Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 610 - 618: Tacit Understanding

Chapter 610: Chapter 618: Tacit Understanding

Jethro didn’t consult with Yang Yi before saying or doing anything. However, it was quite obvious that he subdued Ferdinand without much effort.

Originally, Deyo intended for Ferdinand to lead and Jethro to assist. Now, however, their roles of principal and auxiliary had evidently been reversed.

After much hesitation, Ferdinand finally said in a deep voice, "All right, let’s cooperate like this!"

Jethro cracked a slight smile, and the oppressive aura around him disappeared instantly. Then, he said to Ferdinand with a peaceful face, "This is a good start. I believe our cooperation will be very pleasant. After all, we have no conflicts of interest, and even if we do, it’s merely internal competition. Trust me, if the boss sent someone else in my place, it wouldn’t do you any good. Don’t you know that I am a terribly nice guy who’d risk his own life? Haha, haha."

Ferdinand’s lips twitched painfully a few times, as if to echo Jethro’s laughter.

Jethro waved his hand and said, "I’ve been quite forthright today. Of course, it wouldn’t matter too much if the boss heard what I’ve said, but I won’t let him know. After all, some words are just subordinates blowing off steam among themselves. But if the boss were to hear them, hmm, that definitely wouldn’t be ideal."

Ferdinand whispered, "Of course, my people are reliable. Nothing said here will be leaked."

Now that peace talks had concluded, Yang Yi finally put away his gun. After waiting for Yang Yi to stow his weapon, Ferdinand waved his hand, and his subordinates, looking resentful, reluctantly lowered their gun barrels.

Jethro’s people appeared wholly calm and composed, while Ferdinand’s men looked visibly upset and hostile. The difference in the quality of their forces was stark.

Feeling that he had lost face and advantage, Ferdinand still wanted to regain some dignity. Thus, despite the forced cooperation, he sought to maintain some initiative.

"Have you contacted General Hagel yet?"

Ferdinand asked with an inquiring tone, to which Jethro replied with an even-tempered voice, "Not yet, but I will contact him shortly. Though, I think he won’t show up easily—after all... you know, he’s bound to be somewhat cautious since Deyo II died under his protection."

After speaking, Jethro then asked as if seeking advice from a superior, "Can you share your plan with me? If Hagel agrees to come out, how do you plan to deal with him?"

After a moment of silence, Ferdinand said in a low voice, "As long as he’s willing to come out, that’s fine. I can lay an ambush in advance, and then we can take him out no matter what."

Jethro chuckled bitterly and said, "I’ve spent a good amount of time in Ukraine and understand the situation here to some extent. Buddy, first, let me tell you about General Hagel’s character. Just how much do you know about this man?"

Ferdinand looked towards Yang Yi. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, Jethro immediately said, "Rest assured, my people are definitely trustworthy. You can speak freely."

For some reason, Yang Yi suddenly felt as if a needle had pricked his heart.

Ferdinand whispered, "Hagel is an alias. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Chief of the General Staff."

Yang Yi was surprised, for he truly hadn’t known that Hagel was an assumed name, let alone that Hagel was such an influential figure—terrifyingly so.

Jethro nodded and said, "That’s right. Hagel is currently the most powerful man in the Ukrainian military. He’s been collaborating with Big Ivan for a long time. Despite our knowing of his long-standing collaboration with Big Ivan, Hagel insists on using this alias when contacting either him or us, even though we know his identity. What does this tell you? It indicates that Hagel is an extremely cautious person."

Jethro leaned forward, his face becoming stern as he said, "Would such an important and cautious person meet with us without careful consideration? Impossible, absolutely impossible. The most likely scenario is that I will go to meet him. But how would you strike then? Moreover, this is Kyiv. Do you think, given Hagel’s status, he would come out to meet us alone? No, he has countless men at his disposal and could arrange a completely secure meeting place. Have you considered the consequences of forcibly breaking through his security and eliminating him?"

Ferdinand whispered, "The U.S. and the current Ukrainian government both want to replace him. If we could take out Hagel, the Americans would be pleased."

Jethro gave a bitter smile and replied, "But the problem is that Hagel isn’t someone you can take out easily. Neither the Americans nor the current Ukrainian government can do it. They may want to, but they can’t, not until they have full control over the military. Think about it. If we took out Hagel, would the Americans protect us? Would the Ukrainian government let us off? No, they would only use us as scapegoats, eliminate us, and give the Ukrainian military some closure. That would be our fate."

Ferdinand fell silent.

In a low voice, Jethro continued, "Besides, we truly have no chance of eliminating Hagel. We really don’t. This is not Africa, where the leader of a country’s military would give you an opportunity. We are arms dealers, but that’s all we are. There are some things we can’t do, and some prices we can’t pay."

Ferdinand said in a low voice, "But the boss has ordered us to take out Hagel..."

Jethro chuckled wryly and said, "The boss was furious when he gave that order. He must have been livid."

Ferdinand frowned and said, "I admit you make sense. Actually, I’ve thought about these things too. But how do we explain it to the boss?"

After a moment’s reflection, Jethro replied, "I will phone General Hagel. We’ll continue with the preparations we need to make, and when the opportunity arises, we’ll make our move and take him out."

Considering this, Ferdinand said, "That could work."

Jethro and Ferdinand had reached a tacit understanding. When the boss gives an order, as subordinates, they couldn’t disobey, but this task wasn’t something that could just be done. They had to find the right opportunity, and Jethro and Ferdinand could always fail to find one.

Following the boss’s orders was a matter of attitude, but being temporarily unable to carry them out could be attributed to a lack of capability or a matter of timing. If Deyo had someone more capable than Jethro and Ferdinand, he could simply replace them for this task. However, if Deyo couldn’t find anyone more capable, then the issue became one of time.

If one were to set a deadline for this task, Jethro might suggest ten thousand years, if that would suffice.