Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 463 - 443: Come, Let’s Trade.

Chapter 463: Chapter 443: Come, Let’s Trade.

"Drive away, don’t block the traffic. I can’t stay here too long, so come over to my car, and we’ll talk inside,"

Xinfeng was still speaking on the phone, his tone calm, yet instructing Gao Yi on what to do.

Right after saying this, however, Xinfeng suddenly added, "I surrender, to emphasize, I have surrendered!"

Sith’s car parked at the roadside started to move again, and Gao Yi engaged the drive gear, stepped on the accelerator, and moved the car blocking the road to the right lane, then slowly pulled up to the shoulder and stopped.

Sith and Dani passed each other in their cars without even stopping; after completely giving up on colliding, they immediately drove away.

It appeared as an exceedingly ordinary car meeting on the highway, notable only because the four cars each paused briefly, but the duration was so short that without specific surveillance, it would not attract anyone’s suspicion.

The road wasn’t very wide to begin with, and Xinfeng’s people were still standing on the other side of the car body, but his head was above the roof, and Gao Yi could clearly see Xinfeng’s face.

It was definitely Xinfeng, no mistake.

Lucy lowered her gun slightly, but she still aimed it at Xinfeng, the only difference being that should she fire, the bullet would need to pass through the driver’s side window.

To facilitate shooting, Gao Yi had already lowered the window earlier.

"I’ll go over, you wait,"

Gao Yi unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed the door open, and walked straight towards Xinfeng waiting by the roadside.

Crossing the entire highway, Gao Yi approached the front of Xinfeng’s car, ensuring he did not obstruct Lucy’s firing line.

Xinfeng was still standing by the passenger door, only now, he was urinating.

"This action should provide you enough of a sense of security,"

Xinfeng said facing Gao Yi, his face showing fatigue. As he spoke, he shivered, zipped his pants after shaking, turned back and said to Gao Yi: "No need to say anything, get in my car, we’ll talk on the way."

Gao Yi hesitated, then said, "Okay, but you need to tell me first how you found us, how you invaded our communications network."

Xinfeng walked to the rear of the car, reached out to open the trunk, then tilted his head, signaling Gao Yi to come look.

What was in the trunk?

Gao Yi, unable to resist his curiosity, walked over for a look.

Inside the trunk was a long box, which Xinfeng leaned over and opened, then revealed something inside that resembled a signal modulator, still blinking with lights.

After letting Gao Yi see the device in the trunk, Xinfeng immediately pressed the trunk’s electric close button, whispered, "I captured three signals, and these signals were untraceable, so I knew you all were coming for me."

Gao Yi, unversed in electronics, didn’t understand the technical side of this explanation.

Xinfeng walked from the rear of the car to the driver’s door, muttering softly, "Since you found me, there’s only one explanation: I was betrayed. I do not wish to be a victim of power struggles, nor will I cover up any secrets for those who betrayed me. So, ask me anything—I’m someone who seeks payback."

Reflecting for a moment, Gao Yi whispered, "Berserker, drive. No need to follow; operation concludes, wait for my message to pick me up. That’s it."

Gao Yi ended the call and took off his headset.

From this point on, anything Gao Yi and Xinfeng said could not be heard by anyone.

Opening the passenger’s door and getting in, Xinfeng glanced at his watch and said, "Delayed two minutes, I won’t be late."

Xinfeng continued driving towards the unit.

Gao Yi and his intended target were now sitting in the same car.

If Gao Yi still wanted to kill Xinfeng, he had countless opportunities just now, but given the conversation had reached this point, Gao Yi obviously would not act outright.

He needed to clarify the matter first.

"It seems you were well-prepared?"

Gao Yi spoke first after getting into the car.

Xinfeng nodded, murmuring, "From the first day I joined the Freedom Wind project, I was prepared, so I secretly stole a set of equipment from the communication intelligence center and tapped into the world’s largest eavesdropping and surveillance network. As long as anyone nearby made a call, I could intercept or disconnect at any time. Today, when I discovered three signals completely off the surveillance grid, I knew someone had come for me."

"If it’s untraceable, how could you still communicate with me?"

"If it’s outside the United States’ surveillance scope, it must be the phone of the surveillor himself. The European network intelligence center can’t monitor it, but I possess the entire frequency spectrum of the US communication satellites, including the Pentagon, CIA, FBI, each with their segment and encryption methods."

Xinfeng never once glanced towards Gao Yi, speaking in a tone so calm it seemed almost lazy, "So, I’m not just eavesdropping, but joining in using the Pentagon’s high-security communication privileges to tap into your conversation, quite simple, anyone with access can do it."

"Uh..."

Not quite understanding, but the gist was enough.

Gao Yi looked at Xinfeng and asked, "Then how did you confirm my identity?"

"Ha, Hurricane died, Tornado died, Burning Wind died, all the Freedom Wind action teams are dead. If I didn’t have a sense of crises, I would be stupidly dead."

"Does Freedom Wind also have action and intelligence teams?"

"Yes, Wei Feng and Huaxinfeng are in the intelligence team, and I, of course, can only belong to the assassination team."

