Tehran Grocery Store: My Intelligence is Priced Clearly

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.

Zhang Jian did not speak immediately.

Instead, he leisurely picked up the teapot, took a clean glass, poured another cup, and pushed it in front of Shahra.

"Have some tea."

Shahra glanced down at her teacup but didn't move.

"Zhang, you can just say what you want to say."

Shahra's voice remained cold and monotone.

Zhang Jian leaned back on the sofa, his hands clasped over his stomach, and quietly watched her.

"Shahra, you've been with me for a few days now."

"You've seen a lot these past few days with me."

"I don't like beating around the bush when I do things."

Zhang Jian paused for a moment, then leaned forward, closing the distance between them.

"Let's be frank."

"I know that General Al-Khalid sent you here, ostensibly to protect my safety."

"In reality, you are an informant planted by the General Staff next to me."

"You will report my every move, who I come into contact with, where I go, and even what I eat every day on a regular basis."

"Right?"

Shahra did not refute, but simply nodded calmly.

"This is my mission."

"Very good, you are very honest."

Zhang Jian snapped his fingers.

"Then I'll be honest with you today too."

He extended a finger and tapped the coffee table in front of him.

"Lanley is dead."

"He died at the hands of Ali's sniper rifle."

Shahra's pupils contracted sharply.

"Dead?"

As someone in the military, she knew all too well how much political leverage a living CIA Middle East bureau chief represented to Iran!

"Because if I hadn't asked Ali to take action, the military wouldn't have been able to catch him at all."

Zhang Jian spoke in a flat tone.

"I gave Al-Khalid the coordinates of Langley's safe house, along with the precise locations of the two escape routes."

"And the result?"

"As soon as Al-Khalid set off, Langley got wind of it."

"If I hadn't ordered Ali to do it, you probably wouldn't have even gotten a body."

Shahra's breathing became somewhat rapid.

She was a smart woman, and her excellent tactical skills allowed her to instantly grasp the key point in Zhang Jian's words.

"Is there a mole among them?"

Shahra gritted her teeth and spat out those words.

"It's not just the General Staff; the military probably has them too."

Zhang Jian's voice still lacked much emotion.

"Actually, it's quite normal."

"Since the start of the war, when has your military ever conducted a completely secretive operation?"

"Your organization is already riddled with factions, and you're constantly fighting amongst yourselves."

"Some people want to arrest Langley to gain merit, while others want to release Langley in exchange for personal gain!"

Zhang Jian stood up and paced back and forth in the room.

He then stopped in front of Shahra and looked down at her.

"Shahra, you're quite skilled, have strong counter-surveillance abilities, and remain calm under pressure."

"But have you ever considered whether the General Staff really values ​​you?"

Shahra raised her head to meet Zhang Jian's gaze.

"I am a soldier, and obeying orders is my duty."

"As for the matters above, it's not my place to worry about them."

"Yeah?"

Zhang Jian sneered.

"Do you know that even though Langley is dead, some of his men are still alive, and some of them know of my existence?"

"You're with me every day. Do you think your name might be on the CIA's assassination list?"

Shahra remained silent.

"I have one more question for you."

Zhang Jian sat back down on the sofa, his tone softening somewhat.

"If tomorrow, another high-ranking official in the General Staff is bribed by the CIA and hands you over to them, or even has you eliminated,..."

"What would you do?"

"Will you offer your neck for execution? Or will you obediently await death for your laughable 'duty'?"

Shahra's lips moved, but she couldn't utter a word.

She knew better than Zhang Jian about the corruption and chaos within the Iranian military.

Seeing her struggling expression, Zhang Jian knew that the time was almost right.

He picked up his cup of tea, took a sip, and moistened his throat.

"I'm the kind of person who's protective of my own."

"Anyone who follows me and works sincerely will never be treated unfairly, nor will I use them as shields."

"Farhad is a case in point. You probably already know what department he used to work for."

"Now, I'm giving you a choice."

Zhang Jian put down his teacup and stared intently at Shahra.

"Starting today, from this very moment, follow my lead."

"I don't care what excuse you use to deal with Aiharid, as long as you're on my side..."

"I guarantee I'll give you money if you want money, and I'll give you manpower if you want manpower."

"It's not impossible that she might even come back to China with me."

China?

That ancient, mysterious, yet incredibly safe Eastern country?

She was somewhat tempted.

A long silence fell over the room.

The only sound was the ticking of the second hand on the wall clock.

Shahra lowered her head, looking at the cup of black tea in front of her that had stopped steaming.

My mind is in turmoil.

A full ten minutes passed.

Zhang Jian didn't disturb him, and calmly sipped his red tea.

If it gets cold, then add some more.

until……

Shahra finally raised her head.

She reached out and picked up the cup of lukewarm black tea in front of her.

He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

"Bang!"

The teacup was placed heavily on the coffee table.

"Boss."

Shahra changed her form of address, her tone becoming less cold and more humane.

"What do you need me to do?"

Zhang Jian smiled.

"It's very simple."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"You know we went to the bazaar to buy weapons a few days ago."

Shahra nodded.

Zhang Jian looked into her eyes.

"Aikhail will most likely find out about this as well."

"If Ahrid asks about the firepower of our security team..."

Shahra interrupted Zhang Jian directly.

"In addition to the weapons provided by the General Staff, we only purchased spare body armor, tactical helmets, and a few ordinary AK and M4 assault rifles."

She thought about it.

"There are still two kilograms of C4 left."

"There is no heavy firepower, let alone large-caliber sniper rifles."

Zhang Jian's smile deepened.

Talking to smart people is so easy.

Langley was shot in the head, and Al-Khalid is probably searching the world for that mysterious sniper now.

As long as Shahra conceals the list of weapons purchased, no matter how much Ahred suspects, he has no substantial evidence pointing to Zhang Jian.

"very good."

Zhang Jian nodded in satisfaction.

"If he asks, just answer him like this."

Buzz!

Before Zhang Jian could finish speaking, a muffled tremor suddenly echoed in the room.

The sound was coming from the pocket of Shahra's tactical vest.

Those were encrypted communication phones issued by the military.

Shahra's expression changed, and she quickly took out her phone to glance at the screen.

Al-Khalid!

Shahra raised her head and looked at Zhang Jian, her eyes questioning.

Zhang Jian didn't panic at all. Instead, he leaned back and found a comfortable position.

He raised his chin.

"catch."

"Turn on speakerphone."

Shahra took a deep breath and adjusted her breathing.

Press the answer button and simultaneously turn on the speakerphone.

"General."

Shahra's voice regained its usual coldness.

On the other end of the phone, Aiharid's voice sounded somewhat hoarse and tired.

"Shahra, Zhang... what are you doing right now?"

"Reporting to the General, Mr. Zhang is resting and everything is normal."

"Where are the people around him? Are they all there?"

Ahrid pressed for an answer.

"They're all there. Fahad and Ali are in charge of perimeter security."

Following Zhang Jian's eye signals, Shahra answered fluently.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

All that could be heard was Ahrid's heavy breathing.

A moment later, Aiharid's voice rang out again.

This time, his voice was more serious, and his speaking speed was noticeably slower.

"Shahra, I need you to remember now."

"Zhang, did you ever secretly answer or make phone calls while hiding from me?"

"By the way..."

"Check if you have any large-caliber long-range sniper rifles in your area."