Chapter 81
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Chapter 81: The "Agent" of Kyzylkum
However, the Intelligence Group’s Twin Stars, Li Muxin and Li Muling, recommend Lin Mo, the pilot, not just because of his qualifications but also due to his loyalty, confidentiality, and natural teamwork advantages. He can execute missions without preparation, which is much more beneficial than training personnel from elsewhere for half a year. Given the current situation in the country, they cannot afford to wait that long; the enemy can inflict tremendous damage in that time.
Since there are talents available in the base, why seek far and wide? Such cross-casting is not uncommon within "Night" and happens frequently. However, Colonel Xie still believes that after the last intelligence incident, the members of the intelligence group have matured significantly.
"Report, Group Leader. Second Captain Lin has just provided feedback. The contact person Aji confirmed his death ten days before contact, but Second Captain Lin has obtained the next course of action," a member of the intelligence group relayed the newest intelligence.
"The contact is dead? What happened?!" Colonel Xie’s gaze flashed as his mind raced, contemplating countless possibilities. The intelligence line is always complex and unpredictable. The moves in the game can unleash powers that neither side can completely control; variables always exist.
"It seems the East Turkestan militants may have realized we would target their armed forces. Aji was killed by local gangsters led by Ralph, who have already been dealt with by Second Captain Lin. It has been confirmed that they are connected with the ‘World Uyghur Congress.’ The second backup plan is now active, and the third plan is being prepared for immediate deployment," the intelligence group member explained, interpreting the coded messages that Lin Mo sent via satellite phone. The information pieced together the situation: some forces reacted quickly, discovering "Night’s" movements. As long as someone is moving, vulnerabilities will inevitably appear.
Without confirming the identity of the responders, directly cutting off the contact was the best strategy.
"It seems like things are not going well. What are the Twin Stars doing?!" Colonel Xie inquired. While he had his own intelligence network, those splinter groups also possessed similar networks. Maybe they had noticed something from "Night’s" recent actions.
Sometimes, even without actual intelligence confirmation, analysts could infer the opponent’s next move and prepare defenses. Perhaps some of "Night’s" actions inadvertently exposed the intelligence nodes, a common occurrence in intelligence warfare. Every agent has a certain awareness from their first day on the job.
An intelligence officer flipped through the documents in hand and said, "The two of them have disguised themselves as ‘agents’ and infiltrated the desert, currently engaging with some leaders of armed tribes to support Second Captain Lin’s operation."
Colonel Xie nodded; his capable subordinates were naturally versatile, and disguise and infiltration were their specialties. Like a tightening noose, Lin Mo’s direction and the Li sisters’ movements converged toward the same location.
The Kyzylkum Desert, called Qizilqum in Uzbek and Qyzylqum in Kazakh (red desert), stretches between the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers, extending across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. With an area of 300,000 square kilometers, it contains numerous basins and isolated mountains, receiving only 100-200 millimeters of rainfall annually, dotted with small oases mainly relying on livestock farming, and rich in gold mines and natural gas.
For all kinds of separatists, this is definitely a treasure trove.
Uzbekistan, which occupies the majority of the Kyzylkum Desert, suffers from rampant separatism and extremism, with social instability characterized by an unemployment rate nearing 30%. Coupled with its role as a key narcotics transit point in Central Asia, it has become a paradise for opportunists, also ranking as one of the most corrupt countries, nearly indistinguishable from the pre-liberation era in China.
"Night" is particularly cautious of the various illegal armed groups, whose agents primarily enter Central Asia from Uzbekistan to engage in all sorts of covert operations, seeking to extract as much political and economic resources as possible for their behind-the-scenes international interests.
For the agents, chaos serves as the best disguise; the more disorderly the region, the greater the profit. These agents thrive on war and slaughter, pursuing enormous profits unknown to outsiders.
Amidst a group of hired locals, one of the Twin Stars, sister Li Muling, obliterated by the dry air and scorching sun, constantly applied physical sunscreen while following her sister as they counted their exchanged gold bars. At this moment, Li Muxin spoke not in Chinese, but in Japanese.
"Sister, where do you think Lin Mo is now? He hasn’t fallen prey to the desert bandits, has he?"
