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"Oh! Alright! Since it's for the country, of course I'll do my duty! So, how are we supposed to track down 'Black Eye' now?" Shawn Young asked.
General Ethan Tang thought for a moment and said, "I'll immediately arrange for a transport plane from the Southern Military District to take you, Fiona Tang, and Colonel Hank Han's Dragonforce Battalion's elite members straight to Pakistan. From there, you'll transfer and parachute into Afghanistan. That way, you can intercept 'Black Eye' before he meets with the Americans!"
Sherry Shawn added, "Right, I'll contact our intelligence operatives in Iran and Pakistan to meet you and guide you into Afghanistan! With local experts as guides, your chances of success will be much higher!"
General Ethan Tang nodded, waved his hand, and said, "Colonel Han, go select your best men to prepare for Afghanistan! Remember, this is an overseas mission, and your opponents could be elite American forces—even supernaturals. Since this could trigger a major international incident, it's an unacknowledged super-mission! You must be extra cautious. If you fail—"
"We won't fail!" Colonel Han replied coldly. "If we do, not a single one of us will live to be captured!"
General Ethan Tang nodded. "Good! I believe you can do it—at least, I believe you and the Dragonforce Battalion won't let yourselves be taken alive."
"Commander, we can't use our regular uniforms and weapons. We need to urgently switch to foreign gear, and we need equipment that can't be traced to any nationality! That way, the Americans won't have anything to pin on us!" Colonel Han said.
"Uh—honestly, I hadn't thought of that! If we need it right away, it's going to be a huge hassle to get everything together!" General Ethan Tang said, frowning.
"Hehe, don't worry, I've got a way to get all that gear. Commander Tang, just make a list of everything you want and give it to me. As long as you enter Pakistan first, someone will provide everything you need! You guys go ahead and set out!" Sherry Shawn said mysteriously.
"Alright! Colonel Han, you all set out right away! The transport plane will be here soon!" General Ethan Tang didn't know what method Sherry Shawn would use to get the weapons and gear, but considering her special skills, he figured it wouldn't be a problem.
Colonel Han, Shawn Young, Fiona Tang, and the others left the underground command center. After Han selected the elite Dragonforce Battalion members for this super-mission, they rushed to the military airport. A massive C-130 Hercules transport plane was already waiting. Once aboard, the plane fired up its engines, took off down the runway, and soared into the sky.
A few hours later, the Hercules transport landed at a nameless military base in Pakistan. The base was specially built by the Pakistani side during Chinese aid projects for their brother nation. After disembarking, the team saw a tall, burly Pakistani soldier in camouflage and beret, along with a Chinese man in a black jacket, about thirty years old.
The Chinese man stepped forward, reached out to Colonel Han, who was in plain clothes at the front, and said, "Haha—You must be the famous Colonel Han of the Dragonforce Battalion, right?"
"Uh—I'm Han Feng. How do you know me? And you are...?" Han asked in surprise, shaking the man's hand.
"Oh! I'm Quentin Wang from the embassy, same department as Sherry Shawn! She's already briefed me on your situation. Whatever weapons and gear you need, our Pakistani brothers will help provide. I'll also find you a great guide!" Quentin Wang said with a smile.
"Oh! Thanks, thanks—" Han Feng immediately understood; Quentin Wang was also an intelligence officer.
Quentin Wang waved the burly Pakistani soldier over and introduced him: "Haha—This is your counterpart—Mohammed Zia Ake. He studied at our Chinese PLA Officer Academy and now teaches special forces in Pakistan. He speaks fluent Chinese, and knows the languages of both Pakistan and Afghanistan! He'll be your guide. Hope you all work well together!"
"Hello, Colonel Han! I've heard all about you! Welcome to Pakistan. It's an honor to work with you! My Chinese is pretty good. Just call me Ake!" the burly Pakistani instructor said, shaking Han's hand with a big smile and fluent Mandarin.
"Oh!? I didn't realize I was so famous! Haha—Looking forward to working together, Brother Ake. Thanks for your help!" Han Feng said quickly.
