894: Chapter 889 Rivals

The unmarked grey transport plane slammed heavily onto the red clay runway at the Catalia border.

The red dust kicked up by the tires rose three stories high, instantly swallowing the fuselage.

The moment the hatch opened, there was no Pacific breeze, only a rolling heatwave mixed with the scents of rotting mangoes, burning rubber, and rust.

Shen Yan jumped down the boarding ladder; as soon as his feet hit the solid ground, the several bottles of expensive champagne in his stomach began to churn.

Greeting him were not hostesses, but seven or eight child soldiers carrying AK47s, looking as black as if they had rolled in a coal pile.

They wore ill-fitting camouflage uniforms, and some didn't even have a complete pair of shoes on their feet; only their black-and-white eyes flickered with a predatory glint, treating people like prey.

"A person from Country H?"

The leader was a thin, dark man missing half a front tooth. He chewed on unknown leaves and poked the muzzle of his gun rudely against Shen Yan's chest.

"I want to see General Kaman."

Shen Yan didn't waste words. He pulled a roll of US dollars—about ten thousand—from his pocket and tossed it over.

In a place like this, US dollars were more useful than a prayer to God, but sometimes they were also a death warrant.

The thin, dark man caught the money and licked his lips greedily. He didn't lower his gun; instead, he flicked off the safety.

"This little bit of money is only enough to buy your life, not enough to see the General."

The surrounding child soldiers immediately cocked their rifles, creating a synchronized series of clicks.

Shen Yan's heart skipped a beat, but the mask he had worn for years in the business world didn't crack in the slightest.

He knew very well that showing weakness here would result in being stripped bare and thrown into the jungle to feed the hyenas the next second.

"Take me to see Kaman. This is only one percent of the meeting gift."

Shen Yan pointed at the thin, dark man's pocket. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable certainty.

"If I don't see him within ten minutes, you won't get a cent of the remaining money, and General Kaman will know you're the one blocking his path to wealth."

That name seemed to have some sort of magic.

The predatory light in the thin, dark man's eyes flickered a few times. Ultimately, his interest in the rest of that ten thousand dollars won out.

"Get in."

He tilted his head, pointing toward a beat-up pickup truck by the roadside that rattled everywhere except for the horn.

The vehicle jolted along the potholed red clay road for an hour. Shen Yan felt as if his skeletal frame was about to fall apart.

Burnt-out houses and roadblocks hung with skulls were visible everywhere along the way.

This was a truly lawless land. Here, a human life wasn't even worth as much as a can of luncheon meat.

General Kaman's camp was set up in an abandoned copper mine office building.

Electrified barbed wire was strung across the perimeter walls. Two heavy machine guns were mounted at the entrance, where several mercenaries in formal combat gear were smoking.

Shen Yan was led into a meeting room filled with the smell of cigars and mold.

In the room was not only the legendary cold-blooded warlord Kaman, but also a white man in a white suit with slicked-back hair.

"Oh, it looks like our competitor has arrived."

The white man held a glass of whiskey, sizing Shen Yan up as if he were a circus monkey.

"Allow me to introduce myself. William, Head of the Far East Region for the Colbert Resources Group."

Shen Yan ignored him, his gaze landing on the fat Black man sitting in the main seat.

General Kaman wore an unbuttoned military uniform with a gold chain as thick as a finger around his neck. He was using a dagger to pick his teeth.

"Country H person, you're late."

Kaman spat, slamming the dagger into the table in front of him with a dull thud.

"Mr. William has already offered thirty million US dollars, plus two hundred M16s and fifty thousand rounds of ammunition."

Kaman's bloodshot eyes fixed on Shen Yan like a crocodile eyeing a piece of fat meat.

"What can you give me? Porcelain? Or silk?"

William let out a burst of grating laughter, and the guards nearby joined in with mocking sneers.

Shen Yan took a deep breath and pulled out a chair to sit down, completely ignoring the predatory stares around him.

"Fifty million dollars."

Shen Yan stated a figure.

The laughter stopped abruptly.

William's brow furrowed for a moment before smoothing out again as he took a sip of his drink.

"Fifty-five million."

William raised the price casually, as if saying the price of cabbage had gone up by twenty cents today.

"Sixty million."

Shen Yan followed immediately.

"Seventy million."

William set down his glass, his gaze turning somewhat cold.

"Furthermore, our Colbert Group can help the General deal with the anti-aircraft missiles of those rebels in the north."

As soon as these words were spoken, General Kaman instantly leaned forward, a greedy light flashing in his eyes.

Here, while money was important, weapons that could save one's life were the real hard currency.

Shen Yan's heart sank.

The intelligence he had brought didn't mention that the Colbert Group actually had an arms background.

This was no longer a simple commercial bid; this was a life-and-death gamble.

"Eighty million."

Shen Yan gritted his teeth, raising the price to an extremely high premium.

This was merely an abandoned copper mine in name; if the price went any higher, it would arouse suspicion.

"Enough!"

Kaman slammed the table violently, making the wine bottles on it rattle.

"Country H person, it seems you have nothing but money."

Kaman grabbed the dagger and brandished it near Shen Yan's cheek. The sharp blade scraped against his skin, causing a shiver of stinging pain.

"In this place, money without the support of guns and cannons is just a piece of scrap paper."

"Mr. William, it's a deal."

Kaman turned his head and grinned at the white man, revealing a mouthful of large yellow teeth.

"As for this Chinese man..."

Kaman's gaze became playful as he rubbed his fingers against the collar of Shen Yan's expensive shirt, leaving a greasy stain.

"Since you're here, don't leave."

"I just happen to be short of a few laborers to repair mining machines. Looking at your build, you should be able to carry a few bags of stones."

William stood up, adjusted his suit, walked over to Shen Yan, and patted his shoulder condescendingly.

"President Shen, right? The business world is like a battlefield. There are some fields that upstarts like you, who made your fortune writing code, can't handle."

"This is a man's game. Go home and take care of the kids."

With that, William laughed heartily and turned to leave. Two guards stepped forward and roughly pinned Shen Yan's hands behind his back.

The cold handcuffs locked around his wrists with a click.

Shen Yan was shoved out of the meeting room and thrown directly into a dark, damp basement.

The iron door slammed shut, cutting off the light.

In the darkness, Shen Yan could even hear the sound of rats scurrying across his pant legs.

This was reality.

There was no protagonist halo, no lowering of the villains' intelligence—there was only naked violence and the exchange of interests.

If it were an ordinary businessman, they would probably have wet their pants by now or started crying for mercy.

Shen Yan sat down against the moss-covered wall, panting heavily, his back already soaked with sweat.

His hands and feet were ice-cold, and his heart was pounding as if it were about to smash through his ribs.

But he didn't panic.

Fear is instinct; calmness is a skill.

"System."