Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 115 - 105: The Child Can Be Taught

Chapter 115: Chapter 105: The Child Can Be Taught

"They all lived on the edge, licking blood off the knife’s blade, so their minds reacted quickly.

Without any reminder, Peter would preemptively answer; he even knew to proactively offer a confession.

Gao Yi glanced at Peter and then at the Plunderer still on the ground, his slightly chaotic mind suddenly cleared up a lot.

Luca leaned close to Gao Yi and whispered in his ear, "We’re in trouble. Don’t say anything, let them kill this guy, and then we leave immediately."

Gao Yi shook his head.

The Plunderer must die, but not like this.

Gao Yi fell into deep thought, and watching his thoughtful expression, the Plunderer continued loudly, "Let me go; it’s all a misunderstanding. I’ll give you money, I’ll pay you, just let me go, okay?"

Lying on the ground, after he hastily finished speaking, the Plunderer immediately turned his head towards Lin Xianghua, pleadingly saying, "I’m sorry! I apologize to you, I’m willing to compensate, I’ll give you money, don’t kill me, I’m from the CIA, if you kill me, you’ll be in trouble, really, believe me, killing me will bring you big trouble."

Gao Yi suddenly said, "How can you prove you’re CIA? Don’t say someone from the CIA can vouch for you; I won’t let you make that call."

The Plunderer fell into brief panic, but promptly said, "My phone, my phone is provided by the CIA, uh, my phone is not here... I disguised myself as ISIS and attacked Syrian troops, the CIA made me do it! They know it, Wild Boar, you know it, vouch for me!"

Peter was embarrassed, but he immediately said to Gao Yi, "We did that job, but I don’t know if it was on CIA’s orders."

Gao Yi paused and suddenly asked the Plunderer, "How much money do you have?"

"Uh?"

"I’m asking how much money you can give for your life?"

The Plunderer hesitated for a moment, then tentatively replied to Gao Yi, "Five hundred thousand?"

Gao Yi said to Lin Xianghua, "Still, kill him."

The Plunderer quickly said, "One million! One million dollars!"

Gao Yi drew two fingers across his throat, his meaning clear—still kill.

Lin Xianghua held a knife in one hand and pressed the Plunderer’s head with the other.

The Plunderer shouted loudly, "Two million dollars! I can’t give more, I really can’t produce anymore!"

Gao Yi motioned with his hand, and Lin Xianghua immediately got up and stepped aside.

Luca whispered again in Gao Yi’s ear, "Don’t be foolish! We can make more money, but keeping him alive is like a bomb, it’ll eventually kill us!"

Gao Yi nodded, then he said to the people in the room, "Stay here, I’m stepping out for a bit."

He turned, opened the door, closed it after a few steps, Gao Yi said to Grasse not far away, "We’ve got trouble."

Grasse stepped forward and whispered, "What?"

Gao Yi reached Grasse’s side and whispered, "The Plunderer claims he’s with the CIA, and from what he’s disclosed, it might be true."

"Falke! Falke!"

Grasse cursed twice, then took a long breath and whispered, "We messed up, shouldn’t have brought him here; we should have just killed him, nothing would’ve happened, oh, Falke!"

Watching Grasse filled with regret, Gao Yi suddenly felt that perhaps he needed to enlighten Grasse a bit more.

"It’s a trouble, but also a good opportunity, hmm, old chap, don’t you think that even if the Plunderer really is CIA, it might actually be a good thing?"

Grasse incredulously said, "What? You’re joking, this can only be trouble, how could it be a good thing?"

Gao Yi laid his hand on Grasse’s shoulder and then lowered his head saying, "I think, even if the Plunderer is with the CIA, he’s at most an informant or someone doing dirty work for the CIA that can’t see the light. What do you think?"

"Even if it’s just an informant, he’s still CIA. Killing him directly is no problem, at most they’d say it was a mistake, manslaughter, but bringing him over and then killing him after interrogation changes things, the CIA won’t let it go easily."

Gao Yi heaved a sigh, "Brother, you haven’t thought it through."

"What?"

"What’s your relationship with the CIA? Why was the Defense Clandestine Service established?"

"Because the Pentagon lacks its own intelligence units, a lot of things are always being interfered with by the CIA... what do you mean?"

Grasse sighed, not understanding the significance of Gao Yi’s words.

Gao Yi continued calmly, "Colleagues are competition, you caught a CIA informant, just killed him, would your superiors really blame you?"

"Our strength isn’t sufficient, we’re far behind the CIA, so we still can’t fully replace CIA’s role, so the Pentagon must maintain relations with the CIA, you don’t understand, if it’s because of me offending the CIA, my superiors will definitely throw me out as a scapegoat."

