Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 237 Alone in Peril, the Ghost of the Jungle

He Yuzhu's departure was silent; he only informed the people in the group, and only Bai Yifeng knew where he went.

Night falls in northern Myanmar.

The Salween River tributaries roared and surged under the tropical mountain rain, and the muddy mountain roads were faintly visible in the dim beams of flashlights.

In a valley near Mumpaia, a makeshift shelter made of leaves is hidden in the dense rainforest.

The air was so humid you could wring water out of it, mixed with the smell of rotting leaves and sweat.

"Damn it, this awful weather!" a man with a scar on his face cursed under his breath. He was Wang Hu, codenamed "Lynx".

He was covered in mud and clutching an AK tightly in his hand.

“Brother Cat, those foreigners’ camp is less than a kilometer down below… They’re getting slower and slower.” Another team member huddled under the tarpaulin, his voice tense. “I have a feeling they’re about to find something… or they’ve already spotted us.”

"We'll retreat once the rain stops; we won't find our way out now!" Lynx gritted his teeth, rainwater streaming down the brim of his tattered hat.

He was starting to regret it. His boss had told him to lie low... but he hadn't followed the order because he'd seen more people meeting up with Colin to continue their exploration, and he was afraid of missing out.

His three other brothers were also exhausted, their eyes warily fixed on the pitch-black jungle in the rainy night, their hands tightly gripping their AKs.

Just then, from the shadows at the edge of the shack, a very faint "plop" sound suddenly rang out, almost drowned out by the sound of rain.

Everyone in the shack tensed up instantly, their guns pointing directly at the source of the sound!
There were only shrub branches and leaves swaying in the wind.

One of the team members with good eyesight lowered his voice: "Cat...Cat Bro, over there...I think there was a shadow flash by...too fast, like...like a ghost..."

"Don't scare yourself, it's probably just some kind of animal!"

"Oh!"

"Eat some dry rations and don't drink rainwater, or I have no medicine to save you."

"Then I won't eat it. I'd rather starve to death than die of thirst."

"You're the only one who's always bothering me!"

At the same time, downstream of the valley.

Five temporary camps.

Several military tents were set up in a circle under a sheltered boulder.

Colin Sterling was crouching in front of an instrument covered by a tarpaulin, his brow furrowed as he stared at the jumbled waveforms on the screen, rain dripping from the brim of his waterproof windbreaker.

"Boss, I noticed during the day that the people we shook off a few days ago seem to be catching up again, in the valley to the northwest," a subordinate reported.

Colin looked up, rainwater washing over the scars around his eyes, a glint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes: "Where were you all this time, Jack? Take some men and 'clean up' the place. Be quick and don't leave any loose ends. A few gold prospectors going missing in this forest won't be investigated."

“Boss, it’s too dark outside. We won’t be able to find anyone if we go out now!” a burly, bald white man replied.

"Then let's wait until dawn."

"Yes."

The rain finally subsided before dawn, turning from a downpour into a misty drizzle.

Moisture rose from the depths of the dense forest, creating a white expanse and further reducing visibility.

Having not slept all night, Lynx (Wang Hu) woke up the people around him and said in a hoarse voice, "It's dawn. Pack your things and let's get out of here! Take advantage of the thick fog and head to the highlands to the west!" The unease in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

However, it's too late.

They had barely crept a hundred meters out of the shack when a sudden change occurred!
"Pfft! Pfft!" Two silenced gunshots rang out almost simultaneously from the left and right sides, like the spitting of venomous snakes!
In the thick fog, two brothers walking at the edge of the group fell to the ground without even having time to scream!

Blood splattered from one chest, and another's neck was pierced; the blood quickly stained the muddy ground red.

"Enemy attack! Take cover!" The lynx's eyes widened in fury as it rolled and pounced behind the buttress roots of a huge banyan tree.

