Henry Clark didn’t move, and seemed not to have heard, still standing there hesitating and pondering.

　　Not done yet? James Lane gave a wry smile to himself, stood waiting, wondering what other questions this kid could possibly come up with, or if he planned to struggle a bit more.

　　“So, um, do we get paid?” At last, Henry Clark spoke.

　　For a moment, almost everyone couldn’t help but grin.

　　“...Yes, and it’s not a low salary.” James Lane’s eyes showed even more approval, his gaze gentle as he said, “You can have it sent to your parents in the future.”

　　“Okay.” Henry Clark nodded. “And if I die after I go?”

　　“Normal sacrifice, merit, compensation.” James Lane answered calmly.

　　“So, how much money would that be?”

　　“...It depends on the situation.”

　　“Could I get some in advance? My family’s in a tough spot, they borrowed a lot for my schooling.” Henry Clark explained, “I was supposed to go to college. And I’m their only child... I just saved you.”

　　“...” James Lane paused. “How much do you want?”

　　“Two, five... ten thousand.”

　　“Bold of you, trying to become a ten-thousand-yuan household in one go... Do you even know how much ten thousand yuan is, kid?” James Lane said, hesitating and thinking for a moment. “Even if we give it to you, what will you tell your family? And how would your family explain it to outsiders?”

　　Henry Clark: “We’re rural folks, we don’t show off our money. If we have any, we keep it hidden, we won’t go blabbing. As for a reason... special talent, special recruitment into the army, family subsidy.”

　　“Pushing your luck.” James Lane cursed, then gave a wry smile and said, “Fine, I’ll ask about it for you later, but I can’t promise how much you’ll get.”

　　Henry Clark’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, The Lane Team.”

　　This was the question he’d been pondering just now: Right now, can I... fight for something?

　　He tried, wanting to leave some money for his parents.

　　...

　　That night, in the stillness of the early hours, a sudden violent storm swept through the small mountain bay that had basked in moonlight for half the night.

　　Several spots on the chain of peaks at Fenglong’ao, said to resemble a crouching dragon, collapsed in succession.

　　Fortunately, the dense forests between the mountains and the village acted as a barrier, so the landslides didn’t turn into mudslides, nor did they cause any major loss of life or property in the village.

　　The villagers, young and old, were startled, ran out of their houses, stood in the pouring rain cursing at the mountains for a while, then went back inside to sleep, reassured.

　　Henry Clark didn’t have much time to be afraid, and naturally couldn’t sleep peacefully.

　　For him, something far bigger and more terrifying than a landslide had already happened a few hours earlier. His understanding, his fate, his future—all had suddenly been changed.

Chapter 5 Entrustment

　　On the winding mountain road after the rain, four off-road jeeps, front and back, rolled through the mud, moving through the night.

　　Having removed the metal case from his back, James Lane sat in one of the vehicles, along with the wounded, the spoils of battle, and some squad members, heading to the nearest aid station in the area, which also served as a resource collection and supply point.

　　The mood in the car was a bit low, due to the shock of the earlier battle, and even more so because of the brothers they’d lost.

　　“That thing” was showing up more and more often. In the area where their 752nd squad was stationed, they used to go on missions only once or twice a year at most, but this year, in just the past eight months, they’d already been out four times, losing eleven brothers.

　　This wasn’t just happening in the 752 area; rumor had it that many places were seeing the same trend.

　　It seemed to signal something, like the old saying: “A storm is coming, and the wind fills the building.” But since there was no official word from above yet, all they could do was focus on their own duties.

　　“The Lane Team.” Someone in the car spoke up, seemingly to break the heavy mood, and said with a smile, “That kid’s pretty interesting... When he started saying two and five, do you think he was going to say hundred or thousand? Then he suddenly switched to ten thousand—he’s got guts.”

　　Everyone in the car chuckled knowingly. James Lane did too.

　　“A rural kid, ten thousand yuan... that’s a huge amount. He nearly lost his life, and still dared to ask for it.”

　　“Wants money more than his life—at least he’s honest.”

　　“Yeah. But then again, what right does he have to bargain with our The Lane Team?”

　　“He doesn’t need any right.” In the midst of the chatter, James Lane spoke, picking up the thread, “It’s because he’s faced life and death that he used his last bit of courage to fight for some security for his family’s future... Maybe he’s their only child. Thinking of death before thinking of life... He’s a good kid.”

　　Of course, James Lane didn’t know that the good kid had actually considered strangling him while he was unconscious.

　　The Lane Team liked the kid, maybe even admired him. Everyone in the car could tell.

　　“So, The Lane Team, are you really going to help him apply for that special army recruitment subsidy?” The driver turned his head, curious. “I don’t think our coalition army has that rule, right?”

　　The Azure Coalition Army was, in a sense, global in nature—united in goals and mission, fighting together, and complementing each other in terms of economy and resources.

　　Among them, the Chinese-Asian Republic, responsible for defending vast lands and a huge population, had always received ample allocations and aid from the coalition’s central command.