Chapter 14: Return "Home"?

  The Black Hawk landed in the camp before entering the mountain, and the helicopter landed on the helipad. On the plane, I saw a row of soldiers and a bespectacled weak man standing on the helipad. After the plane stopped, we got off the plane, and the man ran over to shake hands with the captain, saying: "Thank you! Colonel! You've helped us out a lot! These people have been causing trouble for our country for a long time! We sent several batches of people but couldn't eliminate them. It's great that you guys were able to clean them up in just a few days! Now I can go to the general election with peace of mind!"

  So he was the presidential candidate for Cambodia's general election? Looking at his tough attitude, no wonder he dared to hire mercenaries to interfere with his own country's internal affairs. He is indeed an iron-fisted figure.

  "No need to be polite! We're mercenaries! You pay us, we'll get the job done." The captain said with a smile.

  "The money has been transferred to your designated account. I'm leaving! If there's a chance, I hope you can come and provide tactical guidance for our soldiers!" the man said.

  "That would be our honor!" The captain said very humbly.

  "So I bid you farewell. The gates of Kampuchea will forever be open to you!" With that, the man left with his troops.

  The captain turned around to face us and said: "OK. The mission was a great success! Everyone has two days off, then we go home. At that time, each of you will bring back $500,000, but be careful not to let the cash weigh you down and fall from the plane! Haha!"

  "Hurray!" everyone cheered.

  $5 million? Is it that easy to get $5 million? $5 million per person is a total of $60 million, no wonder so many people become mercenaries, such an exorbitant profit can only be compared to selling drugs!

  "Captain, you get 60 million just for this one mission? That's too awesome!" I asked the captain.

  "Haha, Cambodia is a small country and it's also a poor country, there's no money! This task is so simple! We can't expect them to give us too much." The captain laughed and said to me: "We get more from being bodyguards for the Myanmar mafia!"

  "No wonder the butcher said he and Bak could get 25 million US dollars as bodyguards for Mr. Yang, Yang is a big poison!" I just realized that I didn't even know what Mr. Yang did.

  "No, no, he's not just a big shot, he's the eastern leader of the Myanmar Anti-Government Alliance Army and also Asia's largest military intelligence broker. Many of our businesses are connected to him." The captain looked at me with an expression that didn't seem like bragging.

  "Wow! If I killed him, wouldn't that mean... you'd suffer a huge loss? You'll lose your informant." In fact, what I was thinking in my heart was: if he has so much power in Myanmar, killing him would not make things better even if I returned to Yunnan now. On the contrary, it will bring disaster to my family and friends. It seems like there's no going back!

  "It's not that serious, just a bit of money lost. Now Cambodia is peaceful and Vietnam is fine too, only Myanmar has some business to do with the opium trade, but I know those people, no need for him to make connections again." The captain comforted me.

  "But that 25 million! It seems like it's everyone's money together. I...". Looks like the butcher didn't joke with me, when can I pay back the money?!

  "No, no, no, most of that is Butcher's money, he personally trained a batch of private troops for them in Myanmar and got so much. I just had one escort mission, not that many!" Bak followed up from behind and said to me: "Besides, Butcher has already given the money to me, you only owe him one person."

  "So it seems you still have a long way to go before paying off your debt." The butcher patted me on the back from behind.

  "You can earn so much money at once, why are you still doing such a dangerous job?" I curiously asked the butcher.

  "This line, can play guns, can play bombs, and can kill people! How fascinating!" The butcher waved the gun in his hand, then pulled out his "deformed" military knife and licked it, looking more and more ferocious.

  "Haha!" Everyone burst out laughing when they saw my disgusted expression.

  As I walked into the house, I took off my military uniform which was covered in mud and blood, took a hot bath, changed into new clothes, and the fatigue of the past few days instantly disappeared. Just as I was sleeping soundly, I suddenly felt a chill on my neck - a knife! I immediately woke up from my sleep, and just as I was about to jump out of bed, a large hand pressed down on my face, forcing me back onto the bed, with a knee also pressing down on my stomach.

