Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 751 - 756 Contradictions

Chapter 751: Chapter 756 Contradictions

Brian didn’t distrust what Yarebin had said; rather, he dared not trust it.

At this moment, what was Brian’s state of mind? He was in a state where he desperately hoped that everything Yarebin said was true; he truly desired it to be true from the bottom of his heart, and even believed that it was—to the extent that his caution towards the Black Devil made him fiercely convince himself that it wasn’t true.

When a person begs to be lied to, it becomes very easy to deceive them.

Surely, many have experienced that rational understanding that it couldn’t possibly be true, yet emotionally, there is an extreme hope that it is.

Yang Yi felt somewhat helpless as he looked at Brian, who seemed to have aged several years, wanting to say something comforting but not knowing where to begin.

At that moment, however, Brian turned to look at Anton and asked in a deep voice, "What’s the matter with you?"

Anton didn’t speak.

Frowning, Brian said, "Do you hate the Black Devil? No, do you hate Yarebin?"

Anton exhaled slowly and looked at Brian. In a low voice, he said, "I don’t hate the Black Devil, nor do I hate Yarebin. I just... dislike them. No, you need to understand, the Black Devil is a unit, and they are just some of the people in this unit of the Black Devil. They are not the Black Devil; they don’t have the right to represent the Black Devil."

Brian shook his head and said, "No, I agree that some people don’t have the right to represent the Black Devil, but Yarebin, he is the Black Devil. He has the absolute right to represent the Black Devil."

Anton pressed his lips together and refused to speak. After thinking for a moment, Brian suddenly said, "Let me tell you something that will make you proud. We only learned of the existence of the Black Devil unit in the mid-eighties, and then we also learned the name Yarebin, whose codename was the King of Devils. After that, the entire Western world’s intelligence agencies strived for a long time with the goal of either turning or capturing a member of the Black Devil. However, in the end, not a single Black Devil’s identity could be confirmed. Without being able to confirm their identities, how could we capture or turn one?"

Anton replied in a low voice, "What does that have to do with me? I’m not the Black Devil."

Brian continued, "The Black Devil was top secret in the Soviet Union, and it was the same in the United States. When our high-level mole in the Soviet Union obtained this intelligence, at first no one paid attention, because everything about the Black Devil seemed too magical to be true. Concentrating geniuses together, selecting from them, and then training them to become Black Devils seemed like a tremendous waste of talent resources, so nobody cared."

"For a while, the KGB’s operations were extremely successful, practically becoming our nightmare. At that time, a name began to circulate, Yarebin—of course, that was just a codename. No one knew how it got out. Later on, the CIA obtained a very crucial piece of intelligence, aware of the existence of this extremely special Black Devil unit."

"Later on, for quite a long time, I remember that whenever the KGB accomplished something remarkable or highly complex, the top brass of the CIA would say Yarebin had succeeded again. Later, no one mentioned Yarebin anymore; they said the King of Devils had damn succeeded again. At that time, Yarebin was the Black Devil, and the Black Devil was Yarebin."

Oh, let me add one more thing: the codename Black Devil was the only one during the entire Cold War that both the East and the West agreed upon. The Soviet Union called it that, and so did we, except you meant it as a compliment and we meant it as a disparagement, but we both said it with respect.

So when you say you don’t know the name Yarebin, I find it really surprising, and your attitude towards Yarebin is beyond surprising to me; it’s downright incredible. So what exactly is the reason for your dissatisfaction with your own Black Devil?"

Brian delivered a rather long speech. After listening with a stony face, Anton replied coldly, "If Yarebin is as formidable as you say, how then did the Soviet Union dissolve? If the Black Devil had been so successful under Yarebin’s leadership, why didn’t they detect the crisis facing the Soviet Union? The Black Devil existed to protect the Soviet Union, so where is the Soviet Union now?"

Brian shook his head and said, "The collapse of the Soviet Union isn’t a fault of the Black Devil; it is because the Soviet Union was rotten from the core. The trouble lay at the very top of the Soviet hierarchy. Do you know how Yarebin’s name and the Black Devil’s intelligence got out? It’s because some of the highest echelons in the Soviet Union could no longer tolerate the existence of the Black Devil. Regrettably, those officials are at too high a level for me to know their names. You just need to understand one thing: the Black Devil is a knife, and how that knife is used depends on the person holding it."

Anton’s expression remained dark. Brian spoke softly, "You were close to becoming the Black Devil. I think you know better than I do what all has happened."

Anton took a breath, speaking in a low tone, "The Black Devil, from its very inception, was internal; later, it turned external."

Brian intoned gravely, "I understand how you feel. You longed to join the Black Devil, but you were profoundly dissatisfied that it didn’t prevent the dissolution of the Soviet Union, so you started to hate Yarebin because he is the King of Devils."

After a moment of struggle, Anton finally said quietly, "Stop talking."

Undoubtedly, Anton was conflicted. His mind was torn; he took pride in the name Black Devil yet despised it for failing to protect the Soviet Union.

Brian spoke indifferently, "Anton, from the beginning, I was very cautious of you because you almost became the Black Devil. But now, I respect you and am thankful for everything you’ve done for the Organization of Water. That’s why I’m telling you all this because I don’t want to see you drive yourself mad with self-denial. You should indeed take pride in being the Black Devil, and you don’t need to hate the Black Devil for not saving the Soviet Union. The reason, as I’ve just explained. I hope you can understand the logic behind it. You’re not a fool; I believe you can figure it out."

Anton pondered for a while, then he looked up, casting his gaze over Brian, Yang Yi, and everyone else by his side.

Yang Yi whispered, "I think Brian is absolutely right."

Anton seemed lost. After a long pause for thought, he shook his head and said, "To me, the real Black Devil no longer exists. Maybe I’ve idealized the Black Devil too much; the things we lose always seem the best. Now I’ve met Yarebin, met the Black Devil, and I don’t know whether to worship them or to despise them. I’m confused, very confused; don’t talk about this anymore. It’s my personal matter. You should think about what to do with Jethro instead."

Waving his hand dismissively, Anton continued sternly, "Regarding Jethro, I also believe that killing him is the best choice. Also, Brian, I think you’re unlikely to find Annastasia because..."

Brian spoke in a low voice, "Because the Black Devil would not let go unless he has drained the last bit of a person’s usefulness, I know, I know; I’ve already witnessed it myself."