Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 182 - 170: Giving Others a Handle

Chapter 182: Chapter 170: Giving Others a Handle

What is the CIA?

The CIA is the largest intelligence agency in the United States.

Why can Harold and his faction use the CIA so willingly?

Because Harold and his allies are all people with wealth and power.

So is the CIA really willing to be driven by a bunch of nouveau riche?

Not at all.

Though everyone loves money, the CIA doesn’t earn just any money, nor is it a tool for everyone to use.

The key lies in the fact that the CIA’s duties originally include spying on foreign intelligence and interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, making it a handy tool for Old America to control certain nations.

Since Harold and his cohort are rich and influential, the CIA is of course willing to collaborate with them, as this facilitates control over Saudi and eases infiltration.

Thus, Harold’s statement that they all like to use the CIA is actually incorrect; it’s the CIA that’s willing to let them use it. That’s the real situation.

And, Harold hasn’t yet broken with his associates. In other words, if others can use the CIA, so can he.

Mu Tianwen understood this, whispering to his father, "Father, you must understand the situation, others use you as a pawn, you barely escaped before and now they want to severely clash with Prince Shaman, you must not sacrifice yourself for others."

Mu Tianwen’s words were obviously pearls cast before swine, as his father didn’t understand.

Harold then turned to Gao Yi, asking, "What do you mean if I have any usable people in Baghdad? I don’t have anyone in Baghdad."

Gao Yi immediately said, "Can you get in touch with the CIA! Can you ask them what’s going on, ask your... partners, see who did this."

Mu Tianwen immediately said, "Yes! If others can go there, so can we! Father, as long as you show that you haven’t broken with them, they should tell you."

Harold’s eyes widened, and after a moment of astonishment, he suddenly said, "You want me to be an insider? To collaborate with Shaman? You..."

Harold was furious, he berated Mu Tianwen, "I would rather die than submit to Shaman, now that I’ve escaped, you want me to surrender to him?"

Gao Yi whispered, "Brother! That’s not what I meant. Right now, it’s about figuring out who kidnapped Abdulla; you must understand, if they took Abdulla from here, you could be the one dying!"

Clearly, Harold couldn’t adapt to the idea of escaping from Shaman’s clutches only to turn around and collaborate with him.

Such a thing, indeed, was unacceptable to anyone, but Gao Yi’s only intention was to save Harold, not to get involved in Harold’s political struggle or risk his own life.

Harold looked sullen and refused to speak.

Gao Yi sighed, saying, "Brother, understand this, even if Abdulla is taken, does that really solve the problem? Not to mention whether they can extract Shaman’s dirty secrets from Abdulla. Even if they do, what then!"

Harold said quietly, "Hmph, then he can forget about becoming king!"

Gao Yi shook his head, saying, "Brother, you are wrong! Shaman can’t surrender, can’t submit, but it doesn’t mean he can’t be attacked. Even if you actually get his dirty secrets, just believe that tonight, Shaman would start a massacre. Initially, he was only forcing you to give up property and power, but if you actually find his dirty secrets, that’s forcing him to murder."

Getting the throne is never without bloodshed, so Shaman’s methods were relatively mild. Beheadings and rivers of blood — that’s what a normal dispute for the throne would look like.

Without bloodshed, it’s not stable enough.

Gao Yi was puzzled by such simple logic; why couldn’t Harold understand?

Mu Tianwen earnestly said, "Father, by killing all of you, Shaman might be a criminal, but he will still be a king! If killing one person makes a murderer, killing a hundred makes a king, killing ten thousand makes a hero! He doesn’t need to kill all the princes, just those who can threaten him. Killing all the competitive princes would yield the same result, wouldn’t it?"

Harold gasped in shock.

Gao Yi whispered, "You just heard it, just now, Shaman ordered a purge of the National Intelligence Bureau. He is capable of that. He need not wait until the purge is complete; he can now order the execution of everyone locked in the hotel, eliminating all threats."

Mu Tianwen urgently said, "Even if Abdulla really reveals something detrimental about Shaman, but Father, have you considered that when you use Abdulla’s words as evidence tomorrow, Shaman might no longer care about these evidences? You are forcing Shaman to be a butcher!"

Harold took a deep breath and said, "Okay, stop talking."

Gao Yi and Mu Tianwen alternated in persuading not to convince Harold but to make him realize the reality and understand the fear.

Harold stretched out his hand, saying, "Give me the phone."

