War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1949 Calculation
"Please speak," Wei Ran responded in Russian.

"Yalf sent the three of us to retake the Daily News building," Dragan said in a strange tone in the communications, "with generous compensation."

"Is it just the three of us?" Wei Ran asked, following up on the topic.

He will send some people to assist us.

"When?"

Before Dawn

Dragan replied, "There's a reward for taking it back before dawn, so I guess they'll send people to occupy it."

"Understood, I'll join you right away."

After Wei Ran finished speaking, he ended the meaningful communication and then beckoned Thomas and Klaus to the entrance of the dark alley, where he gave a brief description in French.

Thomas scoffed in a low voice, "I bet once you take over there, the Serbs will be firing mortars."

"So, are we going to retake the newspaper building?"

Klaus did not answer Alf's question, but instead asked another question with an obvious answer.

"certainly"

Wei Ran and Thomas gave their answers in unison, and then the three of them looked together at the Orient Express, which was unloading cargo not far away.

“This is a rare opportunity for us to fake our deaths,” Klaus said first.

There is still plenty of time before dawn.

Wei Ran glanced at them and said in a low voice, "Later, take them to that building and make a few more trips to get used to it."

"When it's almost time, we'll take them back and let them go to the newspaper building on their own."

"Let's go, don't waste any more time."

Thomas readily agreed to Wei Ran's proposal.

Urged on by the three of them, the Orient Express set off again without even having time to rest after unloading the cargo it had just brought in.

Led by Wei Ran, the "train conductors" drove to the building he had recently discovered. They carried everything they could possibly need on their backs, almost to the point of overloading, and began their busy moving under the cover of night.

From medicine and food, to clothes, blankets, coal, firewood, and books that seem to be used as fuel.

During the arduous and exhausting journeys back and forth on the Orient Express, all the supplies were moved to the school and gradually filled the basement.

Finally, Klaus, without hesitation, packed the yellow and white items into his bag, and together with Wei Ran and Thomas, led the Orient Express toward the hotel.

Thank you for your hard work today.

Wei Ran said in a low voice, "After we get back, you will receive the reward I promised and get a short rest."

In response, the passengers in the carriages, whose mouths were gagged all night, could do nothing but curse and roll their eyes in secret.

It was around four in the morning, the quietest time of day. Because of this, they did not encounter any accidents or obstacles along the way and returned to the hotel smoothly. Wei Ran then took them directly to the empty third floor.

As the tape on everyone's faces was ripped off and the towels in their mouths were pulled out, Wei Ran, after temporarily bending the safety pins of the grenades, distributed a cigarette containing narcotics to each of them. These items also came from the spoils of war.

"You can rest for half an hour."

Wei Ran said, "In half an hour, you will need to carry out one last moving activity, and then each of you will receive a Mafei as a reward."

Regardless of whether the carriages agreed, Wei Ran immediately turned around and went upstairs to meet up with Dragan and Yarf.

"Deyang is preparing to silence them."

Dragan stated succinctly, "The company requires Alf to conduct artillery observation and blow them up below the Daily News building."

Furthermore, after these people were killed, Alf was promised that he could leave through the tunnel.

"Leave through the tunnel?" Wei Ran frowned.

"That's right"

Dragan nodded. "The tunnel can be used using the pre-arranged code word. Deyang on the other side has already paid the transportation fee."

“I doubt we all left together using the code,” Klaus said.

"Let Sofia and that girl leave with the dying child."

Dragan said, "Yalf said there was no problem."

"What about us?" Wei Ran asked.

We will always have a chance.

Dragan said confidently, "Didn't that artillery observer from Belgrade we arrested at the newspaper building say he also had a way to get out? We can always find a way."

"Thank you, gentlemen."

Thomas, who hadn't spoken until now, breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll have my partner and the reporter who took the children away earlier meet them."

"Go and pick out that artillery observer."

Dragan said, "We also need to prepare to move. After the girls take over using the tunnel from Alf, it certainly won't be safe here anymore."

"It seems we have no choice but to stay and guard that troublesome school."

Klaus said, "We just happened to find a nice building near that school."

"Then that's the only way."

Dragan made a decision "based on being forced" to act decisively.

Without delay, Wei Ran immediately went downstairs, removed the scapegoat from the engine of the Orient Express, and brought him upstairs.

"Shh-"

While gagging the other person again, Wei Ran whispered, "I'll treat you to a good show later."

Once the artillery observer stopped struggling, Wei Ran went downstairs, picked out a few pieces of C4 explosive from the remaining supplies, connected them to detonators, and then used several walkie-talkies to make a remote detonation device, which he then hid in several backpacks.

Finally, they filled these backpacks with kerosene, magazines, and grenades that hadn't been transported away yet, and also put in some unused weapons and even broken bricks.

After weighing the backpacks and finding they were about the right weight, Wei Ran called on Dragan and the other two who were coming downstairs to help distribute them to the carriages below.

"You will be responsible for transporting these supplies to the newspaper office building."

While helping them secure their backpacks, Wei Ran said, "That area has already been occupied by our people. You just need to be responsible for transporting supplies."

