"Let's do as you say!"
After brief consideration, he actually agreed to Song Heping's suggestion.
"Boss, how can you listen to him!" White Bear was unhappy, "He's just a rookie! He doesn't understand anything!"
Queen Julia chimed in, "That's right, my darling is correct, Song is just a rookie!"
Yuliy and White Bear were a couple.
It didn't seem too much to call out like that.
Actually, every time Song Heping heard Yuliy call White Bear "my darling," he felt an urge to laugh.
"Enough, I agree with Song's suggestion," the Cook finally declared, "Everyone, go get ready. We leave at eight in the morning on Friday!"
"Boss…"
"Enough, anyone who talks more can get out! If you acknowledge me as the boss, then listen to me!"
The Cook's resolute attitude genuinely shook Song Heping.
He actually agreed to his suggestion, which Song found somewhat unexpected.
If the Cook had not adopted his advice, to be honest, he had no other choice but to follow the original plan.
After all, the rationale for requesting a change of plan was indeed very persuasive.
The bulletproof Lincoln's advantages included good comfort, superior bulletproof capabilities, and it was less conspicuous than military vehicles.
But that was relatively speaking.
If two bulletproof Lincolns were mixed into a convoy of Humvees, it would be like telling the enemy that these two vehicles carried VIPs.
To catch the thieves, first catch the king; once actions started, those Lincoln SUVs would likely become prime targets.
While Humvees are armored vehicles and can't blend with civilian traffic during an escape, risking high visibility wherever they go.
However, it also has its advantages; its bulletproof capabilities are no less than the bulletproof Lincoln and it comes with an integrated rooftop weapon station which can be a lifesaver during an escape with its large caliber heavy machine gun, potentially saving lives when needed.
So when Song Heping told the Cook it was just intuition, he wasn't lying.
Sometimes on the battlefield, you have to rely on intuition.
There's an old saying in military science: no battle plan survives contact with the enemy.
That is, no matter how excellent the military talent, no matter how comprehensive your intelligence, the plan you devise before battle will invariably meet unforeseen situations and require adjustments.
Thus, intuition during adjustments is an important part of decision-making, while military capability only forms the basis.
Song Heping found the Cook to indeed be quite a character.
At least he didn't ignore his suggestion and was open to different opinions.
This kind of leader, was worth following.
With everything set, the next steps involved purchasing ammunition and equipment.
The Cook asked White Bear to buy extra smoke bombs along with the ammunition.
He said these would be especially useful when escaping, and it was crucial not to take too few—each person should have four on their tactical vest and another four in their individual tactical pack to ensure they had enough, avoiding any problems at critical moments.
The next step was rest and waiting for the departure day.
Time passed quickly.
Suddenly, the day of departure arrived.
The night before departure, Song Heping suffered from insomnia.
He awoke suddenly from a dream, sitting up drenched in sweat.
Looking around the dark shipping container room, he could only hear the heavy breathing of Grey Wolf and the Cook.
Last night, he had fallen asleep late because next-door in another container, White Bear and Queen Julia were causing a racket until past one in the morning, as loud as if they were demolishing a building, like it was the end of the world and they needed to use up their ammunition stock as if there would be no other chance.
Eventually, the Cook, driven to distraction and losing his temper, furiously pounded on the container walls, cursively asking them to tone down the noise, which made them somewhat quieter.
White Bear and Queen Julia were a remarkable pair.
Song Heping had not asked if these two had developed a relationship after joining the team or if they had been together before joining "Musician."
In the Baghdad mercenary circles, Song Heping had not seen such a couple partner.
In the military, there are reasons why female soldiers are generally not considered for front-line combat roles.
It's not that women aren't capable, but if a woman gets injured or killed in combat, the emotional impact on her male partner can be significant, leading to emotional judgments that can result in defeat.
Sending female soldiers to the front line is done only if absolutely necessary.
Having a couple like White Bear and Queen Julia in one team would be nearly impossible.
Only a leader like the Cook would allow such a situation.
Unable to sleep, Song Heping decided not to try any further.
He looked at his watch, which showed it was already four in the morning under the glow of its backlight.
He quietly got up and carefully picked up his gear before stepping outside the container to find a place to sit.
The early morning temperature in Illiguo was not high, only sixteen degrees, which was a stark contrast to the daytime when the temperature could reach over forty degrees, like a furnace.
With four hours till the departure time, Song Heping laid out a waterproof mat and checked and arranged his weapons and ammunition.
In a place like Illiguo, if you go outside on a mission during the day and come back, not only do you have to clean your gun, but you also need to clean your magazines.
The sandstorms in this godforsaken place were severe, with fine grains of sand not only affecting the reliability of firearms but also causing jamming issues due to sand clogging in the magazines, leading to failures in cartridge feeding and ejection.
