Chapter 99: Pangolin Meat

With his company ransacked and Zhang Hua taken hostage, Yang Jiekai chose to compromise. He instructed Qin Feng and his men to take the money to ransom the captive, strictly ordering them to endure any insults or beatings and to avoid any conflict with Blind Wu at all costs.

Qin Feng and the others were deeply confused by this; even the usually reticent Old Gun felt that such a move was far too cowardly. Yang Jiekai offered little explanation, only telling them to follow his instructions exactly. As he thought of Blind Wu, a trace of imperceptible coldness flickered in his eyes. This time, Blind Wu had truly infuriated him. When Yang Jiekai returned, it would be the end for him.

"My dear, I have to go away for a few days. Take care of yourself, and wait for my return."

After sending this message, Yang Jiekai turned off his phone and tossed it into a trash can at the airport.

Southeast Asia, Country M.

As soon as Yang Jiekai stepped off the plane, he felt refreshed, a stark contrast to the smog-filled air he was accustomed to in China. He found a cafe, ordered a cup of the local specialty black coffee, and sipped the rich, bitter brew at a leisurely pace, as if waiting for something.

About half an hour later, a stranger approached him. "Are you Mr. Yang Jiekai?"

Yang Jiekai gave a slight nod. The man provided an address and said, "What you need is there. You can pick it up at any time."

Yang Jiekai nodded. "Thanks. Tell the old man when you go back that I owe him one."

The stranger glanced at him and walked away. The address was not a hidden location, but a locker at a bathhouse. Yang Jiekai retrieved a large duffel bag, checked into a hotel, locked the door, and opened the bag. He couldn't help but smile. He didn't know the background of that old man, but he was truly reliable. The bag contained the world's most sophisticated field gear and a disassembled high-precision sniper rifle; the cost of the items in this bag alone was astronomical.

With weapons and gear secured, all that remained was to find his target. The "Sniper King" Moska, known as the Ghost Sniper, was elusive and unpredictable. However, this did not stump Yang Jiekai. Country M was currently in utter chaos, with countless armed factions carving out their own territories and locked in fierce combat. People like Moska loved war, for in the eyes of a mercenary, war was gold.

Of course, Yang Jiekai did not know which faction currently employed Moska, so he chose a direct approach: join the war.

Dongbang County, located in the southern part of Country M, was dense with forests and served as the territory of the Wagang warlords. The Wagang Army was one of the many factions, occupying one city and four counties, with Dongbang serving as their headquarters.

"What is wrong with you people? A bunch of useless trash! With so many men, you still can't beat a single small enemy detachment? Send in two more battalions! Charge! If you don't take Hill No. 3, don't bother coming back—bring me your heads!"

A middle-aged man with a thick beard and military fatigues roared into the phone before slamming it onto the ground, his face contorted with rage.

Hill No. 3 was a strategic height not far from the Wagang Army’s territory. It had been within their grasp, but two days ago, a special operations detachment from the enemy had somehow infiltrated, wiped out the Wagang command post, and destroyed the artillery positions they had painstakingly set up. He could not afford to lose this strategic point. He had organized multiple offensives, only to be repelled by that tiny enemy unit every time.

The middle-aged man exhaled a long breath, lit a cigar, and forced himself to calm down. After a while, he opened his eyes and dialed a number. "Sade, how much combat strength do we have left?"

A deep, powerful voice answered from the other end. "Reporting to Commander Zaka, we have three regiments left. One is guarding the rear, another is defending against the government forces to the west, and the third is currently assaulting Hill No. 2. As per your orders, two battalions have already been sent in."

Zaka took a deep breath. "Not enough. That is nowhere near enough. Find a way to recruit some mercenaries immediately. Remember, don't worry about the price. Find me experts—no more rabble!"

"Understood, Commander!"

About ten minutes later, the phone rang again. Zaka, who had been resting his eyes, picked it up. "Sade, what is it?" His voice trembled; lately, he dreaded every call, as each one brought news of failure.

"Reporting, Commander, I've found a mercenary, but..."