The other surviving brother reacted quickly, hiding behind a thick clump of arrow bamboo and blindly firing his AK in the direction of the gunshot!
"Da da da..." The distinctive explosive sound of the AK tore through the tranquility of the dense forest in the early morning, causing the raindrops on the leaves to fall in a rustling sound.

But this barrage served no purpose other than revealing their position.

"Suppressive fire! Triangle formation! Take them alive!" Bald Jack's cold voice came from the depths of the thick fog.

In an instant, precise fire from at least three directions covered the Lynx's hiding place!

The bullets thudded against the thick tree trunks, sending wood chips flying; they splashed dirty water into the mud; and they ricocheted off the rocks with a piercing sound.

Then, the people from the five locations began to tighten the encirclement.

The brother hiding behind the arrow bamboo grove had just peeked out to observe when a bullet precisely pierced his shoulder blade, the enormous impact knocking him to the ground!
He screamed in agony, "Brother Cat! My hand...my hand is broken! It's pinned down!"

Lynx dared not reply. His heart pounded, and he raised his gun to try to return fire, but the enemy's figure in the fog was like a ghost, and every time he peeked out, he could be met with a precise strike.

The enemy's tactical coordination was impeccable, and their gunfire was extremely restrained, clearly indicating their intention to capture prisoners for interrogation.

Now, all he can think about is regret: "It was his stubbornness that ruined our brothers!"

The encirclement is getting tighter and tighter.

Bald Jack and a guy wearing a black boonie hat parted the thick fog like ghosts and appeared not far from the tree roots where the lynx was hiding.

Bald Jack wore a cold smile as he steadily pointed his gun at the tree roots, while the screams of his wounded brother drew their attention.

Just then, "Bang!"

A completely different gunshot rang out in everyone's ears.

Without warning, the man in the boonie hat's head exploded into a mass of red and white stuff! His burly body was struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, falling straight backward without even twitching, dying instantly!
It's a sniper rifle! A large-caliber sniper rifle!

The movements of all five agents froze for a second!
Bald Jack's smugness was instantly replaced by horror! Almost on instinct, he made a very awkward leap and tumble, crashing heavily into the muddy puddle next to him!
"Get down! Take cover! Eleven o'clock! Sniper! Counterattack!" Bald Jack roared in the mud, his voice distorted.

He never expected that in this godforsaken place, besides those good-for-nothing stalkers, there would be such a terrifying sharpshooter hidden!
This is definitely not an accomplice of the group that was just about to be wiped out.

Before his men could find any trace of the enemy, another shot followed!

"boom!"

A guy who had just raised his gun to look for a target was shot in the chest. His body was thrown into the air by the huge kinetic energy and crashed into a tree behind him before sliding down, leaving a shocking trail of blood and flesh!
Mosin-Nagant!

Bald Jack had already recognized what kind of gun it was.

These two precise and deadly shots instantly shattered five perfect encirclements!

"You've been wasting your time teaching all this? Are you just waiting to get laid? Retreat!" A low voice pierced the ears of Lynx and the injured team member.

The lynx trembled violently! An indescribable excitement and ecstasy surged into its heart!

"The boss is here! How could he arrive so quickly?"

However, he didn't have much time to think about this and crawled towards his companion.

"Da da da," "Da da da," "Whoosh whoosh whoosh"—a hail of bullets came from the direction He Yuzhu was shouting.

Unfortunately, He Yuzhu had already moved on after speaking, and the gun was already pointed at the next target! Lock on, fine-tune, hold your breath, pull the trigger! The movements were as smooth as precision machinery.

"boom!"

An Asian-looking agent who was trying to flank the wounded team member was shot in the groin, his leg almost broken. He fell to the ground with a piercing scream!
This is a far more effective psychological deterrent than simply killing someone! In this environment, crippling a person's mobility is far more effective at depleting their combat strength and morale than killing them outright!

"Retreat! Team A, provide cover! Team B, take the wounded! Signal rope! Drop the signal rope!" Bald Jack roared madly in the muddy ditch, his voice tinged with the panic of being hunted.

