He was so persuasive that he actually practiced extraordinary

Just steps away from the camp in the square, and on the verge of getting a clear picture of the hostage situation, they were suddenly blocked by this female mercenary, and the atmosphere instantly became tense. Li Erniu and Xu Tianlong subconsciously tensed up, their hands secretly resting on the weapons at their waists, their eyes warily watching the woman before them. If she made any sudden move, they would immediately take action.

Zhang Beixing's eyes flashed rapidly as he subtly scrutinized the female mercenary blocking his path. The woman before him had short, wavy, tousled blonde hair that shimmered softly in the sunlight. Her features were delicate and striking. She wore a camouflage bulletproof vest commonly used by foreign mercenaries, with several tactical magazines attached. A submachine gun and a Beretta pistol were tucked into her waistband, and a gleaming military dagger was sheathed in a tactical sheath on her thigh. She was armed to the teeth, clearly a seasoned veteran of countless battles.

More importantly, her breathing was even, her posture steady, and her eyes sharp yet discreet. She exuded the air of seasoned veterans, clearly not just a pretty face, but someone with genuine skill. However, Zhang Beixing quickly noticed that she wasn't holding her gun; instead, it was neatly tucked at her waist, and a charming smile played on her lips, devoid of any hostility. Realizing this, Zhang Beixing's anxiety eased slightly, and he instantly regained his composure.

The next second, the woman suddenly opened her arms, took light steps forward, and lazily wrapped her arms around Zhang Beixing's neck, leaning her body slightly against him. She said in a slightly coquettish tone, "Oh dear, that old bastard Dad is really too much. He actually abandoned me and took all the Wild Dog mercenaries to Africa to make big money, leaving me here alone to watch over you. Don't you think he's being unfair?"

Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of deliberate grievance. She looked at Zhang Beixing with watery eyes and continued to whine, "Chief, you're a bad guy too. You never come to keep me company. The camp is so deserted at night, I'm so lonely by myself."

Upon seeing the alluring woman before them, Li Erniu and Xu Tianlong froze instantly, quickly lowering their heads and pretending not to see or hear anything. They knew that Zhang Beixing was now the "Zaka Leader," and this woman clearly had a special relationship with him. They couldn't afford to say anything at this moment, lest they ruin Zhang Beixing's facade.

Listening to the woman's string of coquettish words, Zhang Beixing's mind raced, his thoughts flashing like lightning. Combining the information in her words, he quickly guessed her identity: Chief Zaka had probably spent a fortune hiring a mercenary group to protect him. However, this mercenary group, called "Wild Dogs," had changed its plans at the last minute because there were more lucrative businesses in Africa, leaving only this female mercenary to continue protecting Chief Zaka in Ivia.

"The Wild Dog Mercenary Group?" Zhang Beixing pondered to himself, trying hard to recall any information about this mercenary group, but he couldn't remember anything. However, the name "Old Man" that the woman mentioned sounded somewhat familiar to him; it was probably the code name of the mercenary group's leader. But this familiarity was vague, and he couldn't recall any specific details for the time being, so he could only keep the matter to himself for the time being.

Although the appearance of this female mercenary was completely unexpected and a surprise, Zhang Beixing quickly determined that it would not disrupt his rescue plan. He paused for a moment, then, in accordance with the woman's posture, he skillfully raised his hand and slapped the woman's buttocks, making a crisp "smack" sound.

Immediately afterward, Zhang Beixing revealed a slightly roguish smile and said in fluent Ivia, "Sweetie, baby, stop fooling around. I have a lot of important things to take care of right now, I don't have time to chat with you. I'll come find you after I'm done tonight, okay?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of satisfaction flashed in the female mercenary's eyes. Reluctantly, she released her grip on Zhang Beixing's neck, covered her mouth, and giggled, "Alright, then I'll wait for you in the tent tonight. You can't lie to me. Oh, and before you leave, you have to give me a kiss."

