Li Chonglou's intuition was terrifyingly accurate.
From the beginning, Tong Zhaolin's shift in attitude had made him feel something was amiss.
But no unusual situations occurred.
He couldn't even detect any abnormality in Tong Zhaolin, so the suspicion was quickly dismissed.
Thus, he had no idea what kind of trap awaited him at Xingzhi Group.
The car drove smoothly into a luxurious manor in the suburbs.
Within the manor stood two ancient-style buildings, intricately carved and exquisitely beautiful, mirroring each other on either side.
In the center was a five-story detached villa.
Upon entering, there were layers of checkpoints, each guarded by four burly men.
They saluted and let Tong Zhaolin pass upon seeing him.
Li Chonglou feigned shock and asked, "Boss Tong, your security is too over the top, isn't it?"
"It's comparable to a border inspection station."
As he spoke, he secretly took note of all the sentry posts and personnel deployment.
It was no wonder Xingzhi Group had remained standing for so many years; their security awareness was astonishing.
The car drove up to the villa. Tong Zhaolin got out and directed the trucks behind him to stop at the entrance of one of the ancient-style buildings.
He called over a few strong men to help unload the goods.
He then put his arm around Li Chonglou's shoulder and led him into the villa.
As soon as they stepped inside, a pungent cigar smell hit them.
A middle-aged man in a silver-grey suit sat on the sofa, crossing his legs and puffing away.
"President Kong, you're here at headquarters, let me introduce someone to you." Tong Zhaolin's face lit up with a smile upon seeing the middle-aged man.
He first introduced Li Chonglou, "This is President Kong Mo of our Xingzhi Group, my direct superior."
"You're a major client of our group, and you should get to know President Kong."
Before he finished speaking, the middle-aged man put down his cigar and turned to look at Li Chonglou.
He smiled coldly, "No need for introductions, I know him. Li Chonglou."
"The son-in-law of the Jiang family in Qin Province, disciple of archaeologist Lin Zhendong. In just a few months, you've made a name for yourself in Qin Province, even surpassing Lin Ao, Lu Weishen's disciple."
The middle-aged man paused here.
Li Chonglou's hair stood on end, and his heart pounded.
These were all real events that had happened to him, things not mentioned in his fabricated background.
This Kong Mo knew everything.
He recognized him!
What did this mean?
His infiltration had failed; his identity was exposed.
Fortunately, Li Chonglou had a strong will. Any other person would likely have had their legs go weak and collapsed on the spot.
Even Tong Zhaolin's smile gradually froze.
At that moment, Kong Mo suddenly smiled and continued, "What? Scared?"
"The illegitimate son of the esteemed Li Shi, a talent as brilliant as you. How could Xingzhi Group not investigate you?"
"Don't be afraid. If you're a friend of Zhaolin, you're a friend of mine, Kong Mo."
Tong Zhaolin's astonishment finally disappeared, and he let out a dry laugh. "President Kong, you almost scared me to death."
"I thought he was a mole. I didn't find out this information."
"The Vice President said that Li Chonglou is his friend and asked me to entertain him well."
On the surface, it seemed like nothing, but in reality, Tong Zhaolin's clothes were already damp with cold sweat.
If Kong Mo hadn't added that last bit, he would have truly believed he had brought a mole in.
Then he thought it was impossible. The Vice President personally gave the instructions, so how could he be a mole?
Although Kong Mo was the president and his title was greater than the Vice President's, he actually had to obey the Vice President.
Of course, only insiders of Xingzhi Group knew this.
Kong Mo smiled, took out a new cigar from the box, and beckoned Li Chonglou. "Come, sit down, have one?"
Li Chonglou waved his hand. "I don't know how."
On the surface, he was as calm as ever, but inwardly his mind was a roaring furnace.
Kong Mo's words could fool Tong Zhaolin, but not him.
Since they had thoroughly investigated his background in Qin Province, wouldn't they have continued to investigate his actions in Yong'an?
The matter of disabling Huang He, killing Li Hanlong, and the matter of the eagle—why were they not mentioned at all?
Did he know his true identity or not?
If he knew his identity, he should have struck him down by now. Why was he acting like this?
If he had no suspicions, why bring up the investigation findings so openly?
The situation had instantly become perplexing.
He dared not be sure how much this old fox Kong Mo knew or what he intended.
"Young people don't like this, but very few young people like antiques and study them meticulously," Kong Mo said, putting down his cigar. "I heard you're Li Shi's son, with exceptionally sharp eyesight, right?"
Li Chonglou nodded, accepting the premise.
"Are you interested in joining our company as an appraisal master?" Kong Mo asked, looking into Li Chonglou's eyes.
This question made Li Chonglou's heart throb.
His mission was to infiltrate Xingzhi Group.
To achieve this, he had prepared many measures, even planning to use the most cumbersome method, step by step, to gain the trust of Tong Zhaolin and the people at Xingzhi Group.
Who knew it would be so easy? The president personally came forward and extended an olive branch to him.
He didn't rush to answer.
Because he wasn't sure what Kong Mo was thinking. If he answered incorrectly, what would the consequences be?
