Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 957 - 962 Reality

Chapter 957: Chapter 962 Reality

Issuing a written report and signing it meant that Dave had to take responsibility for his judgment, because this report would be kept on file.

That is, Dave believed everything Yang Yi said was true. There might be omissions, but that’s only human. The fact that it was all true was already enough, and he was willing to bear direct responsibility for his judgment.

However, after pondering for a long time, Porter just lightly shook his head.

"No need to write the report because no documents will be kept."

After Porter spoke indifferently, he waved his hand, saying, "Delete all the video recordings of the conversation. Don’t keep any records, don’t show them to anyone."

Dave was taken aback, he said in a low voice, "Sir, this doesn’t seem right..."

Porter appeared hesitant. He stood up, left his office chair, and after pacing back and forth a few times, he shook his head and said, "Yes, we can’t delete them, they must be kept on record. But don’t hand it over to the records department. Aside from the three of us and Walter, don’t let anyone see the video."

Dave was also hesitant, but he was one of Porter’s trusted confidants, so some things had to be said by him, or no one else would say them to Porter.

"Sir, are you planning to cover this up? I mean, to hide Mister Hayes’s orders and the existence of Sea God?"

Porter spoke softly, "Do you have a different view?"

Without hesitation, Dave said, "It should be reported to the Director, to let him handle it. The matter involves a... Deputy Director, and regardless of evidence, it’s for the Director to deal with."

Porter gave a wry smile and sighed.

Dave wanted to persuade his old boss, the one who had promoted him.

"Boss, you can’t take this on alone. Even if an investigation is to be opened... on another officer, it should be the Director’s business. Ultimately, this will still fall to you, but you must report it."

Porter sighed, looked at Dave, and then at Coit who remained silent, before saying in a deep voice, "Since 9/11, if there’s one word that summarizes the CIA’s performance, it’s incompetence! Yes, since entering the new century, the CIA’s performance can be deemed incompetent. People won’t remember what we’ve done, but they will remember how the CIA has been listless over the years, allowing the United States to suffer an attack even more dreadful than during World War II. So the question is... where did the problem lie?"

Dave and Coit remained silent. It wasn’t that they didn’t know what the problem was, but these were words they couldn’t say.

Porter sighed again, "We all know where the problem lies. It’s the amateurs leading the professionals. Look at the CIA Directors over the years, who are they? They’re the people trusted by the President. Every President likes to place someone he trusts as the Director of the CIA. But they’re just not professionals. Our Director is a General, a General..."

Shaking his head, Porter continued with a look of helplessness, "We all know the Director won’t last much longer. The CIA’s performance is a joke, a string of failures, one after the other, especially the recent blow in Ukraine, which has left our Director embarrassed before the President. This means our Director is about to be replaced."

Spreading his hands, Porter said with a heavy face, "I’ve been in intelligence my whole life, I’ve worked at the CIA all my life to get to my current position, and I know I will not be appointed as Director. What about Aaron? He also climbed up step by step to his current position. He is a spy, always on fieldwork, with rich experience and a wide network. Over half of the CIA’s people are his direct subordinates."

Dave also had a look of helplessness as he said softly, "Sir, we can wait for the new Director to take office."

Porter chuckled, "Wait for the new director? Can that change the situation? We don’t need evidence, just our belief that Aaron might really be the mole, then we can investigate. And this order should have been issued by the Director. But the question is, once it’s given, can it be kept secret? This serious issue will be reported to the President by the Director, and finally, an investigation will be launched under the President’s directive, perhaps even suspending Aaron’s work as per procedure. But is there any point?"

A look of despair crossed Dave’s face, "If we suspend Aaron’s work before starting the investigation, there will be no gain; we won’t be able to get any evidence."

Porter sat back in his chair, his expression solemn, "Exactly, there is no point. Directors come and go, replaced every few years, but Aaron and I will always be here. The real work of the CIA is done by us, the real power is also held by us. If Aaron knows he’s being investigated, he has the power and time to destroy all evidence. The scariest part is..."

What’s the scariest part? The scariest part is that Aaron holds the greatest power and strongest influence in the CIA.

The CIA has tens of thousands of people, and the number of field agents, traditionally known as spies, is one of America’s most closely guarded secrets. But a conservative estimate would put their numbers at over twenty thousand, all directly commanded by Aaron. If Aaron knew he was under investigation or if he felt threatened and then responded in desperation, what would happen?

The CIA would suffer the biggest blow since its establishment, a crippling blow, a devastating blow.

Don’t forget, Aaron is the Soviet Union’s mole. He is a mole, a turncoat, a traitor. What can’t he do in desperation?

Either Aaron must be taken down all at once, without giving him any chance to fight back, or he must never know he’s being investigated—never.

The terrible consequences go unsaid, but there’s no need to speak of them. Anyone with a brain knows how dreadful the worst outcome could be.

What’s more frightening is that, given the current state of the CIA, keeping any real secrets is extremely difficult.

Wearing a face of sorrow, Porter said in a low voice, "I understand why Mister Hayes went to the United Kingdom to find someone who isn’t a spy to investigate Aaron and didn’t want to select from within the CIA for this task, because a foreign young man who doesn’t understand anything is more reliable than any of our elite agents. Because selecting someone from within to investigate this matter would most likely mean we’d never have a chance to uncover the truth... We... We..."

Porter could not go on; he sighed deeply and after a long pause, finally said with great sadness, "The corruption and absolute power within the FBI prompted the establishment of the CIA. During the Cold War, the CIA was the most powerful intelligence agency in the world. But after the end of the Cold War, we lost our biggest adversary and fell into decay. That’s why after 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security was established. Gentlemen, this is reality, if we don’t change, we are done!"