Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 551 - 530: Make a Noise in the East, Then Strike in the West

Chapter 551: Chapter 530: Make a Noise in the East, Then Strike in the West

Panetta is truly lucky because he encountered one of the greatest benefactors of his life.

A so-called benefactor doesn’t necessarily have to be someone in a higher position or someone who actively pulls strings to help you.

Take someone like Gao Yi—when Panetta encountered a problem, Gao Yi casually took care of it; when Panetta faced difficulties, Gao Yi conveniently resolved them.

Even when dealing with unknown dangers, Gao Yi somehow inadvertently ran into them.

The greatest fear in this world stems from the unknown, and the greatest threat is also the unknown. Turning unknown threats into known ones is akin to divine intervention for Panetta.

And Gao Yi could even eliminate threats in their infancy for Panetta. If such a person isn’t considered a benefactor, then the term "benefactor" wouldn’t need to exist.

Now, Gao Yi is about to let Panetta know what’s happening.

He made the call right in front of Rana.

"It’s me. I’m in Los Angeles, currently with Rana Gadot. Rana has already admitted that she is Huaxinfeng."

Gao Yi gave a simple introduction, calm and flat, but the topic took a sharp turn, instantly putting Panetta on edge.

"Rana’s household includes nine people, and they are operatives from the Europe Department who have secretly returned with the sole purpose of targeting you. Wei Feng has also returned, but our action was slightly premature. Now Wei Feng has received the message and is escaping."

Panetta was still digesting the sheer amount of information Gao Yi had just dropped.

"What? You mean... Wei Feng came back to kill me? And he recruited a group of people? And these people returned to the United States at the risk of treason just to deal with me?"

Panetta could hardly believe his ears. A situation like this had never occurred in the history of the CIA. If he were truly taken down or assassinated, it would become the greatest joke in the CIA’s history.

"Correct."

Gao Yi’s response was blunt and direct, then he spoke heavily: "If he really discovered any evidence against you, then their return to home soil would be justified as an act of justice under persecution."

"You don’t need to explain; I understand."

Panetta exhaled deeply, speaking with some emotion: "It’s incredible that things have come to this. Wei Feng is impressive indeed—he actually managed to rally so many people. Wei Feng... Wei Feng!"

"Silently infiltrating the night, nourishing without a sound."

A poem describing gentle rain seems to remarkably capture the essence of Wei Feng’s role. He appears peaceful and harmless on the surface, without destructive imagery. Yet the things Hurricane and Tornado couldn’t accomplish, Wei Feng could.

Gao Yi spoke in a low voice: "I’ve had a good conversation with Huaxinfeng now. As long as you can erase all her traces within the CIA, she’s willing to cooperate with us to capture Wei Feng."

"She wants to quit?"

"Yes, completely quit, in the kind of way where she isn’t disturbed for the rest of her life."

Gao Yi was forthright, and Panetta fell into silence.

Rana appeared slightly tense, worrying that Panetta wouldn’t agree to her conditions.

In fact, Rana was scaring herself again. Huaxinfeng held no real influence over Panetta. What Panetta wanted was to completely eradicate Freedom Wind and eliminate its threats entirely, not to repurpose it for his own agenda.

Finally, Panetta spoke in a low voice: "This matter is quite tricky. I can delete all records of Rana within the CIA, but I’m not sure whether Mason may have stored Huaxinfeng’s files in the White House. You understand what I mean, right? If you make a promise but fail to fulfill it in the end, it would be highly problematic."

Gao Yi turned to look at Rana and said softly, "Understood."

Rana let out a gentle sigh and said, "I can accept a less-than-perfect outcome, as long as I sever all ties with the CIA."

Panetta continued solemnly: "Actually, sometimes it’s better to reveal something rather than hide it. Once some secrets are exposed, they lose their threat. A spy’s identity is almost impossible to shake off. Even if Huaxinfeng is no longer a CIA operative, what happens if Mossad comes looking for her? How would she face inquiries from European intelligence agencies if they contact her?"

Gao Yi spoke in a low voice: "Public exposure?"

"Yes. Let the whole world know Rana is a spy, but without concrete verification. Being unverified makes it a rumor, but the exposed effect is still the same. As long as we don’t investigate her, she’ll have no issues. Mossad wouldn’t employ a thoroughly exposed spy, nor would any intelligence agency opt to use someone completely compromised."

Gao Yi looked at Rana and asked, "Do you agree?"

Rana appeared stunned, her face revealing disbelief. "Exposing myself, losing my value..."

She mulled over it for a moment, then replied resolutely, "Fine! I’m willing!"

Panetta immediately added, "I’ll have rumors spread and instruct people to inquire with Mossad whether the information is true. We’ll control the extent, and Mossad will understand the implication."

"Good. Then there’s only one issue left—to capture Wei Feng. I need all information related to Wei Feng now."

Gao Yi directed this statement at Rana.

Rana exhaled lightly and said in a low voice, "I don’t know what disguise Wei Feng may use, but I do know he has DNA information files."

Gao Yi replied quietly, "We’ve already secured them."

