Chapter 2

How could an experienced mercenary team be so easily controlled in the face of an unexpected crisis? Especially when the opposing side appears to be a makeshift group with seemingly no "military discipline".

The armed leader holding a shotgun was aiming it directly at the mercenary leader driving the front vehicle. Perhaps he was refused to get out of the car, so he lifted the shotgun and casually pointed it at a random spot, firing a warning shot. The bullet pierced through the steel plate by the roadside, and the sound wave, even through the car window, was painful to the eardrums.

This display of weakness causes an inexplicable heaviness in one's heart, gradually leading to a sense of unease

After Yan Suilian heard several loud "fuck" exclamations that nearly lifted the car roof, she slightly furrowed her brow and asked, "Is it just the roadblocks?"

Arabic

The word "mucang" lingered on the tip of my tongue for a long time but I could not bring myself to say it, so I simply skipped it and said: "It is illegal in the country."

The wooden gun is for sale, priced at one hundred dollars, with bullets charged separately

Yan Sui glanced at the light of the car headlights and saw only a dilapidated structure that had worn down to reveal the brick and stone of its walls, resembling an archway. Behind this archway were clusters of thatched cottages and makeshift shelters, resembling the sharp, forest-like teeth of a giant beast with its long maw opened, exuding a chilling aura that penetrated to the bone in the night.

The further the car drives forward, the darker the night becomes

Xin Ya's face turned pale, and she trembled as she asked in a quivering voice: "Mr. Yan, are you buying, buying..."

The voices in the car gradually faded away

There was not even any resistance, and the cooperation was quite remarkable

The warning from the other party not to come any closer sounded like the wind whistling through the hall on an autumn afternoon, rushing in from all directions, right by my ear

The two vehicles are too close to each other, making it impossible to see anything.

Lu Xiao touched his nose, suppressing a laugh: "He said, 'Stay alert, stay alert, be careful of those little rascals who sneak out at night without their pants.'"

She spent a high price to hire security, yet the driver could not shake off the local customs of Somalia, proposing a deal when she requested a wooden gun for self-defense

Continuing down the road just now leads to a stronghold of an armed force in Somalia, which is not safe. Lu Xiao pointed ahead: "After passing through the refugee area, we still need to continue heading north"

Vaguely, something happened, gradually becoming clear before her eyes

Seeing that he could not rely on Lu Xiao, Yan Sui attempted to inquire with the driver in English. While asking, he raised his left hand, curling his middle, ring, and little fingers inward, with his straightened index finger slightly bending as the driver's gaze fell upon it. At the same time, he added a particularly vivid onomatopoeia: "bang"

Suddenly hearing Yan Sui's voice, Lu Xiao was taken aback for a moment and turned to look: "It is the refugee area"

Yan Sui stared at the wooden gun in the driver's hand for a long time, and then asked without much emotion: "With such good public security in the country, is there really a need for a wooden gun?"

within three hours

Even Yan Sui, no matter how bold he was, trembled at this moment, feeling a chill at the back of his neck

The current refugee area clearly belongs to the former.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, there was a muffled sound of "shh" followed by the rough male voice from the intercom again. Even though she could not understand Arabic, just hearing his suddenly somber tone made it clear to her that something serious was amiss

Xinya's face suddenly turned green

The sudden braking nearly caught the driver off guard, but George Patton, maintaining his inertia, continued to surge forward. In the driver's careful application of the brakes, he barely managed to stop just in time before colliding with the vehicle ahead.

Yan Sui thought to herself that it made sense; she had spent a high price at the security company, paid a substantial deposit in advance, and there was still the final payment outstanding

-

Lu Xiao was taken aback and somewhat confused: "Wooden gun?"

This smile gave Xin Ya, who had been too timid to interject from the other side of the back seat, the illusion that "President Yan seems to be in a good mood." She lowered her head, gently rubbed her itchy brow with her fingertips, and cautiously spoke: "It's already past midnight; nothing should go wrong, right?"

Vehicle inspection

-

A searchlight's beam shone from the front, followed by a somewhat clumsy English mixed with a language that Yan Sui could not understand, roughly warning the vehicle to turn off its engine, as they intended to inspect the vehicle

The atmosphere seemed to suddenly freeze, oppressive to the point where one could only hear the slow and heavy beating of the heart within the chest

Her entire heart sank, chilled to the bone as if immersed in icy water

Outside the vehicle, the Somali armed personnel silently controlled the convoy, with two individuals assigned to manage each side of a vehicle.

