The God of Wealth starts with doing whatever you want

Dawn comes exceptionally early on Crescent Island.

At 5:30 a.m., as the sky was just beginning to lighten and the searchlights at the construction site were still on, a new round of concrete pouring had already begun.

In the port area, the main structures of three 10,000-ton berths have been completed, and cranes are hoisting the last batch of precast slabs.

Inside the mountain, the second layer of reinforcement work for the underground command center is nearing completion.

The workers work in two shifts, 24 hours a day without interruption.

The entire island was like a sophisticated machine, rumbling and turning in the morning mist.

Liu Zhenwu stood on the newly built watchtower, holding up his binoculars to observe the southeast direction.

The reef was faintly visible in the thin mist.

It's been three days.

Andrei had been lying in wait in that sea cave for a full seventy-two hours.

During this period, he sent back seven batches of reconnaissance data—all of which were, of course, falsified intelligence.

After receiving reports of these "successful developments," the "Ocean Explorer" visibly relaxed its vigilance and began a circular patrol within an 80-nautical-mile radius of Crescent Island.

"The fish has taken the bait."

Liu Zhenwu put down his binoculars and said to his deputy beside him.

"Has Mr. Xu given any instructions?"

The deputy glanced at the encrypted tablet.

"The latest order is: continue to play the long game and wait until they are all inside the encirclement."

"clear."

Just as Liu Zhenwu was about to issue an order, a rapid alarm suddenly sounded on the communicator.

"Report! Abnormal activity detected in the southeast reef area!"

"what's the situation?"

"Target submarine is surfacing! Repeat, target submarine is surfacing!"

Liu Zhenwu immediately rushed back to the command center.

On the main screen, the sonar image clearly showed that the miniature submarine hidden in the sea cave had emerged from the cave and was rising towards the surface.

Infrared thermal imaging shows that the submarine's propulsion system is operating at full power.

"Is he going to run away?"

"Not like."

The technician retrieved the electromagnetic monitoring data.

“The target is not sending any signals to the mother ship, but is actively scanning the island’s defenses. Look here—it is using high-frequency radar to probe the location of our air defense positions.”

Liu Zhenwu frowned.

This is illogical.

If a scout who has been lying in wait for three days wants to leave, he should do so quietly, rather than deliberately exposing himself.

unless……

"He can't wait any longer."

Liu Zhenwu suddenly realized.

"Isabella's deadline has arrived, and he must obtain solid evidence, otherwise he will not receive the final payment. So he decided to take the risk and conduct one last close reconnaissance."

On the screen, the submarine has surfaced.

The hatch opened, and a figure in a diving suit climbed out, holding some kind of equipment and scanning towards Crescent Island.

"It's Andrei."

The technician zoomed in on the image.

Although the face was not clearly visible, the figure and mannerisms matched perfectly with the former Russian intelligence officer described in the documents.

"Should we make the arrest?" the deputy asked.

Liu Zhenwu hesitated.

Xu Yun's order was to "cast a long line to catch a big fish," and taking action now might alert the "Ocean Explorer."

However, Andrei has already entered the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea line, and according to international law, Crescent Island has the right to take any measures.

Just as he was weighing his options, the situation suddenly changed.

Andrei seemed to have discovered something, suddenly stopped scanning, and quickly returned to the submarine.

The hatch closed, and the submarine began to submerge.

However, the descent speed was very slow, indicating a clear power problem.

"what happened?"

"It's unclear, but the submarine's sonar signals indicate that its propulsion system is malfunctioning and it is losing balance."

Liu Zhenwu made a decisive decision.

"Send out speedboats and pull him out before he sinks. Remember, he has to be alive."

Two high-speed patrol boats immediately set off from the port and sped toward the reef.

Each boat carries six "Shadow Blade" team members, all armed to the teeth.

Five minutes later, the patrol boat arrived at the target area.

Andrei's submarine was half-submerged, with only its stern still above the water.

"Put down the diver!"

Four team members jumped into the sea and quickly swam towards the submarine.

They used cutting tools to pry open the hatch and dragged out the unconscious Andrei.

