of matters to do with the necklace. To their surprise, the couple rushed to their bedroom in a hurry and closed the day.
The gardener chuckled. "I remember those days like it was just yesterday. Those first months of marriage when the fire is burning hot."
Butler Chen frowned. "I don’t think that is what this is," he replied, shaking his head.
In the bedroom, Liwu zipped up her suitcase with a sharp tug. There was not much she needed to pack since she had a bag with endless space. This suitcase was to keep up appearances."
Weijun zipped his with careful enthusiasm, humming and practically bouncing on his heels, his excitement radiating like a child about to go on a school trip.
"I don’t understand why you are going," she said, "you have this scandal to deal with. It is very irresponsible of you to leave in the midst of it."
He shrugged, "I didn’t buy the necklace and my books are open. It is not the first time I am traveling out of the country for business or official duties. My schedule will not stop just because my brother is a horny idiot. Besides, I have never been to Austria. Have you?"
She shook her head.
Weijun clapped his hands. "Now, we get to see it together, on someone else’s bill moreover. Two whole days of sightseeing. I can’t wait to see the architecture." He waved a fedora hat like a golden ticket.
"The hat stays." Liwu shot him a look, her expression flat. "Focus. We are not tourists. We are undercover. You need to remember why we are there and keep your mind sharp at all times. This is not a spy movie where someone is shot and the scene cuts to them drinking cocktails in another country at the beach. If you die, you die for real."
Weijun grinned, unbothered. "I have been living undercover for half of my life and dodging death for all of it. I am not too worried about keeping my mind sharp. In fact, it is too sharp that I have already made a list of cafes that are a must visit for all tourists."
Liwu sighed. He was impossible.