The Sixth Bureau Episode 3: Suck, Squeeze, Burn, Blow

Summary

Big Take: The Sixth Bureau

Episode 3: Suck, Squeeze, Burn, Blow

Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Bloomberg & iHeartPodcasts

---

Episode Overview

This gripping episode explores the secretive and high-stakes world of commercial jet engine technology and the international espionage swirling around it. Focusing on the case of MSS (China’s Ministry of State Security) officer Xu Yanjun and the saga of stolen aviation secrets from GE (GE Aviation/GE Aerospace), the hosts take listeners from the glittering Paris Air Show to the covert manipulation of LinkedIn, revealing how cutting-edge American engineering became the target of Chinese spycraft.

---

Key Segments & Discussion Points

---

1. The Paris Air Show: A Stage for Technology—and Espionage

[02:16 – 08:38]

• Setting the Scene:
  Hosts Jordan Robertson and Drake Bennett attend the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, describing it as “the greatest repository of knowledge about the industry you’re going to find on a global basis.”
  —Richard Aboulafia, aviation consultant [03:02]

• Industry Giants:
  The air show brings together both “airframers” (like Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin) and crucial engine makers—primarily GE, Rolls Royce, and Pratt & Whitney.

• Technical Marvel:
  The GE9X engine is showcased—“the most powerful commercial jet engine ever made.” Its carbon fiber composite technology is considered cutting-edge and closely guarded.

• Jet Engineering Explained:
  “Jet propulsion is actually pretty straightforward. It boils down to four: suck, squeeze, burn, blow.”—Richard Aboulafia [04:43]

  • Suck: Pull in air
  • Squeeze: Compress it
  • Burn: Combust it
  • Blow: Expel for propulsion

• The Stakes:
  Only three companies and two countries (US & UK) can build such engines—excluding China, which frustrates Chinese ambitions.

---

2. China’s Ambition and the Spy Game

[05:51 – 09:45]

• China’s Catch-up:
  While China has matched global leaders in smartphones and electric vehicles, it lags in commercial jet engines.

• Chinese Spies at the Air Show:
  Xu Yanjun and his team from the MSS used elaborate counter-surveillance (posing as tourists on a “lads on the lash” European trip) to mask their true intent—espionage.

  • “Basically, it looked like these five or six MSS officers…were a bunch of lads out on the lash.”
    —FBI Special Agent Bradley Hull [07:34]

• Surveillance Route:
  Xu’s group partied in various cities—Athens, Santorini, Venice, Florence—to evade detection before finally entering the Paris Air Show.

• Mission at Paris:
  They observed US Predator drones, met unspecified contacts, and Xu did luxury gift shopping for superiors.

  • “He spends thousands of euros, and yet when he gets home, it’s clear his gifts don’t get the reaction he was hoping for.” [09:05]

---

3. Xu Yanjun’s Personal Crisis

[11:15 – 14:04]

• Diary of Discontent:
  Xu’s journal entries reveal growing depression, career frustrations, and romantic disappointments.

  • “Feeling like I’m abandoned by the whole world. Work, relationship, money, none of it is going well.” —Xu’s diary, May 19 [11:27]

  • He documents heartbreak with “Peach,” workplace humiliation, and losses in the stock market.

• Workplace Yo-Yo:
  Xu is promoted then berated, celebrated then criticized for mistakes. He feels betrayed by his mentor and boss “Zha.”

  • “Having a leader like this, what’s the point?” —Xu [13:37]

---

4. A Source Identified: Social Media as a Hunting Ground

[14:04 – 16:39]

• Turning Point—LinkedIn:
  Xu and the Sixth Bureau turn to LinkedIn, a “wonderful spotting tool for the MSS” to identify potential sources.

  • “It was like a candy store.” –James Olson, former CIA officer [15:01]
  • “They’ve got their resumes on there. They brag about the projects they’ve been working on. It’s all right there.” —James Olson [15:31]

• Target—David Jun:
  David’s profile lists his work at GE on composite materials for the GE9X; being Chinese-born makes him an ideal MSS target for patriotic appeals.

