Mercenary's War

"Right now? Okay, give me a moment and I’ll call you."

Gao Yang hung up the phone and then said to Joseph with a sense of helplessness, "Where’s the car parked? Bring my briefcase here, I need to look at an important document."

Joseph calmly wiped his mouth with a napkin, then stood up and said, "I’ll go get it right away."

Joseph left the table, walking towards the door. Gao Yang shook his head and smiled, "Sorry, I said I was very busy lately."

Just as he picked up the knife and fork, Gao Yang was momentarily stunned, then muttered to himself, "Oh, damn it! Wait a minute..."

Gao Yang called out to Joseph, who was leaving quickly, holding a knife and fork. Still, Joseph didn’t turn back and continued walking towards the door, clearly not hearing Gao Yang’s call, so Gao Yang stood up helplessly and said softly, "Sorry, excuse me for a moment, I’ll be right back."

Calmly, and as usual, Gao Yang was about to leave. But just then, he noticed Karl Stemonsen’s gaze change abruptly, and the dining knife in Karl’s hand suddenly twisted in his palm, changing direction.

The dining knife was meant for cutting steaks, but the way Karl held it was meant for killing.

The guests at the adjacent three tables were all cleaners.

The family on the left were cleaners, and the woman who occasionally took pictures of the food with her phone would also capture a few of the Cerberus members in the frame.

The couple at the table behind, whispering as they ate, were cleaners. They used sound collection devices to listen and record all the conversations of the Cerberus members.

The four people directly across from Gao Yang, eating and talking, were still cleaners.

Gao Yang didn’t have to worry about someone behind him make a move on him because behind him were cleaners, so Karl’s abnormal actions were directed at him.

The expression on Gao Yang’s face didn’t change, still appearing like he was annoyed by having to personally chase after Joseph for forgetting to mention something. His hand gestures were normal; his body language was normal.

Everything seemed normal; everything was not normal.

When Gao Yang noticed, from the corner of his eye, that Karl’s actions were not normal, then nothing was normal.

Should he leap out to avoid the range of Karl’s attack with the dining knife, flip the table to block the stabbing knife, or kick under the table?

Gao Yang instantly made a decision. He continued walking out, as if to catch up with Joseph, but his legs slightly sunk. It wasn’t noticeable, but he was ready to leap forward at any moment.

Was this really a trap?

Just then, Gao Yang heard Karl say in a low voice, "Get down!"

Karl appeared calm, but his tone revealed he was intensely furious.

Getting down—these words didn’t sound like something an enemy would say before making a move.

Right then, Gao Yang heard someone in the corridor to the right shout, "Don’t move, Federal Agent! Put your hands on the table..."

Gao Yang saw that Joseph had half turned around, and he already reached for the gun at his waist.

It really was a trap!

Gao Yang slightly shook his head, an instinctive reaction from being too shocked, but when Joseph saw his gesture, he immediately moved his hand away from the grip of the gun.

No matter if it’s the CIA or whoever showed up, there must be no rash actions here.

If they didn’t resist, even if they got captured, there might still be a chance for rescue. But if they made a move, not only would many charges be confirmed, even if the CIA didn’t find the evidence they needed, just by resisting with a gun could mean detainment; unless someone was trying to kill him.

Because the CIA is one of America’s most powerful forces.

Until now, Gao Yang’s means of self-preservation was not being targeted, not letting anyone know his background, rather than holding a gun and confronting a giant like the CIA.

Since the CIA made a move, they wouldn’t send just one person, so whether a large number of military police were waiting to arrest him or a gun was already aimed at him, his best choice now was to not resist.

With the cleaners here, there’s no need to worry about information not getting out.

Getting captured doesn’t matter; as long as the three nuclear bombs are still in hand, everything else can be resolved.

But getting shot dead on the spot here, that would be the end.

Instantly determining what to do, Gao Yang was about to raise his hands, but just then, Karl Stemonsen, who was sitting and kept his head down, spoke with an icy tone, "They finally made a move. If we get caught, forget about revenge, and we might all die."

Mike placed his hands on the table, motionless, but his voice was a furious, urgent cry, "Bastards! Let’s go for it!"

Karl didn’t stand up; he just suddenly raised his head, then waved his right hand.

Karl threw the dining knife in his hand.

The target wasn’t Gao Yang.

The knife whizzed past Gao Yang’s face, with the sound of the wind. When Gao Yang, in shock, turned his head to look, he saw a dagger stuck in the hand of a middle-aged man less than five meters behind him.

"Ah...!"

The guy with the gun was wearing plain clothes, the gun still in his hand, but his fingers couldn’t pull the trigger.

Gao Yang didn’t know what was happening; maybe the CIA’s men really showed up. The cleaners’ warning couldn’t be wrong, but maybe the CIA’s target wasn’t him, but rather Karl Stemonsen and his entourage.

This twist happened too fast.

Karl pushed Gao Yang aside and suddenly jumped up from the chair Gao Yang just left, quickly dashing in front of the person holding the gun, extending his left hand to grip the gun, while his right hand struck the neck of the gunman, deftly snatching the gun away.

"Ah!"

A sharp scream rang out, and the restaurant descended into chaos. People with experience dealing with shooting incidents quickly squatted to the ground one by one.

"Don’t move!"

"Open fire!"

"Do not open fire!"

"Put down the gun!"

"Control the situation, avoid collateral damage!"

Amid the chaotic shouts, Gao Yang saw people rushing through the restaurant’s main entrance. The guy who had just entered from the back door, shouting that he was a Federal Agent, was followed by at least four others carrying submachine guns.

Gao Yang immediately crouched down with his hands over his head.

Gao Yang kept his eyes on Karl Stemonsen; he could only see a back, but just then, someone from the group entering through the main entrance shouted in an indisputable voice, "Open fire!"

Karl Stemonsen’s body froze, and then he turned his head for a glance, Gao Yang noticed his expression changed from anger to ferocity.

"Do not open fire! No..."

Another person was shouting an order to not fire, conflicting commands from those rushing in.

Karl Stemonsen let out a grim smile, then suddenly swung his left hand.

Karl Stemonsen’s left hand held the pistol he had just snatched, a Glock 17.

"He’s done for..."

Gao Yang internally sighed a breath of either schadenfreude or sympathy, only to see the four people behind Karl Stemonsen fall instantly.

Mike and a companion drew their pistols, then everyone behind Karl Stemonsen collapsed, and Karl didn’t even glance back, pulling the trigger immediately after.