068 Saving the "Soldier"

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The last traces of daylight faded slowly from the horizon.

If not for the harsh, labored breathing beside his ear reminding Li Changjiang to stay conscious, he might have collapsed from exhaustion.

After crossing the entire expanse of the Gobi, he and Elisa finally made it into the Misurata region.

The Libyan rebels had not brought the entire area under their control, instead shrinking back into a certain part. As the third largest city in Libya, Misurata boasted a population and urban scale second only to Tripoli and Benghazi.

But with the outbreak of war, this city—once home to nearly 400,000 people—now felt dilapidated.

Although the rebels seized Misurata by instigating riots within the city, the subsequent battles with government forces inevitably led to heavy casualties and significant destruction.

“It’s going to be tough to get into the city like this.”

“So what do we do?”

Li Changjiang had no intention of giving up. After searching in Libya for so long, this was their best chance yet to find their target!

“Are you a mercenary?”

“Mercenary?”

Li Changjiang didn’t see what being a mercenary had to do with their current predicament.

“We have to disguise ourselves as mercenaries. Now, apart from the rebels, only mercenaries are allowed to enter the city. But you’ll need to fight for them.”

With Elisa’s explanation, Li Changjiang immediately understood.

In Libya, mercenaries were probably the most sought-after profession at the moment. Both the rebels and government troops were recruiting them in droves—Khamis even set up a special registration office for mercenaries.

They didn’t care about a mercenary’s origins or identity, only whether they could complete their missions. Most were paid according to the assignment or the days they served.

“No problem!”

He nodded. The two of them, taking advantage of the night, slipped into a small town not far from Misurata. Becoming mercenaries was not just a matter of words—they had to find the right channel to gain entry.

Meanwhile—

On the sea west of the Gulf of Sirte, near Misurata, the waves rolled relentlessly.

Two dark shapes slowly approached the shore. More than twenty men disembarked, immediately scattering to hide their inflatable boats, then regrouped as an action team.

The faint blue of night-vision lights flickered on.

“Look here—this is Misurata. We’re right about here. It’s less than an hour’s march to the city; if we push hard, maybe just half an hour. But for safety, we’ll take this route and scout out this spot first before trying to get into Misurata. Thoughts?”

A moment of silence.

“What are you staring at? Let’s get moving, Captain! If we’re going to do this, let’s do it right!”

The speaker was a short man, his words coming fast, sharp, and tinged with a Sichuan accent.

“Machine Gun’s right, Captain. We need to act swiftly and decisively—keep our movements hidden to the maximum.”

This group spoke in the language of Huaxia.

The leader, a rugged man with a hard-edged face, gave a curt nod.

“Then let’s move out.”

Guan Hu’s voice was slightly hoarse, but his more than twenty subordinates all knew their captain was the real deal—three consecutive regional championships in both hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship.

If not for his unbending character, he wouldn’t still be carrying the rank of Major after all these years.

This mission was highly classified, but with orders from above, success would finally mean a chance for Guan Hu to rise in rank.

They were all men trained by Guan Hu himself, all hoping to win their old captain the promotion he deserved.

With a single command, the team scattered into the night, regrouping nearly twenty kilometers away.

Laburaka.

This was the closest small town to Misurata, and could be considered a forward operating base during wartime.

Backed by the Mediterranean, the sea became Misurata’s natural shield. The only way in or out was a road due south, with Laburaka at its far end.

Li Changjiang was extremely cautious.

“Careful!”

He yanked Elisa back abruptly.

Suddenly, a group of Libyan children ran toward Elisa, laughing and calling out.

Were it not for the collapsed buildings and burning wreckage along the street, the bright smiles on those children’s faces might have convinced Li Changjiang this was a place of peace, not the heart of a war zone.

When they saw the Huaxia man pointing a gun at them, a number of Libyan women rushed forward, scooping up the children clustered around Li Changjiang and Elisa, their eyes shining with unmistakable wariness.

Yet the children only smiled at the pair, showing not a trace of fear.

It seemed that a childhood spent in war had stripped them of the common dread of lethal weapons.

“No! No! No!”

Elisa quickly had Li Changjiang lower his weapon, offering the Libyans a friendly smile.

“Li, don’t point your gun at them—they’re just ordinary Libyans, they mean us no harm.”

She spoke a few words in a language Li Changjiang didn’t understand.

One of the Libyan women, her face veiled as well, replied quickly. Elisa went over, embraced her briefly, and then returned.

“What did she say?”

“I just asked if there were any rebel forces here.”

Rebels?

Li Changjiang realized immediately.

Libyans didn’t call the rebels traitors; on the contrary, some welcomed them as liberators.

“And what did she say?”

“She said yes, and in large numbers. She told me that not far from Laburaka, in a stretch of woodland, there are many rebel troops—most of them arrived just today.”

What?

Li Changjiang was instantly elated.

If they’d come during the day, it was almost certainly the same rebel force they’d been tracking. If they hadn’t yet entered Misurata, that was excellent news.

“Then we—”

Before Li Changjiang could finish, a commotion broke out ahead. Suddenly, a large group of rebel soldiers came running toward them, firing as they moved.

Bang! Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat!

People were shouting.

“The government troops are coming!”

“What?”

At the sound of gunfire, the two of them turned and sprinted out of the town, Elisa’s voice drowned by the chaos.

“They’re saying government forces are attacking!”

Damn! Why now?

But Li Changjiang didn’t hesitate. He ran flat out, following Elisa out of the town without a backward glance.

Shots cracked through the night, growing more intense, the battle fiercer than Li Changjiang could have imagined. Only after nearly half an hour did the gunfire finally die down.

Less than ten kilometers away, on the outskirts.

Hearing the distant gunfire, Guan Hu immediately signaled his team with a clenched fist, bringing them together.

“Captain, sounds like there’s a fight up ahead. Let’s get in on it!”

“Shut it! All you think about is fighting!”

“All right, you’ve heard the shots. Let me be clear—this is the real thing, not an exercise. If you die here, you’re really dead! Stay sharp!”

“Understood, Captain Guan! Our lives are our own, the peanuts belong to someone else.”

“---”

“This mission is codenamed ‘Rescue Operation.’ Victory is the only option. Is that clear?”

“Crystal clear!”

“Good. Move out! Coordinate your actions—no solo heroics!”