Chapter 39: The Significance of the Task

  GUO GUOYONG READ THE TELEGRAM TWICE THEN TORE OFF A MESSAGE FORM FROM THE SERVICE DESK'S NOTEBOOK AND WROTE A REPLY IN CAPITAL LETTERS: RECEIVED YOUR TELEGRAM, FUNDS ARE SUFFICIENT, THANK YOU, GUO GUOYONG.

  He handed the telegram to the servant and then put Darcy's telegram into his pocket, suddenly realizing that if someone wanted to steal a look at his telegram it would be too easy, just bribe this servant.

  He took the key and said goodnight, then turned towards the stairs, shaking his head at the elevator attendant to indicate that he wouldn't be taking the elevator.

  He knew that the elevator might be a dangerous signal. If there was someone on the second floor, the elevator would startle them as soon as it moved. He thought it was better to be cautious.

  He tiptoed up the stairs, suddenly regretting that his reply to Director Yao Shuiming via Jamaica was too arrogant.

  As a gambler, he knew that to contend with a strong enemy, he must have sufficient capital, but on the other hand, speaking like this to Director Yao Shuiming was not right.

  He shrugged his shoulders and walked up the stairs, came to the corridor, and quietly walked towards the door of his room.

  He knew exactly where the light switch was, he pushed open the door with a burst of speed, rushed into the corridor, one hand turned on the lights and the other tightly gripped his defensive pistol.

  The room was spacious and empty, with no one in sight. He didn't check the half-open bathroom door, but instead walked straight into the bedroom, locked the door, turned on the bedside lamp and mirror light, and threw the gun onto the long chair by the window.

  Then he bent down and checked a hair that he had placed on the edge of his desk drawer before leaving, and found it still in place.

  Then he checked the ceramic handle of the wardrobe, and that bit of talcum powder was still on it. He walked into the bathroom, lifted up the toilet lid, and verified that the water storage line and copper blocking ball were still in their original positions.

  After finishing these tasks, he checked those miniature alarm clocks again. He didn't feel that doing so was absurd or overly sensitive.

  He is a highly trained special agent. It's because he pays attention to every detail of his life that he has survived until now.

  Caution is warranted for him, just like a deep-sea diver, an aircraft test pilot, or those who earn hazardous-duty pay, everything requires careful consideration.

  He was glad that his room hadn't been searched during his outing. He took off his clothes, took a cold shower, and lit the seventieth cigarette of the day. He sat at his desk, where a thick stack of banknotes lay, counting the money while keeping accounts in a small notebook.

  After two days of competition, he almost won $300,000. The stake he brought from Jamaica was $100,000, and then he borrowed another $1 million from the headquarters, and learned from Fossett's telegram that the money had been remitted.

  Once this $1 million arrives in hand, his war chest will total $1.5 million.

  He sat motionless for a while, staring at the black sea outside the window, then he stuffed all the receipts and a small amount of cash into the pillowcase of the luxurious single bed.

  He brushed his teeth, turned off the light and slipped comfortably into the coarse sheets. He lay on his side for ten minutes, thinking about the events of the day.

  Then he turned over and prepared to fall asleep peacefully.

  His last action was to put his right hand under the pillow and feel around until he touched the wooden grip of a .38 caliber Colt pistol, after which he soon fell asleep.

  A faint snore echoed through the quiet room.

  Two weeks ago, a memo was passed from the Soviet intelligence station (S-station) of the Southern Federal Military Intelligence Bureau to Director Yao Shuiguan.

  Memorandum reads as follows - To Director Yao Shuiguang, from Station Master of S Station.

  Operation to destroy Liverpool

  His public identity was that of comptroller for the Asociación Sindical de la Industria y el Transporte, but in reality he was the head of a Soviet spy ring operating in Argentina.

  The private files of Lefebvre and the inside story of the Soviet spy ring are attached as an appendix to the plan of action.

  Action Plan - All indications are that Lefort is getting into increasingly difficult straits. Originally, he was a capable agent for Soviet operations in South America, but his strong ** has become a fatal weakness for him, and we often manage to find loopholes through this weakness of his.

  For example, one of his mistresses was a Eurasian girl who worked for our intelligence station (Agent 1860), and recently she obtained some information about his secret affairs.

  To put it simply, Lefevre seems to be on the verge of a financial crisis. In 1860 he noticed some small but unusual circumstances: he cautiously sold some jewelry, sold a villa in Antibes and thoroughly reviewed his luxury expenses, changing his previous lavish spending habits.

