It was very quiet in the study. 

Xia Lei put Hattori Masao on the sofa and took his phone away. He quickly scrolled to the screen showing the phone call Hattori Masao had made at dinner, after he had left the dining room. 

The phone call had been made after Hattori Masao had notified the scientists, and the recipient of the call was Gu Kewen. The phone call had also revealed that Hattori Masao had insisted on keeping him here for six hours, and that the CIA were only permitted to take him away after six hours. 

Xia Lei made an automatic response message after he found Gu Kewen’s number. He composed the following message in Japanese: I’ve captured him. You can come over and take him away.

Gu Kewen was sure to give Hattori Masao a call before she came over, but he would not be able to answer. Xia Lei wouldn’t be able to answer either, because he could not imitate Hattori Masao’s voice. Gu Kewen’s cunning and cautiousness meant that even the slightest abnormality in situation would make her be on guard. 

This...