Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 415 - 397: Transformation

Chapter 415: Chapter 397: Transformation

Never let others know your trump cards, but there’s no need—and indeed no possibility—to keep a low profile anymore.

Gao Yi’s trump card was Panetta. Green might or might not know, but it didn’t matter, it was no big deal.

As long as the CIA made any move in Moscow, Gao Yi would definitely know, and he could even use his influence on Panetta to stop the CIA’s actions in Moscow. Just for this reason alone, he could afford to be high-profile.

Gao Yi’s transformation brought great pleasure to Huang Haisheng and astonishment to Green.

But Gao Yi could boast and talk big only if he had the strength to back it up. If one has strength, it must be shown.

Gao Yi directly took out his mobile phone, of course, not the one he used to contact Teacher Mu, but the one for contacting Panetta.

Right there at the dining table, Gao Yi dialed Panetta’s number. Waiting for the call to connect, he spoke in a low voice, "It’s me. I’m with many people right now, so if it’s inconvenient, don’t speak. I’m currently in Moscow and suspect that Freedom Wind is on my trail; they followed me from Germany. Could you check if there’s anything unusual with the Moscow intelligence station?"

His words were spoken with dominance and bluster, best summarized in two words: badass.

Green’s expression immediately turned sullen, out of disappointment.

Huang Haisheng’s eyes were as wide as they could get, but the only reason they couldn’t stay calm was because of what Gao Yi had just said.

Asking directly about any anomalies with the Moscow intelligence station was a statement of considerable weight. It implied that Gao Yi had a direct line to the upper echelons of the CIA, and moreover, to the highest level of authority.

"Moscow, currently there’s no activity. Freedom Wind probably doesn’t have the capability to track you. Still, I’ll have someone keep an eye on things there and immediately notify you of any news. What are you doing in Moscow? Trading with the KGB?"

The trade Panetta mentioned referred to Gao Yi’s intention to sell metallic hydrogen technology to the KGB.

Without hesitation, Gao Yi replied: "Correct, I’m dealing with the KGB. Once the deal is done, I’m off to Baghdad."

He could be entirely forthcoming about it.

Panetta said in a quiet tone, "Be careful with the Russians. I’ll have someone monitor Moscow for you, and Joelson will notify you if anything happens. Anything else?"

"Nothing else, everything is going smoothly so far. That’s all."

After hanging up the phone, Gao Yi calmly stated, "Okay, there’s no information or action on the CIA’s part. If there’s any movement, I’ll know in advance. Now, I’ll contact the KGB side."

Huang Haisheng couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

Gao Yi then took out another phone.

This time the call was to Sherkin, but upon dialing, he discovered that the other party had turned off their phone. No need to say anything more; Sherkin was most likely on a flight.

Putting down the phone, Gao Yi said, "The KGB middleman is on a plane. It’ll be just a few more hours before arrival. Our trade will happen soon. Everyone rest up, as the deal might go down tonight."

No one spoke; they all looked at the people next to them. Only the sonarman happily finished the bowl of salad in front of him.

Such solid mental fortitude.

Finally, Huang Haisheng raised his beer glass. He had only sipped a bit earlier, and the glass was still mostly full.

"Come on, a toast to Mr. Gao. No more talking, it’s all in the drink. Cheers."

Huang Haisheng downed a whole bottle of beer in one gulp, then turned his glass upside down to show that not a drop was left. With a triumphant air, he said, "Eat well, drink well, and get some sleep. Tomorrow we play hard."

Gao Yi hadn’t finished his drink yet; he had only drunk less than half and still needed to slow down a bit.

How did Huang Haisheng guzzle it down?

The fifty-something expert hesitated for a moment before raising his glass to Gao Yi, "I also toast to Mr. Gao."

The two sonarmen looked at each other and also raised their glasses.

Gao Yi took a breath and addressed the expert, "Please, it’s my honor. I toast to all of you. Let’s do it one by one."

Green sighed and suddenly stood up, speaking softly, "You guys drink. I’ll go and rest."

Green, the shit-stirrer, was feeling disheartened because he wasn’t in a good mood.

John had assigned Green the task of nurturing the new Gardener, but now it looked like the Gardener might be led astray by someone else, no wonder Green was not pleased.

Gao Yi reached out and grabbed Green for a moment, then smiled, "Sit down, drink. I know what you’re thinking about, and I’ll take this opportunity and occasion to say something."

Green still sat down. Gao Yi finished the beer in his glass, then took up another bottle. Filling his glass perfectly to the brim, he stated with gusto, "Today, we are fortunate to sit together, so let’s just enjoy the drinks. When it comes to trading, let’s talk business then. In the business discussion, I’ll argue if I need to, give way when appropriate. Overall, it’s just business."

Gao Yi was making his stance clear.

Huang Haisheng smiled and said, "Okay, business is business, and that sounds good. I can’t drink anymore, so, senior, please drink a bit more."

