Deng Shiyang's reaction was calmer than expected. He raised an eyebrow, took a sip of tea, and asked, "Another 'Dogs of War' scenario? Like what Simon Mann tried to pull off in Equatorial Guinea?"

In the 1990s, Equatorial Guinea discovered abundant oil and natural gas resources, leading a U.S. official to dub it the "New Kuwait."

To exploit these resources, the British planned to stage a coup to overthrow the government led by President Teodoro Obiang and install the exiled opposition leader Severo Moto, in exchange for oil extraction rights.

The coup was financed and orchestrated by British magnates, with former SAS officer Simon Mann in charge of execution. Mann recruited three crew members and sixty-four mercenaries in South Africa, planning to fly a Boeing 727 to Harare, Zimbabwe, where they would load weapons purchased locally and then proceed to Equatorial Guinea. Once the advance team took control of the airport tower, the plane would land.

However, the plane was detained at Harare airport, with the mercenaries, Mann, and two other accomplices near the runway all arrested. Two days later, the advance team led by Nick du Toit was also captured in Equatorial Guinea, thwarting the coup before it even began.

Harrowby's expression turned a bit awkward, and he replied with a forced smile, "No two real-world operations are ever the same."

The corners of Deng Shiyang's mouth curled up slightly, showing a faint hint of amusement, but he remained silent.

"Now, let's get to the point," Harrowby broke the silence.

"Our client is none other than the former King Mswati III. He approached me in London, seeking our help in staging a coup to overthrow the Ndofa regime and restore the monarchy."

"We initially intended to gather information about Swaziland through the former king and his entourage. However, we encountered two problems when formulating the plan: first, since Ndofa's rise to power, the country has adopted an isolationist policy, severing almost all external communication. We have no access to first-hand information from within the country. Second, the former king and his associates lack military knowledge and cannot provide the intelligence we need."

"Therefore, we need someone to go to Swaziland to conduct reconnaissance on the military and security conditions at the presidential palace and key locations, as well as provide an assessment report on the Ndofa government's military capabilities. I believe you are the best candidate for this task."

Deng Shiyang frowned and asked, "Why do you think I'm suitable for this kind of work? Wouldn't it be better to hire someone from 'The Farm' for HUMINT?"

Since the end of the Cold War, intelligence agencies from both the East and West had been downsized to varying degrees. Some former spies, now unemployed, started their own detective agencies or consultancy firms. A few well-connected intelligence brokers even operated under the guise of commercial entities, engaging in espionage activities behind the scenes.

In reality, intelligence work was far less thrilling than in James Bond films. These professionals mainly gathered business intelligence, acted as "paparazzi" to dig up celebrity scandals, or took on mundane tasks such as photographing new cars during road tests. However, a few companies did serve as subcontractors for the CIA, collecting intelligence in sensitive regions where the U.S. government found direct involvement "inconvenient."

Harrowby smiled and replied, "The new Swaziland government has recently soured relations with the West, and Ndofa is actively pursuing diplomatic relations with China. They've recently issued invitations for Chinese and Hong Kong companies to send representatives for an inspection. Of course, that's only one reason. The main reason for choosing you is—" as if to create suspense, he smacked his lips and, with a playful tone, said, "—because you're reliable."

Deng Shiyang's expression turned to one of slight disdain as he retorted, "I hate being reliable." He then added, "Now, let's talk about the money."

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Harrowby chuckled, "So, you're willing to take the job?"

"Yes, if the price is right."

Harrowby replied earnestly, "I'll prepare the equipment, passport, visa, and documents and deliver them to your hotel room within a week."

Deng Shiyang gave a slight nod, indicating he understood.

"As for payment, I'll give you $20,000 in cash as an advance, with another £30,000 upon receiving the report."

"I want £50,000, with the other conditions unchanged."

Harrowby was taken aback and argued, "You'll only be there for a week..."

But before he could finish, Deng Shiyang interrupted with an uncompromising tone, "Going to a foreign country as an illegal spy is like dancing on a knife's edge. If I get caught, it's over—I'll die, and it won't be a pleasant death. And if I fail, you'll certainly distance yourself from this affair completely. The payment doesn't match the risks I'm taking."

