Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 530 - 509: Taking a Turn

Chapter 530: Chapter 509: Taking a Turn

Yuri still had the same old look—a baby face always tinged with a smile.

But in Gao Yi’s eyes, Yuri now seemed monumental.

What exactly had he done?

Who knows? Perhaps no one would ever know. But the mere fact that Yuri deliberately summoned Qin Pu and arranged a meeting with Gao Yi inside the Kremlin meant his depths were unfathomable.

Think carefully—think deeper.

Three people were present. Gao Yi possessed the capability to kill with one strike, yet Qin Pu willingly met him alone, essentially placing his life in another’s hands. And still, Qin Pu went.

What does that signify? At the very least, it shows Qin Pu’s absolute trust in Yuri.

Then what? Why would Qin Pu, to elevate Yuri’s prestige, risk his life just to meet an assassin? Could this be proof that Yuri had exhausted their personal favors?

Gao Yi, however, believed Yuri was intentionally severing ties to the past. By using his and Qin Pu’s personal connection in a situation where it wasn’t necessary, Yuri deliberately depleted every shred of their goodwill.

But, even if no one owed anyone anything anymore, did that mean the past camaraderie was gone?

Gao Yi had no choice but to trust Yuri.

Now Gao Yi was convinced: As long as Yuri remained in the picture, navigating Russia would be smooth sailing in the future.

And who exactly was Glakov? He was a Major General. But the fact he was "merely" a Major General reflected that was the highest rank available in his position. Though a Major General’s title might not seem overly impressive, Glakov held real power in his hands.

Such a figure—Yuri said to kill him, and he had him killed. And not only was Glakov eliminated, but it all blew over without incident. With such dealings, such relationships, who would believe they could vanish just like that?

Now, Sith and Xinfeng were both in the finest hospital in Russia, receiving treatment from the best doctors, while Gao Yi and the others waited in a specially prepared lounge reserved for Russia’s top brass. Even Dani found this treatment extraordinary.

"Sith’s kidney ruptured but doesn’t need removal. The tricky part is the bowel rupture. His life is out of danger for now, but the specifics will take time to see. Xinfeng suffered a heavy blow to the stomach and is still undergoing tests to check for internal bleeding—we’ll know soon whether surgery is required. For now, his situation doesn’t appear too serious."

Dani gave Gao Yi a succinct summary before voicing his confusion, "Can you tell me why we’re even here?"

Gao Yi shrugged.

He had promised Yuri not to disclose a thing. Naturally, he wouldn’t, which meant Dani was out of luck trying to gauge the extent of Yuri’s clout.

"Because of him."

Unable to devise an explanation, Gao Yi simply shifted the focus to Yuri.

He gestured to Yuri. If anyone had to spin a story, let Yuri do it.

Yuri smiled faintly and spoke in a low voice, "Because we’re still valuable. Although we slightly exceeded the time limit, it’s fine. We’re alive. And as long as we’re alive, we can generate more value. That’s why nothing will happen to us."

He said plenty, yet it explained nothing. Still, Yuri successfully silenced Dani.

Dani hesitated momentarily before breaking another unspoken rule, lowering his voice as he asked, "But leaving our weapons untouched? Isn’t that taking it too far?"

Weapons could reveal a great deal. The fact their weapons remained untouched meant no pursuit whatsoever—none at all.

Yuri looked mildly impatient but avoided antagonizing a future colleague. In a restrained tone, he explained, "I hold a tiny position in the KGB. If certain things are uncovered, it spells trouble for everyone. It’s better to leave no trace, no leads to investigate—then no one faces any issues."

This explanation—fit for deceiving children?

Dani pondered. If this situation unfolded in the UK, and he had used his network and connections to smooth it over, he too would have kept mum. Better to leave it be. After all, no one would reveal anything anyway.

There was just one thing to clarify.

After thinking it over, Dani asked, "Are we staying here any longer?"

Ludelins’ matter remained unresolved. Alexander still needed help. Establishing a foothold within the KGB would be incredibly beneficial for the future.

If Gao Yi and the group had to leave, Alexander would lose his support and be left to his own devices.

But Dani didn’t think it was likely they’d remain after causing such a stir.

Yuri softly replied, "Of course. The job’s not done yet; why the rush to leave?"

Dani’s eyebrows rose slightly as he remarked to Yuri, "Impressive!"

Saying no more, he was satisfied with that response. Though uncertain of Yuri’s methods, he understood Yuri’s limitless capabilities.

What Dani couldn’t have fathomed was that Yuri’s extraordinary influence wasn’t an exaggeration—it was literal.

At that moment, a doctor appeared.

Out of respect for the medical staff, Gao Yi stood up. Then he saw the hospital director politely and respectfully address him, "The patient is in good condition. The stomach suffered heavy trauma, resulting in vomiting and some bruising, along with mild gastric bleeding symptoms. However, there’s no rupture or internal abdominal bleeding. Conservative treatment should suffice."

