Chapter 2 Encounter with a Fierce Tiger

Neil Xun sat up, leaning against a tree, looking up at the treetops, slowly inhaling his cigarette as he continued, "In the past, during the 'Aierna Assault' International Special Reconnaissance Competition, I had exchanges with your special forces. At that time, I was also a special soldier, and we had confrontations, maintaining a good relationship. To be honest, I have great admiration for you; however, the decision I made today is not out of fear of death, nor is it out of fear of offending you Chinese people, but rather to preserve the last bit of friendship with you. Most importantly—Sankun is already dead, and I do not wish for my brother to die in this senseless battle."

Suddenly, with a loud "bang—", the gunshot struck, and the unprepared Da Lin seemed to be hit on the head by a giant hammer. His body, which was originally bent over in search, was directly thrown backward, crashing against the tree trunk behind him with a "thud" before falling to the ground.

A few minutes later, Neil Xun broke the silence: "To my Chinese friends across the table, I have something to say. My name is Neil Xun, and I am the captain of the third squad of the Tiger Mercenary Corps..." His Chinese was relatively fluent.

Received, completed! Lin Xiao's response was very simple, slowly retract the gun... ... relocate the position

The arduous trek, struggling against the roots and vines in the jungle, left beads of sweat on the faces of the soldiers. Suddenly, Daling, who was at the front of the line, halted and raised his arm to signal that something was amiss. Drawing on years of combat experience, an unusual feeling surged in his heart, a signal of danger.

"Dalin, Dalin..." Xiao Nan anxiously shouted at Dalin, who was staring blankly at the sky with wide eyes.

"Thirty percent, completed," said Man Niu

Mr. Neil Xun, we have no grievances between us, but I do not have a favorable impression of mercenaries...

"Enemy attack, twelve o'clock direction," Xiao Nan whispered angrily into the radio, disregarding the hail of bullets as he rushed forward to drag Da Lin back and hide him behind a tree

Immediately following, gunfire erupted from the jungle across the way, and the grass and bushes around me were continuously being trampled.

There are not many of them, and it seems that they are all experienced hands, paying attention to concealment. Listening to the gunfire, Xiao Nan deduced that the opponent was not simple; each time they fired, it was not a blind shot, but rather steady and composed, unlike a group of rabble.

Mr. Neil Xun, I hope we do not meet on the battlefield next time; perhaps we could become good friends. Your Chinese is quite good. By the way, Instructor Chen Changlong often mentions you. Xiao Nan understands that once the battle begins, the casualties on both sides will be significant. Since Sang Kun is dead, this mission has already been completed, and there is indeed no need for unnecessary sacrifices. Since the other party has such an idea, why not go along with it

At the moment the gunshot rang out, Neil felt a surge of rage. He cursed under his breath, wondering which fool was so reckless as to fire before the enemy had even entered the ambush zone. The shot had only hit the enemy's scout. After inquiring further, he learned it was the bodyguard Chagai of Sangkun. He cursed this useless individual in his heart, who knew nothing and fired indiscriminately, exposing their position. No matter how formidable the boxing champion was, he was not a soldier, lacking rigorous combat training and an understanding of tactical coordination. Moreover, from the reaction speed and tactical maneuvers of the Chinese soldiers across from him, he realized that these individuals were not ordinary Chinese soldiers, but rather well-trained and experienced special forces.

Silence, an extraordinary silence

"Head, I have become Xing Tian." Da Lin lay on the ground and uttered these words, his eyes staring blankly at the treetops, appearing quite foolish.

"Lin Xiao, what about you?" Xiao Nan asked

Dalin led the way in the front of the line, carrying a Type 95 rifle as the vanguard. After more than an hour of tracking, they had yet to find any trace of Sangkun. The entire tunnel was not very long, yet they had wasted a great deal of precious time, as they had to eliminate the traps, deceptive mines, and various mechanisms left by the Tiger Squad.

For a moment, Neil Xun quietly led the "Tiger" to withdraw.

"Neil Xun, so it was him, how did he become a mercenary?" Xiao Nan thought to himself. He had once heard his sniper instructor speak of Neil Xun, and the instructor held great admiration for Neil Xun's combat talent. During the "Aierna Assault" international special reconnaissance competition, the special forces of China and the UK had engaged in technical exchanges and competitive drills more than once, becoming quite familiar with each other.

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Neil quickly lit a cigarette, took a deep puff, and continued: "The ones you just killed are Sang Kun and his bodyguard. We are hired hands. Since Sang Kun is already dead, we do not wish to cause any trouble. Continuing to fight is meaningless. These people are all my brothers, and I have the responsibility to bring them back home safely. I do not want any more unnecessary sacrifices. These individuals are my former subordinates, and they will absolutely obey my orders. I believe this is beneficial for both you and me."

Received, completed. Ai Hu quickly took the equipment out of the backpack and swiftly set it up in the grass.

Relying on the subtle traces left by Sang Kun and others in the jungle, Xiao Nan knew that he had not gone in the wrong direction. Having not slept for a night, coupled with the tense battle in the early morning, the soldiers had been on high alert, and now everyone was somewhat fatigued. After calculating the distance, they had already tracked nearly 7 kilometers. Moving through the primeval forest was no easy task; the trees were gnarled and intertwined, vines were entangled, and weeds were rampant, almost merging the entire jungle into one. The pace of progress was exceptionally slow. After calculating the distance, they had already tracked nearly 7 kilometers. Moving through the primeval forest was no easy task; the trees were gnarled and intertwined, vines were entangled, and weeds were rampant, almost merging the entire jungle into one. The pace of progress was exceptionally slow.