Harrowby fell silent for a moment, eventually making a resolute decision. "Fine, £50,000 it is." He then extended his hand.

"A pleasure working with you." Deng Shiyang reached out and shook his hand.

With the terms settled, Harrowby walked into the bedroom and returned with a well-crafted Hermes waist pouch. He unzipped it and laid its contents on the coffee table.

"Here's your operational fund." He pushed a bulging manila envelope toward him.

Deng Shiyang opened the envelope to find two bundles of U.S. dollars, each secured with rubber bands, all in $100 bills. He didn’t even bother to count them, setting the envelope aside.

"This is the information on Swaziland, and the decryption code is the company’s address in London." Harrowby placed a silver-colored USB stick on the table.

Deng Shiyang nodded without saying a word.

"The next items will certainly pique your interest." With the expression of a child showing off a new toy, Harrowby smiled as he took out two boxes—one square and one rectangular.

He opened the square box first, revealing a black second-generation iPod Shuffle. "This MP3 player is actually a miniature digital camera," he said, pointing to the area next to the control buttons, "There's a five-megapixel lens right here."

Deng Shiyang examined the indicated spot closely but saw no lens.

"To use it, turn off the power, then switch the playback mode to 'shuffle.' Press the play button twice in quick succession, and the status indicator will turn green, showing the camera is activated. The power button then acts as the shutter. Switching it back to 'sequential' will enable regular MP3 playback. The memory card has 8GB of storage, and photos can be transferred to a computer using a USB cable."

As Deng Shiyang curiously fiddled with the iPod Shuffle, Harrowby opened the rectangular box and took out a fountain pen. "This pen is also a camera."

Deng Shiyang put down the MP3 player and carefully examined the fountain pen.

It was a finely crafted Montblanc ballpoint pen. The polished black resin barrel reflected light, and the platinum clip and rings featured intricate engravings, while the iconic six-pointed star logo embedded in a crystal on the cap gave it an air of elegance and sophistication.

"The pen has an 8GB capacity as well, and a full charge can take up to 200 photos." Harrowby demonstrated, "To take a photo, push down on the cap, then twist it clockwise to activate the camera."

He turned the cap one notch and pointed at the end of the barrel. "The lens is located here. To take a picture, simply aim and press down on the clip." He then held the pen in his hand, allowing the end of the barrel to protrude below his pinky, and used his thumb to gently press the clip.

Deng Shiyang nodded, indicating he understood.

Harrowby twisted the cap counterclockwise to turn off the power. He unscrewed the cap, then the barrel, revealing a shortened ink cartridge, about half the usual length. He pointed to the USB port inside the back half of the barrel, "This is the USB port, which also serves as the charging port." He then reassembled the pen and handed it to Deng Shiyang.

Deng Shiyang played with the pen camera for a moment before asking, "You can't buy something like this on eBay, can you? Where did you get it?"

Harrowby gave a cryptic smile, replying, "Don't ask."

Deng Shiyang pouted slightly, refraining from further questions. Suddenly, he grabbed the waist pouch from the coffee table, stuffed everything back inside, and grinned. "You're not really expecting me to carry all this stuff in my pockets, are you?"

Harrowby parted his lips slightly, then sighed and nodded reluctantly.

Notes:

- The Dogs of War: A novel by British author Frederick Forsyth. The story, set in the fictional African country of Zangaro (modeled after Equatorial Guinea), depicts a British mining company's plan to hire mercenaries to stage a coup for control over the country's platinum resources.

- Simon Francis Mann: Mercenary and former British SAS officer. He was involved with private military companies Executive Outcomes and Sandline International. In 2004, following a failed coup, he was arrested and later extradited to Equatorial Guinea, where he was sentenced to 34 years in prison.

- Nick du Toit: Mercenary, arms dealer, and former South African 32 Battalion officer. He was arrested during the 2004 coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea and sentenced to 34 years in prison.

HUMINT: Short for "HUMan INTelligence," referring to espionage conducted by individuals.

The Farm: A nickname for Camp Peary, a CIA training facility located in York County, Virginia.