Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 269 - 256: The Most Dangerous Place

Chapter 269: Chapter 256: The Most Dangerous Place

Everyone was panicked.

The Minister of Intelligence tried hard to avoid becoming a national disgrace, declaring that it no longer mattered whether he lived or died, as long as he didn’t become the biggest joke in British history.

Gao Yi tried hard to avoid being captured by the British, and more importantly, he couldn’t die.

As for Emily, she was now the most panicked because she truly had no idea how to handle the situation. Even if she were killed right there, it wouldn’t end things.

At this point, they had to find a solution.

The Minister of Intelligence’s choice was to send the upcoming reinforcements away. The reason was simple: no matter how many people from Military Intelligence Sixth Department came, they couldn’t save him. Instead, it might provoke the two youngsters who had kidnapped him, and in their desperation, they might just kill him, using him as a last-resort shield.

So, it was better if those who seemed like reinforcements but were actually harbingers of doom withdrew.

Gao Yi’s choice was to give in to the situation.

The Minister of Intelligence told him not to play with fire and ordered his men not to pursue them anymore, which created an opportunity to act.

As long as the Minister of Intelligence didn’t want to die, there was room to talk.

But how could they solve the problem? How could they break the deadlock?

Gao Yi really had no idea, but he had one advantage: even though he was panicked and chaotic on the inside, he remained calm on the outside.

Wearing a silicone mask, it was actually quite hard to show any facial expression.

"I don’t want to play with fire, but the fire is already lit. Even if I don’t want to play, I have to see it through."

Gao Yi’s words left the Minister of Intelligence in despair, but just when the Minister thought his attempts at self-rescue had failed, Gao Yi abruptly changed the topic, saying, "You said to pull back your men, but did they really withdraw? Even if these pursuers have withdrawn, are there no drones overhead? Have we been captured on camera? Now, if we release you, we lose our last shield."

There was a chance!

The Minister of Intelligence saw a glimmer of hope.

Gao Yi calmly looked at Emily and said, "Our mission is already complete. Others can deal with Iron Fist George. It’s clear we can’t escape. Since we are all going to die, why not drag a significant figure down with us? Let me be clear, I absolutely refuse to be taken prisoner. I might not fear death, but I fear pain."

Emily, clearly conflicted, said, "Kill him?... That doesn’t seem right."

Seeing the look in Gao Yi’s eyes, Emily couldn’t decipher what he meant, but after seeing Gao Yi blink continuously, she decided to just go along with what Gao Yi said.

"But if you want to kill him, go ahead. We’re going to die anyway, so what does the consequence matter?"

The Minister of Intelligence’s hope vanished again.

To save himself, he had to come up with a solution.

The Minister of Intelligence was unlucky, not stupid, so his mind raced and he quickly came up with a plan.

It was worth a try.

"Don’t be hasty. I have a way for you to escape safely. You’re still young, you can’t just give up on life so easily. I don’t want to die either, so I’m giving you an escape route."

As he spoke quickly, his mind worked fast. The Minister of Intelligence glanced outside, then immediately said, "Look ahead, there’s a shopping mall. The mall has a parking lot. We enter the mall, and you guys can leave directly from there. There are clothes inside and multiple exits. It’s easy to slip away. You can also knock me out and take me as a hostage. That way, I won’t know which exit you used."

Gao Yi calmly said, "I think that’s a decent idea, but you need to cooperate."

"Of course, I’ll cooperate. Why would I harm myself? If you don’t feel safe enough, you certainly won’t release me. I know you must have companions. With their coordination and support, you will definitely be able to escape smoothly!"

This plan wasn’t particularly brilliant, but it was a typical method used by agents to escape. The key was that the Minister of Intelligence could come up with such a complete plan in such a short time, which was already quite impressive.

Gao Yi thought about it and said, "Fine, you drive the car. You’re responsible for finding a safe place."

For his self-preservation, the Minister of Intelligence was willing to do anything.

Survival was crucial, revenge had to wait.

The Minister of Intelligence drove them to the first relatively large mall they passed.

There was an underground parking lot, but no empty spaces. After the Minister of Intelligence drove around the parking lot twice and found no spots, he randomly chose a relatively spacious area and parked right on the road inside the parking lot, blocking two cars.

He habitually parked without turning off the engine, hoping that Gao Yi and his group would hijack the car to make their escape.

"Come on, accompany us upstairs."

Gao Yi didn’t draw his gun, but the Minister of Intelligence obediently followed them into the elevator.

"I’ve been to this mall many times and am very familiar with it. The second floor has a sports brand store, men’s and women’s clothing. There are also bathrooms with windows. Jumping out from the second-floor will not be difficult for you. Lock me in one of the stalls, knock me out, then jump out the window to escape. At least no one will catch you for ten minutes. How about it?"

