After climbing over hills for nearly an hour, the group reached the top of a mountain. Looking down, they saw a cluster of homes below—uniform rows of earthen houses. Due to the climate and geography, everything was a dusty yellow, with hardly any other colors in sight.
"Alright, this is the tribal area. We’re probably already being watched! Stick close to me, don’t get separated, and don’t talk or make any gestures. Keep your gun barrels pointed down to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings!" Mohammed Zia Ake suddenly turned and said.
"Got it!" Colonel Hank Han and the rest immediately tensed up. Everyone knew that in Afghanistan, where everyone was armed, even a random person could be a decent sniper. So they all pointed their guns at the ground and cautiously followed Mohammed Zia Ake down the mountain.
Soon, the group entered the village at the foot of the mountain. They could vaguely see villagers moving about. Strangely, even though their arrival was conspicuous, no one came out to stop them. The quiet atmosphere felt eerie and unusual.
Shawn Young never imagined his first 'government-sponsored trip abroad' would be to Afghanistan—a world-renowned high-risk zone. He looked around and noticed that the houses in the tribal area had tiny windows. There were also quite a few extravagant mansions with tall walls and sprawling yards, some stretching over a hundred meters with walls three meters high, built like fortresses. They reminded him of detention centers or small prisons back in China. Through the heavy iron gates, Shawn could even see luxury cars and pickup trucks for hauling cargo parked inside.
Mohammed Zia Ake suddenly began to explain: "These luxury homes belong to drug lords. They may look plain on the outside, but inside they’ve got swimming pools, tennis courts, ammo and drug warehouses, and are guarded by experienced mercenaries—sometimes dozens, sometimes hundreds! Their gear is advanced, almost like a small, powerful army. Many US-wanted terrorists have been hiding here for years, mixing with the drug lords. Both sides get what they need. These guys are worshipped as heroes by many Afghans, with a huge local following. That’s why the Americans and the Afghan interim government can’t do anything about them."
"Wow, this is eye-opening!" Han Feng, walking behind Ak, was seeing all this up close for the first time. He couldn’t help but marvel—places as chaotic as Afghanistan would never see the end of drug or arms smuggling.
Just then, a dozen young men in traditional Afghan clothing suddenly rushed out onto the path ahead, pointing AK-47s and RPGs at the group. Barefoot, they moved quickly and skillfully to take up advantageous positions. At the same time, gun barrels poked out from the tiny windows of the earthen houses, all aimed at the group! And behind them, another large crowd of armed Afghans appeared.
The sudden turn of events made Colonel Hank Han and the members of the "Dragon God" special ops team scatter instinctively, ready to raise their weapons. Even Shawn Young and Fiona Tang tensed up, gathering their energy in case of a fight.
Mohammed Zia Ake quickly raised his hands, turned his head, and shouted urgently in Chinese: "Everyone, stay calm! Lower your weapons and follow me—don’t let them misunderstand! Remember, we’re here to cooperate. Let me do the talking!"
Colonel Hank Han looked at the situation and realized that if a fight broke out, their side could be wiped out in an instant. The Afghans surrounding them handled their weapons with expert precision, their faces calm and eyes cold, skillfully taking up the best positions. Some of them moved as fast as special forces. This country had truly bred a fierce and battle-hardened people!
Colonel Hank Han immediately ordered, "Listen to Ake—don’t look so nervous! Keep your gun barrels down and gather behind him!"
Everyone followed Colonel Hank Han’s order, kept their gun barrels pointed down, and avoided any movements that might cause misunderstandings. They regrouped behind Mohammed Zia Ake, who was already talking loudly to the armed men across from them in Afghan, gesturing as he spoke.
"Oh! Zia—Ake, my dear old friend, I’m thrilled to see you again before I reach heaven!" The tall white man strode forward and gave Mohammed Zia Ake a big bear hug, speaking fluent English.
"Haha—Dudarev, you know you’ll never get into heaven. God wouldn’t take a dangerous guy like you! Better enjoy your slice of paradise while you can!" Mohammed Zia Ake joked without holding back.
"Hahaha—You really know me well, old friend! By the way, an elder from a local tribe wants me to marry his youngest daughter. I’ll bring her home in a couple of days—heh!" Dudarev laughed heartily, full of pride.
"Congratulations! That’ll make your business here even easier. And hey, adding another wife is always a good thing—after all, you’ve already got a dozen wives from all over the world! I still don’t get why you love flying everywhere. Wouldn’t it be easier to keep them all together?" Mohammed Zia Ake laughed.
"Heh, you just don’t get it—that’s what life’s all about! Like you said, I’ll never get into heaven, so while I’m alive, I chase places that feel closest to paradise! Hahaha!" Dudarev laughed loudly.
"Oh? This is Afghanistan, though—hardly paradise!" Mohammed Zia Ake looked genuinely confused.
"Heh—Afghanistan is the closest thing to heaven for me, you’ll see soon enough! Anyway, let’s not talk about that. Your Chinese friends behind you seem pretty anxious! Aren’t you going to introduce them?" Dudarev’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at Colonel Hank Han and the others.
Mohammed Zia Ake nodded quickly and introduced, "Colonel Han, this is the famous arms entrepreneur, Mr. Dudarev. He used to be an elite in the Russian Spetsnaz Signal Flag unit—so he’s one of us!"
"Whoa, the Signal Flag Spetsnaz! That’s Russia’s top special forces—never thought I’d meet one!" Colonel Hank Han stared at Dudarev in shock.
"Haha, that’s all ancient history. I even did a stint for the KGB! But now I work with other bosses—I’m a businessman these days. Colonel Han, are you Black Shirt or Blue Shirt?" Dudarev grinned and shook hands with Colonel Hank Han, suddenly switching to fluent Chinese.
"Uh—we’re..." Colonel Hank Han hesitated, unsure whether to reveal their identities. Dudarev clearly wasn’t on the same side, but Han knew better than to offend him right now.
"Haha, just kidding! Colonel Han, you should remember those confidentiality rules! If you’re Ake’s friends, you’re my friends. I hear you want to mess with the Americans—that suits me just fine! Don’t worry, whatever mission you’re on, I won’t pry, as long as it doesn’t mess with my business!" Dudarev’s eyes gleamed slyly.
"Old friend, I’ve got some bad news for you." Mohammed Zia Ake suddenly said to Dudarev.
"Bad news? What is it?" Dudarev squinted.
"We just got the latest intel—a five-man Afghan Special Forces team and a dozen American agents are sweeping the poppy fields in a place called Gul Village! And it looks like they’re moving this way!" Mohammed Zia Ake reported to Dudarev.
"Is the intel solid?" Dudarev’s face was unreadable.
"It’s from the Red Cyber Consortium," Mohammed Zia Ake replied.
"If it’s from the Red Cyber Consortium, there’s no doubt! Damn—those Americans want to ruin my business! Not a chance!" Dudarev’s beady eyes flashed with menace.