Xin Ya was already so frightened that she choked back her scream when she saw Yan Sui's cold and calm expression, staring ahead in a state of panic and confusion

Yan Sui was pondering as the intercom casually placed on the dashboard of the car flashed its signal light, emitting a somewhat muffled sound of electric current. After a few seconds of intermittent buzzing, it finally became clear

His skin is dark, and his eyes are murky. Through the darkened car window, the only time one can see the light in his eyes is when he shifts his gaze, dim and obscure

Lu Xiao immediately understood Yan Sui's meaning and translated: "They found that several roadblocks had been set up on the road ahead"

Yan Sui did not understand a single word, and calmly gestured with her eyes for Lu Xiao to translate

A terrifying thought gradually took shape in her mind

She remembered that after departing from the airport, she met up with the security vehicle on a small road. Just before getting onto the highway, the leading mercenary had extended his arm out of the partially lowered window to signal.

He raised his wrist to glance at his watch and estimated: "It should be possible to arrive within three hours"

He wore a loose-fitting army green uniform that did not fit well, with the cuffs being excessively wide, roughly rolled up to his elbows. Holding a wooden rifle, his forearms, with their rolled-up sleeves, were completely exposed before Yan Sui.

The moment this thought flashed through her mind, a stream of light swept past her consciousness, and it felt as if there was something unknown that she was overlooking.

It is the voice of a man, rough and hoarse, speaking at a very fast pace

Before she could comprehend the sound of the wooden warehouse, the vehicle in front, maintaining a distance of two meters, suddenly slammed to a stop under the threat of bullets grazing its bumper

The muddy dirt road was somewhat bumpy. Yan Sui looked out the window at the rooftops flying by and asked Lu Xiao, who was in the passenger seat, "Where are we now?"

After a long while, Yan Sui finally withdrew her gaze. With a slight smile in response to the driver's somewhat impatient urging, she silently said: "Give him the money"

After proceeding approximately 4 kilometers, the convoy turned left at the intersection and entered through a gap in the roadside wire fence

Somali pirates also claim to be maritime defense forces safeguarding territorial sovereignty.

Immediately after, the car door on Yan Sui's side was struck twice heavily by the other party with a wooden club, devoid of any goodwill. The dull thuds echoed like a heavy hammer shattering glass, and as you watched it fall, your heart gradually sank into the silent abyss.

Finally, the mercenary leader of the preceding vehicle compromised, pushed open the car door, and slowly got out with both hands raised at his sides

As they were about to break through the refugee zone, an unexpected complication arose, and it was no wonder that the mercenary leader in the front vehicle let out a string of curses

On the arm, there is a tattoo that is either a pattern or text, the nature of which is uncertain

Yan Sui raised her eyebrows slightly, and after a few seconds, she let out a soft "huh" of laughter.

A black, sharply defined wooden stock, cold and hard, rests in his palm, which is as thick and clumsy as a bear's paw, resembling a pocket-sized toy

Yan Sui did not have a significant reaction; with a flicker of her eyes, she cast a glance at Xin Ya, who was already immersed in the fear of being dismissed by her, and gave Lu Xiao a knowing look.

Although it is a situation of encirclement, it is evident that the mercenaries in the front vehicle also hold some leverage, and at this moment, no one dares to forcefully board the vehicle

Damn, she has a mouth like a crow

The searchlight ahead was bright, allowing her to see clearly.

Lu Xiao had not yet had the chance to respond when the sound of wooden cannons suddenly erupted ahead, one after another.

In this day and age, even robbery has such a grandiloquent justification

It is unclear whether it was to appease Yan Sui or to stabilize the morale of the troops, Lu Xiao licked his lips and spoke in a tone that he himself could not convince, saying: "This group of mercenaries has been operating in Somalia for many years and has taken on numerous large contracts; nothing will happen."

She frowned and turned her gaze towards the exceptionally emaciated Somali man outside the car.

Refugee areas in Somalia are widespread, with those in better conditions having brick and tile roofs, while those in worse situations are exposed to the elements.

Xin Ya originally felt that the desolate night in Somalia, with roads devoid of even a moth except for the convoy and the empty alleys of the refugee area, was quite simple. Is it a bit exaggerated that even a battle-hardened mercenary leader is so tense in such a situation

At that time, Yan Sui did not pay much attention, but now upon reflection, the mercenary had a similar tattoo in the same location on his forearm

The driver's expression instantly shifted from confusion to realization, and he nodded repeatedly. He pulled down the very discreet storage compartment located on the lower left side of the steering wheel and waved a wooden crate in front of Yan Sui.

Without giving Xin Ya a chance to speak, she leisurely remarked in a tone as if discussing the weather: "Let's give the captain a call and just say we are in trouble."

The contiguous roofs of the houses are closely packed together, forming a cluster. In the front stands a dilapidated thatched cottage, while behind it is a half-section of a shipping container. The dirt road in the middle, meant for vehicles, is so narrow that it is only a few fingers' width away from the houses on either side

-

Yan Sui looked around and asked, "Is there a wooden crate in the car?"