Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 525 - 504: Nothing to Say

Chapter 525: Chapter 504: Nothing to Say

Yuri was in the lead.

Gao Yi was on the left, Lucy on the right, both half a step behind Yuri.

Two Glou operatives stood by the restaurant entrance. Though they weren’t guarding the door tightly, they unabashedly scanned Yuri up and down, their eyes occasionally sweeping over Gao Yi.

These were experts.

You could tell by their bearing and physique. At the very least, these were people who could hold their ground in a fight. And judging by their eyes, they were the type who had seen it all before.

There was scrutiny in their gazes, but no tension, no vigilance.

Knowing full well that this meeting was for negotiations—with maybe a 99% chance of a fight breaking out—they still managed to maintain an air of calm and ease. That alone indicated that even the doormen here weren’t ordinary.

But what truly concerned Gao Yi wasn’t the two guarding the entrance—it was the group waiting not far from the door, practically flaunting their presence.

The vehicles were armored, that much was clear. And Glou’s primary duty was counter-espionage, making them Russia’s most elite special forces. These operatives were on a whole different level compared to Gao Yi’s past adversaries.

Put it this way: Gao Yi’s previous opponents were at best bodyguards, but every single member of Glou was a professional bodyguard and a killing machine rolled into one.

Their firepower advantage alone ensured that Xinfeng and the three others waiting outside, armed with just a rifle and pistols, stood no chance against them.

It wasn’t even about skill—it was the disparity in firepower, protection, and the strategic disadvantage of their positions.

Glou had them surrounded. The moment gunfire erupted, the three outside would face bullets from all directions—they wouldn’t even get the chance to fight back.

Besides, Xinfeng and his team weren’t the type to engage in direct confrontations. They were spies, assassins, not soldiers.

Being on enemy turf was truly unsettling.

Gao Yi felt uneasy. Sacrificing Dani and the other three for Yuri wasn’t the issue—it wasn’t about whether it was worth it. The point was that this wasn’t the way to handle things.

The restaurant door wasn’t very large. A doorman waited to open it. Gao Yi quickened his pace, stepping ahead of Yuri and pushing the door open before him.

It was mealtime. The dining area was about half-full. Tables for two and four were split about evenly. There were no large banquet tables, nor were there round tables.

Glakov sat at a table by the window.

Two individuals stood behind Glakov, one against the wall, the other beside the table.

The environment was suboptimal. Being against the wall meant one side was unusable—for close combat, it essentially halved the options for movement.

Glakov had chosen his spot well. While it wasn’t great for evasion, it also posed challenges for an opponent to make a move.

Yuri walked straight toward Glakov.

Glakov remained seated, staring directly at Yuri.

He seemed ready to act at any moment, and the two men behind him, though not holding guns in their hands, had their stances and relaxed but prepared postures that bespoke readiness for action.

It was obvious to any keen observer: the difference between someone relaxed and someone poised to strike was easy to spot.

Gao Yi glanced around briefly.

There were no other Glou operatives in the restaurant—they were all outside. That complicated matters.

If Gao Yi could sit directly across from Glakov, he was 100% confident he could take him out, along with the two henchmen. That wouldn’t be an issue.

But after killing Glakov, escaping the restaurant unharmed? Gao Yi had no confidence in that.

Forget the old adage about "nobody daring to shoot in the Emperor’s presence."

Gao Yi wasn’t afraid, and neither was Glakov. Even if it meant defying orders, if pulling the trigger got him executed, Glakov wouldn’t hesitate. He wouldn’t let fear of consequences stop him.

As for Glakov’s men, fear wasn’t even in their vocabulary.

Yuri appeared calm. As he approached Glakov, he suddenly said, "I can’t resolve this. You take the lead."

At this point, all strategies were meaningless.

Glakov had laid his cards on the table. This was a trap—unless Gao Yi took Yuri and left, finding another time to assassinate Glakov, someone was bound to die here today.

This was entering the lion’s den.

Just a few steps from Glakov, Gao Yi suddenly moved forward, pulled out a chair, and gestured for Yuri to sit.

Yuri, unsure of Gao Yi’s intentions, sat down immediately.

Glakov was seated against the wall, facing sideways toward the restaurant door. Gao Yi, after nearing Glakov, chose a table in the middle of the restaurant—more open and spacious—before pulling out a chair and signaling Yuri to sit.

The chair opposite Glakov had already been pulled out. It was clear he intended for Yuri to sit directly across from him.

By strict etiquette and protocol, Glakov should have, at the very least, stood up to greet Yuri or waited for him to sit first. This was basic courtesy.

