Mercenaries are King

Chapter 28 Lu Chen's Thoughts

Mike looked at Lu Chen intently, as if he had just heard the news. After a long while, he coughed twice and said to him, "Chen, what are your thoughts? Just say it."

Over this period of time, Lu Chen's performance has impressed him. He is intelligent, wise, calm, and quick-witted, fully meeting the standards of a commander. He has become somewhat dependent on this Chinese man.

Lu Chen sat on the stone bench and looked out of the courtyard. There were dilapidated low walls, broken houses, and an unobstructed wilderness. Apart from some cover in the jungle on the side, there was basically no defense here.

He thought of the guerrilla warfare, tunnel warfare, and even landmine warfare of his ancestors, which could be used as a reference in this war-torn country.

He said earnestly, "In terms of manpower, all able-bodied men and women will be organized, given military training, and provided with food. They will be incorporated into the ranks. For defense, low walls and bunkers will be built at the village entrance. Every household in the village will dig tunnels to connect with each other. The mountainous jungle on the side of the village will serve as support points, with tunnels dug to allow for mutual support."

"We want to transform this area into a safe fortress, a haven, and a development base. We'll establish several departments: a planning department, a construction department, a defense department, and a logistics department. The base headquarters will be responsible for all departments." He paused for a few seconds before continuing.

Mike was immediately filled with excitement and couldn't help but clap his hands, saying, "If we build it up like this, it will become a country within a country. We are absorbing the villagers from the surrounding villages and developing them into our armed forces. We will continue to expand and may even dominate the entire Maisan Province."

"That's right, you got it right away. Maybe you'll be able to surpass Blackwater and become the true king of mercenaries," Lu Chen nodded and said.

He is merely drawing on the experience of his ancestors; whether he can succeed depends on what he does next.

"I'll call them together immediately for a meeting," Mike said loudly.

He acted immediately, speaking into the walkie-talkie: "Anthony, Alex, James, Faisal, come over for a meeting right now." The walkie-talkie answered with their responses.

Lu Chen was surprised that Mike acted so decisively; his execution was exceptionally strong, which showed how deeply he was committed to his ideals.

At this moment, Adila woke up, walked out of the basement, went to Lu Chen's side, hugged his arm, and said sweetly, "Chen, when are you going to take me home? If it goes on for too long, I'm afraid something will happen to my father."

Lu Chen had mixed feelings about this woman. He didn't actually like foreign women, but being in a foreign country, he couldn't avoid it. Now he was somewhat passively accepting it, especially since he had agreed to her mission.

He thought for a moment and said, "Let's set off today." Now that the decision was made, they should get on with it immediately. As for the construction issues, they could leave them to Faisal.

"That's great, I love you to death!" Adile clapped her hands and said, then jumped up and kissed Lu Chen.

At this moment, Anthony, James, Alex, and Faisal arrived and witnessed the scene. Anthony coughed loudly and said, "Boss, why did you call us over so urgently? You didn't want to see them showing off their love, did you?"

Lu Chen gave a wry smile, patted Adile on the shoulder and said, "Alright, go wash your face over there and eat something."

Adile, also a female soldier, wasn't so pretentious. She nodded and walked to the side.

Mike clapped his hands at everyone and said, "Come on, everyone, let's have a meeting."

Lu Chen and the others gathered around the stone table.

James said casually, "Boss, what's going on? Why are you being so mysterious? It's not like you're announcing your new relationship, is it?"

"Does Shen's relationship even need to be announced? Everyone's already seen it," Alex said with a smile.

"Alright, stop arguing, Lu Chen, you explain it to everyone properly." Mike waved his hand and said. He originally wanted to explain it himself, but after thinking about it, he felt that his understanding was not thorough enough, especially regarding tunnel warfare, which was something he had never heard of before.

Lu Chen didn't stand on ceremony. He nodded and said, "We should build our own base. Gangdi Town will be our base. What we need to do is, first, develop our military strength. All able-bodied men and women in the village should be organized, given guns and ammunition, and trained. Second, build defenses. Set up bunkers at the village entrances and exits, with dedicated personnel to guard them. Set up sentry posts in the jungle on the side of the village to conduct reconnaissance and assist in defense. The most important thing is to dig tunnels. Every household should dig tunnels and connect them to the jungle on the side. This way, we can attack and defend, and silently eliminate any invading enemies."

