Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 169 - 158: Go for the Postgraduate Entrance Exam

Chapter 169: Chapter 158: Go for the Postgraduate Entrance Exam

The butler tried to see if he could meet with Madam.

The result was still positive; although Harold’s harem was discordant, as long as Harold was alive, the discordance wouldn’t turn into instability. Thus, at least Harold’s wife was willing to meet with the butler.

Arab customs, especially in Saudi, dictate that women cannot meet others alone unless accompanied by a family member, and this family member can only be a husband, father, or son.

As Harold’s butler sought an audience and brought along a stranger, for Madam to agree to a meeting, her son had to be present. Fortunately, Harold’s eldest son was already fourteen years old.

So it was key for Harold’s eldest son to be there for Gao Yi to meet Madam.

"Madam has agreed to a meeting, should we go straight there?"

"Let’s go."

Gao Yi didn’t want to call anyone else; Harold’s house could very well be under surveillance. Besides, if there really was danger, Gao Yi falling into it might still leave others to rescue him.

Following the butler, they headed straight for Harold’s mansion.

A real mansion, Harold’s true home.

One could tell from the exterior that Harold’s home was extraordinary—a vast garden in Riyadh, where having a towering building was nothing special, but having a garden lush with green trees and foliage indicated considerable wealth.

They passed through an iron gate and drove another two minutes on a garden-like shaded path before reaching the front of a beige, castle-like building.

The butler was naturally familiar with the place; it was both his workplace and his home.

"I’m not very acquainted with Madam, and I’ve only met the Second Madam a few times."

Though he was a butler, he was an outside butler. As a man, he wouldn’t have many chances to meet Harold’s wives. After offering this prompt to Gao Yi, the butler went ahead to open the door and welcomed Gao Yi into the living room.

If one only looked at the surface, they would never guess that this household’s master was about to be executed.

There were many servants, and they all looked calm.

Entertaining guests was indeed the butler’s job. At his command, the servants invited Gao Yi to sit down, served him black tea, and some dried fruits. But here, the butler had no seat; he could only stand.

After all the servants were dismissed, Madam finally appeared in the living room with her son.

Clad in a black robe with her face covered, Madam’s eyes were invisible because even the scarf in front of her eyes had a layer of thin gauze.

As for Harold’s son, he looked quite ordinary—a fourteen-year-old child, probably fully grown but still very thin. He didn’t wear a headdress, instead wearing a long white robe. Despite his young age, a sense of lavishness was already evident.

Gao Yi stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "Madam, hello."

Gao Yi spoke in English, unsure whether Madam would understand, so he waited for the butler to translate.

Harold spoke English because many of their elite often learn English and regularly visit Europe, providing them with a language environment.

But it wasn’t necessarily the same for women.

Unexpectedly, Madam replied in a deep voice, heavily accented with Oxford English, "Hello."

Slightly surprised but Gao Yi quickly figured it out; Madam was the eldest daughter of the Zahed Family, and even if she was unlikely to have studied abroad, she would have received the best possible home education.

At this moment, Harold’s eldest son suddenly said in Chinese, "Are you Chinese?"

This completely shocked Gao Yi.

Switching to Chinese, Gao Yi nodded and said, "Yes, I’m Chinese."

By lineage, Harold’s son was also a Prince.

"Do you intend to rescue my father?"

Madam didn’t speak, but the Young Prince was the one who posed the question. Gao Yi was initially taken aback, but considering the location, it seemed rather expected.

"Why?"

The Young Prince asked earnestly, somewhat puzzled, "Why would you rescue my father? His relatives won’t save him, my mother’s relatives won’t save him. Who are you, and why would you rescue my father?"

Gao Yi didn’t know how to respond.

If he were to explain to the Angsa people, Gao Yi would talk about future long-term interests; to the You Tai people, he would mention money.

When explaining to Chinese people, Gao Yi had no idea how to respond.

In an age where people are restless and egocentricism is the norm, claiming to sacrifice oneself for others’ sake would brand one as a swindler. Saying he was rescuing Harold for fame or profit seemed far-fetched. It was as if only plotting for Harold’s entire fortune justified undertaking such a rescue mission.

But facing this young, Chinese-speaking boy—more precisely, a child—Gao Yi contemplated solemnly for a long time before finally saying, "Where there is righteousness, there lie interests."

Gao Yi felt the Young Prince probably wouldn’t understand; although he spoke Chinese well, likely having learned it from a young age, Gao Yi’s words wouldn’t appear in his textbooks.

Gao Yi could only elaborate, "I am a martial artist, I’m not a knight, and in this day and age, I cannot be a knight. But I pursue the spirit of chivalry. So if you ask me why I’m rescuing your father, my answer is I have no particular reason—I just don’t want to see him die."

