Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 553 - 532: Turning Hand into Clouds

Chapter 553: Chapter 532: Turning Hand into Clouds

Gathering evidence, it’s nothing more than a few standard methods.

Audio recordings, video recordings, testimonies—these are the most direct, but not always the most effective forms of evidence.

Then there are transaction records and traces left by online activities.

When dealing with someone as influential as Panetta, even direct evidence may not be effective, let alone indirect evidence.

So the most straightforward method is to catch him in the act—storm in with a team and capture him directly, which works best.

Wei Feng pulled off a major operation, but his only misstep was underestimating how quickly and decisively Rana would choose to switch sides.

Then again, Wei Feng might have already factored this into his calculations—it all could be part of his plan.

The question is whether Wei Feng can produce incriminating evidence against Panetta.

"The CIA’s management operations system has vulnerabilities. The internal personnel information system has always had flaws—or rather, backdoors. Mason had access to one of these backdoors, and before committing suicide, he gave that access to Wei Feng."

Rana sighed lightly and continued in a subdued tone, "Mason knew his time was up. He passed all his legacies to Wei Feng. How do I know this? Because Mason shared this information with me as well. He instructed me to continue following Wei Feng’s orders—just like that."

Gao Yi exchanged a glance with Xinfeng, then whispered, "Mason was the Deputy Director of the CIA. If he had digital keys to the agency, I could understand that. But could he really oversee everyone in the CIA?"

Xinfeng frowned and said, "Wait a second—there’s a fatal flaw in this. The CIA’s internal network and external network are physically isolated. Unless Mason secretly used his authority to connect the internal and external networks, which seems unlikely—the CIA’s tech support department would’ve caught it."

Rana pursed her lips and said in a low voice, "Is it possible that Wei Feng needs to infiltrate CIA headquarters to carry out his plan?"

Gao Yi and Xinfeng were both stunned.

A moment later, Xinfeng muttered under his breath, "Falke! That’s actually possible."

Gao Yi asked in confusion, "Even if Wei Feng infiltrates CIA headquarters and uses Mason’s backdoor to enter the internal network, what can he achieve? Personnel records? Hidden spy lists? Even if he accesses these, what would it change?"

Gao Yi couldn’t grasp it—what he didn’t understand, he simply couldn’t figure out.

But Xinfeng had a sudden look of realization, as though he finally understood.

Xinfeng murmured, "We’ve done a lot of work, but the issue is—are we the only ones doing the work?"

Xinfeng hesitated to mention Panetta’s name directly, but his words made Gao Yi immediately realize what he meant.

Gao Yi and the others had done significant work for Panetta—important work. Yet, with Panetta consolidating power, was it really just limited to dealings with the Garden?

Wei Feng’s target is Panetta, not the Garden. This distinction must be clear.

So, if Wei Feng uncovers that Panetta used other channels, other people, or acted directly himself—why would he even bother notifying Gao Yi?

Without knowing what Panetta has done, it’s impossible to predict Wei Feng’s next move.

Gao Yi turned to Rana and quietly commanded, "You... no, stay here. Don’t move."

Gao Yi signaled silently to Xinfeng. Rana couldn’t be fully trusted yet, so he needed Xinfeng to keep an eye on her.

Gao Yi left the reception room and dialed Panetta’s number.

When the call connected, Gao Yi spoke in a low voice, "Wei Feng has Mason’s backdoor—your internal CIA system’s vulnerability. He might already have infiltrated CIA headquarters, gained access to the internal network, and is gathering evidence against you."

"Falke!"

Panetta cursed furiously.

Gao Yi continued, "The real question here is: do you have incriminating evidence that he could weaponize against you?"

Panetta replied in a hushed tone, "Too much... Too many things. Some require access permissions to review, like the spies Mason dispatched for undercover assignments. I can access their files."

Simply reviewing these wouldn’t normally be problematic. But the issue lies in what Panetta did after checking the records of the spies Mason had sent out.

Logically, the disputes among higher-ups shouldn’t affect the operations below—there’s no need for it.

Yet Panetta’s anxious tone hinted at guilt, and Gao Yi immediately knew he hadn’t kept his hands clean.

"So... is it trouble?"

Panetta exhaled deeply and stated, "It’s troublesome, but not enough to ruin me. But the current problem is—we don’t know what Mason left behind, nor what Wei Feng can obtain. Now, are you saying Wei Feng has already infiltrated CIA headquarters?"

"It’s possible, but not certain."

Gao Yi explained his and Xinfeng’s analysis and deductions in detail, along with his connection to Plevenov and discovery of Rana. Though he tried to be concise, it still took him ten minutes to lay everything out.

Panetta, an experienced player, understood the ramifications immediately.

After listening, Panetta decisively said, "Wei Feng isn’t doing all this to distract me or make me focus on Rana. He intends to bait me into taking action. Normally, I’d decide to quietly eliminate Rana and ignore the rest. You must follow the original plan and start searching for Wei Feng in Los Angeles."

