Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 106 - 96: The Lever Head

Chapter 106: Chapter 96: The Lever Head

The topic was forcibly changed, and Luca had nothing more to say.

Gao Yi indeed picked up his phone, wanting to send another email to Li Jie’s mailbox, but upon opening his email, he found out that the last message he had sent hadn’t been received yet.

Gao Yi really wasn’t accustomed to using email. He remembered that email as a thing of the past, not knowing why it was still in constant use in the United States.

Could it be that Li Jie didn’t like using email either?

"Nobody’s looking at the emails. How can we quickly find this gunsmith?"

Luca said without hesitation, "Just call him."

"I don’t have his private number, only the company’s phone."

"Then call the company’s phone to reach him!"

"But the company said he’s out."

Luca, with a look of helplessness, said, "Then just get his private number from the company. Do I have to teach you everything?"

"The company won’t give it!" Gao Yi said helplessly. "Of course, you don’t need to teach me that. What I meant was, could you possibly make a trip to Texas yourself? Do I really need to spell it out for you? No tact."

Luca wasn’t good at flattery or guessing his boss’s thoughts, leaving Gao Yi to spell it out himself.

Luca, puzzled, said, "But it’s you who needs the gun. Why should I go instead?"

"Because I don’t want to make a wasted trip..."

This assistant was no good, lacking perceptiveness. Gao Yi felt he needed an assistant who had some tact and could flatter. Luca just didn’t have the potential to be a thoughtful personal assistant; better to just have him manage the finances.

His social circle was too narrow. Where could he find a professional assistant?

Thinking about that unbearable nun, she seemed good, but she was too rash to be an appropriate assistant.

He only knew two industry insiders, one he had secured, and the other, he had no clue about their whereabouts, nor whether they were dead.

It would be a real pity if they were dead.

Gao Yi sighed heavily and said in a low voice, "Where can I find an assistant?"

While this expressed his dissatisfaction with Luca, Luca immediately said, "Take your time. An assistant is crucial to your life. As an assassin, your life isn’t in your own hands, but in your assistant’s. One betrayal, and you’re dead!"

It was true. The assassination profession was too peculiar. Secrecy was more important than any other skill. If you got an unreliable assistant, you were really putting your life in someone else’s hands.

Never mind, better to take it slow.

First, go home and distribute the money.

The money distribution went smoothly, except for gaining a subordinately smitten at first sight, there was nothing else to say.

"Really, an even split..."

Lin Xianghua was extremely surprised, utterly astonished, because Luca divided the funds neatly into three parts. After weighing the gold, he divided it into three parts. The small change was difficult to divide, so Luca took a cleaver and chopped the gold chain properly into exact three parts.

It was as if he had OCD, not a gram less.

Gao Yi felt Luca was a bit extreme, but he didn’t dare to say, too embarrassed to mention it.

"The commission is $220,000, ten percent for each of us, which is $22,000 each. You don’t have to give me Bitcoin, just take it from your cash, okay?"

Gao Yi nodded, calmly saying, "Okay."

Luca took out $44,000 from the cash, half for him and half for Lin Xianghua.

Lin Xianghua, feeling uncomfortable, said, "This doesn’t seem right. Taking so much from the spoils and then a commission doesn’t seem appropriate."

Luca, expressionless, said, "The rules were not set by you, so just be quiet."

After the money was divided, everyone secured their share, then Luca turned to Lin Xianghua and asked, "Tell me, when you were a mercenary, have you ever seen a leader who divides the money like this?"

Lin Xianghua shook his head like a bobblehead, his face full of emotion, "No, of course not. The spoils were usually half taken by the leader, the rest divided among us. But often people would just pocket any valuable thing they saw, so... Such a rule of fair division was impossible."

Luca continued, "Are there commissions?"

"No, there were just fixed salaries, maybe an occasional combat allowance for dangerous missions or tough battles, but it wasn’t much."

Luca nodded and said, "Now you know our rules, what do you think of them?"

"Good! Um... simply good!"

Luca pointed at Gao Yi and said, "Seen a leader like this? Worked with such a boss? You’ve seen what happened today. Ever heard of such a person?"

Lin Xianghua, filled with emotion, said, "Not just seeing... it’s unheard of. I can’t even dare to imagine it, I can hardly believe it’s true."

Luca then said, "Well, now that you’ve seen and believed, do you know what to do in the future?"

Lin Xianghua, looking at Gao Yi with a fierce expression, said, "Boss, I swear, even if I die, I won’t let you die. Just trust me with your safety, my life is yours!"

Speaking passionately, Lin Xianghua, reminded of the past, his face full of sorrow, said, "I joined the Plunderer Mercenary Corps, I served them as a scout, but that bastard, upon realizing there was no chance to make a move, immediately sold me out. He wanted $100,000, but they only offered $10,000 and he sold me for that, this, this..."

