David Thompson sighed and gave a wry smile, saying, "Don't be so eager to show off how smart you are. Being too flashy isn't good, not at all. But your guess is correct—I do want to talk to you about your parents."

Brian Carter nodded, then said very seriously, "When my father passed away, I was still young. I didn't understand anything at the time and didn't think much about it. But looking back now, I think he must have been a spy. And your behavior now confirms my suspicion, so you're a spy too. Then, were my parents sent by the state?"

David Thompson shook his head. "You got that part wrong. Your parents weren't spies. Strictly speaking, your father was an intelligence broker, and sometimes he acted as a political fixer. I can tell you with certainty—they weren't sent by any country. Your father didn't belong to any national intelligence agency. He just worked for money."

Brian Carter frowned. "That doesn't make sense. My father always taught me to love my country. I don't get it—if he was just an intelligence broker with no ties to any country, then wouldn't his teachings to me be a joke?"

David Thompson said seriously, "Some people, no matter what their nationality is, never forget that they're Chinese. Your father was one of those people!"

Waving his hand, David Thompson said with a serious face, "No need to doubt, and don't bother trying to test me. I can tell you, my relationship and friendship with your father was built on business. Yes, I bought intelligence from your father, but the price was extremely low—so low it was basically a gift, and it happened twice."

"What kind of intelligence?"

"That's not something you should ask, and I will never tell you."

"Alright, then what department are you from?"

"I told you, don't ask what you shouldn't."

Brian Carter sighed and said, "Well, that's no fun. You can't satisfy my curiosity at all. Fine, I'll change to questions you can answer. Were you the one who sent people to bring me back from the UK? Have you been the one arranging for people to look after me all these years?"

David Thompson nodded, then said in a deep voice, "Yes, but I feel very guilty, because I can't really say I took care of you. I just arranged for some people to give you the necessary care. Your father had no connection to China, but just for those two pieces of intelligence he basically gave away, all the care you've received was well deserved. And a large part of your current personal assets is the inheritance your parents left you."

Brian Carter nodded and said, "So after my parents suddenly died, a random uncle showed up to take me back to China, then disappeared. But I ended up with an apartment in Beijing that my mother left me, and then a strange aunt took care of me for a while, but she also vanished as soon as I could take care of myself. I went to the best elementary school, the best middle school, the best university, and after I graduated, two point two million yuan suddenly appeared in my account. Even though I could already figure out what was going on, now I finally have a clear answer. Can I ask one more thing? How much did you pay my father for the intelligence you bought?"

"Two million pounds sterling, one million for each piece of intelligence."

"That's pretty expensive, and you call that a gift?"

"That intelligence was priceless. If it were really for sale, it could easily fetch over a hundred million pounds. You have no idea how valuable it was."

Brian Carter laughed and said, "So, my father's work was really profitable. That means I should be pretty rich, right? After all, he must have left a lot of money behind. Am I actually a rich second generation?"

David Thompson shook his head and said quietly, "After your father died, all his assets were transferred away. I only found two hundred thousand pounds in cash at your house, which your father kept for emergencies. Other than that cash, I didn't take anything else, and I couldn't have taken anything else."

Brian Carter gave a wry smile. "Alright, I thought I could get a lot more money…"

David Thompson sighed and said, "So you used the money that suddenly appeared in your account to buy a luxury car, and in less than half a year, you squandered all two point two million."

Brian Carter said dejectedly, "I thought more money would keep mysteriously showing up in my account. How was I supposed to know that was all my parents left me? If I'd known, I wouldn't have spent it so recklessly."

David Thompson sighed, then said with a hint of helplessness, "I thought you'd be dying to ask me how your parents really died, but now it seems you're not interested in the cause of their death?"

"I dream of finding out how they died and why, but I know you'll definitely tell me that, so of course I have to take the chance to ask you things you might not say, in case I never get another chance—just like my uncle and aunt who suddenly disappeared. Honestly, your way of doing things is pretty annoying—disappearing just like that, and gone forever."

David Thompson said helplessly, "There's no choice, it's part of the job. Alright, ask me anything you want to know—I'll tell you as long as I can."

Brian Carter moved his hands again, looking annoyed, and said, "Let's get this off first, it's so uncomfortable. Don't tell me you don't have the key—I don't believe a spy like you can't open a pair of handcuffs. Otherwise, you'd be letting down your title as a spy."