Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 335 - 319: Want Money, Not Life

Chapter 335: Chapter 319: Want Money, Not Life

Mercenaries tend to be forthright, so Gao Yi approached the situation in the same straightforward manner.

No need for any cloak-and-dagger stuff—just get straight to the point.

Gao Yi sat down on the sofa and opened with, "I need manpower, skilled manpower."

Not sure if it was too direct, Peterlov scratched his head and then somewhat awkwardly said, "What level, how many people, what kind of mission?"

Level? What level? Feng Biao and Lin Xianghua didn’t mention anything about levels. Is there a ranking system among mercenaries?

After a moment of thought, Gao Yi said, "No limit on the number of people, the mission is confidential, no level restrictions."

Peterlov fell silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, I’ll be straightforward too. You don’t seem like a mercenary, and you seem unfamiliar with our industry. Sir, at least give me a clear condition, so I can help you find people. How about this: you give me a slightly clearer condition, and then I’ll recommend the most suitable candidates."

Gao Yi immediately said, "We indeed lack mutual understanding. Well, just present your best candidates for me to choose from. I’ll reveal a bit more—I need to escort a shipment of arms, and it’s certain someone will try to steal them. There will be tough fights."

"That’s enough. Tough fights mean high risk, and high risk means high reward, but some are willing to take risks for big money. I definitely have suitable candidates for you. How about the War Axe Mercenary Group? The best thing about this group is you don’t have to worry about them backing down from danger. As long as the money is right, there’s nothing they can’t handle!"

Gao Yi couldn’t help but laugh, "War Axe Mercenary Group?"

"Yes, War Axe. Well, the War Axe Mercenary Group has been around for a long time and has a very good reputation. They currently have about twenty members. I’m not sure if that’ll satisfy your needs. As for the fee, it starts at two million, and the specific amount depends on the task. But the War Axe Mercenary Group is definitely worth the price."

Gao Yi’s group was called Warhammer, and this one was called War Axe—what a coincidence.

Gao Yi laughed, "Twenty people might not be enough, but I can hire multiple mercenary groups. Introduce me to this War Axe Mercenary Group first—their members, weapons, what kind of battles they excel at, which battlefields they are best suited for."

"Okay, the commander of the War Axe Mercenary Group is Donkey. The main members of this group are mostly Russian, and their weapons primarily consist of Russian-made arms. They have all the essential light weapons, and of course, they can fight any type of battle. They’ve done escort missions, security details, and they have a high completion rate for some confidential tasks too. Their only requirement is a lump-sum payment for single missions; they don’t take on jobs paid by the day."

Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, "Pay up, and they’ll do anything! What if my enemies are strong, really tough, like, just hypothetically, if my enemies were a top-tier mercenary group like the Burning Legion, would the War Axe still take the job and fight to the end?"

"Burning Legion? Sir, I’m not just talking about the Burning Legion—even if it were dancing around a nuclear bomb about to explode, War Axe would go if the money was right. Sir, let me repeat: War Axe requires payment upfront. As long as it’s made clear who the opponent is, and after War Axe has been paid, their lives are yours."

After Peterlov finished, he spread his hands and said, "Sir, you asked for high-end combat power but couldn’t detail the mission, so I recommended a mercenary group like War Axe that’s ready to die for money."

Gao Yi was satisfied. He laughed and said, "Your recommendation is good, I’ll take the War Axe Mercenary Group, but the number seems a bit small. Do you have any other suitable recommendations?"

Peterlov thought for a moment and said, "Twenty people are still too few?"

"Too few. I need the kind of mercenary that can serve as a daredevil squad. War Axe meets the criteria, but the numbers are still too small."

Peterlov frowned and explained, "War Axe Mercenary Group is very strong. I can reveal that half of their members are from Russian special forces. Both their experience and combat strength are top-notch. Honestly, mercenary groups willing to take payments upfront and then complete missions at any cost—in all of Iraq, in the entire Middle East—it’s only War Axe. You want more people..."

After some thought, Peterlov turned to Gao Yi and said, "If you need a lot of people, how about the Lego Mercenary Group?"

"Lego? Like Lego blocks?" Gao Yi hesitated and said, "What kind of name is that?"

Peterlov laughed and explained, "Exactly like Lego blocks, because the Lego Mercenary Group is very adaptable. Whatever mission you need, they can come up with suitable candidates. But Lego doesn’t have the high-end combat power or toughness of War Axe. Put it this way: if War Axe is like special forces, Lego is like regular infantry, but no matter what you need done, Lego fits."

"That sounds good too. Alongside special forces, I also need regular troops. So, how does Lego charge? Lego charges based on both personnel and mission type. If it’s just basic tasks, like security and guard work, it starts at three hundred dollars per person per day. Payment is per person, but such recruits are lower-end, mainly Iraqis. If you need higher-level mercenaries, it could primarily be Russians and Eastern Europeans, costing five hundred dollars per person per day, with additional payment for combat depending on the situation."

