Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 508 - 487: One Shot Through

Chapter 508: Chapter 487: One Shot Through

A small and delicate tie clip, clearly showing signs of use, worn smooth and rounded, yet without being deformed.

The difference lies mainly in weight. This tie clip is made of plastic, certainly not as heavy as gold, but judging from its appearance, there’s no evident abnormality.

"Motherfucker!"

When Dani grabbed it, his first instinct was not admiration but an involuntary curse. After venting, he sighed with helplessness, saying, "I really can’t imagine anything beyond Lord Dong’s capability."

Sith shrugged.

Xinfeng said nothing, simply gave it a glance and then remarked, "It’ll work. With this, we can proceed now."

The sky had already darkened, just at the perfect moment.

Dani approached Gao Yi, taking hold of the tie Gao Yi was wearing, clipping the tie clip onto a specific spot, and said, "Take a shot and let’s see how it looks."

Alexander snapped a photo, and the group gathered around.

"No issue."

"Even on closer inspection, there’s no issue, and it’ll look flawless on video."

"We’re good to go."

The group reached a consensus, then turned toward Gao Yi, saying, "The actor is ready; let’s do a run-through first."

The group quickly moved aside, and all the lights in the room went out.

A moment later, the door to the living room was opened with a key. As the switch was flipped, the living room lights came on.

Gao Yi took a couple of steps; he said nothing. Upon entering the living room, he stopped in his tracks and started taking off his long coat, handing it casually to Lucy, who stood beside him.

Lucy was very beautiful, yet her face bore no resemblance to Gao Yi’s.

"Darling, let me explain..."

Lucy caught Gao Yi’s coat, walked over to a nearby rack, and hung it up. Standing beside Gao Yi, she trembled slightly and said, "Have a seat first; I’ll pour you a drink. Darling, are you upset?"

Gao Yi still didn’t speak. He simply unfastened the cuff buttons of his shirt, turned halfway around, and stared at Lucy, who stood motionless next to him.

Lucy, her voice trembling, pleaded, "It’s not what you think. I’m not close to him. He’s... I didn’t..."

Gao Yi remained silent, quietly staring at Lucy. Then, he raised his left hand wearing a watch, gesturing an invitation for her to continue speaking.

Lucy started to say something, but seeing Gao Yi’s expression, she faltered several times, her emotions tangled. Ultimately, her posture sagged as if her body had lost strength, she covered her face, sobbing, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry..."

The act unraveled; no pretense remained as the apologies and begging for forgiveness started.

Gao Yi shook his head slightly, then spread his arms open.

It wasn’t a deliberate action, just simple and casual.

Lucy looked at Gao Yi’s open arms. Then, letting go of her face, she threw herself into Gao Yi’s embrace. At the same moment, she kissed his face multiple times, sobbing, "I’m sorry. It won’t happen again..."

Before Lucy could finish, Gao Yi suddenly gripped her neck tightly.

With his right hand clenched around Lucy’s throat, Gao Yi maintained an emotionless expression, watching as Lucy began to struggle, flail, and kick in pain.

Gao Yi abruptly loosened his grip, appearing slightly hesitant, but only momentarily. When he saw Lucy gasping for air with tears streaming down her face, he suddenly shifted his hold and pulled her back-facing into his embrace.

His left arm locked snugly around Lucy’s neck, leaving her legs flailing helplessly, her arms swinging weakly behind her. Soon enough, she ceased struggling, her body completely limp.

Gao Yi held her in place for a while longer, during which he rotated his wristwatch to glance at the time.

Finally, Gao Yi gently lowered Lucy to the ground.

If Lucy were a corpse, her body would have been obscured by the sofa from clear sight. She wore only a trench coat over black stockings. The coat now lay open, revealing a black sweater underneath.

Gao Yi squatted beside Lucy, pressing against her neck for a moment, before standing up silently. He adjusted the slightly rolled-up sleeves of his shirt, fastening the buttons, then lowered his head to fix the position of his tie clip.

Lucy’s struggles had disordered Gao Yi’s clothing.

After restoring the tie clip to its proper placement, Gao Yi retrieved a cellphone. He didn’t make a call but instead stood there, sending several text messages. Once done, he pocketed his phone, walked toward the living room’s coat rack, grabbed his own coat, and slipped it on casually. He then turned off the lights before opening the door to leave.

"Cut!"

Dani shouted loudly.

Gao Yi, who had just stepped out, returned through the door, turning the lights back on.

Lucy, lying on the ground, immediately got up, tidying her clothes before heading toward the dressing room.

"One take, no reshoots needed."

Dani was bursting with confidence. He said to Lucy, "Your portrayal of a woman’s guilt, regret, fear, and powerless struggle was beyond flawless. Especially your expressions and movements during the choking; even the angle of your hands hanging down was spot-on. Your acting is so good, it’s unbelievable."

