Chapter 723: Who Are You Performing For?

Book – Chapter 723: Who Are You Performing For? (Update 1)

Undercover – anyone who’s watched films or read novels about it knows. Lin

It’s a high-risk profession – mostly referring to infiltrating enemy lines as planted informants, very much like spies.

Calling this profession dangerous isn’t an exaggeration; undercover work is usually extremely perilous.

Just think about it.

Secretly infiltrating enemy territory, covertly investigating and gathering intel – if your cover is blown, the consequences are grim.

Even if your identity remains hidden and your mission is accomplished, you’re likely to face vengeance from criminals in the future.

According to incomplete statistics…

The death rate among undercover officers is as high as 80 to 90 percent!

So, despite the risks, why do people still go undercover?

Now that’s an interesting question.

It’s like saying that the average police officer only lives into his forties.

Don’t say that being a cop means you’re a civil servant with a steady income.

When you realize that becoming a police officer often means you might only see your forties,

losing decades compared to a normal lifespan – would you still choose that path?

And if you did, what would drive you to do it?

Similarly,

over eighty percent of undercover agents are police academy graduates or active officers, with less than twenty percent recruited from the public.

And don’t even mention taking a gamble with fantasies of turning a bicycle into a motorcycle.

None of that ‘I’m up for it’ bravado or empty talk.

Do you know how many undercover agents, before they died, were tortured into unrecognizable states?

Limbs cut off, eyes gouged, tongues sliced, skin flayed, muscles pulled – some even endured slow, excruciating executions after endless days and nights of torment.

You think I’m joking?

No, it’s the cold hard truth.

This kind of life-risking profession—as a gamble, would you really dare?

And remember, most undercover agents are police!

This is why, when Xiao Yu learned that an undercover operative might be in trouble, he couldn’t help but sigh.

It also explained why Da Ju from Yun Xiangguo was sighing over the phone and appearing utterly distracted when they met.

Because the very worst they feared had come to pass!

What do you mean by that?

Undercover agents are human – and humans, by nature, are driven by passion and desire.

You can’t guarantee that someone’s core values will always remain pure.

Nor can you be sure they will always stand for justice.

When someone who once risked everything for the country and its people veers off course,

it becomes one of the toughest issues to resolve.

Can you ignore their past achievements?

You simply cannot!

But then…

Every nation has its laws; every family its rules.

Just because you’ve earned accolades doesn’t give you the right to oppose the nation or its people.

That is a line that must never be crossed.

Take Xiao Yu, for instance – who went to Kimchi Land and wiped out an entire family, committing an unforgivable crime and living without regard for the law.

Yet he can still be forgiven because he never positioned himself against the state or its people.

But now…

“Hua Kang, Male, 43, from Bincheng, former police academy student. Recruited during his school days, he was sent undercover into a major drug trafficking organization to investigate and collect criminal documents…”

“Over 23 years, he started on the fringes of the drug cartel and gradually infiltrated its inner circle, helping our police secure massive amounts of evidence to dismantle countless drug deals…”

“Even Ren Sui never imagined that Hua Kang, starting eight years ago, would first become the head of the cartel, then rise to a top executive, later a manager, and eventually the mastermind of the entire organization!”

After listening to Yun Xiangguo’s words for what felt like endless years, Xiao Yu recalled this twist.

It also reminded him of a film from a past life—New World.

In that story, a police officer was sent undercover, starting off as a small-time thug.

He eventually rose to lead the cartel, became the big boss, and ultimately controlled the entire organization.

You’d think the story would end with the police taking down the cartel, right?

On the contrary, the undercover agent ended up as the new head of the cartel!

……

At the City Bureau, in a special interrogation room.

Xiao Yu stared directly at the middle-aged man seated in the interrogation chair.

The man’s features and skin had the refined texture of marble.

His relaxed posture exuded a natural elegance – aloof yet courteous.

If you looked closely at his face, you’d be surprised to notice

that his eyes were like bottomless black holes, unfathomable and endless…

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man was staring at Xiao Yu, utterly astonished.

His eyes fixed intently on Xiao Yu’s white shirt and the shoulder badges on his shoulders.

“Police Superintendent?”

Hua Kang furrowed his brow; his gaze shifted from indifferent to piercing as he scrutinized Xiao Yu’s calm eyes for a long moment, then he laughed, “Great heroes have always come from the youth—ancient wisdom never fails me!”

“If you don’t…”

Xiao Yu began to speak, then just shook his head slightly, “You’ll end up a Police Superintendent anyway!”

“Hahaha!”

Hua Kang burst into laughter, as if he’d just heard a terrific joke.

“Really funny?” Xiao Yu squinted his eyes.

“Yeah, really funny. I’ve actually dreamt something like that before.”

Hua Kang stifled his laughter and nodded, “Back in police academy, I also had a dream. I was so passionate, thinking I’d make it big, rise through the ranks, and soar high. Even if I failed, eighteen years later I’d still be a hero.”

Passionate, huh?

Xiao Yu’s expression changed as he recalled his own days entering the police academy, driven by youthful zeal to chase a childhood dream.

He had wanted to catch every criminal and uphold justice.

Only by joining the force did he realize

dreams are wonderful, but they can be deadly.

He had seen companions and seniors get injured, even sacrificed, while solving case after case.

Some even disappeared without a trace.

Now, in his pursuit of apprehending criminals, he became ruthless and calculated, resorting to every possible tactic.

That once-burning passion had long since cooled, transforming into bitter, black blood!

“Maybe I’m luckier than most.”

Hua Kang, filled with emotion, shook his head and laughed, “After all these years undercover, I’m still alive—it’s a miracle even by my own standards (absurd, isn’t it!).”

“Is this the price for betraying your youthful oath and forsaking your duty to the nation and its people?”

Xiao Yu looked steadily at him.

“It is, and it isn’t.”

Hua Kang pondered, “How do I put it? People are inherently selfish creatures, driven by emotions. Why should others enjoy wealth and honor while I don’t? Since I have the power to secure both, why not grab them?”

His words were brutally honest, leaving no room for doubt.

But Xiao Yu made a subtle gesture.

The surveillance in the interrogation room was switched off.

The blinds on the two-way glass window lowered.

Some wiretapping devices were deactivated.

At that very moment,

no one outside could possibly know what was happening inside the interrogation room.

And then, a slight smile appeared on Xiao Yu’s face as he looked at the bewildered Hua Kang and said,

“Who are you performing for?”

Wen

Xue