He paused for a moment and continued, "I suggest establishing a base headquarters, with Mike as the head and everyone here as members. We should also establish a construction department and a logistics department, with Faisal in charge."

After he finished speaking, everyone except Mike was completely dumbfounded. What was he trying to do? Was he building a country? Why was he developing armed forces, building defenses, and even digging tunnels?

James shouted, "What's the point of this base? It must cost a lot of money!"

Anthony shoved James, glared at him, and said with a smile, "I support the boss's and Lu Chen's opinions."

Alex gave a wry smile and said, "I support that too, but could you please offer some commission?"

Lu Chen knew what everyone was worried about. They were worried that if the commissions they earned with their lives were used for construction, they wouldn't get a share. After all, who doesn't work in this industry for money?

You say you're protecting this and that, but they don't give you any commission.

It's normal to hesitate and worry, but some things aren't resolved just because you get the commission, especially in this country. Once the mission is completed, you'll often face retaliation from militants unless you leave the country.

For mercenaries, the only opportunities to make money are in war-torn countries and countries at war.

Therefore, to make money, you need a base and strong support.

He looked at Mike, and seeing that he didn't speak, he stood up, looked at everyone, and said loudly, "We are mercenaries, risking our lives to earn money. The mortality rate is very high, but why is Blackwater's mortality rate so low? It's because they have their own base. They are powerful enough that even if they kill Rahman, they won't dare to retaliate."

"Don't you all want to become an organization as powerful as Blackwater? I certainly do." He paused for a moment before continuing.

"Damn, who wouldn't want that? I dream about it all the time," James said loudly.

Alex and Anthony both agreed.

Mike waved for everyone to quiet down. He looked at the group and said loudly, "Lu Chen's suggestion is excellent. If we don't want to be bullied or chased all over the world by enemies, we must have a powerful armed force. Maybe we are weak now, but I believe that in the near future, we will be very strong. Strong enough that Blackwater can't do anything to us."

"I'm not interested in your construction. I only care about when you send me home and when I'll carry out my mission," Adile said loudly as he walked over.

There's a problem with Chapter 29.

Everyone looked at Adile; this woman was now their sugar daddy, and no one dared to offend her.

Lu Chen wasn't going to put up with her, and said coldly, "We're discussing something, we'll talk about your business later."

Adile was a little unhappy and glared at Lu Chen.

Mike quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, "We'll set off by this afternoon at the latest, and we'll definitely get you back before dark."

Adile gave Lu Chen a deep look before walking out of the courtyard.

Lu Chen looked at him and shook his head. This woman had a very strange and unstable temper. Luckily, he hadn't had a relationship with her, otherwise, it would be hard to say.

"Chen, go and comfort her." Alex pointed at Adile.

"You go if you want," Lu Chen said rudely.

After he finished speaking, he took out paper and pen and began to draw. He quickly drew the structure of the tunnel and handed it to Faisal.

"Take this and dig the tunnel according to this plan. Make sure the tunnel is sturdy enough," Lu Chen said seriously.

Faisal took the structural diagram and examined it very carefully.

After that, Mike and the others didn't have much to do. They just had to provide the money, weapons, and personnel; everything was handled by Faisal.

Mike patted Faisal on the shoulder and said, "The base construction will be your responsibility from now on. In the meantime, we'll be escorting Adil to Baghdadi village."

Faisal was happy to do this, especially since it was also to protect the village. With the werewolf mercenary group around, they had already survived several waves of war. Now they had weapons, money, and manpower, and everything was ready for them to slowly develop.

He quickly said loudly, "Boss, don't worry, all of this will be built by the time you come back."

Mike nodded at him, then turned to Lu Chen and the others, and said loudly, "Check the equipment, prepare the supplies, and we'll depart in an hour."

After he finished speaking, he waved to Lu Chen and pointed at Adile.

