Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 125 - 115: Don’t Hesitate

Chapter 125: Chapter 115: Don’t Hesitate

"If you sense danger, don’t hesitate, run."

"If you feel targeted, don’t hesitate, go prone."

Two phrases flashed through Gao Yi’s mind at the same time, similar in meaning but slightly different due to the identities of the speakers.

The former was taught by Chen Guangxin, the latter by Lin Xianghua; assassins and mercenaries did differ, with the biggest distinction being that when a mercenary was targeted, they were more likely to face a burst of bullets or even a shell rather than a single bullet.

Running forward was Saibu, with his people on both sides. Whether Gao Yi ran forward or to the side, it could lead to misapprehension by Saibu’s people and create greater danger.

Moreover, if targeted, going prone was definitely the optimal solution—get down first to avoid any misunderstanding with Saibu and his guards.

All these thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant; Gao Yi’s knees buckled, his body curled, and he dove prostrate in a full-body sprawl in front of Saibu.

Setting aside any embarrassment, survival was crucial. Even if it was a false alarm, it was better to drop first.

Gao Yi’s unusual action made Saibu widen his eyes in astonishment, while numerous surrounding guards instinctively aimed their guns at Gao Yi.

Then, Saibu suddenly realized something. Just as Gao Yi had barely managed to get prone, even before he could say anything, Saibu made the same choice between retreating and going prone.

Saibu swiftly dropped to the ground, his bald head nearly touching Gao Yi’s face.

The moment Saibu dropped, there was a sudden burst of blood from one of his guards behind him.

There was no gunshot, no whizzing bullet, only a muffled blast, and then the guard collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Gao Yi’s face was pressed to the ground; what he saw was the gleam of Saibu’s bald head.

Their eyes, full of fear, met; then Gao Yi roared, "Dare you kill me?"

Saibu yelled, "Save me, save me!"

Someone standing next to Saibu raised his hand, pointing in the direction where Gao Yi had just been standing, and shouted, "Over the—"

He didn’t finish his sentence when a massive gout of blood erupted from the pointing guard.

Again, no gunshot was heard, but Gao Yi heard the whizzing of bullets, and then the people who had been standing next to Saibu started falling continuously.

In an instant, at least four were dead.

Why assert exactly four were dead? Because the gunshot wounds in each case involved significant missing chunks, colloquially known as being terribly mangled.

Gao Yi rolled backward twice, then scrambled up from the ground, hunched over, and dashed to one side.

Peter shouted, "Five o’clock direction, heavy machine gun! Protect the boss, take cover, take cover!"

Saibu’s reaction wasn’t slower than Gao Yi’s, but his movements were, and as Peter rushed to Gao Yi’s side, also crouched in a protective posture and darted to the side, he suddenly halted, then turned back and sprinted in Gao Yi’s direction.

Saibu’s turn was a stroke of genius as the two people directly in front of him dropped without a sound. If he hadn’t turned, he would certainly have been hit by bullets.

Clearly, the threat wasn’t from Gao Yi and his men.

Pressing down on Alavi’s head forcefully, Lin Xianghua and Alavi simultaneously went prone, while Zic and Hedram, who exited the vehicle with Lin Xianghua, instead took a lateral route and, crouching low, charged toward the front of Gao Yi.

Bent over, running, Gao Yi then saw a machine gun position reinforced with sandbags ahead, where a person in a robe was vigorously pulling the cocking handle of a heavy machine gun, then letting go.

The operation procedure for the heavy machine gun: cock the weapon, release, fire.

Peter suddenly pressed down on Gao Yi’s neck forcing both of them to drop to the ground once more. Immediately after, deafening gunfire erupted above Gao Yi’s head.

The massive gunfire made Gao Yi’s ears ring after just two shots, and the muzzle flash even allowed Gao Yi to feel the shockwave.

Instinctively covering his ears, Gao Yi, self-taught, began to wriggle forward on the ground like a worm.

With the muzzle of the heavy machine gun right overhead, the priority was getting out of the range of fire. Feeling someone pulling his clothes as he crazily wriggled, Gao Yi immediately complied with the pulling force and got up.

Getting up, staggering as he ran, feeling the pressure on his back, he threw himself forward again.

Suddenly, the staccato sound from the heavy machine gun behind him ceased, then the deafening gunshots that had nearly numbed Gao Yi’s ears stopped abruptly.

Gao Yi glanced back.

The machine gunner, missing half his torso, lay slumped over the machine gun, while a familiar bald head just flipped over the sandbagged machine gun emplacement, diving into its shelter.

Peter, also prone on the ground in an area devoid of cover, just the flat earth, his face pressed to the ground, yelled, "Five o’clock direction, spread out, take cover! Take cover! Iron Wire! Hedram!"

Two men ran madly over, even straightening their backs to increase speed.

