William put on his coat, grabbed his car keys, and drove to Catherine's office, which he had visited previously. He was escorted upstairs by a secretary, but before entering the office, he scanned the room with his mental powers and noticed that no one was inside.
Feeling a bit wary about whether this might be a trap, he suddenly noticed that the LCD screen on the wall was on, showing a conference room. Eight people were sitting attentively, listening to Catherine.
"Hey, William, you're here," said Gareth, approaching from a distance. "Come inside. Catherine's in a meeting. It's better if we don't let outsiders know we're meeting."
"Got it." William walked into the office, pointing at Arthur Kane on the screen. "What's going on? Why is that old guy, Arthur Kane, there?"
"That old man is here to cause trouble," Gareth said with disdain.
"Trouble?" William raised an eyebrow. "How does he dare? Isn't the Kingsman, along with the Elite Agents Academy, under the same jurisdiction as your Security Council and MI6, all reporting to Catherine, the Home Secretary?"
"If only it were that simple," Gareth sighed. "Kingsman technically reports to Catherine, but most of the time, they act independently and only report after the fact. This time, I don't know what's gotten into Arthur Kane, but he's trying to interfere in matters that aren't his concern."
"So, why did you bring me here? To take out Arthur?" William joked. "If that's the case, I'd be happy to do it."
"NO, don't do anything rash, buddy," Gareth quickly said, becoming serious. "Catherine and I want you to secretly investigate today's explosion. We have a feeling this sort of thing might happen again."
William squinted. "You're that sure? So, you know who did it?"
"Yeah, based on the explosive residue found at the scene, it's likely the work of a certain extremist group from Ireland. If they make demands in the next few days, there's a chance things could be negotiated. The real concern is if they don't make any demands."
William chuckled. "No demands, huh? So that means these guys are just out to cause chaos? If that's the case, you're in for a lot of trouble."
Gareth nodded solemnly. "Exactly. That's why Catherine and I think it's best to deploy all available resources and catch them before they can strike again."
"Got it!" William's attention shifted back to the screen, his expression turning serious. A hidden camera angle showed Arthur Kane's right ear clearly.
After observing for a few seconds, William snapped his fingers. "Sunday, analyze Arthur Kane's ear for me."
"Yes, sir," Sunday responded.
"What's going on?" Gareth asked, puzzled.
"Let's hope I'm wrong," William said, his face darkening.
A few seconds later, Sunday sent several photos to William's phone. After looking at the images, William's expression became distant. He turned to Gareth. "Let me see the back of your ears."
"What? What's going on? What's this about?"
"Hurry up!" William said impatiently, his hand reaching into his coat and pulling out a handgun. "Don't make me force you."
"Okay, okay!" Gareth raised his hands, realizing that William wasn't joking. He quickly turned around, showing the back of both ears. "Careful with that thing," he added nervously.
Seeing that there were no scars behind Gareth's ears, William let out a sigh of relief. "Sorry, man. Call Catherine over. I need to make sure she's clear before I explain everything."
William sat down on the sofa, closing his eyes and piecing together his thoughts. The more he considered the situation, the more his head throbbed. If this really turned out to be like the plot of Kingsman, then things were going to get serious.
A few minutes later, Catherine, looking tired, entered the office after receiving Gareth's call. Upon entering, she saw William deep in thought and Gareth visibly anxious.
"What's going on? Why was I called here in such a hurry? What's the matter?" Catherine asked.
William stood up and walked over to her, pretending to be cheerful as he extended his arms. "Long time no see, Catherine."
Before she could react, William pulled her into a hug.
"Let go of me, you jerk! Are you out of your mind? William Devonshire, are you harassing me?" Catherine shouted, struggling.
Using the opportunity, William checked behind her ears. Seeing no scars, he quickly stepped back before Catherine could yell any more insults. He handed her his phone, showing her the photos of Arthur Kane's ear.
Catherine, who had been about to curse him out, froze when she saw the photos. "What does this mean?"
"Heh," William sneered. "Have you ever heard of neural control devices?"
"Of course. That's advanced tech, bordering on science fiction. How could I not know?" Catherine replied. "But what does that have to do with the scar on Arthur's ear?"
"Everything. I'm pretty sure that old man is no longer one of us."
"Not one of us? Neural control?" Gareth looked at William skeptically. "Are you suggesting Arthur has been brainwashed or controlled? That's impossible! He's the head of Kingsman, the leader of the King's Gentlemen. He has nine elite agents under him. Who could possibly control him?"
William shook his head. "If you want to know whether I'm right, we can run a little test."
Catherine thought for a moment and asked, "Is there any risk?"
"Risk?" William smirked. "I don't care about the risks. You all know I don't like Arthur, so whether he lives or dies doesn't matter to me. If you don't care about his life either, I can prove it to you right now."
Catherine walked over to her desk, deep in thought. After a long pause, she asked, "What's your plan?"
"It's simple. You'll find an excuse to meet with Arthur alone. During your conversation, knock him out and scan the back of his ear with a scanner. The only risk is that if Arthur has an anti-tampering mechanism in the neural control device, it might self-destruct."
Gareth looked serious. "William, this isn't a joke. Kingsman is the oldest intelligence agency. Just from the name, King's Gentlemen, you can tell that they have a lot of autonomy and close ties to the royal family and nobility. If we get this wrong, dealing with the aftermath will be a nightmare. Are you really sure?"
"Hah, you mentioned that Arthur is the head of intelligence, right? What are the chances of him needing surgery that leaves such a long scar behind his ear?"
This point reminded Catherine of something. After thinking for a few moments, she pressed the intercom button on her desk. "Arthur, please come to my office. There's something I need to discuss with you."
In the conference room, Arthur Kane heard Catherine's request, a smile curling on his lips. Standing up, he nodded to the others. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I'll be back shortly."
Still under the impression that Catherine was conceding and needed his help, Arthur's smile widened as he knocked on the door and entered her office. Before he could say a word, he felt a sharp pain in his neck and lost consciousness.
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