Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 561 - 539: Don’t Meddle

Chapter 561: Chapter 539: Don’t Meddle

This moment of hesitation was the difference between life and death.

Gao Yi swung the hammer down, but his hand was just a fraction too slow. The man whose nose was about to be crushed tilted his head slightly, narrowly escaping Gao Yi’s strike at the last possible moment.

Wei Feng, having lost his balance, fell to the ground. But he immediately rolled and quickly got back on his feet. Just as he was about to fully rise, however, another hammer came down straight for him.

If Gao Yi couldn’t control someone already on the ground, he might as well quit altogether.

Wei Feng leaned back again, dodging the hammerhead in front of his face, only to fall flat on his back, hitting the ground hard.

This time, he didn’t bother trying to get back up. Lying on the ground, he crossed his legs and kicked them out. But Gao Yi neither moved to dodge nor jumped away; instead, he lifted his right foot and stomped down hard.

A scream escaped from Wei Feng as Gao Yi pinned his left ankle underfoot.

No matter what he tried, Wei Feng couldn’t escape.

Gao Yi’s usual style would have been to deal a fatal blow and finish off this man who only appeared to be Wei Feng. But Wei Feng knew too much; leaving him alive could produce a wealth of valuable information.

Subconsciously, Gao Yi wanted to keep Wei Feng alive. That’s why he delayed striking the fatal blow and instead just pinned him down.

However, at that moment, Yuri spoke in a low, commanding voice: "Kill him!"

Gao Yi glanced at Yuri in surprise, because Yuri was giving him an order with an unprecedentedly stern tone—this wasn’t a suggestion but a command.

Gao Yi frowned and said, "He knows too much..."

Yuri barked, "It’s because he knows too much that he must be eliminated! Don’t ask questions! Don’t ask anything!"

It made sense. There was no need to find out how Wei Feng had uncovered Chapaneita’s secrets, no need to know what evidence he had against Panetta, and certainly no need to learn how to retrieve said evidence.

If Wei Feng died, taking his accomplices with him, Panetta could uncover the rest himself—Gao Yi didn’t need to overstep.

If Gao Yi really asked and learned how to deal with Panetta, regardless of whether Panetta managed to plug this leak, it would undoubtedly harm their friendship.

Knowing too much has never been a good thing, and likewise, there are things you shouldn’t do.

Missing certain opportunities isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Without further hesitation, Gao Yi swung the hammer lightly at Wei Feng, who lay on the ground still struggling.

A light stroke of the hammer was enough to render someone irreversibly dead.

Gao Yi withdrew his hammer, then approached the hacker whose outward appearance clashed with their true nature. He studied the hacker, whose jaw had been dislocated by a slap, then noted the hard drive inserted into the computer’s mainframe along with an external keyboard. Curling his lips in mock amusement, he turned to Yuri.

Yuri stepped forward a couple of paces, glanced at Fisher—who was limping slightly after being hit by a bullet—and said in a low voice, "If you want him dead, hand the complete hard drive over to him. If you think he’s decent, destroy everything!"

Gao Yi had intended to hand the hard drive over to Panetta, but Yuri’s words left him conflicted.

Should he really destroy the hard drive?

This was... wait, this was evidence damning enough to bring Panetta to his knees.

Take it? Deliver it to Panetta himself? Or leave it for the CIA investigators cleaning up the scene?

No, smashing it was the best choice.

Gao Yi raised his hammer and brought it down heavily onto the hard drive.

Tonight, he had done enough. No matter what, Panetta would owe Gao Yi a massive favor—a monumental one.

Since that was the case, he might as well go all the way and give Panetta a clean slate, a conclusion utterly free of hidden concerns.

Yuri understood human nature well. He might not know the phrase "too much of a good thing," but he clearly grasped its principle.

The hard drive was smashed, and the hacker might as well be destroyed along with it.

Once again, Gao Yi raised his hammer. The hacker, unconscious with a dislocated jaw, now had their head brutally crushed.

Yuri remarked with satisfaction, "I really like this Fisher guy."

Fisher, weakly leaning to one side, murmured, "Thanks."

Gao Yi resolved Panetta’s worries and erased Fisher’s potential liability, sparing him from being silenced in the future by a paranoid Panetta.

Panetta was never a benevolent man. Eliminating people he no longer needed was standard practice for him; besides, Fisher wasn’t even one of his own people, merely a tool Panetta had deemed useful.

Yuri liked Fisher, and Gao Yi didn’t dislike him either, so they figured it better to clean up the mess thoroughly and let everyone come out ahead—by going on a full-blown killing spree.

There was still one more person—probably the deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau.

Without waiting for Yuri’s reminder, Gao Yi stepped forward and struck with his hammer once again.

Yuri observed from the side and quipped, "Did you all see that? More elegant than a ballet... almost, though I’m out of words to describe it."

He then sighed, pulling the last block of C4 from his bag. "We can’t blow up the office anymore. Let’s blow this place instead and erase all traces cleanly."

