325: Chapter 323: Oilfield 325: Chapter 323: Oilfield Gao Yang and their plane did not land in Malakal, but instead descended more than two hundred kilometers north of Malakal where Morgan’s oil field was located.
Malakal city was already in chaos, with sporadic gunfights erupting within the city area, and as for outside the city, a major war was on the brink of breaking out.
Although the situation within Malakal city was still within controllable limits, Gao Yang and his team could have landed there, but flying directly to Morgan’s oil field was far more convenient than transferring from Malakal.
Malakal is the capital of South Sudan’s State of South Nile, and across the border lies the Northern Sudan’s State of South Kordofan, whereas Morgan’s oil field is located in the Abyei Area, a region whose ownership has never been clearly resolved between the two countries.
In the 1980s, the American Chevron Corporation discovered several large oil fields in the Abyei Area, most of which were located in the southern part of Sudan.
Though large oil fields were found, Chevron could not begin extracting; Sudan’s civil war forced Chevron to withdraw from Sudan, and the oil in the Abyei Area went unexploited.
Both North and South Sudan have been contending for the Abyei Area, with the most recent conflict occurring in 2008.
The Misseriya tribe, loyal to Northern Sudan, and the Dinka Tribe, the largest tribal group in South Sudan, have always been at odds, with small-scale tribal clashes being common.
After South Sudan finally became independent, the Nuer people, who were once comrades-in-arms with the Dinka people, also joined in the competition for land and pastures with the Dinka.
While most of the territorial disputes over Abyei, especially the distribution of oil benefits, have not been fully resolved, Morgan arrived in South Sudan immediately after its independence.
Morgan signed an agreement with the South Sudan government for an oil drilling concession in an undisputed area within South Sudan’s territory.
However, reaching an agreement with the government alone was not enough; Morgan also struck a deal with a large Dinka tribe that actuality controlled the area of the oil field, securing an oilfield outright.
Morgan, eager to act swiftly, secured an oil field not with the intention of actual drilling but with a simple strategy: to take possession of the oil field and then sell it to a real oil company, as running a business was never Morgan’s preference.
With the drilling rights secured and territory occupied, although Morgan had no intention to develop the site himself, he had to ensure its protection, at least until he could sell the oil field.
Morgan didn’t have any drilling equipment or personnel, but he built a residential area in the region of the oil field, complete with all living facilities.
In addition, there were several spots designated for machinery to assert his presence and mark his territory.
Furthermore, Morgan stationed five people permanently in Malakal and the oil field to maintain communication with local officials and the Dinka tribe.
Five people were not enough, so Morgan also maintained a thirty-man security team, usually stationed at his oil field.
In this area, anything could happen, and a contract could be torn up as easily as it was made.
If a nomadic tribe occupied a planned oil well, it wouldn’t be easy to drive them away.
Therefore, to ensure that no one took his profits, Morgan had to defend his claim vigorously until he sold the oil field.
After relations between the Nuer people and Dinka Tribe became tense, there was a real risk of tribal warfare.
Kolm, appointed by Morgan as the highest responsible person in South Sudan, had to rush back to the oil field to prevent the conflict between the Dinka and the Nuer from affecting it.
To rescue Gao Yang, Morgan truly went to great lengths; he not only utilized his connections to secure a military aircraft to deliver Li Jinfang and Destin to Malakal in the shortest time possible, but Kolm also had to hurry from the oil field to Malakal to arrange a small plane for Li Jinfang and his team in advance.
Morgan was absolutely considerate; now that Morgan’s assets were at risk, Gao Yang could not just stand by.
Destin also had good relations with Morgan, and helping out for a few days wasn’t a big deal.
After a brief discussion, Destin and Gao Yang decided to fly directly to Morgan’s oil field.
The five people Morgan sent to the oil field were not combat personnel, so if trouble arose, they could only rely on the thirty armed security guards recruited locally.
However, these people could suffice for maintaining a presence during peacetime, but they were not dependable in an actual battle.
With Gao Yang and his companions there, the situation was vastly different.
First and foremost, the safety of the staff in the living area was assured, and more importantly, if necessary, Gao Yang and his team could support the Dinka tribe in collaborations with Morgan.
There were a total of forty-seven people in the oil field’s living area, most of them security personnel, with only about a dozen responsible for construction work, and one doctor.
The living area had four rows of prefabricated houses, with well-drilled drinking water and generators.
Remarkably, most of the houses even had air conditioning available.