If this matter didn't involve national interests, if it wasn't the Eagle's mission, he could be fearless and say whatever he thought.
But the situation was different now. One wrong move could lead to a complete defeat.
He had to be cautious.
After much deliberation, instead of answering, he asked, "President Kong, would working as an appraisal master at Xingzhi Group earn me more than I do now?"
"Hahaha..." As soon as he spoke, he heard Tong Zhaolin's hearty laughter.
Gasping for breath, he said, "Brother, the way you ask that almost stunned me."
"No one has ever concerned themselves with such a question before."
"Joining our Xingzhi Group, money is no longer just money; it's merely a string of digits."
Li Chonglou's answer was arguably brilliant.
The focus was clearly on money.
A person who was still focused on money at this moment couldn't possibly be a mole, right?
Tong Zhaolin wouldn't believe it for a hundred reasons; Li Chonglou was definitely not a problem.
It seemed that President Kong's earlier words were just to put him in his place.
Kong Mo smiled. "Joining Xingzhi Group, we certainly won't mistreat you. You earn money according to your ability; that's the rule everywhere."
"If Mr. Li doesn't mind, our group's doors are always open to you."
Seeing Li Chonglou playing dumb and Tong Zhaolin genuinely being foolish, Kong Mo inwardly sneered.
The Vice President wanted to avoid arousing any suspicion from Li Chonglou, which was why he kept even Tong Zhaolin in the dark.
He never expected this fellow to be so stupid and oblivious.
He completely trusted Li Chonglou.
What an idiot!
"That's how it is. Then, how about this? I'll come to your company for an internship for a while." Li Chonglou said cheerfully. "If the money is guaranteed, then I'll stay and work diligently."
"Otherwise, President Kong, don't blame me for job-hopping."
With this opportunity before him, he couldn't give it up.
Regardless of whether it was a trap or how dangerous it was, he had to try.
"No, no," Kong Mo said, waving his hand with a smile.
Soon, the atmosphere became less awkward. He had servants bring two cups of freshly brewed coffee.
Kong Mo chatted casually with Li Chonglou.
He first discussed professional knowledge and various categories of antiques. Hearing Li Chonglou speak with such familiarity, he couldn't help but praise him profusely.
Tong Zhaolin's face also glowed with pride. After all, Li Chonglou was brought by him, and receiving President's praise made him look good too.
During their conversation, the batch of bronze wares had already been unloaded.
The driver stood at the villa entrance, greeting Li Chonglou.
"Then I'll come to work tomorrow?" Li Chonglou asked as he stood up to say goodbye.
"Not here, but at the headquarters," Tong Zhaolin replied for Kong Mo. "Our Xingzhi Group has a building in the city; that's where we usually work."
"This is actually President Kong's private manor. That batch of items is a bit sensitive, so it's stored here for now."
Hearing this, Li Chonglou put on an expression of sudden realization.
After saying goodbye and declining Tong Zhaolin's offer to drive him back, he left with the driver.
After the two of them left, Kong Mo's face revealed a cold smile.
He asked, "Zhaolin, our Xingzhi Group has been a bit too conspicuous recently, attracting the attention of the relevant departments."
"Tell everyone to be careful and not ruin their lives for the rest of their days."
"Especially, don't let anyone infiltrate the group and obtain core secrets!"
Tong Zhaolin responded with a wave of his hand, "That won't happen."
"People who have contact with the outside of the group must first pass through me. I verify that they are not problematic before proceeding."
"Just like my brother Chonglou, he's definitely not a problem."
Kong Mo's inner smile deepened, and he mentally cursed, "Brain of a pig. If he's not a problem, are you not a problem?"
However, he maintained his composure outwardly and said, "It's good that you know. The Vice President is expected to return next month. I'll make sure to commend you to him then."
"Thank you, President Kong. I'll be going now." Tong Zhaolin, overwhelmed with gratitude, cupped his fists and left.
After exiting the villa, the smile on his face gradually faded.
He snorted coldly, "What's so great about you? You're just a puppet of the Vice President, acting like you're someone important."
"One day, I'll shit on you from above!"
At the same time, Li Chonglou sat in the passenger seat of the truck, looking forward. "Notify the higher-ups that I have successfully infiltrated Xingzhi Group."
"I will start working at Xingzhi Group tomorrow. Maintain contact. I will contact you once I obtain favorable evidence."
"From now on, it's best for you to appear less frequently to avoid arousing suspicion."
The driver looked surprised and nodded without speaking.
He was well aware of how difficult it was to infiltrate Xingzhi Group. The command center had devised various plans, all of which had failed.
He never expected Li Chonglou to achieve the initial objective so quickly.
The efficiency was simply terrifying.
This unassuming young man had an even more mysterious background. No one in the entire operation team knew his true identity.
But his strength was not to be underestimated.
"Right, make sure to keep a close eye on those bronze wares. If there's any movement, suppress it immediately!" Li Chonglou instructed. "Don't worry about me. You must ensure that not a single cultural relic falls into foreign hands."
"Don't worry, I'll stake my life on it!" the driver solemnly replied.
The pride and confidence shone in his eyes, the kind of confidence every Chinese person should possess.