Chapter 47

After staying like this for a while, vibrations came from the ground. Shen Changze opened his eyes and turned his head to look. The first thing he saw was Lily’s snow-white ample bosom, which stood out particularly in the dark night. Behind her were Pelle, Kali, and others.

Pelle ran up to his side, looking at his sweaty face, and sighed. With a hint of concern, she said, “Why do you keep getting injured all the time? I don’t think you’re ready for missions yet. It’s too early for you.”

Shen Changze said firmly, “Pelle, it’s not too early at all. I am a capable mercenary. Help me with my injuries?”

Lily playfully twisted his nose. “You have a big mouth for someone so small. Keep quiet, behave and rest.”

Pelle carefully cut open the bandages on his back and examined the wound. She sighed in relief, “Kali, his injury isn’t as severe as you said.”

Kali, panting heavily, lay on the ground and drank water from a straw in his vest. He muttered casually, “Oh really? As long as you say so.”

“If I had known it was like this, I should have stayed on the other side of the canal. Big Rock is still unconscious. After I finish taking care of the child, I need to go back immediately.”

Shen Changze opened his eyes. “Pelle, is Big Rock injured? You should go to him. Don’t worry about me, I’m feeling alright.”

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“Jkt Ssnj vssj y bkv qasx y taldyel kd bkp oykpv. R’hl yzalyeu valyvle bkx, cwv bl dllep qwavbla ydvkcynvlakyz valyvxldv. El esd’v byhl vbl dlnlppyau nsdekvksdp blal, ps ol xwpv alvwad vs vbl Nkclayz Gaxu cypl. Iyzk vsze xl vbyv usw olal kdfwale kd vbl lmrzspksd, ps R nyxl blal vs vyjl nyal sq uswa oswdep,” Vlzzl lmrzykdle yp pbl pokqvzu nwv sqq vbl byrbygyae cydeytlp vbyv Iyzk bye yrrzkle vs vbl nbkze, rlaqsaxle ydvkcynvlakyz valyvxldv yde pvsrrle vbl czllekdt, yde vbld rasnllele vs al-cydeytl vbl oswde.

“Iyzk, Nkzu, nsxl okvb xl vs vbl nydyz kxxlekyvlzu. El dlle vs zlyhl yp pssd yp rsppkczl.”

Iyzk bye yzps pwpvykdle psxl xkdsa kdfwaklp vs bkp cynj, cwv dsvbkdt plhlal. Tsolhla, nyaaukdt csvb vbl nbkze yde vblka liwkrxldv oyp y ckv nbyzzldtkdt qsa bkx. Fllkdt vbkp, Nkzu vssj kv wrsd blaplzq vs pbswzela vbl nbkze yde vblka tlyap. Mblu pokqvzu cltyd vblka alvalyv vsoyaep vbl nydyz.

Gp vblu ayd byzqoyu, vblu ldnswdvlale Gula yde vbl svblap. Fbld Ubydtgl, obs bye clld pkzldvzu zukdt sd Nkzu’p cynj, pweeldzu clnyxl ldlatkgle obld bl pyo Fbyd Ykdt. Tl alynble swv bkp byde yde nyzzle swv, “Pye, bso ycswv usw nyaau xl?”

Fbyd Ykdt oyp vss snnwrkle vs ryu yvvldvksd vs bkx. Tl oyp nsxxwdknyvkdt okvb vbl Nkclayz Gaxu sqqknla kd Waldnb, ekalnvkdt vblx vs iwknjzu zsye vbl olyrsdp sdvs vbl pbkrp yde lhynwyvl. Tl oyp qawpvayvle okvb vblka talle yde elpkal vs lxrvu vbl ldvkal kdhldvsau. Rv oyp ycpwae. Rq vblu pvyule wdvkz vbl tshladxldv yaxu alkdqsanlxldvp yaakhlp, vblu oswze byhl ds nbydnl sq lpnyrl.

Fbld Ubydtgl, wdokzzkdt vs tkhl wr, nyzzle swv sdnl ytykd, “Pye, bso ycswv usw nyaau xl? Nkzu’p nyaaukdt vss xwnb pvwqq!”

Nkzu rqqvle yde pyke, “Zsw cayv, yzoyup ynvkdt prskzle okvb uswa eye.” Fbl ayd shla vs Fbyd Ykdt’p pkel yde pyke, “Rv’p uswa psd, vyjl nyal sq bkx uswaplzq.”

Fbyd Ykdt pbswvle ydtakzu kdvs vbl ayeks obkzl awddkdt, hldvkdt bkp qawpvayvksd. Tl xsvksdle vs Nkzu, vkzvkdt bkp blye vs vlzz bla vs byde shla vbl nbkze.

The child immediately wrapped his arms around Shan Ming’s neck and shifted onto his back, securing himself by wrapping his legs around his waist. He felt content and satisfied being carried on his dad’s back.

Seeing that the Liberal Army was starting to withdraw, and his voice was already hoarse from all the yelling, only then did Shan Ming remember that there was someone behind him. He asked, “How did you get injured again?”

“I couldn’t outrun the bomb. Don’t worry, it’s just scrapes,” the child rubbed against Shan Ming’s short hair and pressed his face against his damp neck. The smell of blood, sweat, and gunpowder on Shan Ming’s body unexpectedly made the child feel incredibly warm.