One of the surviving members of Jack's team immediately pulled a metal tube from his waist and threw it into the air with all his might!
"laugh--!"

A green flare, accompanied by a piercing whistle, pierced through the fog and exploded into a bright green light not too high in the sky!

This was their pre-arranged emergency retreat signal, and also a warning to the possible support forces behind them that there was an invincible enemy in this place!
The signal flare burned in the air, making a hissing sound.

The remaining five agents, under the cover of smoke grenades (another agent threw a smoke grenade at the same time as the signal flare), did not bother to clear away their comrades' bodies. Two of them carried their colleague whose leg had been broken, and Bald Jack also retreated quickly backward with his gun in hand. He dared not leave his back to this terrifying sniper.

"boom!"

The fourth shot rang out, the bullet piercing precisely into the shoulder blade of the agent carrying the wounded man, the immense impact causing both of them to fall to the ground simultaneously.

The wounded man screamed like a pig being slaughtered, while the agent supporting him was thrown into the mud like a rag doll, his rifle flying out of his hand.

Bald Jack fired a burst of bullets in the direction of the gunfire, then roared, "Cover the wounded in the retreat!"

"Da da da" "Da da da" "Da da da"

A dense barrage of bullets swept towards the direction where He Yuzhu had just been standing, the only response being the "thud thud thud" and "swish swish swish" sounds of bullets hitting tree trunks and leaves.

"Use a grenade to blow him up."

"Boom" "Boom" "Boom"

Their response was a series of loud gunshots, "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

He Yuzhu's sniping did not stop. The one who threw the signal flare had his neck broken, the one who tried to rescue the wounded had his stomach pierced, and Bald Jack was quick to dodge, but he still got a bloody gash on his head.

Terrified, he fled for his life, this time without shouting anything like, "Cover the retreat!"

"No, Jack, don't leave me, I don't want to die."

"FK, Jack, you coward, you bastard who abandoned your teammates and ran away, I curse you to go to hell."

"Jack, you son of a bitch!"

After the gunfire ceased, only howls and curses remained in the jungle.

Lynx (Wang Hu) had just dragged his injured teammate behind a big tree, and the two tried their best to hide themselves.

"Is Cat Bro the boss? Should we go help him?" the wounded team member asked weakly.

"Boss, if we go there now, we'll only make things worse. I wish I were dead, this is terrible..."

"Brother Cat, don't talk so negatively. The brothers all volunteered and won't wrong you. I'll put in a good word for you when I see the boss."

"Hey, your arm."

"Brother Cat, you won't abandon me from now on, will you?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? If your arm is ruined, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life." Mountain Cat (Wang Hu)'s face darkened.

"No need, I was just joking. You can help me scrape together some money to open a shop, that'll be enough to live on."

"Okay!" Lynx (Wang Hu) said in a muffled voice.

"Brother Cat, how do you think the boss found us?"

"How would I know? Back in training, no one could escape the boss's tracking. You were always one of the first to be found."

"Don't make fun of me." After crippling the squad, He Yuzhu didn't pursue them, but quickly moved to his two subordinates.

"Oh, you still have the energy to chat. Looks like you're not seriously injured."

"Boss, it's me."

"Alright, save your nonsense for when we get back. Go and finish off the survivors, then bury the brothers. Also, keep watch for me; I need to treat Ah Hao's wounds." He Yuzhu interrupted him directly.

"Yes, boss!" Lynx grabbed his AK and dashed out.

"Boss, it's not Cat's fault, we all did it voluntarily."

"He still has the strength to speak, so his injury doesn't seem too serious." He Yuzhu took out his tactical knife and cut open the clothes on Ahao's shoulder.

"hiss"

After a few gunshots, the jungle fell silent once more.

He Yuzhu removed the bullet from Ahao, stitched it up briefly, applied medicine, gave him an injection, and then whistled.

The lynx returned quickly, carrying its spoils.

Why are you carrying all this junk?

"Boss, their guns are good, and they also have rations."

