Miss Assassin is heavily addicted

Chapter 103, Section 19: Discharge Interrogation Clears Suspicion
Three days later, outside the National Hospital.

The sun shines brightly in the sweltering summer heat; cicadas chirp incessantly in the treetops, and colorful flowers sway in the flowerbeds.

"Senior, I'll see you off here."

Yuri placed his suitcase on the ground with a warm smile. This was on the street outside the National Hospital. Yuri, dressed in a police uniform, attracted a lot of attention. There was even a police car parked nearby, with its door open, and a white-haired girl with no name or background silently waiting for him to get in.

Today is the day He Ye is discharged from the hospital.

There was no welcoming party with fireworks as expected; only Yuri, who had been waiting all along, came to see him off. After this farewell, he would return to the police station, while He Ye would have two days of gardening leave. Captain Lao En had visited him during those two days and, after confirming that He Ye's injuries were not serious, granted him two days of recovery time.

If I were to return to work at the police station in the policing division, it would be May 30th. By then, the beach festival would be over, and there would be a birthday banquet for the bald king to celebrate with the whole country.

This summer is too bright, the blazing sun makes it hard to open your eyes... Isn't it perfect for saying goodbye? If so, you won't even be able to see their backs clearly. I've already decided to submit my resignation and buy my train ticket, and then I'll just look out the window.

"Senior, remember to take care of yourself when you get back. I think I might not be able to attend your birthday party tomorrow. This is a gift I prepared for you... Lucia said the department is in need of manpower right now. I'm so sorry I couldn't give you my blessings."

Yuri looked slightly guilty. As he spoke, he handed over the ribbon box, which was filled with something heavy, probably watches or the like.

"You're too kind..." He Ye accepted the gift with gratitude, then patted the kind-hearted junior on the shoulder and whispered, "Keep it up."

"Yes!"

He smiled, stood at attention, saluted, and then turned and ran away.

“Mr. Yuri, why did it take you two minutes and thirty-two seconds to say goodbye to Mr. Leon?” Lucia complained, looking puzzled. “We should have arrived at Seagull Street before 9:30 today. If we are late, I will blame you, Mr. Yuri. Please be prepared.”

"Ugh... Is this the first thing my partner says when he comes back? Shouldn't it be 'Welcome back'?" Yuri muttered under his breath, "Stop being so long-winded."

Lucia paused for a moment, then said calmly:
"Welcome back."

Yuri was taken aback.

Lucia, who was standing next to the police car, had already opened the car door and gotten in. The other woman, with a subtle expression, climbed into the back seat, and stayed there until the police car drove away.

Now there are only two people left on the roadside.

Nicole was carrying a paper bag filled with fruit she hadn't finished during her hospital stay. She gave away the numerous bouquets of flowers to the other nurses in the hospital, handing them out one by one by hand, so as not to burden them and to do them a favor. She tied up the remaining flowers, intending to put them in a vase to keep them.

He Ye didn't tell her that the flowers in the flower shop wouldn't live more than a few days after being removed from the soil; at least the ones in the ward already had faded petals. But she seemed very concerned, so He Ye didn't say anything to discourage her.

"We still have so much fruit left. How about we try making apple pie for lunch when we get home? Hmm... okay, sir. I think we'll be eating fruit pie for the next few days. After all, there's so much fruit here, it'll spoil if we don't eat it soon."

"Just throw away the broken ones."

"That won't do!" Nicole frowned and said firmly, "These fruits didn't just fall from the sky; they're food. How can we waste them? If we waste a little here and a little there, our lives will become wasteful and terrible!"

He Ye smiled helplessly upon hearing this, understanding that her philosophy of life was frugal. She had sensed this before; for example, she would worry about the electricity bill when she turned on the lights at night, and she would stare at the metal meter and mutter about the gas bill when cooking.

But there's nothing to criticize about that; she grew up in poverty and hardship.

"Okay, whatever you want, get ready to go home."

He Ye stood by the roadside, ready to wave for a taxi.

"Yay, let's go home!" Nicole cheered excitedly.

"Speaking of which, you haven't been to Big Bird's Bar for so long, have you already been fired?" He Ye waved his hand, remembering this.