The submarine began to sink rapidly.

"Get out!"

The team members dragged Andrei back to the patrol boat.

Less than thirty seconds after they left, the submarine sank completely into the deep sea, leaving only a string of bubbles.

"The person is still alive, but is in a coma due to lack of oxygen and needs emergency treatment."

"Take him back to the base medical room."

The patrol boat turned around and returned to port.

The whole process took less than fifteen minutes and was quick and efficient.

But Liu Zhenwu knew that the trouble had only just begun.

Onboard the "Ocean Explorer," Isabella stared at the suddenly vanished submarine signal, her face ashen.

"Andrei has gone missing."

She retrieved the last received data packet.

That message came fifteen minutes ago, saying, "Reconnaissance successful, key evidence obtained, preparing to return."

Then the signal was interrupted.

"It might be a technical glitch," Lee Jae-hoon tried to reassure him.

"impossible."

Isabella shook her head.

"Andrei is an experienced soldier. His equipment is all top-of-the-line. Even if there is a malfunction, an emergency beacon will be sent out."

But now there's nothing left, like... suddenly vanished from the world.

She looked at the radar screen.

The area around Crescent Island was calm, with only a few engineering vessels carrying out normal operations.

But her intuition told her that something had just happened there.

"Activate Plan B."

Isabella stood up, her eyes resolute.

"What Plan B?" Lee Jae-hoon was stunned.

"I went to the island myself."

"Are you crazy? Andrei just went missing; they've definitely increased security on the island!"

That's why we need to go now.

Isabella began packing her gear.

“If they capture Andrei, they will definitely interrogate him.”

Based on Andrei's experience, he could hold out for at least 24 hours.

During these 24 hours, their attention will be focused on the interrogation, and the outer defenses will be relaxed.

She inspected the pistol and attached a silencer.

"And they would never have imagined that we would send people infiltrate continuously, which is the best opportunity."

Lee Jae-hoon tried to dissuade her, but Isabella had already made her decision.

Ten minutes later, a small rubber boat was lowered from the side of the "Ocean Explorer".

Isabella, alone, wearing a black wetsuit and carrying a waterproof backpack, paddled toward Crescent Island.

She did not choose to approach from the sea, where there would certainly be patrols.

Instead, they went around to the north side of the island, where there is a steep cliff that is theoretically impossible to climb.

But Isabella brought special climbing equipment.

The rubber boat stopped 500 meters from the cliff.

She dived into the water, and the underwater propulsion system carried her quickly toward the cliff face.

The cliff is about 60 meters high, almost vertical, and its surface is covered with slippery moss.

Isabella took out magnetic gloves and magnetic climbing shoes from her backpack, the latest equipment she had "borrowed" from a U.S. special forces laboratory.

The gloves and shoe soles have built-in super-strong electromagnets that can generate an attraction force of over 300 kilograms when energized.

She began to climb like a gecko.

The movements were slow, but steady.

She would stop to observe every ten meters she ascended.

There was a sentry post at the top of the cliff, but fortunately, this location was right between the blind spots of the two sentry posts.

Twenty minutes later, she reached the top of the cliff.

He quickly rolled behind a rock, unloaded his equipment, and changed into pre-prepared work clothes—gray overalls, a hard hat, and a tool belt—just like the construction workers on the island.

She even prepared forged work badges and temperature recording bracelets.

Taking a few deep breaths, Isabella emerged from behind the rock and mingled with a group of workers changing shifts.

The workers chatted and laughed, and no one noticed that there was an extra person.

"Today, they are pouring concrete for berth number three. I heard they want to finish before the typhoon season."

"That's right, the boss is pushing us hard. I wish our bonuses could double this month."

"Dream on. It's good enough if we can get paid on time."

Isabella kept her head down and followed the group, but her ears were listening carefully.

She gleaned several key pieces of information from the workers' casual conversation.

The project was progressing rapidly and was strictly managed, but the workers seemed unaware of who they were working for.

As the group approached the entrance to the construction area, everyone had to swipe their cards to pass through the turnstile.

