Chapter 304 - Appeared

After Xiao Luo spent some time comforting Su Xiaobei, the little girl finally calmed down and smiled happily. She was no longer crying and was once again like the little angel she was, bringing cheer into the hearts of the people around her. At no time did Su Li show up during the video call, and all Xiao Luo had seen of her was her hand wiping Bei Bei's tears away.

After hanging up, Su Li sent a message to Xiao Luo. "Are you in Jiangcheng or at home in the Western Province?"

"It's Chinese New Year, so naturally, I'm at home." Xiao Luo responded to her message as he descended the stairs to rejoin his family at dinner.

Su Li: "Have you ever thought of quitting your job at Luo Workshop and coming to Xiahai to pursue your career?"

Xiao Luo was surprised by her question, why would he think of even quitting his job at Luo Workshop?

He gave it some thought before he came back to his senses. How did Su Li know where he worked? The only information about his status in Luo Workshop was that he was an employee of Luo Fang. Perhaps it Su Li had gotten someone to investigated him.

Ding. Ding.

A notification from WeChat showed him that he had received a new message, and it was again from Su Li. "Can I hire you to be Su Xiaobei's surrogate father? I don't need you to do anything else, just take care of Su Xiaobei when I'm busy. I'll pay you 50,000 a month, plus accommodation. Are you up for it?"

Xiao Luo was astonished, a monthly salary of 50,000, and including accommodation? She certainly acted in the style of the rich and famous, and knew how to flaunt her wealth. Xiao Luo was beginning to get an idea of what a superstar was truly like. No wonder Zhang Dashan had said that this woman was a "jackpot." Not anyone could offer such generous terms and conditions.

"I'll think about it."

Xiao Luo had initially intended to go to Xiahai anyway, and if someone was willing to give him 50,000 a month and provide him housing, why not? Xiao Luo didn't think the work would be too taxing either, so it was as good as a free lunch. Although he didn't need the money, any extra income would always be welcome. Besides, he had an inexplicable fondness for Su Xiaobei. It was just impossible to put into words, they somehow shared a natural bond.

Su Li: "I'll pay you a hundred thousand a month!"

Xiao Luo's eyes widened. He wondered if she was trying to buy him over with money.

Getting no response from Xiao Luo, Su Li continued to double the offer: "Two hundred thousand."

Xiao Luo quickly replied: "Okay, I agree."

He couldn't say no, and with 200,000 dollars being offered to him, he had no reason to refuse.

Su Li: "When can you come?"

Xiao Luo wrote: "Not sure yet, will contact you when I get to Xiahai."

"Okay."

Finally, with a single word, she ended the communication.

Just then, Ji Siying came walking up the stairs to take an incoming call as well.

"Hi, Lin Dong, what's wrong? Is anything the matter?"

"Miss Ji, we have found traces left behind by the Cobra Mercenaries."

"Huh?"

Ji Siying furrowed her brows and looked up at Xiao Luo, who also heard Lin Dong on speakerphone. He slipped his phone back in his pocket and stopped in his tracks.

"Where are they?" Ji Siying asked.

Lin Dong was the leader of the twenty Grade C soldiers assigned to the mission, and they had covertly been conducting patrols around the farm and the Mountain Luo region.

"In the forest of Mountain Luo, coordinates 0600. All eight of them are there, they're around a campfire and having their meal. You and Mr. Xiao Luo should hurry over. "

"Okay, copy that!"

Ji Siying hung up the phone and turned to look at Xiao Luo.

Xiao Luo frowned, he couldn't help feeling that there was something amiss, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Meanwhile, in a dark, gloomy location somewhere in the forest of Mountain Luo, a forlorn figure was slumped on the ground, and a large man had just taken a phone away from his lips. Illuminated by the flickering flames of a campfire, the man's face was unrecognizable, his face was a bloody mess, and his body broken and blood-soaked. Hoarse, guttural croaks escaped his lips as he tried to speak. Then in a quivering voice, Lin Dong spoke his final words, "Kill me… quick…"

"As you wish!"

