188: Chapter 186: The Sad Past of Big Dog 188: Chapter 186: The Sad Past of Big Dog Gao Yang posed a question that left Glolov silent for a long time, his face distant, just staring at his own toes, seemingly lost in thought.
The formerly lively and joyful atmosphere had become heavy once again due to Glolov’s mood.
After a long while, Glolov began to speak in a deep voice, “I never blamed him, never did, even when I knew he had swallowed up all my money, I didn’t blame him.
In fact, I still consider him my best brother to this day, but I killed him with my own hands.”
No one spoke, knowing that Glolov would continue if he wanted to, and this time Glolov didn’t sink back into his thoughts but soon began to recount the past between him and Ivan.
“It’s a long story.
Ivan was a comrade-in-arms and my best friend.
We fought together in the first battle of Grozny.
Back then, he was an excellent army medic.
After leaving the service, he finished medical school and worked in a Moscow hospital, becoming a promising surgeon.
Until I retired and found a job in Saint Petersburg, our relationship stayed strong.
We kept in touch, and he often came over to St.
Petersburg for a drink or two.
But having been a soldier for too long, I knew nothing but warfare, which made it hard for me to find a suitable job that paid well.
I had to provide for Natalia and Yelena; I wanted them to have the best life, so I started working for a gang in Saint Petersburg, which was a branch of the Russian Mafia there.
I didn’t officially join the gang, but I was their enforcer.
I was responsible for protecting some of their assets, and I did well.
So, even though I wasn’t a formal member, I was put in charge of security for a bar they owned.
One day, a fight broke out among several patrons.
My men intervened, and someone drew a pistol, killing two of my men and two customers.
That’s why I killed him, but the man was from the KGB and held a not-so-low position.
I knew I had caused trouble but thought the gang would protect me.
Instead, they planned to throw me under the bus, so I ran.
Before I left, I killed several formal members of the gang.
Luckily, I’d always kept the secret of Natalia and Yelena’s existence, never letting anyone know about them.
While dealing with the gang members, I used a pseudonym, so I fled without even saying goodbye to Natalia.
But it was good that I did, or their survival to this day would be doubtful.
I was injured, severely injured, but I managed to run to Moscow and find Ivan.
He saved me and helped me escape abroad.
We first went to Ukraine, then fled to Italy, and finally ended up in North Africa, all financed by Ivan’s savings.
Once we had spent all his money and were penniless, we both became mercenaries.
After earning our first savings, even though it was just a thousand US dollars, Ivan went back to Russia.
He found Natalia and Yelena, sold everything he could, and arranged for them to move to Moscow.
He found them a place to stay and helped them settle down in Moscow.
Ivan was once again penniless and returned to Africa to earn money with me as a free mercenary.
But those years were too peaceful; mercenaries, especially free mercenaries, hardly earned any money.
It wasn’t until the third year that we joined Trident and finally began to have a stable income and save some money.
After joining Trident, we took on a big job.
We went to Sierra Leone and fought several tough battles.
It was extremely difficult, but we did make a lot of money.
However, it was there, in that damned place, where Ivan developed a drug addiction.
We fought so many battles in such a close sequence; people kept getting hurt.
To keep himself somewhat alert, Ivan started using stimulants, knowing the harm they could do.
He was a doctor, but he did it anyway, and when the stimulants weren’t enough anymore, he began using drugs.
You know, drug use is quite common among mercenaries.
Drugs destroyed Ivan; he couldn’t live without those tickets to hell.
Soon, he needed to inject himself daily.
At first, I didn’t notice his drug use; he hid it well, until most of our earnings went towards buying him those substances.
He even spent the money we planned to send back to Natalia on drugs.
I thought he had kept enough money for himself.
I truly didn’t realize the terrifying extent of his addiction.
Ivan was kicked out of Trident, and I left with him.
We returned to being free mercenaries because he could no longer function as a competent military doctor.
After his will had been destroyed, Ivan’s body was ruined too.
He couldn’t even hold a scalpel or a gun steadily anymore.
Ivan became very distant; he wore the same expression all day long.
He couldn’t tell day from night but could only discern whether he had enough drugs left for one more fix.
When he ran out of drugs, I had to keep an eye on him constantly, fearing he might accidentally kill himself.”