Nicole's face stiffened, then she said dejectedly:
"I think so."

"Then don't go," He Ye said calmly. "Go back and settle your wages with the foreman. Take whatever you can get. I'll see if I can help you find a new job or..."

"Or?" Nicole looked up.

Just as He Ye was about to say something like, "I'm leaving here next month, would you like to travel with yourself?"

"Drip!"

The black sedan pulled up in front of He Ye. It seemed to have been waiting there for a long time. It didn't look like a standard green-painted taxi, but more like a Ford model private car.

But without a doubt, it came to pick up He Ye.

The car door opened, and the person sitting inside left He Ye speechless, unable to utter a word.

Lawrence, wearing sunglasses, sat in the front, gripping the steering wheel like a cold-blooded killer, as if the car was loaded with bombs and he was about to floor the accelerator and crash something.

A chilling atmosphere descends upon everything.

Mark, sitting in the back seat, had an even more subtle expression.

He pushed the car door open from the inside, and sat there looking at He Ye, hesitant to speak, raising his eyebrows as if he had a thousand words to say—like a ramen stall owner on the roadside seeing a corporate slave coming off work and tentatively asking if he wanted a delicious plate of fried noodles.

"Get in the car?" Mark asked.

He Ye looked bewildered: "What the hell?"

Lawrence just honked the horn—beep beep beep.

It seems that time is tight and the task is heavy, so there is no time to say more.

He Ye, who was invited, could only get on the bus.

As for Nicole, who was traveling with him...

"My friend is here to see me... You should go home first."

He Ye left behind those words and a 100-yuan note, patted her head, and casually got into his car and drove away.

Seeing this, Ni looked worried, holding the paper bag but could only watch them go, pouting slightly.

Of course she knew who these people were; they were all her husband's former colleagues. Before becoming a police officer, her husband seemed to have been an agent of some organization here. However, her husband didn't ask about such things, so she would honestly pretend not to know. It was a secret—just like the girls' magazines her husband hid under the bed.

It's always something that can't be told to others.

“I’ll cook dinner and wait for you at home!” Nicole shouted.

There was no sound from inside the car, only puzzled glances from passersby. Nicole slowly lowered her eyes, looking at the bag of fruit she was holding with a forlorn expression. It would be a waste not to finish all the fruit inside; she couldn't possibly eat that much by herself.

I hope Mr. Heye can come home soon.

……

—A hidden safe house—

"Snapped!"

William Nelson swung the thick hemp rope with great interest, revealing a sinister smile like a villain. He looked at the black-haired youth who had been brought over by the others, who was sitting helplessly in a chair.

This is a safe house in CORE in Greeley City, under the jurisdiction of Duncan's squad. In other words, He Ye was captured and publicly executed by Duncan.

This basement-like room contains all sorts of discarded utensils and collectibles.

There were six people standing around.

They are old acquaintances Monica, Mark, and Lawrence.

This belongs to my own team.

Then came Duncan himself, William, and an unnamed red-haired woman from Duncan's team.

This is also from our own team.

"Hey, all tied up."

William pulled the hemp rope tighter, binding He Ye firmly to the chair. The thick hemp rope even left shallow red marks on his wrists, showing the force he used.

William felt he had been lenient in dealing with someone who might be a traitor. He clapped his hands to remove the dust and gave a knowing smile.

The people around him all had gloomy or unspeakable expressions.

Only Lawrence's facial paralysis remains the same as before.

Looking at William's triumphant expression, and then at He Ye, who was tied to a chair and frowning, Lawrence, as his teammate for so long, thought for a moment and gave him some advice.

"There's no need to tie it so tightly."

William was confused: "Why? Isn't this guy a prime suspect?"

Lawrence paused for a few seconds: "His previous partner was Sophia."

Upon hearing this, William instinctively trembled and swallowed hard. Looking at the unassuming young man, a sense of awe arose in his heart.

He quickly and discreetly squatted down, and with utmost respect loosened the rope.

He Ye felt much more at ease. Looking at the few people around him who were still silent, he took the initiative and said in a deep voice, "It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding."

