33: Chapter 33 Free Mercenary 33: Chapter 33 Free Mercenary Gao Yang had already prepared to leave, while Rabbit was still saying goodbye to Malik, and Bob was on the phone with his old man.
As soon as the meeting place was confirmed, they could set off immediately.
However, after Bob got through on the phone, he received some bad news.
After he hung up, he looked at Gao Yang with a gloomy face and said, “Brother, things are not looking good.
My old man is in real trouble now.
He left too late and got trapped by the government forces along with a few opposition leaders.
Now the government forces have surrounded them, and the armed opposition has surrounded the government troops, but those idiots simply can’t break through the government’s encirclement.”
Angered, Gao Yang fiercely rubbed his face and sighed heavily, “Tell me, what do we need to do?”
Bob, having never experienced such situations before, said with a look of helplessness, “I don’t know.
My dad told me to leave on my own and not worry about him, but how could I possibly leave him behind and go?
Gao Yang, I need your help.”
Gao Yang nodded and said, “Okay, let’s go over and see the situation, maybe we can be of some help.”
After speaking, Gao Yang hesitated about how to tell Cui Bo about this.
Cui Bo spoke Arabic, but his English wasn’t very good and he didn’t understand what he and Bob were saying.
However, while Gao Yang was hesitating, Cui Bo asked curiously, “What’s wrong, Brother Yang?
Is there a problem?”
Gao Yang had originally planned to leave with Rabbit, but now it seemed that leaving with Cui Bo wasn’t a good idea.
Gao Yang sighed, “It’s nothing serious.
I just have to take care of some things first and can’t take you with me.
You take care of yourself, and if things go smoothly on my end, I’ll give you a call.”
“Huh, from the look on your face, I know you’re going to fight.
What, you don’t trust your brother?
Let me tell you, I’m not just a rookie who’s only played with air guns anymore.
Look at my rifle, I bought it last year and have fired at least a thousand rounds with it.
And now you’re thinking of leaving me behind to act alone?
Are you crazy?
Come on, let’s do this together, brother.”
Gao Yang shook his head and said, “Rabbit, this isn’t a real-life CS game, I can’t let you take the risk.”
Cui Bo still looked disdainful and said, “Brother Yang, others may not understand me, but you do.
Let me tell you, I had no intention of leaving.
I want to stay, I want to be a mercenary.
You may call me foolish or naive, but I’ve been looking forward to this chance and I’ve got to realize my dream.
A dream!
Even if it kills me, I can accept it.
After all, I still have a younger brother.”
Gao Yang knew that Cui Bo’s dream was to be a sniper, but he never imagined Cui Bo would be willing to bet his life to achieve this dream.
Gao Yang hesitated no longer.
He clapped Cui Bo on the shoulder energetically and exclaimed, “Okay, buddy, let’s play one more time, for real this time, and go big!”
Cui Bo, looking as relaxed as if he wasn’t about to go to war, had a carefree expression.
After Malik opened the store door, Cui Bo said goodbye to Malik and Fedor, then strode out of the shop, spirited.
The situation was somewhat dangerous and not suitable for long farewells.
Gao Yang and Fedor didn’t say much but wished each other to take care after which he and Bob quickly left through the front door and then helped Malik close the rolling door from outside.
Once outside, Gao Yang saw a man with a limp approaching him, a rifle slung over his shoulder.
The man, upon seeing the three of them, paused for a moment and then asked in heavily accented English, “Which one of you was the shooter just now?”
The speaker was a Caucasian, tall and strong, and appeared to be in his forties.
However, he was covered in dust, and as he spoke, the dust in his beard fell, making him look ragged and distressing.
Gao Yang didn’t recognize the man in front of him, but he did recognize the RPD light machine gun on his back.
This man was the machine gunner who had coordinated seamlessly with Gao Yang twice before.
Gao Yang stepped forward and replied, “That was me.
Hello, are you hurt?”
The white man nodded in greeting and then set down the machine gun with a look of frustration, “I wasn’t injured, just got hit by something, and by the way, it was very nice to fight alongside you.
You’re good.
But I have to ask, are you guys free mercenaries too?
If so, let me give you a piece of advice, don’t accept employment from the opposition here anymore.
They are untrustworthy.
They agree on a price and then refuse to pay up, the bastards.”
Gao Yang and Bob looked at each other, seemingly understanding the meaning in each other’s looks.
Gao Yang cleared his throat and asked, “What happened?
It seems like your mercenary group isn’t in good shape.
Is that why they refused to pay you?”
The machine gunner shook his head and replied, “We aren’t a mercenary group; we’re just some free mercenaries who got together temporarily.
But my best friend has just been killed in battle, damn it, I didn’t expect to be shelled.
Ah, my name is Glolov, very pleased to meet you.
I wonder if you have any work lined up?
Interested in looking for jobs together?
You know, we free mercenaries have a tougher time than those in mercenary groups, so it’s better if we look for work together.”
