I'm an IRS Field Agent

Zhou Yi glanced over there, then didn't pay it much more attention.

He was only here to confirm whether Tom Cruise... ah, no, Ethan, was actually carrying out a mission here today. As for truly getting involved in this matter, that would come later.

At this point, Ethan was still just an ordinary CIA agent, at least not yet in a position to take on missions or lead a team as its head to plan and execute operations.

This time, it was his team leader, an agent named Jim, who had received a task from higher-ups—to steal a list of agents from this consulate. That was why he had brought them here, preparing to infiltrate undercover.

But Zhou Yi knew that the real purpose of this mission wasn't to steal that list. The list was nothing but a fake decoy.

In truth, this mission was orchestrated because the CIA had discovered a mole within Ethan's team. They had planned this false operation, forging a fake list to lure out the traitor.

And that mole was actually Ethan's team leader, Jim!

Jim was cunning. Though he didn't know this operation was a trap, he had still prepared thoroughly—

He faked the deaths of himself and his wife Claire, orchestrated the deaths of the others, and left only Ethan alive, kept in the dark.

Then, Ethan was branded the mole by the CIA.

After that, Jim had his wife Claire, also a team member, stay close to Ethan, mislead him, and feed information back to Jim.

But, as it naturally followed, Ethan and his wife Claire...

Zhou Yi had to admit he admired people like that. Being human yet willingly acting as a cuckold... it was truly hard to comprehend.

Still, many would probably be happy to befriend him.

Zhou Yi didn't plan to get directly involved in this matter. Jumping in headfirst... wouldn't be appropriate.

He wasn't some saint. If someone could be saved with a casual hand, he might do it. But given the current situation, without revealing his own special traits, those of Ethan's teammates who were about to be killed—Zhou Yi couldn't save them.

The main thing was, this was CIA business. There was another team watching from the sidelines. Since it was their internal affair, Zhou Yi had even less interest in getting involved.

Not to mention, if he actually acted, he'd likely expose himself.

Zhou Yi had no intention of letting others study him. At least for now, before he reached a state of absolute invincibility, before he could withstand a nuclear blast with his bare body, he would either avoid exposure as much as possible, or, if exposed, make sure every eyewitness couldn't speak and leave no evidence behind.

In this world, playing it safe was the key to longevity.

Though Zhou Yi's usual behavior didn't seem to have much to do with "playing it safe," given his abilities, his actions were already quite cautious.

Downing the wine in one gulp, Zhou Yi placed the glass on the waiter's tray and walked toward the door.

Since he had confirmed it, it was time to start preparing some things.

Ethan stared blankly at the computer screen before him.

Dead. They were all dead.

Just now, in the safe house, after hearing what his superior had said, Ethan understood some things, but gained even more that he didn't understand.

His entire team was dead. Yet, in the eyes of his superior, Eugene Kittridge, Ethan was the culprit behind it all—he was the one who had leaked all the intelligence!

Even now, Ethan could still recall every detail of his conversation with Eugene.

After Ethan called out Eugene for having another team of agents stationed in the consulate today to monitor their actions, showing a lack of trust, Eugene had directly laid his cards on the table, revealing the truth about this operation.

Only then did Ethan learn that their mission target had been a fake from the very start. From the beginning, headquarters' goal wasn't that fake list, but to root out the mole among them!

And now, a large sum of money with an untraceable source had appeared in his parents' bank account. His entire team had been attacked and killed, leaving only him untouched.

It was obvious why Eugene suspected him as the mole. Ethan knew that, in this situation, he couldn't defend himself no matter what he said!

Ethan knew he wasn't the mole but was being framed. Yet he also knew that without solid evidence to expose the real traitor, his guilt would be confirmed!

He knew he couldn't go back to CIA headquarters with Eugene.

As an agent, he was well aware of their methods and had no desire to test whether he could hold onto his principles under such pressure without being forced into a confession.

So, Ethan had used a gum bomb to blow up the safe house, causing chaos, successfully escaped, and come to this safe point, hoping to find some clues.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The sudden knocking made Ethan's eyes snap wide open, jolting him awake.

Though this temporary safe point was supposed to be known only to team members internally, with a mole around, such things might also be compromised. Ethan had prepared himself for discovery.

But he remembered that before entering, he had removed the stairwell light, smashed the bulb, and scattered the glass shards across the floor!

That meant, no matter what, anyone trying to enter should have stepped on the glass and made noise!

Why hadn't he heard any crunching of glass shards, yet directly heard knocking?

Ethan frowned, grabbed the pistol beside him, and focused all his attention on the door.

"Friendly," the person outside said, as if knowing Ethan was doing something inside.

"...Friendly?" Ethan thought for a moment, then hid behind the wall and asked with his back turned, worried the person might shoot through the door by sound. "Who are you?"

"I'm an IRS field agent," the person outside said. "Ethan Hunt, you've been implicated in a tax evasion case. I need to get some information from you and require your cooperation to catch a CIA mole who obtained illegal income but didn't pay taxes."

Ethan: "???"

An IRS field agent, here to catch a CIA mole for unpaid taxes on illegal income?

"Couldn't you come up with a slightly more believable excuse?" Ethan said, speechless.

He was almost amused by this.

Did this person take him for a fool?

"Heh, believe it or not, Yinsen," the person outside the door chuckled lightly, "our goals are the same."