0128 International Arms Deal

"All right, I understand." Sitting up and leaning against the makeshift wooden bed, Hou Rui reached out for the cup of camel milk, only to discover that his hands were wrapped in gauze, with a faint, throbbing sensation of swelling and stinging.

Perhaps guessing Hou Rui’s thoughts, Judy carefully held the cup of camel milk to his lips to feed him while explaining, "Lieutenant Colonel Timo’s accompanying medic has examined the burns on your hands, Second Lieutenant. He says it is not serious; the bones and tendons are fine. He has already applied ointment, and he expects that new skin and flesh will grow back within one to two weeks."

Parched, Hou Rui drained the cup. He then got up, changed his clothes, and left the room to see Lieutenant Colonel Timo.

When Hou Rui reached the fortress’s master bedroom—which had belonged to Captain Mulu but was now temporarily requisitioned by Lieutenant Colonel Timo—the old man had evidently just woken up as well. Several of the Lieutenant Colonel’s coalition soldiers were carrying out the corpse of the girl who had won the warrior selection the previous night. As he brushed past them, Hou Rui caught a glimpse under the sheet: the poor girl’s stomach had been ripped open.

Another damn pervert.

With a stoic expression, Hou Rui stood before the Lieutenant Colonel. Only after Hou Rui saluted did the Lieutenant Colonel look up, saying somewhat lazily, "Awake? How are your hands? Can you still drive an armored vehicle for me?"

"No problem, sir. I am ready at any time," Hou Rui answered firmly.

"Hehehe, sit down. We don't need to leave just yet. The day after tomorrow, I have another batch of weapons to receive, and then we can return to the Core Control Zone," the Lieutenant Colonel said leisurely, sipping his coffee while briefly outlining the next steps.

After hearing this, Hou Rui wisely refrained from asking questions, standing quietly to the side as if waiting for orders. Pleased by this compliance, the Lieutenant Colonel set down his coffee cup, walked over to Hou Rui, and picked up a pistol in its holster from the table, slapping it firmly onto Hou Rui’s chest. "There, this is yours now."

Hou Rui knew without looking that this must be the Beretta 92 automatic pistol the Lieutenant Colonel had gifted to Sergeant Kun the previous night. Since Hou Rui had finished off the sergeant, the reward now belonged to him.

"Thank you, sir." Since his hands were incapacitated, Hou Rui could only cradle the holster and pistol in his arms.

"It’s nothing. Second Lieutenant Douglas, you have proven yourself. You are a rare talent for the Alliance. As long as you continue to assist me, one day you will surely be able to take Mulu’s place."

Such classic platitudes were completely ineffective on Hou Rui, though to play his part, he managed to squeeze out a look of greed and longing. Soon after, the yawning Lieutenant Colonel picked up his smoking pipe, and Hou Rui took the opportunity to leave the bedroom, not wanting to disturb the commander’s private indulgence.

The next morning, as soon as Hou Rui and Judy stepped outside, they saw a small figure waiting. Following the Lieutenant Colonel’s instructions, "Little Camel" had been transferred from the child soldier unit to Hou Rui’s command. However, Hou Rui understood that the real reason for this was that the Lieutenant Colonel viewed the boy as a successful result of his training, likely intending to take him back to the Core Control Zone to showcase, replicate, and promote the program.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Hou Rui ruffled the boy’s hair, then prepared to go with Judy to check on the *Alacran*. He remembered clearly the fate of the previous driver of that armored vehicle, and he had no intention of following in that Latin American fellow’s footsteps.

Before they could even leave the fortress, one of the Lieutenant Colonel’s adjutants hurried over. "Second Lieutenant Douglas, Lieutenant Colonel Timo requests that you prepare immediately. In ten minutes, the entire force will advance toward Captain Larr’s defense sector."

"What’s wrong? What happened?" Hou Rui asked, watching the adjutant, who was about to rush off after delivering the order.

"Nothing, Second Lieutenant. Just go prepare," the adjutant tried to hedge.

"Has there been a problem with the trade?" Hou Rui asked, a flash of insight hitting him.

Realizing Hou Rui already knew, the adjutant finally admitted, "Yes. The damned Ethiopians insisted on moving the trade up. The Lieutenant Colonel is annoyed, but the Alliance needs these rocket launchers, so we have to leave early and get there as quickly as possible."