Zhang Beixing shook his head, feigning helplessness, and deliberately put on a stern face, saying, "Stop messing around. If you keep pestering me like this, I might just take care of you right now. You can't afford to be late for business."

Seeing that the "leader" seemed to have something urgent to attend to, and a hint of impatience appeared on his face, the female mercenary dared not continue to pester him. She gave Zhang Beixing a flirtatious wink, turned around decisively, and called out as she walked forward, "Leader, I'll be waiting for you in the tent, don't forget, or I'll get angry!"

Watching the female mercenary disappear around the street corner, Zhang Beixing finally let out a long sigh of relief, a thin layer of sweat already seeping down his back. Those few minutes, though brief, were filled with unpredictable changes; if he had revealed even the slightest flaw, all his efforts could have been in vain, or even jeopardized the entire rescue plan.

At this moment, Xu Tianlong leaned over, lowered his voice, and said in a teasing tone, "Captain Zhang, that foreign girl was really pretty, and had a great figure. Why didn't you take the opportunity to kiss her? Anyway, you're both 'leaders,' so why not?"

Zhang Beixing pursed his lips speechlessly, rolled his eyes, and said, "If you want to do it, do it yourself. I can't bring myself to do it; it's too dirty."

"Too dirty?" Xu Tianlong was taken aback, looking at Zhang Beixing with a puzzled expression, not understanding what he meant. "She looks quite clean, and she's even wearing perfume, so how could she be dirty?"

"What do you know?" Zhang Beixing said casually, but with a hint of barely perceptible disdain. "Don't be fooled by her clingy attitude; she's definitely doing this for money. Besides, that woman is at least a 'hundred-woman slayer.' Just think about it, she's been involved with so many people. It's disgusting to even think about. I really can't bring myself to do it."

Li Erniu, standing to the side, was completely confused. He scratched his head and asked with a bewildered look, "Captain Zhang, what does 'hundred-man killer' mean? Does it mean she killed a hundred people? But she doesn't seem like that kind of ruthless person."

Before Zhang Beixing could speak, Xu Tianlong interjected, "You're just a kid, don't ask so many useless questions. You'll understand when you grow up." He then turned to Zhang Beixing, his eyes filled with curiosity, "Captain Zhang, are you telling the truth? Is she really the 'Hundred-Man Slayer'? How did you figure it out? I didn't notice at all." Zhang Beixing chuckled, offering no explanation, only raising an eyebrow, his expression radiating confidence. This confidence wasn't unfounded—in his early years on special missions, he had encountered all sorts of people, including mercenaries who navigated various factions. From a woman's words and actions, the worldliness in her eyes, and her deliberate yet insincere closeness to the "leader," he could roughly judge a person's character. This seemingly insignificant observational ability was second nature to him.

Seeing that Zhang Beixing refused to explain, Xu Tianlong didn't press the matter further. He simply clicked his tongue and exclaimed in amazement, "My goodness, a hundred people! That's incredible! We only saw about three hundred terrorists in this town on our way here. This woman is involved with a third of them. That's amazing!"

"Alright, enough of this nonsense, let's get down to business." Zhang Beixing interrupted Xu Tianlong's musings, glanced around warily, and said in a low voice, "There are too many people around here, so let's not talk about this useless stuff, or someone might overhear us and expose our identities."

The brief incident was just an accident, and Zhang Beixing quickly refocused his attention on the rescue mission. He quickened his pace, leading Li Erniu and Xu Tianlong straight towards the hostage camp in the square. At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind: find Deng Mei as soon as possible, confirm her safety, and then formulate the next steps in the rescue plan.

After navigating several narrow streets, the three quickly arrived near the square. From afar, Zhang Beixing spotted the dimly lit little house from the video—a low, mud-brick structure with a tattered thatched roof. Most of the windows were boarded up, leaving only a crack for ventilation; it looked completely out of place with the surrounding architecture and was clearly a place where hostages were being held. Their main target, the Chinese citizen Deng Mei, was bound inside this house!
At the doorway stood two burly Zaka soldiers, dressed in the same dark robes as the other terrorists, holding AK-47 rifles. They vigilantly scanned passersby and occasionally glanced into the house, clearly guarding Deng Mei.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Beixing swaggered towards the hut. The two Zaka soldiers, seeing their "leader" approach, immediately dropped their guard and bowed respectfully, saying, "Leader!"

