Chapter 44

  Shao Hui shook his head, the entire factory didn't have a chance to get entangled with mercenaries, and judging from the cost of this battle, the employer must have spent a huge sum. The base didn't have such a deep grudge with anyone, who would make such a big move? He couldn't think of it no matter what.

  Our troubles are big. Su Yue Song stretched out his hand to stroke Wu Yan's face, and after we went out, the crowd had been dispersed, with some people falling into each other's hands. The troubles we faced were three possibilities: one was that they would be killed directly; two was that we would spend money to redeem them back; three was that we would go to rescue them. Any of these three options would be enough for us to suffer from... Su Yue Song looked down at the two wounded men on the bed, and a few months ago when you came, there were twelve lively young men, but now Wang Hongtao had sacrificed himself, Wu Yan and Liu Junhao were injured again. If we fight another rescue battle, just with you guys... Su Yue Song suddenly stopped talking, Wu Yan opened his eyes to look at him weakly and said: Captain... I'm fine, lying down for a while... will be okay.

  "Ah, don't worry, kid. I've checked and it's just superficial wounds. Don't think about anything else, just focus on recovering... " Su Yue Song hastily consoled.

  Wu Yan's face was somewhat pale, and his lips were also bloodless. He nodded and closed his eyes again. Su Yue signaled to Shao Hui to go out and talk, and the two of them came to the outside of the house, each lighting a cigarette and looking at the busy scene in the courtyard. Su Yue said: Their first thing is to seize the time to let the base resume operation, our thing is to nurse wounds and replenish ammunition, and wait for news about those people being caught. If I don't expect it, we will have another battle with them.

  "Why?" Shao Hui slowly exhaled a puff of smoke and asked.

  If the ghost wanted them to die, wouldn't it be done on the spot? Why bother taking them away with such trouble? If it was really a mercenary army, the possibility of wanting money is the greatest. Killing a few more or less means nothing to them, and money is the most important thing. Su Yue Song analyzed.

  Shaohui nodded thoughtfully, the only belief that supported the mercenary army was money, their greed for wealth exceeded ordinary people's imagination. The extreme desire for a certain kind of satisfaction, the insatiable greed made them turn from humans into ghosts, from original sin to inherent sin. It wasn't just them, the origin of any war could be traced back to the source of greed, generation after generation, greed never stopped and wars never ceased, those who suffered deeply were still human beings themselves.

  *Sigh*... A sigh interrupted Shao Hui's thoughts, he glanced at the cigarette butt that was almost burnt out, carelessly threw it on the ground and stepped on it, then turned his head and said: Captain, don't think too much, we're not afraid of fighting or negotiating, what we fear is losing our morale. As a leader, you can't just sigh like this, if you infect us with your emotions, that would be disastrous. Su Yue looked at Shao Hui with a kind gaze: I understand, go and have them get some rest, if there's anything I'll call for you. After finishing speaking, he walked towards his office, even though the room was already in shambles.

  Alas... Shao Hui gazed at Su Yue Song's receding back, unable to help but sigh. What he said was right, the matter between the curved knife and the ghost shadow had just begun. If they continued to fight a few more tough battles, it was unknown how many team members would make it back alive. Human greed leads to human death. Shao Hui suddenly recalled this sentence that someone had once said, and at this moment, he had a deep understanding of these words.

  The recovery work at the base began in the afternoon, despite the snowflakes falling from the sky. The factory invited some local workers to repair and reinforce the outer walls, and they immediately understood what needed to be done. However, they requested a pay increase due to the labor intensity exceeding expectations. One worker pointed to a tilted section of the wall and said: "This must have been hit by several rockets. A mortar shell couldn't cause this kind of damage. We need to tear down this section and rebuild it." The person in charge, Wang Shunan, agreed to increase their pay but emphasized that they had to guarantee the best quality within the shortest time possible. The workers laughed: "We've built houses on cliffs that didn't collapse, let alone on flat ground." Wang Shunan thought for a moment and realized that the local stone building techniques were indeed advanced, as the houses in the mountains withstood the strong winds, snowstorms, and water erosion without any issues. The work inside the base was mainly carried out by internal personnel, who put down their surgical knives and picked up construction materials like professionals. They dug trenches and laid lines with precision. The resilience of the Chinese people was evident, as they had just suffered a devastating disaster in the early morning, but by afternoon, the scene had transformed into one of vibrant labor. The team members did not participate in the labor; instead, they stood guard with loaded guns, as continuous attacks were common on the battlefield. To ensure safety, the repair work and security work had to be carried out simultaneously. However, Shao Hui's figure was nowhere to be seen on the watchtower.

