Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 124 - 114 Intuition

Chapter 124: Chapter 114 Intuition

Under the premise that safety could be basically assured, it was appropriate to take some risks. If he could really exchange Alavi for one hundred and twenty thousand US dollars, it seemed not too bad.

If he could take the money and then take down Saibu afterward, that would naturally be even better.

Although Gao Yi wasn’t someone who planned his moves before acting, he was not the kind of fool who sought death actively.

Therefore, before this could really become feasible, Gao Yi wanted to add an extra layer of insurance to this operation.

"Luca, how are things going on your end?"

"All in hand!"

Luca was very excited, speaking in a hurried tone, "I’m negotiating with the money laundering company right now. They’re asking for a twenty percent fee, plus our five percent. Given a week, Grins could take home two million one hundred thousand, and with a month, Grins could have two million two hundred and forty thousand US dollars."

Gao Yi exhaled and said, "I don’t care about the fees. I only request that by midnight tonight, Grins gets two million US dollars, and he can turn it over to his superior immediately. Can you do that?"

Luca fell silent for a moment, then said, "Two million... it can be done. I can talk to the money laundering company to charge a flat fee. This won’t take much time. If the laundering company agrees, they will provide an account with money in it. But these accounts can’t be from domestic banks in the United States; they might be UK accounts, possibly Swiss accounts, but definitely funded and quick."

Gao Yi took another breath and said, "I’m headed to Suaila now to use Saibu’s brother to exchange for one hundred and twenty thousand US dollars in cash and take out Saibu while I’m at it."

"What! Are you insane... No, what’s the situation on your end? I can understand you going to Suaila, but why do you have to take action today?"

"Because the timing is right, so I need Grins to be ready on his end. If the situation allows here, I’ll take action immediately. If not, I’ll hold off, just considering it a recon mission. But all this is predicated on Grins being able to utilize the forces of the Secret Action Bureau."

After a brief exchange with Luca, Gao Yi whispered, "I’ll go talk to Grins. You keep negotiating with the money laundering company in the meantime."

Gao Yi made decisions on behalf of Grins because Grins was not sensitive to time, but his own demands for time were very strict.

Capturing Alavi had brought out Saibu, a significant change.

Upon answering the call, Grins’s voice came through, and Gao Yi spoke in a low voice, "The money’s secured. After all fees, you’ll net two million of clean money."

"Fantastic!"

Grins was definitely pleased; he’d kept his three hundred thousand, and of this incoming two million, he’d surely get his share. Earning money, promotion, and a raise—who wouldn’t be happy?

Gao Yi continued, "I’ve already got the guns. We’re on our way to Suaila now, and I just want to know if I encounter any danger there, can you send someone to meet me or rescue me?"

Grins fell silent for a moment and then said very earnestly, "I can’t dispatch ground forces, but if I make your target a priority for the Secret Action Bureau, with my boss’s approval, I can request an airstrike. And if my boss’s boss can approve a secret operation, then maybe... we could deploy a helicopter rescue squad."

Waste ammunition, bomb indiscriminately, but no casualties—that was the demand of the US troops in Iraq.

Thinking about it, an assassin heading into a mission with six mercenaries to take down a target wasn’t a conventional assassin’s style but still normal.

However, if an assassin went in with several planes bombing the target to pieces, even if unconventional, it would be exhilarating.

The only downside was it could make the target unrecognizable, possibly wasting all the effort without payment.

But it wasn’t at that stage yet, and what if it worked?

There had never been an assassin with bomber support before, but now Gao Yi was setting a precedent in the assassin world, creating a brand-new firepower-driven assassin. Why not?

The youth should dare to think and act; whether bludgeoned, shot, or blown up, dead was dead.

Having quickly envisaged his new method, Gao Yi decided to up the ante on this groundbreaking operation.

"Luca will get the money to you as fast as possible. You should communicate with your superiors quickly. I hope you can have everything ready by 9 PM, then we can team up for a big move. How about that?"

The pressure on Grins was immense, going from a relatively obscure intelligence analyst to suddenly becoming a linchpin between the Secret Action Bureau and an assassin. He was not used to this role.

But things had come this far; how could Grins say no?

Seeing an opportunity and not seizing it was not an option. When he saw the chance, he had to try.

Grins said in a deep voice, "Okay!"

"Call me with any updates. It’s still convenient for me to take calls."

After hanging up, Gao Yi let out a breath and then instructed Peter, who was driving, "You five guys will get a minimum of two hundred thousand each. Depending on the situation, if it gets dangerous, I’ll add more."

Peter appeared surprised, turning his head to look at Gao Yi, "We get a share too?"

"Yes, I never hog it all to myself."

It wasn’t about loyalty or brotherhood; as long as you pay for the job done, you’ll never lack for workers. As long as the money is good, you’ll never be short of people willing to risk their lives. It’s just that, simple as it is, many still fail to grasp it.

