The God of Wealth starts with doing whatever you want

【Dear Xu, I'm in trouble!】

Seven words, one exclamation mark.

Xu Yun stared at his phone screen for a full ten seconds, countless possibilities flashing through his mind.

Natasha Ivanova, or her alias Yetna Lin in China, is a former KGB agent who now works for a multinational intelligence organization. She has everything: skills, resources, and connections.

Given her status, it's reasonable to say that ordinary people couldn't possibly touch her.

But then, she ran into trouble.

Moreover, she was forced to stop contacting her own people and instead try to send herself SOS messages, which suggests the situation is not looking good.

Xu Yun immediately accessed his system.

After spending 5000 million on the disaster, he successfully obtained detailed information about Natasha's current situation.

[Redeem successful]

[Intelligence Summary: Yetna Lin (Natasha Ivanova) was betrayed by her teammates while on a mission in the Middle East and is currently trapped in the town of Al-Qaem on the Syrian-Iraqi border.]

The seller was a member of his organization codenamed "Grey Wolf," who sold her location information to the local armed group "Desert Eagle."

Natasha is currently hiding in an abandoned cement plant in the east of town, with only a Glock 19 pistol (with 12 bullets remaining), a military dagger, and a small amount of medical supplies.

The Desert Eagles have deployed approximately 30 armed men to search for her, and she is expected to be found within three hours. Natasha was shot in the left shoulder and has lost a significant amount of blood, but is conscious.

[Recommendation: Organize a rescue operation immediately. According to system calculations, the optimal rescue route is as follows]

Xu Yun quickly scanned the intelligence report, his expression darkening.

The Middle East, a war-torn region, betrayed by teammates.

Thirty to one.

wounded.

Every word here signifies a critical situation.

Although the other person wasn't the most important person to him, as a friend, he should help her if he could, especially since she was doing business overseas with the Su sisters.

Furthermore, Xu Yun is also feeling somewhat uneasy about the long-term monotony of her life.

He needs a burst of passion.

So the passion ingrained in the bones of the Chinese people was stirred up.

Pack your luggage quickly.

Before leaving, Xu Yun tiptoed to check on Zhong Yanyan and Xinuo's rooms.

Both of them were still fast asleep.

Zhong Yanyan lay on her side, her hand protecting her abdomen, while Xinuo hugged a pillow, a faint smile on her lips.

He gently kissed each of them on the forehead.

At 3 a.m., Xu Yun had already boarded a flight to Beijing.

He didn't tell anyone his specific whereabouts, only saying that "a friend is in trouble and needs help."

But on the plane, he contacted Lin Zhengyu via an encrypted network.

If I want to get there as quickly as possible, the fastest way is through official channels.

Therefore, Lin Zhengyu's family relationships are very important.

When the call connected, it was late at night in Beijing.

"Young Master Lin, are you busy?"

"Xu Yun?"

Lin Zhengyu's voice was hoarse from just waking up, but he quickly became clear-headed and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you calling me in the middle of the night? Aren't you on vacation in Sanya with Zhong Yanyan?"

"I need to get to Syria urgently, through official channels, as quickly as possible."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone: "Syria? What's the situation there right now?"

“A very important person is trapped there, and his life is in danger.”

Xu Yun said calmly, "I know this is sudden and troublesome, but I have to go."

Another silence followed.

Lin Zhengyu was clearly weighing the pros and cons.

"What's your status? Is it worth taking this risk?"

"friend."

Xu Yun simply said, "Moreover, she probably also knows some intelligence that is very important to our country."

That last sentence was half true and half false, but it was enough to make Lin Zhengyu take it seriously.

"Understood, I'll make the arrangements for you, but you need to be aware of the risks. This isn't China; if something goes wrong there, it will be very difficult for us."

"I understand, I will take responsibility."

"Call me back in two hours and I'll tell you the details."

The plane landed in Beijing at 6:00 AM.

Xu Yun had just turned on his phone when Lin Zhengyu called.

"It's all arranged. We'll go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' special channel, under the guise of 'humanitarian aid observers'."

The flight will transit in Dubai before flying directly to Damascus.

