Section 4: Standing firm in the face of danger

At the critical moment, Ling Tianxiang showed no hesitation. Before the man turned around, Ling Tianxiang had already taken two steps to his back. With his left hand, he swiftly covered the man's mouth, while the dagger in his right hand pierced in from below the right shoulder blade, severing the spine and then entering the heart. At the moment the dagger pierced the heart, the mercenary had already become a corpse. Due to the stimulation, the body twitched continuously, and the sphincter lost control, releasing a strong odor of feces from the corpse. Ling Tianxiang dragged the body back between the jeeps, and only after confirming that it had ceased to breathe did he push the body under the chassis of the jeep. The entire assassination was executed very cleanly and efficiently, taking less than five seconds from start to finish

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the house behind him. Ling Tianxiang immediately raised his pistol, and then he heard the sound of someone turning over in bed. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief; the American soldiers inside were sleeping soundly, which was a good sign. Finally, Ling Tianxiang glanced once more towards the warehouse. After the searchlight on the tower swept past him, Ling Tianxiang quickly dashed out.

Two minutes later, Ling Tianxiang arrived at the back of the warehouse. He quickly glanced at his watch: 2:38 PM. He had already been inside the U.S. military camp for seventeen minutes. The patrol vehicles outside had passed by twice, and the U.S. military could discover the breach in the barbed wire at any moment. It was imperative to rescue Wei Daming as soon as possible

Upon reaching outside the command post, Ling Tianxiang stopped in his tracks and heard voices coming from inside, as if several people were discussing something. Due to the obstruction of the walls, Ling Tianxiang could not hear clearly. After confirming that the voices were coming from the door, he quickly raised his head and glanced inside from the corner of the window. There were five people in the command post, including two military personnel: a major and a lieutenant, though he could not clearly see their ranks. Additionally, there were three middle-aged men wearing ordinary combat vests, who appeared to be mercenaries from "Blackwater," and they seemed to be in charge. Most importantly, Ling Tianxiang had already confirmed that Wei Daming was not locked inside the command post, which meant he could only be held in the warehouse. With this thought, Ling Tianxiang glanced over at the nearby warehouse.

Ling Tianxiang set down the monocular telescope and began to contemplate how to enter the camp

Ling Tianxiang slowly reinserted the combat pistol he had drawn back into its holster. From the frequency of the footsteps and the weight of their landing, it was clear that the person approaching was not a trained special forces soldier, and that individual was completely unaware of the danger. Ling Tianxiang gripped the dagger he had been holding in his mouth in his hand, while simultaneously shrinking his body as much as possible into the shadow of the jeep. Before long, a swaying figure appeared between the two jeeps. The person took two steps forward, and then the sound of pulling the drawstring was heard.

Perhaps having held it in for too long, the man urinated for a full two minutes. Finally, he shook himself and zipped up his pants. Ling Tianxiang did not pity the man's life; in his view, every mercenary from "Black Water" deserved to die. However, his current objective was to rescue Wei Daming, not to kill. At least until he had saved Wei Daming, he could not act recklessly and risk alarming the enemy. Yet, the mercenary seemed to feel bored with life. After taking just a couple of steps, he sensed something was amiss and unsteadily turned around.

After wiping the blood off the dagger, Ling Tianxiang glanced around warily. Confirming that no one had noticed him, he sheathed the dagger and drew out a combat pistol equipped with a silencer. It was time to enter the military camp, but where should he start searching? Ling Tianxiang's gaze fell upon the barracks ahead, but he quickly abandoned the idea of searching the barracks. Nearly 500 U.S. soldiers were stationed here, along with at least a hundred employees from the "Blackwater" company, all crowded into two rows of barracks, making it impossible for Wei Daming to be held there. His gaze then shifted towards the command post.

Since this operation was conducted within the area controlled by the U.S. military, the weapons and equipment carried by Ling Tianxiang and his team were standard issue used by the U.S. military or other foreign forces engaged in military operations in Afghanistan. At a distance of 300 meters, Ling Tianxiang crawled for a full 20 minutes before finally stopping beside the roadbed. He glanced at his watch and chose to hide under the roadbed. Soon, a "Humvee" vehicle patrolling back and forth outside the camp passed by again. Ling Tianxiang looked at his watch once more; it was 2:21. The interval between U.S. military patrol vehicles was approximately 8 to 10 minutes. This meant that at least three jeep vehicles were patrolling the perimeter of the camp, and he had only 8 minutes to cross the road, run to the barbed wire, cut through it, enter the camp, and somehow patch the hole in the barbed wire to avoid detection by the U.S. military.