By senior, Huang Haisheng was referring to Green. Green took a deep breath, picked up the glass he hadn’t touched, pondered for a moment, then without another word, drained it in one go.

A shit-stirrer can stir up a cesspool but can’t disturb a whole pond. Green’s scheming was in vain.

Gao Yi left a way out for himself—one that Green could not cut off.

Everyone raised their glasses together, and although the sonarman only sipped a little, the others finished their drinks.

At that moment, Luo Changyou, who had left his seat mid-way, came back and was quite surprised to see everyone raising their glasses, as the atmosphere around the dinner table was too relaxed.

Once Luo Changyou had taken his seat again, Huang Haisheng said to him, "You’ve come back just in time, how about you toast to Mr. Gao as well?"

The drinking culture unique to Chinese people, where toasting someone and taking a drink hold different meanings.

Luo Changyou smiled and said, "Sure, I’ll toast to Mr. Gao. You can do as you please, I’ll drink up."

As Gao Yi picked up his glass to drink, his phone rang. Feeling his head already slightly dizzy, he merely sipped casually, then put down his glass and took out the phone from his pocket.

The call to Sherkin had gone to voicemail before, but now Sherkin was calling back.

Answering the phone, Gao Yi spoke in a low voice, "How’s it going?"

"I’ve just got off the plane and saw your call, so I’m calling you back."

"I’m in Moscow."

"Okay, I’ll make contact first."

Gao Yi whispered, "Let’s complete the deal quickly, it’s always not safe to drag on for too long."

"Is everything ready on your end?"

"Yes, everything is ready."

"Good, I’ll make contact right away, we might make the trade tonight. Wait for my message."

After hanging up, Gao Yi turned to a few people looking forward in anticipation and said, "The KGB go-between has arrived in Moscow, we might trade as early as tonight."

Luo Changyou still maintained a calm face. After looking at everyone, he said, "Since there might be an operation tonight, let’s skip the drinks and rest up after we finish eating."

This time, the gathering was genuinely dismissed.

The atmosphere between Gao Yi and Green was a bit awkward, but for an experienced agent like Green, he clearly wouldn’t be troubled by such a minor awkwardness.

Back in his room, Green acted as if nothing had happened and calmly said to Gao Yi, "The Russian Navy Headquarters is in Saint Petersburg, as is the Navy Archives. It’s unlikely that the KGB could produce documents from the Navy, so the source should be the security document storage center, which is also part of the archives. If that’s the case, we’re dealing with more than just the KGB, so be prepared."

"What should I prepare?"

Without any hesitation, Green said, "Take some cash with you. If the KGB has secured the files, cash won’t be necessary, but anything can happen when dealing with Russians. It’s always right to have some cash on hand."

"Alright, I got it."

Green shrugged and continued, "I’m quite surprised by the change in you today, but the transformation is exciting. You should know how to be a leader now. I’m glad that you demonstrated your strength and status in front of the buyer. Nothing more to say; I’m just an observer now, looking forward to the action."

Gao Yi smiled and said, "Alright, I don’t know if we’ll trade tonight, better get some rest early."

Having bid farewell to Green, Gao Yi returned to his room feeling refreshed.

Lucy was already changing clothes. Upon seeing Gao Yi, she didn’t hesitate and said, "Tonight’s been strange, but everything is over now. Do you want to sleep first or deal with the transaction first?"

Lucy was beautiful, no doubt, but there was simply no feeling of romance.

Indeed, nobody is perfect.

"I’ll contact Brother Biao and the others."

Gao Yi made a call to Luca and asked, "Where are you guys?"

In the vicinity, at a hotel, we’ve rented a car and bought guns."

Luca’s reply was concise. He straightforwardly said, "Close protection is out of the question, but in case of a real situation, we can at least provide backup."

"Okay, that’s enough. We might make the trade tonight, I’ll contact you then."

After hanging up, Gao Yi looked at Lucy, then stretched out on the bed and remarked with a sigh, "Today’s been like living a dream. Who would’ve thought that one day I’d become an intelligence dealer, and not just any dealer, but one that handles big deals."

Lucy, holding two pieces of lingerie, asked in a dilemma, "Which looks better, the red or the black? Which one do you want me to wear?"

Clearly, Lucy didn’t care what Gao Yi’s side job was, nor was she concerned about any changes in his status.

A simple woman could live a very happy life.

Gao Yi glanced and responded, "The black one."

As Lucy began to change, Gao Yi turned away and said, "Not tonight, there might be something going on."

Just then, Gao Yi’s phone rang. Answering it, he heard Sherkin’s low voice, "The goods are ready, tonight at eleven, near Peace Street Subway Station."

Without hesitation, Gao Yi replied, "Can we only trade on the streets? Can’t you find a safe place? The buyer needs to inspect the goods; they can’t be inspected on the street, and without immediate inspection, payment will be delayed."

Sherkin sighed and said, "Peace Street Subway Station, eleven o’clock. We’ll meet first, and then I’ll take you to a safe place to make the trade. That’s it."