Upon hearing this, Mark breathed a sigh of relief, slapped his thigh, and exclaimed excitedly, "I knew it was a misunderstanding! How could you possibly be a spy? Quickly untie him and send Leon back; it's not safe for him to stay here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to the excited Mark, who quickly stiffened and gave an awkward smile.

Monica pushed up her glasses, her voice flat:

“Mark, I know you and Leon are close, but that’s not a reason to exonerate him. Just because he says it’s not true doesn’t clear your name. It will only make people more suspicious of him. You need to provide evidence.”

Lawrence spoke up at the opportune moment: "I have evidence."

He Ye breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this. He had originally wanted to explain, but as expected, being teammates was in his heart.

Lawrence: "I only told Leon about the location of the meeting with the C country people a week ago; the others didn't know. After the meeting, the intelligence department came, and the other side dispatched many agents, which is why they suffered heavy losses. It's very strange."

Alright, case solved.

It turns out they found evidence that He Ye might be a traitor.

“Then we can be certain, right?” the red-haired woman said unhappily; she was a member of Duncan’s team present.

"It's too early to draw conclusions," Duncan said, shaking his head with a worried expression.

Then silence fell over the room again.

Everyone looked at each other, seemingly wanting to say a lot. And rightly so, the traitor's recent actions have become increasingly obvious, and there must be someone colluding with outsiders. Although the information they've leaked so far has only scratched the surface and hasn't actually harmed anyone in the organization yet.

But this time, the issue in the Kebo neighborhood is a real and serious problem.

"The telegram that came from the organization yesterday told us that the people of Country C have lost trust in us. They only sent three small teams this time, and now, before the operation has even begun, they have already lost a flag and suffered serious damage."

"Therefore, some tasks will be transferred to us, which will bring more trouble."

Monica said it casually, in a very cryptic way.

William interjected, "What do you mean by 'mission transfer'?"

"The task of intercepting the convoy has been transferred to us. The locations will be the Rhine Tower, Doma Street, and the Gökminko Department Store. We'll discuss the specifics later."

Monica sighed softly as she finished speaking, glancing thoughtfully at the silent He Ye.

Duncan, who had been silent all along, also stood up at this moment.

“Leon, I have a few questions for you. Although I don’t doubt that you are a traitor, you are the prime suspect right now.”

"Is it possible that the incident in the Kobo neighborhood was just a coincidence..." He Ye interrupted first, "If I really were a traitor, why didn't I contact the people in Country A directly after knowing the meeting place, but instead waited until I met with Lawrence before contacting them to arrest the Special Affairs Bureau? Isn't that stupid, and would easily arouse suspicion?"

As soon as he finished speaking, He Ye had already said what he wanted to say in response to Duncan's question. During the silence just now, he had been thinking about how to explain.

To be honest, the whole thing in the Kobo neighborhood was just a coincidence. He never expected to run into Loris there, let alone report anything about discovering a spy.

Duncan's expression quickly turned strange. He had been about to ask a question, but now he sat down silently again.

"Uh...that makes a lot of sense."

Duncan also seemed to have surrendered.

His words added a touch of 'ambiguity' to the previously silent atmosphere, as Mark cast his gaze at him.

William felt a bit parched at the sight; he had also been hearing about traitors for a while. The information leaked by that 'traitor' was all very subtle. For example, the intelligence pigeon plan discussed earlier, the plan to steal certain files, was the kind of plan that would cause trouble if the enemy found out, but wouldn't put him at risk, because even his own people would know about it after the leak and could stop it at any time.

It was as if the traitor didn't want to hurt his own people.

But no matter what, he still betrayed the organization.

A long silence fell over the basement. Every question asked was answered by He Ye, but there was still no conclusive evidence to prove his innocence.

Fortunately, Lawrence stepped forward at this moment.

"Do you know about May 5.11th? The operation was codenamed 'Paper Airplane.'" Lawrence stepped forward expressionlessly. "We lost three intelligence pigeons and three miniature cameras."

Monica, who was originally in charge of taking notes, took a half step back.

Heye: "?"

