971: Chapter 956: Handling the Aftermath 971: Chapter 956: Handling the Aftermath PS: We want to hear more from you, to receive more of your suggestions.
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Gao Yang’s hands were shaking, and his body was shaking too, and the shaking was getting more and more severe.
This was not only out of fear but also a consequence of a massive surge of adrenaline in a short period of time.
Danger is just a moment, but the adrenaline continued to pump.
If Gao Yang stayed in an extremely dangerous environment, he could burst out with more energy than usual, but now that it was over, his trembling would continue for a while.
For a moment, Gao Yang truly thought he was dead, facing someone known as the “Gun God” brought a different kind of psychological pressure than facing an ordinary person.
When Gao Yang realized he wasn’t dead, he was really happy.
Li Jinfang and Eileen had already rushed into the store, and at this moment, Gao urgently said, “Grab Tomler’s gun for me, I’ve collected it, and take all his belongings too, and do the same with his bodyguard.”
Frey wanted to help Gao Yang up, but just then, Ludwig, who was lying beside Gao Yang, suddenly coughed a few times and then lay flat on the ground, looking up at Gao Yang weakly and said, “Incredible, I can’t believe I’m not dead.”
Gao Yang smiled weakly and said, “I understand why you feel that way.”
Ludwig looked at Gao Yang, touched the bullet-hit spot, and suddenly said, “It’s unexpected that you could kill Tomler, especially to someone like me who knew him well.”
No time for small talk now, Number Thirteen shouted, “Everyone evacuate, cleaning crew, move in.”
Gao Yang looked at Ludwig and asked, “Can you walk?
Do you need a hand?”
Ludwig, incredulous, said, “What?
Take me with you?
Weren’t you supposed to shoot me in the head?”
Gao Yang shrugged and said, “Less talking, if you can walk, do it fast, otherwise, I don’t mind shooting you.”
Ludwig touched the bullet-hit spot again and said, “Lucky I wore a bulletproof vest.
I thought I didn’t need it, and though my bones might be broken and it hurts a lot, you just need to give me a hand now.”
Everyone was evacuating separately, Gao Yang saw Little Donnie had already driven off with Eliza, but Number Thirteen ran over from that van.
Li Jinfang and Eileen had come out of the store, Li Jinfang also grabbed another rifle, and after they walked out of the store, Li Jinfang and Frey helped Ludwig up, while Eileen whispered to Gao Yang, “There are three people inside, all clerks, no customers.
What should we do?”
Gao Yang waved his hand and said, “Let’s go, never mind them, the cleaning crew will handle it.”
Li Jinfang and Eileen quickly ran off supporting Ludwig, following a pre-planned evacuation route, and varying the routes as planned.
Gao Yang and Frey ran in the opposite direction, encountering Number Thirteen on the way.
“You’re not evacuating?”
“Killing to silence witnesses.
If you let the cleaners do it, it’ll cost a lot.”
Number Thirteen merely dropped a sentence and ran into the store.
After several bursts of gunfire, he ran back out and told Gao Yang, “Follow me.”
Gao Yang felt uneasy, and seeing Frey’s reluctant face, they exchanged a glance, shook their heads, but followed Number Thirteen.
Number Thirteen said nothing, just sprinted, and Gao Yang shouted from behind him, “We have our own evacuation route, why should we follow you?”
Number Thirteen said solemnly, “Things have gone beyond expectation, I wouldn’t feel secure letting you evacuate on your own.”
Gao Yang felt helpless, seemingly becoming Number Thirteen’s priority to protect.
“So, if we are not evacuating now, what are we waiting for?”
“To silence witnesses.”
After saying this hurriedly, Number Thirteen had already reached the main battlefield.
Rafael in the center of the Wang character formation alley hadn’t left yet but was aiming his gun at Fat Harry and Byrd.
Number Thirteen told Rafael, “Little Fly and Fork follow the planned route to rendezvous.”
Rafael and Frey turned and left, then Number Thirteen pulled the car door open, turned to Gao Yang and said, “Get in.”
Gao Yang and Number Thirteen got into the car driven by Fat Harry, and by then, Byrd was almost crying, he turned to Gao Yang and said, “Man, what’s going on?
Keep the money, I don’t want it, just let us go, please brother.”
Number Thirteen said emotionlessly, “Drive, let’s go, follow the route I tell you.”
Fat Harry glanced at Gao Yang, trembling as he spoke, “Brother, please don’t kill us.
We don’t know anything, we haven’t seen anything.”
Number Thirteen spoke sternly, “Either drive now or die.”
Harry started the car and after bursting out of the alley, he drove down the sidewalk for a bit before turning onto the highway.
“Turn, take the detour onto Williamsburg Bridge.”
Byrd was terrified, initially thinking Gao Yang had paid to have someone get rid of him, but even a fool would understand by now that he had gotten involved in a massive conspiracy.
Fat Harry cried as he drove, and then Byrd also started crying.
Fat Harry merely sobbed softly, but Byrd wailed out loud, continously talking about his single mother and the four or five children he had to support.