The Young Prince’s expression turned serious.

Gao Yi sighed and said, "If I must find a reason to appear more normal, then it’s because your father is a good patron. That’s it."

The Young Prince nodded, then said, "I know. I’ve seen many Chinese films; I enjoy Kung Fu movies and have always liked them."

Gao Yi smiled.

Kung Fu films had declined, and Chinese people no longer enjoyed watching them.

"You’re a Hero!"

The Young Prince said with genuine conviction.

But Gao Yi was a bit perturbed and quickly replied, "I dare not accept that. The title of Hero is too..."

Too what, Gao Yi didn’t know how to put it.

The Young Prince said earnestly, "Please rescue my father. What do you need me to do?"

Gao Yi exhaled and said, "We’ve just arrived and are short of many things, such as weapons."

"My father has a large collection room full of weapons, and his bodyguards also need weapons—you can have all of those."

After thinking, Gao Yi said, "I also need intelligence, ideally accurate information about where your father is detained, the number of people guarding him, and the surrounding terrain of the hotel where your father is held—all necessary."

The Young Prince turned to look at his mother and after a brief contemplation whispered a few words.

Gao Yi didn’t understand this time, but the butler did.

The butler gave a signal, but unfortunately, Gao Yi couldn’t quite grasp it.

After a short while, the Young Prince said to Gao Yi, "We’ll try to provide you with the intelligence you need, but can you tell me your plan?"

Gao Yi whispered, "I plan to exchange Shaman for your father."

A simple statement, but no remarkable reaction came from the Young Prince, while Madam’s body shook, and she said with a trembling voice, "No!"

After a stern exclamation, Madam turned to look at the butler and shouted angrily, "What kind of person have you brought here? Do you want to get us all killed?"

Harold’s death was imminent, and his wife and children were likely not in danger; in fact, they might retain their current lifestyle, such as the mansion and luxury cars—Shaman truly wouldn’t bother with those details, willing to leave them as they were.

But if they made a move against Shaman, the stakes were different.

Harold’s family would be forced to share Harold’s fate—either none would die or none would survive.

Gao Yi didn’t want to morally coerce anyone, nor could he let Madam tie herself to Harold’s sinking ship.

Would they scatter like panicked monkeys at the fall of a tree, or would they share life and death? Let Madam and her children decide.

Madam had already clearly stated her opposition, but the Young Prince spoke with a displeased face, "Mother, how can you say that? Do we just give up on my father?"

Madam whispered, "Child, if we do as they say, you could die too!"

"I’m not afraid!"

The Young Prince’s conviction was strong, and he said to Madam in annoyance, "You think if my father dies, we’ll be completely safe? No, it’s not possible! The feathers cannot stick without the skin, and under a toppled nest, there cannot be intact eggs—you may not understand, but I do."

Gao Yi was stunned.

The Young Prince included two Chinese idioms in his English, which were profound and impressive—his Chinese teacher was skilled.

"Once my father dies, do you really think we can live like this? Mother, it’s impossible, and soon we’ll lose everything, left with nothing but to seek shelter from my uncle. Even if I am willing to be a dependent, will they really care for me? Your family is just businessmen; does my uncle think that paying off Shaman will keep him safe forever? It won’t; avarice knows no bounds. Mother, our existence will become the reason for Shaman to target your family; what then?"

Still alternating between Chinese and English, it seemed Madam might not understand entirely, but the Young Prince didn’t seem inclined to explain in detail.

Looking at Gao Yi, the Young Prince said firmly, "I will persuade Mother to cooperate with you fully. The equipment and weapons you need can be taken right now. As for intelligence, I’ll have Mother seek it out for you. Rest assured, she will heed my advice."

Gao Yi sighed softly and said, "You could go and study for a master’s degree."

"What?"

"It means your level of Chinese is very high, higher than mine..."

Gao Yi felt a little embarrassed, then quickly said, "If you’re willing to rescue him, then be prepared to leave this place."

The Young Prince thought for a moment and said, "We have two private planes; my mother tried to take me to the UK once, but they were all prevented from taking off."

No other modes of travel besides private planes?

Wealthy people think oddly, narrowing the scope of solutions.

Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, "So, we need to think of a way to get all of you out of this country."

"Yes, we either leave together or die together."

The Young Prince’s way of thinking was simplistic, naturally due to his youth; his grasp of life and death wasn’t quite clear—it amounted to a lack of fear of death.

But Gao Yi now felt great pressure; he couldn’t afford to sacrifice Harold’s wife and children just to save Harold. Naturally, only one person was meant to die, but if he ended up causing the demise of the entire family, wouldn’t that be a terrible sin?

Gao Yi pressed his forehead and said softly, "Let me think, I need to think."