Gao Yi murmured, "Isn’t that too obvious?"

Yuri replied without hesitation, "Whether it’s suspicious is for the CIA to determine. Whether evidence is destroyed is for the investigators to worry about. Your job is to do what you must. The rest will naturally be handled by the appropriate people. Don’t overstep; don’t meddle."

Yuri was teaching Gao Yi the art of lazy but effective irresponsibility. Fisher chimed in from the side with a weak laugh, "He’s right—it’s true. Just listen to him."

In truth, Gao Yi only wanted to minimize trouble for Panetta—nothing more.

The plan had taken a slight detour.

Gao Yi was curious about Wei Feng’s accomplices, but now it was evident he would never learn from Wei Feng, as there were no survivors left to question.

Yuri divided the C4 into two portions and began placing it strategically. He remarked in a low voice, "Wei Feng was truly a genius. He even anticipated someone trying to stop him and set up a trap. Anyone bold enough to oppose us here must have been one of his die-hard associates. In other words, we’ve completely neutralized the problem."

Lifelong enemies—Gao Yi hadn’t even uttered a single question. Reflecting on this, Gao Yi felt a subtle twinge of regret.

Xinfeng walked over, grabbed a few sheets of paper, and used them to collect some blood and brain matter. He then rolled the stained paper into a tube. This was the simplest and most basic method of DNA collection and preservation.

Technically, they should have removed the disguise from the corpse to confirm the person’s identity. But Xinfeng couldn’t even be bothered because, with DNA samples, one quick test would reveal if it was actually Wei Feng.

If it was, great. If not, so be it. After tonight’s events, it was unlikely anyone else would pop up for Gao Yi to finish off.

There was one thing, however, that Gao Yi didn’t quite understand. He scanned the area but couldn’t spot any cameras. Without cameras, how would they prove all of this to Panetta?

Just as Gao Yi was about to voice this question aloud, Fisher staggered over to a desk, picked up a recording device, and waved it in Gao Yi’s direction. "Everything we need is right here. Everything we said, everything we did—it’s all recorded."

Yuri smiled faintly at Fisher and said, "I’m growing more and more impressed with you."

"Thanks. I feel the same. You must be a seasoned veteran."

"I’ve done this kind of thing plenty of times; having some experience is only natural. But you—you don’t strike me as someone who handles situations like this often. Yet your technique is flawless."

"Though I haven’t done this sort of thing before, I understand human nature well. I know how things like this should be handled and the usual precautions required. I know the CIA intimately, but you... you don’t seem to know them as well. Yet your judgment is impeccable. I truly admire that."

"It’s a pity we couldn’t blow more things up. Honestly, I’m quite fascinated by this. Are your injuries serious? You might need to see a doctor soon."

"It’s fine—it’s not a critical hit. I anticipated the possibility of getting shot, so I ensured I minimized my exposure. Given the circumstances, this is the best outcome."

Americans don’t really understand modesty, and Yuri even less so.

Yuri and Fisher continued to exchange compliments, chatting away like old friends.

Gao Yi felt like he couldn’t get a word in edgewise, but then Fisher suddenly turned to him and said, "This... this guy... really... leaves me... speechless. I can’t find the right words to describe the overwhelming impact of watching him leap and strike."

Yuri beamed. "You mean it felt artistic, right?"

"I wouldn’t call it artistic—not exactly. It was terrifying. Beautiful movements—terrifying results. You wouldn’t expect anyone to be this fast, this... what’s the word... he’s like an adult bullying a child. Most strikingly, he bypasses every obstacle—or rather, every obstacle becomes a springboard for his momentum. That’s what’s so terrifying."

Yuri laughed, "You’re better with words than I am. Alright, let’s head out. This Chapter has ended."

Gao Yi mechanically followed Yuri out, while Xinfeng handed Gao Yi a few of the blood-stained paper tubes.

Fisher pulled out a walkie-talkie from his waistband and murmured, "You can deactivate the locks now."

As Fisher finished speaking, Yuri pressed a detonator. With a deafening boom, the second Intelligence Bureau office, where they had just fought tooth and nail, was blown to pieces.

Continuing onward, Yuri suddenly asked, "That woman hiding in the bathroom—she’s one of them. Should we take her out or leave her to your friends?"

Fisher spoke in a low tone, "Leave her. We’ll need a witness, someone to testify, a peripheral member who didn’t have access to the core secrets. She’s perfect for that."

Gao Yi couldn’t help but ask, "That office lady from before? She’s an accomplice? How can you tell?"

Yuri looked at him in astonishment. "You didn’t notice? You can’t be serious! It was so obvious!"

Fisher chimed in, equally baffled. "Right, so obvious—failing to ask where it mattered, pretending calm when she should be nervous—it couldn’t have been clearer."

Gao Yi took a deep breath, murmuring under his breath, "You guys... never mind, forget I asked."