Xu Shi'an had heard of the Grim Reaper Mercenary Squad before, but meeting them in person truly broadened his horizons.
The hacker named Viper, despite looking as harmless as a programmer, was anything but. He regularly infiltrated the military networks of various countries, effortlessly accessing even the military bases of a global superpower like the United States.
Truly monstrous.
Even more outrageous was that this time, Viper had not only breached a military base's network but, after sabotaging its systems, had stolen one of their Apache attack helicopters.
No wonder the mercenaries who had previously pursued him and Ye Cangtian, upon spotting the Apache, had fled in all directions without even attempting to retaliate.
Viper had even lewdly boasted that he could, at any moment, hack into Xu Shi'an's phone and retrieve any adult websites he had previously browsed, stating it was all child's play.
Terrified, Xu Shi'an quickly distanced himself from the man, nearly smashing his phone.
As for the mechanic, Scorpion, who wore a heavy coat even on a sweltering day, Xu Shi'an found him slightly more normal.
He couldn't understand why Ye Cangtian and Viper looked so taken aback when he casually sat in the co-pilot's seat and struck up a conversation with Scorpion.
...
By the time the day was over and the helicopter was running on fumes, they abandoned it and found lodging at a hotel in a town.
Initially, Xu Shi'an was puzzled.
Logically, the military base that lost its helicopter would be in hot pursuit.
Yet, throughout the day, they encountered no roadblocks or attacks from the United States military base.
Later, Viper explained that he had planted a virus in the base's network, which would incapacitate it for at least 24 hours. It was possible the base hadn't even realized the helicopter was stolen yet.
"There are only two rooms left. I'll take one with the boss, and Xu Shi'an, you can share with Scorpion tonight!"
"No problem!"
Xu Shi'an didn't mind, though he sensed that the other two were reluctant to share a room with Scorpion.
Could it be foot odor? Or snoring?
He didn't care. Xu Shi'an was from the military; he had seen it all.
Back in the barracks, when eight people shared a dormitory, three of whom had severe foot odor and most snored, he still slept soundly!
As he entered the room and prepared to rest, Xu Shi'an curiously asked, "Brother Scorpion, doesn't wearing such a thick coat in this weather make you feel hot?"
"Hot? Not at all!"
"And I feel like I hear a jingle-jangle sound from inside your coat when you walk," Xu Shi'an added.
"Oh, you mean this!"
Scorpion unbuttoned his coat and opened it. Xu Shi'an immediately saw that his coat was lined with various bombs.
There were grenades, standard-issue explosives, and more, all advanced and highly destructive.
Xu Shi'an's lips trembled, and he stammered with a dry laugh, "Brother Scorpion, these are just props, right?"
Scorpion scoffed, "Props? These are real things that can explode. They're also my personal defense weapons. Look at this one, the Russian F86 hand grenade, the latest research. It can blow a hole in a submarine."
"And this is a micro-bomb, made in America, very stable. I've modified it, not only to increase its power but also so it doesn't need manual detonation. Just throw it, and it explodes!"
"And this..."
Scorpion continued his enthusiastic introduction, while Xu Shi'an, already cowering in a corner, sweated profusely and stared at him in horror.
Xu Shi'an finally understood why Ye Cangtian and Viper deliberately kept their distance from this man.
This was practically a human bomb, a mobile one at that!
He roughly calculated that the inside of his coat was adorned with at least ten to twenty different models and types of bombs and grenades.
No wonder his coat jangled when he walked.
Didn't he worry about them exploding while carrying them?
Compared to the hacker who could peek at your browsing history anytime, this man was the true pervert!
Scorpion, still happily pointing out each grenade and bomb, describing its name and power, most of which had been modified.
The more Xu Shi'an listened, the more terrified he became, his heart pounding in his throat.
"Brother, no, esteemed sir, please stop talking! You sleep in the bed tonight, I'll sleep on the floor!"
"How can that be? This bed is spacious enough, we can squeeze in!" Scorpion said, putting his coat back on and then lying down on the bed.
Xu Shi'an's eyes nearly popped out. He couldn't believe he still wore the coat to sleep. Wasn't he afraid of accidentally detonating them?
Although he grew up in the military and had seen, touched, and even used all sorts of bombs, it was precisely because he knew the lethality of these devices that he was deeply apprehensive.
Moreover, the grenades and bombs in his coat were all very powerful. If one detonated, all the others would follow. It wasn't just this room; the entire motel would likely be leveled in an instant.
Xu Shi'an let out a sigh. He regretted his decision.
It wasn't just regretting sharing a room with this lunatic; he now regretted following Ye Cangtian. This Grim Reaper Mercenary Squad truly lived up to its name.
Having just met the members of this organization, each one was more of a pervert than the last!
If he had known, he would have been safer with Gao Xiong and his group.
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye!
They crossed from Europe to the African continent, arriving in a city called Romance.
This was a complex area, as it was home to many armed organizations, and several mercenary groups were also active here.
According to the marked point on the map Ye Cangtian obtained, it wasn't far from this city.
However, Ye Cangtian didn't know the exact location of the marked point, only that it appeared to be an island.
It seemed they would have to stay here temporarily and then find a way to gather information.
Although Romance was considered a large city, it was so relative to the local area. Compared to China, it was merely the size of a county town.
Furthermore, the city was frequently subjected to the ravages of war, giving it a desolate appearance, with many buildings looking dilapidated.
Nighttime!
Most of the city's residents stayed indoors. The streets were mostly traversed by armed forces and mercenaries.
Half of the shops were closed, leaving only restaurants, bars, and a few small convenience stores.
Of course, the convenience stores here were different from those in China. Besides selling general merchandise, they also sold firearms and ammunition.
In fact, some convenience stores primarily sold guns and bullets, with groceries being secondary.
"Are we going out tonight? I heard this place isn't peaceful, is it okay?"
Before leaving, Xu Shi'an asked with concern.
The place he had been staying was relatively peaceful and maintained friendly relations with China, so he had rarely encountered warfare.
However, this place was said to be a haven for mercenaries and armed forces, where fighting and shootouts were commonplace, making it one of the chaotic regions.
Ye Cangtian walked out of the hotel, lit a cigarette, and said, "Scared? If you are, buy a plane ticket back to China!"
Xu Shi'an pouted, "Scared of what? I'm just worried that if we go out so conspicuously, we'll alert the enemy!"
His Xu family feared no one. His grandfather was a God of War, and his parents, uncle, and second uncle had all died in battle!
Xu Shi'an would not fear death either. If my head falls off, it's just a big scar on my neck!