You must be under surveillance, bet on Huaxia

"Can't make the decision alone?"

Hearing this,

everyone wore expressions that seemed to say, "I knew it."

From the start, some had speculated that Gong Changheng was likely just a proxy, and there must be others behind him—just well-hidden.

Otherwise,

given Gong Changheng's ostensibly strained relations with the mainland, how could he have connected with such high-level ties right after acquiring this product?

Some even suspected that Cao Cheng might be the one pulling Gong Changheng's strings.

But this theory was held by only a small group, and it remained mere speculation.

After all,

no trace of any connection between Young Master Cao and Gong Changheng had ever been found.

Though Cao Cheng also owned a real estate company, one operated in the mainland and the other in Hong Kong—no collaboration, just competition in the same industry.

Someone asked, "Mr. Gong, we understand you need time, but you don’t have much of it. This isn’t a threat, just a warning. Besides us, I’m sure you’ve heard—capital from all over the world is converging in Hong Kong."

"They’re all here for the product in your hands."

"Not everyone shares our cordial ties with Hong Kong. Some might resort to dirty, underhanded tactics—even threats to your personal safety."

"Especially the Big Bear. You know how those villagers are—savage, unreasonable. Assassinations and kidnappings are their specialties."

"So,"

"we urge you to give us an answer soon. If you need protection, we can provide it—at least ensuring your safety during our collaboration."

At this,

many nodded, chiming in with a mix of warnings and intimidation.

Gong Changheng couldn’t hide his unease, his face betraying a flicker of fear.

After a pause,

Gong Changheng replied firmly, "I’ll act quickly. As for security, I won’t trouble you. I have my own connections and resources in Hong Kong. Even the Big Bear would rather work with me than kill me."

......

......

After seeing them out,

Gong Changheng locked his office door and instructed his assistant not to disturb him.

Half an hour later,

he changed clothes and left the company.

He took the emergency stairwell straight to the parking garage,

two bodyguards in tow.

What he didn’t know was that his entire company was under surveillance. No matter how careful he was, every move was being watched by certain factions.

Truth was,

everyone knew about John’s visit. They were all on guard, monitoring each other.

Though no one knew exactly what John and Gong Changheng discussed in that meeting room,

it didn’t stop them from temporarily banding together, pooling intel to keep tabs on both John and Gong Changheng.

Gong Changheng drove off,

not in his usual company sedan but in a rarely used Land Rover—even the license plate was unaffiliated.

Without hackers tracking the cameras, he might’ve slipped away unnoticed.

John’s intelligence network caught wind immediately.

They’d planted listening devices in the meeting room during their talk.

And when shaking hands goodbye, they’d discreetly slipped a tracker and microphone into Gong Changheng’s pocket.

They initially thought Gong Changheng would immediately call the person behind the scenes after they left.

Unexpectedly,

Gong Changheng turned out to be extremely patient—or perhaps just exceedingly cautious.

He locked himself in his office for half an hour. For the first ten minutes, there was no movement except for a rhythmic clang, clang, clang, as if he were tapping his desk.

One could easily picture him trying to calm himself, forcing patience as he mulled over the situation while absentmindedly drumming his fingers on the surface.

Then, he began changing his clothes.

While doing so, he made a call—but not to the mastermind. Instead, he contacted his bodyguard, instructing him to retrieve the Land Rover parked in the garage, one of the many escape vehicles prepared for situations like this.

The bodyguard was to pick him up and take him away from the company.

...

At this moment,

everyone’s focus was on Gong Changheng.

He was clearly hiding something.

Instead of returning to his villa,

he headed to a different residential complex.

And he didn’t go straight there—the car circled the area multiple times.

If not for the fact that the team tailing him included seasoned intelligence operatives, they might have lost him or been spotted.

The more cautious he was,

the more anticipation grew.

After nearly an hour of cat-and-mouse maneuvering,

the Land Rover finally entered the high-rise complex.

Several unmarked vans parked at different vantage points nearby, while hackers tapped into the building’s surveillance system.

Soon,

they located Gong Changheng in the parking garage.

Two bodyguards flanked him, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.

From the garage, they took the elevator straight to the 16th floor.

The hackers relayed the intel,

while other operatives entered the building, taking the elevator to the 17th floor.

Equipped with close-range monitoring devices, they began scanning for any communication signals in the vicinity.

...

Though most of the team didn’t know what John and Gong Changheng had discussed,

their meeting was bound to spook their target.

Since John hadn’t made a direct move,

choosing instead to watch silently, the team followed his lead.

They waited, with unspoken understanding, for Gong Changheng to expose the person pulling the strings.

Soon enough,

the hackers in the tech van intercepted signals from the 16th floor using cell tower triangulation.

They also deployed radio spectrum monitoring.

These operatives had no shortage of experts at their disposal.

So,

even though Gong Changheng had changed clothes and presumably rid himself of any tracking devices, the team could still reconstruct his calls through interception, analysis, and demodulation techniques.

"Gong Changheng is making a call..."

...

...

Meanwhile,

Gong Changheng entered an apartment on the 16th floor.

He left his bodyguards stationed in the living room.

Still, he didn’t rush.