Isabella's heart tightened.

Will her forged work ID pass the test?
One by one, the people in front of her swiped their cards to enter, and then it was her turn.

She took a deep breath and stuck her work badge onto the card reader.

"Beep, verification successful."

The turnstile opens.

Isabella breathed a sigh of relief and quickly went inside.

First level passed.

The next step was even more difficult: she had to find the core area of ​​the island.

According to data previously transmitted by Andrei, the suspected heat sources are located inside the mountain and underwater in the port.

But those places are certainly heavily guarded.

She needs a guide.

Isabella wandered around the construction site, pretending to inspect the equipment, but actually observing.

She quickly identified a target—a middle-aged man who looked like a foreman, directing the hoisting work while looking at the blueprints.

She walked over and asked in fluent Chinese, "Excuse me, where is the materials warehouse? The foreman asked me to get a batch of bolts."

The foreman didn't even look up: "Go east, the red building is there."

"Thank you."

Isabella did not leave immediately, but continued to talk to him.

"This project is huge. I've been working at sea for over ten years and I've never seen anything like this rushed. Who's the boss? He's so rich!"

The foreman then looked up at her.

"The new guy?"

"We just arrived on the island yesterday."

"No wonder they don't know the rules."

The foreman lowered his voice.

"When you work here, ask fewer questions and observe more. What you should know, I will tell you; what you shouldn't know, don't ask."

"Yes, yes, I was too talkative."

Isabella quickly apologized, but she was even more certain that this island was not simple.

She walked east in the direction the foreman pointed out, actually going in circles and heading towards the mountainside.

The further inland you go, the tighter the security becomes.

Exposed sentries, hidden sentries, cameras, sensors... there is a checkpoint almost every fifty meters.

But Isabella was professionally trained and knew how to take advantage of blind spots and shift changes.

An hour later, she arrived near the entrance to the mountain.

This place was disguised as an ordinary construction command center, but Isabella saw through the deception at a glance.

The people entering and exiting were all wearing uniform dark blue uniforms and marched in unison, clearly indicating that they had received military training.

Moreover, the security check at the entrance is extremely high, requiring not only card swiping but also iris recognition.

She hid behind the bushes to observe and take pictures with a miniature camera.

Just then, Lee Jae-hoon's urgent communication came through the earpiece.

"Isabella, get out of here! They've spotted you!"

"what?"

"Your temperature wristband! Each wristband has a unique code, and they just found an invalid code in the system. They are checking the entire island!"

Isabella's heart sank.

She looked down at the bracelet on her wrist.

Sure enough, the indicator light changed from green to red.

It's been exposed.

Almost simultaneously, piercing alarms blared throughout the island.

"Attention all personnel! Unauthorized personnel detected! Activate Level 1 alert!"

All the searchlights were turned on, illuminating the night like day. Drones took off and began a thorough search.

The guards poured out from all directions, forming an encirclement.

Isabella knew she was running out of time.

She gritted her teeth and took out the last piece of equipment from her backpack: a miniature explosive.

Since we can't leave, let's make a big scene.

At the very least, we need to blow up this entrance so that the outside world knows there's something wrong here.

She set a ten-second countdown, attached the explosives to the ventilation duct next to the entrance, and then turned and ran.

But after running only a dozen meters, a bright light shone on her.

"Stop! Hands up!"

Four fully armed guards rushed out from the side, pointing their guns at her.

Isabella didn't stop; instead, she accelerated towards the cliff.

"boom!"

Warning shots were fired near her feet.

She kept running.

"Bang! Bang!"

This time it was live ammunition, but it was deliberately fired off target.

Isabella knew they wanted to capture her alive.

She rushed to the edge of the cliff and jumped off without hesitation.

In mid-air, she pressed a button on her backpack, and a small parachute popped out.

But the next second, a giant net came up from below.

It is a pre-arranged interception network.

Isabella and her umbrella were caught in the net and suspended in mid-air.

The countdown for the explosives has three seconds left.

She closed her eyes in despair.

But no explosion occurred.

