Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 662 - 668: It’s the Thought That Counts

Chapter 662: Chapter 668: It’s the Thought That Counts

News of the sparring between Yang Yi and Anton never made it back, so Brian was quite shocked when he saw Yang Yi’s condition.

"What happened? How did you end up like this!"

Yang Yi, who had to maintain his composure in front of others, now completely deflated as he slumped into a seat, letting out a breath of relief and said in a low voice, "I had an exchange with Anton, no, actually, he lost control and tried to kill me, and then we fought. Thankfully, I didn’t lose, and he didn’t win. We both ended up like this, afraid to speak too loudly or cough because it hurts."

Brian’s expression was both stern and puzzled as he said, "How could Anton lose control like that?"

Yang Yi hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "I might’ve accidentally touched on his sore spot."

After Yang Yi recounted the events, Brian stood up and began to pace back and forth, saying, "Given Anton’s training, it’s almost impossible for him to lose control, so your judgment is correct; you hit the most painful part of Anton’s heart."

Looking at Yang Yi, Brian said in a deep voice, "This is actually a good thing."

"Oh, a good thing?"

"I could never trust Anton, because I know what kind of person he is, a Black Devil, someone incapable of true loyalty to anyone. Anton could be used, but never trusted. I considered all the possible outcomes for Anton in the Organization of Water, and the best one would be to find an opportunity to take him out once our manpower grows and we become stronger. Otherwise, we’d have to worry day after day about the irreparable damage he could cause to the organization."

Yang Yi said softly, "Yeah, I hadn’t really thought about this before, but once I understood his loyalty was to only one entity, I knew it was impossible to win his heart."

Brian responded indifferently, "How can you win the heart of someone who has none?"

After a sigh, Brian said helplessly, "Anton, the kind of person who has been brainwashed, and most successfully at that, otherwise he wouldn’t have become the Black Devil. His only loyalty was to the Soviet Union; I’ve known that for a long time."

Yang Yi spread his hands and said, "Yeah, so it’s an unsolvable problem."

Brian shook his head and replied softly, "Not exactly, if the Soviet Union still existed, then yes, it would be unsolvable. But the Soviet Union is no longer there, and decades have passed. You know, if Anton truly joined the Black Devil and was exposed to things he had never seen before, his loyalty to the Soviet Union could have actually decreased, but the Soviet Union ceased to exist right before he was about to join the Black Devil, which means that at the moment of his deepest brainwashing, he lost the object of his loyalty."

"That means he couldn’t be exposed to the dark side of the Soviet Union, his mind could only hold on to the best aspects of it."

"Exactly, but time can erode everything."

With a smile Brian then said in a deep voice, "The Soviet Union no longer exists, and it won’t come back. Anton is confused, disappointed, and in pain; he has become heartless. If nothing unexpected happens, he’ll keep this confused and painful mentality until he self-destructs."

"Then what did you mean by ’a good thing’?"

Brian leaned towards Yang Yi, his face eager as he said, "Haven’t you figured it out yet?"

Yang Yi furrowed his brows in thought, then slowly, his brow relaxed, and by the end, he was beaming with delight.

"I understand now!"

With a smile, Brian said, "Let’s hear it."

Yang Yi said excitedly, "You just said that Anton is heartless, and that description is too on the nose. Yes, to say Anton lacks loyalty is an understatement—he’s nothing but an empty shell. But his loss of control shows that he does have emotions! With emotions, he’s no longer heartless. First he was angry, now he has a competitive mindset. As long as he has the emotions that humans have, then... there are opportunities to exploit?"

Brian nodded, looking very pleased.

"Yes, when someone has no heart at all, you can’t win back their heart. The power of time is immense, and no one has been continuously brainwashing him over these decades, so his psychological defenses have begun to crack. He wants to compete with you? Good, very good!"

After he finished speaking, Brian leaned in close to Yang Yi and said in a low voice, "I’m not afraid of his competitiveness; I’m afraid of him having no desire to compete at all. Black Devil is proud, but Black Devil’s pride would never be about competing in such a trivial matter. Anton’s behavior now shows that he has vulnerabilities, psychological vulnerabilities."

Yang Yi frowned and asked, "So what should I do? Attack him? Shake his confidence?"

Brian chuckled, then shook his head, "Undermine his confidence? No, no, no, don’t joke around. If you compete with the Black Devil, it’s your confidence that will be shaken. First, you need to understand what the Black Devil is."

"It’s the KGB’s most elite unit."

"Basically, yes. But to be clear, the Black Devil is a weapon cultivated by the Soviet Union at any cost, a team created without consideration for the expense. They gathered the most excellent talents, no, the geniuses, and turned them into emotionless tools. It’s a colossal waste for any nation, a waste of talent, but the Soviet Union did it anyway."

With a spread of his hands and a wistful expression, Brian said, "The scariest thing about Black Devil is their versatility. If you look for the world’s best spies, Black Devil might not be at the top, but several of them would be in the top ten. If you look for the best shooters, Black Devil might not hold the first place, but second, third, and fourth could all be Black Devil’s members. Simply put, Black Devil has no weaknesses, both in terms of the entire team’s composition and individual quality. Maybe you excel over Anton in one skill, but he far outclasses you in the dozens of other skills a spy must possess."

Yang Yi said with a bitter smile, "Well, you’ve successfully shaken my confidence."

In urgent tones, Brian said, "That’s alright, that’s alright! What you need to do is to get him to compete with you. It doesn’t matter what—as long as he’s willing to compete, that’s your victory. Don’t worry about whether it’s a competitive spirit, jealousy, or any other sentiment. The fact that you turned him from a heartless person into one with heart is your victory."

After finishing, Brian looked at Yang Yi hopefully and said, "Of course, if you could beat him in something—and beat him decisively and impressively—that would be even better."

Yang Yi said in a low voice, "Why are you so interested in Anton?"

Brian was taken aback for a moment, then he said very seriously, "You have to understand that the Black Devil is the best special agent in the world. Although I am an enemy of Black Devil, I have to admit that. Since the birth of Black Devil to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, no one has ever turned a Black Devil. Even though the Soviet Union is no more, even though... well! I really want to turn a Black Devil!"