"Thirty-five million did actually arrive?"
As soon as Song Heping finished the call, Jiang Feng eagerly inquired.
"The funds really did arrive. I confird it with Ferrari. He was just as puzzled."
Song Heping turned to Nura and Antonov, "The current situation is that soone has paid 35 million US Dollars, and it has already arrived. The requirent is for us to act as rcenaries for Dr. Maria. I suppose you're aware of her wishes, which are to rescue all these villagers. Now I need manpower. Since you are not my employees, I can't force you. If you want to withdraw, you may leave on your own."
Antonov was the first to react, "How much is the reward?"
Song Heping smiled, "The reward will be equally divided among those participating in this operation. I won't take more than my share."
Antonov turned around and started counting heads.
"... Nura, Song, Jiang... Hiss—"
He gasped, delight spreading across his face.
"Four of us, each gets over eight million dollars?"
"Stop daydreaming!"
Nura interjected, dampening the excitent.
"You need to survive to spend it! In this situation, if we run into a rebel force along the way, getting entangled would leave us no chance to escape. Look at them..."
Nura pointed at the unard villagers.
"There are only four of us! Over two hundred villagers with no experience, plus twenty with varying degrees of injury. Do you think we can break through?!"
Antonov's enthusiasm was quickly quenched by Nura's tirade.
"Count in."
Danny's voice ca from behind, and Song Heping wasn't surprised at all.
For both emotional and logical reasons, he would help.
"Alright, you'll get a share."
Song Heping turned around and saw Danny, who had already geared up with a gun slung over his back and an old marching pack, fully ard and ready.
"Our biggest concern right now is the wounded. Maria, imdiately check on the injured. Those with minor injuries who can walk on their own should do so; those who can't, have soone use a stretcher or assist them."
"Okay, I'll arrange it right away."
Seeing that Song Heping accepted the job and was already making arrangents, Maria didn't dare delay. She imdiately called the villagers to assign manpower and gather the stretchers.
"Everyone, listen to , look here!"
Song Heping raised his hands and waved them, shouting to get the villagers' attention.
The villagers' eyes all turned to Song Heping.
"Raise your hands if you've ever handled or fired a gun! Especially the young people!"
Swish, thirty hands shot up from the crowd.
"Quite a few..."
Song Heping was surprised.
But he thought about it and understood.
This is Africa.
In Africa, it's rare for soone not to have handled a gun, especially in conflict zones.
In this wretched place of Sudan, conflicts erupt every few years, and the locals more or less learn to shoot for self-defense.
"Any professional military training?"
Song Heping continued to ask.
This ti, no one raised their hand.
"Hiss—"
Jiang Feng's face turned grim, and he couldn't help but rub his chin.
"We're screwed, just a bunch of amateurs, maybe okay for hunting but fighting in a war, no way."
Song Heping said, "It's better than nothing."
Then he added, "You and Antonov quickly take them around the village to scavenge weapons and ammunition from the dead. Also, ask the young and strong to carry more water and food, and see if any rebel vehicles are still usable. We need to organize and head north imdiately."
"Got it."
Jiang Feng took the task and imdiately led Antonov and the villagers to collect scattered weapons.
This ti, over a hundred ard fighters were killed, all carrying weapons.
And there were two ard pickups, each mounted with Desheka heavy machine guns.
But the biggest issue was ammunition.
After the earlier battle, the ammo left on the corpses was quite limited.
The two pickups had less than two boxes of Desheka heavy machine gun bullets left, likely insufficient to fend off another attack.
The situation wasn't optimistic.
But given the circumstances, Song Heping had no choice.
Securing weapons and ammunition was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
Without these, Song Heping, no matter how skilled, couldn't do much.
After about ten minutes, everything was arranged.
The ard fighters had arrived in five trucks and two pickups, plus Song Heping's Jeep, giving enough space to cram in the 200 people, though packed like sardines.
Seeing the situation, Song Heping frowned.
If an attack occurs midway, a burst of bullets would tear through them.
"This won't work..." Jiang Feng also realized the problem, "Any attack, and the casualties will be heavy."
"Hmm..."
Song Heping furrowed his brows, pondering while looking at the bodies of the ard fighters around.
"I have an idea..."
After another ten minutes, a Jeep and an ard pickup left the village, heading north along a dirt road.
A minute later, five trucks followed, clattering along the dirt road.
Lastly, another ard pickup.
In the lead Jeep, Song Heping wore the red beret from the dead ard group commander, which he had plucked onto his own head.
He was now wearing the upper garnt taken from the dead commander, covering his original clothes.
Paired with his Type 56 assault rifle and Type 63 ammo belt, from a distance, he looked indistinguishable from a mber of the ard group.
The lead vehicle had Nura and Song Heping.
The second vehicle, the ard pickup, had Antonov and Jiang Feng, who manned the machine gun in the truck bed.
The rear ard pickup had Maria driving, and Danny manning the gun.
The thirty-so villagers capable of handling weapons were dispersed among the five trucks, sitting in or on top of the cabs for easy shooting if needed.
This was the best Song Heping could co up with.
"Nura, don't be nervous."
Looking at the sweat forming on Nura's forehead, Song Heping tried to reassure her, "If we see ard personnel ahead, we stop imdiately. If they notice us and there are few, I'll let you keep going; if there are many, we'll have the machine gun take care of them."
"Got it..."
Nura nodded, her face covered, hiding her expression from Song Heping.
But her eyes showed little fear.
"You didn't have to stay, you know. You could have gone to Ethiopia," Song Heping said, "No need to risk it with us."
"I was heading to Ethiopia to get to Somalia. I need to go there because you promised revenge."
Nura's logic was clear.
"If you die, who will help ? Our tribe? They can't take down Abdul..."
It made sense.
But Song Heping knew Nura wasn't being entirely truthful.
"Do you have a thing for that woman?"
Seeing Song Heping remain silent, Nura asked an abrupt question.
"Huh? Which woman?"
"The lady doctor."
Nura didn't even want to ntion Maria by na.
"Oh... You an Maria?"
"Yes."
"How could I? We just t a few hours ago."
"Then why are you taking such risks for her?"
"Didn't I take her money? It's about credibility, you know? A man's credibility!"
"I don't believe you."
"Wait... Why are you asking this?"
"Ah..."
Nura was at a loss for words.
She suddenly realized she had gotten too involved.
What was her status?
What right did she have to ask such questions?
"Attention, people ahead!"
In the passenger seat, Song Heping issued a warning, gripping his Type 56 assault rifle.
About a hundred ters ahead, several ard figures appeared in view.
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