73: Chapter 73 Delia Ben-Sayed

Video playing.

The light on the screen was very dim. Delia sat on a broken chair, still wearing that dusty old T-shirt and cargo pants.

On her chest, there was a stiff, bulging outline.

That was not a female feature. It was high-density C4 explosive.

"My mother's name was Svetlana, the third wife of the Oman chieftain."

Delia's enunciation was surprisingly steady, without any fluctuation.

"She was Eastern European. Before she married into the family, she was a Christian. After she married, she sewed her cross tightly into the bottom lining of her wardrobe."

"She was a hopelessly romantic person. Since Oman is so short on water, her only request was to plant lots and lots of flowers in the garden. In those courtyards surrounded by high walls, she would secretly show me Disney videotapes. She would tell me that there were amusement parks outside, and women who didn't have to wear headscarves. She would also hum Britney Spears songs, but she was completely tone-deaf."

Delia paused for a moment.

"I always wanted to go to Orlando, wear those silly Mickey ears, eat popcorn, go to a concert at night, and not care about any damn rules."

"But she didn't live to see that day. When I was ten, she gave birth to my younger brother and died from a massive hemorrhage."

"Everyone told me that it was the will of Allah. That it was this woman's fate."

Delia pressed her lips together.

"Bullshit."

Two very light words. But they hit the ground with the weight of a thousand pounds.

"When she was seven months pregnant, Mossad orchestrated an assassination attempt on my father. The bomb went off next to the motorcade. My father was unscathed. My mother was in the car next to him and was flipped over by the blast. Her internal organs were extensively damaged."

"She was dragged onto the operating table while still not fully recovered. She never came back down."

"The royal family thought her death was inauspicious and didn't even let her into the family cemetery. They just found some corner of a public cemetery and buried her. There wasn't even a decent tombstone."

Outside the screen.

Li Li tapped his fingers against his pant leg.

Jiang Rumu bit her lower lip hard.

Delia stared directly into the lens.

"The commander who orchestrated that assassination had the code name Yossi."

"He climbed the ranks in Tel Aviv, received medals, and became a high-ranking official. My mother is growing weeds in a public cemetery."

"I couldn't count on my father. The death of a marginalized princess wasn't worth the Oman royal family tearing things apart with Mossad. They felt it was bad luck just to mention those two words."

"So, I had to do it myself."

Delia picked up a plastic cup of water nearby and took a gulp.

"I started pretending to be crazy, screaming, smashing things, and singing in the courtyard in the middle of the night. Everyone thought I had lost my mind. I was only quieter when arranging flowers, so they gave me the role of court florist. I liked it; it was Mom's hobby, and therefore mine. But the royal family treated me like a joke, a transparent person. No one guards against a lunatic."

"But it was precisely because I was 'crazy' that I could go to many places normal people couldn't. I could make contact with many people who live in the shadows."

"I took the initiative to contact Mossad and provided them with some insignificant intelligence. Bit by bit, I endured for ten years and climbed to the position of deputy team leader of special operations in the Middle East war zone."

"They gave me a code name: Psychopath."

"It suited me quite well. They all knew I was crazy, so they wouldn't give me too many classified secrets, but they wouldn't be too guarded against me either."

Delia pointed to her temple.

"Actually, I was very clear-headed. For ten years, every night, I calculated how to lure that old bastard Yossi out and die with him."

"I never calculated a way to survive, so being able to drag him to his death was the best ending."

Li Li cursed in his heart.

Damn.

Ten years. Pretending to be crazy for ten years, just for this explosion today.

This was a truly ruthless person. Much more ruthless than those mercenaries who just hold guns and blast away.

"Originally, my bait was Fahd."

Delia continued.

"He is a favorite of the president, high enough in value. But I couldn't do it. Although that idiot is stupid, he was quite good to me. I was afraid Yossi would take him out too."

"Then you appeared, Li Li."

Delia in the video leaned forward, her face close to the lens.

"A civilian from the East, with off-the-charts combat power, who ruined Mossad's operations time and again. Yossi hates you to the bone, but he can't just kill you alone."