A guard used a cutting tool to cut the ventilation duct and threw the explosives into the sea.

"Puff-"

A dull thud of water could be heard.

Isabella was pulled back to the top of the cliff, pressed to the ground, and handcuffed behind her back.

"take away."

Liu Zhenwu emerged from the shadows, his face cold as he looked at the woman who had infiltrated the island.

"Lock him in solitary confinement and await Mr. Xu's decision."

……

BJ, Xishan Guesthouse.

Xu Yungang had just finished his second round of talks with the Equipment Development Department and was on his way to the airport.

He was preparing to fly back to Jiangcheng. Zhong Yanyan was being discharged from the hospital today, and he had promised to have dinner with her.

The encrypted phone rang as soon as the car entered the airport expressway.

It's Liu Zhenwu.

"Mr. Xu, we've caught two people."

Liu Zhenwu gave a brief report on the situation.

"A former Russian intelligence officer, Andrei Volkov, was rescued from the submarine after it malfunctioned. He is currently in the medical ward and should survive."

"The other one is Isabella Chen, an American of Chinese descent and a former NSA agent. She disguised herself as a worker to infiltrate the island and tried to blow up the entrance, but we stopped her."

Xu Yun glanced at the time.

4:20 PM.

"I'll change my route to the airport and fly directly to Crescent Island. Before I get there, make sure they don't die, and don't let them have it too easy either."

"clear."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Yun told the driver, "Change your destination to Nanyuan Airport. Notify the crew that we will take off for Xinyue Island in one hour."

Six hours later.

The Gulfstream G650 landed on Crescent Island runway.

Night had fallen, but the island was brightly lit.

As soon as Xu Yun got off the plane, Liu Zhenwu came to greet him.

"Where is the man?"

"Andrei is in the medical room, he has woken up, but refuses to speak."

Isabella was in solitary confinement, very agitated, and demanding to see the person in charge.

"Let's go see that woman first."

The solitary confinement cell was located next to the underground command center. It was a small room of ten square meters with only a bed and a toilet.

Isabella sat on the bed with her hands cuffed in front of her.

The door opened, and Xu Yun walked in.

She looked up and saw the excessively young man, and was stunned for a moment.

"You're Xu Yun?"

"it's me."

Xu Yun pulled up a chair and sat down, looking at her.

Isabella Chen, Master of Electrical Engineering from MIT, former engineer at Raytheon, former NSA Asia Division agent (left three years ago), now a freelance intelligence consultant.

Am I right?

Isabella's pupils constricted slightly.

Her true resume is top secret. How did this man know it?
"Don't be surprised. Since I was able to build this island, I naturally have my own sources of intelligence."

Xu Yun spoke in a flat tone.

"Tell me, who hired you? And what is their purpose?"

Isabella sneered.

Do you think I would say that?

"You will tell."

Xu Yun stood up and walked up to her.

"Because you are a smart person, and smart people know when to cooperate."

And you're not the kind of loyal follower who would sacrifice yourself for your employer.

You work for money, but I can give you more money.

"I don't lack money."

"So what do you lack? Freedom? Security? Or... the chance for revenge?"

Xu Yun stared into her eyes.

"I have investigated the reasons for your departure."

Three years ago, your supervisor at the NSA, a senior executive named Robert Miller, stole your research results and framed you for leaking secrets, leading to your dismissal and the ruin of your career.

You want revenge, but Miller is now the deputy director; you can't touch him.

Isabella's expression finally changed.

"How could you..."

“I told you, I have my own sources of intelligence.”

Xu Yun sat down again.

"Now, we can make a deal."

Tell me who hired you and what their purpose is, and I'll help you deal with Miller.

Not just make him lose his job, I can ruin his reputation, send him to prison, even... make him disappear.

The room fell silent.

Isabella's fingers trembled slightly.

That name, that person who ruined everything for her, she dreams of revenge.

How can I trust you?

"You don't need to believe me, you just need to believe the facts."

Xu Yun took out his tablet and pulled up a file.