  Snap! The lighter sparked a flame and slowly handed it to Liu Junhao. Liu Junhao shook his head, pointing to the cigarette in Shao Hui's hand. You're still picky about cigarettes when you're injured like this? Shao Hui cursed and threw the Zhonghua cigarette over, snatching the Qixing cigarette from Liu Junhao's hand, lit it up, and asked: How's your body? Do you feel like dying? Liu Junhao took a puff of smoke: Not yet, wait a bit, if I do, I'll tell you. Shao Hui touched the wound on his head, Ah, don't touch! Don't you know that I'm at my weakest right now and need to rest? It's already painful here, and you're making it worse with your poking! Liu Junhao said all this in one breath without showing any signs of weakness. Shao Hui was furious but couldn't help laughing, slapping him on the stomach: You little scoundrel, are you still trying to fool me? The doctor said you just got stunned, and except for that wound on your face, you're fine. Just rest for two days and you'll be okay. What's with this weakest nonsense? Shao Hui slapped him twice more, Liu Junhao quickly pleaded: Big brother, I was wrong, don't hit me! I'm just a bit dizzy now, sleeping overnight will do, it's the truth, I didn't lie to you. After hearing this, Shao Hui finally put his mind at ease, stood up, and took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, tossing it to Liu Junhao: If you hadn't told me the truth, I wouldn't have spared you! Rest well, if you need anything, just use the radio to tell me. After saying this, he turned to leave, but Liu Junhao called him back: Big brother... Shao Hui stopped and turned around: What's up? Did we have any casualties? Liu Junhao asked. Shao Hui hesitated for a moment before answering: None, just the two of you got injured, everyone else is fine. Just rest and recover, that's all. Big brother, Shao Hui stopped again: Anything else? Can I have that pack of Zhonghua cigarettes back? Shao Hui was taken aback, cursed, and took out a flattened cigarette box, throwing it over to Liu Junhao with force, then turned and left without looking back.

  Wu Yan, wake up, don't sleep anymore. Liu Junhao started calling Wu Yan after watching Shao Hui leave.

  "What's going on?" Wu Yan asked with a drowsy gaze.

  Come on, have a cigarette. Liu Junhao pulled out a cigarette and handed it over.

  You woke me up just to have me accompany you in smoking a lousy cigarette? Wu Yan's mood changed extremely quickly, from not being awake to scolding loudly only took one sentence.

  Qī xīng āi, zěn me néng suàn pò yān? Chōu bù chōu? Liú jūn hào qì ér bù shě de wèn dào.

  Translation:

  Alas, how can you consider it a waste of smoke? Are you going to take a drag or not? Liu Junhao asked persistently.

  Don't bother me! I won't smoke! Even if it's Zhonghua, I still won't smoke! Wu Yan turned over and covered himself tightly with the quilt, ignoring him.

  Half a month has passed, and the efficiency of the Chinese in handling affairs has been fully demonstrated during this period. The base has returned to its original appearance and is even more solid, and work at the base has begun to operate normally, continuing to transport large amounts of medical aid to this impoverished country and surrounding areas. Work and life seem to have not been affected by that nightmare-like attack half a month ago. Director Lao has also regained his spirit and is strategizing again, but beneath this seemingly calm surface lies a deadly hidden danger - there has been no news of the captured personnel until now, and even through various channels, not a single clue can be found. Shao Hui once asked Su Yue Song: We came to support their construction in such a dangerous place without seeking fame or fortune, why do they still treat us like this?

  Su Yue-song replied: Most people still recognize our work, but there is a small group of people who think we are aliens and want to drive us out or eliminate us, they can't tolerate our existence at all.

  Does this small group of people also include the Ghost Shadow mercenaries? Shao Hui asked.

  Su Yue Song shook his head: I don't know, when I first came here, I had thought of every possible enemy that might appear, but I never thought I'd be fighting mercenaries. Since they've come knocking on our door for no reason, we'll fight them to the end. They're ghostly shadows, we're curved blades, and in legend, a blood-stained curved blade can subdue any evil spirit. They may not have met their match here before, but if they meet us, whether it's a man or a ghost, we'll make him die again. Do you have the confidence for that?

  Shao Hui nodded, although the first confrontation seemed to have ended in defeat, in fact, they had exchanged two light injuries for several deaths on the other side. It was hard to say who won or lost. He felt like he had met a worthy opponent and couldn't wait to clash with him again. He looked up at the overcast sky, patted the gun between his legs, and strode towards the dormitory.

  The snow that had just stopped is now fluttering and dancing again.