"High value, low risk. You were simply the perfect bait sent to me by God."

"That mysterious person who sent you the anonymous Chinese message was me. I don't even know if the translation was correct."

Delia confessed, and Li Li finally understood what "someone wants you" meant.

"Someone wants you," the machine translation was wrong.

"I warned you because I wanted you to live. Only if you lived would Yossi personally fly over from Tel Aviv to confirm."

"But you didn't play by the rules and went to the secret room to save people. I was listening on the monitor at the time, and I was so angry I almost crushed my headset."

"There was no other way; I had to settle for second best and kidnapped Miss Jiang."

Delia looked at the camera, slowing her speech.

"Miss Jiang, I'm sorry. If he hadn't chased after us, I intended to let you go halfway. Yossi's target was never you."

"But Li Li chased after us—a buy-one-get-one-free deal. When Yossi received the news, he applied for a flight route overnight."

In the bridge, there was only the low-frequency hum of machinery operating.

Dozens of naval officers stared at the big screen.

The thermos in the Major General's hand had gone completely cold. He hadn't taken a single sip.

The Senior Colonel Chief of Staff stood straight, hands clasped behind his back, gripping tightly.

This was an opponent worthy of respect.

This woman had calculated everyone.

Fahd's weakness, Yossi's greed, Li Li's movement trajectory.

Except for that helicopter.

No, even the takeoff time of that F-18F was probably within her calculations.

The helicopter was definitely going to go down, but the F-18 wouldn't.

She used her own life as the eye of the formation, trapping all parties involved.

This, damn it, was a true top-tier player.

"To tell the truth."

Delia leaned back in her chair.

"I actually find you celebrity influencers quite annoying."

Delia complained about Jiang Rumu through the screen.

"Always putting on an act in front of the camera, but the way you held that assault rifle last night wasn't bad. You're not just a pure vase."

"Li Li, you are too calculating. Dealing with you is exhausting. But I like working with smart people. It saves trouble."

"These two days with you were quite interesting."

"You are different from these people who are full of calculations."

"Li Li, you owe me a meal of sweet and sour pork ribs. And that… what was it, twice-cooked pork."

"The wide noodles with the soup base last night were the best thing I've ever eaten in my life. Although compared to authentic Hotpot, it might be far off."

"I really liked this morning. The five of us sitting on the beach eating Hotpot. No gunshots, no pursuit. Just five ordinary friends."

"I hope you can remember me from that morning. Not the lunatic who was acting crazy all day."

The video screen suddenly shook violently.

The camera was picked up. Flipped.

The image turned to the old carpet of the safe house, the light extremely dim.

The camera zoomed in.

Li Li and Jiang Rumu lay side by side on the carpet.

Both were sleeping very soundly.

Li Li's eyebrows were slightly knitted, his hand subconsciously resting on his waist. Jiang Rumu was curled up, covered by that tattered jacket.

Delia's hand reached into the frame.

She first grabbed Jiang Rumu's right hand.

Then she grabbed Li Li's left hand.

Forcefully pulling the two hands together.

Interlocking their fingers.

"You two, you've never even held hands, right?"

The voice-over came, carrying the amusement of a successful prank.

"This counts as the first time. You must remember it."

The camera shook again.

Delia's face leaned in.

She kissed Jiang Rumu on the forehead.

"Sleeping so soundly."

Then she turned to Li Li.

She also kissed Li Li on the forehead.

"Mr. Li, this is a good man."

Delia winked her left eye at the camera.

"If I were still alive, I would definitely fight you for him. Miss Jiang, you'd better keep a close eye on him."

Jiang Rumu sat on the stool.

Her shoulders began to shake violently.

She gripped that half of the amethyst necklace tightly; the metal clasp still retained her body heat.

She remembered the "sorry" Delia said a few hours ago when she bent down to put the necklace on her.

It turned out that wasn't just a polite remark.

That was a final testament.

She bit her lower lip hard, not wanting to cry out, but the sobs spilling from her throat couldn't be suppressed at all.

