Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 950 - 955 Sorrow

Chapter 950: Chapter 955 Sorrow

Elvin left, and so did Rodriguez.

There was no acute pain, but deep inside there was a hint of loss, overshadowed by a lingering sense of relief that was hard to describe.

Yang Yi could tolerate surveillance by undercover agents and cleaners monitoring his every move, but he could not accept the presence of an undercover agent within the Organization of Water. That was different.

Yang Yi had considered having Anton or Zhang Yong take out Rodriguez for him—not directly, but rather after confirming Rodriguez’s identity, with Anton making the confirmation.

In the end, though, Yang Yi abandoned the idea out of respect for the cleaners, suspecting them the most. Thus, he decided to confront Rodriguez himself for a clear answer. If it turned out as he suspected, he would let Rodriguez go; if not, he would take action himself.

There would surely be further dealings with the cleaners, and they would likely continue to plant undercover agents within the Organization of Water, without Yang Yi’s awareness, but he would no longer allow anyone to penetrate the organization’s core circle—a critical point.

Betrayal in the underground world was an ever-present reality; Yang Yi never expected to eradicate it completely. His goal was to shield his core circle from corruption. Achieving that would be deemed a success; one couldn’t ask for too much.

For now, all Yang Yi could do was wait, and of course, inform the others who were waiting for news.

Yang Yi stepped out of the small diner and started wandering aimlessly down the street, pulling out his phone.

Holding the satellite phone, Yang Yi felt a sincere helplessness. Even their core communication device was provided by the cleaners, who could eavesdrop whenever they wished. For the foreseeable future, escaping the cleaners’ influence was an unattainable goal.

But what could be done? For now, at least, the cleaners were allies, not foes. They had been restrained and conservative, posing no threat to the Organization of Water’s existence or growth. So, the status quo had to be accepted.

Yang Yi dialed Annastasia’s number, and once connected, he said solemnly, "I’ve spoken with them. The outcome is still uncertain, but there’s hope. I’m waiting for their notice."

"Okay, will you be coming back?"

"No, I’ll wait here for the news. If they agree to cooperate, I’ll head directly to the United States."

After a moment of silence, Annastasia replied, "Understood. Let me know once there’s a result."

"Right. One more thing, Rodriguez was an undercover agent—their agent. He’s left with them now. I’m telling you so no one else needs to know. No, tell everyone. Concealment does no good; it only creates risks."

Annastasia, shocked, exclaimed, "What? Rod was an undercover agent? Did you know all along? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

"It wasn’t a long-standing discovery, just a suspicion confirmed today. You’re not familiar with Rod’s past, so it’s normal you didn’t notice."

Annastasia sighed, "That’s... quite a surprising piece of news. Can you explain what happened? Everyone will ask."

"Well, he was chosen by the FBI in prison to infiltrate a gang in exchange for a reduced sentence, so joining the Organization of Water was coincidental, but he was indeed an undercover agent. He just switched sides, that’s all."

"So he is just a thug, or a gang member, in other words. Without much value since he wasn’t specially trained, do you think they will eliminate him?"

Would Rodriguez be eliminated? That was a good question.

After pondering, Yang Yi finally admitted, "I don’t know... I guess not."

The truth was, Rodriquez’s elimination was quite likely, Yang Yi knew.

Could Rodriguez return home? Unlikely—the cleaners wouldn’t allow him a peaceful life. But if Rodriguez had no further value and his capabilities didn’t impress the cleaners, then for a secret organization like them, elimination would be the easiest route.

It was sad but realistic; the cleaners were not the FBI or the CIA. They were just a secret organization, not a national intelligence agency. If Rodriguez had served his country, he might have been heralded as a hero even in failure, but serving a clandestine organization only meant accepting the harsh reality of becoming dispensable.

Such was the tragedy of the underworld.

Annastasia did not continue discussing Rodriguez’s fate with Yang Yi, not out of sentimentality or any other emotion, but because it was pointless.

Putting Rodriguez out of his mind, Yang Yi stated firmly, "That’s all. I need to hang up."

"Aren’t you going to say something to them?"

Hesitating briefly, Yang Yi finally said, "No, there’s nothing to say. Tell them I’m fine. That’s all. Goodbye."

Yang Yi hung up and went on meandering through the unfamiliar streets. If Elvin called to say the cleaners refused to cooperate, he would return to the Organization of Water to seek another opportunity. However, if Elvin said they agreed to cooperate, he would go straight to the United States.

He intended to forget Rodriguez, but how could he? It wasn’t long before Yang Yi involuntarily pondered whether Rodriguez’s clumsiness was genuine or just a disguise. If it was the latter, then Rodriguez was indeed clever—he had to give him that.

Rodriguez had made a good amount of money in the Organization of Water, at least five million US dollars in his account. Yang Yi could have Boer take it all back if he wanted, but he chose not to.

Rodriguez had indeed risked his life for the organization. The five million was his due. Despite being an undercover agent, Yang Yi still felt the money belonged to Rodriguez; in the end, he was too soft-hearted.

Yang Yi knew the rational choice, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t saddened or reluctant to let go. So, he hoped Rodriguez would spend the money on his family, though he was likely to be eliminated.

Consider it a lingering attachment, he thought, buying peace for the past with five million dollars was worth it to Yang Yi.

Unable to stop the memories from flooding back, as he recalled their time in prison, Yang Yi’s phone rang.

Pushing aside distractions and focusing his mind, Yang Yi answered the call only to hear Elvin’s grave voice on the other end: "We’ve agreed to cooperate. You can go ahead with your plan."