Once you arrive, someone will meet you. It's our military attaché in Syria, surnamed Chen. He will provide you with the necessary equipment and transportation.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Lin Zhengyu sighed and said, "Remember to treat me to a drink when you come back, and you better come back alive, or Zhong Yanyan will kill me."

"must."

For the next 24 hours, Xu Yun spent almost all of them on airplanes and in cars.

BJ flew to Dubai, Dubai flew to Damascus, and then a modified Land Cruiser arranged by Officer Chen sailed directly to the eastern border of Syria.

Inside the vehicle was Chen Wuguan, a middle-aged soldier in his forties with dark skin.

As he drove, he explained the situation: "The town of Al-Kaim is on the border, and the actual control is very ambiguous."

The forces of the government army, the opposition, the Kurdish armed forces, and various local militias are intertwined.

The area you're going to is now 'Desert Eagle' territory, an armed group of about two hundred people led by Abu Ali, a former Iraqi special forces officer who later started his own operation.

Xu Yun inspected the equipment provided by Officer Chen.

A set of light body armor, an HK416 assault rifle with four magazines, a Glock 17 pistol, night vision goggles, a medical kit, a satellite phone, and $50,000 in cash.

"Is this enough?" Officer Chen asked.

"enough."

Xu Yun expertly checked the condition of the firearms and said, "I'll walk the rest of the way myself. You go back to Damascus."

"My superiors instructed me to ensure your safety."

"It's more dangerous for you to come with me."

Xu Yun interrupted him, saying, "It's more discreet to act alone, and I've already contacted local helpers."

He was telling the truth.

While transiting through Dubai, he obtained the contact information for an international mercenary organization through the system.

This organization, codenamed "The Shield," is known for its professionalism and secrecy; it charges high fees but has a good reputation.

Xu Yun prepaid $200,000 and requested that a six-person team be formed to provide support on the outskirts of Al-Kaim town.

Military officer Chen stopped his car in front of the border checkpoint.

The real danger zone is ahead.

"Mr. Xu, take care."

Military Attaché Chen handed him a slip of paper and said, "This is my satellite phone. Please contact me anytime if needed. The embassy will do its best to provide remote support."

"Thank you."

Xu Yun shouldered his equipment and got off the vehicle.

Chen Wuguan turned the car around and drove away, raising a cloud of dust.

For the next leg of the journey, Xu Yun hitched a ride in a local's pickup truck, paying two hundred US dollars for the trip.

The driver was a quiet, elderly Kurd who only knew a few simple English words.

The car traveled for three hours on a bumpy dirt road, passing through desolate landscapes: bombed-out houses, charred car wrecks, and the occasional refugee tent.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the car stopped at a fork in the road.

The old man pointed to the path on the left and said in broken English, "Al-Kaim, be careful."

Xu Yun gave him another hundred dollars, then shouldered his gear and continued on foot.

According to the map provided by the system, it is eight kilometers away from the town of Alkaim.

He chose a roundabout route, avoiding the main roads and proceeding along the dry riverbed.

The temperature difference between day and night is extreme in desert areas. It is hot during the day, but the temperature drops rapidly after the sun sets in the west.

At six o'clock in the evening, Xu Yun arrived at the outskirts of the town.

He lay on a sand dune and observed through binoculars.

Al-Kaim is a small town with about a hundred buildings, most of which are in ruins.

There is indeed an abandoned cement factory on the east side of the town. It is a three-story building with part of the roof collapsed.

Through the binoculars, Xu Yun saw moving figures—about seven or eight armed men, scattered around the cement factory, gradually tightening the encirclement.

They wore a mix of clothing, some in desert camouflage, others in ordinary robes, but all carried AK series rifles.

The system is indicating that time is running out.

Xu Yun turned on the satellite phone and contacted the "Shield" mercenary team. The person who answered the phone was a man with a deep voice who introduced himself as the "captain".

"We are located two kilometers south of the town and can move out at any time."

"The plan has changed."

Xu Yun said in a low voice, "The target has been spotted and firefight is underway. I need you to launch a feint attack from the south to draw fire."

I sneaked in from the west.

"Understood. We'll begin in ten minutes."

"Remember, try to avoid lethal firefights and focus on containment."

"receive."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Yun checked the equipment.

Put on your bulletproof vest, load your HK416, and put on your night vision goggles.

