Chapter 1: The Snow Leopard Falls into the Trap

Ling Tianxiang was taken aback; Huzi was the nickname of Wei Daming's son. It was evident that if Wei Daming were to run to Ling Tianxiang's hiding place at that moment, Ling Tianxiang would be exposed, and both of them would be doomed. Wei Daming chose to stay behind, voluntarily opting to remain in order to ensure that his partner could return safely.

Ling Tianxiang glanced back at the Noxiak Peak hidden in the mist. This was not the best retreat route, but it was the only one available. However, no one could guarantee a safe and discreet passage until dawn, especially under the watchful eyes of the American forces. If the target arrived too early, even a nighttime retreat would be extremely perilous. With this thought in mind, Ling Tianxiang turned his gaze towards the road to the west.

Beside him, Wei Daming raised the telescope and glanced at the old shepherd wearing a headscarf. "He is just a civilian, not even an armed civilian, and poses no threat to us"

"Xiao Lingzi, don't move around, the American troops won't be able to find you." Wei Daming, hiding behind the car, checked the magazine of his G36 and said, "Remember to help me send that letter in the backpack back home, and tell Huzi not to follow in his father's footsteps when he grows up."

Just after turning the intersection, Clark suddenly slammed on the brakes as a panicked flock of sheep rushed onto the road, blocking his way. "Damn it!" Clark muttered a curse under his breath, then he honked the horn loudly while shouting in Persian.

The recent U.S. military maneuvering forces are stationed just 30 kilometers west of Zabak, consisting of an air mobility battalion from the 10th Mountain Division, equipped with more than ten UH-60 "Black Hawk" helicopters, some of which are certainly armed variants. If the U.S. military receives the notification, they can arrive within ten minutes, possibly even sooner, and completing the mission will require at least fifteen minutes.

Wei Daming spent 3 minutes running over 500 meters of rugged mountain road. He first checked the corpse sprawled over the steering wheel; the point of impact was very precise, leaving only a bullet hole less than 1 centimeter in diameter on the car window, while half of the driver's head had been blown off. Subsequently, Wei Daming circled to the other side of the pickup truck, smashed the window with the butt of his gun, and after tossing aside the unloaded M4, he retrieved the "Pelikon" safe from inside. He then discovered that the safe was connected to the corpse's right wrist by a pair of handcuffs. Without hesitation, Wei Daming drew his pistol and broke the steel chain on the handcuffs.

Do not be nervous! Wei Daming seemed to see through his partner's thoughts

The communicator rang again, and Wei Daming immediately pressed down on the headset. "The target is here"

I know, I just don't know if anyone would be interested in those sheep. Ling Tianxiang laughed, estimating through visual observation that he was about 550 meters away from the group of goats. Perhaps he needed to get a little closer, as the scorching sun baked the ground and the hot air rose, which would affect the accuracy of his visual estimation.

Ling Tianxiang exhaled, slowly removing his finger from the trigger. It was merely the villagers from the nearby settlement, perhaps his wife and children were waiting for him to return home for dinner. The impoverished herdsmen on this barren land, this was not an obstacle.

Ling Tianxiang calmly observed the panicked white man inside the car. At this distance, he would never miss the shot; over 500 meters was as easy for a sniper as the length of his arm.

Ling Tianxiang had already aimed the gun at the fork in the road to the east. The swirling dust approached from afar; due to the obstruction of the hillside by the roadside, Ling Tianxiang could not yet see the vehicle, but he knew that the target had appeared.

In the mountainous region of the Eastern Hindu Kush at an altitude of over 4,000 meters, the white clouds in the blue sky seem almost within reach. The highest peak, Noshaq, at 7,485 meters, occasionally reveals itself through the mist, resembling a loyal warrior guarding the desolate and barren plateau beneath. At the foot of the mountain, a road, winding like a python, follows the path of the Panj River; this is the only road in the Wakhan Corridor connecting Buzai Gonbad with the interior of Afghanistan.

