Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 300 - 299 Stepping Stone

Chapter 300: Chapter 299 Stepping Stone

Yang Yi’s confidence was not as strong as Brian’s, but his mindset was the same—he no longer wanted to waste time on the Destroyer and Bass.

Yang Yi’s ambitions could be called grand, ever since he vowed to avenge his parents and eliminate the Grey-cloaked People, he had embarked on a twisted and perilous path.

As someone with just a good memory, even if he could indeed be categorized as a genius, the knowledge Yang Yi learned and the environment in which he grew up determined that he was just an ordinary person. Although his father indeed left him a rather substantial network, his current situation was forged through risking his own life.

Therefore, Yang Yi could not allow the Destroyer to entrap him, but just moments ago, he had really only wanted to focus on dealing with the Destroyer before considering the next step. The thought of charging directly into the Fearless Club and killing everyone inside, as Brian had suggested, was something he dared not even consider.

However, after thinking over what Brian had said, Yang Yi realized that his own thoughts had indeed been rather narrow.

As Brian put it, even if the Fearless Group was truly powerful, with their mercenary group, assassins, and their involvement in intelligence and arms trading, the Fearless Club is after all just a facade in the open. How could the Fearless Group possibly keep all their mercenaries, assassins, and other miscellaneous personnel in a gym?

This was easy to understand, just like a Fortune 500 company with tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of employees—no company would keep all its employees at the headquarters.

Yang Yi truly felt an epiphany, and then, he felt that he really could do as Brian had suggested—act first and kill everyone, unconcerned about who might learn that it was an attack on the Fearless Club.

Of course, there were risks, the risk of exposure was significant, and the possibility of getting hurt or even killed during the attack on the Fearless Club was not small. But since he had stepped onto this path that was inevitably covered in blood, it was better to disband early than to fret over this or that.

Since there was a possibility of success, and the likelihood was high, when the potential benefits outweighed the risks, it was time to stop hesitating and just go for it.

Yang Yi convinced himself internally, then he lifted his head with a resolute expression and said, "That’s right, this is indeed simple. We go in, then we get out. As long as we’re quick, there’s nothing to worry about."

Mike let out a breath and said, "So, you’re all aware of the strength of the Fearless Group and the consequences of waging war against them, yet you all agree to go to war against the Fearless Group, is that correct?"

Yang Yi, being the leader, could not wait for others to make their stance known, so he said gravely, "Yes."

Mike nodded and said, "Good, if you all are willing to go to war against the Fearless Group, then there’s nothing more to say. All the core members of the Organization of Water are here now, and I have another question for you, which I hope you will consider carefully before answering truthfully."

After a pause, Mike said in a deep voice, "The question is, what kind of organization do you envision the Organization of Water to be?"

Yang Yi frowned and said, "What do you mean by that?"

Mike said solemnly, "I mean, do you think the Organization of Water should be a purely intelligence-selling spy organization, or should it undertake all possible business, such as gathering and selling intelligence, assassination, mercenary services, arms trafficking, etc., and become a comprehensive and multifunctional spy organization?"

Brian frowned and said, "Now is not the time to discuss these matters, right?"

Mike said seriously, "No, now is exactly the time to discuss these matters, and we must decide on an outcome now. Alright, I’ll simplify the question—do you want the Organization of Water to become a comprehensive spy organization like the CIA, or a specialized intelligence group with a single function like the CIA’s subdivisions?"

Yang Yi frowned and said, "Of course, a comprehensive spy organization. Selling intelligence alone is hardly enough to stand on."

Xiao Ran pointed to himself and said, "Do we also have a say?"

Mike said firmly, "Yes."

Immediately, Xiao Ran said, "Just selling intelligence seems rather dull, of course doing everything is better."

Zhang Yong laughed and said, "I am of no use if we just deal with intelligence trading, so of course the more comprehensive option is better."

Brian, with a hint of dissatisfaction, said, "What’s my role if it’s just intelligence trading, an old guy like me who works in operations?"

Mike let out a breath and said, "Although we are just a few people, you still wish to establish a full-fledged spy organization. Good, at least your courage is commendable. So, here comes the issue."

Mike clapped his hands and then said with a half-smile, "What’s the most important thing in the underworld, no matter the profession? From my many years as a spy and an intelligence broker, I believe reputation is the most important. The Cicero Family was able to almost monopolize the intelligence market because everyone recognizes the Cicero Family’s flag. The assassins of Shadow, though they have vanished, everyone knows that Shadow was the boss of the assassin world, and any business would make people think of Shadow first. The Mercenary Group, be it the former Aurora or now the Angel, the most lucrative tasks are definitely picked by the leading mercenary group first. What about us?"

Mike pointed at Yang Yi and said, "You are the founder of the Organization of Water, but who among the entire underworld knows of Sea God? The Organization of Water lacks fame, no one knows who we are. Even if I could use my old channels to connect with the Cicero Family and find some jobs to make money, would we get the chance to make big money? No, because we lack fame."

Yang Yi nodded and said, "Yes, we can only slowly accumulate fame through one task at a time."

Mike smiled and said, "Building a reputation is too hard. We’re not like assassins or mercenaries. Assassins can gain fame quickly by killing a few famous people, and mercenaries can gain fame by fighting tough battles. But spies can’t; they can only build up through mission after mission. It takes years, even decades, to build some reputation, and if you can’t get any valuable tasks, then you’ll never become known."

Suddenly excited, Mike spread his arms wide and exclaimed, "But now it’s different! We have a perfect opportunity to become famous—by taking down the Fearless, we’ll gain fame. Because we’re unknown, defeating the Fearless will shock everyone all the more, and we can become famous overnight!"

Yang Yi clenched his fists and said, "Use Fearless as a stepping stone!"

Mike nodded, with a fierce expression, and said, "Exactly! There is no better stepping stone than Fearless! Take down Fearless today, and tomorrow the entire underworld will know the name of the Organization of Water! At the very least, in Europe, in Western Europe, the Organization of Water will be an undeniable force to be reckoned with!"