Gao Yi immediately said, "Wait, you are Xinfeng, then who is Huaxinfeng?"

Isn’t Freedom Wind just five people? How come there’s suddenly another one?

Xinfeng calmly said, "Top secret, only the initiator of the Freedom Wind plan knows, I just know that this codename exists."

"Alright, then why did you surrender?"

This crucial question had to be asked.

Xinfeng said softly, "Because I was forced to join Freedom Wind. I could join a top-secret operation team, but I couldn’t be expendable trash, replaceable at any time. I was doing well in Moscow; I had a promising future, I could engage in work I liked, but when they transferred me into Freedom Wind, they never asked for my opinion."

Xinfeng finally turned his head, looking at Gao Yi and said, "The competition between Mason and Panetta is visible to anyone who has eyes. Mason, who brought me into Freedom Wind, was standing on the cliff of failure, and with just a slight push from Panetta, Mason would be finished. I’m not stupid, and I’ve always paid attention to the power struggles within the CIA. Most importantly, I don’t want to become a casualty of those power struggles!"

It seems that what Xinfeng minded most was not becoming the mortal caught in the crossfire of immortals’ battles, that is, being a sacrifice.

Gao Yi quite understood Xinfeng.

"I admit you’re right, no one wants to be sacrificed, especially in the manner of being betrayed."

Echoing Xinfeng’s view, Gao Yi continued, "But how did you know it was me?"

"Who else could it be but you? Tornado, Hurricane, Burning Wind, all were taken out by you. Why would it be someone else after me? Someone approached me using the Pentagon’s encrypted communications, who else could it be but you?"

The logic was so simple, it was almost unnecessary to ask.

"Hmm, you’re right, it must indeed be me."

Gao Yi felt slightly embarrassed.

Xinfeng indifferently said, "Then who betrayed me, Mason, Wei Feng, or the White House? Given that you don’t know about Huaxinfeng’s existence, that rules out Mason and Wei Feng. Was it the White House, then?"

Xinfeng was right again.

But Gao Yi couldn’t answer that question, he casually said, "What are your terms for surrender?"

Avoiding the question was basically a tacit confirmation of Xinfeng’s suspicion.

Xinfeng sighed, then he casually said, "Well, it’s not a direct betrayal by my immediate supervisor. The bureaucratic bunch in the White House, of course, wouldn’t care about our life and death. If my boss got killed, then getting killed alongside him somehow makes it easier to accept."

It seemed like Xinfeng had somewhat come to terms with it, but then he changed his tone, speaking with extreme disgust, "But to be killed following a stupid supervisor for the second time is unimaginable! The same thing happening again!"

Xinfeng said fiercely, "You ask how I’m surrendering. It’s simple, I could let Panetta directly take down Mason. Over the years with Freedom Wind, I’ve done too many things, and there are some matters, that absolutely must not be known by the White House, such as someone once trying to have Mason assassinate that businessman in the White House, and I was the executor, although they eventually gave up, but I still retained all the evidence."

Gao Yi exclaimed, "Ah?"

"What do you think, can I trade these evidence with Panetta for my life?"

While saying this, Xinfeng remained calm, because he knew, with the chips he held in his hands, he definitely wouldn’t die.

These chips were Mason’s death warrant, the moment they were handed over to Panetta, Mason’s downfall was ensured, there wouldn’t be another possibility.

Gao Yi unhesitatingly said, "Yes, absolutely, not only can it save your life, but I can also give you much more. Just say what you want, I guarantee you’ll get everything you desire!"

Gao Yi could make this commitment for Panetta, he was to make the most critical investment in the competition between Panetta and Mason, securing Mason’s coffin lid once he was already in the coffin.

But Xinfeng looked disdainful and said, "What, you want me to believe a politician’s promise for the third time?"

"It’s not a politician’s promise, I’m accustomed to speaking with actions. Let’s talk about money, I’ll give you money. How does one hundred million dollars sound? I’ll give it to you first."

Gao Yi had nothing else to give to Xinfeng, except money.

Then so be it–give money.

After all, there’s too much money to spend.

This time Xinfeng clenched his teeth and looked at Gao Yi. After sizing up Gao Yi, he said, "My request is simple, after I reach a safe place, I will hand over all the evidence detrimental to Mason to you. As for the money... forget it, taking the money only speeds up death, don’t treat me like some idiot who’s dazzled by money."

"Wait a second."

Gao Yi took out his phone, speaking to Xinfeng, "I’ll pay first, no need for others, I will buy your evidence for one hundred million dollars, no talk of loyalty, no talk of surrender, let’s do business."

Xinfeng was stunned for a moment, then his expression turned to one of puzzlement.

Finally, Gao Yi had managed to baffle Xinfeng.

"Who on earth are you? What exactly is your identity? What... what exactly are you trying to do?"

Xinfeng felt that his judgment might have had a small error.

And Gao Yi, he finally got on his familiar and adept track.

Gao Yi confidently smiled and said, "I’m just an assassin, but now I’m moonlighting in business, dealing with arms and intelligence, so, I just want to make a deal with you, no need to involve any trust issues, because I’m paying upfront."