It wasn’t until Libya started spiraling into chaos that we saw it as a good opportunity to make money.
Ivan wanted to make a hefty sum so he wouldn’t have to worry about finding the cash for drugs every day anymore.
We took a job from the opposition, three hundred US dollars per person, and then the two of us went to attack a hotel, yes, Gao, it was the very time we met you, the same hotel where Rabbit was hiding.
We stormed the hotel, and Ivan was resting in a chair in the dining room.
He would be out of breath after just a few steps.
Then the government forces began shelling, and a large chunk of the ceiling collapsed, crushing Ivan; his two legs were pinned.
He could have dodged it if the drugs hadn’t wrecked his body.
Both of Ivan’s legs were broken, and I tried to get him out, but Ivan, who was always groggy, suddenly became very lucid.
He asked me to kill him, or give him a gun so he could do it himself, since his gun was trapped along with his legs.
Ivan said he didn’t want to be a burden to me anymore, nor did he want to continue living like a walking corpse.
He wanted to die, but I didn’t want him to die, even if his legs were shattered, even if he would continue life as a walking corpse, I just didn’t want him to die.
Ivan began to curse me, to damn me, until at last, he cried and begged me to end his life, pleaded with me to let him stop living a life tantamount to hell.
That’s when I wavered.
I picked up the machine gun and asked him if he was sure about his decision.
He said he was ready, now was the right time to die.
Then I said nothing, because I didn’t know what to say.
I just shot him through the heart, shouldered my weapon, didn’t look back at him, and walked out of the hotel.
I was in a daze, not knowing what to do or what to think, until I met you on the street, along with Rabbit and, oh, Bob was there too.
You proposed hiring me, and since I had nothing else to do, I went with you.”
Gao Yang still remembered the scene when he first met Glolov in Benghazi, but he could never have imagined that at the time, Glolov had just killed his own best brother with his own hands.
By now, Glolov’s face was streaming with tears.
After a brief silence, Glolov continued, “Don’t touch drugs, don’t touch any drugs, don’t touch them for any reason.
Drugs will drag you straight into hell, no exceptions.
I tried countless times to help Ivan quit, but all efforts ended in failure.
He even thought about killing me for drugs, because I was trying to stop him from taking them, and this happened more than once.
Alright, you’ve heard Ivan’s story, and I hope you can learn something from it.
Lastly, I want to tell you, if any of you dares to touch drugs, I will kill him.
I’m not joking, it’s not just a warning, I swear I’ll do it, I swear with my soul and Ivan’s soul, if any of you dares to use drugs, I will personally kill him.
After all, I’ve done it once already.”
By the time he finished talking, Glolov was sobbing uncontrollably, a grown man in his forties, finally unable to hold back, started crying aloud.
Gao Yang didn’t know what to say, nor did he know how to comfort Glolov, he could only gently pat Glolov’s shoulder, then Simon and Cui Bo also came to Glolov’s side and silently patted him lightly.
Suddenly, Glolov squatted down, placing his head on his knees, hugged his head with both arms, fists clenched tight, the veins on his arms bulging out, and began to sob loudly.
Then, Glolov let out a howl full of despair and anger with all his strength.
Gao Yang was not unfamiliar with such a voice full of despair and anger; he felt Glolov cried like a hyena that had been injured, a hyena that was completely desperate and cornered.
Looking at Glolov, who was emotionally collapsing, no one moved or tried to comfort him, because everyone knew it was better to let Glolov vent the pain he had bottled up inside.
“Don’t you touch drugs, never, those things turn people into devils, they drag you to hell.
I’ve lost my best brother and I don’t want to see any more of my brothers dragged to hell by drugs.
I’m not joking, if any of you dare to use drugs, I’ll personally kill him, I swear, I will.”
Just as Glolov’s words ended, the gym door was suddenly pushed open.
Bob ran in, panting and shouted, “Gao, your gun is here, I’ve brought it.
It’s in the car outside.
Also, we’re leaving Los Angeles today, we’ll drive so I can take you guys to see a friend along the way, a gunsmith, one of the top gunsmiths in America.
Don’t just stand there, go get ready.
Eh?
What’s happened to Glolov?” (To be continued.
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