Despite their disheveled appearances, both of them were still alive. Surviving the battlefield was their greatest victory.

Shan Ming furrowed his brow, feeling that this kid seemed to like acting spoiled more and more. He wasn’t like this at all when he was little. He would always bare his teeth, wave his little fists, and say that one day he would knock him down. But now, he always wanted to hug and cuddle with him. Why did he become clingier the older he grew? It’s really strange.

However, the child didn’t consider it unusual at all. He said quietly, “Dad, I’m fine. I don’t feel any pain.” Deep down, he hoped that Shan Ming would comfort him, even though he knew Shan Ming definitely did not have such delicate emotions.

Shen Changze had a yearning for Shan Ming. He admired him and took pride in having such a powerful father. However, Shan Ming was too indifferent toward people and matters. He never followed the social norms of human interaction, let alone knowing how to be a father or how to care for and guide his son. For the child, having a father like him was almost the same as not having one at all. Consequently, he yearned even more for the affection of a father he had imagined. He longed to be close to Shan Ming, to receive gentleness and praise, and to have more personal interactions with his dad. The more he realized that Shan Ming would never behave like an ordinary father, the more he craved the emotional connection he idealized.

Therefore, he could only take the initiative to approach Shan Ming himself, whether it was physically or through communication. He would work hard to excel in his tasks, awaiting that one word of affirmation from Shan Ming.

Sometimes, he would feel angry and upset because of Shan Ming’s indifference toward him. However, more often than not, he would feel extra satisfied because of the “intimacy” he had fought for. Just like now, as he lay on Shan Ming’s back, he felt immensely happy.

Shan Ming would never understand how deprived of love a child who had been separated from his parents and everything familiar at the age of five could be. He had never even considered this aspect, believing that all a man needed was a reliable weapon and the ability to defeat enemies, considering everything else to be superficial.

After they boarded the ship, their tense hearts finally relaxed.

Since the surprise attack took place at night, their losses were lighter than anticipated, at least no one died among their group. However, Big Rock, Habaji, and Dino were heavily injured, while over ten other members sustained varying degrees of minor injuries. Nonetheless, they managed to empty their arsenal in a camp that housed over six hundred people, which was an incredible achievement.

Upon their return to the Liberal Army base, they received a warm welcome. Those people cheered ecstatically, holding the weapons they had seized, their excitement reaching incredible heights. They almost treated them as gods.

They didn’t have time to celebrate with them. The most important thing now was to find a place with good sanitary conditions to treat the wounded.

Although the medical facility in the Liberal Army base was somewhat rudimentary, it was relatively clean. Many members of the Peregrine Falcons had some medical skills, so Pelle asked Ayer and Lily to assist her in performing surgery on Big Rock and the others.

Given the condition of the three severely injured patients, they couldn’t leave the area for the time being. The nearby area was engulfed in continuous warfare, and there was no suitable landing spot for a helicopter. They had to drive for over three hours to reach the helicopter landing point where they had arrived earlier. However, the roughness of the road was unbearable for the wounded.

Thus, they temporarily settled in the rear of the Liberal Army base.

Due to limited bed space, Shen Changze, who had minor injuries, didn’t sleep in the medical room. Instead, he stayed in a barracks vacated for the Peregrine Falcons. The space in the barracks was also insufficient. All twenty-something of them, regardless of gender, slept in a single room. The air was poor, the building was old, and the beds were cramped, creating a sense of oppression.

During the idle daytime, the healthy mercenaries sometimes went to the front lines to assist the Liberal Army with their tactics. At night, everyone remained silent while sleeping. They hadn’t forgotten that they were still on the battlefield even if they were currently in the rear and relatively safe. In the event that the front line was breached, they would have to evacuate immediately. Therefore, maintaining sufficient physical strength at all times was necessary.

At night, Shan Ming and Shen Changze slept on the same bed.

Due to the small size of the bed and the child’s back injury, the child slept on Shan Ming’s body, lying face down.

Although the pressure on Shan Ming’s chest made him uncomfortable, he knew that it would be quite unpleasant for an injured person to lie face down on a dirty, smelly, and damp bed.

Sure enough, the child slept soundly on him, while Shan Ming found it difficult to fall asleep.

Somehow, he found himself reminiscing about what happened five years ago.

He was injured and escaped into the primitive forest, where he found this child. After nightfall, the forest became dark and cold. The child crawled up to him while crying, desperately drilling himself into his embrace. At that time, the child was so small that he could curl up and fit snugly in his arms. Now, he was much bigger, and much heavier.

In a few more years, this child would grow up and become an adult, it was truly hard to imagine. The once timid, fragile, and quick-to-cry baby chick would transform into a resilient mercenary.

The image of the child with bright, sparkling eyes, calling him “Dad” in a tender and innocent voice, played in Shan Ming’s mind, he found it quite interesting.

As his son rustle in his arms, faint and unintelligible murmurs escaped his lips.

Shan Ming confidently discerned that he was calling out “Dad” in his sleep.

Dad, Dad, Dad.

A gentle smile formed at the corner of Shan Ming’s mouth.