A petty tactic like that naturally wouldn't escape Charles' observant eyes.
Regardless, he accepted the drink so as not to raise suspicion.
Every man in the room was watching him, waiting for him to drain the glass with mounting excitement.
The women, too, were staring at him, secretly feeling sorry for him for stumbling into the wrong place and for the misfortune he was about to find himself in.
In full view of the entire room, Charles brought the glass of red wine to his lips.
Before he could take a sip, though, he suddenly choked and began coughing furiously.
A beauty would still look good coughing despite having her brows all scrunched up.
Being a gentleman, Joe quickly handed Charles a piece of tissue and patted the latter's back.
In the chaos of his coughing fit, Charles accidentally spilled the full glass of red wine onto Joe's trousers.
“I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to dirty your clothes! Let me help you wipe it up!”
He wiped the crimson stain from the trousers, but to no avail.
A spectator seized the opportunity to speak up. “Mr. Landon's suit is not cheap, you know. With a stain like that, it's as good as ruined. Shouldn't you make up for it?”
Joe gave an uncomfortable laugh. “It's all right,” he said with feigned magnanimity. “I'll just change into another set.”
With a deeply apologetic look, Charles said sweetly, “I'm awfully sorry. Will you let me accompany you upstairs to get changed?”
All the men in the room gave the same meaningful smile in unison.
She actually took the initiative and offered to go upstairs! Since she's asking for it, she shall be obliged.
Charles put on an act of naivety as if he had no idea what was going to happen.
Not about to forgo such a good opportunity, Joe followed him out of the bar's private room.
At that very moment, outside the bar, a team of police officers was listening through the transmitter on Charles in a black police van.
Nico snickered. “What a quick-witted fellow Charles is. No wonder he managed to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. He indeed knows a thing or two.”
Noises were still coming from the transmitter.
It sounded as though Charles was taking Joe upstairs.
Then, the ambient noise became much more subdued.
The pair chatted—mostly gossiped—as they walked, whereas Nico listened intently from within the stakeout van.
At first, he assumed he would be able to hear some obscene noises after they entered the room, but what Joe said next completely caught him off-guard.
“Sexy Adam's apple you have there, bro. My, you must stand almost two meters tall in those heels, right? You nearly broke through the private room's ceiling. Though you're dressed beautifully, more so than many women out there, there were just too many telling signs to somebody as meticulous as me.”
Joe continued, “Despite your unforgettably stunning looks and exceptional talent in disguising your voice, I simply couldn't ignore all of these telltale signs. So, who sent you? What are you trying to glean from me? I'm a humble, law-abiding citizen who has nothing for you. Do you think I can drown you in this bathtub before your people get here? Would you like to be stripped naked, or would you prefer to strike a pose?”
The atmosphere in the van instantly grew heavy.
Joe had been arrested multiple times and was thus extremely vigilant.
Initially, the team assumed that Charles had left no stone unturned this time, but their quarry still managed to detect something awry.
Everyone was looking forlorn.
Nico, too, was about to order Charles to retreat. Safety first. We'll get the evidence some other time.
Before he could make contact, however, Charles' transmitter lost its signal.
The police van echoed with the crackle of static from the abrupt disconnection.
It was particularly ear-piercing.
Nico turned pale. “D*mn it! The mission is compromised. The suspect may be armed, and the contact is in danger!”
The team swiftly exited the vehicle and entered the bar unimpeded. To avoid causing panic among the patrons, they entered through the staff passageway.
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