Chapter: 2840
Su Shoudao finally arrived in Syria after a long day and night of flying. Unlike Charlie Wade, who had the luxury of flying on a Concorde, Su could only take a basic flight to the Middle East. After landing in Turkey, he traveled by road overnight to cross the border into northern Syria.
As soon as Su set foot in Syria, he felt a wave of despair wash over him. He had entered the country illegally, and his vehicle took him through deserted areas to avoid detection. The landscape shocked him. The country was devastated, filled with vast deserts, hills, and abandoned villages. The endless stretches of sand and mountains reminded him of an ancient poem that spoke of loneliness in the desert.
After driving about 100 kilometers into Syria, Su realized that if Charlie Wade didn’t help him, he might never leave this place. He didn’t know anyone here, and with his appearance standing out from the locals, escaping would be nearly impossible. As this thought sank in, he felt an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.
His despair felt deep, like it had sunk to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Just when he thought things couldn’t get worse, he finally reached the area controlled by Commander Hamid.
As the car approached the valley, Su saw construction happening on the mountainsides. Hamid’s friend, who had worked in Iraq, had rushed to Syria in just over ten hours for the sake of money. Now, he was busy leading the workers and the new engineering company that Hamid had set up just the night before.
Su looked at the barren valley, the armed soldiers around him, and the fortifications being built. A deep wail of despair escaped him.
“What is this place?!” Su Shoudao exclaimed, looking around in disbelief.
“It’s in the middle of ten thousand mountains. The roads are terrible, and it’s less developed than even a small village in China,” someone explained.
“I thought this was a base from the War of Resistance Against Japan,” Su Shoudao said, feeling a mix of frustration and disbelief. If a TV show like “Bright Sword” were filmed here, it would look much more real than what was shown on TV.
Just then, a convoy led by a military jeep pulled up in front of Hamid’s command post. As soon as the vehicle stopped, Hamid, dressed in a camouflage uniform, stepped out with excitement.
The men who brought Su Shoudao were from Chen Zekai, but Hamid didn’t know Chen Zekai. He only knew that Charlie Wade wanted to work with him. He assumed everyone else was also part of Charlie Wade’s team.
Charlie Wade was not just his benefactor; he was also his source of wealth and a strategic leader. So, Hamid felt a mix of enthusiasm and respect for Charlie Wade’s men.
As Hamid approached quickly, Su Shoudao felt a flutter in his chest. He thought, “This guy seems important; he must be the leader here.”
When Hamid stepped out, Su Shoudao was pulled down from the vehicle by Chen Zekai’s men.