---

5. The Recruitment Attempt: Academic Cover

[16:39 – 21:30]

• Initial Outreach:
  A dean from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), “Chen Fang,” contacts David Jun, inviting him to deliver a technical talk during his planned visit to China.

• David’s Response:
  He’s receptive and sets up the visit, noting:

  • “When I pass by Nanjing, if time allows, I am happy to pay a visit to NUAA.” —David Jun [18:55]

• Critical Mistake:
  Before departing, David copies roughly 41,000 files from his GE computer, transferring five to his personal laptop—intending to use them in his China presentation.

• The Meeting in Nanjing:
  David meets with “Xu Hui” (actually Xu Yanjun) and delivers a technical lecture, for which he receives €3,500 and expensive tea as gifts.

  • “They’re kind of probing. They’re seeing how far he will go, whether he is someone who can be induced to talk more than he should.” —James Olson [20:45]

• Aftermath:
  Back home, David receives messages from Xu Hui urging future collaboration. David asks repeatedly what materials he should bring next time, now less concerned about GE secrecy.

---

6. The Operation Turns: The FBI Steps In

[21:30 – 23:14]

• Unexpected Twist:
  The FBI has recruited David as a counter-intelligence asset. The seemingly eager replies Xu receives are crafted by FBI Special Agent Bradley Hull.

  • “We had to make the story seem as accurate and truthful as possible. I wanted for my counterpart in the MSS to see and to think, oh, it’s still my guy. He’s still working for me.” —Bradley Hull [22:49]
  • “The goal of a good intel operation is to talk to the officer. You know, Spy v. Spy.” —Bradley Hull [22:54]

• Bait Laid:
  “That’s when you cast your line to see if they’ll at least nibble. And they bit.” —Bradley Hull [23:14]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jet Engine Monopoly:
  “There are only three companies and two countries in the entire world that can build a decent commercial jet engine.”
  —Richard Aboulafia [05:40]

• On Social Media’s Risks:
  “LinkedIn is a wonderful spotting tool for the MSS.”
  –James Olson [15:12]

• On Xu’s state of mind:
  “At low point in my life, nothing works my way and liars get their ways.”
  —Xu Yanjun’s diary [14:04]

---

Timestamps of Major Segments

• [02:16] — Paris Air Show explained; the aviation industry’s biggest stage
• [03:57] — Introduction to the GE9X engine
• [04:43] — Jet propulsion’s “suck, squeeze, burn, blow” analogy explained
• [06:41] — Spycraft at the Paris Air Show
• [07:34] — MSS agents’ counter-surveillance “European party trip”
• [09:45] — Xu Yanjun’s personal and professional breakdown
• [14:50] — LinkedIn as a hunting ground for spies
• [15:46] — Introduction of David Jun, GE engineer
• [16:39] — Initial approach from Chinese university “dean”
• [20:04] — Nanjing visit: recruitment attempt unfolds
• [21:22] — Messages after return—collaboration advances
• [22:42] — FBI Special Agent Bradley Hull reveals the sting
• [23:14] — “Spy v. Spy” – The FBI turns the operation

---

Tone & Themes

The episode masterfully combines technical fascination (the marvels of jet engine engineering) with cloak-and-dagger tension. There’s an undercurrent of frustration and vulnerability in the Chinese agent’s personal diary, making the stakes feel personal as well as geopolitical. The hosts maintain a level tone, mixing journalistic detachment with moments of ironic humor (describing LinkedIn as both “boring” and a “candy store” for spies).

---

For Next Time

The episode ends with the successful FBI sting dangling over the story—Xu Yanjun, convinced he’s recruiting an insider, is actually communicating with American law enforcement:

• “You’re going head to head with some very smart people on both ends and each side has to be smarter than the other. And I could just see the jubilation with the FBI that he’s coming our way.” —James Olson [24:43]

---

Summary prepared for listeners who want the drama, insight, and context of episode three, “Suck, Squeeze, Burn, Blow,” without the filler.

