Yang Yi was not expecting this, but a corporate spy was still a spy after all. Besides, he did not have any other options.
“Of course, Mr. Jones. I look forward to being under your tutelage.”
John smiled before taking a deep breath, “Great! Now I will explain what our work entails. First, the team’s principle is no violence. It is the quickest way to achieve the desired results for the missions we receive.”
Yang Yi listened attentively to every word John said because every word he spoke was valuable. Everything John said was a fundamental part of his methods and he was willing to share all of it with Yang Yi.
“As a spy, especially a corporate spy who is not employed by a nation and does not report to anyone, it is impossible for us to receive orders from a nation or any kind of superior. We are highly independent because of this, but this also makes us solely responsible for our own decisions. Therefore, the leader of the team must be careful at all times.
“Before we accept a mission, there are a few points that should be considered. Always assess the risk first. Then, determine whether the compensation justifies the risk. Lastly, confirm the credibility of the employer or mission broker. These points are very important.
“I will only accept a mission if all three points meet my requirements. If any of the three points do not meet my minimum requirements, I will not accept the mission.”
John smiled when he saw Yang Yi nod in understanding, “I am sure you want to know how we accept missions, right? This is the core secret of most independent spies, but the process is actually very straightforward. Several very powerful intelligence brokerage firms have built their own intelligence trading platforms. It is similar to a shopping site where there are people either buying or selling. I collaborate with an intelligence brokerage firm established by the Cicero Family. They do not belong to any country, but they are still very powerful.”
John stopped speaking and looked at Yang Yi waiting for him to ask questions.
In fact, Yang Yi did have a question, “Mr. Jones, what is an independent spy?”
“The so-called independent spy… I am sure you have heard of freelancers before. Freelance copywriters, freelance photographers... you understand the term, right?”
“I do.”
“We are the same. Any intelligence sold will go to the highest bidder. That does not mean that our intelligence will be what is sold. Selling is not that easy. That is why besides the few independent spies who are doing well, the rest are at the bottom of the spy hierarchy.”
Yang Yi nodded, “I see. How are missions announced? Are they posted on the website? Will the mission be closed once a spy has obtained the intelligence, delivered it to the requestor, and received compensation for it?”
John shook his head, “You are missing a crucial point... let me explain. Spies usually have access to the latest technology. However, they prefer proven and reliable traditional methods. It is the same for these types of transactions. The Internet is great, but I do not like to use it because there are no secrets on the Internet. For that reason, missions are not posted on the website.”
Yang Yi nodded his head as he remembered what Li Fan had told him. He absolutely agreed with John on this point.
“The Internet is very convenient. There are even people who have started to post missions on the Internet. However, I will never entrust my lifeline to the Internet. The Cicero Family will sometimes post the lowest tier missions on the website. It is the Cicero Family’s way of conducting a viability study of the Internet. If there are any important missions, especially dangerous or sensitive tasks, they will not post them on the internet to be seen by all the spies in the world.”
Yang Yi raised his hand and softly asked, “Can you tell me about the Cicero Family?”
“This particular topic will be explained to you over time. For now, you just need to know that the Cicero Family is the largest intelligence brokerage. They have built a large, comprehensive intelligence network. Even the major powers, few that they are, in the world frequently use the Cicero Family’s intelligence network to obtain and transfer intelligence. It is also because of this reason that they were able to survive until now.”
“I understand.”
“I will continue explaining the rules to you.
“If a company wants to know the trade secrets of a competitor, they will submit a request to an agent of the Cicero Family. Say a company is willing to pay a million pounds to find out the tender proposal (TN: This is similar to the open tender system in the public sector. The government will request companies to submit a proposal with their best offer on a particular project) of a rival company, the Cicero Family agent will find a team he believes will be able to execute the mission for the quoted price. We will accept the mission if we find the compensation to be acceptable and the risk to be negligible. We will receive payment once the mission is completed. There is no need to worry about the company’s credibility or their ability to pay when you are working for the Cicero Family. Their name, itself, is a form of guarantee.”
“What if the mission cannot be completed?”
“If we cannot complete the mission, we will not receive a dime. Not receiving compensation in that situation is not really important though. What is important is that our status within the Cicero Family’s Intelligence hierarchy will definitely be lowered. There may never be any missions for us in the future, but sometimes failure is inevitable. No one can truly avoid failure. The biggest factor in determining the status of a team is their success rate. Therefore, the success rate is the root of a team's survival.”