Without hesitation, Peter turned to Gao Yi and said, "You tell us who to hit, and we hit them!"

"Depends on the situation. If I take action, whether I eliminate the target or capture them, you guys take out everyone around. If I don’t act, we proceed with the exchange. Money for the person..."

This plan seemed a bit too crude—no, too brutal. Gao Yi hesitated before adding, "Well, from a mercenary’s perspective, if you think we can act and then get out safely, give me a sign. I’ll act. If you feel we can’t withdraw, give me another sign, and I won’t act. We’ll wait for our air support to be in place, then act."

Air support—that sounded high end and gave a surge of confidence.

He had never fought a battle so lavish in his life, not even back when Peter was a Ranger. He had never participated in an action that had planes providing fire support on standby.

Now, caught or rather rescued, following a nominal assassin, he actually got air support.

There wasn’t anywhere to argue the absurdity, but the sensation was thrilling, and Peter couldn’t help but grin broadly.

"So how should I signal you? What gesture, or what code?"

Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, "If you think we can act, then you say ’commander.’ If you say ’commander,’ I’ll act. If not, say ’boss.’ If you call me ’boss,’ I won’t move. From now on, only ’chief’ is a meaningless neutral term. Got it?"

"Got it, chief."

"Alright, it’s settled."

With the crude plan laid out, the night had completely fallen, and Gao Yi’s group was rapidly approaching Suaila.

As the car entered Suaila’s range, Lin Xianghua reported over the radio from another vehicle, "Chief, we’ve entered Suaila. Alavi says he needs to contact his brother to confirm the transaction location."

"Let him make contact."

A few minutes later, Lin Xianghua reported again, "Chief, Alavi has made the contact. We’re going straight to his brother’s house for the deal; he’s ready for us."

Gao Yi exhaled and replied, "Alright, go straight to the transaction."

Since he had always acted with confidence, now was not the time for unexpected moves—no detours or delays.

The more relaxed Saibu was, the greater the chance of success.

Suaila was situated in the Tigris River valley, surrounded by vast fields with a flat topography. By Gao Yi’s standards, it could pass for a small county town.

Entering the Suaila city area was the most dangerous moment; an ambush in the city left nowhere to take cover.

Lin Xianghua’s car led the way, with Alavi guiding them. Both cars safely made it through the city, stopping in front of a house surrounded by lush greenery.

Saibu, even though he controlled a large armed group and effectively controlled Suaila, was not an ideal target for a forceful approach if it meant traversing the entire town just to see him.

And Saibu’s house was indeed outside the Suaila city limits, with the nearest building being about a kilometer away.

Gao Yi didn’t understand the advantage of such an isolated house. If it were him, he’d have chosen to hide his home within the city rather than placing it in a suburb far from the city’s edge.

"Is there a reason for living in this kind of place?"

When in doubt, just ask. Gao Yi questioned Peter.

Peter immediately responded, "Iraq is too chaotic, guns everywhere. So it’s different for Iraq’s wealthy; they live in the city, they risk explosions or shootings anytime. But if they’re away from the crowd, with a horde of bodyguards to guard, then their safety can be maximized."

Local adaptability—in Iraq, having no neighbors was safer.

Gao Yi understood and nodded, "Oh, makes sense. Thanks."

Peter lowered his voice, murmuring, "But while this kind of standalone house defends against local militants, it’s no defense against air strikes. If bombing was the plan, such structures are most suitable—no need to worry about collateral damage."

Gao Yi gave Peter a knowing smile.

People started emerging from the house—at least a dozen fully armed individuals, but it was not the men with rifles that were unsettling. It was the several heavy machine guns set up in the dark, beyond the reach of the car lights.

A bald man, surrounded by a crowd, appeared at the door. Gao Yi opened the car door and said, "Let’s go meet him."

Gao Yi emerged from the car, followed by Peter. He walked boldly towards the entrance.

As Gao Yi approached, the Bald man’s guard parted, and he came to a halt about two or three meters away from him.

The bald man was Saibu. Gao Yi had seen his photo. It was him.

"Where’s my brother?"

Saibu spoke first, his face dark and grave but without any pleasantries.

Gao Yi had no desire for small talk either. So, he replied calmly, "The money?"

Saibu turned, gestured behind him, and said, "The money’s in the yard. Release my brother, come inside, and let’s talk, make friends."

Gao Yi gestured, and two men descended from the car behind him, followed by Lin Xianghua who was escorting Alavi.

Saibu nodded, sighing, "Then, shall we..."

Gao Yi felt uneasy, an undefinable and overwhelming discomfort. Instinctively, he shifted half a step to the right. However, this move did not alleviate the uneasiness brewing inside; instead, it intensified.

"Damn it!"

Gao Yi cursed under his breath. He could feel the hairs on his neck standing on end.

It was a warrior’s intuition, sensing imminent danger. From a young age, Gao Yi had only felt this intense, unexplainable feeling once before—when he was shot.

No, this was wrong. Something bad was going to happen.