"Understood. I will prepare to leave immediately." Hou Rui let the adjutant go and turned to Judy. "Pack your things. I’ll see you at the vehicle in five minutes."

"Second Lieutenant... are you taking me with you?" Judy was shocked. For years, she had been a living toy to Captain Mulu, passed to coalition officers more times than she could count. Hou Rui was the first person who intended to take her away rather than heartlessly discard her.

"Do you not want to?"

"No, no, I just—"

"Then go pack. Remember, you have five minutes. Don’t bring useless things like clothes or shoes; just carry your sidearm."

"Okay!" The jubilant Judy turned and ran. Hou Rui then grabbed Little Camel. "Little one, go call Little Sheep and Stone. We’ll meet at the armored vehicle."

"Yes, sir!" Little Camel, already equipped with an AK-47, darted off.

Left alone, Hou Rui picked up his 3800 camera and his two pistols. He felt not a shred of attachment to the small town.

Five minutes later, the four members of Hou Rui’s small group were inside the *Alacran*. Three of the Lieutenant Colonel’s non-commissioned officers climbed in as well, and the convoy quickly moved out, heading southwest.

After several hours, the convoy left the area controlled by Captain Mulu’s troops. Soon, another powerful captain of the Alliance, Captain Larr, personally led a convoy of three transport trucks and four armed pickup trucks to rendezvous with them, after which they all continued southwest.

By dusk, Hou Rui, who hadn't even had time for lunch, drove the *Alacran* into a hidden valley. Traces of a border outpost once established by the Somali government were still faintly visible, but the site had now become a venue for weapon trades between the Liberation Alliance and the Ethiopians.

"Second Lieutenant, do you see those large, human-height rocks ahead?" a coalition sergeant in the passenger seat asked, pointing them out.

"I see them. The three rocks clustered together?" To the left of Hou Rui’s line of sight, three massive boulders formed a natural vehicle bunker.

"Right. We’ll park there. It looks like the Ethiopians haven't arrived yet, which gives us time to set up."

*Squeak.* As soon as the *Alacran* pulled into position, the armed pickups behind it fanned out in a semi-circle, creating a loose perimeter about 150 meters wide in the valley. They surrounded the Lieutenant Colonel and the transport trucks. As for the Lieutenant Colonel’s only heavy firepower—a 60mm recoilless rifle—it had already disappeared, likely hidden in a position advantageous for an ambush.

Captain Larr, having arrived with the reinforcements, jumped out of his vehicle. The lean man shouted in the local dialect, directing his soldiers to establish a skirmish line along the pickup trucks. He also sent several men with rifles to hide among the nearby rocks. Finally, a heavily defended position facing southwest, with a sensible mix of light and heavy firepower, was established.

Seeing Larr’s arrangements, the Lieutenant Colonel, still sitting in his SUV, seemed satisfied. He lowered his window to offer a few words of praise and handed Larr a cigarette; the usually stoic captain managed a rare smile.

Over the next two hours, the soldiers in the valley were ordered to rest and eat, preparing for the trade with the Ethiopians.

As the sky grew completely dark, Hou Rui asked the sergeant in the passenger seat with some concern, "What time was the trade scheduled for? Can it still proceed in this darkness?"

"There are American satellites in the sky, and Ethiopian government jets patrol from time to time, so we always schedule these trades at night, usually around ten o'clock. It should be the same this time. Don't worry, Second Lieutenant. These Ethiopians are greedy, but they are always punctual for trades."

The sergeant had clearly been with the Lieutenant Colonel for a long time and seemed experienced with such transactions. Since he was told to wait, Hou Rui had no choice but to comply.

At 9:45 PM, the faint sound of engines drifted from the southwest entrance of the valley. A long line of headlights began to appear in the view of Hou Rui and the others. The Ethiopians had finally arrived!

Watching the approaching convoy, Hou Rui counted silently. One, two... twenty-one. There were twenty-one vehicles in total, five more than their own. The disparity in strength was significant. Would there be any trouble?

However, Hou Rui reconsidered: they were delivering weapons for a trade, so a larger number of vehicles was normal. Besides, the cunning old Lieutenant Colonel didn't seem nervous, so Hou Rui decided he didn't need to overthink it.

As Hou Rui pondered, the opposing convoy stopped before the Alliance forces, at a distance of about 600 to 700 meters.