Don't even think about running away; we can see everything clearly from upstairs using night vision goggles.

Also, once you get there, the people there will ask you to bring some things back, and they'll be watching you with guns."

At this point, Wei Ran had already removed the grenades from the waistbands of the vendors. Dragan and the others then strapped an AK rifle around each of their necks, and even added an M76 sniper rifle to the back of one of them.

"lets go!"

Wei Ran said, "You must know where the newspaper building is. Remember to walk close to the wall. You have ten minutes to get there."

With the order given, the prisoners, who had been serving as human slaves all night, resignedly carried their "supply packs" and left the hotel, heading towards the newspaper building.

Almost as soon as the wooden door on the first floor of the hotel closed again, Alf, with a gun pointed at the back of his head, looked at the Orient Express through his night vision goggles and began to call out.

Also watching the Orient Express were the gunner who had been left behind, Dragan and Klaus, and of course, Wei Ran, who came up with a walkie-talkie.

As for Thomas, he was already contacting his companions at the airport via radio while urging Sofia and another girl who stayed behind to carry the seriously injured girl along another road toward the tunnel entrance leading to freedom.

Now they can only gamble, gamble that Yarf will actually get the code word, and that they can actually enter the tunnel through the code word.

Soon, the Orient Express arrived at the intersection below the Daily News building.

As Yalf transmitted his signal over the radio, the dawn, just beginning to paint the horizon red with the rising sun, was prematurely broken by the whistles of mortars.

"Snapped!"

Dragan and Klaus fired their silenced sniper rifles at the Orient Express, hitting two of the trains precisely in the calves.

Just as the express train derailed and fell to the ground after being hit by a bullet in one of its wheels, several shells landed at their location and exploded with a bang.

Just a second before the explosion, Wei Ran released the launch button on the walkie-talkie.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Amidst the explosions that almost perfectly overlapped with those of mortar shells, the Orient Express transformed into Sarajevo roses.

"Target cleared"

"The shells are landing all around them," Yarf said into the radio.

You can leave now.

The person on the other end of the radio said, "The code word is morning glory."

"Can I take a sexy and beautiful trophy with me when I leave?"

Following Dragan's prior warning, Alf asked, "And what about here?"

"Someone will be going over there to take over the work later, so hurry back with your spoils."

As communication was cut off, Alf asked, "Am I no longer of any use to me?"

“Quite the opposite”

Klaus said, "Now we have no choice but to work together to figure out how to leave."

At this point, Klaus patted the gunner, whose face was covered in cold sweat, and asked, "By the way, what's your name again?"

"Blanco, my name is Blanco Jokic."

The artillery observer quickly replied, knowing full well that he had no other choice. "Now you're Mr. J."

Klaus patted the gunner Blanco on the shoulder, then looked at Alf and said, "You are Mr. A."

“Alright, gentlemen of the alphabet, it’s time for us to leave.” Dragan said, already picking up his weapon.

They also slung some weapons on the two remaining prisoners, and the five of them walked downstairs, activating the directional mines that had been placed in various locations.

Wei Ran, in particular, even hung the captured anti-tank mine, which he had modified into a grenade fuse, on the wall of the first-floor lobby directly opposite the main entrance, and made a hidden tripwire using paracord cores.

Just as they were taking advantage of the darkness to evacuate, Thomas, who was also listening to the radio, covered his face and, using the code given to Alf, sent Sofia and the other two into the tunnel leading to the airport.

Watching the two girls push the girl lying on the hospital bed into the depths of the tunnel, Thomas sighed, turned and left, switching channels to send signals via coded language, and disappearing into the ruins under the cover of the last rays of night.

Whether the three girls could survive was uncertain, let alone whether Thomas and the others could survive at this point.

Before the sun rose above the horizon, Wei Ran and his two companions, along with two prisoners, arrived at the emptied building.

Thomas arrived almost immediately after them.

"They survived."

Thomas said gleefully, "The reporter who led the first group to leave and my partner almost stole them away, and they're with the girls and boys who left in the first group now."

"boom!"

Just then, the loud commotion characteristic of Russian anti-tank mines exploding came from the direction of the hotel.

"I'm doomed," Alf sighed, shuddering.

"With so many refugees here, it's not difficult to change identities and start a new life."

Wei Ran pointed him in a direction, "So, you two, do you have any good ideas on how to escape Sarajevo?"

"I'm probably wanted by the police now."

Yalf pointed to the radio that had been calling him. "Should we take a gamble? See if responding to the call will get us a mortar attack?"

"What about you?"

Wei Ran and the other two ignored Alf and turned to look at Blanco, who was also being used as a scapegoat.

"I have a solution"

Blanco said, "But I won't say it unless you decide to take me with you when you leave, and follow my instructions. I will take you out of Sarajevo."

As soon as he finished speaking, Alf's expression changed; he realized something was wrong.

He didn't want to cooperate, nor did he not consider running away.

But he had no chance at all, especially since Dragan and Klaus were both employees of Deyang. They were familiar with each other's communication processes and codes, and he could guess their meaning even if he wasn't familiar with them. In other words, he was completely under their thumb.

