Face-Off

My favorite book by this author is "Mistakenly Entering Officialdom," it's a classic. The only regret is that he couldn't write about higher positions, only those at the level of a department head—that's such a pity.

It's a miracle the protagonist wasn't exposed! He acts so lecherous, yet he never touches a woman. And nobody suspects it's all an act?

It's the same old routine; there's no progress whatsoever. I mentioned it in the group chat a while back; getting a Japanese identity and writing from a different angle might be a breakthrough. But you didn't take my advice. Did you use "Spy Years"? Another issue is the supply of money and resources to the base. You haven't figured out your own role at all. Giving money occasionally is fine.

This is even worse than "The Spy Who Loved Me." Is the author sure this is a spy story? The author even mentions recruiting people from the surrounding area to join the Party. An underground worker recruiting others from the surrounding area—isn't he afraid of being discovered? Isn't he afraid that those he recruited will be arrested, tortured, and then confess everything? Isn't he afraid of being exposed?

It's far from a direct confrontation.

The female lead and the male supporting character, the Su siblings, are the biggest flaws in this book. I guess the author wanted to slowly develop Cuiping's growth, like in "Lurking." But the female lead and the male supporting character are really badly written, and the Su siblings are just ridiculous. The brother is brainless and will get shot sooner or later, and the sister is a lovesick girl and will be exposed sooner or later.

... What a huge disappointment! It's much worse than before! It feels like neither the main character nor the supporting characters in this book have any brains.

Does nobody like reading spy novels anymore?

This book is heavily scripted and differs significantly from the original "Clash of Titans." It feels like the author wrote it to cater to television dramas; I wonder if it will ever be adapted for the screen.

It's very good, highly immersive, and clearly written by a seasoned author. The spy story is well-written and excellent, and concise enough; I like this kind of brevity and clarity.