Although it wasn't completely dark yet, the interior of the cement plant must have been dimly lit.

He took a deep breath and began to move westward from the cement plant.

When they were 300 meters away, gunshots suddenly rang out.

At first, there were only a few scattered sounds, then they quickly became more frequent.

The distinctive bursts of AK rifle fire could be heard coming from the direction of the cement factory, interspersed with pistol volleys.

That was Glock's voice, which Xu Yun recognized.

Natasha has been discovered.

Xu Yun quickened his pace, using the ruins as cover, and rapidly approached the west wall of the cement plant.

Two armed men were shooting into the factory with their backs to him.

Xu Yun approached silently from behind, his military dagger slicing across one man's throat. The other man had just turned around when Xu Yun struck him in the temple with the butt of his rifle, causing him to collapse to the ground.

He checked on the two men; they were still alive, but temporarily incapacitated.

Xu Yun wasn't a saint; he immediately delivered the finishing blow.

He climbed over the broken wall and entered the cement factory.

This used to be a production workshop, but now it's filled with abandoned machines and cement bags.

The light was dim, and the air was filled with the smell of dust and gunpowder.

Gunshots came from the second floor.

Xu Yun moved lightly up the rusty metal staircase.

As soon as I reached the corner on the second floor, I saw three armed men firing into a room.

The room door was riddled with holes, but bullets still kept coming out from inside, accurately suppressing the enemy.

It's Natasha.

Even when wounded, her marksmanship remained accurate.

Without hesitation, Xu Yun fired three bursts of his HK416, and three militants fell to the ground.

This time he aimed for vital areas.

The shooting in the room stopped.

Xu Yun called out in a low voice in Russian, "Natasha! It's me, Xu Yun!"

A brief silence followed, then the door opened a crack.

A pale but familiar face appeared behind the door; it was Natasha Ivanova, the former agent who had a complicated relationship with Xu Yun in Shanghai.

Her golden hair was covered in dust, and her clothes on her left shoulder were soaked with blood, but her blue eyes remained sharp.

"Xu," she said, clearly surprised, "How come you..."

"There's no time to explain."

Xu Yun quickly entered the room, closed the door, and asked, "Can you still walk?"

"can."

Natasha gritted her teeth and stood up, saying, "The bullet went through but didn't stay inside, but I lost a lot of blood."

Xu Yun quickly checked her wound.

As she said, the bullet entered from the front of her left shoulder and exited from the back, creating a penetrating wound.

He took out his medical kit and used hemostatic powder and pressure bandages for emergency treatment.

There are at least twenty people outside.

Natasha said, panting, "And they've brought in heavy machine guns, right downstairs."

As if to confirm her words, heavy machine gun fire suddenly came from downstairs.

The 7.62mm bullet penetrated the floor slab and created a row of holes in the room's ceiling.

"I have backup."

Xu Yun said, "There's a feint attack on the south side; we'll take the opportunity to retreat from the west side."

"The west side?"

Natasha shook her head and said, "They have people over there too."

"It was there a moment ago, but it's gone now."

Xu Yun helped her up and said, "Follow me and keep your body low to the ground."

As soon as the two stepped out of the room, they heard footsteps coming from the direction of the stairs.

Xu Yun gestured for Natasha to hide behind the machine, while he set up the HK416.

The first militant had barely shown his face when Xu Yun shot him in the leg, sending him screaming as he tumbled down the stairs.

"Grenade!" someone shouted in Arabic from downstairs.

Xu Yun's expression changed, and he grabbed Natasha and ran in the opposite direction.

I had only run a few meters when I heard an explosion behind me.

It wasn't an ordinary hand grenade, but a stun grenade.

The intense flashes and deafening noises made their eardrums ring even from a distance.

"They want to capture you alive."

Xu Yun concluded, "Otherwise, they would have used high-explosive grenades already."

“Abu Ali wants the information in my head.”

Natasha sneered, "He offered 'Grey Wolf' half a million dollars for my position and everything I know."

More footsteps came from multiple directions.

Xu Yun realized that the entire cement plant had been surrounded.

He glanced out the window; the gunfire was intense to the south. The "Shield" squad was clearly launching a feint attack, but most of the militants remained concentrated around the cement plant.