"Why so fast?" Zaka frowned. "But what?"

Sade hesitated on the other end. "He’s only one man, and he approached us himself!"

"Bullshit!"

Zaka exploded in anger, but before he could vent, a young man's voice came through the phone. "Commander Zaka, I am the mercenary you want to hire. Although I am only one man, I can help you take Hill No. 2 first, then we can talk about payment."

The man paused slightly before adding, "I don't need a deposit. If the mission fails, I will take full responsibility."

Zaka was stunned. Mercenaries usually demanded a deposit, but this man not only refused pay upfront but claimed he could capture the height alone—and he was only one person!

"Fine! If you can complete the mission, I will pay you five hundred thousand US dollars!"

After his initial shock, Zaka agreed. He wouldn't pass up a low-risk, high-reward deal like this. Even if the man failed, he had nothing to lose. "I can also provide you with a company of soldiers to command at your discretion," Zaka added.

"Heh, don't worry about that. I think they'll be more than happy to join me."

With that, Yang Jiekai hung up the phone and looked at the terrified Sade, who was drenched in a cold sweat. "Right, Captain Sade?"

"Everything is as you command, Mr. Yang."

Sade nodded frantically. This was his temporary command post, yet ten minutes ago, this man had snuck in, held a gun to his head, and forced him to make the call.

Yang Jiekai's first order was to have Sade’s men retrieve several bodies of soldiers killed by the enemy. He crouched beside the corpses, poking at the entry wounds with a small stick, looking deep in thought. Sade and his men watched in bewilderment, unsure of what he was doing.

*It couldn't be Moska,* Yang Jiekai concluded. *Moska’s marksmanship isn't that sloppy.*

After examining the bodies, he realized that while all had been killed by long-range sniper fire to the head, there were slight deviations in the entry points—deviations that, had they been just a millimeter off, might have left the victims alive. The "Sniper King" Moska would never make such a mistake.

"Mr. Yang, what should we do next?" Sade asked timidly.

Yang Jiekai stood up and rubbed his hands. "Eat. I heard the pangolin meat around here is good. Get me two, and make it extra spicy."

"What...?" Sade was stunned.

"Don't waste my time!" Yang Jiekai barked. "How can I work on an empty stomach? Also, pull back the two battalions you sent up. With your level of skill, you're just providing more target practice for the enemy."

Although he was certain it wasn't Moska, Yang Jiekai could tell from the ballistics that the enemy was a highly capable special operations unit. Hill No. 2 was thick with forest; unless they conducted carpet bombing, sheer numbers were useless. The enemy was lurking in the shadows, picking off anyone who entered.

Yang Jiekai decided to do this alone not for the five hundred thousand dollars, but to find clues about Moska. In a country as vast as this, finding a ghost was like looking for a needle in a haystack; he needed the power of the Wagang Army. He had to prove his worth, earn a voice within their ranks, and then quietly use their soldiers to scour the region for traces of Moska.

After a hearty meal, Yang Jiekai scanned the tactical map. When he finished changing and appeared before the men, Sade and his soldiers stared in awe. They didn't know his true strength, but as battle-hardened soldiers, they could feel an invisible, suffocating aura of slaughter emanating from him.

Trading his civilian clothes for camouflage, Yang Jiekai transformed into a super-soldier. He wore digital camo, American special forces boots, and carried a large-caliber high-precision sniper rifle on his shoulder. An M4 assault rifle was slung across his back, a large-caliber Desert Eagle was holstered on his right thigh, and seven or eight grenades hung from his belt.

Anyone with experience could tell at a glance that this man was a top-tier expert capable of long-, medium-, and close-range combat.

*Snap!*

Under the pressure of Yang Jiekai's presence, Sade and his soldiers instinctively snapped to attention and saluted.

"The pangolin was good," Yang Jiekai said, picking his teeth with a toothpick as he shouldered his sniper rifle. "Braise two more, extra spicy. Bring them to Hill No. 2 for me to eat when I'm done."

With that, Yang Jiekai shouldered his rifle and walked out of the camp with a swagger.