Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 314 - 300 Black Hand

Chapter 314: Chapter 300 Black Hand

Joelson had actually found his way here, but how?

Even Khalid’s trusted men outside didn’t know his location, yet now they were bringing Joelson to him. What was going on?

The messenger who came to report the news had a youthful face that was beginning to show signs of a beard, making him look rather naïve. He spoke in a hurried and fast manner, which only added to his lack of credibility.

Gao Yi wanted to get the full picture before making a decision, but Khalid was already looking at him with a serious expression, "What should we do?"

What else could they do but meet him? However, before meeting, they needed to ask how he had found them.

"You, how did you find us? Speak slowly."

Gao Yi’s Arabic was not very fluent yet, but he didn’t have any problems with basic conversation.

The nervous young man explained, "I was just staying at home, doing nothing, when that man showed up at my door. I was about to grab a gun and take him out when he told me everything was safe now. I didn’t believe him, but then he pointed a gun at my head. He also brought a dozen policemen."

He still spoke in an incoherent manner. At this point, Khalid interjected, "His family runs a grocery store; I had him act as an informant."

Gao Yi frowned, "He brought police, and then what happened?"

"Then he took me out of my house, threw me into a car, and told me he was your friend, not an enemy. He said he urgently needed to see you, and he brought me here, going from house to house. At every house, he would ask to find someone, saying that if he found where you were hiding, someone would definitely come out to meet me. We searched 24 households, and just arrived here today when we actually ran into you."

Although the explanation was still muddled, Gao Yi roughly understood.

"Are the police still following? Where is the man who brought you?"

"The police left a long time ago; it’s just the two of us. He’s waiting for me at the street corner..."

There was nothing left to say. Gao Yi pondered for a moment and then instructed Khalid, "Take some people and leave through the back door. I’ll meet with him."

Khalid whispered, "This sounds too strange, but if they really wanted to kill us, they wouldn’t need to do this, so I think it’s actually safe. I’ll leave first; you talk."

Khalid was both quick-witted and decisive. Without any unnecessary words, he took people and left swiftly.

If someone had come knocking at your door with ill intentions, it would be too late to run now, so Gao Yi didn’t have Feng Biao and the others withdraw. He simply said to Khalid, "Please, bring the person over."

A month had passed since he last saw Joelson.

Indeed, Joelson came alone, without a large entourage. Parking his car at the gate, he walked in very naturally and at ease.

"You’ve hidden in this place for a month?"

Joelson’s injuries were also severe. A month’s time had just been enough for him to recover to the point where he could move around. He looked greatly weakened, but his spirits seemed high.

Just from the relaxed air about Joelson, Gao Yi knew there wasn’t a problem.

For a month, not having stepped inside the courtyard, it was Gao Yi’s first time entering; so much time spent hidden had turned his skin pale.

He looked up at the sky, at the Sun, then Gao Yi said with a sense of nostalgia, "Yes, staying here for a month hasn’t been comfortable."

They shook hands, as their relationship wasn’t quite at the hugging stage yet.

Joelson’s handshake was somewhat perfunctory, and after a brief exchange, he immediately said, "The day before yesterday, the last CIA agent was pulled out. Now Libya has returned to its former state, unnoticed and uncared for, so I came."

Mu Tianwen’s teachers were truly remarkable; they said a month, and it was a month.

Gao Yi smiled and invited, "Good news. Please, come in."

Joelson followed Gao Yi into the living room, then took off his shoes and, wearing black socks, lounged on the carpet.

Gao Yi showed genuine concern, "You look like you haven’t suffered too much since you went back."

"Not at all, it was better than I expected because I suddenly became useful."

Joelson smiled unabashedly, "There are some things only I can do, so as soon as I got a little better, they sent me back here."

"Please, go on."

"There’s a lot to tell, I don’t know where to start."

After laughing, Joelson held up two fingers and said, "I came with two missions: one is to take out Freedom Wind, and the other is money."

Gao Yi expressed surprise, "Oh? Take out Freedom Wind?"

Joelson nodded and then added casually, "The infighting at the CIA is fiercer than I imagined. Some of the struggles have gotten heated. Since you’ve managed to take out Hurricane and Tornado, you should be able to take out the other ’Winds’ as well. It can be said that only you can do this now; you’re more convenient than anyone else."

"Hmm, what else?" Gao Yi asked.

"Money. Who wouldn’t like making a profit while taking down political foes?" Joelson replied plainly, "But that’s my mission, not the full extent of our discussion. Setting aside these two objectives, we should talk about our own affairs."

