Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 304 - 290: At a Loss for What to Do

Chapter 304: Chapter 290: At a Loss for What to Do

"Why talk about these things now? Because painting grand visions is an essential skill for anyone who wants to be a boss."

Just letting Khalid see the strength wasn’t enough, they had to give him a splendid future vision, to let him know the future was full of majesty and huge potential.

The large-scale search operation driven by the CIA had started, but only the Libyan National Army could be mobilized.

Sweeping the entire city wasn’t that simple, even though the Libyan National Army controlled Tripoli, it was obviously impossible to meticulously search every house in the city and find the people they were looking for.

Even without clear intelligence, at least a general area was needed. So to handle this massive search, what they had to do was nothing at all.

Don’t go out, don’t ask around, then there won’t be any problems.

Although Khalid was typically coerced into this, there certainly wouldn’t be any issues with his loyalty in the short term.

No matter how the outside world changed, Gao Yi and his team only needed to wait and heal in peace.

Now, there was a particularly significant advantage due to Joelson’s presence, Gao Yi and his group could directly access first-hand information from the CIA.

"Awake? How do you feel?"

It had grown dark, but there was a power outage, so a solar-powered outdoor camping lantern was providing dim lighting in the room.

Joelson checked his body, first confirming that he was indeed alive and that he had indeed undergone surgery, and only then could he really relax.

"I’ve never felt better."

His body was in terrible shape, but his spirits were very good. Having seen death so often, he knew how wonderful it was to wake up and still be able to feel pain.

As for how to deal with the aftermath, why worry about work-related issues?

Joelson’s hand moved slightly, then he struggled to lift it, looking at his hand, he sincerely said, "Still alive, that’s great!"

Gao Yi had never seen anyone with such a strong will to survive or such a positive attitude.

Gao Yi didn’t interrupt Joelson’s enjoyment of being alive. He just waited a bit, knowing that once Joelson had savored enough, he would naturally consider how to keep on living.

Joelson looked at Gao Yi and asked, "What’s the situation now? Have we changed locations?"

"Yes, the carpet factory was taken over. Khalid’s arm lost almost twenty men. You’re lucky because we won, and we brought you here. Right now, the CIA is directing the National Army in a large-scale manhunt outside, but they probably won’t find this place for the time being."

Gao Yi briefly explained the situation, then he said in a grave tone, "How did you find the carpet factory? And do you know about Khalid’s other backup locations?"

Joelson grimaced and sighed, "Unfortunately, I know the locations of a total of three Khalid’s strongholds. Luckily, only my boss and I know. If my boss doesn’t decide to betray me, then we are safe here. But if my boss wants to take me out, there’s no escape."

"How did you discover it?"

Joelson smiled, "If you search carefully, you’ll always find what you’re looking for. I spent five months in Libya doing one thing—making friends with locals. Once you know enough people, you’ll always find some useful ones, and then, I developed an undercover."

Gao Yi was shocked, and Khalid couldn’t hold back anymore. He burst out of his hiding spot in the dark corner, exclaiming in astonishment, "Are you saying there’s a mole amongst my people?"

Joelson looked at Khalid and exhaled softly, "Yes."

"Who!"

Joelson thought for a moment and then said, "Your driver, the one who delivered goods in the truck—Kham."

Gao Yi carefully observed Khalid’s expression, then he noticed that Khalid found it hard to accept.

"It’s impossible... How could it be? He can’t be!"

The look on Khalid’s face wasn’t anger but extreme confusion and panic.

At this point, Joelson, of course, wouldn’t hold back and just smiled, "Nothing’s impossible. Alright, now that we’re in the same boat, let me tell you, Kham didn’t even know he became a mole, but his movements have completely betrayed your activities."

Khalid was stunned, "He didn’t know himself?"

Joelson licked his lips, "I’m so thirsty, can I drink water now?"

"No, you can’t drink water for 24 hours."

Joelson knew the etiquette, so he asked if he could drink water instead of directly demanding it.

With a regretful sigh, Joelson spoke softly, "Let me tell you what’s going on. On my first day in Libya, I started looking for local war orphans. This work is tedious, and the National Army doesn’t really have civilian registries, but those orphans who lost their parents at a young age tend to be adopted and cared for. My target was very clear; I was looking for the orphans left by those loyal to Feikaza, which made my job a lot easier."

It sounded difficult, but it was not simple at all.

