Song Heping suddenly woke up in the middle of the night.

Without any warning.

He was drenched in sweat as he woke.

Sitting on the bed for a few minutes, all traces of sleep vanished.

He felt restless, as if something was about to happen.

Unable to sleep, he got up, walked over to the desk, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, and took a big gulp.

The cold mineral water jolted him awake.

Stepping outside, the bright moon hung high overhead.

The camp was silent, with only a few sentries visible near the gate from afar.

Song Heping slowly walked down the corridor and sat on the cement planter under the tree in front of the barracks.

The quiet stillness reminded him of his days in the military, the nights when the duty staff swapped shifts, and the barracks buzzed with snoring soldiers.

If it weren't for family issues, Song Heping would never have chosen to retire.

He felt that the life most suited to him was still military life.

But fate dictates all, leaving no room for choice.

As the silence deepened, he began to think about his current situation.

Right now, he'd been blacklisted by the United States as the head of a KB cell—his legitimate career was over.

Even returning home and withdrawing from everything wasn't an option.

Going back would only create trouble for his country.

The United States would surely exploit the situation, turning it into a huge scandal, leaving his homeland in a dilemma whether to hand him over or not, disgracing the nation either way.

This was something Song Heping, a patriot to the core, could not tolerate.

All these years abroad, he had never done a single thing to betray his country.

Suddenly, Lei Ming came to mind.

Captain Lei!

That's it.

Maybe he could try contacting Captain Lei, explaining his circumstances and the inside story.

But last time, Captain Lei didn't leave any contact information…

Right…

The sly bastard!

Chris Chen!

The veteran intelligence broker!

He remembered Captain Lei once mentioning that if something were to happen, he could get in touch with Chen.

This matter…

Song Heping had never given it much thought before.

Now that it had come to mind, there seemed to be more to it.

Checking the time, Song Heping thought it was still possible to reach Chen; this guy had helped him big-time in the past. He owed him a major favor, thinking Chen might eventually come to collect. But years had passed with no sign of Chen reaching out.

To Song Heping, Chen seemed like he genuinely just wanted to help.

In light of that, some things suddenly made sense.

Perhaps there was some unspoken connection between Chen and Captain Lei.

Could it be…

As he was pondering this, his phone suddenly vibrated.

At this hour? Who could it be?

Even before seeing the number, he had an inkling his hunch was about to be confirmed.

Pulling it out, he saw Angel's number.

"Damn…"

A call from Angel at a time like this had to mean trouble.

Due to his current predicament, Song Heping had previously sent Angel a secret message warning her not to contact him, to avoid getting caught up in complications.

Her calling now meant there was an urgent situation.

Could the CIA have uncovered her connection to him and was now coming for her?

It shouldn't be!

Angel's family was politically influential, holding significant sway in the United States' political arena. Even if they targeted her, she could easily clear herself of any ties. Surely Kelly and the others couldn't touch her.

He quickly answered, and Angel's slightly tense voice came through.

"Sweetheart, something's happened over here."

Song Heping immediately asked, "What? Did the CIA come after you?"

"No, they didn't come for me, but Feier is in trouble." Angel's voice started to tremble.

"Feier?!"

Song Heping immediately understood.

But he couldn't fathom why Feier would be in trouble.

Previously, he'd discussed the plan to unveil Silia Gelasuk Town's operation with Feier on the Dark Web and even provided him with a detailed proposal.

Following the plan should have ensured everything went smoothly.

Unless the CIA had gone completely insane.

"What happened to him?!"

Angel's breathing was heavy; she steadied herself before speaking, "He's dead. He was killed in a traffic accident after the press conference, struck at an intersection by a runaway truck and crushed beyond recognition. I tried to get him the best doctors, but…"

She choked up.

"He was gone on the spot…"

"A car accident?!"

Song Heping felt his skin crawl, his palms icy cold.

Who the hell would believe Feier's death was just a coincidence?

"Did he reveal the data I gave him during the press conference?"

"Yes…" Angel replied, "Afterwards, he supposedly shared a coffee with Selena, went back to the parking lot to get his car, and within twenty minutes, he was dead. I checked with the local police; they claimed the truck driver was fatigued, the vehicle poorly maintained, its brakes had failed—delayed reaction caused the accident. But… I don't believe it was an accident…"

"Wait…"

Song Heping was dumbfounded.

