When capturing Flying Fish, Shawn Benson, in order to ensure everything went smoothly, personally went out to patrol the streets. As he made his rounds, the security patrol officers were all trembling with fear—how could they possibly pay attention to Howard Clark on the street? His plan had originally been foolproof, but unexpectedly, Leonard Hale took matters into his own hands and rashly tried to arrest Howard Clark last night.

Just as Shawn Benson was considering how to report to Littlefield, the phone on his desk suddenly rang urgently. He picked up the receiver and immediately heard Littlefield's not-so-fluent Chinese.

Before Shawn Benson could speak, Littlefield asked directly, “How did you deal with Leonard Hale?”

This question made all the hairs on Shawn Benson's body stand on end.

What happened last night—Littlefield, far away at the Gendarmerie Headquarters, not only knew all about it, but even knew that he had called Leonard Hale in for a scolding.

This made him feel a deep sense of awe toward Littlefield.

“Captain Littlefield, that fool Leonard Hale, I’ve already reprimanded him. I guarantee that such a thing will never happen again.” Shawn Benson straightened his back and spoke with firm conviction.

“I think you’re the real fool! Are you planning to tell everyone that Flying Fish is one of ours? You Chinese have a saying: ‘Sima Zhao’s intentions are known to all,’ and another one: ‘covering one’s ears while stealing a bell.’” Littlefield knew that Shawn Benson wanted to protect “Flying Fish,” but sometimes, going too far in protection can actually cause harm.

“I understand now.” With Littlefield’s words, Shawn Benson suddenly saw the light.

He really shouldn’t have lost his temper at Leonard Hale; after all, even Leonard Hale didn’t know about Flying Fish. In the entire police station, aside from himself, even Charles Thompson wasn’t fully informed. As for Director Benjamin Ford, he certainly wouldn’t get involved in such specific matters.

Now enlightened, Shawn Benson immediately called Leonard Hale in again. This time, Shawn Benson seemed like a different person—not only did he invite Leonard Hale to sit down, he even handed him a cigarette.

“I was too anxious just now. Is your face alright?” Shawn Benson said gently.

“Your subordinate is incompetent and failed to share your burden, I’m truly ashamed.” Leonard Hale didn’t understand what Shawn Benson meant. Just a moment ago there was a storm, and now he was being so warm—was it he who had taken the wrong medicine, or had Shawn Benson developed amnesia?

“Last night you acted without orders, and the operation failed—that’s a fault. But you’re diligent and hardworking, so you deserve praise. Go and collect a hundred yuan in a bit.” Shawn Benson said after some thought.

“How could I dare claim a reward when I didn’t catch Howard Clark?” Leonard Hale was afraid he’d misheard. Since when had Shawn Benson become so considerate of his subordinates?

A hundred yuan—that was the reward for capturing the wounded Howard Clark. Although he thought he’d injured Howard Clark, he hadn’t actually brought him back.

“Didn’t you injure Howard Clark? Pass down the order to step up inspections of all hospitals and pharmacies in the city.” Shawn Benson said. With Littlefield’s reminder, he knew he had to play his part to the end.

Shawn Benson had two possible judgments about “Flying Fish.” One was that he wasn’t injured, or that someone else was injured, or perhaps Leonard Hale had given a false report. Such things had happened before. Subordinates, eager for credit and reward, would pick up a broken gun and dare to report that they’d wiped out a guerrilla squad. If that was the case, it would be the best outcome.

The second possibility was that Flying Fish was indeed injured. If the injury wasn’t serious, it could actually serve as a cover for Flying Fish’s identity. An underground member who’d been wounded would be seen as a hero and would certainly be trusted and promoted—such a result might even be better than not being injured at all. But what he feared most was that Flying Fish would be seriously wounded, or even die from his injuries—that would be a total waste.

“I’ll get right on it.” Leonard Hale, subdued by a slap and a hundred yuan from Shawn Benson, no longer dared to play any tricks.

“If you discover Howard Clark’s whereabouts, be sure not to alert him.” Shawn Benson cautioned. If Howard Clark was surrounded again, his plan would truly fall apart.

Shawn Benson’s remedial actions did, to some extent, cover up the truth. The underground party in Guxing had recently suffered repeated setbacks, and the organization already suspected there was a problem inside. They were conducting a thorough investigation and had even begun to suspect Howard Clark.

But since Howard Clark had been targeted twice and even wounded, the suspicions about him were naturally dispelled. According to the current narrative, Howard Clark had been tested by blood and fire, and his loyalty to the revolution was beyond doubt.

However, during the second attempt to capture him, Howard Clark was wounded—shot in the abdomen. Given the guerrilla conditions, it was impossible for him to recover. The only solution was to return to Guxing for treatment. From Heilivillage to the guerrillas on the west bank of the Gujiang, and then from the guerrillas back to Guxing, the routes in and out were different.

Although both trips were made at night, Howard Clark, as a seasoned underground member, was highly experienced. Plus, since he was wounded and seen as a battle hero by others, he was able to casually chat and learn all the routes.

The organization decided to have Howard Clark return immediately to remove the bullet from his body. His injury had to be treated in Guxing, where the medical conditions were far superior to those on the west bank of the Gujiang.

Not only did Howard Clark need surgery in Guxing, he also had to recuperate in the city for a while. The guerrillas were extremely short of medicine and constantly on the move—recuperating with them would be tantamount to suicide.

Now, Howard Clark was a loyal and courageous revolutionary fighter, so every effort had to be made to treat his wounds. Yet all along the way, Howard Clark’s inner doubts remained unresolved.