Joelson indifferently said, "It took me three months, but I got to know all the right people. In the end, I found twelve individuals among about six thousand pre-war legacy files. Their fathers were all military men loyal to Feikaza. They all perished with their families during the war, leaving behind orphans between the ages of nine and twelve."

Khalid wore a look of realization; he seemed to understand why now.

Joelson went on slowly, "Kham, eighteen years old, worked as a truck driver. I covertly watched and followed him for about four days until I confirmed he was with the Anti-American Armed Forces because he was too poor."

"Too poor?"

Khalid’s face filled with confusion as he asked, "What do you mean by too poor?"

"In Tripoli, it’s not easy for a young man to have a job, but once you do, there’s usually a corresponding income. Yet, Kham had no new clothes, no place of his own, no girlfriend. And he was driving trucks for a carpet factory—is it not clear enough? Your factory is either running a slave operation or doesn’t pay its employees. A little investigation into your carpet factory following his trail told me everything I needed to know."

Khalid was stunned, his voice trembling as he said, "Is it that simple?"

"It’s that simple. Intelligence work isn’t as complicated as you think. Most of the time, it’s just repetitive and monotonous. With good luck, you finish faster; with bad luck, it takes a little longer. As long as someone is willing to settle down and work diligently, that’s all it takes."

Joelson finished speaking, waved his hand and said, "You’re cautious, but you shouldn’t have let a trusted subordinate wander around your base. I watched him for nearly two months and discovered three suspicious locations. Just like that, you have no secrets from me."

Khalid had nothing to say; Joelson spoke softly, "So, the Anti-American Armed Forces should pay wages. You should have given that child some money."

Gao Yi couldn’t help but say to Khalid, "Don’t worry, he didn’t betray you voluntarily. Just drop it."

Khalid spoke softly, "No need to say it. He was the most loyal and bravest. He’s already dead."

Gao Yi immediately didn’t know what to say.

Joelson took a breath and continued, "Now, Freedom Wind has a lot of authority. Anything they drive forward will receive full support from the CIA, and that, in turn, will be authorized by the White House which changes the whole situation. Tell me your current location to see if it’s one I’ve already got and reported."

"Speaking of Freedom Wind, could you tell me if Hurricane and Tornado are made up of a few people? Are they two teams or two individuals?"

"I don’t know, it’s classified. I only heard these names when my boss told me, but all information about Freedom Wind is secret. Hurricane could be a codename for an individual or a team."

Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, "We’ve already clashed with Freedom Wind. We’ve killed at least... um, three people that I can confirm, but their casualties are definitely much higher than just three."

Joelson’s face showed extreme shock as he said, "How’s that possible? How could it be? Wait, you said the carpet factory was taken over? Not by the National Army, but by Freedom Wind?"

"Yes."

Joelson was silent for a good while, then astonished he said, "And you say three died?"

"Three confirmed, but in reality it’s far more than that."

Joelson swallowed hard and said urgently, "Give me a phone, I need to make a call. Fast, hurry!"

Gao Yi took out a tin box, just an ordinary biscuit tin, because they feared Joelson’s mobile phone had a tracker, and they could ensure signal blocking by placing it in such a metal box. But if they needed to make a call, naturally, the blocking would be pointless.

Opening the tin, Gao Yi took out the phone and gave it to Joelson.

Joelson quickly began to dial, and in just a moment, the call connected, and a weary voice came through.

"I thought you were dead."

Joelson paused, then spoke in a low voice, "I’m not dead, had surgery, just woke up, Sir, can you tell me what’s happening now?"

"Tornado KIA, Hurricane, seven dead, one seriously injured, only three lightly injured escaped. You’re listed as missing. Henry defected but cannot be confirmed. I’m under a lot of pressure. Though not controlled yet, I’m certain I’m being investigated."

With a soft sigh, Joelson’s boss spoke softly, "Weifeng is already on his way to Libya. He’s truly gone mad. This matter must be investigated, and someone must pay the price; it’s just a matter of who."

Joelson spoke softly, "How many people are in Freedom Wind, and is Tornado an individual or a team?"

"I didn’t know before, but now I do. Tornado was one person; Hurricane was an eleven-person team. You don’t understand what Tornado’s death means. Actually, I don’t either. Right now, all I know is that everyone has lost it. The CIA is frantically sending people to Tripoli, pulling agents from everywhere. Anybody who can go is going. Joelson, unless something unexpected happens, we’re finished."