Chapter 936: Codename Tabby Cat

"Captain Gao, why have you come to see me?"

Lu Chuan looked at the person sitting opposite, quite puzzled.

This person was Gao Feng, the deputy team leader of the City Public Security Bureau Anti-drug Detachment.

Lu Chuan originally met him through the Criminal Investigation Team.

A while ago, when solving a case before joining the team, micro-trace evidence analysis was needed, and it was Lu Chuan from the Criminal Investigation Team who assisted.

"Captain Lu, I’m here on important business this time."

Gao Feng took the tea handed over by Lu Chuan, took a small sip, and placed it on the coffee table.

He then took out a document from the briefcase beside him.

"Captain Lu, here’s the situation: three days ago, one of our people went missing within the High-tech Zone under our jurisdiction."

Gao Feng handed the materials to Lu Chuan.

Missing?

Lu Chuan took the materials, opened the file bag while asking, "Our colleague?"

No matter the circumstance, a disappearance usually prompts immediate police reporting.

But obviously, this matter isn’t as simple as an ordinary case.

For the deputy leader of the City Public Security Bureau Anti-drug Detachment to personally come to discuss this, there must be confidentiality involved.

The Anti-drug Detachment deals with a lot of classified work.

Besides, there are often many undercover operations; Lu Feng’s classmate had gone undercover before.

Gao Feng nodded: "The missing person is indeed one of ours, a veteran undercover agent..."

Upon opening the file and seeing the information, Lu Chuan was momentarily stunned.

Because the documents Gao Feng brought this time were confidential.

The information on the involved personnel was classified.

"His information is classified?"

Generally, if personal information is classified, that person is not ordinary, either holding a high position or engaging in specialized work.

For example, Lu Chuan’s data still doesn’t reach the classified level at his current status.

If a superior requires, procedures can be followed to access Lu Chuan’s records.

But the dossier Lu Chuan held was different; the word "secret" was written on it.

This meant that accessing this information required authorization from specific personnel.

Gao Feng nodded: "He’s the colleague with the longest on-ground assignment in our team, having been out there for... ten years now."

Ten years?

"You mean... he’s been undercover for ten years?"

Gao Feng nodded: "Captain Lu, you know how close we are to the border, it’s often unstable here, and criminal activities have been rampant over the years."

"Since Uncle Kun’s power crumbled fifteen years ago and following some years of consolidation, the area has broken down into over a dozen drug trafficking entities."

Gao Feng roughly explained the outside situation.

"And among these, three forces inherited Uncle Kun’s main criminal group’s wealth."

"The biggest among them is Uncle Kun’s son, Smiling Tiger, whose influence has grown rapidly, already merging three local small-scale drug operations, becoming the biggest drug group in the area."

"Ten years ago, the agent we sent aimed to get close to Smiling Tiger while keeping a tab on Tabby Cat, but recently... he lost contact."

Gao Feng introduced the situation he was aware of, while Lu Chuan carefully read the detailed reports of the missing agent.

Tabby Cat.

This was our ten-year undercover agent’s code name.

The document Lu Chuan received seemed like a copy; though it contained some critical info, all details concerning Tabby Cat’s family information were blank.

The real name was not provided in the records; only the code name Tabby Cat was mentioned.

Plus a pseudonym.

"In the opposing camp, Tabby Cat’s name was Zhao Kai."

Gao Feng continued: "He was returning to carry out a mission, but we don’t know the mission’s specifics."

"Originally, three days ago, we were supposed to meet at the Hilton Hotel, but he never showed up."

Actually, losing contact with an undercover isn’t rare; sometimes they cut off contact when unsafe.

But this operation was distinct; as per our understanding, Tabby Cat was the main person in charge of this task.

As the lead, he could completely control this operation, yet suddenly, he lost contact.

"We speculate two reasons: first, Smiling Tiger discovered Tabby Cat’s identity, and eliminated him."

Gao Feng frowned as he spoke.

Such an outcome was what they feared most.

If Smiling Tiger indeed discovered Tabby Cat’s identity, his fate would be dire, preserving his entire body would be fortunate.

"How likely is that?"

Lu Chuan had just reviewed the documents and realized that after ten years of undercover work, Tabby Cat managed to climb very high in Smiling Tiger’s organization.

Otherwise, Tabby Cat wouldn’t have been able to return for this secret mission.

"To be honest, from our current analysis, it’s unlikely Smiling Tiger has identified Tabby Cat."

Gao Feng continued: "Mostly because we’ve seldom tasked Tabby Cat with dangerous missions over the years."

Lu Chuan had just noticed this too.

Smiling Tiger, though Uncle Kun’s son, is extremely cautious.

All these years, his real identity remained unknown to most; only his name was known.

The City Public Security Bureau Anti-drug Detachment never even had a photo of Smiling Tiger, only a vague audio recording.

Ten years ago, when Smiling Tiger emerged in his father’s domain and inherited most of Uncle Kun’s criminal wealth, he was the weakest among the trio.

But this weakest faction was the most mysterious.

That’s why the City Public Security Bureau Anti-drug Detachment sent an undercover agent back then, to uncover Smiling Tiger’s personal details.

After all, the criminal entity was external, not internal, so the city wasn’t in a rush to wipe them out.

"This time Tabby Cat was partly returning for the mission, and partly to pass on crucial information regarding Smiling Tiger’s personal details to us."

Despite advanced technology, Lu Chuan knew undercover information exchange often remained primitive.

When possible, messages were relayed orally, never via online means.

Gao Feng added: "Besides, there’s a possibility Tabby Cat was captured by rival forces."

"But making a move from our end as per the timeline might alert the adversary, so we wanted to consult with Captain Lu about any tactics from the Criminal Investigation Team?"