CYOA: Emergency Mission
Your cellphone lights up on the lampstand next to your bed, rattling against the hardwood. You open your eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.
You reach for the phone and bring it to your face. It takes a moment to register the words, “Urgent transmission” but once you do, you sit up and open the attachment.
The dark icon of the World Tree Executive Department Emblem on the corner of the phone may as well be a skull and cross bones.
“Urgent meeting: Be downstairs in an hour. Dress formally. Enter the black BMW with the License Plate 84-YLK-987. Talk to no one.”
The message wasn’t signed, but the secure channel was a stamp of legitimacy.
You leap out of bed and throw open the closet where your best dress clothes are held. Only an hour to ‘dress formally’? How formal? You wonder as your heart slams in your chest.
You’ve only been with the Executive Department for a year. Working in a team of your peers and overseen by at least one veteran, you’d qualified as an understudy. This night you happened to be on call.
On-call assignments were the best. You were in Munich, a bastion of the Secret Society. This place was filled with agents with ten times your experience. For the past three days, this was like a vacation: Beautiful summer weather, beer, music and art! You never thought that they’d need you.
Questions swirl in you mind as you descend the hotel elevator. The door man greets your courteously as you exit the rotating door, but per your instructions you say nothing and simply nod.
The sleek black BMW immediately pulls up and stops in front of you. A glance at the license plate confirms its identity. You open the door and get in without hesitation.
As you shut the door and look to your right, you startle. Sitting next to you in the back seat was none other than the elite agent, Chu Zihang! His amber eyes seemed to glow at you from behind his dark glasses, like the eyes of a monster.
You’d only heard rumors about him: His effectiveness, his violence, those golden eyes that could freeze any hybrid in their tracks. You’d never thought you’d meet him in the back of the BMW. Looking at him was like looking into the eyes of a dragon.
You suddenly realize that you’re staring, the car is moving. Chu Zihang hasn’t said anything, no doubt giving you time to get over the shock. “A mission has gone critical.”
His deep voice was even and held no emotion despite the heavy implications of his words. ‘Going critical’ was the jargon for the death and injury of an agent on the job, in the middle of a mission. Secrets of the dragon clan were likely involved.
He hands you a black leather folder labeled “Rank A” in golden embossing. You open it and the mugshot of an agent stares back at you, stamped with letters “MIA” in red.
“A museum is holding a charity sale tonight. One of the sellers may be aware of secrets of the Dragon Clan. She was investigating the museum when she went missing.”
Chu Zihang folded his arms over his chest. “I know you’re new at this. But your performance so far has been flawless. This is a chance to continue your training.”
You flip through the folder to find a black credit card.
“On that card is 50 million dollars to make bids of your choice at the sale. You’re to bid on items that will most likely catch our mark’s attention.”
“Do you know who our mark is?” You ask him.
“We don’t believe its one person.”
“I’ve... never done this before. What should I bid on?”
“There’s a list of suggested objects. You may choose any one of those. Anyone who approaches you after that bid, try to get information out of them.”
With that, you pull in front of the museum, an old limestone expansive building hung with bright spotlit banners announcing the sale. Men and women in extravagant clothing were climbing the stairs to the open entrance.
“This is your stop. Good luck, Agent.”
That was it? All the information he was giving? You get out of the car and shut the door. You lift your chin and stride up the stairs, pretending you belong there. But most of the people here looked older, people who likely made a fortune in industry, finance or the stock market. By your youth alone, you seem to stand out.
You enter the main entrance, a large marble statue of a greek god battling an ancient serpent beast greets you. A man with a pile of fliers hands you one. “Will you be buying tonight?”
You nod and he points you towards the gallery. The gallery is spread with a bright red carpet. Paintings, sculptures and ancient relics are on display. You weren’t aware that museums actually sold things in their collection. As you look over your brochure, you manage to find the three items Chu Zihang had suggested to you.
Which one should you bid on?