Gao Yang and their rooms were already prepared, with each person having a single room.
The rooms, designated for senior management personnel, were not only air-conditioned but also had a washing room complete with a flush toilet and a water heater.
Gao Yang had settled down in the camp for the time being, but his heart was still out on the savannah.
The whereabouts of the Akuri tribe were unknown, and Gao Yang was certain he would have to return to the savannah to continue the search.
For now, he had to ensure the safety of Kolm and the others.
If the situation continued to deteriorate, Gao Yang would have to escort Kolm and his group away.
Then, Morgan would have to find more armed personnel to protect his oil fields.
If the situation was completely under control and there was no danger, then Gao Yang and his team could leave.
This time wouldn’t be very long at most a week, and it should be possible to determine whether to evacuate or to hold their ground.
By the time they arrived at the camp, it was evening.
After Gao Yang had washed all the paint off his body in his room, it was about time for dinner.
After a brief rest, Gao Yang and Destin took their malaria prevention medication from the camp doctor and then attended a small welcome party that Kolm had organized for them.
There were only five people attending the welcome party, all sent by Morgan.
Although the camp was built in the wilderness, the conditions inside were not bad.
Morgan was generous to his staff.
At least, there was plenty of food.
Moreover, the camp was less than ten kilometers away from a large Dinka village, and the beef raised by the Dinka was really, really excellent.
For Americans, there was little variation in eating beef, especially since the cook for Gao Yang and his company was none other than Kolm himself, who hailed from Texas.
Consequently, their dinner was Texas steak.
Texans are often called “rednecks” by people from other parts of the United States, a pejorative term similar to ‘bumpkin’.
Texas steak was anything but refined—a huge pile of fries topped with a steak, accompanied by a bottle of ketchup—that was a Texas steak.
After Kolm’s brief speech, what remained was to dive into the meal.
Eating Texas steak on the African savannah was not the epitome of elegance, so a ravenous Gao Yang was happy he didn’t have to put on any airs and could happily eat as he pleased, without worrying about his image.
After they were half full, the welcome party turned into a working dinner.
Seeing that Gao Yang and Destin had more or less finished eating, Kolm raised his glass to Gao Yang and laughed, “Welcome to our place.
Here, you can make yourself at home just like in your own house.”
Gao Yang replied very sincerely, “Thanks, thank you all for your help.
Also, I would like to thank you for your revolver.
That gun was a great help to me.
Later on, I can return your gun to you.”
After Gao Yang finished speaking, a white man also raised his glass and clinked it with Gao Yang’s, laughing, “Buddy, I’m glad to meet you.
Just call me Maguire.
Now, I’m really curious about what you think of my knife.
If you don’t mind, could you return it to me?
That’s a knife I really like.
It felt like life was taken from me when you took it.”
Gao Yang shrugged and said solemnly, “Thank you very much for your knife, truly.
Likewise, your knife was a great help to me.
However, I brought it back in one piece, but the problem is that I killed two men with that knife.
I don’t know if you mind that.”
After a moment of shock, Maguire exclaimed, “I heard about your situation, but I didn’t know you used a knife for revenge?”
Gao Yang nodded and made a stabbing gesture upwards, “Yes, night attack, I got close to the enemy and took care of them with the knife.”
Maguire immediately replied earnestly, “Man, there are too few people these days who resolve problems with a knife instead of using a gun, and I have great respect for you.
Wow, you are incredible.
I don’t mind at all if a knife’s been used to kill someone.
So please be sure to give it back to me.”
After speaking, with a relieved expression, Maguire raised his glass again, “To honor you, guys, to all of you.
You know, I’ve been scared these last few days, worried sick that a bunch of people would storm the camp and kill us all.
But now that you’re here, I can finally get a good night’s sleep.”
At this moment, another person said with a smile, “That’s right, it’s great that you guys could come.
Those security guards can’t be relied upon.
If someone really came attacking, they would definitely run faster than anyone.
Did you know, just not far from us, the Huaxia camp—that’s what happened.
The guards they hired locally ran away as soon as trouble started.
The Huaxia People’s worksite was looted, and there were even people taken as hostages.
May God bless those poor hostages.”
With a somber face, Kolm added, “I’ve been to that Huaxia worksite, even had a meal there.
Tell you what, their food is quite good, and so are the people.
May God bless them.”
At this moment, Gao Yang and Li Jinfang almost simultaneously exclaimed, “There’s a Huaxia worksite?
Tell me more about what happened.”
(To be continued.
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