A Secret Mission  

The car pulled up outside. After a quick scan confirmed the absence of any surveillance cameras, the driver stayed put as planned. William swapped his jeans for a black tracksuit, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and swiftly disappeared into the shadows.

It was the dead of night, the streets deserted except for a few stray cats darting about. The old part of town didn't have many cameras, but as he approached the hardware store, their number increased. Cameras were hidden in trees, around corners. William moved quickly, sticking to the shadows, picking his path to avoid the camera's blind spots until he reached the front of the store.

The store had a rolling shutter and aluminum alloy glass windows. William gave the window a push. It didn't budge. He looked around, then pressed his hands against the window, applying pressure until the lock clicked softly. Another push, and it was open. Agile as a cat, William hoisted himself through the window, landing without a sound.

He couldn't use a flashlight. The room was pitch black. William scanned the room carefully. His special training had given him good night vision. He carefully avoided the various items scattered on the floor, making his way to the corner where a shrine to the God of Wealth was set up.

Incense burner, offerings, a statue of the God of Wealth less than 2 feet tall. William listened carefully, hearing no sound. He then pulled out a small flashlight, the size of a finger, and shone it on the statue, discovering a hole in its ear.

The God of Wealth statues at home had holes in their noses and ears, accepting the smoke of incense and the wishes of the family.

He'd found the right spot. He took a peanut-sized surveillance device from his backpack, inserted it into the ear hole of the statue, and adjusted it.

The walkie-talkie in his ear crackled with the driver's voice.

"Perfect view of the counter. Good spot."

"I'm going to place another one."

As he turned his head, an offering fell from the shrine, a large citrus fruit plummeting towards the floor.

William caught it mid-fall. Phew, that was close. No noise made.

After replacing the citrus fruit, he moved to the counter. It faced the entrance, the perfect spot.

The counter was cluttered with a computer and an accounting book. Behind it were shelves filled with screws, nails, small wrenches, and other hardware store odds and ends. The shelves were 6 feet high. William stepped onto the counter, unscrewed a connection point on the shelf, and placed the second surveillance device there.

From the top of the shelf, it had a commanding view of the entrance. Anyone entering would be clearly visible.

"William, get out of there, the lights upstairs just came on."

The driver, watching through binoculars from the car, saw the light upstairs and quickly warned William. The situation had changed. It was time to leave.

Without wasting a moment, William vaulted over the clutter, performed a forward roll out the window, and even managed to close and lock it behind him.

Footsteps echoed from the upstairs of the building, but William was already sprinting towards the alleyway.

He jumped into the car, and they sped away.

They had come and gone without a sound. No one would know what had transpired in those few minutes.

William opened his laptop and watched the screen. The balding store owner stood in the middle of the shop, looking around. Nothing seemed amiss, so he turned off the light and went upstairs.

Mission accomplished.

William called Director Gu to report.

Director Gu was relieved.

"We'll keep an eye on it. If anything happens, we'll let you know immediately."

"Then I'm heading home."

"Go ahead, go ahead."

Director Gu suppressed a chuckle. So eager to get home? That's a good sign.

Humming a tune, William changed out of his mission clothes back into his own, said goodbye to the driver, and got into his own car.

On his way home, he passed a late-night dumpling stand and bought two bowls of dumplings to take home.

Brian heard footsteps in the hallway and quickly opened the door, just in time to see William about to unlock it.

"You're still awake? Perfect timing. I bought dumplings. Let's eat before we sleep."

Brian scrutinized him from head to toe. No injuries, no blood, no smell of gunpowder. It was as if William had just stepped out to buy a late-night snack.