First, he stepped onto the balcony and stared down at the street for a long time—ostensibly to check for surveillance, but in reality, it only helped his pursuers confirm which unit he was in.

After all, from the 16th floor, you couldn’t make out a damn thing on the ground.

Especially since he was nearsighted.

After a moment, he retreated inside, opened a safe,

and retrieved a burner phone and SIM card.

He waited another ten minutes or so.

He wasn’t sure how many people were listening in or whether any tracking devices remained on him.

But one thing was certain—

he was stalling, giving the other side time to prepare.

Otherwise,

what was the point of this call?

Fifteen minutes passed.

He couldn’t delay any longer.

Any more hesitation would raise suspicion.

Gong Changheng inserted the SIM card and dialed a virtual number previously given to him by Cao Cheng.

The line rang for a long time—to an ordinary ear, it might sound like a dead connection or a busy signal.

In reality,

This was exactly the intended effect.

The phone rang for a full minute until the other end fell silent.

Only then did Gong Changheng dial another number.

Also a virtual one.

...

After waiting another half-minute, the call finally connected.

A voice speaking English came through.

Gong Changheng responded respectfully, "Third Chairman."

"What happened?" came the brief inquiry from the other side.

Gong Changheng replied, "There is indeed an issue. The Elixir of Life seems to have been exposed. Today..."

He recounted the day's events in meticulous detail.

Once his report concluded,

The other end fell silent for a few seconds before letting out a cold chuckle. "It seems some things can no longer stay hidden. We will discuss this matter. Await further instructions."

Gong Changheng acknowledged, "Understood. Also, Third Chairman, according to John's people, the families of Big Bear and Old Len have sent their own representatives over this matter. I fear they may resort to underhanded tactics."

"They won’t move against you until they secure the Elixir of Life. The Council will convene soon. Stay calm and wait."

"Yes."

A few minutes later, the call ended.

Gong Changheng removed the SIM card and flushed it down the toilet.

Then he returned the phone to the safe.

Five minutes later, he left with his bodyguards.

Gong Changheng wasn’t entirely sure whether the call had been intercepted or decrypted.

But he had done what he needed to do.

Now, all that remained was to wait for news.

...

...

Meanwhile,

John and his team had already decrypted the call’s contents.

They obtained the intelligence they wanted, but tracking the source proved impossible.

All they could do was analyze the speaker behind the conversation.

The person spoke English,

With concise, natural fluency—likely a native European or American, not an Asian who had learned the language.

The linguistic nuances made that clear.

Additionally, the voice was altered,

Likely through a modulator or similar device.

Then there was the title "Third Chairman,"

Suggesting an organized structure behind this—a group with a strict hierarchy.

And the mention of a Council?

The Council!

Was it the same Council they had in mind?

And then there was the Elixir of Life.

The speaker had referred to it plainly by name, a term that sent shivers down many spines.

...

The call had achieved its desired effect.

For the next two or three days, Gong Changheng found himself locked in a battle of wits against thin air, remaining hyper-vigilant—yet no one made a move against him.

Just as the "Third Chairman" had said, Gong Changheng was safe as long as the Elixir of Life remained out of reach.

Then, on the third day,

Gong Changheng received a text message—a string of garbled code.

Before anyone could decrypt it, Gong Changheng cautiously left the company and headed to the sixteenth floor.

This time, intelligence operatives had managed to plant listening devices on him and throughout the floor.

They had also installed surveillance.

So,

When Gong Changheng entered the room, nearly everyone could see the live feed.

He instructed his bodyguards to wait in the living room.

Then he stepped onto the balcony, staring down for several minutes.

Eventually, he returned to the master bedroom.

Opened the safe.

Retrieved a phone and a new SIM card.

Dialed a number, let it ring for a minute, then hung up and dialed another.

...

On the video feed,

Gong Changheng’s actions were laid bare.

Everyone understood the two-layer virtual passcode system—one number that never connected, merely signaling his intent to communicate,

And another that would always go through.

They're all virtual numbers, untraceable.

Too cautious.

But then again, considering the elixir of immortality, perhaps such caution isn't unwarranted.

Gong Changheng spoke up: "Third Chairman."

"Hmm. We've discussed it. Since the matter of the elixir can no longer be kept secret, there's no point in hiding it. The Eternal Life Society is due to induct new members."

"This task will be entrusted to you. From now on, you will be an Eighth-Level Member. All new recruits will start at the Ninth Level."

"Additionally, the Grand Chairman's directive remains unchanged—focus on China. So, we'll need some new members from there."

"One more thing... You've likely been wiretapped. Our tech team confirmed someone was listening in on your last call, though their tech wasn't advanced enough to trace us. Be more careful moving forward."

The final remark carried an implicit authority.

Gong Changheng's expression shifted, and he hurriedly replied, "My apologies, Third Chairman."

The other end said nothing further and simply ended the call.

Gong Changheng's face darkened with unease, as if being reprimanded by the chairman was no small matter. His fingers trembled slightly.

He removed the SIM card and destroyed it, then returned the phone to the safe.

After a moment's thought, he reopened the safe, took out everything inside, and found a metal basin to burn it all.

Clearly, this hideout was no longer safe.