Task 049

Using the Caesar Mercenary Group to hold back Li Changjiang and the Eagle Lion Mercenary Corps was, in fact, a poor idea, though Hamis seemed completely unaware of this.

"General Hamis!"

Upon seeing Hamis, Barty’s face quickly transformed into another expression entirely. Yet the fleeting glimmer of murderous intent in his eyes did not escape Hamis’s notice.

“Li, the thing you asked me to find has been located. Eliza, take Li over there.”

“Yes, General.”

Li Changjiang cast a glance at Barty; it was obvious he had never asked Hamis to find anything. Still, he followed Eliza out.

Behind them, Barty frowned. It was clear that the relationship between Hamis and the man from China was not simply that of employer and mercenary. Furthermore, he had not been able to locate any trace of the other members of the Eagle Lion Mercenary Corps.

“General Hamis, I must admit I’m curious why you would allow an Asian to take part in a war he’s never experienced. I doubt he has the capability to handle the battle to come.”

Compared to the Caesar Mercenary Group, renowned for their experience and reputation on the African battlefield, Li Changjiang was virtually unknown—even across the entire African war zone, the presence of a single Chinese was rare.

Yet, in the eyes of most mercenaries, China was a forbidden realm—a land closed to outsiders. Naturally, the elite Chinese units remained shrouded in mystery; no one underestimated the courage and skill of their soldiers on the battlefield.

But Barty, due to his own prejudices, had always harbored little goodwill towards Asians, especially the Chinese.

“Mr. Barty, that isn’t your concern. I would like you to focus on how to obtain evidence that Halide killed Abler, and, of course, proof of his dealings with the Americans.”

It was evident Hamis did not trust Barty and the Caesar Mercenary Group entirely. The only reason he accepted their presence was for the intelligence Barty possessed.

Having followed Eliza into the command center, Li Changjiang immediately sensed something was amiss.

“Li, you must leave here at once—immediately!”

Eliza suddenly turned, closed the door, and stared at Li Changjiang with an intensity that brooked no argument.

“Do you understand? ****!”

“Eliza, tell me—why did Hamis bring in the Caesar Mercenary Group?”

Li Changjiang’s question seemed to stray from her warning, but he could not help but be suspicious. The collaboration between the Caesar Mercenary Group and the Libyan rebels would not have ended so abruptly—Hamis was certainly aware of this. Unless—

“Tell me!”

Eliza’s gaze suddenly grew flustered.

“Li, you don’t need to know—”

“Tell me!”

“Abler is dead. The rebels are now under Halide’s control!”

“Halide?”

So there was indeed a problem.

A Libyan face flashed through Li Changjiang’s mind. It was him! He quickly recalled who Halide was.

“Halide was the rebel frontline commander. According to intelligence, Abler’s body has been found on the outskirts of Benghazi. Halide has now taken over the rebels. General Hamis believes there is a conspiracy, and that the Caesar Mercenary Group is at the heart of it.”

Barty?

Li Changjiang was momentarily stunned, but soon understood why Hamis would suspect this. The Caesar Mercenary Group had been working for the rebels since the war began. Unless there had been an irreparable conflict, they would never have switched to the government forces. This likely involved the Americans; Li Changjiang had once heard from Williams that Caesar maintained close ties with the US North Africa Command.

In the Libyan civil war, the US openly supported the rebels. If Caesar was now aiding the government, there could only be one reason: their relationship with the Americans had fractured. Their claim of switching sides for payment was a façade; their real motive was survival.

Having quickly pieced this together, Li Changjiang said nothing, but turned to leave—only to feel Eliza’s grip tighten on his left arm.

“Eliza?”

“You must leave this place!”

Her sudden outburst left Li Changjiang perplexed.

“Why?”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Before Eliza could respond, someone knocked on the door, which was immediately pushed open. Hamis was shoved into the room, his eyes fixed on Li Changjiang.

“Li, I need you to carry out a mission. If you succeed, our agreed timeline will be cut in half.”

With that, Hamis waved his hand. A Silver Eagle guard stepped forward, retrieved a code-locked case from beneath a metal table, and, at Hamis’s signal, opened it. Li Changjiang needed only a glance to know what was inside.

US dollars. A large sum.

In the past, perhaps Li Changjiang might have been tempted. But now, he understood all too well: money meant nothing if you weren’t alive to spend it.

“There’s a million US dollars here. Complete the mission, and I’ll pay you the other half. But if you fail—”

From the corner of his eye, Li Changjiang saw Eliza shaking her head at him.

“I can do without the money—but you must promise, if I succeed, I will be allowed to leave Libya. And—”

Li Changjiang seemed to hesitate.

Hamis’s gaze flickered briefly over Eliza’s face; though subtle, her gesture did not escape his notice.

“Let her come with me.”

At these words, Hamis’s eyes, which had been half-closed, snapped open, fixing on Li Changjiang.

“Eliza?”

“Yes, Eliza. Let her come with me.”

The air seemed to freeze, thick and oppressive, making it hard to breathe. Eliza could hear her own heart racing in her chest—no one knew better than she the fate that awaited those who betrayed Hamis.

Yet Li Changjiang now displayed a sudden, unshakeable resolve.

He was gambling, testing the significance of the mission Hamis needed him to undertake.

“Very well. I agree!”

Hamis’s response took both Li Changjiang and Eliza by surprise, so tense had the atmosphere become.

“Not only Eliza—the Caesar Mercenary Group will accompany you as well. I don’t care what grudges exist between you; I expect you to complete this mission.”

Just as he suspected.

Watching Hamis’s retreating back, a heavy cloud of suspicion gathered in Li Changjiang’s mind.

He had known all along that things wouldn’t be so simple. Having the Caesar men along was surely no good omen.

As Eliza watched with lingering anxiety, Li Changjiang opened the envelope in his hand. A single glance at its contents was enough to make his expression change slightly.

“Surt!”

So that was the place!

What on earth was Hamis up to?

Could it be—?

Almost instantly, Li Changjiang recalled something he’d heard on the radio in the past few days, and a spark of realization flashed through him.

Surt. This mission was far from straightforward.

(Today, I redesigned the structure a bit, to avoid being censored!)