Chapter 46: Preparations Before Action

  "What? You're going to Shanxi?" Xie Xiuyun's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Zhao Zhi. "Don't you know that the Japanese have already occupied more than half of Shanxi?" When Zhao Zhi mentioned his plan to return to Shanxi, Xie Xiuyun was stunned by the news. Others were still trying to avoid the Japanese, but Zhao Zhi was actually willing to deliver himself to them - what was wrong with this person's head?

  Zhao Zhi couldn't tell Xie Xiuyun the real reason he was going to Shanxi, so he laughed and said, "It's business, I'll be back soon." The warmth in Xie Xiuyun's eyes had left Zhao Zhi a bit dazed, but he had already promised Hunter and taken the deposit, so he couldn't back out. As a mercenary, Zhao Zhi had his own code of honor - once he took money from an employer, he was determined to complete the task.

  Xie Xiuyun also secretly observed Zhao Zhi, on the surface, it seems that Zhao Zhi is a very enjoyable guy, and Zhao Zhi himself looks like a Shanghai white face who eats soft rice. However, Xie Xiuyun discovered many suspicious points about Zhao Zhi, first of all, the foreigner named Hant he knew not only had bodyguards but also carried a handgun. Shanghai is a good place to make money, but the security has never been very good, and it's okay for business people to have a few bodyguards, but Xie Xiuyun hasn't seen any business person who carries a handgun.

  Secondly, it was Zhao Zhi's hands. Zhao Zhi's pair of hands were steady and powerful, with the fingernails on his fingertips neatly trimmed. To an unsuspecting person, this would only suggest that Zhao Zhi was a refined individual. However, Xie Xiuyun did not see it that way, because on Zhao Zhi's right index finger, there was a layer of callus, which was characteristic of people who frequently handled guns. Moreover, Zhao Zhi also owned a gun, as revealed to her by Su Mei in secret.

  Xie Xiuyun had thought that Zhao Zhi might be a spy, as people with guns in Shanghai were either gangsters or spies and police officers. However, based on her observations, Xie Xiuyun concluded that Zhao Zhi did not belong to any of these categories. Zhao Zhi had saved her once, at a critical moment, and from his temperament and appearance, Xie Xiuyun found it difficult to categorize him as a spy.

  Xie Xiuyun felt that she couldn't see through the man in front of her even more, but she couldn't help but want to get closer to Zhao Zhi and explore the secrets in his heart. The two people silently stared at each other for a long time, until Xie Xiuyun finally spoke up "I've been waiting for you to come back, I need to go back to the casino, disappearing without a word for so long, my uncle must be worried" Xie Xiuyun tried her best to make her voice sound natural and matter-of-fact.

  Zhao Zhi's heart skipped a beat, he had long known that Xie Xiuyun would eventually leave, but when he received the news, he couldn't help feeling a pang of loss. Xie Xiuyun was the first woman in this era who caught Zhao Zhi's eye, and after getting to know her for some time, he unknowingly developed feelings for her. But now she was about to leave, and it felt like there was a fire burning in his heart, making him want to shout out loud, but standing before him was Xie Xiuyun, the woman etched in his memory, and he couldn't do that.

  After exchanging a few pleasantries with Xie Xiuyun, Zhao Zhi politely took his leave and stepped out of her room. As he crossed the threshold, Zhao Zhi couldn't help but feel a little dazed and amused - after all, in his past life, he had been someone who had seen the world, so why was he getting so flustered over this woman? With both hands on the railing of the second floor, Zhao Zhi gazed out into the distance. A clear sky, beautiful women, wine, waves, and sandy beaches - these were the promises he had made to himself in this life. But for now, let's focus on the task at hand.

  After sending Zhao Zhi away, Xie Xiuyun leaned against the tightly closed door and couldn't help but shed tears. What's wrong with her? Where did the former Xie Xiuyun who dared to fight with secret agents go? Why was she afraid to reveal the secrets in her heart in front of this man? Why? Why?

  Xie Xiuyun had always thought of herself as Hua Mulan since childhood, and for the sake of helping a friend retrieve a toy, she even dared to fight with boys several years older than her. From the age of 16, she followed her uncle to mix with people in Macau's casinos, and she had seen all sorts of people. What was wrong with her today?

  Zhao Zhi, who had gone downstairs, regained his composure and wisdom as a mercenary. He gathered Meng San and others to discuss with Hunter the equipment and supplies needed to complete the task. The list of items included things that Zhao Zhi needed to build his mercenary team. Even though this mission was difficult for Hunter, he was very generous and agreed to all of Zhao Zhi's requests without hesitation, after all, these things didn't require him to spend money, and doing favors was something Hunter was good at.

  Here is the translation:

  The list of weapons Zhao Zhi had drawn up was mostly the most advanced individual equipment from European countries: Thompson submachine guns, infantry hand grenades, explosive grenade launchers, Japanese sniper rifles, telescopes, pistols with silencers, a full set of infantry equipment, and even a Japanese 50mm mortar tube and corresponding number of shells. Even the generous Hunter was shocked by this list of weapons, knowing that these were enough to equip an entire platoon of US troops, and they were armed to the teeth, while Hunter knew Zhao Zhi currently had fewer than 10 people.

  "Zhao, what the hell are you up to? You've got less than 10 people, what do you need so many weapons for?" Hunter couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked directly. Getting these weapons wasn't a big deal for Hunter, but he was worried about Zhao's true intentions for needing so many. From the first day he met Zhao, Hunter knew this guy was extremely dangerous. If it weren't for those two tasks that had driven him crazy, he wouldn't have sought out Zhao's help voluntarily. But now, Zhao's list was too outrageous, and he had to ask clearly.

  "This is just the equipment we need to complete our mission, you promised me other materials that are not included here, I'll give you a list when I get back. Otherwise, I don't want the payment for this mission, let's just say I'm paying out of my own pocket to buy some weapons from you, how about it?" Zhao Zhi's olive branch was quite generous, considering he would receive $50,000 in payment for completing the mission. With just one sentence, he wiped out the $50,000, and Hunter could have easily put the money in his own pocket.

  Hunter knew that Zhao Zhi's money wasn't easy to take, and indeed, before Hunter could even respond, Zhao Zhi continued to make more demands. "I also need a safe place for my people to practice shooting, with guns and bullets and all that. You can just send them directly to the location you've found, okay? We don't have much time."