Moreover, there is a small path behind the cave, leading to the down slope of the reverse side.
That is an excellent retreat route.
"Not a bad position."
The Hunter's deep voice echoed in the small space. He had already taken the best shooting position on the right side of the cave entrance, carefully setting the barrel end of the SV-98 sniper rifle into the rock crevice and covering it with a dark camouflage cloth to avoid any components reflecting in the moonlight.
The long silencer made the entire gun look even sleeker and more lethal.
Song Heping didn't speak, quickly removing a high-powered observation mirror and an HK416 assault rifle from his equipnt bag, also padding them with a soft cloth, gently setting them on the left side of the cave entrance.
He adjusted the focus, his view slowly sweeping over the passage below, the slopes on both sides, and further distant rolling mountains.
"Control area, southeast to northwest, covering the riverbed and approximately 150 ters of slopes on both sides. Good visibility, clear shooting range."
Song Heping whispered the observation results, as if confirming, or perhaps just talking to himself.
"Received."
The Hunter responded briefly, his eyes glued to the night vision scope, bullet already chambered, safety off, finger resting just outside the trigger guard, his whole being like a frozen sculpture, with barely noticeable breathing.
The two quickly completed their battle readiness, turning this small cave into a concealed and deadly fire point.
Now, all that was left was to wait.
Ti ticked away silently.
The only sounds in the valley were the wind whistling through the rock crevices and the occasional low chirping of unknown insects.
This deathly silence before a major battle often tests one's nerves more than the gunfire itself.
Song Heping withdrew the observation mirror, rubbing his slightly sore eyes.
He glanced at the serene Hunter beside him, rock-steady, and suddenly spoke, his voice so low it almost blended with the wind:
"Hunter, there's a question I've always wanted to ask you."
"Go ahead, boss."
The Hunter's response was extrely concise, most of his attention still focused in the scope's view.
"Over the years, the company should have given you enough money to live comfortably as a wealthy gentleman anywhere in the world for the rest of your life, right? Why do you still follow , taking on jobs where you're always on the line?"
Song Heping's tone carried a hint of curiosity.
"This doesn't seem like the typical retirent life after achieving financial freedom."
The Hunter was silent for a few seconds, as if organizing his words, or perhaps just not wanting to be distracted.
After a mont, he slowly spoke: "Back when I had no money... I thought money was omnipotent. That with it, you could buy everything, dignity, happiness, won... everything you want."
He paused, seemingly reminiscing: "Do you rember when I went back ho the year before last? Actually, after going back, I visited many other places too, Switzerland, Monaco... I bought things I always wanted but couldn't bring myself to buy, went places I wanted to go but never did, and t won I wanted to et."
"And then?" Song Heping pressed on.
"Then?"
The Hunter chuckled, a bit self-deprecating.
"Then I realized, it was just so damn pointless. Spending money felt great, but afterward, it was just the sa. Lying in a king-sized bed in a five-star hotel, staring at the ceiling, felt emptier than sleeping in a hammock in the rainforest. The n and won surrounding you had nothing in their eyes except for money. I even started to miss the old folks, and the days with you and the old gang."
As he spoke, he lightly adjusted the sniper rifle's angle: "At least back then, I knew why I was alive, why I pulled the trigger. The adrenaline was real, the comrades behind were real, even the danger... was real. It was much more genuine than those fake thrills built with money."
Song Heping was silent.
He understood this feeling.
In fact, the battlefield is like a drug, it can be addictive.
The extre experience of dancing on the edge of life and death, the pure camaraderie of fighting alongside dear friends, once you get used to it, it's hard to forget.
Returning to a mundane daily life, instead, gives off an intolerable feeling of emptiness and discomfort.
"And you, boss?" For once, the Hunter asked in return, "Do you miss ho? Your real ho, your motherland."
Song Heping's body stiffened slightly.
He looked towards the sky outside the cave, gradually dyed in ink, his gaze sowhat unfocused.
For a long while, he softly said, "I do. How could I not."
Images of his hotown, the small county town, quiet and clean streets, and siblings he hadn't seen in years flashed in his mind...
All these images seed covered in a thick layer of dust, distant and unreal.
"But…"
His voice carried a hint of bitterness.
"My identity is too sensitive now. KB Leader... International rcenaries leader... arms dealer... war profiteer... I can't even count how many labels have been pinned on . Go back? Go back for what? To give my siblings trouble?"
He shook his head: "Forget it. So roads, once taken, have no return. Here..."
He said, pointing to the gun in his hand.
"...this is my ho."
The Hunter seed like he wanted to say sothing, but it eventually just turned into a barely audible sigh.
The cave returned to silence, leaving only the interwoven sound of their breathing.
This oppressive quiet continued for about ten minutes.
Suddenly, the Hunter whispered a single word: "They're here."
Though light, his voice cut through the cave's silence like lightning across the night sky.
Song Heping imdiately leaned forward, eyes glued to the observation mirror.
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