Experiencing a gun jam during combat was devastatingly unlucky and could cost you your life within minutes.
"What, can't sleep?"
Every time he couldn't sleep, Grey Wolf would show up.
Song Heping sometimes couldn't help but think that Grey Wolf was watching him at all times, always appearing out of nowhere.
Especially because Grey Wolf had been a hunter before joining the military, skilled in tracking and hunting, so he walked with such light steps, like a ghost without feet.
"Yes, I have insomnia."
Song Heping didn't hide it.
"In recent days, I've been waking up in the middle of the night."
Grey Wolf sat down next to him, pulled out a metal tin, adorned with the Eastern Orthodox Church's Byzantine Cross insignia.
He opened the tin, took out some tobacco and rolling paper, and expertly rolled a handmade cigarette before offering it to Song Heping. "Want one?"
Song Heping shook his head, "I don't smoke."
Grey Wolf didn't insist, lit up the cigarette himself, took a deep drag, exhaled a perfect ring of smoke, and then slowly said, "Every rookie who comes back from real combat will be psychologically affected. Lately... "
He turned his face toward Song Heping.
"Do you often dream about the faces of the people you've killed?"
Song Heping felt a chill run up his spine.
Grey Wolf wasn't wrong.
The faces of those dead...
And their eyes just before dying...
Even though he had undergone various psychological endurance trainings during his service, the feeling was indeed different after truly experiencing combat, after his hands were stained with blood.
Although he always told himself, it's okay, it's okay.
But he just couldn't forget, those things would visit him uninvited whenever he closed his eyes at night...
"Yes..." he could only admit, "It feels like something is weighing on my chest, making it a bit hard to breathe."
"Shit, in our line of work, you can't afford to have a saint's heart, even if you are a believer. If anything, you can confess a thousand times in the confessional afterward and pray to the saints for forgiveness. You can't afford a single merciful thought in reality. A mercenary without a moral burden is a qualified mercenary; otherwise, you can't handle this job.
Getting into this line is for making a living, killing is for survival. In our trade, there's no releasing your catch alive; if released, it means they weren't suppose to die."
Grey Wolf's words had an enlightening effect on Song Heping, significantly lifting the gloom in his heart.
"Thank you, Grey Wolf."
Song Heping said this sincerely.
Grey Wolf chuckled, "Your military skills are quite impressive, considered a master in our industry. It's just that you're new to handling the psychological aspect. It gets better over time; who hasn't gone through this?"
The two men chatted intermittently at the door. Soon, they had their weapons ready and dawn had broken.
The cook got up to wash up and, seeing them boasting, couldn't help but put on a stern face: "Are you two not going to brush your teeth and wash your faces? Don't stink up the VIP later! This is a big deal; whether we can make a name for ourselves in Baghdad depends on today. Get yourselves together, and don't embarrass our team, the 'Musicians'!"
Although the cook's team only had five people, he spoke as if he were commanding thousands of troops, losing none of the momentum.
At six o'clock sharp, everyone set out on time.
They arrived at the hotel by 6 ơ điểm 20.
By 7:30, ISF personnel also arrived.
Four Humvee armored vehicles, all equipped with American arms—LAR-15 rifles with the original M16 polymer foregrips and Aimpont Comp M4 scopes, while some used the EOTech 512 holographic scopes.
All the soldiers wore Diamondback Tactical RBV "Predator" bulletproof vests and were equipped with AN/PVS-7 night-vision devices.
The cook approached the ISF Commander to negotiate, distributing vehicle positions and clarifying each party's responsibilities according to the security plan details.
Meanwhile, White Bear muttered under his breath, "блядь (fuck), these bastards have better equipment than us!"
Now turning to Song Heping, he lowered his voice: "If something happens on the way and any of these bastards die, remember to take their gear when we leave."
Song Heping's eyes suddenly lit up.
Huh?
That sounded like a really good idea.
What he most envied was the night vision device.
He definitely couldn't afford one, at least not now.
The last time he was in merchant Harvey's store, he saw a used one selling for 3,000 US dollars. The cook said that scoundrel Harvey was really ripping people off, selling used items more expensive than brand-new ones.
As Song Heping was privately calculating the benefits of snagging the ISF soldiers' gear after their potential demise, today's main character, Angel, finally arrived.
"Today, he's responsible for my personal protection!"
This foreign woman picked Song Heping before the cook could even explain the security plan to her.
"Me!?"
Song Heping's eyes bulged out an inch.
Grey Wolf whispered, "She couldn't have fallen for you, could she?"
"Kuku—"
White Bear, on the other hand, held back his laughter, looking like he was severely injured internally.