The smoke quickly dispersed, and a person wearing tiger-stripe universal camouflage combat uniform walked in. This uniform was said to be the best camouflage for mountain and jungle operations. The newcomer entered sideways, his face smeared with thick camouflage paint, wearing a steel helmet stuffed with dry grass and branches, tactical sunglasses, holding an M16A4 automatic rifle at the ready, head lowered to the side in a firing stance, and wearing explosion-proof military boots.

Behind this person, two others entered, dressed the same way. They knelt on one knee, raised their guns to quickly aim and search the room, and spoke into their earpieces, saying, “Clear, no suspicious findings.” They slowly stood up, took two steps forward, and cleared the doorway to let a burly man enter.

The burly man was about 1.85 meters tall, similar in build to the others, his gun pointed downward, exuding a wild, beast-like ferocity. He calmly swept his gaze around the room, his eyes landing on the flour on the kitchen counter that hadn’t been fully kneaded. A trace of a disdainful sneer flashed across his lips as he took off his tactical sunglasses, revealing eyes as sharp as a hawk’s.

“Report to Captain Wright, seven killed, plus one sentry and one relief guard, nine in total. No other suspicious findings.” The first person to enter finished checking the kitchen and backyard, then immediately turned back to salute and report.

“Nine?” The one called Captain Wright had a flicker of suspicion on his face, a violent aura emanating from every pore. He barked, “Not good. According to reliable intel, there should be ten people at this outpost—one is still missing. Looks like our plan to rest here for the night needs to change. Tell the brothers to clean up the battlefield, resupply ammo and gear, and evacuate immediately. Damn it, Jack Wright, search the area and see if you can find that person.”

“Yes.” Someone nearby responded and rushed out.

“Bring the target over.” Captain Wright ordered coldly.

Chapter 2: Wild Wolf Mercenaries

Before long, another fully armed man brought in a middle-aged man with a pale face. The middle-aged man was about fifty, somewhat balding, his well-tailored suit covered in mud, wearing gold-rimmed glasses that gave him a scholarly air. He looked like a researcher, staring in panic at the corpses on the ground, silent.

“Mr. White, they all say your Huaxia is a forbidden zone for mercenaries, that no one dares to come in. But I don’t think that’s true. Our Wild Wolf Mercenary Group still easily brought you to the border. Look at their combat strength—we took them down in just two seconds, hahaha!” Captain Wright said smugly.

The one called Mr. White didn’t get angry, but instead smiled obsequiously, “Of course. Who hasn’t heard of your Wild Wolf Mercenary Group? Top five in the world. Just a few days ago, that recon platoon fell into your hands—over thirty men, didn’t even have time to send a distress signal. Let alone these border guards, how could they stop your advance? Looks like I’ll be able to get out of the country smoothly.”

“Of course.” Captain Wright said proudly, not caring about the sarcasm in Mr. White’s words. He continued, “You look down on these border guards? Well, you can even betray your own country, so why would you care about the lives of these soldiers? Since you’re the employer’s man, I won’t argue with you. The plan to let you rest for the night has changed—we have to leave immediately.”

“Why?” Mr. White said discontentedly. “Don’t forget your principles—reputation first. Without credibility, how will you mercenaries survive in the future?”

“Don’t try to scare me with that.” A flash of murderous intent crossed Captain Wright’s resolute face as he coldly barked, “If you don’t want to die, stay put. I forgot to tell you, there were originally ten people at this outpost, but now there are only nine bodies. What does that mean? Use that brain of yours that’s so good at equations and think it over. Also, take off your clothes and put on a military uniform. Exposure is only a matter of time—move it.”

Mr. White hesitated, then nervously took off his outerwear and grabbed a military uniform from the side to put on. Captain Wright gave Mr. White a cold glance, and that look made Mr. White feel as if his brain had been stabbed by a needle, his whole body turning cold, a sense of death enveloping him. Terrified, he quickly lowered his head and fumbled with his clothes, all his earlier dissatisfaction vanishing. Along the way, Mr. White had witnessed Captain Wright’s methods of killing, and was deeply afraid.

Seeing that Mr. White had become much more obedient and had put away his intellectual pride, Captain Wright gave a satisfied sneer. Suddenly, a warning came through his earpiece: “Captain Wright, Peter Wright has detected a communication frequency, suspected to be Huaxia’s special forces closing in, about ten kilometers away. Huh, there’s a Huaxia soldier driving a horse cart this way. Should we snipe him?”

“Ten kilometers? Too bad they’re late. Have the brothers on the perimeter fall back—get ready to cross the border.” Captain Wright sneered disdainfully. The border was right at their feet; they could leave at any time. Once they crossed, Huaxia’s special forces wouldn’t dare pursue them easily. Who says Huaxia is a forbidden zone for mercenaries? Feeling pleased, Captain Wright said casually, “Snipe him and withdraw quickly.”

“Not good, the target seems to be alert and has stopped.” The previous voice said in surprise.

“Forget it, withdraw now.” Captain Wright ordered.

……