Nearby, Ye Tian stood in the shadows of the trees, blending seamlessly with his surroundings, undetectable. He overheard Huang Yanran's entire conversation with the security guard and found himself wondering what she was up to.
Back at the hotel, Ren Ping was still there. He voiced his suspicion, "Old Ren, do you know Huang Yanran's true identity?"
Ren Ping chuckled, "You figured it out?"
Ye Tian shot him a glare, "You knew all along, why didn't you tell me?"
Ren Ping shook his head, "I couldn't. The last time I went to rescue her, it was all an act for the Long family. I wanted them to believe I had no idea about Huang Yanran's identity."
Ye Tian pressed, "What is Huang Yanran's relation to the Long family?"
Ren Ping replied, "She is one of the Five Dragons and Nine Phoenixes cultivated by the Long family."
Ye Tian's interest was piqued. "Five Dragons and Nine Phoenixes?"
Ren Ping elaborated, "The Five Dragons are five men. One of them is known as Master Long. You must have heard of him."
Ye Tian suddenly recalled that someone named Master Long had tried to snatch his Three-Legged Golden Toad. He was indeed one of the Five Dragons!
Ren Ping continued, "The Five Dragons are all formidable individuals. In comparison, the Nine Phoenixes are younger women, primarily responsible for intelligence. Among the Nine Phoenixes, three are in Europe, two in North America, and one in Japan. There are likely only two in China."
Ye Tian remarked, "Old Ren, it seems you've investigated the Long family very thoroughly."
Ren Ping explained, "It wasn't us who found it. We stumbled upon these clues while investigating certain individuals. As the leads accumulated, I gradually pieced together the Long family's situation."
Ye Tian pondered, "I have a feeling Huang Yanran doesn't really want me to join the Long family. That's rather strange."
Ren Ping seemed surprised as well, "Really? If she could bring you into the Long family's fold, it would be a great achievement. There's no reason for her not to go all out."
Ye Tian shook his head, "Never mind that. My main objective here is to defeat Wang Zun."
Ren Ping nodded, "Indeed. After we defeat Wang Zun, you'll accompany me somewhere."
Ye Tian understood that any place Ren Ping personally wanted to go must be significant. He smiled, "Old Ren, why don't you just recruit me?"
Ren Ping grinned, "You said it yourself. Six months ago, our top agent was framed and killed. We need someone to take his place."
Ye Tian asked, "Old Ren, are you serious?"
Ren Ping replied, "If you join me, the Long family will stop targeting you, and you'll also receive a very good cover identity."
Ye Tian inquired, "What kind of identity?"
Ren Ping explained, "Our top agents can possess countless identities. You could be a university professor, or a low-ranking soldier. Most importantly, a top agent has access to things and events that ordinary people can never encounter."
Ye Tian chuckled and asked, "Like what?"
Ren Ping elaborated, "What is a top agent? They are the most well-rounded, the strongest. We treasure them dearly and only deploy them for the most critical and significant matters. For instance, the previous top agent undertook no more than one mission per year on average. Furthermore, if you perform exceptionally well, you can compete with other top agents for super missions."
Ye Tian exclaimed, "Oh, there are super missions too?"
Ren Ping stated seriously, "Of course. These super missions are ranked from one star to ten stars. The higher the star rating, the greater the difficulty. Only agents with outstanding achievements and extensive experience are eligible to compete for super missions."
Ye Tian asked, "Old Ren, aren't you the head of intelligence? Do you only have one top agent?"
Ren Ping sighed softly, "Originally, there were two. One is dead, and the other was captured in Japan last year while on a mission. We attempted rescue several times but failed."
Ye Tian inquired, "What was the strength of the one in Japan?"
Ren Ping replied, "Her codename is Silver Fox. She's a beauty, and she should be twenty-three years old this year."