Yang Yi walked out of the prison feeling like he had just left the beginner’s village in a game, barely grasping the most fundamental understanding of the game he was about to play, along with some basic skills.
But in the beginner’s village, Yang Yi met a hidden boss who left with him, and that’s when Yang Yi’s series of incomprehensible maneuvers began.
Now Yang Yi felt not just enlightened, but as if his entire worldview was on the brink of being completely overturned.
Yang Yi didn’t understand the relationship between Brian and Paul, nor did he understand what Brian and Paul were really thinking.
First, there was the issue of values. Brian had betrayed his country, a fact he didn’t intend to hide, and his treason had implicated his subordinates, which seemed clear at the moment.
What Yang Yi couldn’t comprehend was that as spies, they should be the most loyal to their country. A boss who betrays his country and endangers his own people should be the most hated by people like Paul, shouldn’t he? No matter if it’s so-called brotherhood or camaraderie, it can’t outweigh the righteousness of the nation.
If it were a criminal gang it might be different, but wasn’t Brian leading a team that was meant to be the most loyal to the nation, so how could such a serious mistake as treason be forgiven?
So Yang Yi felt deeply shaken. He thought he was prepared and considered himself to be the top dog, but whether it was Zhang Yong or Brian, both made him realize what it meant to be a novice’s sorrow.
For a moment, Yang Yi was stunned, standing beside Brian and Paul without knowing where to focus his gaze.
"Who is this young man?"
Thinking the question might be about him, Yang Yi’s attention finally returned, and then he saw Paul smiling at him.
"He’s the one who got me out of jail. I consider him an angel sent by the mountains to rescue me, so I plan to do something for him in return."
Paul nodded at Yang Yi, a token of greeting, and then he said to Brian, "Let’s not talk here. Let’s go to my place, we should really have a drink today."
"Yes, we really should have one. Let’s go."
Paul packed up his priest’s robe but didn’t put it on. After gesturing for Brian to proceed, Paul took the two men out of the church and into his car parked outside.
The two men, who had decided to continue fighting side by side, didn’t talk much. Neither spoke during the drive, just maintaining silence until they arrived in front of a house.
Paul’s car wasn’t much to speak of, but the house was quite large, and the lawn was well-kept. After Paul parked in front of the garage, Brian suddenly asked, "Are you married?"
Brian let out a sigh of relief and said, "Not married, huh? Well, that’s good."
Paul gestured for them to enter, unlocked the door, and after inviting Yang Yi and Brian to sit down, he fetched three glasses and a bottle of whiskey.
Placing the glasses on the table, Paul poured a small amount of whiskey for Yang Yi, but filled the glasses for himself and Brian to the brim.
Placing the whiskey bottle heavily on the table, Paul raised his glass with a serious expression and said in a deep voice, "To what?"
"To reunion, I guess."
Paul and Brian both picked up their glasses and downed a whole glass of whiskey.
They set their glasses down heavily on the table, and Paul let out a long sigh, his face a picture of satisfaction, "It’s been so many years since I’ve had such an enjoyable drink."
Brian also looked emotional, "Yeah, after more than twenty years, we’ve finally had a drink together again."
Neither Paul nor Brian intended to drink further, but neither of them poured another.
Yang Yi finally understood that when Brian and Paul spoke of having a drink, they truly meant just one drink.
Glancing at Yang Yi, Brian said calmly, "Alcohol is fine for most men, but for someone in Special Activities, it’s strictly off-limits."
Yang Yi nodded, and then Brian turned to Paul, his voice grave, "You haven’t been drinking?"
Paul smiled and pushed his empty glass aside, then said with gravity, "For twenty-seven years, this has been the first time I’ve had a drink."
Brian exhaled and asked, "You just can’t stay out of the action, can you? What about the others? Are you in contact with anyone else?"
Paul replied somberly, "Hamilton, he started a company, but that was twenty years ago, and we haven’t stayed in touch since then. Charles, he’s been involved in shady dealings, I’ve advised him against it a few times, so afterwards, he didn’t keep in much contact with me, but I have a way to reach him. And there’s Bill, we’ve always kept in touch."
Brian exhaled again and asked, "How is Bill, where is he now?"
"Bill took to drinking. He became a serious alcoholic. We kept in touch, and I even helped him out with money from time to time, up until he died of liver cancer six years ago. I conducted his funeral, and he was buried in the family plot," said Paul with detachment.
Brian lowered his head, then asked quietly, "He still needed your help? Did he spend all his pension on alcohol?"
"No pension, nothing. After your incident, we were isolated and interrogated. I was detained for six months, Bill for two years."
"Bill was adamant you wouldn’t betray your country. He always believed someone was framing you. After being held for two years, he was released. In reality, he didn’t have to live so miserably. Although we didn’t have pensions, we could have found normal jobs, albeit under CIA surveillance. Bill even tried to find work, but as you know, we’re pretty much only good at killing," Paul said.
Shrugging, Paul smiled and stated, "So that’s how it was."
Looking pale, Brian turned to Yang Yi and said in a low tone, "I told you, some mistakes can’t be made because you can’t make amends, and sometimes others have to bear the consequences of your mistakes. Do you understand now..."
Yang Yi replied softly, "I think I understand a little."
Paul placed the bottle in front of Yang Yi, smiling, "If you want to drink more, it’s okay. Feel free."
Brian, looking distraught, picked up the bottle to pour himself another drink, but Paul held his hand back.
Paul spoke slowly, "These years have been tough for everyone, myself included. You’ve made our lives miserable, boss, but the people I hate most aren’t you; it’s those guys who shamed me. This decision was hard to make, but once I made it, it was quite liberating because I’m ultimately not cut out to be a priest. Now, there’s something else that excites me. Boss, this comeback, there are no more rules holding us back, right?"
Letting go of the bottle, Brian replied in a deep voice, "Yes, no one can tell us anymore what we can and cannot do!"