“Furthermore, I am willing to join you, and I am willing to kill Mr. Alf to show my sincerity,” Blanco continued.

"What about you?"

Klaus looked at Alf, "You can't possibly have no chips left, can you?"

"I"

Alf's face grew increasingly panicked and pale; he had a premonition that he was doomed.

“Looks like you’re out of chips,” Thomas said.

"Can you take my ring home?" Alf asked resignedly after a brief silence.

"You'll be in charge of keeping an eye on Mr. Blanco."

As Dragan spoke, he produced a pair of handcuffs and cuffed Alf's left hand and Blanco's right hand together—so that the two were facing each other.

This method of handcuffing meant that the two people were destined to either stand facing opposite directions or stand in a queue with one in front and the other behind.

Especially after being handcuffed, Dragan looked at Wei Ran.

"give it to me"

Wei Ran only reset the dislocated joints of the two men's handcuffed hands, but then immediately whittled two wedges and nailed them into the lockholes of the handcuffs.

That wasn't all; he then took out duct tape and wrapped it tightly around the keyhole of the handcuffs, again and again.

You're really cautious.

Alf paused for a moment and said, "And why did you let me live?"

"I guess our journalist friends always need a living witness."

Dragan bluntly stated, "The testimonies of those children alone are not enough. Since we may all be hunted down by Deyang, we have no choice but to drag Deyang down with us."

"Looks like this is my bargaining chip?" Alf breathed a sigh of relief.

"Didn't I offer enough chips?" Blanco asked with dissatisfaction after Wei Ran finished his work.

You have more than enough chips.

Dragan stated frankly, "But precisely because of this, we have to be cautious."

"So we've reached a cooperation agreement?" Alf asked.

"For now"

Dragan said, "You've been busy all night, now get some rest and think about how we should get out of here."

Before he could finish speaking, Klaus had already picked up a second pair of handcuffs and snapped them onto the stair railing.

The group took the radio upstairs. Wei Ran first looked in the direction of the school through the sentry post's telescope before returning to the relatively safe corridor and sitting down. "Let's talk about our plans for the future."

"Next, Yarf will become Deyang's primary suspect."

"This is the best bait," Dragan said.

"Let him make an offer to Deyang?" Wei Ran was the first to follow the other party's line of thought.

“This can help us distract Deyang,” Dragan said calmly. “It can even be used as a bargaining chip, a bargaining chip to keep those children outside alive.”

So, should we leave here?

Klaus pressed, "If we don't leave, we can rob the black market, that's enough."

"If it were just the few of us, we could certainly do that."

Dragan shook his head. "But the risk is too high, especially for those children."

So we're leaving?

Klaus's tone betrayed a barely concealed worry: "Quite a few girls there are almost..."

“We can’t solve all the problems. They have enough supplies and weapons to last long enough.”

Dragan said with utmost calmness, "Not only will we be of no help if we stay, but if we are exposed, we will cause them a lot of trouble."

Before Klaus could speak, Dragan continued, "We'll take Alf away and use Alf to divert Deyang's attention; that's truly helping those children."

And don't forget, there's still a group of young people being sent out. Instead of staying here to act as security, we should leave Sarajevo, gain enough territory, and then negotiate with Deyang to exchange the children who have already been sent out.

"Dragan is right."

Thomas began, “But I’m staying. I have to stay.”

"You'll cause trouble for those children too."

Wei Ran, who had been silent until now, spoke up to remind them, "It's not just those children. Wherever you stay in this city, whoever you help, if you're discovered, everyone around you will be in trouble."

Seeing that Thomas didn't speak, Wei Ran took a bite of the compressed biscuit in her hand and said, "Let's leave together. It's better if you take your interview records with you."

"We're just mercenaries; we might sell ourselves if the price is right."

"I've never seen such stupid mercenaries as you," Thomas sighed and shook his head helplessly.

We're leaving tonight.

Dragan made the decision: "Thomas, you're coming with us."

"Alright," Thomas nodded in agreement.

"You must have another reason for coming to Sarajevo, right?"

Dragan abruptly changed the subject to something less "auspicious".

"Yes, there are other reasons as well."

Thomas smiled. "Let's talk about this after we leave Sarajevo."

"Then let's wait until we leave Sarajevo," Dragan readily chose to give up.

The next day, the sounds of gunfire continued as usual, but the radio occasionally crackled with coded and even overt calls to Yarf.

These calls went unanswered, but the directional mines that occasionally exploded inside the hotel deterred many people from trying to enter.

Similarly, the hotel was riddled with directional mines and missing supplies, as well as the Swedish lunchbox that seemed to have been deliberately left behind, and even the "destruction of evidence" where the body was blown to pieces in front of the newspaper building.

All these seemingly unintentional details solidified the idea in some people's minds that "that son of a bitch, Yarf, sold the supplies and defected."

"Will those mercenaries come back here?" Mrs. Ivana asked, having not slept all night.

"Those guerrillas won't come back."

Old Man Mikhail sighed soberly, "For our safety and the safety of the children."