Chapter 18: I’d Like to See What Tricks They Can Come Up With!

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Capital City, National Security Bureau.
Chen Limin stood outside the corridor, rubbing his temple in frustration. Guo Xiaolan, his deputy, passing by, approached him with a puzzled look.
“How’s it going, Brother Chen? No leads yet?”
“None at all. This time, it’s a big catch.”
Chen Limin pinched the bridge of his nose, irritation clear in his voice. “Chen Haoran has confessed everything. The reason he knew about Huake University secretly calculating lunar spacecraft trajectory data was because an intelligence agent offshore directly informed him.”
“So someone from the other side told him directly?”
Guo Xiaolan furrowed her brow, silently acknowledging that this was indeed a major fish.
“If the classified information came from the enemy, that means there’s at least one mole within the aerospace department.”
“And not just any mole—someone with a high enough clearance to access the spacecraft’s trajectory data.”
This was the headache for Chen Limin.
Simply put, there was a mole inside the space agency, and at a fairly high level.
“We must find him, or we’re in serious trouble!”
Considering the recent erratic behavior from the United States, combined with the imminent elections and heightened tensions, it was not impossible they might act recklessly.
Therefore, the spacecraft’s confidential trajectory data must not be leaked!
Otherwise, a catastrophe would ensue.
This was a silent war, one they absolutely could not lose!
“This is indeed troublesome. If we slip up, the entire mission could be jeopardized.”
Guo Xiaolan’s face darkened as well upon hearing this.
The lunar spacecraft mission was crucial.
If the enemy gained control of the trajectory data, even a single loose bolt in orbit could spell disaster for the entire spacecraft.
After pondering, Guo Xiaolan suddenly had a bright idea and clapped her hands. “Brother Chen, why don’t we try to lure the snake out of its hole?”
…
National Space Administration, lunar project “Moon Embrace” research meeting was underway.
Director Zhao Zhaoming sat at the head of the table.
“Everyone, due to encountered difficulties, the spacecraft trajectory data calculation has been halted. We have transferred the data to the Greater Bay Computer Center, where the staff there will take over.”
All attendees were key personnel involved in the project, so the director spoke frankly without hesitation.
As his words ended, a middle-aged man wearing thick black-rimmed glasses, with a modest appearance, squinted his eyes in the corner and silently took note of the information.
“Xue Min, give us an update on the dispatch work.”
While the middle-aged man mulled over his thoughts, Zhao Zhaoming suddenly called his name.

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A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly composed himself, meeting Zhao’s gaze calmly and replying,
“The dispatch work is complete. This time, we directly assigned the manned spaceflight security team. They are meticulous and thorough, and the work was done very seriously.”
“That’s good.”
Zhao Zhaoming nodded with satisfaction, his eyes sweeping across the room. Though outwardly pleased, suspicion had already taken root in his heart.
That morning, he had received a message from national security.
There was a mole inside leaking information, and they needed his cooperation to flush the traitor out.
Upon hearing this, Zhao’s anger burned fiercely.
He wanted to tie up everyone involved and interrogate them one by one.
Damn it, haven’t I treated you all well?
Salary, benefits, project status, honors, family arrangements, children’s education, retirement care — all taken care of meticulously.
And yet, this is what you give me?
A mole, no less, making a fool of me!
If not for the need to cooperate with the national security bureau, he would have already exploded in rage.
This meeting was conducted with great displeasure and ended quickly.
He did not even bother to mention the progress of the lunar spacecraft’s manufacturing and testing.
He left in haste.
…
At midnight, on the outskirts of the city, several electronic warfare planes patrolled the skies.
The intelligence officer was bored but had to remain alert due to the nature of his duties.
Earlier that morning, as the most advanced electronic warfare aircraft in the Northern Theater Command, they had been assigned an urgent mission.
Codenamed “Rodent Extermination,” the task required two planes to cover the capital’s metropolitan area with radar and monitor for suspicious signals.
Now it was three o’clock in the morning.
The officer thought it unlikely to pick up any suspicious signals at this hour.
“The mission is almost over. Finally, I can get some sleep.”
Rubbing his eyes, the officer glanced back at the computer screen, his pupils suddenly shrinking.
“Beep beep beep beep—”
A previously blank screen suddenly displayed a segment of wireless shortwave radio.
“It’s an American transoceanic shortwave transmission. Location unknown. Signal has been recorded.”
Startled, the officer immediately began monitoring the message.
Orders were to listen only, not to intercept.
Once decoded, the content read: [Information to be simulated at the Greater Bay Computing Center.]

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“!”
Though the officer did not understand the meaning, he promptly sent the message to the Northern Theater Command headquarters.
He had a premonition that something major was about to happen.
…
National Security Bureau, Guo Xiaolan stepped into Chen Limin’s office.
She smiled softly, leapt happily to Chen’s side, and cheerfully said,
“Brother Chen, the plan worked—the fish took the bait.”
“We tailed the thirty-six participants in this morning’s space meeting and identified the target.”
“Success!”
Chen Limin’s face lit up with joy. He quickly took the file and focused on it.
“Zhou Xue Min, dispatcher, responsible for coordinating all parties in the manned lunar mission…”
“That’s him?”
“Exactly. At 3 a.m., military personnel outside the capital intercepted a wireless telegram sent by him.”
Guo Xiaolan smiled gently and continued, “Our monitoring vehicle in the city traced the radio signal source to his home. He’s got nowhere to run.”
“Good. The evidence is solid.”
Chen Limin sneered but looked at Guo Xiaolan with great admiration.
“Your plan was brilliant—not just luring the snake out, but hitting two targets with one stone!”
“Zhou Xue Min is just a mole. There must be others heading to the Greater Bay area to steal data.”
“Hmph, just the opportunity we needed to clean this network out completely!”
China has been open for decades, and facing the technological onslaught from Western countries, many “pests” have appeared domestically. This was no surprise to Chen Limin.
Originally, these issues could only be resolved through our own development.
But now the situation had shifted.
China was moving from small, steady steps to a triple leap forward.
Problems that could once be solved over time were now surfacing as obstacles.
Chen Limin was determined to be the one to eliminate these obstacles once and for all.
“I want to see what tricks these people try to pull.”
“Inform the Eastern Theater Command to bring over their newly established exoskeleton armored units.”
“Let’s see if they can still defy the heavens!”