"If I remember correctly, I was on duty at the police station on May 11th. I don't think I knew that someone was using nets to catch pigeons," He Ye said innocently.

Lawrence lowered his eyes in thought after listening. There were many implications in those words. He then asked about two operations whose information had been betrayed by traitors. He Ye had no idea of ​​their existence, let alone the time and place of the operations. So how could there be any betrayal?
"Speaking of which, wasn't there another petty theft that was discovered two days ago? It was during 'Operation Bakery.' At that time, Leon was still in the hospital, so he definitely wasn't the traitor; it was someone else..."

Mark seized the opportunity to scratch his head and said, "To clear He Ye of the last suspicion," his tone so sincere and earnest.

With this statement, it seems that the matter can be considered closed and settled.

After a long silence.

"Untie me."

Monica waved her hand and said softly, "I'm sorry, Leon, we're just desperate right now. There's pressure from the organization, internal pressure, and... all sorts of pressure."

He Ye didn't say anything. With a casual movement of his hand, the rope behind him fell off—this was a knot that William had deliberately made after untying him once.

"Is there anything else to say? I'm just an outsider," He Ye said with a wry smile. "I can't help you any further."

Lawrence thought of something, but in the end he just shook his head.

Duncan went up to him and patted him on the shoulder: "Live well."

Heye:?
Why does it suddenly feel so heavy?

“It’s not good to stay here too long. The cars are still parked outside. Let’s leave in order,” Monica said softly.

It seemed like a meeting held solely to clear He Ye of suspicion, and the traitor himself didn't seem to matter much—He Ye didn't quite understand, but he could sense their intentions.

"Let's go early."

Mark forced a weary smile; this greasy-looking man appeared to have aged considerably this month.
"Didn't you say you wanted to enjoy the leisurely afternoon sunshine? Actually, peace and ideals are far away from us uncles. As long as we are alive and healthy, that's good enough."

"No, that traitor..."

"Internal countermeasures have already been formulated."

Lawrence, who had been standing quietly to the side, interjected:

"If a mission requires a solo operation, no one except the captain and the operator will know about it; if a mission requires three or more people, they will only be notified the day before it begins, and the captain will convey the message. Otherwise, it will be kept highly confidential."

Mark paused for a moment, then patted Lawrence on the shoulder:

"Hey, don't look so glum, Lawrence. It's okay that we haven't found the traitor yet. They've been hiding so well, how can we find them so quickly? They only surfaced this month, and the information was leaked during several large-scale operations. If you ask me, we should think on the bright side. Although the leak resulted in the operation being canceled, we didn't gain anything, but we didn't lose our lives either..."

Lawrence sensed that Mark seemed a bit off when he saw He Ye, but he had been acting strangely before, looking at everyone in the psychiatric clinic with a melancholy expression several times. This uncle seemed to be reminiscing about the time when he was still alive.

A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.

But in the end, Lawrence remained expressionless, like a stone.
"Hopefully there won't be any leaks during the next operation."

“…” Mark’s eyes darkened, and he murmured as if drunk, “I hope so, I hope so.”

He Ye watched as if he were an observer, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes.

In fact, his code name is already dead in name only.

The spy named "Heye" in the CORE Bureau has been posthumously awarded the Order of the First Class, so he cannot understand the pressure his former teammates have been under this month—perhaps repeatedly teetering on the edge of death, or perhaps in even harsher environments.

In the end, it was just a silent farewell.

"Goodbye."

Wandering aimlessly along the road, then facing the bright midday sun, He Ye realized that she should be going home instead of taking a walk at this time.

The feeling of being absent-minded, a vague and indescribable sense of emptiness, dissipated as I pushed open the door to my home, and the black specks of dust drifted away behind me.

"Sir? Whoosh~ Welcome home! It's so nice to see you, haha!"

Nicole Griffith, wearing an apron, was overjoyed to see He Ye return and rushed over to hug him—she had thought her husband wouldn't be back for lunch, especially since it was already past 1 p.m., thank goodness she had waited!

He Ye came to her senses.

Come to think of it, I forgot to tell them their birthdays... no, their birthdays aren't actually on this day.

"I'm back," He Ye said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)