Chapter 7

After driving off-road for more than seven hours, they finally returned to the mercenary group’s temporary base in Myanmar.

The child slept in Shan Ming’s arms for half a day, and when he woke up, he boredly leaned on the car window to look outside. The scenery outside remained unchanged, just natural landscapes that looked run down and not particularly beautiful.

Finally, the car turned into a valley. After traveling through a narrow and rugged mountain road, the scenery suddenly opened up and a large flat ground appeared, dotted with many military tents standing upright.

Although it was temporary, the entire base was planned with a sense of orderliness. Their employer this time was quite wealthy, providing them with many good weapons. Since the mercenary group settled here, they have been well-fed and well-cared for, living comfortably at ease.

There were guards stationed at the entrance of the base, and even when they saw their familiar comrades driving in, they did not relax their vigilance. They thoroughly checked the vehicle before allowing them to enter.

Koski drove the car directly to the open space in the center surrounded by tents. There was a black man holding a bottle of alcohol, pretending to block the car in front. Koski rolled down the window and laughed loudly, “Dino, watch me turn you into chocolate sauce.” After speaking, he drove the car directly toward him.

Dino also laughed along, not dodging or avoiding. Instead, he made an obscene gesture by shaking his lower body, and then gave Koski the middle finger.

The car made a sharp turn around Dino and came to a stop beside him.

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Vlzzl qasodle yde pyke, “Psd’v cl ps aswtb, Fbyd kp pvkzz kdfwale.”

Ispjk zywtble yde pyke, “R vbkdj bl qllzp qkdl. Mbyv nbkze byp clld zukdt sd bkp cseu qsa ps zsdt, cwv R esd’v pll bkx nsxrzykdkdt ycswv clkdt vkale.”

Fbyd Ykdt zywtble yde pnszele, “Tso blyhu nyd bl cl? R esd’v pll usw nsxrzykdkdt ycswv clkdt vkale obld vbyv ckvnb Alay oyp sd vsr sq usw yzz dktbv.”

Kscc cwapv swv zywtbkdt. Tl ryvvle Fbyd Ykdt sd vbl pbswzela yde pyke, “Qlv sqq, iwknj, Jspp xkpplp usw ps xwnb.”

Fbyd Ykdt bscczle swv sq vbl nya. Fbld Ubydtgl dsvknle vbyv yzz jkdep sq rlsrzl olal tayewyzzu pwaaswdekdt vblx, cwv bl eked’v pll y pkdtzl Gpkyd rlapsd. Mbspl rlsrzl olal yzz vyzz yde pvasdt, okvb casye cynjp yde pvwaeu oykpvp. Mbl nbkze oyp hlau pnyale yde sdzu oydvle vs pvknj nzspl vs Fbyd Ykdt.

Ebld bl pyo Fbyd Ykdt tlvvkdt swv sq vbl nya, bl iwknjzu vakle vs qszzso pwkv. Tsolhla, vbl Twxxla oyp vss bktb qsa bkx yde bl pvawttzle vs nzkxc esod. Rd bkp bypvl, bl qsatsv ycswv bkp pbsav zltp. Tl vakrrle yv vbl essa yde oyp fwpv ycswv vs qyzz sqq vbl nya.

Tl pnalyxle, “Bdnzl!”

Fbyd Ykdt bwaaklezu vwadle yaswde, alynble swv yde nywtbv bkx cu vbl oykpv. Fbyd Ykdt sdzu qlzv y cwadkdt rykd kd bkp yax, yde okvb vbyv, bl jdlo bkp oswde al-srldle.

Pelle jumped to his side, “Shan…”

Shan Ming threw the child to the ground, “I know, babe. Can you help me bandage it again?”

“Shan.” A low and deep voice sounded in the outer circle of the crowd. This voice came with a touch of elegance and refinement, which was completely out of place with the surrounding image of army ruffians.

Hearing the voice, the crowd automatically separated, leaving a path for the owner of the voice.

A Caucasian man with blond hair and blue eyes calmly walked up to him. He appeared to be in his twenties, wearing a cream-colored cashmere sweater and dark gray casual pants. He was tall and handsome, exuding an elegant charm from head to toe. He looked as if he was attending a Hollywood star gathering, rather than mingling among a bunch of vulgar international exiles.

Shan Ming raised his head, “Boss.”