The butler took out his phone, and Harold, anxious, began making a call. Once the call connected, he whispered, "Uncle, I’m in Baghdad. Someone just kidnapped Abdulla from here. Do you know about this?"

He couldn’t understand what was being said on the phone, but Harold’s complexion clearly didn’t look good.

After saying a few words, he hung up the phone.

Harold, with a grave face, said, "He didn’t ask me why I was in Baghdad, he just said he doesn’t know who did it. He wasn’t curious about how I escaped, which means he knows how I escaped and what I am going to do."

Mu Tianwen whispered, "It’s obvious."

Gao Yi spread his hands and said, "Ask someone else."

Harold pondered for a moment, then dialed another number.

The call connected, and Harold said in a low voice, "I’ve escaped. Just now, someone kidnapped Abdulla right in front of me. Listen, I can’t return now. Shaman is determined to kill me. It was only by coercing Shaman that I managed to escape..."

"But Shaman has already ordered to stop chasing you. Haven’t you reconciled?"

Harold angrily said, "What? Who told you that! What do you mean ’reconciled’? I did nothing... It was my brother who saved me who managed to stabilize Shaman so that I could have a chance to escape first!"

"But you clearly captured Abdulla, you know this could fatally strike Shaman, yet you said nothing, Harold, you have sided with Shaman, haven’t you?"

Harold angrily said, "What are you talking about! If I were to surrender, I would have done so already! Why would I surrender after escaping? Are you insane?"

Harold’s argument was sensible, the person at the other end of the call, now speechless.

Harold continued, "Tell me where Abdulla is, or tell me how you did it. I need to decide whether to go back or flee to the United States!"

After hesitating for a moment, the person on the phone finally said, "We asked the CIA to do it. We have people in Baghdad who will work with the CIA to extract all the information known by Abdulla. We can’t bring Abdulla back; Shaman will snatch him back."

It was uncertain if this counted as a conspiracy, but if it did, the Saudis’ playing at conspiracy and cunning was utterly unskillful.

Straightforward to a fault, they wouldn’t turn back even after hitting the south wall. Although their spirit was commendable, it was really a bit... direct.

Such a decision that could determine the fate of a nation was simply dealt with in a few words over the phone.

The critical thing was that Harold merely mentioned it casually, and these people didn’t even verify Harold’s sincerity; they simply believed him.

It was truly very casual, very nonchalant.

These tycoons were just too endearing.

Harold was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Those people seemed very powerful, not like CIA’s guys."

"Yes, it was the CIA’s Special Action Team. They were originally in Baghdad on another mission. It just happened to coincide, so we paid two hundred million dollars to have the CIA act. Once Abdulla speaks, they will take him to the United States to detain him."

The CIA was impressive, making a quick buck for themselves while possibly securing compromising material on Shaman for the United States, which likely meant that Shaman would have to bow before the United States in the future.

There are reserves of knowledge, technology reserves, and also reserves of intelligence and compromising materials; the United States might not dislike Shaman now, but they would never refuse an additional means to control him.

Harold might not have thought of this, but Mu Tianwen did, because his education included this knowledge reserve.

Mu Tianwen whispered, "Giving them leverage."

Harold took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Good, I will wait in Baghdad. Let me know of any developments; if circumstances permit, I will return."

After hanging up the phone, Harold said with a cold face, "It was the CIA, so Abdulla couldn’t possibly be taken anywhere else; it can only be the Green Zone."

The military base is under the Pentagon’s control. The CIA would use it, such as for takeoffs and landings, but they wouldn’t directly interrogate Abdulla there.

Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, "Understood, let me think. I need to notify Shaman, that’s the only way to completely clear us."

There wasn’t much to think about: one was notifying Shaman, and the other, of course, was asking Grins.

To see if the Defense Clandestine Service had any news and also to see if Grins was willing to help.

Gao Yi contacted Shaman and said solemnly, "It’s been clarified. They found the CIA, and a CIA Special Action Team took Abdulla. There is a mole among your men who tipped them off early."

Gao Yi bluffed.

Shaman believed it completely.

"Yes, there’s a mole. I’ve already started identifying them."

Gao Yi continued, "Harold has obtained accurate information. The person is in the Green Zone. We’ll try to see if we can snatch him back. Your Highness, Harold is my elder brother, and he assures you that he won’t oppose you anymore!"

Shaman was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "Then I can also offer him something in return, depending on his performance."

Gao Yi exhaled and said, "Shall we proceed with the rescue now?"

Shaman responded in a low voice, "Yes, proceed with the rescue."