One of the soldiers asked with some doubt, "Didn't you just leave from here? Why are you back so soon? Is there something urgent to deal with?" As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Zhang Beixing's clothes—unlike the black robe the "leader" had worn before, these clothes were clearly those of an ordinary terrorist. However, he didn't dare to ask any more questions, since they couldn't fathom the leader's thoughts.

Zhang Beixing waved his hand expressionlessly, his tone carrying an unquestionable air of authority: "I have some important things to say to this woman. Have her pass them on to the Chinese military. You can all leave now; you don't need to guard this place anymore."

"YES, Chief!" The two Zaka soldiers didn't hesitate for a moment, immediately stood at attention, saluted, and then turned and quickly left. As soon as they left, Li Erniu and Xu Tianlong stepped forward to take their place, standing guard on either side of the door, vigilantly observing the surroundings to prevent anyone from approaching.

Zhang Beixing took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and then reached out to lift the tattered curtain hanging at the door, stepping alone into the smoky, polluted room. The room was dimly lit, filled with a pungent smell of mildew and dust, mixed with a faint odor of blood, making it somewhat suffocating.

In the center of the room stood a makeshift lectern, and Deng Mei was bound to a wooden chair in front of it. Her hair was disheveled, her face was covered in bruises, blood lingered at the corner of her mouth, and her clothes were torn and tattered, clearly indicating she had suffered considerable torture during her imprisonment. Hearing someone enter, Deng Mei abruptly raised her head, her eyes filled with anger and defiance. She spat fiercely at Zhang Beixing's feet and cursed with all her might, "Fuck! You bunch of bastards, you'll get your comeuppance sooner or later!"

"China will not let you get away with this! You executioners, your hands are stained with the blood of innocent people, and you will surely be severely punished by God!" Her voice was hoarse and dry, but it revealed a tenacious resilience. Even in dire straits, she showed no sign of yielding.

Before confirming Deng Mei's identity and gaining her trust, Zhang Beixing naturally wouldn't reveal his true identity. He ignored Deng Mei's curses, walked straight up to her, reached out, pinched her chin, gently lifted her face, and carefully compared her appearance with the photo of Deng Mei stored in his phone: around thirty-five years old, short hair, not very big eyes, slightly upturned corners, and some small freckles on both sides of her cheeks.

After confirming that it was indeed Deng Mei, Zhang Beixing nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself: "Hmm, her appearance is exactly the same as in the photo; it should be Deng Mei." He released her, looked down at Deng Mei who was tied to the chair, and deliberately asked in a cold tone, "Your name is Deng Mei?"

"Pah! You dog, stop wasting your breath on me! Do whatever you want with me, but don't even think about getting anything out of me!" Deng Mei spat, her eyes filled with even more anger. She struggled to stand up, but was tightly bound by the ropes binding her, and could only twist her body in vain.

Seeing Deng Mei's unyielding demeanor, Zhang Beixing sighed helplessly, leaned down, and whispered in Deng Mei's ear, "Don't be afraid. I am a member of the Chinese Army Special Forces. I was sent by a naval warship to rescue you. You are safe now."

Upon hearing "Chief Zaka" speak fluent Chinese, Deng Mei was startled. The anger on her face froze instantly, her eyes filled with shock and confusion. But she quickly regained her guard, her brows furrowed, staring wide-eyed at Zhang Beixing, saying nothing. She wasn't sure if the man before her was telling the truth; after all, he looked exactly like Chief Zaka. If this was a trap set by terrorists, the consequences of believing him too easily would be unimaginable.

Zhang Beixing noticed her doubt and asked softly, "You don't trust me?" (End of Chapter)