Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 457 - 445: The Alliance Must be Formed

Chapter 457: Chapter 445: The Alliance Must be Formed

Thirty-five tons of gold, valued at forty-five million US dollars per ton, equates to one billion five hundred and seventy-five million US dollars. Even omitting the small change, it’s at least worth one billion five hundred million US dollars.

The Ukrainian central bank is not only the central bank of Ukraine but also the national treasury—these thirty-five tons of gold are Ukraine’s gold reserves, and it is likely that’s all they have.

One billion five hundred million US dollars.

Power really is something. Arseny had only been Prime Minister for a few days and was already sending out thirty-five tons of gold, securing a ten percent benefit for himself. This is what truly selling out one’s country means, and it’s only meaningful when done to this extent.

From the conversation between Arseny and that Roy, it seemed they would transfer the Ukrainian treasury’s gold soon, but the exact timing and destination remained unclear.

Yang Yi desired this gold, which is why he pondered it for a long time, not contemplating whether he should take action, but how to do it.

After a while, Yang Yi stood up and went to Brian’s room, knocking on the door.

Upon entering, Yang Yi said nothing; he simply took out his phone and played the recorded surveillance audio.

Brian listened quietly to the recording, then spoke in a deep voice, "You want to get your hands on that gold?"

"Yes, so I came to ask for your opinion," Yang Yi replied.

Brian thought for a moment, and then addressed Yang Yi, "If Mike were alive, he would definitely tell you just to go for it."

With a serious tone, Yang Yi said, "I’d like to consult with you on what to do in this situation."

Brian shook his head and said in a low voice, "If Mike were alive, he’d certainly tell you to do whatever you think is best. So you can use your own method to get that gold. If you need me to do something, just give me the order. But, if you’re seeking my opinion..."

After pausing to reflect, Brian continued in a serious tone, "That’s thirty-five tons of gold, not thirty-five kilograms. We can’t handle it with our own strength alone."

Yang Yi spoke seriously, "I’ve thought it over. First, we need to seize the gold, but that’s just the first step. Next, we must transport the gold out of Ukraine, and after moving it out, we’ll need to convert the gold into cash. Finally, this batch of gold is meant for the Americans from Arseny. I don’t know who Roy represents—is it the official US government? The CIA? Or some bigwig? No matter who it is, we’ll face retaliation. Each of these four steps is incredibly difficult and dangerous, something we can’t do on our own."

Brian said nothing, silently watching Yang Yi.

Taking a breath, Yang Yi smiled and said, "Since we can’t go it alone, there’s no way we can keep all the gold to ourselves. We must find allies to achieve this goal. Right now, the people we can turn to for help are two: Justin and Alexander, one with connections and resources, the other with military power."

"Work with Justin?" Brian said softly.

"Not now. We need to collaborate, but not just yet," Yang Yi waved his hand and explained, "Justin has vast resources. If we tell him about this, he can cut us out easily. He has money, people, and connections— he can handle it all on his own, even without us. For a wealth of one billion five hundred million US dollars, it’s very likely that Justin would consider eliminating us to keep it all for himself."

Brian smirked, "Good to know you’re aware of that."

"Of course, I am. That’s why we can’t approach Justin first. We must turn to the Aurora Mercenary Corps!" said Yang Yi.

Brian furrowed his brows, "Why go to the Aurora Mercenary Corps? Do you plan to seize the gold by force?"

Yang Yi shook his head vigorously, "Capture, but not by brute force. We can’t overpower them while the gold is in the central bank of Ukraine. Once Arseny moves the gold out, that’ll be our chance. No matter how many guards he sends or who comes to receive it, that will be our opportunity to strike."

Brian remained reflective and silent, while Yang Yi smiled, "A direct assault is just one possibility. Right now, we can’t determine exactly how to secure the gold, but we won’t rely on force alone. However, whatever we eventually decide to do, we’re certain that our eight people are too few, and we must bring the Aurora Mercenary Corps into this."

"Why must we involve the Aurora?"

In a low voice, Yang Yi said, "Because the Aurora is formidable. They have numerous people and strong military power. Whether or not we can use the Aurora’s military force, just having them involved ensures Justin wouldn’t dare exclude us or eliminate us to monopolize this batch of gold. Do you understand what I mean?"

The Organization of Water was still too weak to handle the wealth of thirty-five tons of gold, and Justin, a potential collaborator, was too powerful. Though it would be enough to seek Justin’s help alone, Yang Yi dared not turn to Justin exclusively.

Thus, Yang Yi needed to bring the Aurora Mercenary Corps on board. Regardless of whether they would be used, even if just for the sake of having the Aurora’s men act as movers, Yang Yi needed their involvement as it was the best way to secure and retain the gold.

Taking a breath, Brian said, "You’ve thought this through well. So what do we do now?"

"First, we continue to monitor Arseny. I need to be able to eavesdrop on all his conversations and watch every move. Once we know when and how he plans to move that gold, we’ll decide how to intervene, whether that’s through robbery or some other method. Keeping an eye on Arseny is the first step," explained Yang Yi.

Brian nodded, "Paul and I can manage that."

Yang Yi smiled, then continued, "Once we have detailed intelligence, I’ll notify Justin, but for now, I need to contact Alexander and see if he’s interested in joining the heist for this gold."

Brian frowned, "The Aurora Mercenary Corps has a long-standing reputation. Perhaps working with them alone will suffice."

Yang Yi shook his head and smiled, "No, we must involve Justin, just as we must engage Aurora."

Yang Yi hesitated to collaborate with Justin because Justin was a behemoth who could swallow them whole with a single malevolent thought, while Aurora was not small in stature compared to the Organization of Water. To avoid being overtaken by a partner, Yang Yi felt he must work with both Justin and Alexander.

Justin was already acquainted with Alexander, but Yang Yi believed their relationship wasn’t that strong.

Yang Yi trusted that both Justin and Alexander were men of their word and wouldn’t easily betray their allies. Yet, facing the wealth of thirty-five tons of gold, he would rather not place too much faith in human nature. After all, those who operate in the underworld often place humanity behind interests.