"I will establish the core members of the Organization of Water. Currently, they are Kate, Xiao Ran, and Zhang Yong."
After Yang Yi uttered the words that had been hidden in his heart, he looked at Mike with a sincere expression and said, "It’s not that I don’t trust you, nor that I am pushing you away, but I feel absolutely unqualified to command you. I respect you and am willing to follow your arrangements and instructions, but I won’t treat you as a subordinate, nor dare to see you as a partner I would never part with because the Organization of Water cannot do without you, but you can leave at any time."
Mike said in a low voice, "Continue."
Yang Yi sighed and said, "As for the three of them—Brian and his team—I see them as allies because our core interests are different, our pursuits are different, and there’s no need to say more."
Yang Yi stood up, walked a couple steps in the narrow gap between the beds, then looked at Mike and said, "My people in Mexico are useful, so I will bring them together, including Boer and Schultz. Schultz is indispensable, but for now, they can only be peripheral members. I rely on them but dare not trust them entirely."
Mike waved his hand and said, "Specifically, how do you intend to use these people you cannot fully trust?"
Without hesitation, Yang Yi said, "Win them over with my sincerity, bind them with interests, let them move from peripheral members to core members I can trust. Of course, there will be some tough and bloody methods to ensure they dare not betray."
Mike spoke softly, "For any spy organization, prevention is always absolutely more important than punishment, but preventative measures are also measures to control. I won’t ask you about that, I only ask you what you would do if someone truly betrayed you."
Yang Yi bit his lip and said softly, "Kill! In the most cruel way I can think of."
Mike said indifferently, "There’s another question. If someone wanted to leave the Organization of Water, but they promised they would never betray the organization, what would you do?"
Yang Yi hesitated. After thinking for a while, he finally said honestly, "I don’t know, but I think I should let him leave. Think about it, if you, or Brian, or Zhang Yong wanted to leave the Organization of Water, should I stop you? No, I wouldn’t, because I believe even if you left, you wouldn’t harm me."
Mike smiled slightly and said gravely, "But any secret organization operates on a principle that you can enter but not leave. Haven’t you ever wondered why?"
"Of course, I have thought about it, I understand, but... I still don’t want to stop them."
Yang Yi appeared conflicted and then spread his hands, "I know these principles, but I think if someone is tired and no longer wants to live a life in the shadows, then they should be given a chance to leave."
Mike, looking thoughtful, didn’t say anything as he stared at Yang Yi, who said softly, "I don’t know what you think, but I can’t stop those who fought alongside me if they want to leave."
After a moment of silence, Mike sighed and said, "I want to tell you that your way of thinking is very dangerous. Everyone has their own methods. I won’t teach you what to do, but I will tell you my approach for your reference."
Mike then said softly, "My approach is not to trust anyone. I don’t have any core members. I contact each person directly, one to one. I run a network of intelligence, and I am the core of this network. As soon as I leave, the network falls apart. If someone wants out, I don’t need to worry about anything. Even if someone betrays me, it won’t cause much harm to me. That’s why I can pull out immediately when necessary."
With a long sigh, Mike said with a trace of helplessness, "I do this out of necessity, because I’m scared. Brian’s betrayal has left an indelible psychological scar on me."
Gesturing to stop Yang Yi from speaking, Mike continued in a low voice, "Of course, now I know that although Brian turned, he isn’t the biggest mole. You don’t need to remind me of that."
After finishing, Mike stared at Yang Yi with a serious expression, "I am willing to help you, not to establish some new spy organization, or to continue being an information dealer. I just want to find that mole, to get justice for my fallen comrades and myself."
Yang Yi, of course, knew these things, so he didn’t understand what Mike meant by saying this again.
Seeing the puzzled face of Yang Yi, Mike smiled lightly and said, "Now, it’s time for you to establish your own authority. The Organization of Water is yours, not mine. You’re in charge for the future. If you can’t make a decision, you can ask me privately, but your word must be the indisputable will. If you can’t establish your authority while the organization has only a few people, you definitely won’t be able to establish an unquestionable position of authority as the organization grows."
In a quiet voice, Yang Yi said, "But, is it really good for one person to make all the decisions?"
"Our methods are different. I don’t have core members, but you do, so you can discuss with those you trust the most before making a decision, but you must ensure that once a decision is made, there can be no doubt about it, especially not from peripheral members. Do you understand what I mean?"
Yang Yi nodded and said, "I understand. We can discuss matters, but once a command is issued, it must be carried out to the letter without question or hesitation."
Mike exhaled softly and then said in a low voice, "Brian will leave the Organization of Water. Since he has already helped you kill Bass, he has fulfilled his promise to you and repaid your kindness. Knowing him as I do, he should be eager to find that woman. Now that we are not firmly established in London, when everything is settled, he will ask to leave."
"I know, I’m not thinking of stopping him."
Mike looked at Yang Yi, his expression a mix of amusement and seriousness, "My advice is to let Brian leave now, preferably tomorrow."
Yang Yi was taken aback and asked, "Why?"
"It’s simple. As long as Brian is with you, you will not have absolute authority in the eyes of those subordinates from the prison, but that’s secondary. The main reason is that Brian stays in the Organization of Water to find that woman, and currently, we neither have the energy to help him search nor sufficient means. Rather than having him here, unable to do anything, it’s better to clear off the debt of gratitude and let him go find that woman immediately."
After some thought, Yang Yi felt there might be a deeper meaning in Mike’s words.
"But there’s more to it than these two reasons, right?"
Seeing Yang Yi’s questioning gaze, Mike said sternly, "Yes. It’s true that Brian is very capable, and every member of Pandora Squad is strong; I never denied that, but they are just operatives. To find a ’Swallow’ that has been missing for decades is practically impossible in my opinion, so it’s better for them to go searching. When Brian has lost all hope, by that time, the Organization of Water will have gained some strength, and then... you understand, don’t you?"