Gao Yi smiled and said, "Our own affairs? That would be self-preservation, wouldn’t it? What, do your superiors plan to use us, then conveniently dispose of us once done?"

The notion of ’a hare runs into a ditch only for the hound to be cooked’ was something Gao Yi hardly needed to be taught.

As a Chinese person, if one couldn’t understand even this simple principle, one might as well bash one’s head against tofu and end it.

Joelson let out a soft sigh and said, "We need to become irreplaceable to others. If we can be easily replaced—well, not ’we’... Just me, without you."

Joelson had intended to bring Gao Yi into this, but upon seeing Gao Yi’s mocking smile, he suddenly abandoned the speech he had prepared for the past ten days.

Why bother with useless chatter? Better to be honest.

In a low voice, Joelson said, "You are already an enemy of the CIA, while I’m different. I’m part of the CIA, everything about me is under my superiors’ control. If someone can replace me, then I’m useless. And to be useless in this kind of conspiracy means death."

Gao Yi immediately replied, "That’s the fate of a disposable glove—useless and dirty, of course it gets thrown away."

Speaking softly, Joelson said, "So could you promise me one thing? If one day someone else replaces me to work with you, could you at least let me know?"

Gao Yi laughed and then heaved a long sigh, saying, "Buddy, you’re really not familiar with this line of work."

Joelson was taken aback and then nodded, "I am indeed unfamiliar."

"If a boss has his own business, with a steady income, but the business must remain under the radar, so he needs someone else to manage it, then that person becomes the disposable glove. Such a glove can, of course, be discarded or replaced at any time," Gao Yi stated calmly, and then opening his palm, he continued, "But if you are your own boss, you have the capital, connections, and foreseeable profits—it’s just that you lack the startup funds. So, you find a wealthy investor to fund you, then you are an entrepreneur, and the investor is an angel investor."

Joelson looked perplexed and said, "Why are you telling me this? Of course, I understand all that."

"Does your superior have his own business?"

Joelson answered without hesitation, "No."

"Will he give you money to start a business?"

"Of course not."

Unable to hold back, Joelson said, "Let’s not talk about this now, shall we? This isn’t about doing business."

"How is it not about business? Transactions between power and money are also business. If you’re afraid you’ll be abandoned, silenced, then don’t consider yourself your superior’s glove. If you become Crawford’s hands, wouldn’t that solve the issue?"

Gao Yi clenched his fist and smiled, saying, "Gloves are worn so as not to dirty one’s hands, but if you are the black hand Crawford uses to rake in money, how could he cut off his own hand?"

Removing gloves is easy; cutting off one’s hand is much harder. Severing one’s own black hand is problematic not just because it can no longer rake in money, but also because it would be painful and, if severe, it could be fatal.

Gao Yi’s reasoning was all understood by Joelson, but the reason he allowed Gao Yi to lecture at length was because he didn’t know how to implement it.

In a serious tone, Joelson asked, "Do you have a way for me to become the hands instead of a disposable glove?"

"Of course, it’s simple—the choice lies with me."

Gao Yi grandly stated, "I’m not begging Crawford to take money; I can make it so that Crawford receives money. Therefore, he must adjust his attitude; if he performs well, he gets paid; if not, he gets nothing."

After finishing, Gao Yi exhaled and said, "How to achieve this will depend on our sincere cooperation. Buddy, sincerity is important. You are the link between me and the CIA. If the two of us are united, nobody can replace your position, nor mine, and our business cannot be taken by anyone else."

Joelson became lost in thought.

Gao Yi smiled and said, "Let me put it another way. If you seek benefits from the CIA and Crawford, then you are with the CIA. Since you’re with the CIA, I can accept anyone they send my way. But if you’re on my side, prioritizing our interests in everything you do, then I won’t recognize anyone the CIA sends to replace you. Do you understand now?"

Gao Yi worried that he might still be too subtle. These hints, which any Chinese person would immediately grasp—no, they were practically as clear as day—might still be lost on Joelson.

Just as Gao Yi was about to clarify further, Joelson finally nodded and said, "I understand. Is this your promise?"

"A promise? Yes, you could say it’s a promise, but it depends on how you perform."

What Gao Yi wanted was to turn Joelson into his own person, a true mole, not a middleman representing either the CIA or Crawford.

First clarify this point; then further negotiations can commence. Otherwise, if Joelson had anything hidden, or simply spouted nonsense, Gao Yi would be the one at risk.

Now that they had reached an agreement, and Joelson had received the promise he wanted, he spoke in a low voice, "Alright, let me tell you what actually happened."