Chapter 3
Hiding in the car, although not the safest option, is undoubtedly the best way to avoid any contact with Somalis for the time being
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Having been deceived twice, the driver, filled with indignation, could hardly suppress the anger on his face. Just as he was about to erupt, Yan Sui pulled out a one hundred dollar bill from his wallet and placed it squarely on the center armrest.
The wooden gun resting on her lap was picked up by Yan Sui. She skillfully disengaged the safety and aimed the gun's muzzle at the driver's temple, commanding: "Raise both hands above your head."
Suddenly, she understood what it meant that "money can make the devil push the mill"; now, not only was her hand steady and her teeth unshaken, but she even had the courage to take down the robbers outside
Tell him, "Yan Sui's smile faded, and her voice gradually became somber: 'I not only want the wooden warehouse, but I also want all the bullets.'"
As they approached the vehicle, there was no time to waste
Xin Ya suddenly shivered
Even so, Xin Ya can confuse her own menstrual period but will not misremember Yan Sui's.
A completely sealed small space, outside the vehicle are terrorists who may shoot with a shotgun at any moment
Yan Sui did not respond, her gaze wandered around the car. This time, when the driver's finger brushed against the banknote, she raised her hand and pulled the banknote back again.
Outside the vehicle are armed individuals surrounding the convoy, and the mercenaries in the front vehicle have already lost their combat effectiveness, leaving them with no means of resistance. Yet, he is willing to exchange a wooden crate for three hundred dollars, either because he does not value his life too highly or because he knows that the Somalis outside pose no threat whatsoever
The people outside the car clearly realized that smashing the windows and doors was ineffective against those inside. The crisp sound of a bullet being chambered echoed, followed by the sharp crack of a shotgun. The bullet penetrated the tire and struck the steel rim, producing a double explosion that left a buzzing sound in the ears.
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The elderly, women, and children here can pick up wooden rifles at any time; do the adult men who have been making a living in Somalia for years not have this awareness
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With her mind racing, she quickly contemplated ways to extricate herself until she heard Xin Ya softly clear her throat and say, "President Yan, the call has gone through"
Yan Sui took it and, using the light from the searchlight outside the vehicle, examined the wooden crate for a few moments
What is Somalia?
The only one who can communicate with the driver in the entire vehicle is Lu Xiao
Not new, both the wooden stock and the wooden muzzle show signs of wear. The magazine is fully loaded, indicating that this firearm is kept by the driver for self-defense purposes
The satellite phone is in the compartment. She glanced at her and whispered in a nonchalant manner, Be smart, this year's bonus is equivalent to your six months' salary
Without any further hesitation, she rummaged through her backpack, took out her wallet, and handed a one-hundred-dollar bill to Yan Sui
No one noticed her
He asked again, "What about her family?"
Yan Sui felt a tightness in his throat, his heartbeat quickening in disarray. After a long time without seeing Lu Xiao's actions, he furrowed his brows and scolded: "They want money; as long as we don't give them money, we won't die."
Yan Sui is well aware that even if there are cracks on the surface of the bulletproof glass at this moment, it would still be difficult to penetrate the glass in a short period of time
The helicopter, cloaked in the night, landed on the rooftop, the cabin door was pushed open, and the swirling air currents stirred up by the wind whistled loudly
Yan Sui smiled again: "That's good."
Yan Sui furrowed her brows, and before she could speak, another gunshot rang out. The tire on the other side of the rear seat was shot out, and the residual force of the shockwave caused the heavy vehicle to sink down, making the entire car sway slightly.
Embassy of China in Somalia, Mogadishu
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She was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to react
Her gaze fell upon the wooden warehouse, her smile revealing a sense of caution and subtlety; even without Lu Xiao's translation, the driver understood.
How long it might last, she is not sure
"One hundred is not enough." Yan Sui glanced at the US dollars tightly clutched in Xin Ya's hand, then simply took the wallet, pinching two bills between his fingers
Yan Sui anxiously stared at his phone, while the sound of relentless pounding on the car window echoed in his ears. Even the thick bulletproof glass was being chipped away by the wooden stick, creating fine shards that, under the light, resembled crushed white paper, gradually and steadily eroding deeper and deeper.
Ten kilometers away
The night wind rustled the iron fence separating the refugee area, and there was a moment of silence in the car, before Yan Sui urged, "Proceed as instructed"
It was a chill that arose from the depths of the heart, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, hissing softly
She felt a sense of calm in her heart, ignoring Lu Xiao's question to the driver about whether he could use a wooden gun. She simply smiled, pulled out a thick stack of banknotes from the inner layer of her wallet, counted them leisurely in her palm, and handed over the entire stack, asking: "Do you have any more wooden guns? I want them all."
The glass will not break
Lu Xiao turned his head to look out the car window, like the Somalis surrounding the vehicle as if they were zombies. Finally coming to his senses, he hurriedly grabbed the intercom, took a deep breath, and tried to repeat Yan Sui's words in as calm a tone as possible
As it approaches four o'clock in the morning, Mogadishu lies silent in the darkness beneath the towering buildings, the sound of the wind surging, as if a net, gathering strength, is slowly being drawn in.
