Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 322 - 306 Gratitude as Great as Rebirth

Chapter 322: Chapter 306 Gratitude as Great as Rebirth

They’d only recently mired themselves in collusion and still lacked understanding of each other, but without a doubt, the top brass who long occupied office seats at headquarters certainly couldn’t be expected to personally handle such specific tasks, so in any case, it had to be Joelson calling the shots.

Since Joelson was needed to handle the specific matters, it would have been truly odd if he had failed to climb higher.

"Let’s go, find a place to eat and talk. I’m getting hungry," Gao Yi said.

Crawford didn’t even dare to share a meal, but Joelson certainly dared.

As Joelson got into the car, Gao Yi said with an eerily calm tone, "Crawford doesn’t seem to have much resolve. I really don’t like the look in his eyes—it feels like he’s someone who can’t keep secrets."

"Uh, um, how should I put this..."

After hesitating for a while, Joelson finally said, "Skin color and image are Crawford’s advantages—you know, the previous President was also black, and the CIA should have its share of black-skinned high-ups."

"Oh, so that’s how it is."

"Crawford is already the best choice, considering he’s not that greedy. In the past, he was very cautious. To put it plainly, he was timid, and aside from his salary and what he was due, he never took money he shouldn’t have."

"Suddenly, the ’what he was due’?" Gao Yi inquired.

"Yeah, didn’t you know? Those above the middle level all get a share—US$ 120,000 for a coffee cup. Did you think the Pentagon was alone in this? The CIA does the same. Our surveillance drones are quoted at five hundred thousand dollars, but the actual cost is twenty thousand dollars. That four hundred and eighty thousand is distributed amongst everyone."

Systemic and semi-public corruption—apparently the United States couldn’t escape the cyclical laws of dynasty either.

Joelson continued in a low voice, "My annual salary after taxes is US$ 100,000, which is already quite high. Crawford’s is US$ 180,000—his salary grade is much higher than mine. But in bonuses alone, I make about fifty to eighty thousand dollars a year, whereas Crawford can pull in two hundred to three hundred thousand."

"Seems like a lot," Gao Yi expressed his surprise.

"It is a lot, but these are just the basic bonuses. Those at the bottom can’t get this, but those who are directly managing things have to get at least thirty percent—which means some people can make a few million a year, but Crawford only gets the basic bonuses."

Having finished, Joelson spread his hands and said, "Bonuses are just a nicer term for dirty money, and the official term. The CIA has about four thousand people qualified for these regular bonuses. At least two thousand are above my level, and at least one hundred are above Crawford’s."

Gao Yi gasped, "How many billions would that be a year?"

"The CIA budget is classified, but the Pentagon’s military budget this year is five hundred and eighty billion dollars. Even if the CIA only had a budget of five billion and eight hundred million, that would still leave plenty to go around."

Gao Yi swallowed hard. Just moments ago, he thought he was wealthy, but now his perspective had shifted.

"Crawford paid a hefty price to get his son into Harvard. He wants to maintain a decent lifestyle but he doesn’t have that much money. One major trait of black people is to spend all the money they have. Well, to Crawford’s credit, at least he’s willing to spend money on education."

Gao Yi nodded, "That’s true, it is commendable."

"People send their kids to elite schools, he does the same, but doesn’t think that those people make millions a year while he makes far less."

"That doesn’t seem right," Gao Yi interjected, "Crawford still makes four or five hundred thousand a year, isn’t that enough?"

"It’s that he hasn’t been making this money for long, only a little over three years. Before that, at most he made around one hundred thousand—there’s a lack of accumulation."

Right, Crawford’s foundation was indeed too shallow.

Joelson continued, "If it weren’t for you taking out Hurricane and Typhoon from Freedom Wind, Deputy Director Panetta wouldn’t have taken an interest in you. If he’s interested in you, then I’m useful. If I’m useful, then Crawford becomes useful. And only then does someone like Deputy Director Panetta, who holds real power, find Crawford. He got in touch with you through me, and that’s how things have played out."

Gao Yi nodded in understanding.

Joelson said, "Ten million dollars is enough to satisfy Crawford, but Deputy Director Panetta surely doesn’t care about that sum. If you want to persuade him, you need a lot more money, or something more important than money."

"Like achievements?"

"Exactly, either knock down a competitor or achieve something unmatched by others. But overall, I believe Panetta won’t be satisfied with the benefits we can provide right now. He’s eager to use Freedom Wind to strike at Deputy Director Porter McLaurin."

At this point, Joelson suddenly said, "You do know, the CIA Director is just a mascot, symbolizing the White House’s intentions, but the real work in the CIA is done by the deputy directors—the only ones who truly understand the job."

"I didn’t actually know that..."

Joelson spread his hands and said, "There are four deputy directors and four office chiefs. These eight people are the ones with the real power. Right now, Porter McLaurin serves as both deputy director and Director of the Intelligence Bureau, while Panetta is deputy director and Director of Management. Well, in theory, the Management can oversee the Intelligence Bureau, but the Intelligence Bureau doesn’t submit to that oversight, so this is where the fiercest competition lies."

"So what about the action office and the Technology Department?"