Saibu’s men were too lousy; they simply couldn’t mount an effective counterattack, so to speak. When they realized they were under attack, their first reaction was to drop to the ground and then skillfully seek cover, with returning fire being a complete impossibility.

Iraq had been at war for many years, and even the simplest locals ought to have learned how to survive in combat by now.

Thus, it was not that Saibu’s men didn’t know how to fight; they just were not willing to risk their lives for Saibu.

But the people Gao Yi brought were different. Peter had always stayed by his side, providing whatever little protection he could without ever fleeing alone, while Zic and Hedram, after taking a detour, had voluntarily jumped into the machine gun shelter.

Pushing aside the corpse of the machine gunner, Zic grabbed the slick, blood-covered handle but didn’t hurry to fire. Instead, he tucked most of his body behind the cover.

Hedram lay on the sandbags, exposing half his head and pulling down his night vision device, soon yelling, "Enemy cease fire, be alert!"

A sniper fires once then moves, as the distance of several kilometers precludes a second shot, but they had prepared a machine gun, using it to deliver follow-up shots.

Only one volley was fired when realizing the opportunity had passed, they ceased fire immediately. If nothing unexpected occurred, the shooter had already relocated.

Saibu’s people wailed desperately, while Gao Yi’s men remained silent, an evident contrast.

"Is it over?"

Someone asked tentatively from within the machine gun shelter.

Saibu was quick to act—seeing Gao Yi drop, he too went prone; Gao Yi ran, and he ran along. Just a moment’s slower reaction, and he would undoubtedly have turned into a mutilated corpse by now.

Zic didn’t move, Hedram turned his head to look at Saibu crouching beside him but immediately turned his gaze back, muttering softly, "Boss, what now?"

Peter was right by Gao Yi’s side, whispering, "Sir, what now?"

Gao Yi shivered, Peter was reminding him. If they were to make a move, now was a good time.

The machine gun was in Zic’s hands—what was his nickname again? Regardless, with the machine gun in friendly hands and Saibu right there, if they acted now, they could wipe out all of Saibu’s guards without a problem.

But under these circumstances, it seemed unnecessary to rush to kill Saibu—after all, there were unidentified people in the distance who could open fire at any moment.

If they killed Saibu now, what if someone else claimed the deed later? Who could prove that Saibu had been killed by them, not by someone earlier?

Gao Yi tapped his ears, then loudly declared, "This is a trap, ensure safety, don’t move, retreat to a safe zone first!"

Saibu, hearing Gao Yi’s words, shouted from inside the machine gun bunker, "It wasn’t me, believe me, it absolutely wasn’t me."

He first addressed Gao Yi, then switched to Arabic. Though Gao Yi couldn’t understand what he was saying, he could tell from the tone that Saibu was swearing vehemently.

Saibu’s guards began to move, albeit reluctantly, but more and more started to shift, some shouting something, some firing toward where shots had earlier come, and a few even brought over a car.

Not to get Saibu into the car, but to use it as cover while escorting him safely inside his house from the machine gun position beside his gate.

Gao Yi didn’t move, just stared straight at Saibu. Saibu stopped, turned to Gao Yi earnestly saying, "Come inside, it’s safe in there! Even rocket and artillery fire wouldn’t be a concern."

Let’s go then. Gao Yi waved his hand, stood up, and led Peter running into Saibu’s courtyard first.

Once inside the courtyard, Gao Yi watched Saibu intently, his expression dark as he held the radio and said, "Spread out, stay back, secure Alavi, wait for my signal. Now I need to have a talk with..."

Knowing Saibu’s real name, it was actually hard to remember his alias, so Gao Yi just stared at Saibu saying, "Alright, before we continue our transaction, you need to explain what’s going on."

"Let’s talk inside, inside would be safer, there might be mortars."

Saibu eagerly invited Gao Yi inside, and Gao Yi didn’t dally, following Saibu quickly into the carpeted mansion, passing through two doors, and entering a small room with no windows.

Now, there were only four people in the room: Gao Yi and Peter, along with Saibu and one of his guards who looked somewhat silly with a big beard.

There were no chairs in the small room, just a carpet laid out where Gao Yi and Peter stepped over with their shoes, leaving clear footprints.

Saibu grabbed a bottle of water from a low table, gulped it down, then wiped his mouth, turning to Gao Yi saying, "Sorry, sorry for dragging you into this."

Gao Yi didn’t respond, just continued staring at Saibu.

Saibu, looking a bit embarrassed, suggested, "How about... we continue discussing the deal?"

Gao Yi looked at Peter, who hesitated for a moment before saying, "Sir, I think... we can talk."

Such a perfect environment for action was rare for Gao Yi, unimaginable even.

But Saibu’s men were still outside, and not just a few of them, so it might be better to just talk, ending this mission in a safer, more controlled way.

Perhaps, luring the enemy in to capture them would be a good plan.