Transcript

[A]

The news doesn't stop on the weekends.

[B]

Context changes constantly, and now Bloomberg is the place to stay on top of it all.

[A]

Hi, I'm David Gura. Join us every Saturday and Sunday for the new Bloomberg this Weekend.

[B]

I'm Christina Raffini. We'll bring you the latest headlines in depth analysis and big interviews, all the stories that hit home on your days off. And I'm Lisa Mateo. Watch and listen to Bloomberg this weekend for thoughtful, enlightening conversations about business, lifestyle, people and culture.

[A]

On Saturday mornings, we put the past week's events into context, examining what happened in the markets and the world.

[B]

Then on Sundays, we speak with journalists, columnists and key political figures to prepare you for the week ahead. Join us as soon as you wake up and bring us with you wherever your weekend plans take you.

[A]

Watch us on Bloomberg Television, listen on Bloomberg Radio, stream the show live on the Bloomberg Business app, or listen to

[B]

the podcast that's Bloomberg this Weekend. Saturdays and Sundays starting at 7am Eastern on February 28th. Make us part of your weekend routine on Bloomberg Television Radio and wherever you get your podcasts. At Charmin. We heard you shouldn't talk about going to the bathroom in public, so we decided to sing about it.

[C]

Charmin Ultra strong you can use less better than the rest Charmin Ultra Strong booty pass the clean text salmon weave texture it's the best Study up, teach a lesson on fresh your booty pass the clean text Charmin Ultra strong Charmin

[B]

Ultra strong with diamond weed texture cleans better than the leading one plaid brand so you can use less yes, enjoy the Go with Charmin.

[D]

A couple quick notes before we get started. Throughout the rest of the series, you'll hear people refer to ge. They're usually talking about a division of the General Electric company that made aircraft engines, GE Aviation. Today, it's an independent company called GE Aerospace. So you'll hear people use all these terms and they basically mean the same thing. Also, this is the third episode of this series. If you missed the first two, we recommend going back and listening in order to. Thanks. Do you know what that is? It's loud.

[E]

It's definitely loud. Drake, you want to talk about where we are and what we're seeing?

[D]

We're at the Paris Air show and that noise in the background is kind of advanced fighter jet doing loops above us in the sky, all around us.

[F]

Wow.

[D]

The Paris Air show takes place every two years. It's been happening since 1909, almost as long as airplanes have existed. It's held at Le Bourget Airport which is actually where Charles Lindbergh landed after his famous flight across the Atlantic in 1927. A century later, this airport still gets to be, for a week, the center of the aviation world.

[A]

This is the greatest repository of knowledge about the industry you're going to find on a global basis.

[D]

This is Richard Aboulafia, a consultant in the aviation industry. And who are some of the biggest companies here?

[A]

The charismatic megafauna are the airframers. So you've got Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, folks like that. And then you've got the engine ecosystem, led by General Electric and, well, dozens and hundreds, thousands even, of companies going down to the second, third and fourth tier of the supply chain.

[E]

People are here to network and to show off. There are all these huge exhibition halls full of booths displaying products like control systems, landing gear, radar, transponders. Outside, aircraft are lined up along the taxiway, shining in the bright sun in all their glory. There's all sorts of eye candy here in all directions, but we spent the majority of our time looking at one thing.

[D]

The GE9X aircraft engine. It's the most powerful commercial jet engine that's ever been made.

[E]

The GE9X, made by GE Aerospace, is outside on its own little stage with its own security guards and a velvet rope.