  "You're dead! Never think you're safe again! Otherwise, you'll only die faster!" The butcher's voice came from beside my ear, and then the blade rubbed against my neck again before releasing its grip.

  I panted heavily, suddenly switching from a dormant state to intense exercise, which my heart couldn't withstand. The wave of dizziness and weakness in all four limbs left me unable to move, and the thick sleepiness vanished instantly.

  "You bastard! You almost killed me!"

  "It was just a narrow escape! You should be grateful I'm not your enemy!" The butcher shook his head and walked out easily.

  After scolding for half a day, I was also tired of scolding. Drowsiness slowly surged from the bottom of my brain. Before I fell asleep, I threw a bottle to the edge of the door and put the fierce tiger blade and pistol by my pillow.

  I don't know how long it took, but a "gulu" sound came into my ears, and I sat up from the bed, taking out my gun and pointing it at the black shadow that was approaching.

  "Wow! It's me! Doctor, be careful! Be careful! Relax! Don't shoot! I'm the doctor." Upon hearing that it was the doctor's voice, I put down my gun and lay back in bed.

  "Is it like this at school too?" the doctor asked.

  "No, I just learned from the butcher! How long did I sleep?" I asked the doctor.

  "36 hours. I'm here to wake you up for food!" The doctor patted me and threw down a set of clothes before walking out.

  Having finished washing the rice, I sat down at the long dining table. Everyone was seated and eating with their heads down. As soon as I sat down, I heard Butcher say: "I heard you learn very quickly!"

  "YOU SICKIE! (You're really disgusting!) I scolded him, and all the words I hadn't learned from books came to mind."

  "It seems you've been taught a lesson by Butcher's disgusting move!" Di Huo said with a smile, and everyone burst out laughing.

  "Has he always been like this? How can you stand it?" I asked others.

  "He did it to save your life. Stop complaining." The captain concluded: "He only does that to newcomers!"

  "Living in a state of constant fear for 24 hours a day?" I'm so depressed that even a good night's sleep is not allowed.

  "That's also living!" Everyone replied in unison, it seems this is a consensus!

  "Alright, alright, I'll reserve my opinion! Hopefully only Butcher has this hobby!" I glanced around the dinner table, if everyone had this problem, I'd rather die. Seeing everyone's affirmative response, I breathed a sigh of relief, at least I didn't fall into an insane asylum! However, it seems that from now on, I need to be careful about Butcher's sudden attacks!

  Tearing at the meat in front of me, it's as if I'm taking revenge on the butcher. If not for that fright from the butcher, today could be said to be a relatively perfect holiday.

  "Brothers, the money has all been transferred to your accounts! Xing Tian, this is yours!" The captain finished eating and tossed over a bank card: "This is a Swiss bank gold card. I've opened an account for you. From now on, as long as you complete the mission, I'll transfer the money you deserve into your account."

  I took the gold card and looked at it, curiously asking: "Captain, what did you use to get this for me? I didn't give you any documents. The money can be given to Butcher, anyway, I owe him so much that I won't be able to pay it back in this lifetime."

  "I have your ID card and helped you get a passport." The captain tossed my ID card over.

  "I'm not that heartless! You just save up the money and pay me back together, that's all!" The butcher said magnanimously.

  Looking at the People's Republic of China ID card in my hand, I have never felt so close to it. In the future, I don't know if I can return to my motherland, return to my hometown, this ID card is the only proof that I am a Chinese person, holding this card, there are endless thoughts!

  "Alright! Brothers! Gather your things, at midnight, we're heading home." The captain announced.

  I watched as my brothers were jubilant, took a glance at the East, and bid farewell to our Motherland! I hope your sons can return to your embrace once more!

  At midnight, a large military transport plane landed on the outer runway, and everyone shouldered their packs and boarded the plane. Sitting on the plane, I asked the captain: "Captain! Where are we going?"