"The plan needs to be changed."

Xu Yun quickly thought for a moment and said, "A direct breakout is impossible; we need to find another way out."

Natasha pointed to the ceiling: "There's a ventilation duct up there, leading to the warehouse at the back of the factory, but the duct is very narrow, and..."

She didn't finish speaking, but Xu Yun understood.

In her current condition, climbing the ventilation duct would be very difficult for her.

"It's better than staying here and waiting to die."

Xu Yun looked up and saw that there was indeed a ventilation opening on the ceiling, about half a meter square. He said, "I'll go up first, and then I'll pull you up."

He moved over an abandoned metal cabinet, and stepping on it allowed him to reach the ventilation opening.

The lid was rusted. Xu Yun pushed hard, and the entire lid fell off, raising a cloud of dust.

The inside of the pipe was indeed narrow, and one could only crawl forward.

Xu Yun first pushed the rifle and equipment bag inside, then climbed in himself, and reached out to pull Natasha up.

Natasha gritted her teeth and used her uninjured right hand to grab the edge of the pipe, while Xu Yun pulled hard from above.

The wound on her left shoulder bled again from the exertion, and Natasha's face grew even paler, but she didn't utter a sound and forced her way into the pipe.

The two moved slowly through the dark, narrow pipe. The pipe was filled with dust and cobwebs, and the air was foul.

Behind me came the sounds of armed men searching a room, and someone shouted in Arabic, "Search carefully, they can't have gone far."

After climbing about twenty meters, a faint light appeared ahead.

Another vent.

Xu Yun carefully pushed open the lid, revealing a warehouse filled with sacks.

He jumped down first, and after confirming it was safe, he helped Natasha down.

The warehouse has a back door, but there are voices outside the door.

Xu Yun peeked through the crack in the door and saw two armed men smoking, their backs to the door.

He gestured for Natasha to wait, then quietly opened the door.

The two armed men had just turned around when they heard the sound when Xu Yun rushed in front of them.

One punch struck one man's Adam's apple, and the other man, who had just raised his gun, was grabbed by Xu Yun's wrist and twisted in the opposite direction. At the same time, Xu Yun's knee struck the man's abdomen, and the man collapsed to the ground.

The whole process took less than five seconds, clean and efficient.

“You’re even more skilled than before,” Natasha said softly.

"Why do you think I would dare to come to your rescue all by myself?"

Xu Yun smiled, picked up the AK rifle from the ground, examined it, and then handed it to Natasha, saying, "Do you know how to use it?"

"of course."

Natasha took the gun, her movements still practiced as she asked, "What's the next step?"

Xu Yun looked at the map provided by the system and said, "There's an abandoned gas station 500 meters to the north. My backup will be waiting for us there."

But this section of the road is open and offers no cover.

Before he could finish speaking, an explosion suddenly came from the direction of the cement plant.

It wasn't a gunfight, but an even more powerful explosion.

Immediately afterwards, chaotic shouts from the armed men came through the walkie-talkie.

"What happened?" Natasha asked.

Xu Yun thought for a moment and suddenly understood, explaining, "'Shield' squad may have used heavy weapons like rocket launchers to distract them."

This is our opportunity.

Sure enough, most of the militants began moving in the direction of the explosion.

Xu Yun and Natasha seized the opportunity to rush out of the warehouse and run wildly to the north.

Night had fallen in the desert, and the temperature had plummeted.

Under the moonlight, two figures moved swiftly through the ruins.

Despite her injuries, Natasha's instincts as a special agent allowed her to maintain considerable speed.

Xu Yun glanced back from time to time, using his HK416 to suppress the pursuers with bursts of fire.

Trouble struck when we were about 200 meters from the gas station.

A pickup truck suddenly appeared from the side, with a heavy machine gun mounted on its bed.

Bullets swept in like raindrops, hitting the surrounding broken walls and sending up a spray of gravel.

Xu Yun pulled Natasha behind a thick wall.

The heavy machine gun bullets were causing the wall to peel off continuously; at this rate, the wall would eventually be breached.

"I'll distract them."

Natasha suddenly said, "Take advantage of the situation."

"Shut up."