[D]

First, it's huge, it's gigantic. I mean, at its widest, the sort of intake fan blade section is almost 12ft in diameter, so you can see inside it and it looks really complicated. I, even, having done the reporting we've done, can't make much sense of what I'm looking at, honestly. But if you did have a little bit more of technical proficiency, like Richard, who definitely has a little more technical proficiency than we do, and he says jet propulsion is actually pretty straightforward. It boils down to four suck, squeeze, burn, blow, suck, squeeze, burn, blow.

[A]

You're sucking air in, you're squeezing it, you're compressing it in several stages of a compressor burn, of course, is the combustor. That's an engine, just like a car engine. It's burning fuel. And then blow, of course, is what comes out the back that gives you your propulsion.

[D]

Simple and yet really hard to perfect. Because making an engine is one thing. Making it light enough and powerful enough to fly through the air is another. Making money on it is another. And having everyone land safely at the end of the day, every single time, is still another. The stakes are incredibly high. So being able to make engines like this puts GE into a very exclusive club.

[A]

There are only three companies and two countries in the entire world that can build a decent commercial jet engine. General Electric and Pratt and Whitney of the US and Rolls Royce in Britain.

[D]

None of those companies, you'll notice, are Chinese. There are all sorts of areas where Chinese companies have caught up with and surpassed their western competitors. Today, a smartphone made by China's Huawei is just as advanced as an iPhone. And a BYD electric car is on par with a Tesla and a fraction of the price. But when it comes to commercial aviation and commercial jet engines, no dice.

[E]

Obviously, the Chinese government wants to change that. They claim that their latest fighter jets already rival America's. And China's state owned airplane maker COMAC is currently making commercial planes meant to compete with Airbus and Boeing. But Chinese passenger jets are still heavily reliant on tech from western companies, which makes the Paris air show a very compelling destination for a certain type of government employee. What about spies?

[D]

Spies come here.

[A]

There's no question.

[D]

There's no question, you know, re enter Xu Yanjun. Xu was here back in 2017, but of course, to get to the Paris air show, he and his colleagues had to take precautions. They used a front company to get their visas, and they didn't fly directly to France.

[G]

June 17th, early morning, flew to Athens.

[C]

They flew into Athens.

[D]

FBI Special Agent Bradley Hull.

[C]

They went to Santorini where they rented a villa.

[G]

June 18, took ferry to Santorini.

[C]

We have photos of the villa and the view from the villa, it was stunning. We also have photos of them in the hot tub with what appear to be narcotics. We also have photos of them with women, some in the hot tub, some in other locales. So basically, it looked like these five or six MSS officers who were on this, this trip were a bunch of lads out on the lash, to use the British term for right. They were there to party so that if anybody was watching them, they wouldn't look like a group of MSS officers there to do spycraft. They look like a bunch of guys doing a big European trip where, you know, you drink, you carouse, et cetera.

[D]

The lads out on the lash, as Bradley would say, partied their way through Venice, Verona, Florence, Rome.

[C]

And ultimately, after five days of what we call a surveillance detection route, the team determined they were clean. They bought tickets for cash at the

[G]

airport June 22, flew to Paris and

[C]

went straight to the Paris air show. We could see which gate they entered. We know they spent a lot of time around an area where one of the US Predator drones was set up. We have a couple images of that. They had at least two meetings with other individuals either at the Paris Air show or around the Paris Air Show. And that's what they were there to do. Ultimately, they were there to mix and mingle, and it certainly seems like they did.

[E]

On top of all that, Chu had another job to do. He had to go shopping for his boss.

[G]

One briefcase, two Lacoste T shirts for

[E]

his boss's boss or his boss's boss's wife.

[G]

One Miu Miu purse, one Zegna belt, one Ambo bracelet.

[E]

And for the big boss, Chu really splashed out.

[G]

Two bottles of Latour, one Zegna clutch, one box of macaron.

[E]

He spends thousands of euros, and yet when he gets home, it's clear his gifts don't get the reaction he was hoping for.

[G]

Went to work, gave out all the gifts, didn't buy enough.

