Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 292 - 278: Young and Promising

Chapter 292: Chapter 278: Young and Promising

Gao Yi now had plenty of money, but he wasn’t just rich.

Compared with his not-so-significant family fortune, it was Gao Yi’s resources and connections that truly gave him the confidence to be a big brother to others.

Was Khalid someone worth investing in?

Hard to say, because there’s a lot to consider when deciding to support a new ally, just like Shaman and Marina were willing to invest in Gao Yi because they saw his value, and they wished to invest in him.

And Grasse from the Defense Clandestine Service and Martin from the FBI, they could both say they had staked their fortunes and lives on Gao Yi for the simple reason that he offered them something nobody else could. Their collaboration with Gao Yi produced a synergy where one plus one was greater than two.

Now Gao Yi had to invest in Khalid because he had no choice, no matter what Khalid’s character or abilities were. He could only choose to invest in Khalid.

Yes, Gao Yi was seriously considering placing his bets on Khalid, forced by the situation and also because he had suddenly realized that investing in Khalid could be profitable.

Wherein lay the profit?

It was from the very words Gao Yi had unconsciously uttered a moment ago, saying that Khalid had been fighting for so many years and that he deserved a reward.

Though said absentmindedly, the words had reminded himself after he spoke them.

Right, if in the Libyan market there was only Khalid providing services, wouldn’t that be a monopoly?

If one could monopolize the business of the Libyan Anti-American Armed Forces, it could be very profitable.

The initial five million was intended as life-preserving funds, but now it seemed more like an early investment that could yield continuous returns, even on an increased scale.

Looking at the environment here, Khalid had managed to operate a secret base for a long time, and although it was about to be exposed, the facility didn’t lack any functions.

The carpet factory disguise allowed for many workers, who were soldiers in disguise, coming and going every day without arousing suspicion.

Then there were also secret passages, though rudimentary, that physically separated one’s cover identity from their real one, which demonstrated Khalid had brains.

In the entire Middle East, those Anti-American Armed Forces that could manage this were considered intelligent—a case of ’the blind leading the blind’ was too generous a term for them, humorous even at a glance at their battle record.

The Libyans really couldn’t fight wars. Even after years of learning in conflict, they still hadn’t mastered the art of war.

Khalid’s ability to operate a secret base in Tripoli undetected for years already set him apart.

Of course, it was also like choosing a general out of a bunch of dwarfs.

So, Khalid now had three advantages: he had persevered against the Americans for many years, indicating resilience and courage; he had managed his secret base effectively, showing some brains.

And seeing that Khalid had his own doctor meant he was at least aware of potential dangers—that was his fourth advantage.

After receiving money, being quick to change his tone and reposition himself was Khalid’s fifth advantage, showing he knew when to advance or retreat.

In Libya’s land within this cultural sphere, a breed of brazen characters unaware of their own arrogance is all too common—those who bite the hand that feeds them.

Why would someone like Shaman feel genuinely comfortable around Gao Yi? It’s because he lacks even a single person who’d know how to flatter him.

Five advantages meant this ally deserved support. But there was one last issue to resolve before one could genuinely bolster a puppet army.

Surely, one could aim higher, for mutual benefits rather than dominance, treating Khalid’s forces as an equal partner rather than a disposable puppet, but that was something to consider later, depending on Khalid’s performance.

Those destined for great things never hesitate. From the inception of the idea to firm decision, it all took just ten minutes.

Gao Yi finally turned his gaze to Khalid and, with apparent indifference, said, "It’s been ten minutes, let’s see how the surgery’s going."

Without any hesitance, Khalid responded, "I’ll go and check on the progress of the surgery."

Khalid didn’t offer empty words or send an underling to the operating room—when Gao Yi asked casually, Khalid immediately stood up to go check himself.

This execution and attitude was exceptional, very good.

Khalid returned in less than two minutes and reported to Gao Yi, "The doctor says the surgery will take an hour. We don’t have plasma, but we do have blood products, enough to meet the transfusion needs of the injured. The patient’s situation isn’t great, but there is no danger to life, nor will there be any disabilities. There will just be a significant scar and some impact on walking due to the loss of tissue from where the bullet hit, but that’s the best outcome we can hope for considering the location and the nature of the injury. Even if taken to a major hospital, the only advantage would be in post-operative care; the surgery itself would be almost identical. Overall, it’s the best possible outcome."

Gao Yi asked once, and Khalid answered one, two, three, four, five—providing not just the information Gao Yi wanted to know, but also the answers to questions he hadn’t even asked.

Talent, indeed.

Gao Yi couldn’t help but glance at Khalid, then he suddenly asked, "How old are you this year?"