"News just came in that he’s already on the edge of the Kyzylkum Desert and has obtained the tokens related to the next course of action. However, the intelligence contact Aji died ten days ago. Second Captain Lin could only find the contact’s son, but fortunately, Aji managed to pass the tokens to his son before he died. If they hadn’t been able to connect, the alternative contact would have reached out to Second Captain Lin. Though it might expose them, it can only be used once; at this point, we can’t be too picky," Sister Li Muxin replied, lowering her voice so only she and her sister could hear, without looking up.
"Hehe, the leader and the guy with the surname Lin won’t suspect that we are the true main force here. That Lin is just a supporting character, drawing fire for us. A rookie is still a rookie; just a few days of clinging to the Buddha’s feet, how can he compare to our official personnel?" Li Muling thought maliciously to herself while her sister remained unaware that she had worked hard on a plan to draw Lin out, to let him understand what working in the intelligence group was like, without touching on any critical points and posing no danger.
Isn’t he supposed to be skilled? Then let him practice in a real combat scenario!
"Let’s hurry; we have another stop. There are still several guys on the list that need to be taken out." Sister Li Muxin, unaware of her sister’s schemes, weighed the gold and greeted the grinning, toothless leader of the armed organization. She pulled a subordinate from his group to serve as a guide and continued deeper into the desert with the remaining supplies.
Relying on local guides, the twin sisters, Li Muxin and Li Muling, quickly made a name for themselves in the East Turkestan militants’ territories through their munitions and supplies in this chaotic land. After all, with guns and ammo in their hands, would they use them simply as firewood?!
Greedy, revenge-seeking, underhanded individuals, and even those with personal grievances would not hesitate to fight once they were armed. Arms dealers often become the most popular people in such places; no one dares to offend them, even if they supply weapons to both sides of a conflict, they receive protection from both as well.
Especially agents who provide arms and funds for free in exchange for armed groups completing certain tasks become even more sought after. It’s a risky job, but they embrace it.
Currently, the intelligence group leader, Colonel Xie, and the Twin Stars, Li Muxin and Li Muling, refer to Lin Mo, who is currently embedded within an armed group in the desert. Armed with the broken-tip knife token left by the intelligence contact, Aji, he easily integrates into a small warlord’s faction that survives in the Kyzylkum Desert and enjoys favorable treatment.
The small warlord leader, adorned with a necklace featuring a broken blade, waves off Lin Mo’s onlookers as he nervously compares the piece Lin Mo holds with his own. The two pieces fit together perfectly, forming a complete whole.
"I’m Yakov, and you are?" The leader, a Uyghur man with a Russian name, sported a small cap, sunburnt, wrinkled skin, and a mouth full of yellowing teeth, and he could also speak a few words of Chinese. This was a contact route specifically selected by the “Night” intelligence group for Lin Mo; attempting to ambush an outsider was no easy task, and finding someone who understands the language without Lin Mo’s skills was a challenge.
Yakov once had a brother, also a Uyghur, who died in a scuffle with other factions a few years back.
"My name is Morin, I am Aji’s friend! He has died!" Lin Mo did not retract the broken-tip knife, which at this moment finally fulfilled its historical mission.
In the original plan, Aji intended to personally take Lin Mo to meet Yakov and help him approach the target while providing cover. Unexpectedly, Aji encountered tragedy. The broken knife, representing Aji and Yakov’s special relationship, fell into Lin Mo’s hands because he had ensured a bright future for Aji’s son out of a moment of kindness. This circumstance inadvertently led him to make contact with Yakov. However, the effects of this connection were entirely different.
Originally, Yakov was simply meant to provide cover. Now, owing to the relationship between Aji and Yakov, Yakov would wholeheartedly assist Lin Mo, which was beyond what Aji and the “Night” intelligence group could foresee.
"Ah! Aji, Aji! Jilal!" The armed leader, Yakov, seemed to reminisce, muttering Aji’s name. His wrinkled face suddenly broke into a melancholic smile, "Another old comrade is gone!" He glanced at the two hundred or so followers, older and younger, on guard or resting nearby, shaking his head. "It’s all fate, the will of Allah. He guides whom He wills into His grace. As for the unjust, He has prepared for them a painful punishment (Quran)." He concluded by softly reciting a line from the Quran.