[D]

It was a small enough thing, but it bugged him. And it was one of a growing number of indignities he suffered in 2017. The year marks a kind of inflection point for Xu. He begins to struggle at work and also at home. But that same year, he would get introduced to a new source, the kind of source that could change everything.

[F]

This is going to be the highlight of Xu's career. This is going to be the recruitment that is going to set him aside from all of his peers. This is big. This is a very big thing.

[E]

From Bloomberg News and iHeart podcasts, this is the Sixth Bureau. I'm Jordan Robertson.

[D]

And I'm Drake Bennett.

[H]

I'm Barry Ritholtz inviting you to join me for the Masters in Business podcast. Every week we bring you fascinating conversations with the people who shape markets, investing and business. CEOs, fund managers, billionaires, Nobel laureates, traders, analysts, economists, everybody. That affects what's going on in the market. Whether you own stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities, crypto. You really need to hear these conversations. Sometimes it's behaviorists like Dick Thaler or Bob Shiller. Sometimes it's fund managers like Peter Lynch, Bill Miller, Ray Dalio. Sometimes it's authors Michael Lewis, author of the Big Short and Moneyball. Regardless of the conversation, these are the folks that move markets each week. That's the Masters in Business podcast with me, Barry Ritholtz. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[E]

Throughout 2017, Hsu's personal life was in the dumps. Shou really starts to sound like he's stuck reading his diary. You can see him questioning his life choices.

[G]

May 19. Feeling agitated in past couple days. Feeling like I'm abandoned by the whole world. Work, relationship, money, none of it is going well

[E]

on the romance front. He'd been spending a lot of time with one of his mistresses, someone he worked with at the mss. Actually the one he called Peach in his diary. But now things with Peach were taking a turn.

[G]

April 28 Messaged peach but didn't receive any reply. Not going to reach out anymore. Speaking of a relationship, Peach obviously doesn't care anymore. Not even replying to messages. Breakup is real.

[E]

As the summer wore on, things only got worse.

[G]

August 17th peach, heartless, saw me in the rain yesterday morning. Walked by with her umbrella without stopping. She did not sit next to me at the breakfast either. I reached out to her on WeChat after she was very cold toward me. I felt like I was humiliating myself.

[E]

Things weren't going any better for Xu financially.

[G]

I lost so much in the stock market, I dug myself into a financial hole. What a shame. Feeling so terrible. When does it all end?

[E]

Work also sucked. Shu's boss, Ja Rong, had been a mentor to him for years. But now Shu felt taken for granted.

[G]

March 27 Zhang rejected meal receipt Today Such an ungrateful person has no shame. I will have my revenge.

[C]

He would get promoted and then be berated. He would have an amazing case and get a beautiful end of the year review and then be crushed a week later because a decimal point was wrong on a receipt.

[G]

April 28 Relationship with John has dropped below freezing point. John undermined me. I need to adjust my mindset so

[C]

that that yo yoing between you're great and you're terrible clearly was having an impact on his state of mind.

[G]

During dinner, Zha went nuts and said, I'm poor at management. Zha has turned against me just like that. I think my relationship with him will never be the same again. Having a leader like this, what's the point?

[C]

Life wasn't where he wanted it to be. Even though compared to your average person, to be that high up within the MSS in China would seem like a pretty, you know, auspicious life. But my interpretation was that he didn't see it that way.

[G]

At low point in my life, nothing works my way and liars get their ways.

[D]

But amidst all of this disappointment and humiliation, Xu did still have a job to do. He had hacks to manage and bosses to deal with. He had to keep finding new engineers to come give talks in Nanjing. And if he could find a really good one, it could turn his life or at least his career around. He could get back on his feet. And he did. And it wasn't by Hacking into a computer or breaking into a hotel room or doing some special spy thing. It was through a tool you've probably used yourself, something extremely ordinary.

[F]

LinkedIn.

[D]

Yeah, LinkedIn, also known as one of the most boring places on the Internet, but not to the mss.

