453: Intelligence transfer

Principal Qin contacted an underground intelligence broker and stated his needs.

But unexpectedly, the broker, codenamed "Big Ears," fell silent.

Principal Qin was not in a hurry to press for answers; he simply placed his phone on the table, crossed his hands, and waited silently.

Shen Bei, however, was full of curiosity.

Underground intelligence brokers...

This was something Shen Bei had never encountered before.

Shen Bei thought that perhaps only large cities had the environment to support such activities.

After all, small cities are too small; what happens on the east side quickly spreads to the west side.

Like the old men and women at the village entrances, each one a big mouth.

Underground intelligence brokers wouldn't make money.

Plus, small cities certainly don't have as much going on as big cities.

Shen Bei estimated that there might only be two or three cities in the country with underground intelligence brokers.

Big Ears's silence at this moment was like a student secretly sleeping in class, suddenly woken by a blackboard eraser, and before he could fully come to his senses, he heard the teacher ask, "Big Ears, please answer the question I just asked."

Principal Qin waited for a while, then glanced at Shen Bei, seeming a bit embarrassed.

There had never been such a long delay in response before.

Principal Qin cleared his throat, breaking the silence first, and deliberately said in a tone that questioned his ability, "Big Ears, you don't mean you don't know, do you?"

"How could that be?" Big Ears's voice came from the phone, as if Principal Qin was questioning his ability, humiliating his strength.

But he didn't sound indignant when he said this; it felt more like someone had hit his knee with a hammer, and he blurted out the words before he even reacted, then laughed awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I don't know."

"Even you--" Principal Qin paused, a look of disbelief on his face.

In Principal Qin's view, Big Ears had been in this line of work for decades without starving, so he must have the skill to gather intelligence.

Experienced and astute, if even Big Ears didn't know, it truly surprised Principal Qin.

"Yes, even I--actually, I also tried to collect information on the Sheepskin Assassin, but he's just too bizarre. He runs around the city in a sheepskin, and somehow there's never a second eyewitness."

His voice came through the phone, filled with a puzzled tone, like a container of spoiled leftovers.

"That's a bit troublesome then."

Principal Qin began to consider whether he should switch to another intelligence broker.

Calling Shen Bei over today was to obtain information, to catch a lead on the Apocalypse Cult, and then follow the trail to completely dismantle it.

Without the relevant intelligence, even a Martial God would be blind and wouldn't know where to start.

This was also the current awkward situation for the Patrol Bureau and the Martial Arts Management Bureau.

Principal Qin continued, "Then never mind, I'll find another--"

Before Principal Qin could finish, Big Ears interrupted directly, saying first, "Although I don't know, I know who does."

"Tell me."

"An intelligence broker codenamed 'Two-Horned Vine,'" he said.

Principal Qin was silent for a moment, seemingly recalling the codename, then shook his head, "I haven't heard of this person."

"Of course you haven't heard of him; he's an underground intelligence broker who debuted this year, and you haven't been active for thirty years."

"So, is he reliable?" Principal Qin asked tentatively.

One could say that an intelligence broker is like a teammate, an unseen teammate.

According to the rules, once they cooperate, besides the money being cleared, no information that could expose the other party can be revealed.

An intelligence broker is a double-edged sword; he can accurately find enemies and targets, but he can also lead enemies and targets to surround oneself.

Reliability must be measured.

But Principal Qin, to put it plainly, had been out of the Jianghu for many years, and apart from Big Ears, he was suspicious of all other intelligence brokers.

He had to ask more questions.

"At least the intelligence he sells has a relatively high credibility," Big Ears replied. "But there are also some less favorable rumors about him."

"You mean?" Principal Qin asked.

Big Ears paused for two or three seconds, then spoke in a hushed, whispering tone, as if leaning close to one's ear: "I heard he once betrayed his partners."

...

Beijing Martial Arts University cafeteria.

Principal Qin and Shen Bei chatted until noon, then left the office and came to the cafeteria for lunch.

"Are you really planning to make contact?" Principal Qin took a bite of his fried dough stick.

That's right, fried dough sticks for lunch.

This wasn't Principal Qin leading by example to conserve food.

Rather, these fried dough sticks, if not sold out in the morning, would be re-steamed.

After the fried dough sticks softened, they had a unique flavor.

Shen Bei also tried one, and indeed, Principal Qin knew how to eat.

After their analysis in the office all morning.

Shen Bei finally decided to first contact that "Two-Horned Vine."

Firstly, Principal Qin detested those who betrayed partners, but Big Ears also stated that the rumors of Two-Horned Vine betraying teammates were merely hearsay, with no conclusive evidence.

Secondly, Shen Bei wasn't looking to partner with Two-Horned Vine, but merely to conduct a transaction, buying and selling intelligence.

Finally, upon hearing Big Ears's complaints about the Sheepskin Assassin, Shen Bei re-recalled the Martial Arts Management Bureau's wanted page description of the Sheepskin Assassin's appearance, and he now understood his method of evading crowds, thereby elevating his level of importance.

This was an opponent worth trying to challenge.

It could activate the daily settlement panel, all leading to an increase in strength.

If Shen Bei wasn't working odd jobs, such a mission target would be exactly what he needed.

According to the unwritten rules of Beijing's black market, Big Ears did not directly give Two-Horned Vine's contact information to Principal Qin; instead, he would contact Two-Horned Vine first, and then Two-Horned Vine would decide whether to contact Principal Qin.

"If there's a lead, I'll try to pursue it. I enjoy challenges."

Shen Bei took a sip of water and continued, "Or rather, I like to make money. Principal Qin, you need to prepare the funds."

Principal Qin pushed his work phone to Shen Bei: "Currently, the higher-ups are mobilizing all available resources, so funds are definitely available. But the higher-ups also have their own considerations for maintaining stability; they don't dare to make too much of a fuss and cause public panic. Therefore, a lightning strike, silently rooting out the Apocalypse Cult's lair, is the top priority."

Shen Bei listened to Principal Qin's instructions, his eyebrows twitching, and he smiled, "How is that possible? If we really catch a lead on them, there will definitely be a fight."

"That's unavoidable," Principal Qin nodded. "The work phone is yours; you don't need to return it to me."

Shen Bei's eyes flickered, "Then what was your codename in the black market before?"

"Ying Zheng."

Shen Bei: ...

Money transfer?

After their lunch, Principal Qin had completed his liaison task, merely instructing Shen Bei to be careful and cautious when dealing with the black market, preferably wearing a mask and disguise. After giving his instructions, he left.

As the head of Beijing Martial Arts University and the second-in-command of the Ministry of Education, Principal Qin had countless matters to attend to and naturally had no time for idle chatter.

Shen Bei originally thought Two-Horned Vine would contact him quickly.

But he waited for half a day with no activity.

"Can't waste time."

Shen Bei walked out of Beijing Martial Arts University and headed straight for Majuqiao.

This was Shen Bei's second visit to this casual labor distribution center.

A sense of familiarity welled up.

Looking at the various laborers, Shen Bei felt extremely relaxed; these were all his people!

"Work odd jobs, accumulate attributes, and strive to advance to the Eighth Grade before Two-Horned Vine contacts me!"