Gao Yi addressed Lucy, "Darling, I didn’t hurt you, did I?"

To make it look real, a certain degree of exertion is necessary. Gao Yi was genuinely worried he might have hurt Lucy’s neck.

Lucy touched her neck and replied, "No problem."

Alexander took a deep breath and gestured at Xinfeng to proceed.

The footage captured by the cameras could directly be uploaded to the web. If this were a genuine espionage operation, they wouldn’t dare do this, but since it was a drill, convenience prevailed.

Everyone observed the recording on-site, but only after reviewing the video could they truly confirm the results. So, whether the first take was perfect or not remained uncertain for the moment.

The group gathered around the computer.

The perspective was taken from a corner. If this were a spying device, its concealment would be the top priority. Shooting quality was secondary; hence, the angles were a bit off and the images slightly blurry. But all these imperfections were acceptable as long as the necessary footage was captured.

Three cameras had been installed, so all three perspectives had to be reviewed.

The usable footage was quickly identified.

"This angle is ideal: face, body, expressions, tie clip, watch—all are perfectly showcased. The sofa obscures the lower half the entire time, flawless!"

Gao Yi hadn’t commented until now, but suddenly Dani seemed a bit less irksome to him.

If the first take truly worked, it would be ideal.

After scrutinizing the video over and over and dissecting it frame by frame, Dani finally declared, "Good. Extract a segment and upload it."

Alexander swallowed hard and said, "Do we post it now? Or wait until I clean everything up here first?"

"No need, just burn the place down."

"Hmm, burning works,"

Alexander quickly agreed with Xinfeng’s suggestion.

Xinfeng couldn’t resist rubbing his hands together, muttering, "Let me handle this. I’ll take care of it."

"No, no, don’t rush to burn it. First, extract a segment of the video and upload it to the Dark Web under the intelligence section. Title it simply, ’Resources of a KGB Deputy Director.’ Share three frames from the video as teasers to pique interest, then put the full video up for sale at a high price."

Dani’s plan was wickedly cunning—a deadly blow to Ludelins.

The logic was simple: the leaked photos would act as bait to lure buyers eager to see the full video. Owning the full footage would provide leverage against Ludelins, the current deputy director of the KGB and a likely candidate for the next director.

It wouldn’t just be evidence but a weapon to blackmail Ludelins—a sword dangling over his head, ready to ruin his career and ensure his demise. Such a video wasn’t merely a piece of incriminating proof but a tool to hold power over him.

Russia wouldn’t tolerate someone vulnerable to manipulation becoming its director.

Dani’s approach was far more effective than simply releasing the entire video. Yet he hadn’t mentioned it earlier.

Alexander let out a deep breath and said, "I have an IP address. Yelinsay’s men use it occasionally. I think it could lure Ludelins."

Xinfeng said, "I don’t think it’s necessary. Whoever stands to gain the most after Ludelins’ downfall is already the prime suspect. Pinning it on Yelinsay would be too contrived—he’s not stupid, after all."

Dani shook his head, replying, "No, no. They might know, but we still need to give Ludelins a reason—one that immediately justifies his retaliating against Yelinsay. Leaving traces behind is still a good idea."

Suddenly, Gao Yi interjected, "Hold on. The video uploaded by Yelinsay’s men to the Dark Web—how does the KGB obtain its details? Can they control the Dark Web?"

"They can’t control the Dark Web, but they can investigate. It’s a bit hard to explain to you, so just know this: Russia’s hacking capabilities are strong, and their network surveillance is even stronger. Ultimately, Ludelins may even purchase the resources directly from the Dark Web."

Xinfeng shrugged, saying, "Or we could skip the Dark Web altogether and have someone offer the video directly to the CIA, where the KGB mole could intercept it."

In that case, they wouldn’t need to use the Dark Web. The CIA could facilitate the process entirely.

Dani suggested, "Military Intelligence Sixth Department instead. They have more moles. Capturing the video through them would be more believable. In fact, we could let a KGB mole actually retrieve it and earn merit for doing so."

Sith suddenly chimed in, saying, "We could handle it ourselves. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on that footage."

Alexander swallowed hard and lowered his voice, saying, "You guys, you..."

Listening to people brag was one thing; Alexander wouldn’t be too bothered.

But as they began plotting ways to bypass the commonly used Dark Web and manipulate the world’s most powerful intelligence agencies to frame Ludelins, a string suddenly snapped in Alexander’s mind.

A collective smear campaign orchestrated by the Five permanent members—what had Ludelins done to warrant such treatment?

Alexander exhaled deeply, struggling to say, "If you do this... Ludelins is finished. Not just losing his position as director—he’s utterly doomed. Is this really necessary?"