Capítulo 1468: Chapter 693: New Factions!

Putting on pants was quite fast indeed.

Lena barely had time to react, just looking at him with a slight shock as he put on his shirt, only fastening a few buttons casually, before picking up his coat and car keys.

“Stay in touch, Wildcat.”

He leaned down and left a near perfunctory kiss on her forehead.

The door gently closed, leaving only Lena and the lingering ambiguity and lies in the air.

The woman was stunned for a moment, then burst out cursing, “Hey! Aren’t you going to pay?”

…

Half an hour later, inside a soundproof phone booth of a noisy 24-hour internet cafe in downtown Toronto.

Ethan inserted a few coins and dialed an extremely complex encrypted number routed through several countries.

The call connected, but there was only the sound of breathing on the other end.

“The wind has changed.”

This was the prearranged security code.

After a brief static hiss, Reinhard Tristan Eugen’s voice came through.

“Buddy, you changed your number again?”

“Gotta keep it fresh. Listen, a new synthetic drug, codenamed Extraterrestrial Object, was discovered in Toronto. The source points to Asia, not the traditional Colombia or Mexico channels.”

Ethan spoke quickly, pronouncing each word clearly, “The producer’s codename is ‘Second Brother,’ alleged to be a chemistry genius. A key distribution node involves a Chinese businessman named Ye Zhenli, who is exploiting the gap left by the weakened Mexican forces to infiltrate Canada on a large scale through maritime routes.”

The other side was silent for a few seconds, seemingly digesting and evaluating the weight of this information.

Reinhard Eugen’s voice remained steady but carried a hint of interest: “I remember the name Ye Zhenli, evidence grade?”

“Indirect evidence, from a low-level contact, but the foil packaging technique is professional, the odor components are unique, and the narrative details match the logical chain.”

Ethan replied, “I believe the credibility is high. This isn’t street-level shenanigans anymore; it’s organized, high-tech, and capital-backed new players entering the market. The vacuum left by the continuous blows to the old Latin American groups is being filled by more cunning and efficient Asian groups, especially Chinese powers. Their products iterate faster, the chemical structure might be more complex, making them harder to trace and detect.”

“Understood.” Eugen simply responded, “What do you need?”

“Authorization to mobilize B-level resources to investigate the following: 1. The circulation of Extraterrestrial Object in major Canadian cities (Toronto, Vancouver) and on the West Coast of the United States.”

“2. Second Brother’s real identity background and the organization behind him.”

“3. Ye Zhenli’s recent shipping records, financial transactions, and connections with Asian entities.”

“4. Whether similar new drug reports have appeared at European ports.” Ethan quickly listed the requirements.

“Authorization granted. Maintain communication silence and send reports through the old channel.”

Eugen sounded a bit troubled, “These Asians are more ruthless than any crime syndicate. Be careful.”

“Got it.” Ethan nodded.

A busy signal came from the other end, and Reinhard Eugen had already hung up. The encrypted line was cut, leaving only the muffled game sound effects and keyboard tapping from the internet cafe outside the phone booth.

Ethan Hunt replaced the receiver, leaned against the plastic partition of the booth, and lit a cigarette.

In the swirling smoke, he furrowed his brow, carefully sorting through the information he had just acquired.

“Extraterrestrial Object,” “Second Brother,” Ye Zhenli… These names connect to a rising, dangerous, and unfamiliar force, the way Asian powers are involving themselves is vastly different from the Latin American drug lords. They are more secretive, more technically advanced, and harder to track.

This is far from ordinary drug smuggling. Behind it may lie more complex international relations and capital flows, potentially even disrupting Hydra Organization’s layouts and interests in certain regions.

This matter is indeed extraordinary.

A sudden urge to urinate hit him.

Earlier, with nerves taut, he hadn’t felt it, but now that he’d relaxed, the need became pressing. He stubbed out the cigarette, pushed open the booth door, and headed toward the unpleasantly odorous restroom in the depths of the internet cafe.

The restroom lighting was a ghastly white, with a strange smell of disinfectant mixed with years-old grime.

Ethan unzipped, facing the urinal, his thoughts still immersed in the dealings of “Second Brother” and Ye Zhenli.

Suddenly, the door behind him opened and then closed with a bang, followed by the faint click of a lock being engaged.

Ethan froze, his agent instincts instantly putting him on alert. He maintained his posture, only slightly turning his head to glance back with the corner of his eye.

A man had entered, not particularly tall, wearing somewhat tight khaki suspenders over a plaid shirt. His gaze was unfocused, and a strange, exploratory smile played on his face.

Instead of heading to the other urinal, he just stood not far behind Ethan, slowly dragging those two suspenders?

The movement was slow and deliberate, with clear implications.

A shiver of dread crawled up Ethan’s spine.

He finished up, zipped up, and turned around expressionlessly.

Seeing Ethan turn, the man’s smile widened further, even stepping a half-step closer, lowering his voice, and in a disturbingly familiar tone, vaguely asked, “Hey, buddy, wanna play?”

Fuck!

“Play with your mother!”

Ethan cursed, moving with lightning speed.

He couldn’t be bothered to waste words, grabbing a wet, filthy mop leaning against the wall with his left hand and mercilessly thrusting it toward that expectant face!