Yang Yi took a deep breath and said, “Understood. You are saying our survival is in the hands of the Cicero Family. They decide who gets to live as well as how much they earn.”
“That is how it is, but the Cicero Family is only one of the channels I use to accept missions. For some espionage teams, an Intelligence brokerage is their only source for missions. That is not the case for me. I also have my own long-term clients. My regular clients will look for me if they have any requests. We directly negotiate the price in this situation, but there is more risk to this approach. For example, the client’s ability to pay.”
John gave Yang Yi very detailed answers to his questions. Yang Yi thought for a moment before saying, “How do you contact the Cicero Family?
“... Sorry... you can ignore this question.”
John waved his hand, “I am teaching you, of course, I will tell you everything.”
“Thank you,” Yang Yi said wholeheartedly.
“Spies do not like their identity to be known by many people. We will always try to maintain a single point of contact. This is why at any time, I will only be in contact with a single agent. There is also an easy solution if something happens to the agent or the agent dies. Due to the Cicero Family’s special identity and status, they will have one senior public figure that is well known. You only need to look for this senior public figure, tell them your code name and they will give you a new agent. Everything will be the same as before after that.”
Yang Yi let out a breath and said, “That is why a code name with a high success rate is very important. It determines the number of missions a spy can receive.”
John laughed, “Of course. I have used a single code name my entire life. The code name has the highest success rate among corporate spies as such it is my life’s greatest accomplishment. I will now tell you the code name for me and by extension my team.
“Our code name is The Singer.”
Yang Yi knew now why his dad had chosen John. John was still willing to help him even after eleven years had passed.
Yang Yi was grateful to John. At the same time, he thought his dad’s foresight was frightening. It seemed as if he could easily read a person’s mind.
“The Singer?”
“Yes, that is correct. The Singer’s success rate ranks first among corporate spies. In London, The Singer is the first choice for anyone that wants to obtain trade secrets.”
Yang Yi’s differed a bit from most people. He was not concerned with the glory of being the industry’s top corporate spy.
“How do you know you are ranked first? Did you find out the success rates of your peers?”
John laughed, “I do not know the success rates of my peers. That is a secret known only by the Cicero Family. I do know my own success rate is a hundred percent. Do you still think there is someone with a higher success rate?”
Yang Yi nodded in understanding, “A hundred percent success rate is definitely ranked first or at the very least tied for first place.”
John nodded as well before continuing, “In the future, you will be able to observe through training how a prudent corporate spy organization operates. You will also realize leading a spy organization is not complicated as long as you remember one point: caution, caution, and more caution.”
“Thank you for the lesson. When can I start training?” Yang Yi said.
John waved his hand and said, “Go out and do your administrative assistant job properly. Make sure to change the suit you are wearing. It is too expensive. An administrative assistant would not be able to afford it. Please buy a pair of shoes which match the clothes you are wearing next time as well.”
Yang Yi was wearing a suit he swindled with credit that was worth more than ten thousand RMB. His suit was pretty high-end. As his plot to use credit to swindle an equally expensive pair of shoes was foiled, he could only buy the shoes he was currently wearing. They were only worth a few hundred RMB.
Yang Yi did not think there was a problem with the combination. He did not expect John to notice his mismatched attire either.
“Okay, I will change my clothes. I still want to know when I can officially participate in a mission. I cannot wait to start.”
John laughed, “That will depend on your luck. It could be tomorrow or even next year. Missions are not available all the time. When there are no spy jobs, you can play the role of an intern accountant. Our last mission was eight months ago.”
Yang Yi was disappointed. He thought he could quickly take part in a mission. Now, he had no idea how long he would have to wait before there was a mission. This was all very different from his expectations.
John’s phone rung at that moment.
John looked surprised as he picked up the phone. He answered it, but he only chatted about common topics like the weather and food before ending the call. He looked at Yang Yi incredulously and said, “I am not sure if you are lucky or if I am lucky. You have yet to learn anything, but a mission has been offered to the team.”
Yang Yi’s eyes widened in surprise, “There is a mission?”
John nodded his head with a smile, “Yes, there is a mission.”