"Alright, keep a couple of weapons for self-defense. Don't take anything else except food and water. Take Ah Hao away from here to the nearest city. His injury needs to be treated when we get back."

"Boss, what about you?"

"I've finished the cleanup work. How many enemies are there?"

“There were originally more than twenty, but a few just died, so there are only a dozen left. Boss, we can help you!” Lynx said.

"You'll only become another corpse and become a burden to me, serving no purpose whatsoever. Obey orders and move out now! Get back alive!"

"Yes!" The two dared not say anything more. Lynx began to organize his equipment, while He Yuzhu remained on guard. The enemy seemed to be scared and did not immediately retaliate.

After the two men, Shanmao and his companion, had gone far away, He Yuzhu continued to follow their footprints.

Bald Jack covered his bleeding head with gauze and ran wildly through the mud, his head throbbing with sweat, but he dared not stop to treat it, or even look back.

He had never been so disheveled.

Having served for twelve years at six locations, from the Berlin Wall to the Congo Basin, what kind of fierce battles haven't I experienced?
But today, the sniper hiding in the thick fog frightened him.

"Damn it! Colin, that idiot! This isn't a gold digger, it's a trap! A trap for us!" Jack's mind was now focused on only one thing—escaping to the designated rendezvous point.

Unbeknownst to him, a figure was silently following him thirty meters behind in the thick fog.

Half an hour later, five temporary rendezvous points were established.

"Boss, Jack's back, all alone."

"Jack, why did you come back alone? Where are the others?"

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, all dead, he's here."

"What? Your Sixth Division's action team is supposed to be the elite of the elite? Who's here?"

"I, I won't."

"Bang!" Jack was blown in the head, and the mixture splattered all over Colin's body and face.

"Enemy attack."

Colin's roar changed tone as he suddenly fell to the ground, rolling around in a disheveled manner, using a boulder half-buried in the mud and water as cover.

The two Fifth Division agents beside Colin reacted extremely quickly, rushing towards the nearest trees and embankments almost the instant Jack fell, their guns frantically pointed into the fog-shrouded depths of the jungle.

"Da da da" "Da da da"

The personnel responsible for perimeter security began to retaliate. "Bang!" "Bang!" The gunfire ceased, and silence fell.

"Boss!"

"Scatter, find the person!" Colin shouted.

The guy who answered Colin was shot right through the heart, his eyes still fixed on Colin's direction.

"FK," Colin muttered angrily, looking into his subordinate's resentful eyes.

"Don't answer, repeat, don't answer. Crossfire to drive them out! Now!" Colin roared, issuing the order.

"Da da da" "Da da da" "Pu pu pu..."

"Da da da" "Da da da" "Pu pu pu..."

Colin's men opened fire wildly in the direction where snipers might be hiding in the thick fog, sending branches and leaves flying through the jungle.

However, their response was not a retaliatory gunfire, but a deeper silence.

It was as if those shots were just an illusion.

Time passed second by second, each second feeling as long as a year.

"Pitter-patter, pitter-patter!" The torrential rain poured down, washing away the fog and giving Colin hope. He shouted hoarsely, "The fog's gone! Team A! Team B, flank! Team C, provide cover fire!"

"Rat-a-tat-tat, tat-tat-tat," the gunshots rang out again.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! After a series of rhythmic gunshots, the scene fell silent once again!"
"Boss, what do we do?" Team A's commander shouted.

"Have you found him yet?"

“No! He was firing while moving! Every shot came from a different location!” the B team commander responded. “Our men are immediately picked off whenever they try to move or retaliate! He… he’s playing us!”

"FK! Who is it?" Colin slammed his fist on the wet, muddy ground.

"boom!"

Another muffled gunshot rang out. This time, the bullet grazed the edge of the boulder where Colin was hiding, sending shards of rock flying and splashing his face.

"Ah!" A team member hiding behind a tree to Colin's right let out a short scream.

