Chapter 136

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Chapter 136: Dangerous Zambia

“This place is really so simple!” Lin Mo splashed his face with water at a row of outdoor faucets while observing everything at the airport. They say China can’t compete with America, but there are plenty of places where it’s better than China.

Lin Mo didn’t even know that Zambia had a staggering unemployment rate of over 50%, with nearly 70% of the population struggling below the poverty line, unable to guarantee three meals a day. The Lusaka air force base was a result of significant investment from the Zambian government.

A few Black soldiers were also washing up nearby. Upon seeing Lin Mo, they flashed friendly smiles, revealing white teeth, and waved at him. Lin Mo nodded back and said, “Good morning!” in a reasonably fluent English, a bit of knowledge left to him by the previous Lin Mo and enhanced after arriving in this world.

In Zambia, the official language is English. Whether engineers or air force instructors, the Chinese team was comprised of highly educated elites, so language was not a barrier. They didn’t bring a translator but had a liaison officer to handle work coordination and local customs.

“Good morning!” one of the Black soldiers responded in awkward Chinese, seeming to have brushed up on the language.

Everyone smiled together; any sense of strangeness had faded. This was not the first visit for the Chinese instructors, and the soldiers were easy to befriend. While washing their faces and brushing their teeth, Lin Mo quickly struck up a cheerful conversation with them.

The soldiers hailed from the Tonga, Bemba, and Lozi tribes. The tall, muscular one was named Tongo, the slender one with thick lips was called Kanai, the one with particularly long legs was named Bofi, and his son had even chosen a Chinese name, Qin Na. The one with slightly lighter skin was the MiG-21 pilot named Grafido.

Lin Mo had woken up early, and soon after, other air force instructors, Major Huang De, Major Han Ringuang, and Captain Zou Han were up as well.

After washing up, Lin Mo was pulled along by Tongo and Kanai for breakfast. The food at the Lusaka air force base was quite good. Lin Mo received a special meal as an officer—a typical Zambian dish called "sadza," which is a sticky ball made of white maize flour, served with vegetables, potato curry, and roasted turkey legs, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables.

In fact, many ordinary Zambians couldn’t afford meat. Even having meat to eat was a significant treat.

There were no chopsticks or knives in the dining hall; many Zambian soldiers simply ate with their hands. Lin Mo found this rather unfamiliar, wiping his right hand on his left wrist, magically producing a pair of chopsticks.

Seeing the Black soldiers at the table astonished and wide-eyed, Lin Mo waved his chopsticks and said, “Magic! Understand?”

“Impressive! Impressive!”

“Chinese magic?”

Thinking it was a little trick, the Zambian soldiers all gave a thumbs up. If David Copperfield were here, he would certainly be taken aback—what kind of magic was this? Where did he hide the props in that short-sleeved T-shirt?

“I hate turning into chopsticks! Can’t you just eat like them with your hands?” Gold Coin complained about turning into a utensil.

“My hands aren’t hygienic, and I don’t eat you; stop being stingy!” Lin Mo smiled as he dug into breakfast, though he wished for some congee and fried dough sticks.

Gold Coin was already quite numb about its fate as a multi-purpose tool. This was the price Lin Mo had to pay for carrying its electronic function cube and magic silver rations, which added another sixty kilograms to his luggage for this trip.

Given the poverty and low living standards of African countries, the Chinese air force instructors and engineers brought plenty of supplies, including numerous canned goods along with ham, canned meat, dried noodles, rice, dehydrated vegetables, and at least five tons of supplies, enough to last them for six months without needing to shop.

After breakfast, Lin Mo noticed that Major Huang De, Major Han Ringuang, and Captain Zou Han had arrived at the dining hall with Liaison Officer Mweya Kampeya. They too faced the inconvenience of not having proper utensils and had to make do with temporary spoons and forks. Nobody had expected to pack all necessary supplies but forget to bring chopsticks.

On the second night after arriving in Lusaka, the Chinese Embassy in Zambia hosted a welcoming dinner for Major Huang De and the air force instructors who had just arrived, inviting also the military procurement work group that had arrived a week earlier.

There were many Chinese people in Zambia, running shops and restaurants, having become an important part of the local economy, especially with the arrival of Chinese military personnel. Ambassador Li and Colonel Wu Peng, the military attaché, warmly welcomed them.

