Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 414 - 396: Strength Not Permitted

Chapter 414: Chapter 396: Strength Not Permitted

The atmosphere grew somewhat somber.

Gao Yi’s appetite had vanished, preoccupied with puzzling out Green’s true intentions.

In principle, if there was an issue, Green should have explained it to Gao Yi first, but he kept things to himself until meeting the buyer, leaving Gao Yi quite confused.

At this time, it became clear who had the strongest psychological quality—the sonarman.

He ate when it was time to eat, drank when it was time to drink, without any delay, as if the enigma these people were engaged in had nothing to do with him.

That’s when the older retired sonarman suddenly said, "So, does that mean we can eat freely now?"

"Yes, eat and drink well, of course, you may eat freely."

The older sonarman put the salad that was pulled towards him back in front of the younger sonarman.

The living conditions on submarines now are far better than on the old ones.

Still, a submarine is a submarine, and fresh vegetables are a rarity on board regardless.

But at this moment, the focus was certainly not on whether a sonarman eating a few extra veggies would give anything away.

Some things are better clarified, as Gao Yi didn’t want anyone to mistakenly assume he harbored ill intentions.

So he spoke up.

Gao Yi looked toward Green and asked, "Why are you bringing this up now? Wouldn’t it have been better to alert me earlier?"

"Would alerting you earlier have made a difference? They’re bound to come, anyway. Who could resist such temptation?"

Gao Yi frowned and said, "But your words seem to have a flaw. I sold the metallic hydrogen technology to the CIA, but when we buy the sonar fingerprints from Russia, the CIA won’t be aware, right? By what means and why would they stop it?"

At this point, the expert showed slight unease, and so did the older former sonarman, who couldn’t help but say, "Is it appropriate to discuss this topic here, in this place?"

"There’s nothing inappropriate. It’s good to have a discussion."

The speaker was a middle-aged man with little presence. It wasn’t until he spoke that Gao Yi realized there was still someone else here.

Wearing a faint smile, he was easy to overlook—his face forgotten the moment one glanced away, requiring another focused look to remember who had spoken.

Curious how a person could be so remarkably ordinary, possessing as little presence as an invisible man—how was that managed?

Green spoke indifferently, "The CIA definitely doesn’t know about your deal with the KGB, nor do they know that you’ve acted as a middleman. But that’s not the point; the point is the indirect risk. Do you understand?"

"What do you mean by indirect risk?"

Green turned the dinner into a classroom session, saying as if no one else was around, "Who is your biggest enemy right now?"

"The Andic Group, the Freedom Wind faction of the CIA."

"Good. So, when you sell metallic hydrogen to the archenemy of Freedom Wind, wouldn’t Freedom Wind want to investigate how this intelligence came about? Your elimination of Iron Fist George in Amsterdam is already known worldwide, so the CIA will naturally hunt for you, to retaliate and take you down."

Green gestured dismissively, asserting, "Such a simple concept, such an obvious indirect risk—do I need to spell it out for you?"

After thinking it over, Gao Yi replied, "But no matter what, the CIA has no clue what we are planning to do."

Green laughed, "Do they need to know? If the CIA finds out you’re contacting them, even if they don’t know what you’re up to, won’t they attempt to disrupt it?"

Gao Yi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That’s not so bad, actually. As long as the KGB doesn’t leak any information, it won’t matter if the CIA is watching me—they can’t stir up much trouble."

"That’s why I said it’s an indirect risk, but to say the KGB won’t leak—well, that’s not so certain."

Green’s expression hinted at a smile as he looked at the unobtrusive middle-aged man and asked, "What’s your name?"

"Oh, Huang Haisheng. ’Huang’ as in the colors red, green, and yellow; ’Hai’ as in ocean; ’Sheng’ as in life. You can just call me Old Huang."

Green nodded and then asked Huang Haisheng, "What do you think—are there any risks with the KGB?"

Huang Haisheng was silent for a while, finally speaking softly, "The biggest risk comes from the KGB."

Green smiled and prompted, "Explain."

Huang Haisheng seemed somewhat troubled, but since Green had put it that way, he continued, "All right, I’ll explain briefly. Our biggest risk is not knowing if this deal is bait thrown out by the KGB. The KGB could very well play both sides, using this deal to reel in both us and any CIA operatives here."

Gao Yi looked bewildered and said, "Can they even do that?"

Green calmly responded, "Since when do spies have friends? What friendship exists between nations? With the Russian Navy practically defunct, having lost their status as a Blue Water Navy, relying on the remnants of Soviet-era ships to save face, can Russia’s Navy continue to compete with the United States Navy? Of course, the answer is no."

Gao Yi nodded.

Green continued, "In this deal, who is the real victim?"

Without hesitation, Gao Yi said, "The United States."