To take a chair blow and not end up with torn intestines or worse was certainly a fortunate outcome.

Gao Yi exhaled lightly and said, "Thank you. And the other patient?"

"The other patient sustained a high-velocity penetrating wound from an unidentified object. His condition is more complex. The entire abdominal cavity needs to be cleaned, and the damaged bowels must be repaired. This will take time—maybe another two hours to complete the surgery."

The speaker wasn’t even a doctor but the hospital’s director. His job was to stay in the operating rooms, relaying updates to the patient’s companions outside.

His attitude was impeccable, even coining a new phrase. Gunshots weren’t called gunshots—they became "high-velocity collisions from unidentified objects."

A bullet became an "unidentified object"—this notion took Gao Yi a moment to process. Once he figured it out, he couldn’t help but regard the director with newfound admiration for his thoughtfulness and tact.

But—was this level of caution necessary?

"Thank you."

The director nodded slightly to Gao Yi before returning to the operating room.

Gao Yi glanced at Yuri and asked in a low voice, "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes."

Yuri shrugged and replied, "After all, the person who died was a Glou Major General. You wouldn’t want the military to bear a grudge, would you? Hence, this hospital will have no records of any gunshot patients. Glakov’s death? It won’t be tied to you in any way."

Gao Yi froze for a moment—wasn’t this just self-deception?

"This doesn’t work. It can’t be handled this way. Can something this obvious really be hidden? Wouldn’t Glakov have informed others about his mission? Surely his subordinates would know, right? Not all of them died—couldn’t the military uncover everything just by asking a few questions?"

Yuri shook his head and replied softly, "If Glakov truly regarded his subordinates as his brothers, he wouldn’t have shared much. A General embarking on a private venture with his soldiers is inherently risky. If he orders them to carry it out, they simply follow orders. However, if he reveals the full details and they knowingly follow, that makes them accomplices. Do you understand?"

Gao Yi didn’t know much about military affairs. All he knew was that a soldier’s duty was obedience. Yuri’s explanation, though, suddenly made sense.

Yet, Gao Yi still doubted whether this would fool the Glou. After all, Glou was an intelligence agency.

Perhaps sensing Gao Yi’s worry, Yuri chuckled and leaned in, whispering, "Forget about the Glou—it has nothing to do with you. Russia will announce my execution. From this day forward, I’ll be a dead man. This feud is over. The President said so."

This time, Gao Yi truly understood.

Qin Pu would provide everyone with an official explanation, stating the entire matter had been thoroughly investigated and resolved. That resolution needed to happen—no exceptions.

Knowing too much could be deadly—hounding the investigation was certain death.

Forget whether the Glou would investigate—they dared not even try. Even if they got the answers without digging, they’d have to act like they knew nothing.

Gao Yi was finally at ease. He leaned in and asked, "What’s next?"

"We help Alexander secure his position. Finish the incomplete work. I don’t like leaving things halfway."

"Got it. I meant how—what’s the plan?"

Yuri pondered briefly and answered, "Alexander is under investigation. That means Nikolai doesn’t intend to protect him. Alexander’s current situation is precarious. While imprisonment seems unlikely—he hasn’t committed any crimes—he might soon be reassigned out of Moscow. We must promptly identify a potential replacement for the director position and clear Alexander of suspicion."

"Who do we pick?"

Gao Yi didn’t need to brainstorm—he could simply ask Yuri.

Yuri mulled it over briefly and replied in a low voice, "There’s no ideal candidate."

"You pride yourself on knowing everyone. Out of all these director candidates, there isn’t a single suitable one?"

"Those with capability are hard to control. Those easy to control lack capability. Qin Pu wouldn’t appoint a useless fool, and we can’t support one for the role either. Plus, I can’t harm Russia’s interests."

Yuri appeared troubled as he looked at Gao Yi and said quietly, "I’m someone who keeps my promises. I can’t undermine Russia’s interests. Tell me—how am I supposed to choose?"

Gao Yi thought something felt off about Yuri.

He didn’t seem like someone constrained by rules or promises. Yuri was the kind of person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals—why was he suddenly taking the moral high ground?

Wait.

Now he understood.

Gao Yi had an epiphany.

Yuri had promised Qin Pu not to act against Russia’s interests. But Gao Yi hadn’t made any promises.

The most critical detail? Qin Pu hadn’t required Gao Yi to make any promises either.

As a foreigner, if Gao Yi did something detrimental to Russian interests, what could anyone say?

"Fine. I’ll decide. Let’s pick someone likely to succeed but easy to control."

"If that’s the case, there are at least two options."

Yuri maintained his earnest demeanor and quietly explained, "Both individuals lack deep backing or strong supporters. Their qualifications are sufficient, and they’re competent. But to become director, they’d need powerful external support—we could be that support."