A pungent stench mixed with the smell of alcohol wafted over. Ling Tianxiang remained motionless in the shadows, his attention tense on that figure. When the searchlight from the tower swept across the person, Ling Tianxiang realized that the individual was not in military uniform but rather wearing a set of khaki military vests. Clearly, he was not a soldier but an employee of "Blackwater." According to U.S. military regulations, soldiers are strictly prohibited from drinking alcohol while executing combat deployments.

Ling Tianxiang concealed himself in the shadow of the building. Upon seeing the mortars, he hesitated. After rescuing Wei Daming, the threat posed by these mortars was undoubtedly significant, and they had to find a way to destroy them. The problem was that in their two-person sniper team, it was the observer who carried the demolition device, and Ling Tianxiang did not have any C4 explosives on him. Ultimately, Ling Tianxiang's gaze fell upon the warehouse to the west of the command post. However, the issue remained that in their two-person sniper team, it was the observer who carried the demolition device, and Ling Tianxiang did not have any C4 explosives on him. In the end, Ling Tianxiang's gaze fell upon the warehouse to the west of the command post.

The camp is not large, consisting of only two rows of barracks, a warehouse, and a command post, along with a helipad capable of accommodating three helicopters simultaneously. Surrounding the camp is a barbed wire fence standing 2.5 meters high, topped with high-voltage power lines. Inside the fence, a large number of armored vehicles are parked, particularly in the open space between the barracks and the fence, where dozens of armored "Humvee" vehicles are stationed, which serve to provide auxiliary defense. There are six tall towers around the camp, each equipped with M2 or M240 heavy machine guns, typically manned by two to three soldiers. Additionally, next to the command post, there is a small mortar position, housing several 82 or 120 millimeter mortars.

What should I do? Ling Tianxiang thought quickly, as the camp was situated on a plateau, dawn would arrive slightly earlier, in about four hours, the American forces would transfer Wei Daming, perhaps even in less than four hours, he had to infiltrate as soon as possible. While contemplating, Ling Tianxiang began to remove the excess gear from his body; this time he was going to save someone, not to kill, and much of the equipment would be of no use. In the end, he picked up his favorite M40A3 sniper rifle, hesitated for a moment, and then set it down.

There is no field hospital in the camp, but Wei Daming was already injured when he was captured, and his injuries are quite serious. Will the American forces provide treatment for him at the command post, or will they conduct rescue efforts in the nearby warehouse? Both places are possible, Ling Tianxiang thought to himself, and at the same time, he gained a clear line of thought.

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Damn it! Ling Tianxiang muttered a curse under his breath, then quickly calmed himself down. He repeatedly warned himself in his mind not to get agitated, absolutely not to lose control at this moment

The noise coming from the warehouse caught Ling Tianxiang's attention. After the American patrol vehicle passed along the road outside the camp, Ling Tianxiang quickly climbed up to the skylight, approximately two meters off the ground, took a glance into the warehouse, and then dropped back down to the ground. That one glance was sufficient; just as he had anticipated, the warehouse was stockpiled with a large quantity of military supplies. Most importantly, Wei Daming was tied to a pillar in the warehouse, where several Americans dressed only in tight vests were interrogating him, while two others, resembling medics, were tending to the wounds on Wei Daming's arm and shoulder.

What should be done now? Ling Tianxiang vigilantly observed the changes around him while contemplating his next course of action. He must quickly locate Wei Daming. After finding Wei Daming, how should he retreat, or rather, how can he ensure a safe withdrawal? It is essential to create chaos and then take advantage of the opportunity to slip away while the American troops are in disarray. With this thought in mind, Ling Tianxiang felt a sense of clarity. Just as he was about to rise, a faint sound of footsteps approached.

A faint vibration came from the ground, and Ling Tianxiang quickly retracted his binoculars, simultaneously covering himself tightly with his camouflage suit. A "HMMWV" jeep carrying four U.S. soldiers drove past on the small road outside the camp, and the soldiers in the vehicle could only see the rocks outside, making it impossible to discern the presence of a special forces soldier hidden among the rock piles. Soon, the jeep drove away, and the searchlight on the tower was also redirected. Ling Tianxiang let out a sigh of relief and glanced at the luminous digital watch on his wrist; it was nearly 2:00 AM.