Xu Yun interrupted her rudely, saying, "Don't give me that kind of drama stuff. We both have to live. Even if we really can't leave in the end, I'll save my own life first and leave you behind. Don't worry."

“…” Natasha.

After saying that, Xu Yun took out the last two smoke grenades from his equipment bag and threw them forcefully to both sides.

Thick white smoke quickly spread, obscuring visibility.

Xu Yun seized the opportunity and led Natasha to the next cover.

But the pickup truck had already turned around and was chasing after them.

The headlights swayed in the smoke, and the machine gun continued to fire blindly.

At this critical moment, gunshots suddenly rang out from the north side.

It wasn't an AK, but a more precise firing sound.

The pickup truck's front tire was blown out, and the vehicle went out of control and crashed into a broken wall.

The machine gunner on the vehicle fell off and before he could get up, he was killed by a sniper in the distance.

"It's a 'shield'!"

Xu Yun's spirits lifted, and he said, "They've come to meet us!"

Sure enough, three figures dressed in desert camouflage appeared from the direction of the gas station, suppressing the pursuers with precise firepower.

One of them gestured to Xu Yun, signaling them to come over.

The final 100-meter sprint.

Xu Yun half-supported, half-carried Natasha, and rushed toward the gas station under the cover of the mercenaries.

A bullet grazed Xu Yun's ear, while another struck his bulletproof vest, making his chest feel tight, but fortunately it didn't penetrate.

Finally, they rushed into the vicinity of the gas station.

A bearded mercenary threw two smoke grenades, and more smoke rose up, completely obscuring the pursuers' vision.

"Get in the car!" the mercenary shouted.

Two modified Toyota SUVs were parked behind the gas station.

Xu Yun and Natasha got into the first vehicle, and the mercenary squad quickly followed.

With the engine roaring, the car sped into the desert night.

There were still sporadic gunshots behind me, but the distance was getting farther and farther away.

Xu Yun leaned back in his seat, panting heavily.

Only then did he feel the bruises under his bulletproof vest throbbing, and his eardrums buzzing from the continuous explosions.

Natasha sat beside him, her face as pale as paper, but she remained conscious.

"Thank you," she said softly in Russian.

Xu Yun took a water bottle out of his medical kit and handed it to her, saying, "Don't talk yet, conserve your energy. It will take us four hours to get to a safe place."

The convoy sped through the desert, kicking up long clouds of dust.

Under the moonlight, the desolate scenery rushed past.

The mercenary driving the car glanced at them through the rearview mirror and said in accented English, "That was close. Abu Ali has more men than the intelligence said, at least forty."

"Did you suffer any losses?" Xu Yun asked.

John was shot in the shoulder, but it wasn't fatal.

The mercenary said, "But our mission is complete. According to the contract, we'll take you to the Syrian-Iraqi border, and then someone will meet you and take you to Damascus."

Xu Yun nodded and looked out at the desert.

The starry sky was exceptionally clear in the cloudless night sky, and the Milky Way stretched across the horizon like a ribbon of light.

Natasha leaned on his shoulder, seemingly asleep, but her hand was still tightly gripping the AK rifle.

Xu Yun sighed softly, took out his satellite phone, and sent Lin Zhengyu an encrypted message: [The person has been rescued and is returning safely. Everything is going smoothly.]

Then, he sent Jian Shiwei a simple message: "Peaceful, don't worry."

After doing all that, he closed his eyes, but his nerves remained taut.

This is still a dangerous area, and we cannot relax completely.

The car bumped and jolted its way forward through the desert.

The mercenaries took turns driving, remaining vigilant at all times.

They encountered two checkpoints during the trip, but the "Shield" team was clearly experienced in dealing with them and successfully passed through using US dollars and fake documents.

At 3 a.m., the convoy arrived at a small village on the Syrian-Iraqi border.

This area is now outside the control range of the "Desert Eagle" and is relatively safe.

The person who was to meet them had already arrived; it was another contact arranged by Officer Chen, a local Kurdish guide.

He would take Xu Yun and Natasha along mountain paths to bypass the border checkpoints, enter Iraq, and then fly back to Damascus from there.

When saying goodbye to the "Shield" team, Xu Yun paid an extra fee.

Because they truly deserve it. (End of Chapter)