"Let's summarize the intel." At 11:55 PM, Karl's team gathered back in their suite to share the information they had collected throughout th
"Let's summarize the intel."
At 11:55 PM, Karl's team gathered back in their suite to share the information they had collected throughout the evening.
"I'll start with what I found," Karl said, speaking first. He explained his observations at the restaurant: "I noticed a guest who seems to be a long-term resident. The hotel staff frequently delivers large amounts of food to him. Given that someone can afford to stay at this hotel long-term, I suspect he might be our target. Tomorrow morning, when they deliver breakfast, we should keep an eye on which floor they go to."
As soon as Karl finished speaking, Oliver frowned. "Karl, are you sure it was a large amount of food?"
"I can't say with one hundred percent certainty, but it's definitely worth marking him as a suspect."
"That actually matches something I overheard at the bar," Oliver added. "I was chatting with some guys drinking there, and they were complaining about how California wine at the hotel always gets bought out in one go. They often saw the staff taking large quantities of wine upstairs. Judging from the timing—right around meal times—it fits pretty well, doesn't it?"
"Having wine with meals, huh?" Jack mused. "If it's not because there are a lot of people in that suite, then the guy just has a massive appetite."
"That's not all," V chimed in with a grin. "I also picked up some gossip at the gym. Some people were talking about a fat big shot staying in the hotel. They said he's massive, eats a lot, never exercises, and rarely leaves his suite. A big shot who eats like crazy, doesn't work out, and stays out of sight—sounds like our man, doesn't it?"
"What do you think, Karl?" Oliver asked. "Should we make that delivery target our primary suspect?"
"We don't have many leads, and this one is the clearest," Karl shrugged. "With limited time, we need to work with what we've got. Besides, we'll know for sure once we check. No point guessing endlessly here."
"Clear goals make work easier," V said. "Honestly, we suck at intelligence work without T-Bug. Without her, we're just like headless chickens, wandering around without even knowing why."
"I think I just heard someone calling for me," T-Bug's voice suddenly came over the comms, causing everyone in the suite to break into smiles.
"T-Bug, you're here!"
"Yup. Karl, I've got good news for you."
T-Bug's voice was filled with pride and excitement. "I managed to find the building plans from the hotel's renovation. It took some effort, but I also found out who the big shot staying here actually is."
"That's our T-Bug!" Oliver said excitedly. "We really can't do this without you."
"Of course!" T-Bug chuckled. "I couldn't just sit back while you guys risk your lives out there."
Without dwelling on it too much, T-Bug quickly sent the information to the team: "I've sent the building blueprints to each of you. But keep in mind, they were from the last renovation, so don't trust them blindly—things might have changed. Also, here's the big shot's identity—"
She paused, then sent over a picture.
The image showed a heavyset middle-aged man. "This guy should be our target. His name is Thomas Cress, a rising star in New United States politics—rumored to be capable of challenging the current president Rosalind Myers. He's also backed by internal factions dissatisfied with Myers. I should've guessed it—there's hardly anyone else who could even compare to Myers."
"Is he really that special?" Karl, not very familiar with New United States politics, asked.
"He's the nephew of Elizabeth Cress," T-Bug replied.
"The former president?" Karl immediately understood. No wonder he was considered a rising political star and a red-hot presidential candidate. A family connection to a former president made sense. Karl recalled that even back in old America, figures like Roosevelt had similar family ties.
Staring at Thomas Cress's photo, Karl thought:
"Heavyset—check. Presidential candidate—check."
The target was almost certainly him.
However, realizing that the target was Thomas Cress made Karl think about something else:
Someone inside Militech had hired their squad to steal campaign materials related to a presidential candidate—but hadn't told them exactly who. Now it turned out the target was the rival to the current president, Rosalind Myers. Could it be that the person who hired them was loyal to Rosalind Myers?
Karl had initially assumed it was some internal Militech faction dissatisfied with the current administration. But now it looked more like someone loyal to the president herself.
Still, it wasn't certain—it could just as easily be a third faction trying to stir up conflict between the two sides.
Regardless, it didn't really matter right now. Now that they had confirmed the target, the mission became much simpler.
"Alright, everyone," Karl said. "Tomorrow morning, after we confirm which floor the food deliveries are going to, we move out."
Things were progressing surprisingly smoothly. Maybe this was what people meant by "lucky enough to get struck by lightning."
"Do you want to give the mission a codename, Karl?" V asked.
"You've been watching too many spy braindance flicks," Karl teased. But thinking about it, it was a rare opportunity—targeting a presidential candidate was definitely a big job.
"Let's call it... 'Return to the White House.'"
"Why that name?"
"Simple. If the guy becomes president, where else would he end up living?"
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