Wei hurriedly reached the bottom of the dormitory building and suddenly stopped. He felt as if something was following him and heard a faint rustling sound behind him, like shoes stepping on leaves.

Holding his breath, Wei cautiously looked back, only to see the swaying shadows of trees under the dim light, gently rustling in the breeze. The sound he heard must have come from these leaves.

After carefully scanning the surroundings and confirming that no one was following him, Wei breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking toward the dormitory.

Still, Wei felt uneasy. The feeling of being followed was very strong. He walked slowly with his head down for a while before quickly turning around again. Behind him, it was still silent with no signs of anyone. It must have been his nerves playing tricks on him.

After confirming multiple times that no one was tailing him, Wei looked up at the window of his dormitory.

When he left for the lab, he had deliberately left the light on and the curtains open. His dorm was on the second floor, so from a slightly distant vantage point, he could clearly see the room's layout through the window.

After observing for a while and ensuring everything was normal, he headed upstairs.

Wei gently opened the door, planning to pack his things and move to a more concealed location before contacting the embassy to return to his country and then contacting Lam.

Upon entering, Wei pressed himself against the door, exhaled deeply, and started packing. Just as he moved away from the door, he noticed the curtains near the window were slightly fluttering. This puzzled him because he had shut the window tightly before leaving, and there was no wind.

As he approached, he saw a small gap in the window. It was so small that it wasn't noticeable from downstairs. The wind from outside was blowing through the gap, causing the curtain to flutter.

Something was off; someone had been in his room. The window wouldn’t have opened by itself.

Wei distinctly remembered closing and reopening the window several times to ensure it was shut tight. He had even cut his finger while doing so, making it unforgettable.

If someone had been in the room, were they still there?

Wei’s only thought was to escape immediately, but as he reached the door, three men emerged from the bedroom, guns pointed at him. They signaled Wei to stop.

One of them turned off the lights and drew the curtains cautiously.

The apparent leader of the group gestured with his gun for Wei to step back.

Wei took a step back and stopped. The man frowned and signaled him to continue. Wei reluctantly stepped back again until he reached the sofa, where he was ordered to sit, still staring at the door.

The man, following Wei's gaze to the door, laughed and had one of his men block it. He then turned back to Wei, as if mocking him for thinking he could escape.

Wei, seeing no other option, asked, "You must be with the military, right? What do you want?"

The man sat down beside Wei on the sofa and said, "Dr. Wei, let me introduce myself. I'm Jack, and these are my partners, Peter and Joey. You're right; we are with the MI6. Our orders are to kill you."

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Wei hadn’t expected them to want his life, but if they intended to kill him, why hadn’t they done so already? They must be after something else. People have desires, and as long as there are desires, there is room for negotiation.

Wei decided to probe, "Don't you want to know why your superiors want me dead?"

The men exchanged glances, and Jack said, "Dr. Wei, we're not interested in why. We've reviewed your files and know you have many advanced technology designs. That's why you're still alive and talking to us."

When they received the order, they were puzzled why their superiors were so insistent on killing Wei.

After digging into his background, their interest grew, leading them to a new idea. If they were going to kill him anyway, why not take the advanced technology designs first and then kill him? The designs could fetch a hefty sum, enough to set them up for a long time.

Wei realized their motive but knew they might kill him after getting what they wanted. He needed to buy time or find a way to escape.

"After I give you the designs, will you let me go? I can leave your country, and you can report that I’m dead. I promise never to return. How about that?" Wei proposed.

Jack looked at his partners, then smiled, "Sure, Dr. Wei, I swear on my ancestors' name. If you give us the designs, we can consider your proposal." He thought to himself, hoping Wei wouldn’t realize he never mentioned his ancestors' name or that he only promised to consider the proposal.

Wei nodded and asked if they could open the windows, complaining it was hot.

Jack nodded to Joey, who opened the windows. After confirming they could be opened, Wei said, "I left everything in the lab. Let me grab a bag to pack some things, and we can go there."

He was gambling that they hadn’t found his designs hidden in the bedroom.

When they didn’t object, Wei knew they hadn’t found them. He got up to go to the bedroom, followed closely by the men who wouldn’t let him go alone, fearing he might escape.

Under their watchful eyes, Wei packed various devices into a bag. Once done, he indicated he was ready to leave.

As he followed them out of the bedroom, Wei lagged slightly behind and, at the last moment, pushed Peter forward, slammed the door, and locked it.

Ignoring the shouting from outside, Wei quickly went to the window. Seeing it was only a second-story drop, he threw the bag out and carefully climbed down. Landing on the lawn, he grabbed the bag and looked up to see Jack and his men entering the bedroom.

He crouched and ran into the shadows. Jack, seeing him flee, rushed downstairs but couldn’t find him. "Split up and search! He can’t have gone far," Jack ordered, and they chased after Wei.

Hiding in dense bushes, Wei heard the men approaching. He held his breath, sweat stinging his eyes, and didn’t move, fearing discovery. Once they passed, he crawled out, intending to leave quietly.

Just as he was about to move, Jack and his men returned, discussing their next move near the bushes. "We've searched everywhere. Should we stake out the lab or wait back at his place?" Joey asked.

"The most dangerous place is the safest. He might go back home, but the lab is also possible. Dr. Wei, where do you suggest we go?" Jack suddenly addressed the bushes, startling Wei.

He thought Jack was bluffing until he pulled back the bushes, smiling at the prone Wei. Realizing he had been discovered, Wei stood up, brushed off the grass, and asked, "How did you find me? I thought I hid well."

Jack pointed to his ear and told Wei to listen.

Wei heard crickets chirping from other bushes but not from the one he hid in. "The silence gave you away," Jack explained. "Crickets stop chirping when disturbed."

Wei realized it wasn’t his fault but the adversaries' skill. Jack's team’s expertise in intelligence was impressive.

"Let's go, Dr. Wei. No more tricks. Lead us to the designs, or we'll lose patience," Jack commanded. Joey and Peter each grabbed one of Wei’s arms, leading him to their car.

On the way to the lab, with Joey and Peter guarding him, Wei grew desperate. He didn’t want to return to the lab, fearing what might happen if he saw that giant eye again.

He tried persuading them, "Your superiors want me dead to keep secrets. Do you think they’ll let you live after killing me? We should work together. As long as I'm alive, I can keep creating new technologies."

The men fell silent, considering Wei’s offer. They had planned to escape with the designs after killing him, but his proposal made sense. Keeping him alive could be more beneficial.

As Jack was about to speak, several cars approached with their headlights on, blinding Jack. Suddenly, the cars rammed into theirs, pushing them into the woods.