"The action office and the Intelligence Bureau have always been unified; they are one camp, while the Technology Department is less important, siding with Panetta’s Director of Management."

This level of secrecy would have been impossible for Gao Yi to know if Joelson hadn’t been a mole.

Wait, how could Joelson still be called a mole? But to say Joelson was an undercover agent didn’t seem right either, so let’s just call Joelson an informant.

"Crawford is currently at the cybersecurity office under the Technology Department, which really isn’t of much use and has no real power. But since the Technology Department is Panetta’s territory, Crawford naturally falls under Panetta’s management and can only be one of his people. I don’t know if Crawford will tell Panetta about the Ten million dollars he took from you, but I think it’s unlikely."

After some thought, Gao Yi said, "Definitely not. He doesn’t have the guts, nor the willingness to let go of the money. It’s clear from what he just said; he had no intention of sharing it with anyone else."

At this point, Joelson finally showed his fangs.

"Do you think there’s any chance I could replace Crawford? Because if it were me, I’d give Panetta five hundred thousand dollars right off the bat! Just because of that, I think I have an edge over Crawford."

He wasted no time at all, immediately considering the possibility of replacement and began to undermine Crawford’s position.

Joelson looked at Gao Yi somewhat nervously.

Gao Yi pondered for a moment and then said, "Too hasty, too soon."

Joelson whispered, "Of course, I don’t plan to replace Crawford immediately. After all, we haven’t achieved anything yet. I think, give it about two years and it should be possible, right?"

"If you follow your plan, two years would suffice to replace Crawford, but it’s not enough."

Gao Yi looked at Joelson and sighed, "You’re more generous than Crawford, but your approach to matters is still too petty, brother. You still have a bit to learn about the ways of the world."

Joelson, surprised, said, "I’m planning to give away half of the money that I fully deserve. Isn’t that enough? Am I still being stingy?"

Gao Yi said indifferently, "If I were the one who received the Ten million dollars, I would give all of it to Deputy Director Panetta, telling him that the money is a greeting gift. But without Panetta, I wouldn’t have the credentials nor the opportunity to receive the ten million, so I would hand the money over to Deputy Director Panetta and then ask him to allocate it."

Joelson’s eyes widened.

Gao Yi smiled slightly and spoke in a low voice, "You need to be clear whether the money is truly earned by yourself. Obviously, Crawford could receive the money just because Panetta assigned him a task. So the money isn’t earned by Crawford himself; it was given by Panetta, and naturally, it should be Panetta who decides how to allocate it."

Joelson took a deep breath.

Gao Yi continued, "I wouldn’t say the money is a gift for Panetta, because what if Panetta accepts it? Thus, the key to this approach is allocation. Asking Panetta to allocate it first is the greatest respect for his authority. Then, whatever Panetta decides to give me, I’ll accept. If Panetta takes half and gives me half, then he would be a good boss worth following. If Panetta takes seventy percent and gives me thirty percent, that’s still a decent boss. If Panetta takes ninety and gives me ten, then the boss is stingy, but it’s still profitable to follow him. If Panetta takes it all, then he’s a bastard, and I’ll take the chance to get rid of him in the future."

Joelson, with his mouth agape, said, "What if Panetta gives it all to you?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. Maybe occasionally in the future, but never the first time. He knows this is the time to set the ratio, so why would he not take his share?"

Joelson swallowed hard and said hesitantly, "What if... Panetta takes thirty percent for himself and leaves me seventy percent? You didn’t mention that just now. Do you think it’s not possible?"

Gao Yi smiled and said, "A boss who takes thirty percent for himself and gives seventy percent to his subordinates would be the best boss in the world. Then go all out to work for him. I would die to ensure the safety of such a boss, and I must not let anything happen to him. There aren’t many bosses like that, rest assured, you won’t meet one."

Joelson hesitated for a moment before finally saying, still uncertain, "I see, is there a possibility that Panetta takes ten percent and gives you the remaining ninety percent?"

"If he takes ten percent for himself and gives me ninety percent? That’s not my boss; that’s my mother, my own mother!"

Joelson laughed at Gao Yi’s words, then quickly said, "Usually at times like this, one would call him ’dad.’"

Gao Yi shook his head and said, "No, even a dad wouldn’t be so generous to his child. Only a mother could, because only maternal love is truly selfless."

Joelson nodded seriously and said, "It does seem to be the case."

Gao Yi seriously added, "Position needs to be attained over time step by step, but power doesn’t have to. With your method, you’ll certainly climb to Crawford’s position within two years. But by my method, in at most six months, the actual power you wield will definitely surpass Crawford’s. Believe it or not?"

With a deep sense of realization, Joelson said, "Thank you. You’ve taught me a lot. My father is a farmer; he couldn’t teach me these things. It’s only today that I realized how to survive, how to climb, and I feel like I’ve been reborn, thank you."

Joelson was speaking carelessly now, how could he say such a thing? It was almost like indirectly calling Gao Yi ’dad.’

After thinking for a while, Gao Yi felt the idiom ’rebirth through kindness’ was quite fitting. It was just a shame that he didn’t know how to translate it to Joelson.

But it was enough that Joelson felt that way.