Chapter 127: Successful Meeting and Recognition

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Successful Meeting and Recognition

Thinking of the wounds on Gavin Owens, Zoe Sawyer knew she couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.

’What if his wounds don’t get treated properly and become infected?’

’What if he gets hurt again? If the new injuries compound the old ones, what if Gavin Owens doesn’t make it?’

’I have to find the right opportunity for us to connect. Then we can work together to take down this organization. That’s the only way.’

Back in the office, the chief rubbed his chin, flipping through the files in his hands. His gaze finally locked onto a line of text.

"Next time you see him, give him a taro bubble tea with extra sugar. Remember to add boba and coconut jelly, and have the toppings packed separately." The chief’s voice came through the screen, making Zoe Sawyer’s head spin.

"Is that all?" Zoe Sawyer asked, her expression hesitant. ’This feels so strange.’

The chief’s voice was tinged with amusement. "Of course not. When you give it to him, remember to say, ’You shouldn’t drink things that are too sweet, you’ll get diabetes.’"

Zoe Sawyer fell silent. ’A code phrase like that for a drink with extra sugar... That’s certainly unexpected.’

’It’s so... mundane. I was expecting something sophisticated, like in the spy movies.’

"Something like that would be too strange," the chief said, his voice tinged with exasperation. "We’re just trying to find an opportunity to confirm identities. This isn’t some spy drama; there’s no need to make it overly complicated."

Only then did Zoe Sawyer realize she had unintentionally spoken her thoughts aloud.

The chief quickly explained, "It’s something his girlfriend is always telling him. When I asked him for a code phrase, he just blurted it out. We figured it was good enough, so we went with it."

Besides, the code phrase might seem simple, but meeting all three conditions was actually quite difficult.

If even one detail was wrong, the rendezvous would be considered a failure.

They exchanged a bit more intelligence before ending the video call, with the chief repeatedly reminding them to prioritize their safety.

Barry Quinn and Monkey chatted for a little longer, making sure nothing had been missed before they left.

"Dealing with people like that is more exhausting than a full day of training with Heath Hale," Zoe Sawyer said, collapsing onto the sofa, her voice filled with fatigue.

Thinking about what she would have to go through in the coming days, Zoe Sawyer felt a wave of despair. She wished she could just go back to training with Heath Hale.

But complaining was one thing; she still did all the necessary preparations.

Just in case, Zoe Sawyer dug out a few loose-fitting jackets. Following the same procedure as before, she sewed several small "doors" inside the pockets, just large enough for her fist to pass through.

This was a backup plan in case her dress got torn by accident, which would damage the doors sewn into it.

「Three days later.」

When Zoe Sawyer and Vivian Dunn went over again, they were carrying two large boxes of bubble tea.

After setting one of the large boxes of tea at Anne Dawson’s feet, Zoe Sawyer eagerly pulled out a cup and handed it to her. "Here, Anne, have some bubble tea."

"You two, you should’ve just come. You didn’t have to bring anything!" Anne Dawson said, giving Zoe Sawyer and Vivian Dunn a chiding look.

Zoe Sawyer pursed her lips shyly. "We just want to get to know everyone as quickly as possible, and bringing snacks is the easiest way. Besides, it’s just a few cups of bubble tea. It’s nothing valuable, so don’t worry about it.

Anne, once we’re done for the day, you have to come out to dinner with us."

"Alright, alright, I get it." Anne Dawson readily agreed. Then, her eyes fell on the smaller cooler box Zoe Sawyer was cradling, and her tone became teasing. "Protecting that so carefully... Don’t tell me it’s something important?"

After three days of intensive practice, Zoe Sawyer’s acting skills, while not yet perfectly seamless, were no longer as clumsy as they had been at the start.

Hearing Anne Dawson’s words, Zoe Sawyer’s cheeks flushed, and she feigned a pout. "Anne! You already know, so why ask!

Is... is that guy from three days ago here? I wanted to give him one too." Zoe Sawyer’s shy, hesitant expression was exactly what Anne Dawson wanted to see.

’See? I’m the one who discovered and coached her. The results are so good, so obvious.’

’I can already imagine how much profit I’ll make off these two once they’re fully initiated.’

’Later on, even tossing a used-up Zoe Sawyer and Vivian Dunn to those old perverts would be enough to earn me another huge payday.’

The more she thought about it, the more Anne Dawson’s expression relaxed. That faint, strange feeling in her gut was completely forgotten.

Things unfolded much as Zoe Sawyer had expected. Soon, Anne Dawson was giving her directions. "They’re upstairs. You’ll see them on the third floor. Go on."

After bidding farewell to Anne Dawson, Zoe Sawyer and Vivian Dunn carried the small cooler box of bubble tea up to the third floor.

There weren’t many people upstairs. Other than the young men who had shown their faces during the "delivery" yesterday, there was their target for today: Gavin Owens, sitting in the far corner.

As she bent down to open the box, Vivian Dunn shot Zoe Sawyer a look, signaling that she would handle things here and that Zoe should hurry over to check on the situation.

Zoe Sawyer nodded, grabbed the items for the code phrase, and walked over. She stopped next to Gavin Owens, handed him the bubble tea, and whispered the code phrase he had established.

Gavin Owens froze. He looked at the drink, then at Zoe Sawyer, his heart leaping with excitement. But when he caught sight of one of the young men secretly watching them out of the corner of his eye, he quickly suppressed his emotions.

’Still, perfect timing!’

’I have an urgent piece of intel that needs to be sent back. I just don’t know if this girl can get it there.’

"Thanks," Gavin Owens said, taking the tea. As he poured in the toppings, he started a casual conversation with Zoe Sawyer. "My surname is Owens. Most people just call me Eagle. Call me whatever you like."

"It’s nice to meet you, Gavin. I’m Zoe Sawyer, from Varden. I hope we can get along," Zoe Sawyer said.

Now certain she was a friendly, Gavin Owens relaxed considerably.

"So you’re a local, Sawyer? A real host! We’ll have to get you to show us around next time we go out."

"I saw you with Anne the other day. You two seem close," Gavin Owens said with a slight smile, extending his hand for a handshake.

Zoe Sawyer took his hand with both of hers. As she offered a few polite, noncommittal words, she felt a tiny, folded slip of paper being pressed into her palm.

Her mind was racing, but her expression didn’t change. After letting go, she casually slipped her hand into her pocket.

The instant her hand was inside her pocket, she opened the small door and dropped the note from Gavin Owens onto the floor of the remote office.

She then swiftly closed the door and pulled her hand back out.

The entire process took less than ten seconds.

’All that training over the last three days paid off! I was able to send it back in record time.’

"What are you two talking about? Let me in on it."