Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 1184 - 1189: Only a Price

Chapter 1184: Chapter 1189: Only a Price

The Organization of Water was busy, but it didn’t affect Yang Yi at all.

Anna could organize everything meticulously. No matter where spies or undercover agents were dispatched, she handled it with perfection—better than Yang Yi ever could.

As a result, Yang Yi had plenty of free time. He could comfortably accompany Kate on adventures, though he still had to take care of Petra in New York.

To be honest, living a double life was no fun at all. Yang Yi didn’t understand how those who juggled two or even more relationships managed to enjoy such chaos.

Especially since Kate was perfectly aware of what he was doing when he went to New York, Yang Yi felt even worse. There was no joy in having multiple relationships, only endless anguish.

The time for separation had come again. Yang Yi and Kate embraced each other emotionally.

"The situation over there isn’t clear yet. You’ve got to be careful!"

Looking into Kate’s worried eyes, Yang Yi brushed back the strands of hair from her forehead and softly said, "I’ll be careful, and I’ll be back soon."

There was nothing more to say. Yang Yi turned and boarded the private plane that had been waiting for him.

Xiao Ran and Bonnie were already on the plane. They had been waiting for Yang Yi.

When Yang Yi saw Xiao Ran and Bonnie, he felt a wave of irritation—not directed at them, but rather a sense of self-loathing and guilt that weighed heavily on him.

Why had things come to this? Life was already hard enough, yet he carried so many emotional debts without escape. What was the point of all this?

Why, of all people, did he have to involve Xiao Ran?

Xiao Ran was a skilled asset in combat, but she wasn’t suitable for the Organization’s upcoming operation in the United Kingdom. She was a sharpshooter, but assassination wasn’t her forte. In Europe, she wasn’t particularly advantageous, whereas in the United States, Anton was the only operative available. If any situations arose requiring force, one person wouldn’t be enough.

So Yang Yi had no choice but to bring Xiao Ran along.

As for Bonnie, there wasn’t much to say. Yang Yi would need to think twice before attempting to shake her off, much less given this trip to the United States was meant to establish key discussions with the Cleaner.

Yang Yi sighed to himself but resigned himself to the situation.

The plane landed in New York. Once off the plane, Xiao Ran immediately left to meet Anton, while Yang Yi and Bonnie went to meet with Elvin.

Given the Organization of Water’s growth and Yang Yi’s increasing influence, it was time to delve into deeper topics than before.

Elvin was the same as always. In a nondescript coffee shop, the two sat across from each other. Without preamble, Elvin began, "I’ve already learned about what happened in London. We can’t determine the truth of it, but I can tell you: recently, the Grey-cloaked People have been unusually active—more active than ever before."

"In which areas?"

"All of them. Any part suspected of Grey-cloaked involvement has suddenly activated. Something significant must be unfolding because such activity hasn’t been seen in decades."

After pondering whether to disclose more, Elvin hesitated briefly, then spoke gravely, "Not even during the Cold War, the Soviet Union’s collapse, or other moments of major global political shifts have the Grey-cloaked People been this active."

Yang Yi asked with confusion, "Like a full-scale operation?"

"Yes, you could understand it as a full-scale operation."

Elvin’s expression was serious. He said softly, "This level of intensity is highly unusual, and anything unusual signifies danger."

Suddenly, Yang Yi realized his opportunity had arrived.

Many things weren’t as simple as they appeared on the surface. But when connecting the Grey-cloaked People’s anomaly with his own circumstances, an interesting possibility emerged.

Namely, if the Grey-cloaked People were indeed launching full-scale operations everywhere, why would they bother setting up a carefully designed trap for a small player like Yang Yi or the Organization of Water?

And it wasn’t even a lethal trap—more like a test.

Could it be that Yang Yi was somehow significant to the Grey-cloaked People, enough to warrant such measures?

Cautiously, Yang Yi asked, "You don’t know why the Grey-cloaked People are behaving so unusually? Do you know what they’ve been up to?"

Elvin didn’t hesitate to answer, "Elections, though that’s just one aspect. Additionally, the Grey-cloaked People have begun major capital operations, particularly investments in industrial sectors. Aaron had you sabotage Petra and Carlson Medron’s engagement because the Grey-cloaked People wanted to acquire the Medron Family’s assets at a low price. Now, a seemingly ordinary acquisition has been completed. Your sabotage prevented the Medron Family from receiving a large influx of funds in the short term, forcing them to sell off assets to weather the crisis."

Yang Yi nodded and said, "It’s connected to me. Fine. What do you want me to do?"

Elvin answered without pause, "You and Aaron are the closest connected players. If we want to swiftly uncover the reason behind the Grey-cloaked People’s actions, you are the prime candidate for the job. To accelerate Aaron’s trust in you, we’ve decided to speed up certain plans."

Yang Yi was intrigued. He smiled and said, "Oh? What do you propose?"

Elvin was silent momentarily, then spoke quietly, "Gong Yang."

"Gong Yang?"

"Yes, Aaron wants you to make a move against Gong Yang."

"But isn’t Gong Yang someone you’re adamant about protecting?"

"Indeed, Gong Yang is a protected figure, but that won’t stop us from using him to create an opportunity for you. As a Cleaner collaborator and someone Gong Yang also associates with, you could investigate Gong Yang or even capture him. The condition, of course, is that Gong Yang must not die. We will ensure his rescue afterwards."

After finishing, Elvin pointed at Yang Yi and said, "This could serve as the trigger for our eventual fallout. Once that happens, you’ll have the grounds to betray the Cleaner."

Leaning back, Elvin concluded solemnly, "We’re willing to pay a steep price. It not only establishes trust between you and Aaron but also ensures you gain a significant standing in his view."

Yang Yi took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright. When do we start?"

Elvin replied calmly, "Gong Yang has already returned to New York. If you’re ready on your end, we can begin anytime."

"What if something goes wrong?"

Elvin shook his head and spoke softly, "No mistakes—only costs. We will bear substantial costs, and you might have to as well. But ultimately, you must grasp one thing: there are no mistakes, only costs."

Yang Yi locked eyes with Elvin for a long while before nodding. "Understood—only costs!"