The two men sat down on the sofa.
Zhang Wan set down two glasses of water, then went straight back into the kitchen.
After a moment of heavy silence, Fu Hu probed tentatively, "Director Li, do you mind if I ask a few questions?"
"Go ahead. Though keep in mind, some things are classified, so I cannot answer everything."
"Naturally. I just wanted to ask... when was this National Key Risk Intervention and Execution Bureau founded? What does it do?"
"It was founded thirty years ago. Put simply, we predict, intervene in, handle, and conceal major national uncertainties—risks outside public view—to protect national security."
Fu Hu narrowed his eyes. "You mentioned earlier that my rank was too low to know about the National Bureau. Why are you telling me all this right now?"
Su Jin smirked. He picked up his water glass, shooting Fu Hu a sideways glance. "Simple. Soon everyone in the country will know about the bureau."
"Why..."
Before Fu Hu could press the issue, Su Jin took a disc from his coat and handed it to Fu Hu.
"Do me a favor and pop this in the player. Relax, it's just a standard movie. You can watch along."
Fu Hu studied the disc for a moment, before silently turning to play it.
Su Jin crossed his legs, rested a notebook on the sofa's armrest, and held his pen ready to write.
When Fu Hu turned back and saw him sitting like that, he looked even more puzzled.
"Do not worry about this," Su Jin said, waving the pen dismissively. "Keep asking, Old Fu. I will tell you what I can. I know barging in here was unorthodox, but we are on the same side. I'd hate for there to be any misunderstandings."
Fu Hu nodded slowly. "You claim to be a Director at the National Bureau, but you look like you're barely in your twenties. A department with that much authority... a rank that high. How does a kid land that chair?"
"I'm actually in my thirties; I look young for my age. But your assessment is correct. Even at thirty-something, being a director in our bureau is highly irregular."
"The reason is simple: people like me are hard to find. Our work demands knowledge of foreign cultures, several languages, mathematics, physics, computing, even psychology. In the entire country, the number of people with all those skills can be counted on one hand."
"I just returned to the country and rented an apartment. This neighborhood used to be home to older people, so I chose this place. I honestly didn't expect to be rooming across from a former recruit."
"Hmm..." Fu Hu had no ready answer.
A stranger claiming to represent a bureau he had never heard of.
Despite the evidence on the phone, he could not bring himself to trust him.
Everything about it felt strange.
Even if the bureaucratic logic tracked, he still couldn't swallow the idea of someone so young becoming director of such an important bureau.
What could he ask next?
While Fu Hu was thinking, Su Jin spoke first. "Old Fu, I can see the skepticism written all over your face. Here, take a look at this."
Without warning, he unlocked his Xiaomi 6 and tossed the phone directly at the older man.
Fu Hu caught it quickly and examined it.
The device had struck him as unusual the first time he saw it.
It looked like advanced technology. Now that he could hold it, he wasn't going to waste the opportunity to inspect it.
"What exactly is this? And what do the words on the screen mean?"
"At its core, it's just a mobile phone. However, our bureau modified its system so that only our people can read the text," Su Jin said calmly.
"It combines nearly all the functions of electronic devices now on the market. It was a secret project by a foreign department, with enormous strategic value. I went abroad to obtain its manufacturing information."
Fu Hu scrolled through the phone, full of curiosity. When the screen timed out and locked, he looked up, narrowing his eyes. "You are telling me a lot for something so important!"
Su Jin nodded approvingly. "Excellent. As a former National Bureau prospect, you are still alert. But honestly, it's not worth keeping under wraps anymore. I sent the manufacturing information home a year ago. Internal trial production kicked off six months ago."
"Once the National Bureau goes public, this device will go on sale. Everyone will be able to afford one, and the world will take notice... I give it less than a month until then."
"Are you serious? Bleeding-edge tech like this, and the general public can afford it?" Fu Hu’s eyes widened with interest. "What's the retail price?"
"Around eight to ten thousand."
"You call that affordable?"
"Interest-free installments."
"..."
Before Fu Hu could respond, Su Jin pressed his advantage. "I know you're still connecting the dots. You're suspicious of my credentials, and you can't fathom why someone like me is here."
"To be entirely transparent, I returned secretly without telling my superiors. My mission wrapped up ages ago, and my secrecy period ends next month. However, there was some trouble in the bureau; the Deputy Director's seat opened up. It should have been mine. But I've been deployed out of Longshan for years, and people in the bureau are trying to take the opportunity. That's why I bypassed the official channels, spoke privately with my subordinates, and rented an apartment here."
"Meeting you was an accident; I literally just needed to borrow a television. I can tell you all this, as long as you keep it to yourself."
The wariness in Fu Hu's eyes refused to die down. "Is it really all right to tell me all this?"
Su Jin went silent, slouching lazily against the sofa cushions, his eyes locking onto the TV screen. "There's no breach. You are not part of the bureau, so there is little you could do to affect its affairs anyway. Besides, I would not have gone abroad without keeping a few cards up my sleeve. Once I finish decrypting the other materials and hand them over to the higher-ups, that Deputy Director title is mine."
To punctuate his point, Su Jin held up his notebook.
The words on the page looked just like those on the phone. Fu Hu could not read them.
Fu Hu swallowed his words, sinking back into a heavy silence.
It was a huge claim, and it had come out of nowhere.
Reason told him not to believe everything this young man said; he did not act like someone from the government. Yet... he could find no obvious flaw in the story.
He knew too little about the bureau to challenge the story, and the things Su Jin showed him were beyond his experience.
"Old Fu..." Su Jin murmured, never taking his eyes off the screen. "We met by chance, and I have told you so much already. Right now, most of my subordinates are being watched. If you'd be willing to run a few errands for me, I'd be grateful."
"Budget is not an issue. My business here should be settled in ten days or two weeks. Once the dust settles, if you're looking for a career change, I can find you an office job at the bureau... the starting salary is over ten thousand a month."
A ten grand starting salary?!
Fu Hu gave a slight start. He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Director Li, I suspect... this was your actual objective in renting the unit across from me, wasn't it?"
Su Jin let out a dry chuckle. "Half right. Moving in across from you really was a coincidence. So, are you willing to help me or not?"
"One last question. Where exactly were you deployed?"
"My movements are top secret and will never be made public." Su Jin waved a hand, projecting an aura of mild disappointment. "But it's fine, Old Fu. If you don't want the risk, do not help me. I will not interfere with your life."
"Appreciate the candor, Director... uh, have you had dinner yet?"
Su Jin’s pen stopped mid-stroke. He glanced sideways at the older man. "Not yet."
"Why don't you stay and eat with us?" Fu Hu offered.
"Is that convenient?"
"Of course! It is no trouble! Let me go check how dinner is coming along." Fu Hu stole another glance at Su Jin, then went to the kitchen.
Sliding inside, Fu Hu half-closed the kitchen door.
Zhang Wan stopped her spatula mid-stir, leaning in immediately. "Well? Who is that kid? Why is he here?"
"Shh, keep your voice down," Fu Hu said. "That kid is seriously suspicious."