Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 726 - 732: Raise the Flagpole

Chapter 726: Chapter 732: Raise the Flagpole

In the evening, Yang Yi and his team moved to a new foothold, similar in layout to the previous one, located in a residential area near the outskirts of Kyiv, surrounded by bungalows that could accommodate dozens of people, yet distributed across several houses. This setup ensured that everyone was close enough to support each other while preventing a situation where blocking one door could trap everyone inside.

This scattered arrangement had another advantage: Jethro could stay in the same house with his most trusted people.

Francois and McGregor both sent men to set up outposts on the perimeter, and Jethro let them arrange it themselves.

Jethro’s approach continued to be easily trustworthy, as it seemed he was entrusting his security to the Fearless Mercenary Corps. If he had any ill intentions towards the Fearless Mercenary Corps, he surely wouldn’t have allowed them to be responsible for the entire perimeter security.

By nightfall, Yang Yi and his group had gathered together again.

Except for Schultz, all the dispatched members had returned. After losing track of the Black Devil, they needed to discuss their strategy again, and this time, Jethro was with them.

Yang Yi had concocted a half-true, half-false lie to temporarily earn Jethro’s trust, but to fully convince Jethro, Yang Yi would have to take further proactive actions.

The atmosphere remained heavy because they knew the Black Devil was among the world’s most formidable operatives, well, even if he was formerly one of the most formidable, there was no doubt about their counter-tracking and counter-surveillance capabilities. Now that they had lost track of them, finding them again would certainly be very difficult.

"They vanished on a tree-lined boulevard, abandoning their car. Since they dared to leave the car behind, that means they aren’t afraid of leaving any traces on it. Although we know their appearances, that’s not of much significance. Let me add a few key points. First, these people are extremely adept at concealing their tracks, constantly mindful of avoiding cameras. Black Lightning hacked into the Ukrainian hotel’s computer system and found the surveillance at that time."

Hans sighed and then opened the laptop in front of him, his face showing helplessness as he said, "You can see for yourselves, these people all covered their faces when they entered the hotel. Some deliberately turned their heads, some blocked their faces with their hands, but you can tell they’re not young from their skin on the neck—one, at least over seventy-five. And this one, he didn’t cover his face, but he’s wearing makeup."

Yang Yi looked towards Kate, who watched a man on the screen for a long while before speaking gravely, "He seems to be Caucasian, and his hair color was changed using a short-term dye. The color has been diluted by sweat because he’s been maintaining it for too long, so his actual hair is likely dark. The color of his hands and face has been changed, and his face has been altered too—he’s added height to his nose, making his expression seem a bit stiff."

Jethro’s face showed surprise as he asked, "How can you tell?"

In a low voice, Kate replied, "You can’t tell just from this image, but by comparing it with previous footage, it becomes apparent. His makeup skills are good, but a bit outdated. Also, this person aimed for a disguise effect, not to let others recognize him, not a replication effect, which means completely changing into another person’s appearance. That’s why his features should be very distinct."

Yang Yi stared at the youngest-looking individual for a long while, then said softly, "That gunman—it’s him!"

The group nodded in agreement, and Yang Yi, puzzled, said, "If he’s already wearing makeup, why would he need a head covering?"

"It’s a matter of habit. He’s accustomed to hiding his identity, so he automatically put on the head covering first, without considering whether he actually needed it," someone explained.

"He looks quite young," Yang Yi said softly. "Indeed impressive, I have to admit."

Seeing that person would evoke terrifying memories, he was damn ferocious. In all honesty, facing such a super gunman, it’s really hard for people to muster the courage to confront him.

After changing the image of that super gunman, Yang Yi let out a long sigh of relief, then he said in a deep voice, "Now we know there are six old men, one of them very old, and another younger super gunman. This feature is quite distinct, so how should we find them?"

Without hesitation, Brian said, "Focus on surveillance. Big Ivan is striking back at those who betrayed him. We’ll set up surveillance around the remaining traitors and wait for them to make their move. Another thing is to use cameras for a dragnet search across the entire city. It’s a matter of luck, but it’s better than doing nothing."

What Brian said was a crude method, but it was also the only feasible one.

Anton had been listening calmly, but at this point, he finally let out a sigh, then said softly, "Actually, it’s not that complicated."

Brian looked at Anton, his surprise evident, "Oh, is there a simpler way?"

With a grave expression, Anton said, "Corkdor was taken away at the entrance of the government building, while he was seeking help from Arseny, right?"

"Yes."

Anton nodded, then waved his hand and said calmly, "Black Devil has a habit, no, it’s not just a habit, it’s more like a matter of honor, to hang his enemies on a flagpole that’s a symbol of national power."

Brian was stunned, then he asked in amazement, "What did you say?"

Arseny exhaled, "Black Devil is strictly disciplined. As a Black Devil, no one can know their names for their entire life. They can’t overstep. But in fact, we’re all the same, aren’t we? We all want our names to be so feared by our enemies that they tremble at the sound, right?"

"Yes, a sense of honor or pride is easy to understand."

Anton smiled, then spoke in a lower voice, "One of my instructors was a true Black Devil. When I was finally deemed worthy to join the Black Devils, he told me that if I were lucky enough after I truly joined, I might have the chance to hang someone on a flagpole. It’s a sign differentiating a Black Devil elite from a rookie."

Yang Yi licked his lips, his face tense, "What do you mean? Elaborate a bit more."

Anton slowly said, "I only know of one example. On December 27, 1979, President Ah Ming was hanged by the Black Devil on the flagpole at the entrance to the Presidential Palace. Later, it was claimed to the outside world that he was killed by paratroopers. No, he was alive when hanged from the national flagpole. Afterwards, his body was taken down and carried into the Presidential Palace, where someone shot him a few times."

Anton gestured with his hands, "So hanging someone on a flagpole needs to meet several conditions. First, the action must take place at a nation’s highest seat of power, the entrance of the government building fits this condition. Then, they completed the task under extremely difficult circumstances, which also fits. Lastly, it needs to be a show of force rather than done quietly. This condition is mostly met. So, if I were Black Devil, I would never pass up the opportunity to hang my achievements on a flagpole, because that’s the highest honor I can think of, not a medal’s medal."