"Haha—No need to be so formal! Chinese and Pakistani people are the best of friends, brothers! Brothers help each other out, that's what we're here for! So don't go thanking me too much!" Ake said passionately.
Han Feng nodded eagerly. He'd always known that China and Pakistan had a special friendship, and people back home loved to call Pakistan 'Iron Brother'—meaning their bond was unbreakable. It was true; the two countries were incredibly close. Pakistan is the only country in the world that literally prints 'China is Pakistan's steadfast ally' in its primary school textbooks. And after the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Pakistan sent every transport plane they had to help China. You rarely see that kind of friendship anywhere else. (Note: If you ever get the chance, travel to Pakistan and you'll see just how well they treat Chinese people!)
Quentin Wang smiled at Han Feng and Ake. "Alright! I know you guys will work great together! This mission is tough, but if we all pull together, we'll get it done! Colonel Han, I'll go prep for your air drop into Afghanistan. If you need anything, just tell Ake—he'll handle it!"
With that, Quentin Wang headed off toward the base command center. Ake looked at the gathering Dragonforce Battalion members in plain clothes, along with Shawn Young and Fiona Tang, and said with a smile, "Colonel Han, all your weapons and gear are ready! You and your team come with me to pick out what you need. We'll be parachuting into Afghanistan soon, and our people will meet you once you're in."
"Alright!" Han Feng perked up and turned to the Dragonforce Battalion team. "Let's go pick out our gear! Shawn, you and Team Leader Tang, come choose your weapons too!"
Shawn Young hesitated, his face turning a little red—he'd never even handled a gun before. Fiona Tang nudged him and said, "Don't worry, I'll teach you the basics once we're on the plane. Just pick something out for now!"
"Oh—" Shawn Young felt like a duck forced onto a perch, but he braced himself and followed the group into the underground armory. Inside, rows and rows of light weapons from all over the world were laid out—like a global firearms expo! All the markings had been sanded off and the colors repainted. You could tell where each weapon was made, but you couldn't trace them. Perfect for secret missions—gangsters and extremists love this kind of gear too. Han Feng and the special ops guys couldn't help but get excited, rushing to pick out their favorites.
Shawn Young saw Han Feng pick up a long-barreled sniper rifle, looking absolutely delighted. "Colonel Han, why so excited? Is that gun really that awesome?" he asked.
"Oh yeah, definitely! This is a German-made PSG Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle—one of the most accurate sniper rifles in the world! Within a hundred meters, you can put five shots into a circle the size of a baseball! This is the real deal! I'm taking it for sure, plus some ammo and accessories—hehe!" Han Feng said excitedly.
"Brother Shawn, here, use this one! It's easier to handle," Fiona Tang said, handing Shawn a black gun.
Shawn Young took the gun and asked, "Uh—what's this called? Is it easy to handle?"
"Yeah—it's a Colt M4 Carbine, holds five rounds per mag, comes with a suppressor, pretty accurate, reliable, and easy to use. Perfect for beginners!" Fiona Tang said.
"Oh! I'll take it, then. What about you, Fiona? What are you using?" Shawn Young asked.
Fiona Tang smiled, pulled out two big, black, rocket launcher-looking things from behind her, and said, "Hehe—I like these! They're powerful!"
Shawn Young was startled. The launchers were huge, each with double barrels and loaded with rounds. Each looked to weigh about thirty pounds. He couldn't believe the elegant Fiona Tang preferred such heavy-duty gear!
"Uh—Fiona, what are those things? They look heavy! Are you sure you can carry them on the march?" Shawn Young asked quickly.
"Hehe—you forgot I'm trained in Complete Reality Taoism. Carrying this weight is no problem! These are Solo Thermobaric Launchers—super powerful! You'll see soon enough," Fiona Tang laughed.
"Oh—really!" Shawn Young replied, curious. He couldn't wait to see just how powerful those things were.
By now, everyone had picked their weapons and gear and changed into various types of mountain camouflage combat uniforms. They looked like a motley crew of international mercenaries—no standard issue in sight. This way, they'd avoid diplomatic trouble. Once ready, they smeared camouflage paint on their faces and headed outside, where an Ilyushin Military Transport waited.