Rana thought for a moment, then said, "I can contact Wei Feng now and arrange to meet him, but I think Wei Feng may not fall for it."

"Try. We’ll let you return and everyone else too, as though this incident was just a normal investigative procedure. Do you think it’s feasible?"

Rana hesitated briefly, then shook her head and replied, "Your arrival was too quick, and everything here seems abnormal. How could Wei Feng believe this was just routine?"

Gao Yi couldn’t think of any better options, and at this point, Xinfeng suddenly interjected: "Forgive me for saying this, but you’ve made your demands, and we’ve met them. However, you... don’t really seem to have the leverage to negotiate conditions with us."

Indeed, if Rana couldn’t accomplish anything, then how could she be in a position to negotiate terms?

Rana murmured softly, "I’ll do my best to cooperate—isn’t that enough?"

"Apologies, that’s not enough. You need to figure out a way to capture Wei Feng, or else..."

Xinfeng spread his hands in a helpless gesture before continuing seriously, "You know what I mean."

Gao Yi didn’t want to push Rana too hard, but Xinfeng intended to squeeze out every possible strategy from her.

Rana sank into deep thought, speaking softly: "Let me think. Wei Feng... Wei Feng... Wei Feng is indeed a perfect spy. He’s extraordinarily meticulous. He doesn’t personally handle intelligence retrieval but is an excellent commander. All of us have to act according to his instructions."

Xinfeng responded with a helpless tone: "As a member of Freedom Wind myself, I’m very familiar with Wei Feng’s command style and capabilities."

Rana sighed deeply, pondered again, and suddenly spoke aloud: "Wei Feng has a good habit—but also a potential flaw."

"Go on."

"He’s very cautious. If he senses danger, his first choice is to immediately retreat, not waiting for the threat to emerge. He’ll withdraw as soon as any unfavorable signs appear. However, I believe sometimes his caution might go too far."

Rana spoke earnestly, sharing her thoughts.

While caution is a great habit, excessive caution isn’t always beneficial. It could result in missed opportunities.

But in the current situation, Wei Feng’s tendency to retreat at the first sign of trouble can hardly be considered a flaw.

Gao Yi was about to respond when Rana continued, "Wei Feng always has his escape routes prearranged. Before arriving at a location, he’ll prepare at least two safe routes. In Europe, he would ensure he has access to a vehicle for short-distance mobility, a plane ready to board at the nearest airport, and an understanding of train schedules. Typically, he wouldn’t hide locally but instead prepare to leave using any suitable transportation method."

Escaping rather than staying to hide—knowing Wei Feng’s habits could indeed prove crucial.

Gao Yi urged, "Go on."

"Wei Feng came from Alaska. He didn’t explicitly say so, but based on a brief phone call with me before departure, I heard airport announcements in the background. That’s why I inferred he left from Anchorage."

Rana’s cooperation was thorough, but the information she provided seemed not immediately useful. However, Gao Yi wasn’t adept at tracking individuals, so he couldn’t judge if the information was significant.

Gao Yi glanced at Xinfeng, who wore a contemplative expression.

Rana said softly, "Coming from Anchorage on a flight, he then drove to my house, receiving a call mid-way and learning about the unexpected situation. Think—what mode of transportation would Wei Feng use to escape next?"

"Driving. He wouldn’t return to the airport. Los Angeles’s transportation network is well-connected; he could drive directly out of the city and later board a flight at an airport in another city."

Xinfeng elaborated before shaking his head. "I’m even guessing Wei Feng intentionally let you overhear the airport broadcast—it might have been a ploy. He may not have departed from Anchorage at all but wanted you to think he was in Alaska."

Rana retorted softly, "If he’s perpetually misleading me, using every opportunity to misdirect, then... I find it implausible. There wasn’t a need for that here."

"You believe there’s no need; that doesn’t mean he thinks the same way."

Xinfeng replied, gazing at Gao Yi with an expressive shrug: "We could assume all the information we’ve received to this point is invalid, useless. Following such clues will definitely not lead us to locate Wei Feng."

Gao Yi scratched his head and sighed helplessly: "We’ve got to act somehow. Let me think... If fleeing Los Angeles and aiming to get far away, hmm... Could he drive to Mexico and catch a flight from there? If it were me, that’s what I’d do."

Rana looked slightly uneasy, asking, "Can you tell me how you identified me? My identity was truly well-hidden."

Gao Yi replied in a low voice, "The lead came from Russia."

Gao Yi refrained from naming Plevenov and merely mentioned in passing, offering Rana some face.

Rana froze momentarily. "Russia? How could that be? How would Russia know my identity? I hardly had time to do anything there before leaving."

Both Gao Yi and Xinfeng caught the unusual tone of this remark.

Xinfeng opened his mouth in surprise, exclaiming, "Damn it! Wei Feng is..."

"A distraction tactic!"

The idiom succinctly captured the situation, and Gao Yi’s statement summed it up entirely.

A look of horror swept over Gao Yi’s face as he lifted his phone to speak to Panetta, who hadn’t disconnected the call: "Wei Feng’s target is you! Everything here is just bait! You’re in grave danger!"