Chapter 91
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Chapter 91: When the Cannon Roars, Fortune Follows
Lin Mo was unexpectedly brought into the Elite Guard of the Red Scorpion. Li Muling took advantage of the situation, dismissing Lin Mo’s proposed action plan without needing any excuses, while everyone else’s operations continued as usual. After all, this plan had several backup protocols, forming a flawless strategy.
Since the mission was practically impossible, there wasn’t much threat to Lin Mo’s life. After a little thought, Li Muxin agreed with her sister’s assessment. Lin Mo alone was unlikely to penetrate the Red Scorpion’s airport easily. As long as no action was taken, their identities would remain concealed, and they would face no danger. In fact, the under-the-radar approach might actually increase their safety.
Plans rarely survive changes, and Lin Mo likely didn’t anticipate that his ambitious infiltration into the Red Scorpion organization would see him treated as simply a pawn by the Twin Stars who put him aside as they casually enjoyed the view.
"The surrounding guerrillas have been bribed and should respond any day now," Li Muxin reported. The "they" she referred to was the Red Scorpion. As intelligence operatives on the field, particularly the ones overseeing the operation, they would never leak information.
"I’ve informed them to initiate their actions, to stir things up and create friction. The scapegoats are already prepped. Sister, we could wrap this up and head home within the week; we won’t need to ignite the fire anymore," Li Muling replied, proving to be her sister’s reliable assistant. The two were inseparable partners in any operation, with a close understanding of one another.
The sisters performed their roles as “agents” flawlessly. The armed militants would abide by the whims of their political needs; today, they endorsed "separatism," and tomorrow they’d collect bribes while promoting "national unity." Even real separatist groups like “East Turkestan” and “World Uighur Congress” couldn’t fully control the myriad of small armed organizations scattered everywhere. If they had that capability, they wouldn’t have failed to achieve independence long ago.
When the cannon roars, gold flows in; this refers not only to the spoils of war but also to the costs incurred during the conflict. Just for this operation, the Night had already spent over a million dollars. However, compared to the expense of dispatching a full army for an assault, this was dirt cheap. In chaotic regions, lives were the least valuable. It was better to sacrifice the lives of outlaws than the lives of innocent people. The outlaws themselves only knew how to pursue profit; losing one was one less to contend with.
The extravagant spending by the Twin Stars sisters had a dual purpose: to save money for the Night. The previous compensation for First Squad’s grievously injured and fallen soldiers had already cost at least three million yuan, all hard-earned money from the Chinese populace.
The higher-ups of the Red Scorpion might have suspected that things were unstable at their border, but they didn’t take it seriously. It was quite normal for the roving outlaws to want to exploit the Red Scorpion’s weaknesses. In their minds, fear held no meaning; as long as they had food today, they would feast, regardless of what awaited them tomorrow.
After receiving warnings from Intelligence Chief Haus, the Red Scorpion promptly intensified their internal checks. They indeed caught quite a few suspicious individuals, leading to non-stop gunfire and explosions throughout the night. Mustafa, the Red Scorpion’s chief of police in Aysulu, had even suffered minor injuries from a bomb. Nearly everyone involved was an outlaw, operating under the allure of rewards for heads.
At dawn, Lin Mo was awakened by Ivan, the leader of the Guard, who handed him the freshly crafted credentials for the Elite Guard members. Commander Natasha was scheduled to inspect the military camp that morning. Though the streets appeared tumultuous, someone needed to oversee the checks within the camp.
Today’s convoy consisted of Commander Natasha’s special black bulletproof Bentley, with Ivan driving. Lin Mo once again took the co-pilot seat while Natasha, wearing black sunglasses, sat in the spacious backseat, appearing unaffected as if nothing had happened the day before.
The black bulletproof Bentley was flanked by desert Hummers and several off-road motorcycles clearing the path ahead.
Compared to yesterday, Ivan’s demeanor towards Lin Mo had changed significantly; perhaps it was due to Lin Mo’s capability to dispatch both the charming commander and Colonel Frank. Just the display of strength mired Ivan in admiration, yet he still maintained his stoic demeanor, saying nothing to anyone and preserving the dignity of the two high-ranking officials.
The soldiers in the camp had already received news and stood in formation, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their highest military commander, Commander Natasha.
