"It should be that way, so it's likely that the identities of the three of you have already been compromised. However, for those two women, there may still be a glimmer of hope."

As he spoke, Mr. Kong's gaze shifted to the two women opposite him.

"Are you saying that we can still continue?" one of them asked.

"Yes, you can continue, but the three of you need to return to headquarters immediately. If you stay on, I'm afraid your situation will become even more unsafe."

"What? Return? We've held our positions here for 6 years. Why should we abandon it now?"

"There's no other reason but that your cover is blown. Operations are temporarily suspended, and the three of you should start preparing. You have three days to arrange your evacuation."

"Really, is there absolutely no room for negotiation?"

These people had lived here comfortably and had long since considered themselves locals, so they had never anticipated having to return to that place one day.

"This is an order. Someone new will come to take over the operations you were handling."

"And what about us?"

"You should clear up the current affairs and then leave this city. I will send you the new address later."

In reality, when Mr. Kong made this decision, everyone present began to feel quite unsettled.

Although it wasn't clear how close they were in private, they were comrades from the same trench who had worked and struggled together for so many years.

Now, to ask them to part ways, was indeed a cruel punishment for them.

"What's the matter, is there a problem?" Mr. Kong inquired after issuing the order, noticing that these individuals hadn't moved an inch, showing a clear disobedience to his command—a serious offense in the organization.

"Mr. Kong, I urge you to reconsider. The target we've been surveilling for nearly 6 years, including their identity and background, every move they make in this city, their habits— we know it all by heart. If you switch people now, everything will have to start from scratch."

"What? Are you suggesting that my people aren't capable? I assure you that in no more than half a month's time, everything will be sorted. You need not worry about these things."

"But have you considered that this isn't an ordinary person? The target we set before is nothing like this current one. If you leave it to us two women to analyze everything, I'm telling you, we simply cannot handle it."

"And another point you mustn't forget: this time, someone skilled must have pinpointed and extracted the target on time. If you switch in new people for surveillance now, don't you think it will catch us completely off guard?"

"Yes, Mr. Kong, please think it through. Even if we now suspect that the three of them might have had their covers blown, they can still operate covertly and maintain their positions. It's not decisive to pull out from here. If we do withdraw, the consequences could be unimaginable."

"Mr. Kong, you must weigh this matter carefully. Decisions like these should not be made lightly, and a single decision could alter everything, rendering our previous 6 years' efforts in vain."

"Mr. Kong, have you forgotten? When we first came here, wasn't it extremely difficult? Every step we've taken to reach today has been through the collective efforts of the five of us, right?"

"Mr. Kong, I admit that this time we were careless and did not anticipate expert assistance. But now, I feel it's not too late to make amends."

The several people here were all talking over each other, but ultimately, they all shared one sentiment—they did not wish to be separated.

And even if they were to be transferred to another city, they would continue to fight on.

Having worked with these kids for so many years, Mr. Kong also figured out a way to get along and gradually drew some conclusions.

Although his actions were meant to control the bigger picture, deep down, he didn't want to do it either.

Mr. Kong knew how difficult it could be to build up new strengths—but for the greater good, he had no choice but to make this painful decision.

However, after hearing their few words of persuasion, he seemed to gradually come to a realization—it really was as they said.

Whether the three were exposed remained unknown, but for safety's sake, he would assume they were; the other two women's identities should still be safe for now.

"Alright, since you've all said thus much, I have nothing more to say. However, I have one requirement—the three of you must not show your faces in public. The two women may, but the three of you can only provide covert support."

"Sure, that's not a problem. We'll cooperate fully to ensure the success of the operation."

"If that's the case, then it seems that the five of you can no longer be separated. Go back and take some time to plan your future life path, and consider what identities will ensure the protection of all of you after you've moved."

"By the way, has the new city been confirmed?"

"The information should arrive soon, I reckon. It won't be long before we know the city. So, we need to seize the time to infiltrate and lay a new network there. By then, these people will naturally fall within our sight."

"Sure, no problem. We await your orders at any time."

"And another thing, previously we only had to deal with Lin Yaru, but now it's likely that Lin Yaru will be protected. Additionally, who will protect her, who is by her side—all of this falls within the scope of our surveillance. So, you must be prepared in advance."

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