Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 710 - 716: Hesitant to Use a Valuable Tool for Fear of Damaging It

Chapter 710: Chapter 716: Hesitant to Use a Valuable Tool for Fear of Damaging It

Jethro wasn’t disregarding the bigger picture and stirring up internal strife at a crucial moment; rather, if he didn’t eliminate Ferdinand now, he’d never have another chance.

If he were truly devoted to the public good, Jethro should have wholeheartedly assisted Corkdor and Ferdinand, but how many people in this world are without self-interest? Jethro came to Ukraine with injuries unhealed, not to share the worries of his boss Deyo but to seek greater benefits for himself.

Unfortunately, Deyo was incredibly unreliable in the way he handled things. Since he had summoned Jethro and promised him control of the overall situation, he should not have sent Ferdinand, and even more so, he should not have sent Corkdor after Ferdinand.

Deyo’s biggest mistake was placing three individuals in Ukraine; it would have been fine if the three could work in unison, but the problem was that Deyo’s premise for employing them was to tempt them with the huge bait of Ukraine. If he intended to move people with interests, yet still wanted the three to collaborate, that was just a joke.

One monk carries water to drink, two monks lift water to drink, three monks have no water to drink.

In fact, Corkdor performed quite well, making some concessions proactively to stabilize the situation. Although the three didn’t work together with one heart and one mind, they didn’t hold each other back either. But when it came to crunch time, like now when they had located Big Ivan’s whereabouts and prepared for a decisive battle, the facade of unity that had been maintained until now suddenly collapsed.

With the situation continuing to develop in this way, Jethro wouldn’t be able to gain any benefits, so he had to make a choice immediately.

For his own sake, he’d better tear off his mask and act as he needed to; for the common good, he’d cooperate sincerely with Ferdinand, after which Corkdor would receive the highest accolades, Ferdinand the second, and as for Jethro himself, securing some money would be the greatest reward.

Human nature is inherently selfish, and Jethro was no exception, so it was not surprising that he chose to fight for his interests.

However, Jethro was not so impulsive; he knew that to snatch the peach, he had to wait until there were peaches to snatch. He also knew that if he was too greedy, he wouldn’t be able to keep the peach in the end, so he had to be a conspirator, planning how to seize more fruits of victory, but not daring to do so openly.

The key issue now was how to reasonably and without arousing suspicion, cause Ferdinand’s demise.

Jethro had no more secrets in front of Yang Yi, so when discussing this topic, of course, they brainstormed to give him advice and strategies.

If it was just about taking out Ferdinand, it would be really easy, because they knew where Ferdinand lived, knew who was around him, and could create all sorts of false information and excuses to lure Ferdinand out of his heavily guarded residence. In that case, just arranging a sniper would solve the problem.

But to take out Ferdinand reasonably and without suspicion was much harder.

Brian sighed and closed his eyes, pondering for a moment before speaking in a deep voice, "How much time do we have?"

Yang Yi replied in a low voice, "The time is uncertain; it could be a week, or we might set out for Eastern Ukraine tomorrow."

Brian interlocked his fingers and then whispered, "The most reasonable way is to let the enemy take out Ferdinand. If we can’t leak Ferdinand’s information to the enemy, then we should play the enemy ourselves, disguise well, and leave evidence."

Jethro gave a wry smile and said, "But that would require a frontal assault, right? Your numbers are few, and Ferdinand’s men are many, and they are all together. If I try to lure Ferdinand out to create an opportunity for you, I think it’d be difficult not to arouse suspicion."

Zhang Yong said impatiently, "Who cares about that? I say, get the job done first and then deal with the rest! Once the person is dead, what can anyone do? The law of the jungle applies here; if you killed Ferdinand, it just shows you’re capable. Everyone in this circle knows the game. Does your boss really plan to avenge Ferdinand or something?"

Jethro said helplessly, "Alright, you make sense, but the thing is, the job isn’t done yet. Big Ivan hasn’t been taken out. If I act too obviously, could Corkdor feel threatened? Then our basis for cooperation is gone. Deyo would just put all hands and resources in Corkdor’s corner. So, your suggestion isn’t bad, it’s just that the timing isn’t right."

Zhang Yong waved his hand impatiently, "Forget it, you guys think of something. This is giving me a headache."

Brian said in a deep voice, "How about we intentionally leak information to Big Ivan’s side?"

Jethro was stunned for a moment, then replied in a deep voice, "Could we suffer major losses? And, if Big Ivan’s people strike Ferdinand first, it could lead to alterations or even a cancellation of the whole plan."

Yang Yi obviously didn’t need to worry about Deyo’s reaction, but now, having to consider things from Jethro’s perspective, he felt frustrated, like he was walking on eggshells.

After a long thought, Yang Yi said helplessly, "There’s only one choice, the only choice. We leave Ferdinand alone for now, and wait until we clash with Big Ivan. That’s when we take out Ferdinand. In the chaos of battle, anyone’s death seems normal, and as for whether the bullet came from an enemy or an ally, who could find out, how could they?"

Yang Yi’s proposal was highly feasible, but also extremely difficult. It required precise timing, and they would lose a significant advantage—the full control of Ferdinand’s manpower before the operation. Nevertheless, despite disadvantages, his proposal remained the only viable option.

This plan had been discussed before, and bringing it up again was rehashing old ground. After pondering for a moment, Jethro could only say dejectedly, "There’s no other way, let’s go with this."

Just then, Yang Yi’s phone rang. He answered, and heard Anton whisper, "Woody has been bailed out of the police station. He’s already gone home to see his kid."

Yang Yi said quietly, "Good, how did it go?"

"Woody’s ex-mother-in-law bailed him out from the police station. She feels guilty toward Woody. If she has any conscience left, she’ll realize her daughter was the one in the wrong. The police found the body of the robber in the hotel, and no one suspects Woody’s involvement. Things are looking good; Woody can’t get custody, but at least he can visit his kid frequently now. If Woody isn’t foolish enough to confess everything himself, his ex-mother-in-law will never suspect him."

Yang Yi said softly, "Good, a satisfactory outcome."

"Also, Woody still needs to pay child support. He can’t find a job in the United States, so he’s thinking of going to Iraq as a field medic. What do you think of that excuse?"

"It’s a good excuse. You’ve done very well. When can you come back?"

"I’ve already bought my return ticket. I don’t want to give Woody too much time for a reunion. Now it’s his turn to work hard and repay us. What do you think?"

Yang Yi said in a deep voice, "Yes, come back as soon as possible. We’ve got big moves to make, there’s a need for a doctor, and it’s perfect timing that you can return so soon."