[F]

It was like a candy store.

[D]

This is James Olson, the former CIA officer we've been hearing from. He was also an expert witness for the prosecution in Hsu's case.

[F]

LinkedIn is a wonderful spotting tool for the MSS.

[D]

A spotting tool, meaning they go hang out on LinkedIn looking for sources for people who have access to the information they want, like aviation engineers. And with LinkedIn, we're handing it to them.

[F]

They've got their resumes on there. They brag about the projects they've been working on. It's all right there.

[D]

And that's where Hsu or someone at the 6th Bureau spotted the profile of a GE engineer named David Jun.

[F]

He had access to very sensitive programs at GE Aviation working on this composite material, this lightweight technology.

[E]

Remember that huge engine we stood next to at the Paris Airshow, the GE9X? Well, part of what's so special about that engine is that key elements of it are made out of carbon fiber composite. When you make something out of carbon fiber, you can make it both lighter and stronger than if you'd made it out of most any other material, say, metal. And as you can imagine, details about how GE Aerospace uses carbon fiber are kept very tight. They're inaccessible even to most of the company's employees, but not to David Jun.

[F]

And that's why, when Xiu saw this LinkedIn profile, he said, bingo, jackpot. Exactly what they want, and I'm going to go get it.

[E]

David was born and raised in a rural village in China. Being Chinese is also part of what made him an attractive target for the mss. The MSS is known to specifically target Chinese people living and working abroad, people who might be susceptible to appeals to their sense of patriotism or threats to their family members back home. David was the first in his family to go to college, then moved to the US to get his engineering PhD in composites. He moved to Cincinnati in 2012 to work for what was then called GE Aviation and focused on a part of the engine called the fan containment case. We really wanted to talk to David Jund for the series. Drake and I have approached him multiple times over the years we've been reporting on this case. He's declined to talk to us each time. So there's a lot we don't know. About him. But we do know LinkedIn is part of how Hsu and the MSS spotted him, and we know what they did next.

[D]

They reach out. Obviously, Xu doesn't say, hi, I'm from the MSS and I'd love to explore how we can collaborate to serve China. The MSS is smarter than that. So Xu doesn't even make the first contact. Instead, it's a dean at nuaa.

[E]

Hello, I'm sorry to bother you.

[F]

I Chen Feng. I'm in charge of the International Cooperation and Exchange Office at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. I learned from your online resume that you have accumulated a wealth of the mss, recruited a respected person to make the first contact. That added to the likelihood that Xing would be impressed, would be flattered that someone of that stature would be reaching out to him personally.

[D]

Many eminent talents like you, Chen Fang continued, come to NUAA to share their expertise.

[E]

NUAA can pay for the cost of

[F]

your trip back to China for the exchange.

[E]

If you are interested, please feel free to contact me.

[D]

David, it seems, was flattered by the invitation.

[I]

Chen Fong, how are you? Thank you for your email. I've been working at GE for over 10 years. After graduating with a doctorate in the US, I first worked for 5 years at GE's R&D department.

[D]

Then in 2012 plus, he already happened to be planning an upcoming trip to

[I]

China at the end of May to see my parents. My hometown is in Quzhou. When I pass by Nanjing, if time allows, I am happy to pay a visit to nuaa. I can confirm once my itinerary is finalized.

[E]

The emails between David and Chen continue through the spring into early May. And as they do, Chen gets more and more specific about what he wants David to share in his talk and even what it could be called application

[F]

design and manufacturing techniques of composite materials in aircraft engines.

[E]

Composites. David's careful in his response. He says he can't discuss any proprietary information from his work. But before he goes to China, he does something that will come back to haunt him. He copies about 41,000 files off his GE work computer. And then, as he's getting ready for his trip, he transfers five of those files onto his personal computer, the one he's planning to take to China. At no point does he mention any of this to anyone at George.