The huge man replied in fluent Chinese and laughed cruelly. Kneeling next to Lin Dong, he pulled out a large, curved combat knife and slashed it across Lin Dong's throat, honoring his promise of a quick end.

Two hours earlier, Lin Dong and his squad were quietly celebrating the Chinese New Year's Eve in the field. They shared their rations and had a little alcohol for the occasion. It was a small consolation for being away from their families. Before they knew it, they were set upon by the Cobra mercenaries. The attackers had stealthily encroached their perimeter, and 19 of Lin Dong's companions were quickly slaughtered. But Lin Dong, being their commander, was captured alive.

For two long hours, Lin Dong was subjected to the worst forms of torture: his nails had been pulled off, his skin was torn off and sprinkled with salt, and his limbs were broiled over the fire. When he still didn't succumb to their interrogation, they blinded him by gouging his eyes out. And as if that wasn't enough, the blistered flesh of his legs was sliced off and thrown in the fire, leaving the white of his bones visible.

He was tortured to the point where he resembled neither human nor ghost, and in the end, he succumbed—in exchange for a quick death.

The man who killed Lin Dong was enormous in size and had a thick beard. He wore a camouflage smock without any emblems. His seven-man team sat around the campfire, having their fill of roasted wild boar meat when the huge bearded man issued a command in English: "The target is going to show up soon, prepare for combat!"

The seven men gobbled down the remaining roasted meat in their hands, then picked up their weapons and headed off to their positions, spreading out like phantoms in all directions of the forest. They hid under cover of night and blended in with the forest, like a giant web waiting for their prey to spring the trap.

*****

Xiao Luo and Ji Siying were in their dark combat gear and had arrived at the foot of Mount Luo to deal with the mercenaries. Under a shroud of darkness, they slowly crept towards Mountain Luo.

The crescent moon hung in the sky, illuminating their way as they navigated through the thick, dark forest. The weather was chilly, cold enough to form a mist when one exhaled. It was dead silent in the forest, with the sound of running mountain streams and the occasional call of night birds.

"Look, there's a fire!"

Ji Siying was the first to see the faint glow of the campfire halfway up the mountain and made haste to get there, but Xiao Luo stopped her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking puzzled.

"Wait. Something is not quite right here."

Xiao Luo took on a stern expression as he eyed the site. "Lighting a campfire does not make any sense. Why would they give out their position? Experienced mercenaries of this level are unlikely to make such a basic mistake when on a mission."

"But Lin Dong said…"

"Contact him again now," Xiao Luo said.

Ji Siying nodded, took out her communicator, and tried to contact Lin Dong, but there was no response. "His communicator is turned off."

"Turned off?"

Xiao Luo considered the possibilities as he scanned the area leading to the campsite. "Something has happened to them."

"They probably turned off their communicators for fear of exposing themselves." Ji Siying said.

"No, there was something about Lin Dong's voice during the call earlier, he seemed to be trying to suppress… pain."

Ji Siying couldn't disagree, Lin Dong's voice did sound somewhat unusual.

"Then are we going up or not?" she asked.

"No hurry, let me think about it."

Xiao Luo stroked his chin in contemplation. He was aware that this had to be a trap, and the Cobra mercenaries were just waiting for them to step into it. Once they exposed themselves, snipers would take them out in an instant.

He looked at Ji Siying's backpack. "Do you have the flares with you?"

"Yes," Ji Siying replied with a nod.

That should make his job a little easier.

Xiao Luo pointed to several points on the opposite hill. "You go up that hill and launch a flare from there. After that, move to that vantage point over there and launch another one. And then head to that location, and launch a third one."

He needed to confirm the positions of all eight Cobra Mercenaries, and once he knew where they were, he would find a way into the area.

…