Mercenary's War-Chapter 2164 - 2141: Clearing Away Obstacles

Vengeance must be served, but not hastily. Satan isn’t exactly a wounded army now, though with a few injured plus Gao Yang, at least half the manpower has to be allocated for taking care of them.

Moreover, Big Mister and his crew are still out there floating around. Gao Yang is torn between joining forces with them or proceeding with split actions as they are now. Both have their advantages—uniting increases strength but also enlarges the target, making them easier to spot.

After a brief stop in Messina and finding an opportunity to leave Sicily, Gao Yang didn’t ponder much but decisively had Ludwig escort the injured out of Italy first.

Whether waging war or seeking revenge, only when there are no lingering concerns can one fully commit.

Yake must be considered part of the severely wounded, yet Yake refused to leave. Despite just losing an eye, he insisted on staying.

Gao Yang understood Yake’s sentiments well. It can’t be blamed on Yake, yet he felt humiliated as it was him who arranged for Gao Yang to meet Mario personally.

As for everything else, not much needs to be said. Even if eager to exact vengeance for the humiliation and torment a hundredfold, it must be timed appropriately—the timing isn’t right yet.

Gao Yang isn’t particularly impatient, for he’s still incapacitated. The aftermath of the torment was more severe than he imagined, so Gao Yang could only arrange a few matters. He couldn’t even walk steadily, let alone fight personally.

Thus, under Mario’s watchful eyes, using a chartered plane to evacuate the wounded, and having Angel’s crew return to Ukraine, Gao Yang and company left Messina, arriving first in Reggio Calabria. Then, Satan’s crew dispersed, opting to hide and await the right moment to strike.

Narrowing the target to Mario alone would complicate matters, requiring intelligence, an area where Satan is sorely lacking. Going against the biggest intelligence boss means getting strangled by intelligence warfare.

A broader vendetta against the entire Cicero Family simplifies it greatly.

Isolating Mario feels akin to seeking a needle in a haystack. But indiscriminate warfare against the Cicero Family opens numerous targets across Italy—members and enterprises, overt and covert, strike wherever possible.

However, making the entire Cicero Family the vengeance target gives Gao Yang pause, as Grand Ivan is already deeply intertwined. Any grand actions must consider Grand Ivan’s stance.

Gao Yang’s principle is: hurt one, annihilate your kin. After days of torment, he’s suffered but understood one thing: Mario knows almost nothing about him.

Gao Yang awaits the results of the power plays from all sides. If the Italian Government intervenes, he can only retreat; opposing a nation on its turf spells doom—even for deep grudges, Gao Yang wouldn’t be so reckless.

Yet, should the Italian Government refrain from deploying military police against Satan, Gao Yang might well go through with it.

Since all he can do is wait, Gao Yang took another nap. Upon waking, the scenario had changed yet again. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

At dawn, after another restful sleep, Grand Ivan personally called him.

"Gao, I’m glad you’re alright. Regarding this incident, I owe you an apology."

Grand Ivan’s first words were an apology. Gao Yang quickly replied, "What are you talking about? Mario’s gone mad—it has nothing to do with you. I must thank you for my rescue at all costs."

Grand Ivan chuckled, "Italy still harbors plenty supporting Mario. The Cicero Family has existed for centuries, certainly garnering steadfast allies. However, the good news is they have more foes than friends. After prolonged battles and negotiations, the conclusion is that the Italian Government definitely won’t take the Cicero Family’s side. Surely, some officials remain allies, but rest assured, no military will be deployed."

Gao Yang felt utterly at ease; he exhaled deeply, "That’s great!"

Grand Ivan paused and said, "I haven’t gauged your stance yet, but there’s something I must share: Mario called me five minutes ago, proposing a truce."

Gao Yang was taken aback, "What, a truce?"

Grand Ivan sternly affirmed, "Yes, Mario sees the writing on the wall. Noting many ready to devour the Cicero Family’s assets, no matter the sum, he’s unable to sway the Italian Government into action, opting for reconciliation. Greed drives people, and whatever offer Mario makes pales compared to outright possessing his benefits."

Gao Yang swallowed hard, whispered disbelief, "What’s your response?"

Grand Ivan grinned, "Mario refused my calls, so I wouldn’t answer his. Later, through intermediaries, he expressed hoping I’d cease all actions, promising me 100 million dollars, and you Ten million dollars as consolation; handing Fatino over to you—and that’s it. Future collaborations would remain unchanged, and I haven’t responded. I awaited your input."

Gao Yang exhaled, "My opinion? It’s to take him down. I must eliminate Mario. As for the rest, if you wish to maintain peace with the Cicero Family, I’ll focus my revenge solely on Mario. You’ve already done so much; I can’t demand excessive cost from you."

Grand Ivan chuckled, "Mario didn’t apologize."

"What?"

Grand Ivan sighed, "Mario didn’t apologize, thinking money could settle me down. Hence, he never sincerely, publicly apologized—not to me, nor to you. Since I never abandon projects halfway—if war with the Cicero Family is already underway, and you have no retreat intentions, let’s proceed. At times, I too disregard profit and loss considerations."

Gao Yang laughed, "Good, let’s begin then. I was just waiting for those words."

Grand Ivan laughed too, "Others await as well. Prolonging invites danger, so let’s commence. I’ll notify Ivan; when you’re ready, take action. Oh, and since we’re engaging, let’s be decisive. No need to worry about the Italian Government’s response. Our temporary allies will handle any issues."