"Clear" The cold voice of Lin Xiao came through the headset. After a brief standoff with the opponent, Lin Xiao shot him in the head, the bullet shattered the scope and penetrated through the right eye, then shattered the back of his skull, splattering red blood and white brain matter everywhere, hanging on the bushes and grass. Encountering Lin Xiao, this sniper genius, was clearly too much for him; when Lin Xiao noticed him, he also noticed Lin Xiao, but Lin Xiao was half a second faster.

Damn it, I've read too many novels, Xiao Nan cursed inwardly, ignoring Da Lin's nonsensical ramblings, and raised the gun, whispering fiercely into the throat microphone: "Lin Xiao, get rid of that black market gunner for me!"

A large dent was made in the Kevlar helmet on Daling's head by a bullet. "Fortunately, I'm fine," Xiao Nan said, touching his head and letting out a sigh of relief. He then reached back to feel his neck, confirming it wasn't broken, and continued to shake. "Daling, Daling..."

Xiao Nan considered for a moment: "Let's not start a fire for now, that's all."

"Damn it, you little brat, do you dare to die? I will go find the King of Hell with a gun and fight to the death." Seeing that Daling was fine, Xiao Nan breathed a sigh of relief. "Just lie still, you have suffered a concussion, take a rest."

Xiao Nan took a moment to collect his thoughts, signaling the team to pause their advance. He took out a mini laptop, connected to the Beidou system, and called up the map of the area to confirm his location. He then gathered the team members around him and spoke in a low voice: "We must accelerate our march. If Sang Kun reaches his second camp or makes contact with his subordinates, we will lose this opportunity. If we cannot eliminate Sang Kun, all our previous efforts will be in vain."

Lin Xiao, eliminate him

"Ai Hu, use the thermal imager." Xiao Nan lay in a grass pit, holding his gun while cautiously searching.

Lin Xiao opened fire, and with Ai Hu's assistance, the target lying in the bushes was hit by Lin Xiao's shot. Ai Hu watched as the yellow silhouette on the thermal imaging device gradually faded away and said: "Target eliminated"

Head, target identified, at the 11 o'clock direction, behind the bush next to that oak tree, there is only one, others may be wearing anti-infrared combat suits, location cannot be confirmed

Neil Xun revealed a faint bitter smile: "As a soldier accustomed to the smoke of battle, I cannot return to the tranquility of the countryside. Every night, I find it impossible to sleep peacefully, as the comrades I once lost call out to me constantly. I often wake up from nightmares, and perhaps as a fellow traveler, you can understand this feeling." Taking a deep drag from his cigarette, he forcefully pressed the butt into the decaying leaves beneath the tree: "I have already shown my sincerity. The fact that you found me but did not shoot indicates that you do not wish to engage in this senseless fight. If possible, please do not continue to pursue me." After saying this, Neil Xun perked up his ears, waiting for the other party's response.

"What are the chances of success?" Xiao Nan asked softly

A gunshot rang out.

"Don't... don't shake... I... I feel nauseous." Daling finally spoke up

Thank you... Neil Xun was very surprised. Chen Changlong could be considered an old acquaintance of his, having met during the "Aierna Assault" International Special Reconnaissance Competition. He is an exceptionally skilled sniper, and given his personality, it is not easy for him to often mention himself. "Ah... I hope we will have the chance to meet again, old buddy, but I just don't know if we will have the chance to see each other again in this lifetime"

The gunfire gradually ceased, and both sides concealed themselves well. Everyone lost their targets, making it unnecessary to waste ammunition. The entire jungle fell into a profound silence once again

Is anyone injured?" Xiao Nan inquired about the condition of the team members, even though everyone had quickly taken cover at the sound of gunfire

"It's nothing, just a bruise, it doesn't hinder movement," said Man Niu in a calm voice.

At most forty percent, he hid behind the tree, with all vital points well concealed; that's all. Lin Xiao replied after a moment of silence

Observing the team members in silence, Xiao Nan issued the command: "Everyone pay attention, Da Lin as the vanguard, Man Niu as the rear guard, the entire team advance in a line formation."

The left leg of the barbarian bull was hit by a stray bullet. The voice of Ai Hu came through the headphones

"Lin Xiao, eliminate him." No matter the background of the other party, Xiao Nan believed that anyone who obstructed the mission should be dealt with ruthlessly, as there was nothing good to be found among those who came to the Golden Triangle

Neil Xun understood that continuing the battle could lead to the complete destruction of their forces, so it would be better to withdraw from the battlefield as soon as possible. Although this approach seemed somewhat cowardly, he truly did not want to oppose the Chinese. Previously, during the "Aierna Assault" International Special Reconnaissance Competition, he had made a private agreement with the Chinese soldiers, stating that their friendship would last until the two countries went to war, meaning their friendship would endure until the day they died. Given the current international situation and the geographical positions of China and Britain, the likelihood of war was nearly zero. Furthermore, he knew that if the Chinese wanted to investigate, they would have no place to hide and would eventually be found. At that time... perhaps he really would have to retreat to the countryside. From the perspective of a mercenary, he felt that confronting the Chinese was simply not worth it. After careful consideration, he made the decision to negotiate peace with the Chinese.

Head, I have located his position, at the 9 o'clock direction, should we open fire? Over.

Seeing that everyone remained silent, Xiao Nan understood that they were all accustomed to this. The arduous training and the trust forged through life-and-death trials had created a bond akin to that of brothers. Sometimes, there was no need for many words; everyone understood.