Number Thirteen grew impatient and said sternly, “I won’t kill you, but if you make any more noise, you really will die.”
The two eventually quieted down, and as the car crossed the Williamsburg Bridge and entered a neighborhood in the Brooklyn District, Number Thirteen took out a phone, pressed a few buttons, and said gravely, “General, the mission is complete.
Foxbat Team has been wiped out; we need to use backup personnel.”
After a brief pause, Number Thirteen spoke with the distinctive emphasis of a soldier, loud and clear, “Yes, General, Lieutenant Jackson Lee personally killed the target, the target is confirmed dead, yes, General!”
After concluding his fabricated report solemnly, Number Thirteen suddenly said, “Stop the car.”
Fat Harry hit the brakes and stopped on the side of the road.
At that moment, Number Thirteen pulled out a small pistol from somewhere on his person and aimed it at the back of Byrd’s head, firing a shot.
Number Thirteen’s pistol was small, and it made only a faint sound.
Byrd didn’t even grunt as he fell forward.
Gao Yang, watching in shock, instinctively yelled, “Don’t kill him!
No, don’t kill this fat man!”
Harry covered his eyes with his hands, shouting with all his might, “Don’t kill me, please, you said you wouldn’t!”
Gao Yang truly did not want to kill Harry.
Call it womanly compassion or empathy; he simply couldn’t bring himself to harm someone he’d had several dealings with, especially since Harry had been helpful and posed no threat to him from beginning to end.
Number Thirteen looked at Gao Yang seriously and said in a deep voice, “Lieutenant, this fat man has to die; he knows too much.”
With that, Gao Yang knew Number Thirteen had no intention of killing Harry.
If Harry truly had to die, Number Thirteen would have shot him immediately without wasting time on meaningless talk.
Gao Yang said firmly, “I told you, we can’t kill him.
Don’t give me any orders.
Now Harry, shut up.”
Harry immediately fell silent.
Gao then said gravely, “Harry, I never intended to drag you into this.
You seemed like a decent guy, but you should understand now that you’ve gotten yourself into a major incident.
You really shouldn’t have come here.”
Harry didn’t dare turn his head, gingerly picked up Byrd’s money pouch that was wedged between his legs, threw it to the back and then covered his head again, speaking quickly, “Listen, I don’t know anything, I haven’t seen anything, this has nothing to do with me, please, let me go.”
Number Thirteen said sternly, “Go?
Where can you go?
With something this big, do you think you can hide?”
Gao looked at Number Thirteen questioningly because he didn’t know what Number Thirteen was really trying to say, but Number Thirteen just smiled, made a gesture of improvisation.
Gao coughed slightly, put the money back on Harry’s legs, and then said, “Here, take this money, Harry, and run as far as you can.
I can’t bear to kill you, but if I don’t, there will be many others who will try to silence you.
Keep this matter to yourself, take the money, get out of the car and leave.
Oh, and you’re not foolish enough to go to the police, are you, buddy?”
Harry quickly responded, “No, absolutely not, I wouldn’t trust the cops.
I know what’s happening, I understand, I won’t seek out trouble.
Thanks, brother, I’m leaving the country immediately.
I’ll go to Mexico or maybe Haiti where I have relatives, oh no, I’m going to Africa.
Anyway, I’ll disappear, far, far away!”
Gao smiled, “Then get going, buddy, and try to stay calm.”
Harry took the money, opened the car door, and jumped out.
He wanted to run but didn’t dare; he could only meander slowly forward.
Gao and Number Thirteen also got out of the car, and as they walked in opposite directions, Gao said with a bitter smile, “Can you tell me, was there any deeper meaning to what you said?
I guess there was, but I’m not sure, or maybe you were just bluffing.”
Number Thirteen spoke gravely, “George once had an Asian subordinate named Jackson Lee, who is in New York today.
The Foxbat Team really existed, but they died in Iraq, killed by your men.
This is part of diverting attention to George’s operation.
Now, it’s just adding one more person to spread the word.
So, the fat man, whether he lives or dies doesn’t matter.
It doesn’t matter if he gets caught either.
If he’s capable enough to really escape America, that doesn’t matter either.
He’s expendable.”
Gao gave a sigh of relief and said, “I really didn’t want him to die.
So, I hope he can get away.
If he gets caught, well, I can only say he’s unlucky.
But there’s one thing, what if Harry falls into George’s hands who’s trying to uncover the truth?”
Number Thirteen smiled slightly and said, “You don’t understand these things.
Even if Harry gets caught, he won’t end up in George’s hands.
If Harry gets caught, it won’t be the military who does it.
Harry will disappear after leaving the right kind of evidence.
Cleaners are best at this kind of job.”
After speaking, Number Thirteen patted Gao’s shoulder, smiling, “Now that Tomler is dead, this matter is over.
Everything else is no longer your concern.
All you have to do is wait to make an additional payment to the cleaners, since they’ve got more work to do now.
Alright, let’s change the subject, what do you plan to do next?”
Gao shrugged and said, “There’s too much to do.
Killing Tomler was just the beginning.
Next, we need to go to Syria and settle some scores with other people.”