Yang Yi was not expecting this, but a corporate spy was still a spy after all. Besides, he did not have any other options.
“Of course, Mr. Jones. I look forward to being under your tutelage.”
John smiled before taking a deep breath, “Great! Now I will explain what our work entails. First, the team’s principle is no violence. It is the quickest way to achieve the desired results for the missions we receive.”
Yang Yi listened attentively to every word John said because every word he spoke was valuable. Everything John said was a fundamental part of his methods and he was willing to share all of it with Yang Yi.
“As a spy, especially a corporate spy who is not employed by a nation and does not report to anyone, it is impossible for us to receive orders from a nation or any kind of superior. We are highly independent because of this, but this also makes us solely responsible for our own decisions. Therefore, the leader of the team must be careful at all times.
“Before we accept a mission, there are a few points that should be considered. Always assess the risk first. Then, determine whether the compensation justifies the risk. Lastly, confirm the credibility of the employer or mission broker. These points are very important.
“I will only accept a mission if all three points meet my requirements. If any of the three points do not meet my minimum requirements, I will not accept the mission.”
John smiled when he saw Yang Yi nod in understanding, “I am sure you want to know how we accept missions, right? This is the core secret of most independent spies, but the process is actually very straightforward. Several very powerful intelligence brokerage firms have built their own intelligence trading platforms. It is similar to a shopping site where there are people either buying or selling. I collaborate with an intelligence brokerage firm established by the Cicero Family. They do not belong to any country, but they are still very powerful.”
John stopped speaking and looked at Yang Yi waiting for him to ask questions.
In fact, Yang Yi did have a question, “Mr. Jones, what is an independent spy?”
“The so-called independent spy… I am sure you have heard of freelancers before. Freelance copywriters, freelance photographers... you understand the term, right?”
“I do.”
“We are the same. Any intelligence sold will go to the highest bidder. That does not mean that our intelligence will be what is sold. Selling is not that easy. That is why besides the few independent spies who are doing well, the rest are at the bottom of the spy hierarchy.”
Yang Yi nodded, “I see. How are missions announced? Are they posted on the website? Will the mission be closed once a spy has obtained the intelligence, delivered it to the requestor, and received compensation for it?”
John shook his head, “You are missing a crucial point... let me explain. Spies usually have access to the latest technology. However, they prefer proven and reliable traditional methods. It is the same for these types of transactions. The Internet is great, but I do not like to use it because there are no secrets on the Internet. For that reason, missions are not posted on the website.”
Yang Yi nodded his head as he remembered what Li Fan had told him. He absolutely agreed with John on this point.
“The Internet is very convenient. There are even people who have started to post missions on the Internet. However, I will never entrust my lifeline to the Internet. The Cicero Family will sometimes post the lowest tier missions on the website. It is the Cicero Family’s way of conducting a viability study of the Internet. If there are any important missions, especially dangerous or sensitive tasks, they will not post them on the internet to be seen by all the spies in the world.”
Yang Yi raised his hand and softly asked, “Can you tell me about the Cicero Family?”
“This particular topic will be explained to you over time. For now, you just need to know that the Cicero Family is the largest intelligence brokerage. They have built a large, comprehensive intelligence network. Even the major powers, few that they are, in the world frequently use the Cicero Family’s intelligence network to obtain and transfer intelligence. It is also because of this reason that they were able to survive until now.”
“I understand.”
“I will continue explaining the rules to you.
“If a company wants to know the trade secrets of a competitor, they will submit a request to an agent of the Cicero Family. Say a company is willing to pay a million pounds to find out the tender proposal (TN: This is similar to the open tender system in the public sector. The government will request companies to submit a proposal with their best offer on a particular project) of a rival company, the Cicero Family agent will find a team he believes will be able to execute the mission for the quoted price. We will accept the mission if we find the compensation to be acceptable and the risk to be negligible. We will receive payment once the mission is completed. There is no need to worry about the company’s credibility or their ability to pay when you are working for the Cicero Family. Their name, itself, is a form of guarantee.”
“What if the mission cannot be completed?”
“If we cannot complete the mission, we will not receive a dime. Not receiving compensation in that situation is not really important though. What is important is that our status within the Cicero Family’s Intelligence hierarchy will definitely be lowered. There may never be any missions for us in the future, but sometimes failure is inevitable. No one can truly avoid failure. The biggest factor in determining the status of a team is their success rate. Therefore, the success rate is the root of a team's survival.”
