Spy Wars: Strong Agents Who Are Ruthless and Talk Little

Su Minming's voice was muffled in the still night, like a cloud blown away by the wind, drifting unsteadily. He paused, his gaze shifting from Zheng Yaoxian's face to the dim lights in the distance. The night breeze blew past, bringing a slight chill, stirring the strands of hair on his forehead. He took a deep breath, but his chest felt heavy, as if something were blocking it.

Zheng Yaoxian stood aside, silent as a stone. His eyes were dark and unclear, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the corners of his clothes, as if he was suppressing something. The air between them seemed to freeze, and only the barking of dogs in the distance broke the eerie silence.

"You know what, Old Zheng," Su Minming finally spoke, a hint of self-mockery in his tone, "I sometimes really think I'm quite ridiculous. In our line of work, we're on the brink of blood, our heads hanging on our belts, and yet in the end, we can't even tell who's friend from foe." He turned and looked directly at Zheng Yaoxian, a complex light flashing in his eyes. "Tell me, what are we fighting so hard for?"

Zheng Yaoxian's Adam's apple moved, as if he was about to say something, but he swallowed it back. He lowered his head and lit a cigarette, the flame dancing on his face, casting a gloomy shadow. "Minming, don't ask these useless questions. We're here to work, not to think about these things." His voice was hoarse, as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper, and carried a hint of fatigue.

"Work?" Su Minming sneered, his voice suddenly rising. "Working until you die, and you don't even get an explanation. Is that what you call work?" He took a step forward, approaching Zheng Yaoxian, his eyes as sharp as a knife. "Don't you have anything to say? How did the information leak that night? Do you really think I know nothing?"

Zheng Yaoxian looked up suddenly, the spark on his cigarette trembling and almost falling to the ground. His expression changed, his lips pressed tightly into a line, and finally he just exhaled a puff of smoke and whispered, "You doubt me?"

"I don't want to doubt you." Su Minming's tone softened, but the coldness in his eyes remained. "But if you don't give me an explanation, I'll have to find the answer myself. You know my temper. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm afraid of dying confusedly."

The air fell into dead silence again. Zheng Yaoxian extinguished his cigarette, threw it on the ground, and crushed it with his foot. His movements were slow, as if he was stalling for time. After a while, he raised his head and said in a voice so low that it was almost inaudible: "Some things you can't know just because you want to know. Don't force me, Minming."

"Forced you?" Su Minming smiled a grim smile, as if he had heard something funny. "Old Zheng, how many years have we known each other? You saved me, and I took bullets for you. But now these words coming out of your mouth, why do they sting so harshly?" He paused, his voice suddenly cold. "That night, three of my men died, and the intelligence was cut off halfway through. Tell me, this is none of your business?"

Zheng Yaoxian's face completely darkened. He opened his mouth, as if to argue, but in the end, he just sighed and turned his back to Su Minming. "If you really think I did it, then do it. Don't waste your time talking here."

Those words seemed to ignite something, and Su Minming's anger suddenly flared up. He grabbed Zheng Yaoxian's shoulders and forcibly pulled him over, gritting his teeth and saying, "Stop playing dumb with me! I'm not here to play guessing games with you!" His grip was so strong that Zheng Yaoxian stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.

Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps could be heard in the distance. Both of them froze, looking in the direction of the sound. In the darkness, several dark figures rapidly approached, their weapons flashing with a cold light, clearly harboring ill intentions. Su Minming let go of his hand and cursed, "Fuck, this is such a bad time."

Zheng Yaoxian seemed to be relieved. He quickly took out a dagger from his waist and said in a low voice: "Stop talking nonsense, survive first." His eyes instantly became sharp, like a wolf forced into a desperate situation.

Su Minming glanced at him, then said nothing more. He pulled a short knife from his boot and charged towards the group of shadowy figures. The knife flashed a cold gleam in the moonlight, followed by the crisp sound of metal clashing and a muffled groan. Blood splattered on the ground, and the stench of blood filled the air. Zheng Yaoxian followed closely behind, his movements ruthless and precise, each strike aimed directly at the vital points.

In the melee, Su Minming caught a glimpse of a dark figure sneaking around to the side, holding a crossbow and aiming it at Zheng Yaoxian's back. Without a second thought, he lunged forward, kicking the man to the ground and stabbing his knife into his shoulder. Blood sprayed all over his face, and he wiped it, panting heavily as he looked at Zheng Yaoxian.

Zheng Yaoxian had clearly seen this, his eyes slightly trembling, but he didn't have time to say anything more. The group of shadowy figures, though outnumbered, were clearly no match for them. After a moment, some were dead, some fled, leaving only a mess on the ground. Su Minming stood up, panting, blood dripping from the tip of his knife onto the ground. He turned to look at Zheng Yaoxian, his voice as cold as ice: "Now, you should at least give me an explanation, right?"

Zheng Yaoxian was silent for a moment before finally speaking, his tone carrying a rare hint of dejection. "Okay, I'll tell you. But you have to survive until tomorrow morning." He paused, his gaze cast into the distance, "Because tonight's events aren't over yet."

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves echoed in the distance, accompanied by a low horn, like some kind of signal. Su Minming's face changed, and he gripped the knife even tighter. He knew that this bloody storm had just begun.

The sound of horse hooves grew closer, and Su Minming and Zheng Yaoxian quickly hid in an abandoned warehouse nearby. In the moonlight, they could see at least twenty heavily armed cavalrymen outside, searching for them.

"Whose are these people?" Su Minming asked in a low voice.

Zheng Yaoxian shook his head, his face solemn. "I'm not sure, but judging by their equipment, they don't look like a local force."

"What exactly are you involved in?" Su Minming stared at Zheng Yaoxian.

Zheng Yaoxian took a deep breath and asked, "Remember that batch of arms last month?"

"how?"

"That batch of arms is fake." Zheng Yaoxian's voice was very soft. "The real arms were replaced long ago, and..."

Before he could finish his words, a grenade suddenly flew in through the window. Quick-witted, Su Minming kicked the grenade away. With a loud bang, a large hole was blown open in the warehouse wall.

"Retreat!" Su Minming shouted and pulled Zheng Yaoxian to run towards the back door.

Bullets rained down on the wall behind them. Su Minming could feel a few bullets grazed his clothes. The two men ran desperately, diving into a maze of alleyways.

"Go east," Zheng Yaoxian said suddenly, "I have a safe house over there."

At this moment, a dark figure jumped down from the roof and landed directly in front of them. In the moonlight, the man had a strange smile on his face: "Director Zheng, long time no see."

Zheng Yaoxian's face turned pale in an instant: "It's you? Haven't you already..."

"Dead?" the man sneered, "Did you really think that explosion could kill me?"

Su Minming looked at the scene before him and finally understood something. He stared at Zheng Yaoxian and asked, "How many people have you betrayed?"

Zheng Yaoxian didn't answer, but silently pulled out the pistol from his waist. But the direction he pointed the gun made Su Minming's heart sink.

(End of book)