Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 562 - 540: Regret

Chapter 562: Chapter 540: Regret

How do we explain a group of outsiders breaking into CIA headquarters in the middle of the night, fighting and killing?

Let Panetta come up with something.

How do we explain the CIA headquarters getting blown up in the middle of the night?

Let Panetta come up with something.

How do we explain that as soon as Panetta left, so many people ended up dead?

Of course, let Panetta come up with something.

In short, as the director, Panetta can say whatever he wants. Someone will naturally piece together an entire chain of evidence for him.

But when Gao Yi had to throw this mess at Panetta, he still felt a little uneasy inside.

After giving Henry a nod, leaving through the same door they came in, and calling out to Dani—who hadn’t done a damn thing all night—Gao Yi returned to Fisher’s RV and made the call.

"Hello, it’s done. Did you get the report?"

Gao Yi didn’t sound very confident saying this. It wasn’t that he feared Panetta but more that he felt slightly awkward.

After all, he had made a mess of things and then dumped it on Panetta—it felt a bit too irresponsible.

"I received the news and the report. I’m still handling things here in Los Angeles, but I’ll be back in Lanli soon."

It was hard to tell if Panetta was pleased or angry. This made Gao Yi even less confident and more awkward.

"I secured the DNA. I’ll have someone test it later. It’s just... well, a bit messy. Hope it doesn’t cause you too much trouble."

Panetta said softly, "There won’t be any trouble. This is the best outcome. Better than I expected. I didn’t think they’d put all their hopes and resources into this one operation. You know, being able to eliminate all risks in one stroke is, of course, the ideal result."

"Alright then. Uh, I killed all of them and destroyed the evidence they had obtained. Regrettably, I couldn’t hand it over to you. I do have a recording device, one of those action cameras. The footage is crystal clear. Thought you might want to take a look."

Only now did Gao Yi tell Panetta about the video he had recorded of the entire mission. Upon hearing this, Panetta’s tone noticeably escalated in excitement, "That’s excellent! Did Wei Feng say anything, though?"

At this moment, Gao Yi believed Yuri had a good handle on Panetta’s psychology, which made him feel a lot more confident in the conversation.

"He said nothing—because I didn’t ask. Originally, I planned to deliver him alive so you could interrogate him. But I figured that might complicate things even further, so I just dealt with him directly. That’s how I handled all of them."

Panetta let out a long sigh and then said sincerely, "I owe you one."

"Don’t mention it. We’re all friends; no need to talk about who owes who."

Gao Yi said this earnestly and then continued, "The DNA sample I have needs to be tested quickly because I can’t confirm if Wei Feng was among the bodies. Also, Fisher got shot, so I need to take him to the hospital."

This was Gao Yi tentatively seeking Panetta’s opinion on how to handle Fisher.

Panetta thought for a moment and then asked, "What’s your impression of Fisher?"

"He’s talented. Uh, a real force to be reckoned with."

Panetta responded quietly, "You can take him to the hospital or have CIA personnel provide first aid. What do you think is best?"

It was clear Panetta was considering disposing of Fisher after using him, but he was now seeking Gao Yi’s opinion. Since Gao Yi brought up Fisher, it was clear he had thoughts on the matter.

Gao Yi looked at Fisher and said, "I’ll take him to the hospital. Talent shouldn’t be wasted."

Gao Yi meant: "This guy is mine now. Don’t kill him, just like with Xinfeng. From now on, Fisher is one of my people."

Without hesitation, Panetta replied, "Got it. I understand. As long as he agrees, there’s no problem."

"Alright, I’m taking him to the hospital now."

"I’ll return as soon as I can. Keep the DNA sample safe. I’ll have someone reliable test it when I get back."

"Okay."

The call ended. Gao Yi turned to Yuri and said, "Good thing you reminded me, or I would’ve screwed it all up. Hm, you’re all such deep thinkers."

Yuri shook his head and said, "It’s not that big players think too much—it’s that thinking too little won’t make you a big player. Being capable is important, but knowing what not to do makes someone truly remarkable. So, how’d it go?"

"It’s settled. Let’s drive to the hospital."

Gao Yi said to Dani.

Fisher, who was clearly drained both physically and mentally and on the verge of passing out, breathed a long sigh of relief. Then he chuckled weakly and said, "Looks like I passed. Thanks."

Gao Yi replied to Fisher, "From now on, work for me. I promise you won’t regret it, and it’ll be less stressful for you."

Fisher hesitated, looked at Yuri, thought for a moment, and shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I think I’ll pass. In any team, there’s only room for one person like me. If there were two, we’d just end up fighting."

Yuri nodded and smiled at Gao Yi. "Exactly. One of me is enough. If you add another Fisher, the Garden would split in no time."

Fisher sighed helplessly and said, "It’s instinct."

"Exactly. And there’s no escaping it."

Yuri and Fisher admired each other yet rejected each other—perhaps because there really can’t be two tigers on one mountain.

Gao Yi felt rather regretful. Fisher then continued, "Could you do me a favor and help me stay at the CIA? The CIA is a large enough stage. If you can make that happen, I’d be deeply grateful."

If Gao Yi asked Panetta to keep Fisher, Panetta would undoubtedly do so.

Gao Yi had that much influence.

Gao Yi’s recruitment attempt had failed. But if it came down to choosing between Yuri and Fisher, it was better this way. Having a friend in the CIA wasn’t bad.

"Alright, I promise. You can stay with the CIA. It’s what you deserve. I just have one question: Why did you kill your own colleagues back then?"

Fisher sniffed and said, "I enjoy studying human nature. I used to just work at a desk, but when I realized my field partners doing operations had lost all traces of humanity, I only wanted to get rid of them. The human heart is complicated; there’s good and evil in human nature. But those who are utterly devoid of humanity must die."

"Understood. Don’t worry—I respect that about you. Get some rest. I guarantee you won’t die."

"Thank you."

Fisher offered a heartfelt thanks and finally closed his eyes. Moments later, it was unclear if he had passed out or fallen asleep.

Gao Yi dialed Panetta again. When the call connected, he spoke softly, "I tried to recruit Fisher, but he declined. Said that with Yuri in our team, there was no need for another like him."

Panetta replied indifferently, "So, how do you plan to handle this?"

"Keep him around. Talent is hard to come by. If you find him untrustworthy, give him some peripheral assignments. Someone has to get the real work done—people like him are invaluable."

"Alright. I’ll decide how to utilize him after further observation, but he certainly won’t die."

Gao Yi hung up the phone again.

Now it was just a matter of waiting for Panetta to come back and have the DNA tested.

He wasn’t sure if Wei Feng was really among the bodies. If he was, it was a bit of a shame. As Gao Yi’s most formidable and cunning adversary to date, Wei Feng hadn’t even managed to get a word in before dying. It felt like a real missed opportunity.

True, villains tend to meet their end because they talk too much. But in moments of absolute control, when the opponent is completely subdued, not taking the chance to declare victory or reflect on the win before killing them—well, that was certainly a significant regret.

Indeed, Gao Yi had no trouble defining himself as the villain in this scenario.

Gao Yi began to understand those villains in the movies—those who could’ve killed the hero instantly, ending everything and eliminating all threats, but instead chose to leave the hero alive, giving them a chance to strike back.

Because, in this case, he couldn’t help but feel immense regret. It was a deeply unsatisfying sensation.

It felt like victory had lost all its flavor, with 90% of the sense of achievement evaporated.

Still, giving the opponent no chance is the rational thing to do. Killing your greatest enemy outright, without even letting them speak, is the practical choice.

So, regret is regret. A life without regrets wouldn’t be complete.