[D]

On June 1, 2017, David Jun arrives in Nanjing. Chen Feng picks him up and takes him to his hotel, which is on the NUAA campus. The next morning, over tea in the hotel lobby, Chen Feng introduces him to a man who he says works with the university. He says the man's name is Chu Hui. Surprise, surprise, it's Xu Yanjun. The group goes to lunch. Then David gives his presentation to a room of about 25 people.

[F]

Zheng gave the talk. Of course, they raved about it, how smart he was, and they're asking questions.

[D]

But David doesn't answer most of the questions because he says they touch on sensitive GE work.

[F]

They're kind of probing. They're seeing how far he will go, whether he is someone who can be induced to talk more than he should.

[D]

After the presentation, Chen Fang hands David Cash, $3,500. He says it's for the talk and to cover his travel. At dinner that night, Chu Hui, AKA Xu Yanjun, presents David with two boxes of fancy tea. They say their goodbyes, and David heads back to the U.S. we reached out to Nuaa and Chen Fang for comment, but neither responded.

[E]

Once David is home, Chu Hui messages him over WeChat to thank David for his talk. He invites him to come back soon.

[G]

You're welcome to visit Nanjing again next year.

[E]

Six months pass. Xu goes to the Paris Air Show. Peach breaks his heart. His boss continues to ride him. And then in December, David Jun says he's coming back to China.

[I]

Hello, Department Head Chu. It's been a while since we last caught up.

[E]

David says he has another trip booked and he seems eager to give another talk at Nuaa. Xu seems eager too. He responds just a few hours later.

[G]

I will try my best to arrange it for you. Come stop by Nimjin and we can have a chat. Welcome back.

[E]

As the messages continue, David repeatedly asks Xu what material he should bring with him to China. He no longer seems concerned about revealing sensitive GE information. Instead, his main concern seems to be giving Xu what he wants. For Xu, this had to feel like a huge break. He had an enthusiastic source inside GE working on one of the company's most coveted technologies, a potential gold mine. But David Jones wasn't writing these messages himself. He was being told what to say.

[C]

We had to have the communication with look authentic.

[F]

And at this point, of course, they're

[E]

actually talking to Bradley Hall, FBI Special Agent Bradley Hall.

[C]

We had to make the story seem as accurate and truthful as possible. I wanted for my counterpart in the MSS to see and to read and to think, oh, it's still my guy. He's still working for me. The goal of a good intel operation is to talk to the officer. You know, Spy v. Spy.

[E]

David was now working with the FBI. That's who Xu Yanjun was talking with and he was falling for it.

[C]

That's when you cast your line to see if they'll at least nibble. And they bit.

[E]

This is Tom Keene inviting you to join us for the Bloomberg Surveillance podcast. It's about making you smarter every business day. I'm Paul Sweeney. We bring you complete coverage of the US Market open. We cover stocks, bonds, commodities, even crypto. All the information you need to excel.

[B]

And I'm Alexis Christophers. Bloomberg Surveillance also brings you the analysis behind the headlines. We do that through conversations with the smartest names in economics, finance, investment and international relations.

[E]

We do all this live each and every weekday, then bring you the best analysis in our daily podcast search for Bloomberg Surveillance on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or anywhere else you listen. On the east coast, listen at lunch and on the west coast, listen as soon as you wake up.

[B]

That's the Bloomberg Surveillance podcast with Tom Keene, Paul Sweeney, and me, Alexis Christophorus. Subscribe today wherever you get your podcasts.

[E]

Bloomberg Surveillance essential listening each and every business day.

[D]

On the next episode.

[F]

Obviously, the guy's kind of in shock.

[C]

Two FBI people come walking in. So when I first saw it, I wasn't sure what it was because it was a Mandarin, but I saw a face in a military uniform, which makes it government.

[F]

You're going head to head with some very smart people on both ends and each side has to be smarter than the other. And I could just see the, the jubilation with the FBI that he's coming our way.