Joelson could no longer turn back.
The Libyans might not understand the proverb "nip it in the bud," but they definitely grasped the concept—the most important thing was to silence someone completely because doing it halfway was taboo.
Joelson wanted to stabilize the Libyans, but the Libyan he was talking to hurried to make it clear that he was not involved in the CIA's internal strife. The first thing he needed to do was to protect himself.
It wasn't even up to Joelson to use Gao Yi and the others to kill the Libyans—those soldiers of Libya were even more keen on taking the initiative.
The simplest method was to disarm Joelson and everyone else.
The Libyan Secret Intelligence Bureau personnel spoke as if he had nothing to do with the situation but turned and stepped back. Just as Joelson commented that there were too many onlookers, the man also suddenly shouted, "Watch out..."