  We have further clarified the situation and here is what happened from start to finish.

  In January 1946, Lefebvre bought a chain of brothels called the "Palace of Pleasure" in Silver Sea, using approximately $2 million entrusted to him by the Third Precinct of Leningrad for the activities of the Alsatian Union.

  Logically speaking, buying down the Xiaoyao Palace series of brothels is considered the most clever move, because running a brothel is the easiest way to make money.

  Lever thought of speculating with the funds under his control, and his motive was not entirely free from a desire to accumulate for the union itself, in order to increase its power, but mainly he wished to satisfy his own lust.

  It is obvious that if it were not for the temptation of those women who can be played with and make money for themselves, this fund could be invested in a more meaningful industry than brothels.

  The god of fate quickly raised his punitive arrow towards him.

  Just three months later, on April 13, the Argentine Chamber of Deputies suddenly passed Bill No. 4668, or the "Law Closing All Houses of Prostitution and Repressing Prostitution".

  This bill explicitly stipulated the closure of all low-level and obscene venues, prohibiting the sale of all pornographic books, pictures, and movies, which almost overnight declared bankruptcy on his investments.

  Suddenly, Lefevre faced a severe deficit in union funds and used all his resources to turn the brothel into a casino, privately arranging for those who came to prostitute.

  He continued to operate one or two underground cinemas specializing in pornographic films, but these changes in business practices could not cover his expenses and shift the police's attention from him. He tried every means to sell off these brothels, even if it meant losing a large sum of money, but unfortunately, all these attempts failed.

  At the same time, the police also tracked him down.

  Soon, more than 20 of his brothels were ordered to close. Of course, the police were initially interested in him only because he was a big boss of brothels.

  Later, when investigating his financial situation, the Argentine Ministry of Defense's Intelligence Division worked closely with the police to quickly discover that the union account managed by Livier had a deficit of $2 million and he was the accountant and treasurer of the union.

  It goes without saying that Argentines, like us, are fully aware of the gravity of the situation.

  However, this matter seemed to have escaped Leningrad's suspicion but was noticed by the Soviet counter-espionage organization.

  According to reports, last week a high-ranking official of the Gestapo left Warsaw via East Berlin for Strasbourg and then went in an unknown direction.

  We also have a double agent planted in Lefebvre's old lair (apart from 1860) who has not made any sign of this matter.

  If Lefevre knew that Quinlan was following him, or suspected his words, he had only two courses to take: either to kill himself, or to make his escape.

  But his current plan shows that when he was all in, he did not know that his life was in danger, and he might have to come up with a very surprising counteraction plan.

  However, in our analysis, it is unlikely that he would engage in stock trading because the returns are too slow, drug trafficking carries too much risk, horse racing activities cannot earn him the large sums of money he wants, and even if he wins, he may not be able to get the money, but rather very likely to be killed.

  So we think that no matter how adventurous and unconventional his action plan is, it is actually no different from other thieves who steal money to gamble in casinos to make up for their losses.

  We have learned that he took the last million dollars from the union treasury and two weeks ago rented a small villa next to the Mineral Springs King Club.

  It is speculated that this summer, the Gem Club will have the largest gaming event in South America. To attract tourists and gamblers, they have borrowed funds from the Canadian Royal Beach Resort Company and also borrowed three Baccarat tables.

  The publicity for this event has been very lively, and many famous European and American gamblers have already booked seats at the Gem Club. All the rooms in the local hotels are also fully booked.

  At that time, this ancient seaside resort is likely to regain its heyday.

  In conclusion, we are quite certain that Lever's true intention in visiting the Jewel Club was to use the one million dollars he had last withdrawn from the union treasury as his stake, and win five million dollars at the Baccarat table around June 15th, thereby making a big profit while saving his own life.

  We propose the following suggestions: take this opportunity to severely hit Leifer, the Soviet Union's powerful eagle dog, expose his corrupt financial behavior, ruin his reputation, disintegrate the union organizations under him, and shake the influence of his Soviet master in Argentina.

  Rivera's union has 500,000 members and controls all the underground arms smuggling routes from Argentina to other South American countries, which is very unfavorable for our country's weapons entering South America.

  We believe that assassination is senseless, for in that case Leningrad will quickly make up the shortage and recognize him as a hero.

  We suggest that an intelligence agency send a skilled gambler to the Jewel Club with sufficient funds, and do their best to defeat this guy in gambling.

  The risk is obviously there. Once lost, the intelligence agency may lose a lot of money, but the opportunity is rare and it's really worth trying.