AE and Arabella arranged to meet three days later.
Bring people, not goods.
It was a job to clear the area.
Although Arabella didn't care whether Ivy lived or died, the fact that someone would try to save her indicated they were coming for Arabella herself.
Those rescuing Ivy and leaking information to Quentin might be the same people—or they might not.
If they weren't, it would mean she had people from both the underworld and the authorities around her.
The thought made Arabella gnash her teeth in anger.
In front of Taras, Arabella wouldn't reveal her intentions, but in her heart, she had already made up her mind to find the mole and tear them apart, piece by piece.
If Arabella was going to clean house, AE would do the same.
In the drug trade, people were the biggest expense.
With people constantly coming and going, it was inevitable that some would pick up all kinds of things.
He managed to kill several police informants each year.
Whether out of fear or deep cover, he hadn't caught any this year.
The only deals disrupted were minor ones, nothing worth mentioning.
He didn't intend to root out every informant, as overly clear waters would have no fish. Leaving a few small figure behind relaxed the police's vigilance.
But for this trade, there could be no room for error.
On one hand, he was working with Arabella, and they couldn't afford any mistakes. On the other, this was a new product, entirely novel on the market, certain to have a strong response, worth billions.
AE selected the most suspicious people from his circle for this operation.
After carrying out the operation with subtlety and secrecy, he revealed the time and location of the deal at the last moment, cleverly leaving room for the undercover to catch a hint and make their move.
Arabella took a different approach, gathering the best from several outposts and carefully assessing them.
She marked a group to use for this operation.
As long as they passed this test, they'd be ready for the real action.
When Merrick received the news of the deal, his heart pounded wildly, my mind a blank void, buzzing with a faint hum, leaving only a sharp, electric thrill coursing through my veins.
AE, this vile drug lord and scum of humanity, was unforgivable, responsible for countless deaths.
Such a person should have been brought to justice long ago.
After calming down, his first thought was how to get the intel out.
With such a large-scale, high-value drug deal, if they could catch them red-handed, AE and his people would face hundreds of death sentences.
The bigger the stakes, the more cautious he needed to be.
He chewed his breakfast, calculating his opportunities.
Scorpion had spread the word that the action would take place at noon, giving everyone time to prepare. With enough time, Merrick planned to find an excuse to slip out.
"Sir." Daren approached him after getting his food. Ever since joining AE, Daren had stuck by his side.
Merrick was somewhat distracted, still lost in thought, trying to figure out how to discreetly slip the message out without anyone noticing.
Daren, blissfully unaware, yawned over his breakfast and chatted with Merrick about the fiery woman he had spent the night with.
After finishing his tale of the girl, he casually shifted to a more crude topic.
"The damn toilet was occupied by some idiot, leaving me no choice but to relieve myself on the rooftop. I almost drenched Scorpion and the others with my piss when I saw they hadn't left yet."
Merrick shuddered at Daren's offhand comment. He glanced sideways, feigning nonchalance as he sipped his milk tea, and asked, "Oh? I thought they left a moment ago."
Daren, his mouth full of burger, mumbled, "Nope, they're huddled in a corner somewhere, doing...some...thing."
Merrick didn't need to make sense of Daren's garbled words; he only understood that Scorpion hadn't left.
He quickly finished his breakfast, took out a cigarette, and patted Daren on the shoulder, saying, "I'm going to smoke for a bit, enjoy myself."
With a cigarette in his mouth, Merrick skillfully leaped onto the rooftop.
This was a village area filled with self-built houses—two- and three-story flats with narrow, winding alleyways threading between the close-set buildings.
He moved stealthily to the edge of the roof, his sharp gaze sweeping swiftly around the area.
Not far from the room, in a jagged gap between the walls, Scorpion and one of his trusted men hid behind a pile of clutter. Unless viewed from above, no passerby would have the slightest idea they were there.
As Merrick descended the stairs, smoke swirling around his mouth, his gaze swept across like a freezing wind, piercingly cold, before he regained his usual composure.
This information couldn't be leaked.
Though his expression remained calm, his steps grew heavy, and he felt a faint chill of fear deep within.
It was the dread of death's shadow—if Daren hadn't happened to go to the rooftop for a quick piss; if he had let any information slip today, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
"Undercover" was far from just a simple word; it was more terrifying than lying on train tracks—a tightrope walk on a cliff's edge, one misstep and he'd be shattered to pieces.
The meticulously planned three-day clearing operation began.
At the same time, the location was intentionally staggered. It looked like a trade but was merely a trap to lure their target.
Neither Arabella nor AE showed up; they only sent their subordinates for the transaction.
Arabella selected an abandoned factory in the countryside, while AE, working alone, had scouted the area early on and found no police presence, indicating no issues on Arabella's end.
Meanwhile, Arabella was hiking in disguise as a tourist couple with Albatross.
AE had chosen a stretch of continuous mountains on the outskirts, rugged terrain but ideal for a transaction.
The police's setup was highly covert, with plainclothes officers posing as tourists scattered on the surrounding mountains.
But none of this escaped Arabella's keen eyes.