But Glakov sat there arrogantly, as if expecting a subordinate to pay respects.

By pulling out a chair at another table for Yuri, Gao Yi refused to play along. If Glakov wanted to talk, he’d have to come sit opposite Yuri himself.

This flipped things around, making Glakov the one waiting for Yuri.

It was a meaningless gesture. Both Glakov and Yuri didn’t care for such formalities. For them, it boiled down to meeting and deciding life or death—who cared about seating arrangements?

But Gao Yi had his reasons—he wouldn’t let Yuri sit there so easily.

The seating issue wasn’t just about poor positioning or convenience; Gao Yi needed to disrupt the current dynamic.

The encirclement had to be broken.

After seating Yuri, Gao Yi didn’t take the chair across from him. Instead, he grabbed the radio, saying in a low voice, "All of you, come inside. Everyone in, leave the rifles."

Gao Yi was calling Dani and the others inside.

The logic was simple: if they were destined to be surrounded, it was better to be tightly clustered together than scattered in a chaotic mess. If Gao Yi had to choose, he preferred being encircled with Dani and his team rather than isolated.

There was strategy in this decision.

Glakov noticed Yuri sitting down away from him rather than across, and his brows furrowed. He then looked at Yuri with an expression of disdain and derision.

His gaze seemed to say, "At a time like this, you’re still playing games?"

But when Gao Yi took the radio and gave instructions, Glakov’s expression turned impatient.

Glakov didn’t move, so Yuri quietly remained seated.

They were no more than ten meters apart, separated by a single table, but Yuri didn’t speak or look directly at Glakov. Instead, he sat sideways to him.

Glakov had initially planned to stand, unbothered by etiquette. But as soon as he began to rise, the burly man behind him leaned in and whispered.

Glakov froze, staying in place, his face marked with irritation but unwilling to get up.

Sith entered, followed by Dani, with Xinfeng bringing up the rear.

The three were visibly unsettled—they didn’t understand Gao Yi’s intent, nor did they know what he had in mind.

But since Gao Yi had given the order, they had to comply. To disobey would mean severing ties with Gao Yi for good.

The three stood silently behind Gao Yi.

None of them questioned his decisions or voiced their doubts, no matter how confused they felt inside.

Gao Yi and Lucy stood behind Yuri, while Dani and the others positioned themselves behind Gao Yi.

It was a bizarre and seemingly suicidal formation.

Glakov was puzzled. Though confused, he simply nodded lightly.

Then, three more people entered from the restaurant door.

Glakov upheld the principle of symmetry to perfection.

Yuri brought a handful of people, so Glakov brought an equal number—not one more, not one less. He wouldn’t suffer a disadvantage, but he wouldn’t take too much advantage either.

There was still some space behind Gao Yi’s group, while Glakov’s side was cramped. The newly arrived Glou operatives could only line up along the aisle by the wall tables.

But in terms of positioning, Gao Yi’s side formed a clean triangle, while Glakov’s side was an irregular L-shape.

Once both sides assembled, Gao Yi gestured toward the table between Yuri and Glakov.

At that moment, a waiter approached Yuri and said, confused, "Shall I find you a larger table...?"

Gao Yi waved him away and stepped forward, standing by the middle table.

Gao Yi was acting like someone who refused to give an inch in matters of etiquette.

Glakov, clearly annoyed, abruptly rose from his seat. Almost simultaneously, Yuri stood as well, and the two moved toward the middle table together.

One of Glakov’s henchmen moved first, positioning himself not at the side of the table opposite Gao Yi, but instead right next to Gao Yi, practically shoulder to shoulder.

The intent was obvious—to keep close to Gao Yi, leaving him no chance to spring an attack.

It was clear they had come prepared. They knew who Gao Yi was, likely even his reputation and methods.

The difficulty had ramped up—the downside of being too well-known.

Glakov strode to the table, staring directly at Yuri. Pulling out a chair, he sat heavily.

Yuri sat across from him. This time, they sat almost simultaneously, with no hesitation or delay.

Once seated, Glakov’s gaze shifted slightly onto Gao Yi. He said, "I hear your hammer’s quite something. So, where’s the hammer?"

They’d truly done their homework. Given this, Gao Yi simply lifted his jacket, revealing the hammer handle tucked at his waist, before letting the fabric fall back into place.

Glakov nodded, a confident and arrogant smile on his face. "I’ll wait for you to make your move."

Then, shifting his attention back to Yuri, he hesitated briefly and said, "There’s nothing more to discuss. Let’s do it."