Downtown pedestrian street.
Even though it's just one in the afternoon.
The place is swarming with tourists, including quite a few tour groups, which really ramps up the difficulty of our operation.
Lucas parks the car.
But he doesn't get out right away. Instead, he hands over two tiny earpieces to Ethan and Miles.
"Hide these and put 'em on."
"Once we start the operation, we'll communicate everything on a dedicated channel to avoid any mishaps."
"And hey."
"We're parked right in the middle of the intersection. Take a look around. Can you guys spot any of our people?"
"Since you haven't met them yet, let's see if you're up to snuff with your surveillance skills."
With that said.
Ethan looks towards the street ahead.
He scrutinizes the stalls, the shops, and even the tourists in the tour groups.
Miles leans forward too.
Staring down the street, he scratches his head after a few seconds, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Lucas."
"I can't spot anything off here, in this street..."
"Are there really any of our guys here?"
Lucas cracks a smile at this response, then shakes his head as he explains.
"Of course, there are."
"But they're well hidden. You guys are just interns, so it's normal you didn't spot them."
"After all."
"If you could spot them that easily, wouldn't the bad guys get spooked too? That would just..."
Before Lucas can finish.
Ethan shifts his gaze back and states confidently.
"Four."
"There are four of our guys on this main street!"
At this.
Lucas is momentarily stunned, looking at Ethan in utter surprise.
Because the number Ethan just mentioned.
Is exactly the number of undercover detectives Lucas had stationed on this street.
After a brief silence.
Lucas turns to Ethan, looking serious.
"Ethan."
"You didn't just guess, did you? Four? Can you point out who they are?"
As an experienced detective, Lucas is skeptical. He can't believe a rookie, who hasn't even started his fieldwork, could so easily identify undercover agents.
It had to be a guess!
Absolutely a guess!!!
But Ethan's immediate response shatters that notion completely.
"The first one's at that fruit stand in the center of the street. The guy under the umbrella. He doesn't pitch to customers, just looks around too obviously."
"The second one's a customer in the fast food place. Bought fried chicken and beer to blend in, but only took a bite of the chicken and didn't touch the beer. Pretty obvious."
"The third one's that tour guide way over there. Even though he's waving a flag and leading tourists into shops, it's weird he steps out for air when he should be hustling them to spend money."
"The fourth one's the best hidden, but not flawless. It's the security guard closest to us, blocking cars from the pedestrian area. His appearance and actions are fine, but his expression gave him away."
Ethan then turns to Lucas with a pointed look and continues.
"Lucas."
"Do you know what real traffic guards are like?"
"They're supposed to be impatient and irritable, barely wanting to speak, not patiently directing cars to parking spaces like this guy."
"Sure, you could say it's his first day."
"Hasn't been beaten down by the monotony yet, still curious about everything, but his face doesn't show any of the rawness or nervousness you'd expect."
"All these details together, they prove his identity!"
"Am I right, Lucas?"
Whether it's surveillance or counter-surveillance.
Ethan could be called a master, far surpassing the average detective and criminal.
After hearing this analysis.
Lucas looks at Ethan as if he's seeing a monster, then quickly presses his earpiece and barks out commands.
"Jack, just focus on selling fruits, don't ignore the customers!"
"Daniel, ditch the beer on your table, switch it to cola, and take a sip now and then!!"
"And Christopher, when you're guiding tourists, you need to actually engage them, not just stand glaringly outside the shop!!!"
"And finally, Andrew, be more irritable as a guard, stop being so patient. What kind of guard patiently answers drivers' questions? You guys are scaring off the fish with this act!!!"
As Lucas finishes his roar.
The four undercover detectives simultaneously jolt, quickly adjusting their postures and expressions.
They never thought.
Their supposedly well-hidden actions had so many flaws.
What's going on?
Has Lucas's observational skills become this sharp? Can he really spot their shortcomings?
Three seconds later.
The four visibly blend better with their surroundings!
At least, without close observation, it would be impossible to spot any issues!
...
After hearing Lucas's roar.
Miles, sitting in the backseat, has his mouth wide open, his eyes full of shock and confusion.
"Ethan, how did you figure that out?"
"Why can't I see it... It all looked fine to me, those little actions seem normal, right? Does that mean I'm not cut out to be a detective..."
Ethan remains calm, fitting his earpiece, nonchalantly responding, "Observe more, analyze more, learn more, watch more. It won't take long before you can see the tricks too."
After his outburst, Lucas also adjusts his earpiece, timely adding, "Miles, don't doubt yourself. It's not that you're not suited to be a detective, it's just that Ethan is exceptionally suited!"
"When Chief Colt took me on my first mission, he also asked me to spot our undercover agents."
"I did a bit better."
"Spotted one out of three, but couldn't identify the other two."
"Now I understand..."
"Why over the years, Ethan is the only one who scored perfect on the detective recruitment exam."
"Alright, let's get out of the car."
"According to the schedule, the big fish will be here in an hour. You two stick with me."
"And."
"The seller in this deal is a middle-aged man, average height, slightly short, no other distinguishing features."
"Keep your eyes peeled later, don't miss any suspicious characters!!!"