"I'd discussed a contingency plan with him to ensure his safety. The idea was to distribute all the information to peers after the disclosure, to every media outlet he knew. The data was lethal but losing exclusivity would remove the incentive to harm him. Once public, no one would target him!"

"I don't know the specifics, but he's dead…" Angel sounded sorrowful.

Song Heping asked, "Did your TV stations report anything about this?"

Angel replied, "No, only the press conference footage was broadcast. Everything since has been silent. It's been a day, and no newspapers have covered it properly. A few mentioned Feier's accident, but it was glossed over without making waves…"

At that moment, Song Heping already understood.

It seemed Feier hadn't followed his advice.

Thinking about Feier's tendency as a war reporter, Song Heping had been adamant in urging him to disclose the data widely, ensuring it wasn't exclusive to avoid danger.

But holding onto precious information had painted a target on Feier.

"That idiot!"

Though Feier was dead.

Song Heping couldn't contain his rage.

"I warned him to release it publicly! You've been a journalist yourself. You should've known that clinging to exclusivity in matters like this is practically burying yourself alive! My God, what was he thinking? After all these years as a war correspondent—doesn't he have even an ounce of common sense?!"

Song Heping was already on his feet, his emotions rippling.

A single misstep.

No matter how meticulous you plan, fate has its own designs!

Feier ultimately couldn't resist temptation.

While Feier was difficult to buy off, immune to money or power…

He wasn't without flaws.

His obsession with impactful journalism, the allure of explosive headlines—this was a kind of greed, too.

"I didn't think it through…"

Song Heping sighed deeply. "I accounted for everything but his nature…"

"What now?" Angel asked. "You're already blacklisted, and soon you'll be on the UN's list. Feier is gone, the media company and outlets are leaderless, and I can't step in directly—it would only complicate matters further…"

"I understand. Leave it to the existing processes. No one knows Feier's company has any connection to me, let alone that I funded it. Now that he's gone, it's even less likely they'll trace the link…"

Song Heping focused on figuring out how to manage the media company.

He couldn't set foot in the United States.

Feier's company was created when Angel founded an investment fund using money supplied by him.

It included websites, a local TV station, and a small newspaper.

The overall costs weren't too high, and given his resources at the time, Song Heping saw an opportunity to wield influence through media.

Now, with the expert overseeing these operations gone, who could pick up the reins?

Damn it!

Song Heping wanted to slap himself silly.

He should never have given Feier exclusive rights to the data.

He'd trusted Feier, thinking he'd know better how to navigate the media landscape.

But Feier ruined everything.

And now, it had cost lives—including his own risks.

"Angel, sweetheart, I understand what's happening now. From this moment on, don't contact me. I'll reach out to you instead. Trust me, darling—stay out of this mess. There are things you don't know. If what I know gets out, even your country's military and intelligence agencies would have people forced to take blame. It seems they've already started clamping down on public narrative. The images I sent to your network earlier vanished almost immediately. Truly, your network control is impressive… Don't get involved, remember? I don't want you ending up like Feier. Our current enemy is no ordinary rival—not even sure if your aunt's involved. Please heed my words, stay silent, alright?"

"Got it…" Angel wasn't foolish; she sensed how dangerous things were. "I'll do as you say."

"We might not see each other for years, ha." Song Heping joked. "I was thinking of attending your wedding someday to congratulate you. Looks like I'll have to give up on visiting America at all now."

"If you can't come here, we'll meet up somewhere else." Angel said. "As for getting married—no plans for now, so no worries. I'll likely still be single years down the line."

A slight warmth rose within Song Heping.

The blonde beauty might be all-American, but she genuinely cared for him.

"Alright, once this is resolved, I'll come find you."

"Do you think you can fix this?" Angel, doubtful about the blacklist and UN sanctions, asked.

"Rest assured." Song Heping promised. "There's always a way—mountains have paths; rivers have bridges. I'll figure out a solution."

After exchanging a few words, the call ended.

Song Heping stared at the darkened phone screen, feeling neither loneliness nor despair.

Yes, Feier was dead. Yes, his plans to expose the scandal and create public outrage had crumbled. Yes, he'd underestimated his enemy's control over America's power structure.

But he was still alive.

Being alive was his trump card.

And with a card on the table, the game wasn't over.

The flames of determination burned fiercely.

Song Heping's innate defiance surged within him.

"You want me dead?!"

"Hell no!"

"If I die, you'll go down with me!"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com