Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 201 - 200 Reconnecting the Broken Thread

Chapter 201: Chapter 200 Reconnecting the Broken Thread

Mike Smith was a name that Yang Yi was very familiar with. He didn’t react when he first heard it, but after a brief moment of recollection and searching his memory bank, Yang Yi immediately understood why the name was so familiar to him.

"Yes, Mike Smith. Is there a problem?"

Charles looked at Yang Yi and asked in return, prompting Yang Yi to quickly respond, "No problem, it’s just that I happen to know a Mike Smith as well, who is also in the intelligence business. He is supposed to be in the business of intelligence, but the Mike Smith I knew is already dead. I think it may just be a coincidence. After all, there are many people with the same name. But, what if we are talking about the same person?"

Charles frowned and said, "The intelligence circle is very small, much smaller than you think. If you knew a Mike Smith, and if this Mike is famous in the intelligence community, then it is very likely we are speaking of the same person. Now tell me, what features did your Mike Smith have?"

"I only know a name and a phone number. As for his features, I have no idea."

Charles immediately said, "Tell me the phone number you know."

Yang Yi gave the number he knew, one of the five phone numbers his father had left him. He had called this number twice, but both times he was told by the same person that Mike Smith was dead.

Upon hearing the number that Yang Yi cited, Charles let out a sigh and said, "We are indeed talking about the same person then. Yes, I know this phone number as well. Like I said, the intelligence business is really a small world."

Yang Yi said with a regretful face, "It’s a pity, Mike Smith is dead. It seems like you will have to find someone else for help."

Brian suddenly said, "Is he really dead? As far as I know, Mike Smith has used the fake death ruse to escape before. Who amongst us can be sure that he is truly dead?"

Charles smiled and said, "Mike Smith should be 67 years old this year."

Brian shook his head, "No, he is not 67, he should be 62 years old this year. The guy is a genius, he entered the CIA when he was 16, but he claimed he was already 21. The CIA quickly discovered his age fraud, but that wasn’t a big issue, however, his profile has never been corrected and he has always proclaimed his falsified age externally."

Charles shrugged, "I didn’t know that. Well, his true age is 62 this year, which is not old at all. I don’t believe he is really dead. Maybe he really ran into some trouble and faked his death again. By the way, boss, how do you know about Mike’s age fraud?"

Brian said indifferently, "Because he is my friend, a very good friend."

Yang Yi said, "I want to add something. The person who answered the phone said that Mike died three years ago, but that was almost three years ago when I made the call."

Charles whistled and laughed, "So that means he has been ’dead’ for six years? I don’t believe it. Mike is as cunning as a fox slicked with oil; no one can catch him, and the idea of him dying at 56 is even more unbelievable to me. But like Yang Yi, I only know one phone number for Mike, and I know that he lived in the same city as me, but our last conversation was about seven or eight years ago, so long ago that I can barely remember it. So, now we are at an impasse, dead or not, we can’t find him."

Yang Yi’s heart pounded as he listened because Mike Smith was crucial to him.

Why was Mike Smith crucial? Because he was someone his father believed he could rely on.

But Charles only had the phone number too, and Yang Yi was utterly helpless. Even if Mike Smith wasn’t dead, it wouldn’t mean much if he couldn’t be found.

Yang Yi said urgently, "Maybe we can check the phone number he left. If someone continues to use the phone number Mike used before, I think, since he’s dead, why hasn’t the number been canceled but instead it continues to be used? Maybe the current owner of this number knows Mike’s whereabouts."

Brian laughed, "That’s exactly what Mike would want you to think. He wouldn’t leave such an obvious loophole; if he did, it would be to mislead others deliberately. Even if you think this person is suspicious, any investigation would only lead you in the wrong direction."

Charles also expressed regret, he sighed, but Brian smiled and then said lightly, "Mike being alive or dead is just speculation for us. Maybe Mike is truly dead, but if he isn’t, then maybe we can still find him."

Charles asked in surprise, "Oh, do you have some kind of contact method that we don’t know about?"

Brian shook his head, "No, I don’t have that."

Yang Yi let out a helpless sigh, but Charles said in a serious tone, "Boss, you must know something, right?"

Brian nodded, "Yes, I was Mike’s friend, the best sort, so I know some of his little secrets that others don’t. We can give it a try, but if it doesn’t work, I too won’t be able to find him. I don’t know his contact method, but try reversing the last five digits of the phone number you know and dial it."

Charles, incredulous, said, "It’s that simple?"

Brian nodded, "It is that simple, yet it’s not. This is a backdoor Mike left for those he trusts the most. No more than five people know about this habit of his. If he faked his death, then he must have secured the inverted last five digits number before he ’died’. Of course, it used to be a fixed phone number, but I think it should still be the last five digits."

Charles looked at his watch and said, "It’s already past seven, we can make the call. Should I dial it now?"

Brian shook his head, then turned to Yang Yi and said, "You dial this number."

Yang Yi immediately took out his cellphone, reversed the last five digits of the phone number he knew, and dialed it.

Just as the call was about to automatically disconnect, it was finally answered. Then a very deep voice said, "It’s still the morning. If this is a sales call, I might just have to curse!"

Yang Yi looked at Charles who was beside his phone, listening; Charles nodded with a joyful face.

Yang Yi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Hello, I’m looking for Mr. Mike Smith."

"Uh, who are you?"

"My name is Yang Yi. My father left this phone number for me, he told me to call you."

"Wait, who is your father again?"

"James Yang. He gave me another number, and then said if I can’t reach it, to try reversing the last five digits and call again."

After a moment of silence, the person on the phone finally spoke again, speaking in a low voice, "Yes, I am Mike Smith."