Chapter 3 The Third Major Matter
The third major matter was the progress of intelligence gathering on Wheeler.
Tian Rao intensified her efforts, establishing four new factories on Wheeler. Each factory operated at a loss, but the intention was not profit. The primary goal was to leverage the factory locations to infiltrate various warlord factions. Many employees and even executives of the new factories were spies. By day, they directed production in a perfunctory manner, and by night, they met in private to exchange information.
Jiang Ye increased his focus on Wheeler, meticulously selecting personnel from the military and police ranks. He dispatched two thousand agents, who entered Wheeler under various guises to engage with the major warlord factions.
Some agents gained entry to Wheeler through Tian Rao's companies. The majority of the remaining agents appeared as interstellar smugglers or interstellar refugees, arriving at different locations on Wheeler.
Interstellar smugglers could directly interact with minor warlord leaders, posing as sellers of smuggled goods while covertly extracting intelligence. Many of these minor warlord leaders were highly vigilant and exceedingly brutal. If their identities were exposed as fabricated, the agents faced immediate death, making the work extremely difficult.
Agents posing as refugees adopted a grassroots approach, mingling with the impoverished populace of Wheeler and the low-ranking soldiers of the warlord factions. They observed public sentiment, secretly cultivated influence, and incited mass incidents.
In essence, the strategy was comprehensive and multi-angled, employing every conceivable method of infiltration. The agents, like bacteria, integrated themselves into the warlord factions, gradually eroding and controlling the internal systems of each faction, secretly bleeding them and awaiting the opportune moment.
The operational expenses for these agents were immense. In the first month of their deployment on Wheeler, the total expenditure reached three hundred million, with an average daily cost of fifteen thousand per agent.
Of course, the fifteen thousand daily expenditure was not for the agents' luxurious enjoyment. This was not a spy movie requiring agents to be impeccably dressed, indulging in lavish lifestyles, and exuding charm. The majority of the funds were allocated to building connections and winning over people. Once embedded within the warlord factions, the agents began aggressively bribing minor leaders, showering them with stacks of cash, expensive gifts, land, and even people.
Wheeler was an isolated and impoverished planet, lacking in resources and wealth. Consequently, the minor warlord leaders found it difficult to refuse the agents' "sugar-coated bullets."
In one agent's work report, Jiang Ye read a particularly insightful dialogue that effectively illustrated a significant portion of Wheeler's situation:
Minor Warlord Leader: "You're likely not just a simple interstellar smuggler, are you?"
Agent: "I am indeed a smuggler. You've seen the goods I brought."
Minor Warlord Leader: "There are no outsiders here. Do we still need to hide things from each other?"
Agent: (Awkward smile, silence)
Minor Warlord Leader: "Let's be frank. You gave me a hovercar this month, four gold bars, sixty acres of land, and that box of almond cookies." (Note: This referred to 400,000 Wheeler Yuan in cash, packed in an almond cookie box.) "I know my own worth. Wheeler is so poor that my small contingent and territory couldn't generate a million in profit for you in three years. You claim to be a smuggler wanting to sell goods on my territory through me. That doesn't add up. You're engaging in a losing business, and not just a small loss, but a significant one."
Agent: "I believe you have greater potential for development in the future. Your talent is far beyond what you show. I am investing in your future."
Minor Warlord Leader: "Stop the nonsense. I know myself well, and I know some interstellar smugglers. You're definitely different. You're not a merchant. Your disguise might fool others, but you'd need a few more years of practice to fool me."
Minor Warlord Leader: "Your vast wealth is of unclear origin. This money is definitely not earned from your business dealings on Wheeler. I know very well how little profit those lowlifes can generate; even if you stripped them bare, you wouldn't get this much money. Let me guess, do you have a powerful force behind you? Are you from the Galactic Empire? Or from some powerful planet?"
Minor Warlord Leader: "Let me guess... could it be that a major power has decided to take over Wheeler? Your mission is to buy over our faction, and then eliminate us at a critical moment, right?"
Agent: "What you're saying is terrifying. My work does involve more than just smuggling, but it's not as dire as you describe."
Minor Warlord Leader: "I don't mind. Let me be honest with you. I often tell my men that our faction will surely unify Wheeler, but those are just empty words. With our ten thousand or so men, who are essentially bandits, can we defeat the Arctic King? Can we defeat those on the Equator? Even the Arctic King might not have a good end; perhaps he'll die before me. Will the Galactic Empire allow this planet to exist as a separate entity like a tumor? The demise of people like us is inevitable. Resistance is impossible; they can crush us more easily than a person can urinate on an ant. I see it very clearly; it's only a matter of time."
Agent: "Then what are your plans for the future..."
Minor Warlord Leader: "You must have seen clearly what I just said. You need me, and I need you. We are meat on the same skewer. If you need anything in the future, I'll turn a blind eye, as long as you don't make it too obvious. It's not just me; many minor leaders in other warlord factions are the same. Who dares to think of unifying Wheeler? It's a joke. What's real? While we still have some standing, let's quickly secure our safety so we don't end up with nothing in the future. My own life is expendable, but what about my wife and children? I need to leave something for them. My friend, I have something to ask of you."
Agent: "Please, tell me. I will do what I can."
Minor Warlord Leader: "I have only two requests. First, I want to know which star in the sky intends to swallow our Wheeler. Second, before the final judgment arrives, do I have a chance to do something for the force behind you, so that I might be granted an official position? Or perhaps a pardon. Retire to my hometown?"
Agent: "I cannot tell you that now, but my mission is to turn you into one of us. I can communicate with my superiors to support your faction. In the future, you might be entrusted with important responsibilities."
Minor Warlord Leader: (A knowing, bitter smile, a sigh)
Similar conversations were recorded in the work logs of many agents.
It seemed that most of the minor warlord leaders on Wheeler were remarkably clear-headed, tacitly cooperating with the infiltrating agents, and even actively seeking to defect.
The situation on the entire planet appeared extremely perilous, yet many warlord factions showed little will to resist. Instead, they were all contemplating how to sell themselves for the best price when the powerful enemy arrived.
This made Jiang Ye feel it was highly valuable; the intelligence budget had not been spent in vain.