Chapter 1261 - 1188: Capture and Transfer
Li Hong weaved through several streets, taking advantage of the time while crossing the road to glance around before heading towards the alley of her destination. At the corner, she tucked a note into a milk crate and bent up a corner of the metal nameplate on the crate.
This was their agreed-upon dead drop, used only once and only at the most critical moments. As their instructor had put it, the messages received here were essentially farewell letters.
Li Hong had listened with a smile that day and had even fantasized about writing a poetic farewell letter, so that when everyone reunited, they could read it aloud dramatically amid laughter and tears.
When the moment actually came, Li Hong realized that reality left no room for poetry. Though reality exists in pursuit of eventual poetry, all poetry is birthed from the overflow of reality.
When Li Hong left the office, she only had time to write three words with a pen: Leave, Plan 2.
This referred to Evacuation Plan 2. Each person had a different route to escape, but it didn’t mean destroying all information or fleeing recklessly. It was more about proper transition and only pausing work. If there was a leak, this route wouldn’t normally be chosen.
Li Hong was aware that Ren Kuangshan and Liu Bangshun had been captured, suspecting that a single line had led to them, hence choosing Plan 2.
The most important aspect was that choosing Plan 2 did not signify abandoning everything in a total retreat. She was not prepared to discard the network she had established over the years, which was her lifeline. Li Hong was even confident that if she were captured, her superiors would find a way to rescue her, or at least exchange her back.
Years ago, a Vietnamese-born Chinese had managed such an efficient and large spy network that after her capture, even Obama intervened to negotiate her release.
Li Hong knew her value was not as significant, so she needed to protect the network she had meticulously woven.
She looked one last time at the milk crate, hoping her comrades would strictly adhere to the protocol and collect their milk on time.