Typically, a handful of officers managed and trained the camp, so Natasha didn’t need to be involved daily. Starting from the previous afternoon, the screening process had already quietly begun. It wasn’t unusual for critical matters to be scrutinized, and nearly everyone present was recognized, while the unfamiliar ones faced thorough questioning.
However, Lin Mo acted preemptively and unknowingly avoided the screening. The Lone Wolf Yakov had worried all day about Lin Mo’s potential exposure. If that happened, their group was surely doomed, as the Red Scorpion rarely showed mercy to traitors.
Yet, when Yakov spotted Lin Mo in a sharp black military uniform following behind Commander Natasha, his jaw nearly dropped. It seemed Lin Mo had indeed hit the jackpot by being chosen for the Elite Guard, standing in parallel with Ivan, appearing to hold a notable position.
Those who had witnessed Lin Mo’s ferocity shared Yakov’s surprise. Having left for just a day, many assumed he was either a coward or perceived as an infiltrator, expecting the Red Scorpion to discover him and execute him. It was unexpected to see him again the following day, not only alive but standing behind Commander Natasha as part of the Elite Guard alongside Captain Ivan.
Such a terrifying figure! Under the Red Scorpion’s principle of dealing with failures, anyone who challenged Lin Mo barely had a chance to survive.
"To the Red Scorpion, loyal! Long live the Red Scorpion!"
"Long live the Red Scorpion!"
The rehearsed slogans rose and fell, as these outlaws were promised a day off as they were given ample time to find women or indulge in drinking, shouting with exceptional enthusiasm.
Under the direction of the officers, they collectively belted out the Red Scorpion’s anthem: "Bloodied Hooks."
"Our fierce name is forged by the sharp claws,
Blood is our flag,
Advance! Advance!
There’s no retreat in our dictionary,
Enemies tremble and flee under the bloodied hooks,
With Allah above, victory will always belong to us…"
As long as the cash flowed, top-notch musical talents could be recruited to compose lyrics and music, even producing CDs with professional choirs, disregarding any government opposition as long as it made money.
What a powerful song! Each time Commander Natasha heard "Bloodied Hooks," she felt a wave of excitement. Compared to the white-collar workers striving for their bosses or the housewives managing their households, she had indeed achieved success. If in her lifetime, she could establish a territory and gain international recognition, she’d become a founding figure, a commander of all forces, perhaps a noble; who could resist that?
Lost in such thoughts, a rare blush crept onto Natasha’s face.
Even though these bandits sang terribly out of tune, the lyrics revealed their fierce spirit. This in itself reflected strength; otherwise, how could the Red Scorpion attract talent and maintain the current beneficial situation, contending with the government?
Entering Natasha’s personal office, Colonel Gabal presented two lists: one containing the names of new recruits in the military camp over the past month, and the other listing those with suspicious identities. The suspicious ones were marked with triangles, crosses, and circles. Triangles indicated deserters, crosses indicated those executed, ticks indicated no issues, and circles indicated suspicions still under investigation, complete with brief annotations beside each name.
"Commander Natasha, this was compiled yesterday after we cleaned the camp with Officer Mustafa and Haus’s subordinates. Another list has been sent to Colonel Frank; this afternoon, he will lead two battalions to the west to verify some people’s loyalty. I believe the battle plan will be delivered to you by noon," Colonel Gabal reported respectfully, displaying utmost professionalism.
"I understand," Natasha slowly read through the documents, identifying former notorious figures now under her command, while some lesser-known ones were still struggling to survive and cause havoc.
Upon seeing Lin Mo’s alias "Morin" on the list, a small smile crept onto Natasha’s face. The circle next to Morin’s name indicated him as the Lone Wolf Yakov’s nephew.
“Yakov, that old man, was with the KGB and once a partner in business. I never expected you’d have such an impressive nephew. Why don’t you have him help you expand your territory? He’s much stronger than you; it shouldn’t be a problem to rally a more powerful team,” Natasha said, turning her head and removing her sunglasses to look at Lin Mo. However, he continued to stare ahead, showing no reaction. Disheartened, she muttered, “If it wasn’t for me discovering and promoting you, you’d probably just be cannon fodder.”
