Photo: Ministry of State Security

China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) released its third episode of serialized comic on Sunday, revealing the story of a team member of the Secret Special Investigation Division (SPD) who goes undercover at a consulting company to investigate the “black hands” of espionage.
 
In the previous episode, security police officers discovered professional espionage equipment in a residential compound near the Xishan Mining Area and uncovered the identities of the "black hands" behind the scenes – Ma Xiaolei and a foreigner with blonde hair named Jason. 

Following the clues, in the latest episode, Xiao An, a protagonist from the SPD, assumes the identity of an elite university graduate named Chen Haifeng from Jiangzhou University and successfully infiltrates a consulting company called Sidesheng Information Consultancy, where Ma works.

As part of his cover, Xiao An is assigned to the consulting team alongside three other members. Since the company has strict information confidentiality measures, Xiao An is unable to access the names of the think-tank experts due to lack of authorization.

As a new team member, Xiao An becomes the target of scrutiny from his experienced colleagues. He is tasked with projects outside his expertise and is deliberately given incorrect data by his female colleague in an attempt to embarrass him in front of their supervisor.

In the following week, Xiao An immerses himself in his work, staying late into the night, networking with colleagues, and studying the company's guidelines in an effort to blend in. 

Feeling confident in his progress, Xiao An decides to investigate the company's connections to classified experts by sneaking into the file rooms late at night when his colleagues are absent. 

However, he is caught red-handed by a colleague who views him as a threat. The episode ends with the company's supervisors becoming suspicious of Xiao An and begin digging into his background.

The thrilling twists and turns in this gripping comic series vividly depicts how going undercover works as part of counter-espionage assignments. It also reveals consulting firm being one of frequent approaches for foreign espionage activities. 

The comic, set in the Xishan Mining Area in Jiangzhou, which is a pseudo city, begun with a group of suspicious individuals shown conducting exploration and mapping activities while seemingly extracting ore samples in a secretive manner.

Experts reached by the Global Times said the comic aims to illustrate that safeguarding the security of key mineral resources is an integral part of national security and that infiltration, bribery, and espionage activities are involved in the global competition for rare earth minerals.

Public awareness has especially been enhanced after a newly revised Counter-Espionage Law came into effect on July 1, 2023 and the comic serves to help more readers to understand espionage and the importance of safeguarding national security, Chinese analysts said. 

Global Times