Just after saying "Hello," a calm and steady voice on the other end of the phone advised, "Be careful, I will immediately send someone to assist you"
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She gripped the wooden stock so tightly that her fingers began to cramp. She bit her lip and subtly relaxed her fingers. Her gaze fell on the intercom on the dashboard, and her eyes brightened slightly: "Hello."
Perhaps thinking that her caution was too petty, the driver shrugged, turned the shotgun around, and handed it to her by the barrel.
How long will it take for the support sent by the navy to arrive? She did not keep track of the time
At that moment, seeing the smile at the corners of Yan Sui's lips that had not yet faded, resembling a line held at both ends forming a perfectly measured arc, Xin Ya felt a shiver run through her body
At the same time, Yan Sui leaned forward, positioning herself in such a way that she perfectly obstructed the visibility of the rearview mirror inside the car. As she extended the banknotes pinched between her fingers, when the driver smiled and reached out to take them, she lifted her wrist and withdrew: "One hand for payment, one hand for delivery"
Lost in her thoughts, Yan Sui did not even hear Lu Xiao calling her twice
Lu Xiao: "... ..."
Outside the vehicle, armed squads from Somalia began to take control of the vehicle
Lu Xiao's face turned pale, and he sat stiffly in his seat for several seconds before reacting. In disbelief, he turned to look at Yan Sui, his lips parted several times as if he wanted to say something.
Fu Zheng bent his elbow, adjusting the device on his wrist. Just as he tightened the cuff, he heard the target mentioned from the other end, paused, and slowly squinted his eyes: "A woman?"
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The soles of her feet felt as if a tongue of fire was licking them, burning from her ankles to her wrists, causing a tingling sensation in her heart and a layer of clammy sweat to cover her body
Yan Sui felt a layer of cold sweat in the palm of her hand, she pressed her lips together, while keeping an eye on the movements outside the car, she took the satellite phone from Xin Ya's hand.
However, the ruthless Somalis outside did not have the patience to wait for her reinforcements
The mercenaries inside the front vehicle were all captured, and the leader of the mercenaries was pressed against the car window with his hands locked behind him by two Somalis, who shouted at him loudly
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Xin Ya bent down, trying to hide behind the back of the chair, groping for the compartment of the backpack, and took out the satellite phone. With one hand shielding the light on the screen, she dialed the number with the other hand
Xin Ya experienced a sudden ringing in her ears, unable to hear clearly what was being said on the other end of the phone, uncontrollably crying while repeatedly saying: "We need protection, we need support..."
Although she did not look at Lu Xiao, these words were indeed directed at him
Unable to wait for Lu Xiao to translate, she repeated it in simple English, forcefully pressing the muzzle of the wooden gun against his head, compelling him to comply
A tall young man dressed in a dark combat uniform emerged from the rear hatch.
Xin Yaduo raised her eyes with a shiver, just in time to meet Yan Sui's gaze. Her eyes contained a smile, with the corners slightly lifted, exuding an indescribable calmness and determination.
There seemed to be frost凝聚ed between his brows, exuding a chill throughout his entire being
Having made up her mind, Xin Ya glanced sideways through the car window at the Somali man outside, who was brandishing a wooden gun, and then turned back to look at the driver, whose full attention was on the banknotes in Yan Sui's hand
Unsure of what to say next, the headset terminal fell silent.
The most dangerous countries in the world
The sounds by his ear were like the wails of countless ghosts, the relentless crashing of vehicles, and a foreign language that only he could understand, loudly and unbearably threatening. Those people, fierce and terrifying, seemed to want to reach out from any direction to drag them down into the abyss
She slightly raised her chin, signaling Lu Xiao to pick up the intercom: "Tell them that if they don't mind losing a companion, they can continue smashing the car"
The call was disconnected, leaving only a busy tone
At the ear, the headset signal light flashes faintly during the call
There was no response from outside, as if it had not been heard at all
Xin Ya was squeezed by the car door, and the sound of the wooden stick striking the window was like a hammer in her ears. She was so frightened that she curled up, almost dropping her phone: "We were stopped by local armed personnel from Somalia while passing through the gap in the road north of the refugee camp..."
Since Xin Ya joined the company, she has been by Yan Sui's side, performing the most personal assistant duties. She is extremely familiar with Yan Sui's working style and behavioral habits.
She was silent for a few seconds before coming to her senses
The driver, startled by a heavy bump from the wooden cart, shouted in haste: "Fool, you didn't press the call button!"
As the driver trembled and raised his hands, those outside the vehicle also noticed the change inside. The Somalis stationed on both sides shouted loudly, continuously striking the car door with wooden clubs to demonstrate their intimidation
The driver was somewhat taken aback, and after regaining his composure, he shrugged with a hint of regret and said, "I only have that one."
Despite still being terrified to the point of trembling, I forced myself to calm down
Lu Xiao translated for her, feeling overly tense, stumbling over his words. After a few seconds of conversation, the driver finally understood Yan Sui's meaning, his gaze lingering for a moment on the three hundred dollar bills. Clearly satisfied with Yan Sui's straightforwardness, he took the money and pulled out three bullets from the compartment of the storage locker, holding them in the palm of his hand, and handed them to her along with the shotgun: "The shotgun is fully loaded, a total of nine rounds"
We need to protect ... ...