"So, when the United States discovers that Russia intends to sell decades’ worth of technological data to you, but the final buyer is only Northeastern University, what would they do?"

"Stop it, at all costs."

It was an obvious point, one that Gao Yi understood without needing to think hard.

Green continued, "What’s good for the KGB is that this isn’t a state action but a covert trade by people below, so for the United States, does it mean that by stopping this deal, they can prevent the leak of their submarine intelligence?"

"Yes."

Green immediately pointed at Huang Haisheng and whispered, "Once they got wind of the trade and believed it might be for real, they activated a sleeper agent that had been in place for decades, prepared to go to any lengths for the deal. What about the CIA? If the KGB just sits back, letting CIA handle it, would the CIA risk exposing their own networks in Moscow to stop the trade?"

Gao Yi exhaled and said, "It’s possible."

Green smiled, "If I were the KGB, I would complete the deal first, obtain the metallic hydrogen technology and the money, then leak the news. Watch the CIA and Northeastern University fight to death in Moscow, and then step in to capture both the CIA and Northeastern University agents. In the end, I would get the money, prevent the leak of national secrets, expose two intelligence networks, and both earn merit and money. Isn’t that good?"

Gao Yi took a sharp intake of breath and said softly, "Good!"

Green indifferently said, "So why wouldn’t the KGB do this?"

Gao Yi began to feel uneasy. He looked at Huang Haisheng, wanting to say something but found himself at a loss for words.

Huang Haisheng smiled faintly, "It’s just a possibility, but it doesn’t have to develop in that way."

Green shook his head, "No, based on what I know about the KGB, they would definitely do it."

Unable to help himself, Gao Yi blurted out, "If you know the KGB would definitely do this, why are we still coming here?"

Green looked at Huang Haisheng and smiled, "Because it’s an opportunity no one can resist. Even with one percent chance, you have to try. Even if you know it’s a trap, you have to jump in."

Gao Yi pressed on, "I mean, why did you come! Why did you come with me? We could have avoided this risk."

Green answered decisively, "To watch the spectacle. I just want to see how they do it, how they react, how they solve it."

Gao Yi felt used, but since Green was so straightforward, he likely wouldn’t sabotage the trade or betray Gao Yi directly.

What kind of mentality is this, what kind of behavior?

Got it, I know.

The style of Great Britain was imprinted deeply on Green.

A troublemaker, the classic troublemaker indeed.

Green could have reminded Gao Yi but chose to keep silent because of his mentality as a troublemaker.

Watching Northeastern University, the Soviet Union, and the United States fight to the death over this deal was an opportunity not found just anywhere, especially taking part in it and watching up close.

Gao Yi didn’t know whether he should scold Green or not, but at that moment, Huang Haisheng chuckled, "No problem, we have the confidence to handle any danger. We don’t depend on others; we look at our own strength first and make decisions accordingly."

Huang Haisheng’s comment jabbed at Green, quite pointedly because Green was being rather arrogant.

Gao Yi was silent, but his mind was racing because Huang Haisheng’s words had struck a chord.

Green made sense, but there were still loopholes.

In the past, Gao Yi tended to think too simply due to experiences, not because his potential or talent limited him; but now, Gao Yi had an epiphany.

Green wasn’t here just to watch the spectacle; by saying these things, in this setting, he was blocking Gao Yi’s way back home!

Given that Gao Yi had acquired metallic hydrogen and sonar fingerprint, if one day he couldn’t make it abroad, tired of Andic Group’s assassination attempts, or scared, he could have slapped his buttocks and returned home to live a wealthy and leisurely retired life.

But now, by making Gao Yi show his face in front of many people and letting Northeastern University know his complex background, this wasn’t a bonus point at the time.

So Green wanted to cut off Gao Yi’s way home. He was close to success, but not yet successful, because neither he nor John knew how extensive Gao Yi’s connections were.

Having figured it out, everything’s fine; not scared anymore, no need for wild guesses.

Suddenly, Gao Yi smiled faintly, his eyes shifting from confusion to determination in a moment. He transformed from a naive student led by Green into a big shot capable of casual banter at the table.

So what if he’s switched to being an intelligence broker, doesn’t Gao Yi deserve it?

With this mindset, Gao Yi relaxed and said, "Alright, no need to worry. Even if KGB has ill intentions, it’s fine. I can assure this deal will be simple and that everyone here will be safe. Relax, eat well, drink well."

Gao Yi’s transformation wasn’t obvious, but Green and Huang Haisheng were sure to notice.

Green momentarily stunned, he asked in surprise, "Why, you... what’s going on?"

Gao Yi smiled and continued confidently, "Nothing really, it’s just that my strength doesn’t allow me to stay low-key anymore, that’s it."