Before Gao Yang could answer, Bob jumped in, “What’s your rate?”
After glancing at the restaurant that had turned to ruins behind him, Glolov sighed and said, “If it’s a long-term job, at least three hundred US dollars a day.
If it’s a one-off operation, it depends, but it starts at five hundred dollars.”
Gao Yang could hardly believe his ears; these men were risking their lives for money, but fighting a war for just five hundred US dollars seemed excessively cheap.
Bob glanced at Gao Yang, seemingly seeking his opinion.
Gao Yang, without hesitation, nodded repeatedly.
The machine gunner had made a strong impression on him, and hiring him would be a godsend.
Seeing that Gao Yang also agreed, Bob immediately said, “That’s right, we’re not mercenaries, but we want to hire you.”
Glolov, who had been somewhat disappointed, perked up upon hearing Bob’s offer and asked urgently, “What task?
How much will you pay?”
Without hesitation, Bob replied, “We’re not clear about the task yet, but I can pay you a thousand upfront, and then you can name your price depending on the situation.
As long as your price is reasonable, I won’t refuse.”
After finishing his sentence, Bob reached for his money, only to find embarrassingly that he only had a few dollars in change.
Gao Yang took the initiative to take out the money from his pocket and handed it to Bob.
Seeing the money in Bob’s hand, Glolov’s expression changed immediately, and he said seriously, “I don’t want Dinars; they’ll soon be worth nothing but paper.
Only US Dollars, and a deposit of five hundred will do.
If I can’t take on your job, I’ll refund it to you.”
After counting out five one-hundred-dollar bills and handing them to Glolov, Bob returned the rest to Gao Yang, then tilted his head and said, “Can we talk while we walk?”
The location where Morgan was trapped was not far from Fedor’s shop, just a half-hour walk away.
Cui Bo had lived here for a long time and naturally knew the way, but they needed to be extra careful as it was chaotic everywhere.
After clarifying where they needed to go, Glolov suddenly said, “I know that place; we just came from there.
The roads are pretty clear from here and are all under opposition control.”
Glolov brought good news, and Gao Yang explained the predicament Morgan was in, then added, “We also don’t know what we need to do once we get there, but you’re a veteran, and I want to hear your advice.”
Without any hesitation, Glolov said, “The opposition people are all idiots.
My advice is to get there as quickly as possible to help them because if you’re late, the government forces will likely have killed all your people already.”
Hearing Glolov’s words, both Gao Yang and Bob were startled and immediately quickened their pace, but after they sped up, Glolov began to lag behind.
“Could you slow down a bit?
I’m very sorry, my leg was crushed.
It’s not serious, but it’s still affecting me.”
Glolov was carrying an RPD, an old but reliable gun that used the same 7.62x39mm intermediate cartridge as the AK47, fed by a hundred-round drum.
The machine gun itself weighed seven or eight kilos; with Glolov also carrying several drums of ammunition, the total weight must have been at least twenty kilos.
Gao Yang looked at Glolov and asked, “How much ammo do you have left?
Is it enough?”
“I have four hundred-round drums and three empties.
It’s not quite enough, but ammunition is easy to find.”
Gao Yang nodded and said, “We need to pick up the pace, give us your gun to carry, and we’ll be able to move faster.”
After saying this, Gao Yang shouted to Cui Bo, who was at the front, “Rabbit, come carry his gun; I’ll take point.”
Without a word, Cui Bo ran over, took Glolov’s gun, and then gestured for Glolov to hand over his backpack as well.
Twenty or so kilos were nothing to Cui Bo, whose nickname might have been Rabbit, but whenever he was with Gao Yang, he was typically used as a pack mule.
The guy was strong and burly; it would be a shame not to make use of his muscles.
With his sniper rifle strapped to his back, Cui Bo slung the machine gun and said, “Why the hell are you taking point with a 98k?
Besides, do you even know the way?
Same old rule, I’ll be the point man, you cover me.”
After saying this, Cui Bo took the lead, and Gao Yang, left with no choice, shook his head and, after creating a few meters distance from Bob and the others, the group of four hurried towards their destination.
Now unburdened, Glolov picked up speed.
Even as they marched, Gao Yang couldn’t help but be curious, “Glolov, are you Russian?
A retired veteran?”
Glolov nodded and said, “That’s right, Russian, paratrooper, participated in two Chechnya wars, both times entering Grozny.
Rest assured, I won’t disappoint you.”
Gao Yang smiled and replied, “I’ve seen your way of fighting; I know your strength.
To be honest, you’re very good.”
Bob, however, was somewhat surprised.
He had a better understanding of mercenaries than Gao Yang and knew that having fought in two Chechnya wars made Glolov an impressive figure.
Moreover, Bob was aware of Glolov’s extraordinary abilities.
A man like him would be highly sought after by any mercenary group, so how did Glolov end up as a free mercenary with the highest mortality rate?