"32, I was born in 1985."

"Hm, pretty good, young and promising."

Gao Yi, who was in his twenties himself, complimenting Khalid in his thirties on being young and promising felt slightly out of place, but no one present objected.

Gao Yi paused for a moment, then continued, "You speak English very well."

"Before the civil war broke out, I studied in the UK. My father was an officer in Feikaza’s government army, so our family was quite well-off."

Gao Yi immediately asked, "So now you lead people against the United States because of your father? Do you want to avenge him?"

"Not entirely, I just want to drive the Americans out. Libya should belong to the Libyans."

Not entirely for personal vendetta, he actually had a quite noble ideal.

"How many men do you have under you?"

"If we are talking about the ones directly under my command, I have around two hundred men right now, but the whole of Libya supports me. This support is intangible, yet it is the reason I have been able to keep up the fight until now."

Alright, he only had two hundred men, but claims the support of the entire country - thick-skinned and boastful, a qualified political creature.

Finally, Gao Yi asked the question he had been leading up to for a while.

With a seemingly casual smile, Gao Yi asked, "After all these years, where does your funding come from? Money from the carpet factory certainly can’t suffice, right? So do you rely on public donations, or fund yourself through combat, or perhaps you have some sponsors behind you?"

This was the crux of the matter.

If Khalid had other sponsors, it would be too late for Gao Yi to make his move, because that would mean he would have to wrest control of Khalid from another country.

Khalid nodded, then he said very calmly and seriously, "Our funds come from various sources, a small portion is self-raised, and we also have donations from supporters; this part accounts for about half. Self-funding through warfare is unrealistic; our attacks and battles against Americans yield no profits, every fight only results in expenditure without any gain, so previously we indeed had sponsors."

Gao Yi tilted his head slightly and asked, "Oh, who provided the funds?"

"Turkiye."

This was a name Gao Yi hadn’t expected, he frowned slightly and asked, "Turkiye?"

"Yes, ISIS reached out to us after they rose to power, wanting to incorporate us, but I decisively refused. I won’t have any connection with an anti-human organization like ISIS. After the Syrian war started, Turkiye began funding us, giving us a total of two million dollars and some equipment. But as the situation in Syria began to stabilize and ISIS started to collapse, especially after Turkiye entered the fray themselves, they stopped funding us."

Gao Yi knew that he couldn’t compete with a country, but according to Khalid, the total support was only two million dollars, less than what he could offer at once, so the sponsor was as good as none.

In the end, it was still a matter of geography. Khalid was mainly active in Tripoli, which Turkiye wasn’t interested in, so naturally, they wouldn’t invest heavily.

Gao Yi began to ponder deeply, he thought for a long time, and finally said, "You make a judgment about what will happen next."

Khalid didn’t hesitate to respond, "Our secret base here has been exposed, but the response from the Libyan National Army is slow; without American encouragement, it would be good if they could find this place by this time tomorrow. Even if they verify the location, the puppet government of Libya will not commit many resources to hunt us down."

"Why not?"

"Because it’s unprofitable, and would only result in death. Especially if they push me too far, I would retaliate. Those high-ranking officials can hide in safe places, but before dealing with me, the actual executors need to think twice."

Gao Yi suddenly realized and said, "Got it. What if the Americans got involved?"

Khalid seemed a bit hesitant, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "It depends on the extent. A small-scale manhunt is not a concern. Once they enter the old city area, I’ll receive a message. Someone will tip me off, and I can take my men and hide. But if they surround the entire old city and adopt a large-scale urban warfare approach... then we would be in a difficult spot."

After saying this, Khalid spread his hands lightly and continued, "If the National Army executing the capture mission thinks I can escape and still have the ability to retaliate, they will have reservations and not dare to go too far. But if they believe my death is certain, they will make a fatal move. Even if it’s just to avoid my retaliation, they will do everything to eliminate me. Let me add that Tripoli hasn’t seen such a large-scale battle in three years; by logic, they shouldn’t make any major moves."

Gao Yi promptly said, "What if, because of me, the Americans push the Libyan puppet army to go all out, to the extent of turning the whole city upside down to find us? How would you handle that?"

Khalid fell silent for a moment, then looked at Gao Yi and said, "That would mean you’re really a big deal, enough to have the Americans and the Puppet Government treat us this way. It means you have strong power. In that case, I will protect you and help you escape from Tripoli, we cannot resist by force."

Khalid actually did not directly answer Gao Yi’s question. He opted to answer indirectly.

But Gao Yi was very satisfied with Khalid’s response, so he smiled and said, "Very good, very good, let’s talk about how we can cooperate next. Listen carefully, it’s cooperation."