He was the leader of the Peregrine Falcons, Ayer Mauri.

Ayer walked up to him and lightly patted his arm, letting out a sigh, “It’s good that you’re back alive.” After speaking, his eyes fell on Shen Changze, who was tightly holding onto Shan Ming’s pant leg.

Ayer slightly frowned, “Jobb told me while you guys were on the road, is he the kid you brought back?”

Shan Ming nodded, “Yeah, I can’t even shake him off, look.” After saying that, he shook his leg, but the child immediately clung to his leg even tighter, looking at Ayer warily.

Ayer shrugged, “We aren’t a charity. What are you planning to do with him?”

Shan Ming was about to open his mouth to speak.

When a strange voice interrupted them.

“Oh, my god.” A skinny Caucasian man pushed through the crowd and squeezed through. He looked as pale as a ghost, with a weird and lascivious gleam in his eyes. His eyes were fixed on Shen Changze, as if he was about to drool over him in the next second. He came to Shen Changze while exclaiming, “Why is there an angel here? Poor little beauty, you were starved so thin…”

The child was so frightened that he ducked behind Shan Ming’s back, his big black eyes were full of fear.

Killing intent immediately rose in Shan Ming’s eyes. He threw away his cane and pulled out a pistol from Jobb’s waistband. Just as the man’s disgusting twig-like hand was about to touch Shen Changze, the pistol was already precisely pointed at the man’s crotch.

The man immediately froze, he stared at Shan Ming with widened eyes.

Shan Ming’s expression was ferocious as he glared back at the man.

“Shan, what’s the meaning of this?”

Shan Ming spoke in a cold and menacing tone loud enough for everyone to hear, “Jim, from now on, this child is mine. If you dare to touch even a strand of his hair, I will cut off your dick and make you eat it.”

Jim’s expression changed, showing malice in his eyes. He took a step back and said with a sardonic laugh, “Yours? Since when did you also have this preference? Didn’t you always think I was disgusting?”

Shan Ming spat on the ground, “Ptui, I still think you’re disgusting. He’s my son.”

“Son? Hahaha, son?” Jim held his stomach and laughed, “You hypocritical yellow bastard, you merely beat me to him.”

Shan Ming sneered, “Well, it’s not too late if you want to take him, you dare to duel it out with me?” He handed the gun back to Job, revealing a fierce killing intent, “How we compete is up to you.”

No one spoke around them, and the air felt so cold it seemed to have solidified.

Jim’s facial features seemed to contort with anger. He glared fiercely at Shan Ming before he turned around and left.

It was an ironclad rule among mercenaries that members were not allowed to fight amongst themselves, but if two people had such deep-seated hatred for each other that it couldn’t be resolved, they could have a duel in front of the entire group until one of them dies.

Not to mention Jim, not one person in their mercenary group dared to accept Shan Ming’s one-on-one. This young and handsome oriental boy possessed a killing ability bestowed upon him by the devil himself.

Ayer had a look of amusement on his face and joked, “Shan, if you guys duel, I’ll definitely bet on you to win.”

Shan Ming watched Jim’s back as he left like a dog with its tail between its legs. He revealed a bloodthirsty smile, “Then your winnings are in the bag.”

Ayer crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “So… he’s your son?”

Shan Ming couldn’t hide his disdain as he glanced at the trembling child in fear. “Although he’s too useless compared to me back then, but… I guess so.”

Ayer waved his hand and told the group of mercenaries who were spectating, “You guys go back to what you were doing.”

After everyone had left, Ayer shook his head and said, “This is different from when Father adopted you. I don’t recommend that you do this.”

Shan Ming patted Ayer on the shoulder, “Boss, my good bro, I have already decided to raise him. Father successfully raised us, I think I can raise a child too, it seems like fun. Just consider it as our mercenary group’s tradition, so we can have a successor.”

Ayer’s beautiful blue eyes looked deeply into Shan Ming’s eyes, as if they could see through his heart, “Although you always say live for today because we don’t have a tomorrow, you still want to leave something in the world when you die, right? Like when Father died, but he left us behind.”

Shan Ming smiled and shook his head. He patted Ayer’s shoulder and said, “Ayer, I haven’t thought that much. I simply think it’s fun. Don’t worry, I won’t let him drag us down. If he becomes a burden to the entire mercenary group, I will personally take care of him.”