Peterlov was very detailed, and Gao Yi couldn’t help but say, "This Lego, is it your own Mercenary Group? It sounds highly flexible."

Peterlov smiled and responded, "It’s not my Mercenary Group; I can just put one together like that."

Gao Yi pondered for a moment, then said, "Do you have fifty men?"

"Yes, of course."

"Based on the basic daily mercenary fee, but since we can’t determine the intensity of the battle now, can we decide to increase the fee depending on the situation after the fight starts?"

"Of course, that’s standard practice. Everyone does it that way."

Gao Yi nodded, and then he said solemnly, "But there’s a problem. If the battle is fierce, very dangerous, would the men from Lego Mercenary Corps run?"

Peterlov replied with a helpless face, "I can’t give you false promises because I have to be responsible for my reputation, sir. They are all here to make money. If it’s too dangerous, then what’s the use of earning money if you can’t spend it? So, it’s not easy for me to answer your question. For instance, we talk about the battle being fierce, but how do we define that intensity? That’s why we usually use a casualty ratio to gauge the direct danger level of a battle. Do you understand what I’m saying?"

"Yes, I can understand."

"Good, we consider a battle with a casualty rate exceeding ten percent as fierce, and that requires a substantial increase in the fee. A casualty rate over twenty percent, we consider very intense, and over thirty percent, that’s extremely dangerous. Many people will refuse to participate in such missions, and very few people are willing to undertake them!"

Gao Yi extended his hand with fingers spread, saying, "Let’s assume there’s a fifty percent casualty rate."

Peterlov inhaled sharply and said, "Casualties over half? That kind of mission is like marching to one’s death. But there’s also a chance to make a large profit. Hmm, men will certainly be found, but not many. Fifty men I can find for you, but the price is high! Ten thousand per person per day, and if a battle occurs, a battle allowance starting at one hundred thousand, paid upfront. There’s no way to handle payment promptly in combat, so for such missions, you need to put up a security deposit. Fifty men, that’s five million dollars, in my hands. Then, you’ll handle the daily payouts. If you don’t pay one day, their assignment automatically ends. If no combat occurs, I’ll return the deposit, but if there is combat, the deposit is nonrefundable."

Gao Yi nodded and said, "That sounds fair enough."

"Definitely fair. But I must remind you, in this mode, everyone is prepared to exchange their lives for money. So, if any combat occurs over the agreed scale, regardless of intensity, the five million won’t be refunded. Then, for all mercenaries involved, dead or alive, injured or not, each will get a hundred thousand, and I will immediately distribute the money to them."

Ten thousand a day, fifty people, that’s five hundred thousand. Once the fighting starts, it’s five million.

When the real action time comes, it’s still unknown how many days it will take since it’s a passive wait for the enemy to come to them.

But spending five hundred thousand a day is acceptable, even waiting for ten days is only five million. Including the security deposit, ten million should be enough.

Gao Yi nodded and said, "Okay, no problem."

Peterlov said gravely, "For both War Axe and Lego, I must take a ten percent commission from each Mercenary Group, and you’ll pay that."

Gao Yi frowned and asked, "I am to pay?"

Peterlov replied very seriously, "Sir, I can’t take money from those who are risking their lives. So my rule here is that it’s the employer who bears the costs. But I can guarantee that the fees you pay will go directly to them. That is why the mercenaries here trust me, and the mercenaries that go out from here will surely do what they’re contracted to do. Once the money is in place, there will be no deserters mid-mission."

Although Gao Yi didn’t know if the price was high or low, the fact that Peterlov promised no one would run once the money was in place seemed fair enough.

"Alright, let’s settle on this for now. If I confirm with War Axe and Lego, you’ll have to let me see their equipment and condition. If they’re usable, I’ll pay immediately."

Peterlov nodded and said, "Of course, that’s understood."

Gao Yi glanced at his watch and said, "I have another friend to meet, so I’ll take my leave now."

Compare and choose carefully; Gao Yi didn’t immediately finalize the deal, and Peterlov understood this principle too. He got up, extended his hand, and smilingly said, "Sir, whether or not we manage to cooperate this time, you’re always welcome here. If you need anything, please contact me."

A qualified businessman, a proper attitude, Gao Yi felt completely satisfied.

Having said goodbye to Peterlov, he got into the car and after meeting Feng Biao, Gao Yi’s first words were, "Do you know about the War Axe Mercenary Group?"

Feng Biao paused for a moment, then said, "War Axe? The War Axe Mercenary Group is quite strong, but what they’re most known for is their willingness to take money over life. I wouldn’t join such a mercenary group, but being able to use War Axe is indeed quite good."