Chapter 1847 - 1391: Duke Is Dead (Part 3)

Song Heping asked, "Location?"

"Jumeirah Beach Area, in the basement of a private villa." Blake gave the specific address and entrance method.

Song Heping noted the information and then signaled Joseph to take Blake away.

Afterwards, he sat alone in a corner, contemplating the information he just received.

Duke is in trouble?

That's the first change he needs to digest.

It reminded him of the calls to Duke that he couldn't get through earlier.

If that's the case, then he himself isn't safe.

Stepping back, the guy who promised him benefits once things were done, is he now a corpse lying in a morgue...

This means their deal is void.

Damn!

Like a hitman, tasked to kill.

The target is dead, but the employer dies first.

That's really screwed up!

He didn't foresee this.

Damn it.

On the American side, even the major general isn't safe...

Worse, the evidence Song Heping now holds might have lost most of its value.

Originally, this evidence was meant to be exposed, but now the employer is dead, this evidence instead becomes a death warrant.

The people in Washington wouldn't allow this information to leak, they'd do anything to eliminate all those who know.

But he still has Misu.

And Blake.

These two are the living "Seeder" plan witnesses in the entire game.

Maybe they have value, maybe they're just another target to get rid of.

Song Heping walked to the corner, took out the encrypted satellite phone used for contacting Duke from his backpack, removed the battery, and completely turned it off.

Then, he pulled out another encrypted satellite phone.

He needed to contact Simon, to confirm Duke's death, and assess the situation now.

Simon.

The current CIA director, and his internal contact.

The only person who can still provide him intelligence within the American circles.

He found a relatively hidden spot.

Confirmed there were no others around before dialing the number.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered.

"Song?" Simon's voice was tense and low, with continuous keyboard typing in the background.

This guy was evidently in his office.

"You shouldn't be contacting me at this time."

"Is Duke dead?" Song Heping went straight to the point.

There was three seconds of silence on the other end.

"How do you know?"

"Source. Is it true?"

Simon sighed, the sound full of exhaustion.

"Sent to the Green Zone Military Hospital last night. Officially, it was a sudden heart attack, but the body is already cremated, no autopsy."

"Cremated?" Song Heping frowned, "FUCK, that fast?"

"Claimed to be a family request, said to be according to Duke's will." Simon's voice carried sarcasm, "How absurd."

"Witness department did it?" Song Heping asked, "Do you have detailed info on them?"

"I have no evidence of that department's existence." Simon cautiously replied, "But I know Duke was investigating some... sensitive matters recently. He contacted me last week, inquiring about some things concerning Lemont, said the action had gone 'off track'."

"Did he mention the 'Seeder' plan?"

Simon's breathing became noticeable over the phone.

"Song, I told you, you're in big trouble this time, all of Duke's security clearance was suspended twenty-four hours before his death, citing 'suspicion of improper access to confidential information.'

"So he was eliminated because he intended to expose everything."

"Or because he had exposed part of it, to you, hadn't he? You think others don't know?" Simon said, "Listen, Song, the situation is very dangerous now. If you have any... sensitive material, the best thing is to destroy them. Then disappear, escape back to Africa, your domain. The further away, the better."

Song Heping asked, "What about Misu?"

"That name doesn't ring a bell." Simon said stiffly, "I don't want to know either. Song, I'm serious. This game has exceeded your level, even mine. Some forces... we cannot oppose."

"So I should just give up??" Song Heping sneered, "I took a job, the employer died, now I'm holding a hot potato, how do you suggest I give up? Wait to die? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

"Duke died of a heart attack." Simon emphasized, "That's the official conclusion. Any other statements need solid evidence, and even if you have evidence, there's no place you can submit it. Trust me, I've seen this situation. Someone discovers things they shouldn't have, then... 'accidents' happen."

Song Heping looked at the distant desert.

The night was like ink, only a few stars flickered between the clouds.

"What if I have enough evidence to blow up half of Washington?"

"That would mean you're holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled." Simon said, "It would only kill yourself in the end. Song, you're not an idealist, you're a realist. Think like a realist—survival first, don't touch those things you shouldn't."

"Sometimes survival requires fighting back." Song Heping replied.

"Fighting back needs a target!" Simon raised his voice, "And you're not facing a person, not a department, it's a system, a party. A system that can manufacture heart attacks, car accidents, terror attacks to cover the truth. You don't even know where the real enemy is!"

Song Heping was silent.

Simon was speaking truth.

He wasn't facing a specific target that could be aimed at and eliminated, it was an invisible web, each node protected, every action hard to trace.

"Then tell me, Simon, if I want to protect myself, what's the best strategy?"

The sound of a chair dragging across the floor came from the other end, Simon seemed to be adjusting his seat.