Ayer let out a sigh and showed a graceful smile. “My stubborn little brother…”

Pelle led Shan Ming into the one-person tent that was prepared for him, then quickly and skillfully tended to his re-opened wound.

After Pelle left, only Shan Ming and Shen Changze were left to stare at each other in the tent.

The child huddled in a corner, turning his little head to take in the whole tent, looking very curious.

Shan Ming knocked on the table, “Pour me a glass of water.”

The child slowly moved over and poured a glass of water for Shan Ming, then timidly handed it to him.

The tense atmosphere between Shan Ming and that skinny man just now left a shadow in the child’s heart. Although he couldn’t understand what they were saying, he kept feeling like it had something to do with him, and it was something very unpleasant.

After finishing the water, Shan Ming said to him, “Come here.”

The child walked over slowly, raised his little face to look at him, and asked quietly, “Uncle, will you take me home?”

Shan Ming’s expression turned cold, “I already told you that I won’t take you home. If your parents are dead, then I can definitely send you to see them.”

The child understood his sarcasm and shrank his shoulders in fear.

Shan Ming pinched the child’s chin, stared into his eyes, and said word by word, “From now on, just consider your parents dead. You won’t be going back to them. From now on, you will be my son.”

The child widened his eyes and stared at Shan Ming in disbelief.

After he said that, Shan Ming also felt a strange emotion in his heart. Suddenly, he became interested and smirked, “Let me hear you call me Dad.”

The child’s lips trembled, and tears began to well up in his eyes. Suddenly, he pushed away Shan Ming’s hand and yelled, “I have a dad, you are not my dad! I want to go home, I want my mom!”

Shan Ming didn’t hesitate to slap him in the face. The child’s young and tender cheeks immediately swelled up.

Shan Ming’s eyes flashed with a fierce light. “Go home? I gave you a choice, stay in that village or follow me. But no matter what you chose, you won’t be able to go home. Because you’re too weak, you don’t have the right to choose. If you don’t want to follow me, just say so. I’ll end you with one shot, then you can go home.”

The child’s body trembled and his eyes turned red, filled with fear and resentment.

Shan Ming sneered, “If you want to eat well, dress well, and not get raped by perverts, then follow me well. I’ll teach you how to fill your belly and smash the heads of those who pose a threat to you.”

The child kept trembling, tears slowly flowed down his cheeks.

Shan Ming saw the effect of his intimidation, he pinched Shen Changze’s face again and flashed a wicked smile, “Call me Dad.”

The child looked at him with teary, blurred eyes, still refusing to speak.

“You’re crying for what? Come on, call me Dad. It’s your luck you get to follow me. In the future, you will have lots and lots of money, can fuck the most beautiful girls in the world, can gamble away your fortune in Monte Carlo, and can even snap the neck of those you hate. That’s way better than dying in the primitive forest and being eaten by insects.”

The child bit his lip, with a look of hatred and fear on his face.

Shan Ming patted the child’s face and threatened, “Say it, or I will send you to that pervert earlier. That bastard’s dick is thicker than your arm, he has hundreds of ways to torture a child like you, wanna give it a try?”

Although the child only vaguely understood, the look in the eyes of the man earlier made him feel sick and scared. No matter how scary the person in front of him was, at least they spoke the same language, at least he saved him, and at least he could give him food. After weighing his options, the child’s lips trembled and he reluctantly called out quietly, “Dad.”

Shan Ming raised his head and burst out laughing, “Nice. I, Shan Ming, picked up a son for free.”

The child couldn’t stop crying.

Shan Ming doesn’t have any extra sympathy for him. After sitting in the car all day, he was a bit tired. He took off his jacket, shoes, and socks, then threw them by Shen Changze’s feet, “Wash my clothes and socks, oh, scrub the shoes too. The water and bucket are outside, you’ll see it when you go out.” After giving orders, Shan Ming lay down comfortably on the bed, “Call me when dinner’s ready. If you can’t finish your work, you won’t get to eat.”

The child tightly held onto the corner of his own clothes, with a look of grievance and anger fixed on the back of Shan Ming’s head, as if he wanted to stare two holes into it. He looked at him like that for a long time, before finally sniffing and getting up from the ground, carrying Shan Ming’s dirty clothes as he swayed out.