Ling Tianxiang set up the M40 sniper rifle, a weapon he had specially modified. The main alteration was the installation of a 20x scope, along with a silencer crafted by Ling Tianxiang himself. Should he eliminate the obstacles first? Ling Tianxiang pressed his finger on the trigger

The U.S. military seemed to have anticipated this long ago. As Wei Daming just raised his pistol, a bullet struck his right arm. Before he could switch the gun to his left hand, another bullet hit his left shoulder blade. Under the tremendous impact of the bullets, Wei Daming fell to the ground in despair

How is the retreat route arranged? Ling Tianxiang was just joking.

Ling Tianxiang observed coldly the old man on the road, who, like the barren land around, occasionally waved his whip to drive the emaciated sheep back to the flock, which were nibbling on the grass roots by the roadside. The goats walking ahead of him were also shaggy yet thin. All of this made Ling Tianxiang feel that this was the most remote corner of the world, a place forgotten and abandoned by God, Allah, Buddha, or any other so-called "deity".

Understood ... understood! Wei Daming has turned off the communicator, the target has been confirmed, fire at will!

Knowing this, wait a moment... Wei Daming suddenly reached into the truck and pulled something from the corpse. "Xiao Lingzi, guess what I found? An MP7A1, along with a silencer. Damn it, this is the submachine gun I've always wanted."

If the captain agrees, you can take one back as well, though I wonder if that would be considered a violation of discipline. Wei Daming was recording the data measured by the laser rangefinder in his sniper manual. If we could have roasted whole lamb, then no one would complain this time.

Did you see it

Wei Daming pointed with his finger towards the Noxiak Peak behind him. "After dark, we will retreat from the mountains. The mountain road is approximately 20 kilometers long, and a helicopter will come to pick us up. Before dawn, we will be able to lie in bed and have a good night's sleep"

"Enough, come back quickly." Ling Tianxiang sighed. Wei Daming had mentioned multiple times that he wanted an MP7, but he had never received one. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and Ling Tianxiang was startled, instinctively looking towards the west. "Damn it, Old Wei, take cover!"

Without waiting for the other party to respond, Clark impatiently turned off the intercom and glanced at his watch again. This marked the 11th hour he had been driving continuously on this mountain road

Clark picked up the walkie-talkie and pressed the call button. "Lynx received, Lynx received, all is well, arriving at the Wolf's Den in 20 minutes. Repeat, all is well, arriving at the Wolf's Den in 20 minutes."

Old Wei, what are you doing? Quickly find a hiding place! Upon seeing Wei Daming circling to the back of the pickup truck, and not fleeing, Ling Tianxiang was almost driven to madness

On the highway, a Nissan pickup truck was speeding, with a white man dressed only in shorts and a shirt sitting inside. Next to him in the passenger seat was a specially designed "Pelikon" safe, on top of which lay an M4 carbine. On the man's bare right arm was a tattoo of an eagle's head, a distinctive tattoo associated with a certain U.S. special forces unit.

No! Ling Tianxiang almost shouted out loud; he knew that Wei Daming did not want to be captured, and no "Snow Leopard" would ever become a prisoner.

At the age of eighteen, Clark joined the military and entered the coveted 10th Mountain Division. During his eight years in the army, Clark obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Persian from a national university. After his discharge, Clark initially sought a position with an oil company, hoping that his language skills would be of use. However, he was met with disappointment; not only was his job search unfruitful, but his romantic life also left him feeling disheartened. In three years, Clark changed jobs five times, had six girlfriends, and lived in ten states, yet he never established a stable home. After growing weary of it all, Clark leveraged his language skills and his commendable military service record to secure his current position at Blackwater, where he transports "sensitive packages," specifically the "Pelican" safe located in the passenger seat.

The G36 spat fire, but the helicopter was not within the range of the assault rifle. Two armed "Black Hawks" hovered nearby, leaving Wei Daming no chance to escape, while another transport "Black Hawk" quickly followed suit. Subsequently, a voice came from the loudspeaker on the U.S. military helicopter, and it was in Chinese.

As Wei Daming crouched and ran towards the pickup truck, Ling Tianxiang vigilantly watched the panicked old man on the road while pulling back the gun's bolt, catching the ejected shell and casually pocketing it in the chest pocket of his jacket. He then loaded a second round into the chamber, which was a standard 7.62 mm NATO cartridge

In the western sky, three UH-60 "Black Hawk" helicopters are rapidly approaching, two of which are clearly armed models, equipped with rocket launchers and mounted Gatling machine guns under their short wings. The other is a personnel transport model, carrying at least 16 fully armed soldiers.