  "Back to base! France! Red wine! Fresh flowers! Beautiful women! That's the paradise for mercenaries!" The captain shouted loudly.

  "Whooo-hooo!" Everyone screamed, and somehow the cowboy pulled out a bottle of champagne. "Pop!" The flying champagne mixed with the throwing bullet casings, and the plane fell into chaos! I didn't have the mood to join them at first, but after being hit by shell after shell on my head, I also joined the "battle".

  "I didn't expect the Cambodian government to send a special plane for us! How can they enter French airspace?" I panted and fell back into my seat, the difference in physical fitness was clearly shown in this "violent" welcome.

  "No, no, this is our own plane! How can the Cambodian plane enter French airspace? Haha" The captain also sat down beside me, panting heavily.

  "Do we still have such a large military plane? How big is our hired army?" I asked in surprise, thinking there were only these dozen or so people!

  "It's almost here, when it arrives you'll see for yourself!" The captain was being mysterious.

  At this time, a man walked out of the driver's cabin and saluted the captain: "Colonel! There are still ten minutes to reach the base!" The captain returned the salute and said to me: "Let's meet Xiaobak! Big Bak's younger brother! This is Xingtian! A newly joined brother!"

  "Welcome to join the wolf pack!"

  "Thank you! Nice to meet you!" We exchanged greetings. No wonder they always call Bak Da Bak, it turns out he has a younger brother. The two of them look quite alike, although in my eyes all black people look similar! But there's something even more intriguing.

  "Captain, are you a colonel? Do mercenaries have military ranks? Are they the same as those in the regular army? What am I?" This is quite interesting.

  "Many people have been in the military before joining a mercenary group. Colonel was my rank when I was in SEALs, ranks don't hold as much weight in a merc group. Big Buck and Little Buck are old comrades of mine so they still call me that. And you were just an officer! Haha" The captain laughed back at me.

  "Why did you want to become a mercenary then?" There are such good jobs that don't have to be done, why bother being a mercenary!

  "The special forces team I'm in is a secret operations unit. You know, the kind they don't acknowledge in American politics, the ones that aren't recognized by the government. My subordinates died in action but because of bureaucratic red tape, they didn't even get to be covered with their national flag, nor did they receive the honors due to them as soldiers. Their families didn't even get the most basic compensation. I don't want my people to die without a name, and for their families to suffer. That's why I became a mercenary! Since I couldn't give them honor, at least I can let my people go without worrying about what comes after." The captain finished speaking, took his cup of liquor and walked to the back of the cabin, drinking alone in silence.

  "The captain had called on the government for our fallen comrades everywhere, but the government didn't respond. In the end, the captain lost confidence in those bastards in the capital. He retired and joined a mercenary group, which we only found out later! Actually, the captain gave most of that money to the families of our fallen comrades! The captain was the most promising colonel at the time, and it's very likely he would have become a general by 33! But he gave up everything!" Big Bak said as he walked up to me.

  I fully understand what a general means to a soldier! They say, "A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier." But can you become a general just by wanting to? Maybe millions of soldiers pay their entire lives and still may not get it, in Chinese, that's called "taking a step to reach the sky"! But he...

  "Colonel Rogers, I'm honored to fight under your command!" I expressed my deepest respect to the captain. Any man who can do that deserves respect!

  "Thanks, Xing Tian!" The captain drained his cup in one gulp, slammed it down and stood up to pat me on the back.

  The plane landed with a jolt. I slung my backpack over my shoulder, squeezed out of the cabin and lifted my head to take a good look at this place where the air was said to be filled with

  A romantic city. But what rushed into view was a Hummer speeding by, row upon row of fully armed soldiers, an armed helicopter hovering above, and wounded patients on stretchers just lifted from the plane.

  Is this Paris? This is like a US military base in Afghanistan! Where are the bloody flowers, champagne and beauties?

  "Welcome to the French Foreign Legion's base, we're home!" The devil said as he ran forward.

  Click to view picture link: Strider's fighting tool - Tiger knife