Standing on a high vantage point, nestled against Albatross, her eyes glinted with a hint of danger as she observed the full scale of the police operation.
It was truly an impressive capture operation.
Unfortunately, AE had only sent his men for a simple mountain hike.
Hiking wasn't illegal, so the police ultimately had to hold back.
Without a deliberate glance, one would never suspect that such a silent, stealthy capture had taken place.
That evening, when AE and Arabella spoke on the phone, Arabella jokingly teased, "Seems like your mole is pretty high-profile. They really stirred up a crowd."
AE, alone, had already removed his mask. In the darkness, his face was indistinguishable, with only the faint glow of his cigarette illuminating his shapely, thin lips.
At Arabella's words, AE's eyes flashed with sudden ferocity.
"I'll handle it thoroughly."
The next morning, all those notified to participate in the trade, including Merrick, were called together—a total of twenty-one people.
It was a high-end private club secretly run by AE, bustling with people at night but silent as the grave during the day, with doors locked and excellent soundproofing.
AE sat at the head seat, legs apart, exuding elegance as he spoke softly, "The underworld and law enforcement have always been at odds. Each of you serves your master and fulfills your duty. I understand that. But—"
His tone shifted, a hint of anger seeping in, "At least show some loyalty among us. Bringing so many cops for an arrest? That's downright disloyal."
At these words, everyone exchanged looks, understanding his implication.
Yesterday's trade had suddenly turned into a hike, leaving those involved feeling uneasy and vaguely aware that something had gone wrong.
Now, hearing AE's words, everyone started cursing loudly, as if staying silent would make them appear as the mole.
Some stayed quiet, warily eyeing each other, assessing potential traitors.
Merrick joined Daren in discussing who the mole might be, though his mind was in shock.
He hadn't gone out yesterday, nor had he relayed any information to his contact.
So, who else could it be? Who might it be? Could it be one of his own?
The sudden turn of events left Merrick feeling unsettled—this plan was clearly aimed at exposing the mole.
He hadn't fallen into the trap, so who had?
"Scorpion. Call out the names," AE ordered.
Scorpion stepped forward, and with each name he called, a subordinate would kick the person forward, forcing them to kneel on the ground. Six people in total were singled out, but Merrick wasn't among them.
"These six were seen leaving that morning," Scorpion explained as the reason they were identified.
Merrick's eyelid twitched as he subtly looked at the six kneeling, aware that one of them might be his ally.
As soon as the six heard they were suspected due to their outings, they scrambled to explain their reasons, their faces twisted in terror and desperation.
AE spread his hands, and the laughter emanating from beneath his mask was low and eerie.
"I have no patience for guessing games. Since no one here will confess, then let's kill you all."
This sentence sent waves of panic through the room.
No one wanted to die, especially these hardened criminals who usually swaggered while taking lives. Yet when faced with their own death, they couldn't help but cower.
Some wept and pleaded, swearing loyalty.
Others cursed the undercover agent for his cowardice.
Finally, one man couldn't bear the suffocating approach of death any longer and tried to run, only to be shot dead instantly.
In the bloody chaos, Merrick noticed one man kneeling upright, his eyes heavy with a resolute determination.
He instinctively moved forward, but Daren beside him held tightly onto his sleeve.
"Sir, I know you value loyalty, but now isn't the time," Daren whispered, eyes pleading.
At that moment, the man spoke loudly, "It has nothing to do with anyone else. I am the undercover agent."
The surrounding crowd fell silent for a moment.
Moments later, the tension erupted once more. The few survivors, still shaken by their narrow escape, pounced on the man, unleashing a flurry of fists and kicks, as though they were trying to expel the terror of their near-death moment through each blow and curse.
Merrick didn't know this man personally, only that he followed AE's other confidant, and was said to be competent and quick to rise.
AE stood up, clapping his hands, and said with mock admiration, "May I ask your name, Officer? Such self-sacrifice is commendable."
The man ignored him, closing his eyes, having made peace with his impending death.
AE nodded, "Understandable. You don't want us knowing who you are and involving your family. Since you have this awareness, you must understand the rules."
With that, he turned to leave, casually telling Scorpion beside him, "Boil him."
AE's words were light, almost casual, yet each one was chilling, carrying horrific implications.
"AE!" The man, who had closed his eyes, opened them and shouted, "I'll be a ghost, watching until the day you're executed. You—ugh—"
Before he could finish, someone covered his mouth and dragged him toward the basement.
Merrick stood numbly, feeling as if his soul were leaving his body, screaming to rush forward and rescue his ally.
Yet his body was bound, the weight of reality and his undercover mission pressing on him, carrying with it the heavy burden of justice alongside his nameless comrade.
Even as he was dragged into the basement, his mouth covered, the muffled screams of pain still reached them.
Those were the cries of someone suffering inhuman torture.
Those left behind swallowed nervously, trembling, faces pale.
This might be a road with no end.
They wouldn't give up, even until the end of time.
Loyalty and faith were buried deep in their bones.
When the sun finally rose, one day, the pain and sins would be exposed.
One day—the sunlight would pierce through the thick darkness.