The sky gradually darkened, and Ling Tianxiang slowly relaxed his tightly clenched fist. The rock he had held in his palm had already shattered into several pieces. Ling Tianxiang did not rush to leave, as there were still American snipers nearby. The sniper who began shooting at Wei Daming had descended from the helicopter in advance. As he had anticipated, more than half an hour later, two American snipers hidden on the hillside across the road crawled up and quickly slipped down the slope

Watching his comrades fall, Ling Tianxiang gritted his teeth, blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth. He desperately wanted to charge out; he was even confident he could take down a helicopter. However, he was not sure he could bring his comrades back safely. Moreover, the U.S. military clearly did not intend to silence them; otherwise, they would not be trying to capture them alive. As long as Wei Daming was still alive, there was a chance to rescue him. Holding onto this thought, Ling Tianxiang suppressed the anger and impulse within him.

Several U.S. soldiers armed with M4 carbines jumped from the helicopter. The one at the front was the first to kick away Wei Daming's G36 and the MK23 combat pistol. The following soldiers quickly checked Wei Daming's wounds and then signaled for a stretcher. Soon, the completely unconscious Wei Daming was lifted onto the helicopter, and the U.S. soldiers followed suit onto the aircraft.

Hit! Well done, I will go retrieve the goods and retreat in ten minutes

Suddenly, the radio intercom placed in front of the steering wheel came to life. "Lynx, this is Wolf's Den, Lynx, this is Wolf's Den..."

Ling Tianxiang observed Wei Daming's series of actions through the scope, executed with precision and without any hesitation. "Old Wei, it's about time; we should withdraw."

The old man frantically waved the whip in his hand, trying to drive the flock to the roadside, but this had the opposite effect, causing the sheep to panic even more. Clark suddenly realized the danger; as he grasped the handle of the M4 carbine, he looked around warily. The setting sun in the west cast its rays directly on Clark's face, obstructing his line of sight, and a sudden thought of fear of death arose within him

Ling Tianxiang immediately pulled the trigger, and the 7.62 mm caliber bullet flew out of the muzzle at a speed of 890 meters per second. After passing through the silencer, the speed decreased to 330 meters per second, while most of the noise was absorbed by the silencer, and even the majority of the muzzle flash was suppressed. Only a few nearby patches of wild grass trembled slightly, and everything quickly returned to calm

Hundreds of meters away, Ling Tianxiang heard it very clearly. He was secretly startled, feeling that something was amiss, but soon his attention was focused on Wei Daming, who was hiding behind the pickup truck. The G36's ammunition was quickly exhausted, and Wei Daming drew his pistol, not aiming at the helicopter in the sky.

Wei Daming also spotted the helicopter to the west, but similarly, the soldiers on the helicopter also noticed him

Clark glanced at the safe beside him, then looked at his watch; it was already 5:40. The sun had dipped below the peak of the mountain ahead, ten minutes later than scheduled. Clark pressed the accelerator to the floor, and the pickup truck jolted violently, reminding him of the time when, at the age of sixteen, he had driven alone from Sacramento to his grandfather's house in Salt Lake City, crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Be careful! Ling Tianxiang felt that this remark was somewhat unnecessary, as Wei Daming had joined the "Snow Leopard" two years earlier than him. Having participated in dozens of operations, both large and small, and completed all tasks safely, it can be said that Wei Daming is renowned as the "safety expert" in the entire team

The two American snipers covering the rear did not notice that as they turned to withdraw, another person on the opposite side of the road also got up and followed behind them, heading towards the American camp to the west. The desert night was cold and desolate; Ling Tianxiang did not look back at the radio that was still crackling with static. He had chosen a path that was opposite to the direction of the retreat.

The hardened projectile shattered into several pieces upon striking the driver's side window, subsequently penetrating the driver's head. The severely unstable fragments nearly severed half of the driver's skull. Even from hundreds of meters away, Ling Tianxiang could clearly see through the scope that white brain matter and red blood splattered across the cabin.