Yang Yi took a deep breath and said, “Understood. You are saying our survival is in the hands of the Cicero Family. They decide who gets to live as well as how much they earn.”
“That is how it is, but the Cicero Family is only one of the channels I use to accept missions. For some espionage teams, an Intelligence brokerage is their only source for missions. That is not the case for me. I also have my own long-term clients. My regular clients will look for me if they have any requests. We directly negotiate the price in this situation, but there is more risk to this approach. For example, the client’s ability to pay.”
John gave Yang Yi very detailed answers to his questions. Yang Yi thought for a moment before saying, “How do you contact the Cicero Family?
“... Sorry... you can ignore this question.”
John waved his hand, “I am teaching you, of course, I will tell you everything.”
“Thank you,” Yang Yi said wholeheartedly.
“Spies do not like their identity to be known by many people. We will always try to maintain a single point of contact. This is why at any time, I will only be in contact with a single agent. There is also an easy solution if something happens to the agent or the agent dies. Due to the Cicero Family’s special identity and status, they will have one senior public figure that is well known. You only need to look for this senior public figure, tell them your code name and they will give you a new agent. Everything will be the same as before after that.”
Yang Yi let out a breath and said, “That is why a code name with a high success rate is very important. It determines the number of missions a spy can receive.”
John laughed, “Of course. I have used a single code name my entire life. The code name has the highest success rate among corporate spies as such it is my life’s greatest accomplishment. I will now tell you the code name for me and by extension my team.
“Our code name is The Singer.”
Yang Yi knew now why his dad had chosen John. John was still willing to help him even after eleven years had passed.
Yang Yi was grateful to John. At the same time, he thought his dad’s foresight was frightening. It seemed as if he could easily read a person’s mind.
“The Singer?”
“Yes, that is correct. The Singer’s success rate ranks first among corporate spies. In London, The Singer is the first choice for anyone that wants to obtain trade secrets.”
Yang Yi’s differed a bit from most people. He was not concerned with the glory of being the industry’s top corporate spy.
“How do you know you are ranked first? Did you find out the success rates of your peers?”
John laughed, “I do not know the success rates of my peers. That is a secret known only by the Cicero Family. I do know my own success rate is a hundred percent. Do you still think there is someone with a higher success rate?”
Yang Yi nodded in understanding, “A hundred percent success rate is definitely ranked first or at the very least tied for first place.”
John nodded as well before continuing, “In the future, you will be able to observe through training how a prudent corporate spy organization operates. You will also realize leading a spy organization is not complicated as long as you remember one point: caution, caution, and more caution.”
“Thank you for the lesson. When can I start training?” Yang Yi said.
John waved his hand and said, “Go out and do your administrative assistant job properly. Make sure to change the suit you are wearing. It is too expensive. An administrative assistant would not be able to afford it. Please buy a pair of shoes which match the clothes you are wearing next time as well.”
Yang Yi was wearing a suit he swindled with credit that was worth more than ten thousand RMB. His suit was pretty high-end. As his plot to use credit to swindle an equally expensive pair of shoes was foiled, he could only buy the shoes he was currently wearing. They were only worth a few hundred RMB.
Yang Yi did not think there was a problem with the combination. He did not expect John to notice his mismatched attire either.
“Okay, I will change my clothes. I still want to know when I can officially participate in a mission. I cannot wait to start.”
John laughed, “That will depend on your luck. It could be tomorrow or even next year. Missions are not available all the time. When there are no spy jobs, you can play the role of an intern accountant. Our last mission was eight months ago.”
Yang Yi was disappointed. He thought he could quickly take part in a mission. Now, he had no idea how long he would have to wait before there was a mission. This was all very different from his expectations.
John’s phone rung at that moment.
John looked surprised as he picked up the phone. He answered it, but he only chatted about common topics like the weather and food before ending the call. He looked at Yang Yi incredulously and said, “I am not sure if you are lucky or if I am lucky. You have yet to learn anything, but a mission has been offered to the team.”
Yang Yi’s eyes widened in surprise, “There is a mission?”
John nodded his head with a smile, “Yes, there is a mission.”