Lu Chen lit a cigarette, took two deep drags, exhaled a smoke ring, and strode outside, where he saw Adile standing in front of a pickup truck.

He strode over, stood beside her, looked up, and saw a flock of sheep in front of him, with a child of about ten years old herding them.

He took two puffs of his cigarette and said softly, "If there hadn't been a war, he should be in school." He couldn't understand why anyone would say something like that.

"You're right, peace is what this country needs most, so I want military power. Only with power can peace be maintained," Adile said loudly.

Lu Chen was speechless. He didn't know how to answer. This country was too chaotic. Every province, and even every village, had become a separatist warlord.

He used to be just a security guard, now he's a mercenary. He has no control over these things. He patted Adile on the shoulder and said, "Alright, go get ready. We'll be leaving in an hour."

Making money is his main goal here. He may die in this country, but that may be his fate. He is willing to do anything for his family.

After an hour of preparation, Lu Chen and Mike were fully armed. Lu Chen wore a riot helmet, special operations uniform, bulletproof vest, submachine gun, military knife, pistol, hand grenade, tactical backpack, etc.

He felt incredibly sacred and cool at that moment. This was his first mission as a true mercenary, and the wolf head pattern on his hat made him stand out even more.

The group of six traveled in a pickup truck and a Hummer.

Mike and Adile sat in a Hummer, while Anthony, James, and Alex rode in a pickup truck equipped with heavy weaponry, including a heavy machine gun and a mortar.

Lu Chen drove, Mike sat in the passenger seat, and Adile sat in the back seat, fully armed at the moment.

Mike waved and said into his headset, "Let's go, Baghdadi village."

Lu Chen nodded vigorously, slammed on the gas, and the Hummer roared like a wild beast as it shot off like a cannonball.

The two cars headed west, leaving a trail of dust on the road.

As Lu Chen drove, he kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, his gaze sharp as he observed every detail.

Mike fiddled with his submachine gun, wiping it constantly. He said with a smile, "Chen, don't be so nervous. Just treat it as a trip. Rahman has suffered three defeats, so he shouldn't try to intercept us again. In Maisan province, besides Rahman and Ibn, we're pretty safe."

"I hope so," Lu Chen said softly, but he didn't think so. A gut feeling told him that this mission was not simple. Just like Adile said, if there were traitors around Ibn, would they let Adile go back? Obviously not, so they would definitely intercept him.

Thinking of this, he said seriously, "Boss, prepare a backup route. I have a bad feeling."

"Alright, whatever you say, but I promise I won't need it." Mike nodded and said, seeing Lu Chen's serious expression.

Lu Chen smiled and stared intently ahead. The Hummer was moving very fast, speeding along the dirt road like a wild beast.

After driving for nearly an hour, Lu Chen got a little tired, so Mike took over driving. Mike hummed a little tune, looking very relaxed.

Lu Chen sat in the passenger seat, with Adile behind him, extending her long, slender, and fair hand to massage his shoulders. As she massaged him, she asked, "Chen, does it feel good?"

"That's comfortable, but please calm down and rest for a while," Lu Chen said softly. At this moment, any carelessness could lead to huge losses.

As time went by, the sun came overhead, and the carriage became unbearably hot. Even so, Lu Chen did not remove his heavy equipment; this was his principle.

Suddenly he saw a black dot appear ahead, and as the distance closed, the dot slowly expanded until it became clear that they were moving. Lu Chen leaned forward abruptly, widened his eyes, pointed ahead, and said, "Boss, there are people ahead."

"I saw it. It must be a checkpoint set up by government troops. Once we get over there, we'll be in Ibn's territory, and we'll be much safer," Mike said with a laugh.

Lu Chen frowned. He felt something was wrong. Shouldn't the checkpoints be set up with obstacles to block passing vehicles? But they weren't. There were more than a dozen people patrolling, with at least four vehicles on the side, each with a heavy machine gun mounted on it.

If this thing were to drive over there and be attacked by heavy machine guns, the werewolf mercenary group would be wiped out.

He quickly shouted, "Mike, stop the car, something's wrong." These people were definitely not a checkpoint; they were waiting here specifically for Adile, which was his worst-case scenario.