"This is Miller's entire financial record over the past five years, including his hidden accounts in the Cayman Islands, secret deposits in Swiss banks, and bribes he received through front men."

The total amount is US$24 million.

Isabella's eyes widened.

Even the NSA's internal investigation team couldn't find this information!
"How...how did you get it?"

"I have my own way."

Xu Yun turned off the tablet.

"This information is enough to keep Miller in prison for the rest of his life."

But if you cooperate, I can give you more evidence of his collusion with your ex-husband to transfer marital assets, and recordings of him instructing people to threaten your parents.

Even photos of him sleeping with your best friend.

Isabella's defenses completely collapsed.

She lowered her head, her shoulders beginning to tremble.

It wasn't fear, it was anger, it was the release of years of suppressed hatred.

"The employer... is Colonel Rodrigo Santos of the Philippine Naval Intelligence Bureau."

But he was just a middleman; the real employer was an organization called 'Ghost'.

"ghost?"

"A transnational intelligence trading network whose members include former intelligence officers, retired special forces soldiers, hackers, and financial brokers."

They are not affiliated with any country; they only serve the client who offers the highest price.

Isabella took a deep breath.

"This mission is to investigate the true purpose of Crescent Island."

If it is confirmed to be a military base, then make the evidence public, create international pressure, force you to leave, or... give certain countries an excuse to take 'action'.

Which countries?

"The United States, Japan, and Australia are all possibilities."

"The 'Ghost' serves multiple clients simultaneously; the intelligence is given to whoever pays the highest price."

Xu Yun nodded.

It was pretty much as he guessed.

Where is Santos now?

“Manila, but he was very cautious, changing his residence every three days, and contacting me via encrypted satellite phone, with the number changing each time.”

Do you have a way to contact him?

"Yes, but it requires specific times and frequencies. The next contact will be at 2 a.m. tomorrow."

Xu Yun glanced at his watch.

It's 11 p.m. now, and there are still three hours left.

"very good."

He stood up.

“At 2 a.m., you contact Santos as usual and tell him that you have successfully infiltrated the core area and found ‘conclusive evidence’, but you need more time to collect information.”

They demanded he triple the final payment because "the risks far exceeded expectations."

Isabella was stunned.

"What are you doing...?"

"fishing."

Xu Yun smiled.

"Since they want evidence, we'll give them evidence, but it's the kind of evidence we want them to see."

He walked out of the confinement room and gave instructions to Liu Zhenwu.

"Prepare communication equipment for her, and have someone keep an eye on her. If she tries anything..."

"clear."

Liu Zhenwu nodded.

Xu Yun went to the medical room again.

Andrei's condition has stabilized, and he is lying in bed receiving intravenous fluids.

Upon seeing Xu Yun enter, the former Russian intelligence officer merely glanced at him before closing his eyes.

“Mr. Volkov, let’s talk.”

Andrei remained silent.

"Isabella has already confessed."

Xu Yun pulled up a chair and sat down.

She said you were working for an organization called 'Ghost,' and your employer was Colonel Santos from the Philippines.

She added, "You have a daughter studying medicine at Moscow State University; she should be graduating this year, right?"

Andrei suddenly opened his eyes.

"Do you threaten me?"

No, I'm helping you.

Xu Yun took out another document.

"Your daughter is very talented, but she's recently run into some trouble."

Her advisor's son was pursuing her, but after she rejected him, he falsely accused her of plagiarism.

The academic committee is currently investigating, and if the allegations are true, she could not only fail to graduate but also be expelled.

Andrei's breathing became rapid.

"How could you..."

Xu Yun placed the document on the bedside table.

"Here are the evidence to prove your daughter's innocence, as well as all the records of that tutor's son bribing witnesses and forging documents."

If you cooperate, these materials will be sent anonymously to the chairman of the academic committee.

Not only will your daughter graduate smoothly, but the person who framed her will also be held legally accountable.

Andrei stared at the document, then looked at Xu Yun.

This young man is terrifying.

What do you want?

Xu Yun laughed and said, "It's simple, just cooperate with us in our act, like Isabella did." (End of Chapter)