Darkstone Code

Chapter 1355: Chapter 1354: Koskao the Easygoing

The first rule of the Undercover Manual: don’t become a star within the clouds!

When everyone around you is dark, you should be dark too.

When they shine, you should shine too.

This is what it means to be an infiltrator.

The name Koskao is real; the reason he succeeded is because the real Koskao was already dead, and he replaced this person.

Koskao was noticed by Sedolas’s intelligence personnel when bloodshed occurred in Sedolas.

He was noticed because his appearance was very similar to a special agent from Sedolas at that time.

How similar?

The agent sent a photo of himself to Koskao’s family, asking how they liked the new clothes he had bought. Koskao’s parents responded complimenting his good choice!

To the extent that even Koskao’s parents couldn’t tell the difference, so Koskao was dead, but a new Koskao was born.

After Koskao’s "study abroad" ended, he returned to Peng Jieao, claiming to live independently for work and gradually distanced himself from family ties.

Gradually, he began to merge into this role; he was Koskao!

When someone called out this name behind him, he would subconsciously stop and turn around, because to the current him, this person was him!

He had to do things that matched his character’s behavior; he hid in school to collect scattered information.

He thought his work would end soon, either exposed or leaving.

But he waited six years, and received orders for deep cover.

The so-called "deep-cover agent" is akin to diving deep into the ocean, indistinguishable from the surface.

Infiltrate, merge with the enemy, become one with them.

At thirty-one, he chose to marry.

Peng Jieao people generally marry at twenty-two or three, those who are older but unmarried exist, but they’re few.

Koskao didn’t want to be the most conspicuous one, so he actively wooed an easily controlled, somewhat cowardly, clean, and ordinary female teacher from the school, and soon fell in love.

The next year, he married.

His parents, siblings, relatives, and former classmates, all attended the wedding; no one believed he wasn’t Koskao, including his closest ones.

People gave their blessings; he had a family in this enemy country.

Life after marriage was dull, because he was Koskao, an ordinary teacher.

In the eyes of others, his sole hobby might be reading, looking at newspapers, and making clippings.

Clippings aren’t anything special—selective contents cut from newspapers and pasted into a notebook, equivalent to collecting information.

Besides this, he had no other hobbies.

He once pondered not having children but remembered the first rule of the Undercover Manual, not to become a star within the clouds, so after waiting a while, at thirty-five, he welcomed his daughter.

A cute little life.

Everything appeared to be ordinary life, assuming no accidents; he thought he might dive deeply for a lifetime, living in this "deep sea" unnoticed, until he completely died of old age here.

His memories of Sedolas were entirely blurred; he didn’t remember what his hometown looked like, or what his parents, siblings looked like.

Those familiar yet strange figures occasionally appeared in midnight dreams but quickly faded away.

Replacing these were trivial yet peaceful experiences now.

He started focusing on family, his daughter’s studies and life, everything.

To the extent that even when war broke out, he wasn’t activated; he thought he might have been forgotten.

Or maybe the file recording his name was accidentally lost.

Until... Peng Jieao’s conscription began, he was transferred into a special confidential group, suddenly realizing, war was coming again.

Internally, he was anxious and conflicted; at this moment, his awareness of this was exceptionally clear.

"Is work going smoothly?" his wife asked, taking the briefcase from him and setting it aside, offering him house shoes.

Loose and comfortable, unlike the outdoor shoes which were elegant and exquisite but not very comfortable to wear.

Koskao raised his head slightly, returning to his senses, "Of course, my daily work is just calculations; this is what I’m proficient at."

He looked at the woman who had accompanied him for so many years, feeling a bit sentimental and somewhat melancholy.

If he got exposed, she would be implicated by him.

He then looked at his daughter, who was in college. A girl born in an intellectual family raised with professional education from an early age and entered college with excellent grades.

This was her third year in college; once summer vacation passed, she would start to engage with work.

Peng Jieao, unlike the Federation, Gafura, and other countries, was a country of high efficiency and speed; college students were always a scarce population.

They haven’t graduated yet, but they basically have a path laid out, and they get directly involved in work from the fourth year.

By the time they graduate, they can hold mid-level management positions at their workplace.