Grasse was both angry and anxious; he didn’t understand what Gao Yi meant by his words.

Gao Yi spoke unhurriedly, "Yes, the tall trees catch the most wind, but there’s also a saying that gold always shines. If this is handled poorly, you will be thrown out as a scapegoat, but what if you handle it well? Won’t that just be setting an example for the Secret Action Bureau?"

Grasse incredulously said, "What do you mean, this could turn out to be a good thing?"

"The Pentagon really willing to maintain only a superficial peace with the CIA? Who doesn’t know that the Pentagon and CIA largely obstruct each other, it’s public knowledge, what’s the point in keeping it secret, so if someone could come out, say like you, could give the CIA a beating and make a big splash for the Secret Action Bureau, wouldn’t you become a role model they’d want to establish?"

Grasse looked at Gao Yi, fell silent for a moment, but finally, dejectedly said, "I understand your point, but... you are still too young, you simply don’t understand, how could this be done by a mere intelligence analyst like me."

Gao Yi responded indifferently, "True, you can’t do this alone, so why not pull your superior in? If your superior isn’t enough, bring in your superior’s superior, the Secret Action Bureau can’t afford to offend the CIA, is the Pentagon really afraid of the CIA?"

Grasse was shocked, but then fell into confusion.

Gao Yi spoke lightly, "I’ll tell you a joke."

"Now you’re telling jokes?"

"The CIA and KGB had to catch a rabbit that ran into the forest. The CIA went in first, they searched for a long time to no avail and had to leave disheartened. Then, KGB agents rushed into the forest, five minutes later, a bear ran out, crying and saying ’stop beating me, I am the rabbit.’"

Gao Yi finished the joke, then very seriously said to Grasse, "Did you get it?"

Grasse’s mouth twitched, "You’re saying to make the Plunderer confess what I want him to? But this kind of testimony..."

Gao Yi spoke unhurriedly, "Grasse said he could bring out two million dollars; since he mentioned it, he can at least produce two million."

Grasse looked bewilderedly at Gao Yi, who spread his hands, saying, "It’s tough, but take your time, first get your hands on that two million dollars from the Plunderer, then, give one million to your superior."

Grasse appeared shocked.

Gao Yi whispered, "Then tell your superior that you caught a double agent, ostensibly working for the CIA, but actually for Iran, but during your interrogation, the spy couldn’t withstand it and died, but the good news is, you got a confession and two million dollars."

Grasse’s mouth fell open.

Gao Yi continued, "Tell your superior that no third party knows about this money, should a portion be sent up to your superior’s superior? Should your superior’s superior use this as evidence of the CIA’s incompetence to mock it with this case? Or should the Pentagon use this case to mock the CIA?"

Grasse swallowed.

Gao Yi kept going, "Then it’s simple, if your superior doesn’t want to push it up, then you two split the two million, and then this becomes your superior’s problem, and if your superior does push it up, then it involves your superior’s superior, your superior is credited, and you are conveniently included, then it becomes your superior’s superior’s problem to cover it up."

Grasse nodded absently.

Gao Yi continued, "Money is important, without money, you’re a scapegoat, but with money, you’re a credited hero, bringing out so much money, guess whether your superior is likely to silence you or promote you, letting you make more money for everyone in the future?"

"Ah..."

Grasse heaved a long sigh, "I understand now!"

"The higher this case goes, the safer you are, the more people involved, the greater your merits, ideally, the Pentagon turns you into an exemplar, the worst is that your superior covers it up, but what have you lost? You’ll definitely make some money, and pull your superior down with you, then you’ll be your superior’s own man. Think about it, what loss do you have?"

Patting Grasse’s shoulder again, Gao Yi solemnly said, "Brother, at your age, if you don’t make a move soon, you’ll never have the chance, and if well utilized, you and your superior’s line would both be credited, don’t miss this opportunity."

"I get it, no need to say more, I know what to do!"

Grasse subconsciously rolled up his sleeves, quietly saying, "Even if he’s just a peripheral informant from the CIA, I’ll turn him into a significant spy for the CIA, Iran’s top agent!"

"What matters is money, money! Without money, who would help you out?"

Grasse darkly smiled, "If I can’t squeeze out all the money from the Plunderer, then... I’ll put up the money myself! Three hundred thousand, enough to buy my superior’s help!"

"To apply one example by analogy, if there are no connections, then make them yourself, if no substantial network exists, then weave it yourself, if the connections aren’t solid enough, then elevate and extend those connections."

Gao Yi was a master at this, meeting Grasse, a clever man who could apply one example by analogy, although it was everyone’s first time handling such matters, it seemed not too difficult."