After rushing between two Hummer vehicles, Ling Tianxiang glanced at his watch, noting it was 2:27 PM. He had taken only six minutes to breach the outer defenses of the U.S. military camp and enter the camp itself. This aligned with his previous analysis: the defenses of the U.S. military camp were ineffective, more than sufficient to deal with the Taliban fighters who relied solely on brute force and lacked any technical skills. However, when it came to confronting real special forces, the situation was no different from being undefended. This confirmed his earlier assessment that the defenses of the U.S. military camp were inadequate against those who only knew how to fight without any technical proficiency.

To reach the warehouse from the north side of the barracks, one must pass through the command post. Ling Tianxiang has been moving in the shadows. The searchlights on those towers are all computer-controlled and follow a certain pattern of activity. This is a significant drawback of the U.S. military's over-reliance on computers; if they were controlled manually, it would be much more difficult to determine their activity patterns.

The Zabak military camp, which houses an aerial maneuver battalion of the 10th Mountain Division, is the most eastern military base of the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Officially, this military base was established for the war on terror; however, in reality, it serves as an intelligence center. The responsibility for intelligence gathering does not lie with the U.S. military or American intelligence agencies, but rather with mercenaries from the "Blackwater" company, with the stationed U.S. troops serving at most as security for "Blackwater".

Ling Tianxiang quickly scanned his surroundings while adjusting his breathing. He was positioned right behind the U.S. military barracks, and just inside the barbed wire was a row of HMMWVs. At this late hour, it was unlikely that any U.S. soldiers would come this way. Five seconds later, Ling Tianxiang took out a small pair of pliers and swiftly cut a gap in the barbed wire just large enough for him to pass through. After entering the camp, Ling Tianxiang did not rush to leave; instead, he used fine wire to repair the barbed wire. Although this would not escape the notice of any U.S. soldiers who approached closely, as long as the soldiers in the patrol vehicle were not paying too much attention, they would not discover this minor flaw in the barbed wire.

The jeep and the books had just passed by, and the searchlight on the tower swept over as well. Ling Tianxiang took a deep breath, quickly leaped up to the road surface. In less than two seconds, he crossed the road surrounding the camp and rolled over to the side of the barbed wire, executing the entire movement seamlessly without any hesitation

Ling Tianxiang did not rush to act; he checked his equipment once more to prevent any loss while sneaking into the camp. At the same time, he quickly adjusted his breathing. Now, the area was filled with American troops, and taking a wrong step could lead him to a fate similar to Wei Daming's, leaving him with no chance to draw his gun for self-determination.

The most challenging issue is not knowing where Wei Daming is being held, and dawn is approaching. The U.S. military will certainly find a way to transfer Wei Daming to a large military base in the rear as quickly as possible. If he cannot be rescued before dawn, then there will be no opportunity left. In comparison, the sentries, machine guns, and even the "Vulcan" self-defense system set up on the important high platform of the camp to deal with mortar shells fired by Taliban militants are not too great a difficulty. During the several hours of lurking, Ling Tianxiang has already figured out the U.S. military's patrol methods, devised a way to enter the camp, and even planned the route for retreat. In comparison, the sentries, machine guns, and even the "Vulcan" self-defense system set up on the important high platform of the camp to deal with mortar shells fired by Taliban militants are not too great a difficulty. During the several hours of lurking, Ling Tianxiang has already figured out the U.S. military's patrol methods, devised a way to enter the camp, and even planned the route for retreat.

After rechecking the weapons that must be carried and confirming that nothing was forgotten, Ling Tianxiang drew the MK23 combat pistol, quickly attached the silencer, and then checked the magazine to ensure it was fully loaded. Finally, he set the pistol to the hammer safety mode, so that when firing, he only needed to pull the trigger without disengaging any additional safety, thus saving at least one second. In combat situations involving a pistol, that one second can often determine life or death. After confirming the magazine was full, he set the pistol to the hammer safety mode again, ensuring that when firing, he only needed to pull the trigger without disengaging any additional safety, thus saving at least one second. Finally, Ling Tianxiang drew the M9 military dagger from his right thigh, bit down on the dagger, and began to crawl towards the American military camp.

After the jeep patrolling the perimeter of the camp passed by again, Ling Tianxiang quickly left his hiding place. Five minutes later, he arrived at the northern part of the barracks area, which is close to the command post. As he had previously assessed outside the camp, there was indeed a mortar position behind the command post, consisting of six gun emplacements made of sandbags, likely deploying 82 mm mortars