118 A Two-Million-Dollar Joke

"Damn it!"

"Nicholas, how do they know you?"

Being famous on the battlefield didn't seem to be a good thing, at least that was what Li Changjiang thought.

But it was obvious.

The Russian seemed to shine brighter than a celebrity. Damn it, this wasn't a campfire party or some goddamn song-and-dance performance; this was war.

This was war, and people died in war.

"Hey! Li, remember what I told you? I robbed Khamis's treasury. How the hell should I know how these damn mercenaries recognize me?"

Li Changjiang frowned upon hearing this; this was definitely not good news.

Sure enough.

His premonition was spot on; trouble had arrived.

After the commotion erupted, Li Changjiang saw from a distance a squad of Libyan soldiers escorting a young man as they walked straight toward them. He certainly didn't think the other party was coming to say hello.

*Click!*

The sound of a bolt being pulled back immediately drew the attention of the crowd, simultaneously making Li Changjiang and the Russian grow vigilant. Both raised their rifles in unison, and even the Western mercenaries in the distance turned their gazes toward them.

Damn it!

Damn the Russian!

The goddamn Russian!

Of all the people to provoke, he had to pick such a massive piece of trouble.

Li Changjiang had originally intended to blend into the mercenary corps and accompany Khamis's men to Misrata, using the chaos to sneak in. But after this stunt by the Russian, that plan was definitely ruined.

"You are that Russian? Nicholas?"

The visitors were hostile!

They were definitely here with ill intent!

"Damn it! Put the gun down!"

"Put the gun down!"

Li Changjiang's nerves were taut, the veins on his forehead bulging. He could even hear his own heart rate accelerating. The goddamn Libyans were pointing their guns directly at him and the Russian with exaggerated, aggressive expressions.

"Damn it!"

"Put the gun down!"

"Hey! Put the gun down!"

"Li, let's go!"

The surrounding mercenaries seemed content to just watch the spectacle, with no intention of joining the ridiculous standoff. However, the crowd became restless, and even the Westerners nearby began to swarm toward them.

Nicholas and Li Changjiang stood back-to-back, guns pointed at the Libyans, and began to retreat step by step toward the street. They both knew this was no game, but Li Changjiang was certain that if those damn Libyans really opened fire, he and the Russian would definitely not be the first to die.

"Damn it!"

"Take him down!"

The crowd began to surge.

Beads of sweat the size of peas broke out on his forehead. Li Changjiang could clearly feel his back soaked with cold sweat, his shirt sticking tightly to his skin. His heart rate was spiraling out of control, his blood pumping, his index finger locked tight on the trigger of his AK.

"What the hell! What are you doing?"

"Damn it, put the gun down! Put the guns down, all of you!"

The entire standoff lasted for nearly five minutes.

But those five minutes felt longer than five hours, or even more.

The English voice with an Arabic accent that drifted over from not far away finally allowed both men to let out a long sigh of relief. This was testing their nerves far too much.

It wasn't until a middle-aged man wearing a headscarf and a Silver Eagle medal on his chest rushed in with a group of Libyans and shoved aside the young soldiers who were confronting them that Li Changjiang slowly lowered his rifle, though his heart was still pounding violently.

Goddamn Libyans!

If he died here before the fighting even started, it would be too damn pathetic.

Li Changjiang didn't doubt for a second that if anyone had been slightly careless, a stray shot would have triggered a bloodbath. Once the shooting started, he and the Russian had absolutely no chance of walking out alive—not even a sliver of a chance.

Thrilling!

It was truly too thrilling!

Soon after.

The middle-aged man muttered something in Arabic to the Libyan soldiers. The two men then watched in astonishment as the rest of the men following the middle-aged man rushed forward and tackled the soldiers to the ground.

What the hell kind of game was this?

But Li Changjiang had no intention of stopping them. Given his temperament, he wouldn't have been satisfied until all those damn Libyans were finished off anyway.

"You are Nicholas? Nicholas Svorovich?"

The Russian and Li Changjiang exchanged a glance and then nodded.

"I am."

"Come with me. General Khamis wants to see you."

Li Changjiang tried to follow behind the Russian, but two other Silver Eagle guards stepped out and blocked his path.

Bastards!

"What are you doing?"

"Hey, Li, wait for me here!"

The Russian suddenly winked at Li Changjiang. Li Changjiang immediately understood the Russian's intention. He retreated to the side with a cold face, no longer trying to follow, but his eyes remained fixed on the two Libyan soldiers until they disappeared into the crowd.

It seemed Khamis didn't know he was in Tripoli. Li Changjiang realized this quickly, which was a bit of a surprise and, of course, saved a lot of trouble. If that bastard Khamis knew he was here and planning to join the mercenary corps, there was no telling what kind of mess it would cause.

He had witnessed Khamis's meticulous mind; the bastard would definitely have had people tailing him, and once he knew his goal was the Eagle Lion Mercenary Corps, he would surely stir up trouble.

Soon.

To Li Changjiang's surprise, the Russian walked out looking natural, and even more bizarrely, he was carrying a backpack half a person's height on his back. It was certainly not the bag he had before.

He mysteriously pulled Li Changjiang into an abandoned house nearly a hundred meters away and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Fuck! What the hell! Nicholas, where did you get all this money?"

Money!

It was all money!

And it was crisp, fresh US dollars still smelling of ink, bundled up and neatly packed in the backpack. A rough estimate suggested there was at least two million dollars in the bag, if not more.

"Two million!"

That grandson Nicholas actually grinned, looking smug, and held up two fingers to Li Changjiang.

"Two million?"

"Yes, Li, this is two million US dollars!"

Li Changjiang was stunned.

What the hell!

It really was two million!

This was two million whole dollars! It would be enough to live like a wealthy man anywhere. If money were this easy to earn, why would he be struggling? This is absolutely insane!

"But this money isn't just for us. We need to find people. That bastard Khamis doesn't want to kill me; he wants me to find an elite mercenary squad to complete a mission for him."

"What mission?"

As soon as Li Changjiang finished speaking, he saw the Russian's expression turn strange, even twitching.

"Damn it, what is the mission?"

"Rescue! Khamis wants me to find people to sneak into Misrata and rescue Elisa and that Chinese man."

"Who did you say?"

"Elisa, and that Chinese man!"

Li Changjiang was instantly dumbfounded!

"The Chinese man? Shi Junqiang?"

"Yes, that's Shi!"

At this point, Li Changjiang was completely bewildered!

It seemed this wasn't just insane; it was beyond belief. That bastard Khamis actually wanted them to rescue people, and the person to be rescued was none other than Shi Junqiang! He had even paid a commission as high as two million dollars for it. If these dollars weren't lying right before his eyes, Li Changjiang would have thought it was a joke!

A goddamn huge joke!