Getting emotional, Lin Xianghua walked up to Gao Yi and bowed deeply, bending to ninety degrees, then with his waist still bent, he said, "Boss! It’s not just about covering your back, wherever you point, I’ll strike, and if you order me to face death, I’ll do it!"

Luca’s words had an effect. Envy can kill a man, and since Gao Yi was indeed up to the mark, Luca let Lin Xianghua deepen his impression to let him know whose service was the most valuable.

But Gao Yi was incredulous and said, "Alright, stand up. Where did you pick up that habit of bowing? Are you trying to worship a dead man if you bow twice more?"

Lin Xianghua straightened up, awkwardly chuckled, and said, "Uh, I got carried away. I can’t exactly kowtow to you, or maybe I should."

"Are you that short on cash? Alright, everyone’s tired, go to sleep."

It was enough to let Lin Xianghua know the score. Mental conditioning could be managed by Luca, as Gao Yi was bashful about self-aggrandizement.

Getting up, Gao Yi said to Luca, "What do we do with all this cash? Help me store the money. Find someone to exchange it and save it for me later. Thanks."

Luca nodded. Gao Yi yawned and went back to his room, and after Gao Yi left, Lin Xianghua couldn’t help saying, "Boss really... sees money like dirt!"

Luca waved his hand and said, "Find yourself a room to sleep in. See you tomorrow."

That night, Gao Yi slept very sweetly, Luca slept very peaceably, but Lin Xianghua, the most exhausted, ended up with insomnia.

Being a mercenary was considered a high-income job. Making a fortune might be a bit difficult, but following Gao Yi at the first battle already brought Lin Xianghua hundreds of thousands. He couldn’t help but fantasize all night about how he would spend the money, too excited to sleep.

The next day, Gao Yi stuck to his old habit of starting with boxing practice, followed by breakfast. After eating and with nothing else to do, it was time to finish the tasks from yesterday.

"It’s nine o’clock. Call Li Jie’s company, maybe he’s returned."

Last time, Sean contacted them, but this time Gao Yi decided to make direct contact.

Sitting at the dining table, he dialed the phone number of Li Jie’s company and waited for someone to answer. After someone picked up, Gao Yi calmly said, "Hello, I want to find Li Jie."

Li Jie had an English name, but Gao Yi habitually used ’Li Jie,’ and the person on the other end, hearing this, replied in English, "He’s not at the company. What do you need him for?"

"I’m looking for him... I’m his friend."

Gao Yi initially wanted to say he was customizing firearms, but guessed he might be brushed off again. Wanting Li Jie’s personal number now, he changed his approach.

Gao Yi said very smoothly, "I’m his friend from back in China, now I’m in the United States. But his mobile is not answering, and I don’t know if he’s changed his number. Do you know his mobile number? Could you tell me?"

Being an assassin, coming up with a lie was no problem.

However, the person on the line switched to Chinese and asked, "From China? Who are you?"

Gao Yi smoothly replied, "I’m Zhang Wei, Li Jie’s classmate."

Zhang Wei was a very common name. Gao Yi couldn’t believe there wouldn’t be a Zhang Wei among Li Jie’s classmates – even if there weren’t, as long as the person on the phone thought there was, it was fine.

"Zhang Wei, huh? Uh, didn’t you know? Li Jie isn’t in the United States."

Gao Yi was taken aback, and said, "Not in the United States? But he said he would be in America waiting for me before I left. I was looking forward to shooting with him. Where has he gone?"

"Man, don’t get me started. That dummy Li Jie got into a spat with a dumb blogger back in China and went to the Middle East. Ah, it’s indescribable, no persuading him."

"What!"

Gao Yi was truly startled.

"Li Jie’s not just a YouTuber? There’s this moronic blogger who said that AKs made in America are of better quality than those made in the Soviet Union, Russia, or Eastern European countries. Li Jie argued that AK-series might look simple, but they’re built in national-level factories using large industrial equipment which ensures quality and affordability. In the US, the small factories can’t match that, so it’s the same quality but different prices. Li Jie works in this field, and the Chinese blogger has probably never even touched a real gun. What’s there to argue about? But no, that idiot just wouldn’t let Li Jie go, and Li Jie, the idiot as well, actually went there to prove it on-site..."

Gao Yi’s eyes widened, he incredulously asked, "No, so... isn’t it good if it’s made in America? Instead of just comparing two guns, why did he go to the Middle East?"

"Because he needed to verify the environmental use as well. Don’t you know Li Jie’s style? Once stubborn, he’d insist on arguing to death. If he wants to slap someone’s face, it must be comprehensive. We tried to discourage him, but..."

Gao Yi was exasperated and sighed, "So you mean to say, Li Jie won’t be coming back anytime soon?"

"Alas, I’m afraid he won’t be back. Alas, he’s in danger now, that idiot... he went to Syria! Damn! I don’t know what’s wrong with his brain. If you can contact him, please quickly persuade him to come back."

Hanging up the phone.

Gao Yi was dumbfounded, then he looked at the two people beside him, ultimately at a loss for words.