Of course, not to truly hunt Wei Feng in Los Angeles, but to make it seem like he was being pursued, so Wei Feng would think Panetta had fallen for the diversion.

"Understood. I’ll continue searching for Wei Feng here in Los Angeles. Only by making him feel safe can he possibly continue his operations at CIA headquarters."

Panetta coolly stated, "Everything now is speculative. We need to prepare for multiple possibilities. But I can’t initiate any search operations here at Lanli, not openly or covertly, because Wei Feng would notice immediately."

"Then what should we do?"

"You come here; I’ll go there!"

Panetta was decisive.

He added softly, "I can’t deploy CIA personnel to search for Wei Feng’s whereabouts in Lanli. Once discovered, Wei Feng will realize his plan has been exposed. So even though the situation is precarious, I simply cannot act right now."

"So you’re heading to Los Angeles?"

Panetta sighed deeply and stressed, "Gao, everything we’re dealing with right now is speculation—hypotheses. If we keep following Wei Feng’s rhythm, we’ll always be reactive. Now, let me teach you a very simple way to break this deadlock."

Panetta unexpectedly offered to instruct Gao Yi on what to do.

Why now? The simplest reason was that Panetta was finally fully tied to Gao Yi’s fate.

Gao Yi cooperated willingly, asking, "How do we break the deadlock?"

"First, nail Mason to the pillar of shame! Then label all of Mason’s allies as traitors! This way, no matter what incriminating evidence Wei Feng finds against me, it’ll look like an act of defamation!"

Gao Yi understood now—this was a case of "you fight your fight, I’ll fight mine."

Panetta continued, "Wei Feng’s tactical moves are solid. He orchestrated a brilliant strategic feint. But the moment he sent spies from the Europe Department back to the United States as bait, he lost on a strategic level!"

Gao Yi hesitated, asking, "What do you mean?"

"They’re a treasonous interest group! When they learned they were under investigation, they attempted to return and conspire to assassinate me. I’m the hero exposing the corruption; they’re a criminal syndicate profiting from selling intelligence."

This was turning black into white, twisting narratives—but Panetta’s version sounded indisputable.

Gao Yi replied quietly, "I see what you mean now."

Panetta remarked, "Ask your friends at the FBI to arrest them—take the official route. I’ll handle the matter as CIA Director, confront the agency’s biggest-ever credibility crisis, assume responsibility, and immediately work to restore discipline by bringing shadowy dealings into the light. In fact, I should thank Wei Feng for giving me the chance to strike at my political opponents openly."

Gao Yi took a deep breath, replying, "Understood! Got it."

"But Wei Feng must still be captured. He cannot be left alive. Otherwise, who knows what more he might do—what level of damage he might cause. So I’ll assume responsibility publicly and lure his focus onto me, while you—a man unassociated with the CIA—capture him!"

Gao Yi whispered, "Don’t take him alive—eliminate him immediately. It’ll be messy otherwise. But how can I infiltrate CIA headquarters unnoticed?"

"I’ll arrange someone to bring you inside. With the identity card I provide, you’ll have the necessary clearance. Whether Wei Feng is outside or inside CIA headquarters, you must locate him—and kill him!"

Panetta was ruthless and unyielding.

No matter what Wei Feng tried, Panetta planned to completely cut off his escape routes.

Whether Wei Feng lived or died, whether he found evidence against Panetta or not—Panetta’s overwhelming authority ensured Wei Feng’s schemes were doomed from the start.

Using absolute power to crush Wei Feng wasn’t just a strategy or a tactic—it was reality.

Gao Yi muttered, "I’ll organize my team and head to Lanli immediately."

"Begin your operations now. I’ll act after receiving routine intel updates and head to Los Angeles."

After the call ended, Gao Yi pondered briefly before muttering, "That lucky bastard."

Speaking to himself, he dialed Martin’s number.

When Martin answered, he asked in a low voice, "What’s the situation? What do you need me to do?"

"You really are a lucky bastard."

After that remark, Gao Yi spoke with gravity, "Head to the Beverly Hills Police Station immediately. There’s a major operation waiting for you to handle. You’ll also need to prepare for significant pressure—this case might overturn the entire U.S. intelligence system."

Martin suppressed his excitement and replied in a hushed voice, "Understood!"

Gao Yi quietly remarked, "That’s why I say you’re lucky. Listen—we’ll discuss the specifics in person. For now, gather your trusted allies—your closest friends—and head here to arrest a group of individuals with suspicious identities. Then, investigate briefly and discover that they’re all CIA spies. Understand what this means?"

Martin hesitated slightly before asking, "Can I ask—this case... is it like the Watergate scandal?"

Gao Yi paused, then replied softly, "Yes, actually—it’s like Watergate. But bigger, heavier, and with far greater shockwaves."