The chef at the embassy was quite skilled. Compared to the “Far East Restaurant” and “Sichuan Restaurant” opened by Chinese people throughout the city, the authentic Chinese flavors made Lin Mo and the others feel as if they were back home.

Ambassador Li greeted everyone as they took their seats, smiling as he said, “Come on, come on! In previous years, the conditions were poor, and we could only go with local customs, eating local specialties every day, which became quite tiresome. Now, locally grown Chinese vegetables and grains have come to Zambia, with our own farms here. The food is almost indistinguishable from what we eat back home—just a bit less meat, but don’t worry; today there’s plenty.”

The dinner took place in the embassy’s small auditorium, set with six full tables of food. Besides embassy staff, local Chinese business representatives were also present, bringing a chance to reconnect with old friends.

Ambassador Li initially introduced Major Huang De and Lin Mo to Wu Peng and notable figures from Lusaka’s business scene before beginning to introduce the important guests for the evening.

“Let me introduce everyone—this is Major Huang, the leader of the instructor team training pilots in Zambia. This is Major Han Ringuang, Captain Zou Han, and the youngest and most promising, Captain Lin Mo.” Ambassador Li introduced the new members of the Chinese military training team to everyone present.

Those mentioned stood up to salute, earning a round of applause from everyone.

“And this is Captain Luo Chao, the leader of the escort team! I remember you visited Zambia before, didn’t you?” Ambassador Li had a good memory and immediately recognized Captain Luo Chao.

“Yes, Ambassador Li. In 2008, I escorted a batch of individual air defense missiles here with the old captain. I didn’t expect you still remember me,” Captain Luo Chao replied, saluting, surprised by Ambassador Li’s memory to recall his name after so many years.

“Your escort team’s soldiers have it tough—poor food, little rest, and high pressure. You really have worked hard.” Ambassador Li walked up to Captain Luo Chao and shook his hand solemnly.

“Thank you, Ambassador, but it’s all our responsibility!” Captain Luo Chao said excitedly, shaking hands firmly with Ambassador Li.

“Here, this is Director Ding, who scouted ahead of you. He spent a week coordinating with Zambia and Tanzania to finalize the transport route and mobilized so many troops to protect you. Otherwise, it would have been troublesome along the way,” Ambassador Li seemed well-informed about the behind-the-scenes events.

A slender middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses stood up from the main table, slightly bowing to greet everyone. It was clear he was not a military figure.

“Thank you, Ambassador, but you are too kind. It’s the result of everyone’s efforts. Ultimately, it relies on our country’s strong backing; otherwise, how could I have single-handedly persuaded both countries to cooperate?” Director Ding had sharp eyes behind his glasses, effortlessly flattering everyone, radiating a friendly aura.

“To our new comrades, I must remind you that every Chinese who comes to Zambia needs to be especially cautious—don’t wander off to remote places alone at night, and most importantly, avoid contact with blood, especially from women!” The Ambassador’s words met with uncontrollable laughter. He appeared unfazed, continuing, “According to official statistics, the HIV infection rate in Zambia is 21%. Please, please be careful. Besides that, there are common ailments like malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhea, and cholera. The sanitary conditions here are quite poor. In the past two years, the average lifespan of the locals is merely 37 years. Be careful not to eat anything dubious; maintain personal hygiene—the body is the cornerstone of revolution. Being far from home, you must take care of your health.”

The Ambassador’s warnings left those new to Zambia feeling anxious, and they couldn’t help but gasp. Zambia was far from what they had imagined; even though they knew beforehand about the countless dangers and diseases in Africa, they hadn’t realized it was this severe.

AIDS!? Lin Mo felt a chill run down his spine. This disease was shunned by society; if it were in a different world, it would be a lethal weapon for the nobility, as the turmoil of their sexual lives would likely erase their class from the empire’s social fabric in no time.

“Well then, if I keep going on, everyone will fault me for talking too much and not letting you eat. Come, let’s raise our glasses!” The Ambassador’s comments added some humor to the atmosphere, provoking laughter from the gathering.

Everyone lifted their glasses together, shouting in unison, “Cheers!”

The crisp clinking of glasses resonated throughout the small auditorium as everyone officially launched an attack on the exquisite dishes laid before them.

It wasn’t until ten o’clock that night that Major Huang De and Lin Mo, along with Captain Luo Chao escorting them, took a military bus from the Lusaka air force base back to the base.