The Minister of Intelligence desperately wanted his plan to work.

Gao Yi thought about it again and said, "Okay, let’s go."

Two people dressed in iconic movie cosplay costumes were escorting a suited man into a mall, which wasn’t anything unusual.

They entered the mall, took the elevator to the second floor, left the elevator, and entered a sports brand store.

The process is not worth detailing—with no one calling the police—the Minister of Intelligence pulled out his wallet. He paid for two outfits, and then Gao Yi and Emily took turns in the changing room to put them on.

After changing, they stuffed the old clothes into a shopping bag and headed to the restroom.

Gao Yi first checked the window, and just as the Minister of Intelligence had said, there was a window and it was open. Despite being somewhat high, it would definitely be manageable to jump down.

Then the Minister of Intelligence picked a relatively clean stall, and the two of them went in together.

In the UK, two men going to the restroom together wasn’t anything too strange.

The Minister of Intelligence looked at Gao Yi with great expectancy and whispered, "Don’t kill me; killing me would have severe consequences."

Gao Yi harshly said, "Today is a warning for you. If Iron Fist George dares to mess with us again, it won’t be this simple next time."

After finishing, Gao Yi slapped the Minister of Intelligence across the face.

The slap was heavy; the Minister of Intelligence’s face swelled up, displaying a clear imprint of five fingers.

The Minister of Intelligence was baffled. He didn’t understand why Gao Yi would still hit him after all this.

Gao Yi raised his hand and whispered sternly, "Remember this—if you dare mess with us... CIA... I’ll definitely take you out. Apologize!"

"I’m sorry!"

"You know what’s good for you."

Gao Yi said contentedly and then sharply chopped the Minister of Intelligence’s neck with the edge of his hand.

The Minister of Intelligence passed out instantaneously.

The plan was full of huge flaws and many vulnerabilities, but as always, under extreme time pressure, having this kind of plan wasn’t bad.

Gao Yi pushed open the restroom stall door and quickly started walking.

Emily was waiting outside the men’s restroom. Gao Yi went up to her, grabbed her arm, and whispered, "Let’s go."

"No matter where we try to escape, it’s hard to evade the Military Intelligence Sixth Department; I think keeping him as a hostage would have been better."

"That’s impossible; his position is too high, he knows too much, and the British wouldn’t let us take him away. I have a plan."

Emily, a mix of shocked and pleased, asked, "What plan?"

"The most dangerous place is often the safest. I just slapped the Minister of Intelligence in the face and made it swell."

Emily, rather perplexed, asked, "Why? What’s the point in doing that?"

"Nobody wants others to know they’ve been slapped, especially not in front of their subordinates. So, the Minister of Intelligence won’t stay here long. Once he’s rescued, his first action will be to find a place to hide himself."

During their elevator ride, Gao Yi pressed the button for the basement floor and quietly said, "The tracking and investigation are matters for later. By the time they check the surveillance and detect our trace, we will have already left."

Emily always felt that Gao Yi’s plan was not that simple, but she couldn’t figure out what the most dangerous place referred to.

Only when Emily saw Gao Yi approaching the Minister of Intelligence’s car, which still had the keys in the ignition, did she finally realize and exclaimed in shock, "You want to hide in his car!"

"Get in quickly."

Without saying much or even hesitating, Emily immediately crawled into the trunk.

Gao Yi followed her into the trunk and closed it from the inside.

The trunk was small and cramped, extremely so.

Gao Yi, in a very low voice, said, "I don’t think they’ll check the trunk. The Minister of Intelligence will definitely regain consciousness within ten minutes. I bet he’ll drive off on his own instead of waiting for the Military Intelligence Sixth Department to come. So, wherever this car takes us, it’s safer than heading outside the mall now."

If the Minister of Intelligence decided to drive his own car, that would be best. Then, whether he was going home or doing something else, the chances of escaping were higher.

But Emily suddenly said, "You’re right, but the most likely thing is that he’ll drive straight back to the Military Intelligence Sixth Department."

Gao Yi quietly said, "Exactly, the most dangerous place is the safest. Don’t worry, we won’t suffocate in the car. Now, stop talking; you’re just joining me in a bet."

The two fell silent, holding each other in the tense, nearly suffocating atmosphere.

It wasn’t long, only about ten minutes, before the car door opened, and someone who sounded out of breath got into the car.

The car started, followed by the sound of a phone call.

The Minister of Intelligence spoke in a very calm tone, "It’s me. I’ve managed to escape safely, and now I’m heading back. You should check the mall’s surveillance immediately. I believe the people who tried to kidnap me left through the mall entrance. Catch them. That’s all for now, don’t discuss anything else. I’m heading to the Military Intelligence Sixth Department. That’s it."