Colin caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye that the teammate's lower leg was bent at an odd angle, and blood instantly stained the muddy water beneath his feet.

"Don't move! Nobody is allowed to rescue him! Everyone, lie down!" Colin roared, his eyes bloodshot.

He knew that any attempt at rescue would only provide a new target for the ghost hiding behind the rain.

The feeling of watching helplessly as a companion groans in agony is more devastating than death itself.

Team A's commander cried out, his voice trembling with tears, "Boss, we have to break out! Staying here is just waiting to die!"

Colin's mind was in complete chaos: "Charge? Where to?"

"boom!"

This time, the gunshots seemed to be coming from a closer direction!

The bullet pierced the tree trunk where one of Colin's teammates was hiding to his left and front, only centimeters away from the man's head!

Wood chips flew everywhere, and the man recoiled in fright, letting out a terrified whimper.

"He's compressing space! He's pulling us together!" Colin instantly understood the other's intention. This sniper was not only a master marksman, but also incredibly shrewd in his tactics.

Instead of rushing to annihilate them all, he created wounded soldiers and psychological pressure to force them to gather together, making it easier to finish them off in the end!

"Scatter! Everyone! On my command, in three seconds, sprint in different directions at full speed! Charge into the depths of the forest! Every person who can escape is a lifesaver!" Colin practically roared the order; it was the only way he could think of that might create a sliver of hope.

Concentrating means certain death; dispersing and breaking through might offer a glimmer of hope!
"Three...two..." Colin began to count down, his heart pounding like a drum.

"boom!"

Before the countdown was over, a gunshot rang out like a thunderclap!
Colin felt a scorching breeze brush past his scalp, followed by a muffled thud and the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground behind him.

He turned around abruptly and saw that the team member who had been lying not far behind him and in charge of communications was now lying face up in the mud, with a bloody hole the size of a bowl in his chest!
Blood mixed with rainwater spread rapidly beneath him.

This shot precisely interrupted Colin's countdown and shattered the last shred of hope for all the survivors!
It was as if the other side could read their minds and thwarted their chain of command the moment they were about to act!

"No—fight back! Fight back! We can't just wait to die like this!" Colin roared, then pulled out his pistol and fired wildly at the spot where the gunshots had just rang out.

"Da da da" "Da da da" "Da da da"

"Bang, bang, bang"

"Boom, boom, boom"

Automatic rifles, pistols, and grenades went off in a flurry.

Then Colin watched as his men were blown apart, their heads pierced, their hearts broken, and their necks severed, one by one.

He was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, as if he had returned to that night twenty years ago.

Then something suddenly clicked in his mind, and he roared, "He Fei, you're He Fei, aren't you? He Fei, come out here!"

"Da da da" "Bang, bang, bang"

No one answered him; only the gunfire continued, but became sparse.

Colin realized that none of the bullets were aimed at him, and he knew that the other side was going to leave him behind. He rushed out of cover, picked up an AK and started firing wildly in what he thought was the direction where He Fei was.

Then his right arm was broken. He pulled out a grenade and pulled the pin with his mouth, trying to rush into the jungle. But his legs were also broken. Colin still didn't have the courage to commit suicide. The grenade was thrown away, and he lay on the ground panting.

The gunfire soon stopped, and Colin sensed that the final moment had arrived. He wanted to take his opponent down with him, so he pulled out another grenade, and then his left hand was severed at the wrist.

He struggled to get up, but a shadow blocked the light from above him.

"It really was you, He Fei. You've won, you've won completely. You won on the peninsula twenty years ago, you won in Hong Kong, and you still win now. Fire!"

He Yuzhu looked down at him and said calmly, "Why won't you give up? What are you trying to do here?"

“I won’t tell you, FK. Hong Kong is ours and must be under our control. You, this uncertain factor, need to be eliminated.”

"Bullshit, are you out of your mind? Hong Kong belongs to China, and it always has been! You idiot!"

"It's ours now, and our country won't let it go."

"bang bang bang"

(End of this chapter)