Koskao let his arm be pulled by his daughter as he casually said, "Looks like you have a big plan for the summer vacation!"

This was an instinctive reaction and it showed naturally.

His daughter nodded with a grin, "You know me well, yes, I have a big plan."

They sat on the sofa, Koskao’s wife went to the kitchen and started getting busy, while the daughter stayed with him, "After the summer break, I’ll start working."

"This might be my last vacation where I can spend freely, a full two months!", she was a bit excited, "I want to go... to the big waterfall, then join the rafting team, circle around the canyon and come back."

She was talking about the very popular travel project over the past two years, which, of course, means it costs quite a lot.

The girl looked at him pleadingly, "I’ll pay you back after I start working."

In the past, Koskao would have refused because of the danger.

The waterfall surfing combined with canyon rafting, incidents happen every year, and he absolutely would not allow his daughter to do such a thing.

But suddenly, he had a change of heart.

During their eye contact, the girl went from anticipation to disappointment, to despair.

She knew very well what kind of person her father was, although he was a Professor of mathematics and used various methods to solve problems, in reality, he was a rigid person.

He never allowed her to do anything he deemed dangerous, which left her childhood and teenage years lacking in much fun.

This time was probably going to be disappointing too!

Just as she was about to leave and brood in her room, Koskao took out a pen and checkbook, "How much do you need?"

"You agreed?", the girl didn’t immediately state the amount but rather looked at Koskao with an expression of surprise and disbelief!

Before Koskao could say anything, she jumped up and hugged him tightly, kissing his face wildly and bursting into laughter.

Koskao laughed along for a moment before pushing her away, "You’ve left too much saliva on my face, it’s gross!"

"Tell me, how much, before I change my mind!"

"Two hundred bucks should be enough!", the girl said nervously.

The exchange rate between Peng Jieao’s Aoyuan and the Federation Sol is 1 to 1.45, a small lead not even considered, which roughly equates to almost three hundred Federation Sol, a month’s salary.

Honestly, this amount isn’t small, considering the current production capacity and with Peng Jieao’s tax rate increasing by more than double, two hundred bucks now equals over three hundred previously. Approximately equivalent to four or five hundred Federation Sol before.

But Koskao still signed the check without hesitation and handed it over, "Three hundred and fifty bucks, I hope you’ll be thrifty..."

The girl screamed again and threw herself onto Koskao, kissing his retreating hairline, "I love you, you old man!"

After saying that, she jumped off him and bounced away with the check.

"Really disgusting." Koskao said as he watched his daughter’s back.

He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away the saliva left on his face.

This saliva has a strange smell when it dries, which isn’t related to brushing teeth, as no one can ensure that brushing once will keep their mouth odor-free all day.

"Koskao, dinner’s ready."

His wife’s voice interrupted his train of thought from the dining room, he paused for a moment and then got up, "I’ll wash my face and come."

In the bathroom, looking in the mirror, many thoughts flooded his mind.

Some confused eyes gradually became firm.

He was a Sedolasian, and now Sedolas has joined the World Development Committee, which means if a new world war starts, Peng Jieao might eliminate Sedolas first.

Despite Sedolas being a Neutral Country like Bail Federal in the past, Sedolas is only equivalent to a slightly stronger state of the Federation!

In front of Peng Jieao, it might not even be able to block the way.

Koskao had lived here for so many years, he knew very well how cruel Peng Jieao people were when dealing with enemies!

He turned his head, picked up the towel from the rack, wiped his face dry, and left the bathroom.

"You seem very happy," Koskao’s wife curiously asked their daughter at dinner, she was humming a song the entire time.

The girl burst out laughing, "Dad gave me money for traveling, and some extra too, so I can bring back some souvenirs; nothing could make me happier than this, right?"

"You gave it to her?", Koskao’s wife was a bit surprised, she knew very well what kind of person her husband was.

Koskao nodded without explaining, knowing that the more he explained such things, the more curious they would become.

By not explaining, she might just think it was due to some work achievement making him happy.

The atmosphere at dinner was very harmonious, after dinner the girl again left a circle of saliva around his hairline before leaving.

At night, as they were lying in bed, Koskao suddenly asked his wife, "Do you have any wishes?"