87: start

Qin Yang nodded upon hearing this.

He then looked at Chen Yunfei. This was a middle-aged man who shared the common traits of men in his age group: he had gained weight, and his complexion was somewhat sallow, his lips chapped. Just by looking at him, one could tell that the life of a refugee over the past few days had caused him a great deal of suffering.

Chen Yunfei felt a bit uncomfortable being scrutinized by Qin Yang. He licked his lips and said, "Boss, hello. My name is Chen Yunfei. I am very familiar with the surrounding area and should be able to help you. Please, give me a chance."

They were compatriots, after all. Seeing the other man living in such a miserable state in a foreign land made Qin Yang feel uneasy.

He immediately called to Wang Chao, "Get him some food and water first. We'll talk after he's eaten."

Wang Chao nodded and turned to go to the vehicle to get the supplies.

Upon hearing Qin Yang's words, Chen Yunfei, a man in his forties, suddenly lost control of his emotions and shed tears. He wept as he said, "Thank you, Boss! Thank you, Boss! My wife and children haven't eaten for two days and a night."

"Bring your wife and children over. It's safer here," Qin Yang added.

Qin Yang was not blind. The surrounding refugees looked at them with naked gazes, like wolves eyeing sheep. If it weren't for the large number of people on Qin Yang's side, someone would have already pounced on them. At a time like this, if he didn't protect the man, giving Chen Yunfei's family food and water wouldn't be saving them, but harming them.

With a thud.

Chen Yunfei knelt directly before Qin Yang, kowtowing repeatedly as he said, "Thank you! Thank you!"

"Alright, get up. Save your strength," Qin Yang replied calmly. Sympathy was one thing, but Qin Yang was not a saint. He would help if he had the means, but if he didn't, he might become the most ruthless of them all. Apart from his family, Qin Yang's emotional world remained extremely indifferent.

Hearing this, Chen Yunfei stood up and quickly ran off. Before long, he returned with a middle-aged woman and two children, a boy and a girl.

Both children were quite young, looking to be about seven or eight years old.

Wang Chao handed over the food and water, and the family began to devour it ravenously, causing the surrounding refugees who were watching to swallow their saliva repeatedly.

Qin Yang naturally didn't care about their prying eyes. He lit a cigarette, and after Chen Yunfei finished eating, he asked, "What's the situation here? Tell me about it."

"Alright, Boss. Since last month, civil unrest has broken out in An Country. The initial cause was soaring prices, which led to large numbers of people taking to the streets to protest. However, under the orchestration of those with ulterior motives, the protests quickly turned into riots, and ordinary people were dragged into looting, smashing, and burning various shops."

"Afterward, the Government Army began to suppress the crowds, but this only incited more anger among the people. Then, uprisings began to break out everywhere, with people wanting to overthrow the current government."

"In fact, all of this was orchestrated by anti-government armed groups behind the scenes. This is a planned anti-government operation."

"Now, throughout An Country, there is fighting everywhere between the Government Army and anti-government groups. Gunfire is heard all over the streets, and even this place, bordering the Na Country, has been engulfed in the flames of war."

"My wife and I came to An Country over a dozen years ago. We opened a small supermarket in Waxi City nearby. We thought this riot would stay far from the border, but it turns out that relying on past experience can be fatal. Just the day before yesterday, a group of anti-government militants entered Waxi City and started fighting with the local military and police. My supermarket was looted by rioters. Seeing that things were not right, I took my family and fled. These people here are basically all from Waxi City," Chen Yunfei replied in detail.

"So, who won between the anti-government militants and the local military and police?" Qin Yang continued to ask.

"According to what I heard from those who came later, the anti-government militants likely won. They numbered in the hundreds and had relatively strong firepower. Waxi City only had a little over a hundred military and police, and they didn't have any heavy weapons, so it's no surprise they lost!" Chen Yunfei replied.

"Alright. From now on, you will lead us to Waxi City to find those anti-government militants. Once this is done, I will help your family leave An Country."

"Understood, Boss. As long as my wife and children can get out, I will do whatever you ask."

Qin Yang nodded.

Then, Qin Yang summoned Qin Gang and Wang Chao to discuss the next plan. The goal was to occupy Waxi City. In chaotic times, anyone can be a warlord. Now that An Country was in such disarray, it was a god-given opportunity for Qin Yang. Waxi City was adjacent to the border; occupying it wouldn't attract too much attention, and it would provide a base for development. He didn't need much; Qin Yang just needed to stay here for a few days, and once the Death Warriors refreshed to a few hundred, he would have the capital to contend for hegemony.

It wasn't that he couldn't defeat anyone; the key issue was that if the territory was too large and there were too few people, it would be difficult to manage.

After formulating a rough plan, the group set off toward Waxi City that night under the cover of darkness.

Under Chen Yunfei's guidance, the convoy arrived at the outskirts of Waxi City three hours later.

Qin Yang and the Death Warriors all had remarkable eyesight. Looking down from a high slope, they could clearly see the situation inside Waxi City.

Gunshots still rang out from time to time on the main streets, and patrol squads of a few people constantly shuttled through the streets. The tallest building in the city was still brightly lit, and one could vaguely see busy figures moving about.

"Boss, that is the Waxi City Governor's Mansion. It looks like it has already been occupied by the rebel army," Chen Yunfei said. His eyesight was average, but he could still make out the tallest building.

Qin Yang nodded and told Chen Yunfei to get into the car. He then said to Qin Gang, Wang Chao, and the others, "Let's move. Leave no rebels or insurgents alive. Collect as much weaponry and equipment as possible; we can't always be fighting firearms with blades."

"Understood, Boss," Qin Gang and the others replied.

Immediately after, a total of forty Death Warriors split into eight groups and crept into Waxi City under the cover of night.

On a street in Waxi City, a few gunshots suddenly broke the silence. Immediately after, a six-man rebel patrol squad walked out of the home of a civilian who hadn't managed to escape in time.

One of them was fastening his belt as he walked.

"So satisfying! These past few days have been the most satisfying days of my life. This is what true freedom is! Kill when I want, have fun when I want. Damn it, the old guy inside dared to resist. I just took a liking to his daughter. Hmph, I was originally going to spare his life because his daughter was pretty, but he really asked for death!" After fastening his belt, the rebel soldier babbled on.

"Haha, following General Naibihai, one day the entire An Country will be our paradise. Praise General Naibihai!" one of them chimed in.