Li Li stood to the side.

The bloodstain on his left wrist was still throbbing with pain.

He didn't speak, just placed his hand on Jiang Rumu's shoulder. He patted it twice.

The video entered its final segment.

The camera refocused. Delia straightened her clothes.

"It's about time. I'm going to take you to the base."

"The data in the USB drive is what I've saved up over these ten years. All of Mossad's secret posts in the Middle East, capital flows, safe house coordinates. It's all in there."

"Give it to Ala Country, preferably directly to Fahd."

"Yossi is dead, my revenge is taken. This data is my peace charm for those two silly girls—my maids."

"They don't know anything; they are also miserable people. Let Fahd save their lives."

Delia took a breath.

"Li Li, Jiang Rumu."

"My name is Delia bin Saeed."

"Goodbye."

The video froze.

Black screen.

The progress bar reached the end.

Inside the bridge.

The communications officer's fingers hovered over the keyboard, not falling for a long time.

The radar operator stared blankly at the black screen on the monitor.

An Ala Country princess, a Israel spy, in order to avenge her mother, infiltrated for ten years, and finally took a high-ranking Mossad official to physical ascension.

This dual approach of intelligence crushing and physical blasting directly rubbed the cognition of all the professional soldiers present on the ground.

The technical officer quickly scanned the initially deciphered file directory.

"Chief!"

The technical officer's voice cracked.

"This list... contains three deep-sea moles Mossad has in the high echelons of the Ala Country military! And all the ledgers for their money laundering through offshore companies!"

The Major General turned his head sharply.

The Senior Colonel Chief of Staff stepped forward.

This wasn't just intelligence.

This was practically a nuclear bomb thrown into the Middle East geopolitical circle.

With these things, the East will hold absolute initiative in the upcoming international mediation.

"Good!"

The Major General slapped the tactical table.

"Activate the highest level communication link immediately! Direct connection to the High Command!"

The order was given, and the bridge became busy in an instant. The sound of keyboard typing and commands intertwined.

The Major General turned around. He placed the thermos heavily on the table.

He walked up to Li Li.

"This woman."

The Major General paused.

"Was a warrior."

Li Li nodded.

"She was a lunatic. And a warrior."

Jiang Rumu could no longer hold it in.

She turned around sharply and hugged Li Li's waist.

Her face buried in Li Li's dirty construction vest.

"She died..."

Jiang Rumu's words were all shattered, carrying a heavy nasal tone.

"She just went and died like that..."

Top celebrity in the entertainment industry. The high-mountain flower.

Now crying without any image.

Li Li didn't push her away.

He raised his right hand and pressed it onto Jiang Rumu's messy hair.

"Yeah. She died."

Li Li spoke. His voice was dry. But extremely steady.

"But she won."

Yossi died. Revenge was taken. The data was delivered. The maids were saved.

She used one life to flip Mossad's poker table upside down.

A complete victory.

The Senior Colonel Chief of Staff walked over and handed Li Li a pack of tissues.

"Comrade Li Li."

The Chief of Staff changed his form of address.

"You are safe now. Leave the rest to us."

Li Li took the tissues and shoved them into Jiang Rumu's hand.

"Wipe it. You're getting snot on my clothes. I've worn this vest for three years; it's very expensive."

Jiang Rumu looked up sharply.

Her eyes were red.

She grabbed the tissues and wiped her face messily.

"Li Li, you jerk!"

Cursing with teary moisture.

Li Li rotated his left wrist.

"That's right, that's the last tough bone of the entertainment industry."

He looked at the big screen.

The 001 Aircraft Carrier battle group was cutting through the waves.

The sunlight on the sea surface was extremely blinding.

Li Li patted Jiang Rumu's back.

He took out the folding knife, spun it in his hand, and the blade reflected the cold light of the bridge screen.

Li Li pulled open the heavy waterproof door of the bridge.

"Let's go. When we get back to the country, I'll treat you to sweet and sour pork ribs."

The sea breeze instantly filled their tattered collars.