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Meanwhile, Red Raven's daily life remained leisurely as ever—eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating. He was oblivious to Mo Wen's activities, returning home each day only to collapse into bed. Mo Wen, on the other hand, kept a vigilant eye on the research building's happenings while meticulously recording data.
Soon, Red Raven grew increasingly restless. Eventually, he confronted Mo Wen, demanding, "Mo Wen, are you sure you're not wasting my time? The doctor's diary is crucial to us. I can't let you squander time here!"
Mo Wen's eyes were bloodshot as he met Red Raven's glare. "I understand the importance of the mission. It's just as important to me. You don't need to remind me. I have my own plan, and it requires time to execute."
Red Raven scowled. "Your plan? You're just a rookie. Can you handle this kind of mission?"
Unfazed, Mo Wen shot back, "What do you mean by that?"
Red Raven's expression darkened. In a cold tone, he retorted, "You have no idea how complex this task is. Even I failed once. Don't get too full of yourself, rookie! I let you join so you'd understand that our organization's missions aren't something just anyone can meddle with."
He fixed Mo Wen with a steely gaze, his voice laced with warning. "You'd better know what you're doing, Mo Wen. I don't want you dragging me into trouble again."
After a moment's thought, Mo Wen's eyes lit up with an idea. "How about this: we make a bet. If I get the diary, you help me arrange a meeting with your master as promised. If I fail, I'll give you all my savings and retreat back home. You can skip the bodyguard duty and enjoy a couple of months in a nice hotel. How about it?"
Red Raven's eyes widened, and he laughed. "A bet it is, then. Keep your savings; just buy me ten bottles of good liquor!"
"Deal!" Mo Wen grasped Red Raven's hand firmly, sealing the wager with a solid shake.
Red Raven chuckled to himself, "This kid has no idea what good liquor costs! I'll teach him a lesson after this."
Suddenly, Mo Wen asked earnestly, "But since I've been treating you well, could you do me a small favor?"
"No problem!" Red Raven agreed without hesitation.
"Great. Let me get a good night's sleep, and I'll tell you my plan in the morning!" Mo Wen said, collapsing into bed as if the night's problems would resolve themselves in his dreams.
The next morning, Red Raven was still in a drunken slumber, snoring thunderously, impervious to Mo Wen's attempts to wake him. Sighing, Mo Wen resigned himself to another round of busy work. A day and night passed in this manner.
Two days later, just as Red Raven was about to lose his temper, Mo Wen produced a piece of scratch paper bearing a detailed sketch of the building's exterior. Red Raven was skeptical, wondering if Mo Wen had stolen architectural plans, until he saw the hand-drawn quality that was almost as precise as a printout.
"This is the research building," Mo Wen explained. "It has eight floors, each with about ten offices. After experiments, the scientists compile data and do calculations inside. The stairs are in the center, with elevators on either side. The target office is on the third floor, first room to the left of the stairs."
Mo Wen continued, "The building is about 30 years old. Security isn't tight, and the equipment is outdated. The building is surrounded by a three-meter-high wall, which is difficult to climb. There's a lawn in the front yard and only one reception hall entrance; more details to come. Behind the building, there's less than three meters between it and the wall, and beyond the wall is a storage facility for construction materials with security guards."
Listening intently, Red Raven followed as Mo Wen elaborated, "One side of the building houses a restricted facility; the other side has a reserve training school, and behind it is a large warehouse. The roof has seven or eight surveillance cameras, the front yard has two large monitoring systems, and the perimeter wall is equipped with laser alarm devices. The front and back yards are fitted with thermal scan-triggered alarms. All this is equipment from 30 years ago."
"The building staff mainly consists of scientists and lab personnel. There are around ten security guards at the entrance and two to three in the reception hall. The atmosphere is quite relaxed during the day, but security isn't as simple at night or early morning."
Red Raven's eyes widened. "You gathered all this information over the past few days?"
"Yeah, I have my ways."
"Kid, I'm starting to think there's more to you than meets the eye!" Red Raven laughed, finding Mo Wen's self-assured monologue amusing.
"They start work at 9 a.m. every day, but the busiest times are an hour before and after. Another busy period is after 5 p.m., during the end of the workday. So, the best time to get in is within an hour or two after 5."
Red Raven widened his eyes. "Isn't that when it's most crowded?"
"Yes, but it's also the best time to enter."
"You plan to disguise yourself as a scientist?" Red Raven scoffed.
"There are guards at the front, with fingerprint and full-body scans—it's hard to disguise. I have a way to make them overlook us."
"You can turn invisible? That's a trick even my master doesn't know!" Red Raven said, unconvinced.
"I have my methods. At night or early morning, security is more alert. The best time is right after the workday ends, when people are coming and going, making the building a bit chaotic. That's our window."
"Pfft, you're just a rookie. Watching a few movies doesn't make you a spy! If it were that easy, I'd have done it long ago. The best way is to break in at night, grab the stuff, and run!" Red Raven argued dismissively.
"If we could enter through the sewers, it'd be perfect—totally unnoticed," Red Raven muttered, feeling a headache coming on as he stared at the map.
Seeing his pained expression, Mo Wen clarified, "The only formal entrance is here. There is a sewer access point inside, but it's locked with electronic security. And with our limited resources, we probably can't break in. The roof is heavily guarded, too—not an easy entry."
"Then we'll just fight our way in. With my skills, a dozen guards aren't a problem!"
"But the place is surrounded by a police academy and a secret facility. Are you sure we can proceed smoothly?"
Red Raven scratched his bald head, looking indecisive. Mo Wen reassured him, "Just trust me. I'll handle the details."
Red Raven's eyes widened as he blinked, still unable to think of a better plan."So, what's your approach to getting in?!" he asked, unaware that the task had already shifted into Mo Wen's domain.
Mo Wen leaned in and slowly unveiled his plan to Red Raven.