The Middle East: From War Correspondent to Middle Eastern Influencer

Ali, clutching the three AK-47s, made a swift escape under the cover of night.

Muhammad leaned against the bullet-riddled wheels of the pickup truck and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Wu, do you really trust him that much?" Muhammad lowered his voice. "I mean, although I can assure you he's reliable, these are still three good guns. In Benghazi right now, they can be exchanged for several lives. If he runs off with the guns, I won't be able to find him."

"Muhammad, there's a saying in China: 'If you employ someone, don't doubt them; if you doubt someone, don't employ them.'" Wu Hen leaned against the partition of the carriage and closed his eyes. "I trust you, and he was brought here by you, which means he has principles in your eyes. Rather than saying I trust him, I would say I trust you. Besides, if he really runs away, then I'll just consider it a lesson I learned."

Muhammad fell silent, looking at Wu Hen with deep emotion.

"We'll take turns keeping watch tonight. You get three hours of sleep first, then it'll be my turn." Wu Hen didn't continue the topic. He held the loaded AK-47 to his chest.

The distant wilderness was as silent as a giant tomb. This was the night in Libya, devoid of any warmth, only the muzzles of guns hidden in the darkness and the ever-present threat of death.

Wu Hen sat in the back of the car, reviewing everything that had happened in the past few days in his mind.

From activating the system to engaging in various firefights, everything happened too fast.

Although his current equipment and supplies are sufficient for the time being, fighting alone on this battlefield is tantamount to suicide. He needs intelligence, channels, and all the forces that can help him survive.

The Grey Wolf Mercenary Group, these war dogs renowned on the North African battlefield, may be an extremely dangerous target, but they are also undoubtedly the most valuable breakthrough point at present.

3 PM the next day

A pickup truck stopped behind a sand dune 800 meters from the abandoned cement plant.

"Wait for me in the car. Don't turn off the engine. If you hear continuous gunfire, or if I don't come out in thirty minutes, leave immediately and don't look back." Wu Hen checked the bayonet, then pushed open the door and got out of the car.

He didn't bring any firearms; even if he did, they would be confiscated.

Wu Hen did not head straight for the main gate. Instead, he stopped at a high point 500 meters away from the cement plant, took out his binoculars, and began to observe carefully.

You wouldn't believe it until you see it; it gave Wu Hen a completely new understanding of Grey Wolf's professionalism.

On the surface, it was just a dilapidated cement factory, with several huge cooling towers half collapsed and the factory's corrugated iron roof riddled with holes.

But if you look closely, you'll find that there are at least 10 hidden sentries inside and outside this cement plant.

He put away his binoculars, stood up, dusted himself off, and walked toward the gate.

Just fifty meters from the rusty iron gate, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows behind it.

He was still wearing the same unmarked tactical camouflage, and still carrying the HK416 assault rifle equipped with a silencer and holographic sight. A subtle, enigmatic smile played on Viktor's face.

"I thought you'd bring a whole bunch of people with you, Mr. Reporter." Victor pointed his gun down and pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it.

"Sir, with your current setup, no matter how many men you bring, they wouldn't be enough to fill the gaps between your snipers' teeth," Wu Hen replied with a smile.

Viktor exhaled a puff of smoke, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

He turned his head and whispered something into the tactical headset hidden under his collar, then tilted his head toward Wu Hen: "Come with me. Remember, keep your hands where I can see you. The guys here are on edge. If you make any unnecessary movements, I can't guarantee what they'll do."

Passing through the gate and entering the factory area, the scene before Wu Hen once again confirmed his judgment.

The temporary camp was well-organized, and several mercenaries wearing bulletproof vests were sitting on ammunition boxes wiping their weapons.

Unlike the locals outside who use AKs like fire sticks, the mercenaries here are all armed with European-made FN SCARs.

[Host detected has entered: Gray Wolf Mercenary Group Temporary Base.]

[Check-in triggered, check-in required?]

"Check-in".

[Check-in successful!]

[Skill Reward Obtained: CQB (Close Quarters Battle) Tactical Master Level Proficiency.]

[Item Reward Obtained: Tactical Environment Detection Miniature Drone (with night vision and thermal imaging capabilities, already stored in system space).]

A massive amount of tactical information flooded into his brain instantly. Wu Hen felt as if he had conducted thousands of infiltrations, corner clearings, and cover fires in countless simulated combat rooms.

The included miniature drone is an invaluable reconnaissance tool on the battlefield.

Viktor did not notice Wu Hen's brief unusual behavior. He led Wu Hen to a power distribution room, pushed open the heavy iron door, and revealed a narrow staircase leading underground.

"Go down, our boss is waiting for you downstairs." Victor leaned against the door frame, showing no intention of following him down.

Wu Hen nodded, and without any hesitation, walked down the steps in the dim light.

The basement was not large; it was originally a storage room for a cement factory. Now, a wooden table stood in the center of the room, covered with a detailed Libyan military map. Several tactical lights illuminated the basement brightly.

Behind the table stood a tall, slender man dressed in black tactical clothing.

He had his back to Wu Hen, seemingly deep in thought. Hearing footsteps, the man slowly turned around.

This must be White Wolf, the leader of the Gray Wolf Mercenary Group.

Unlike Victor's outward ferocity, White Wolf looks more like an elegant hunter. He has short gray hair and is very handsome. If he didn't go into this line of work, Wu Hen thinks he would definitely be better than Guo Da if he went to Hollywood as an action star.

"Wu Hen, a reporter for Al Jazeera," White Wolf said in English, his voice deep and magnetic, "I've investigated you, and you intrigue me."

Wu Hen stood in front of the table: "Just lucky, sir. You didn't call me here just to verify my press pass, did you?"

White Wolf chuckled softly. He didn't reply, but instead snapped his fingers.

Without warning, two mercenaries who had been standing in the dark corner suddenly jumped out!

One of them, like a tiger descending a mountain, aimed his military dagger straight at Wu Hen's carotid artery; while the other flanked from the side, reaching out to try and control Wu Hen from behind.

Wu Hen had already noticed the two men. If Wu Hen had reacted even half a second slower, the dagger would have definitely cut his throat.

But Wu Hen had just obtained the [CQB Tactical Mastery] level.

The moment the first mercenary's dagger came at him, Wu Hen's body reacted even faster than his brain.

Instead of retreating and dodging, he took half a step forward and cut directly into the opponent's inner circle. With his left hand, he precisely grabbed the opponent's wrist holding the knife, used the force to pull it downward, and then delivered a fierce elbow strike to the opponent's chest.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, the mercenary let out a groan and his movements faltered.

At the same time, facing the second mercenary flanking from the side, Wu Hen's right hand had already reached towards the outside of his thigh.

"Whoosh!"

The M9 multi-functional military bayonet was drawn! Wu Hen's wrist twisted at a tricky angle, and the blade instantly pressed against the second mercenary's carotid artery.

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye, less than two seconds. Wu Hen controlled one person's dagger with his left hand and held a military dagger to the throat of another person with his right hand.

The two subdued mercenaries were filled with disbelief. Although they were not the top melee fighters in the Grey Wolves, they were veterans who had been through many battles. They were actually suppressed by this young Asian man in a single move!

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

White Wolf slowly clapped his hands, a captivating light flashing in his deep eyes.

"Let them go." White Wolf waved his hand, and the two mercenaries immediately put away their weapons.

Wu Hen also took the opportunity to sheath his M9 bayonet.

"Victor is right, you are indeed not an ordinary reporter," White Wolf seemed very happy. "Your close combat skills have very strong traces of military special operations. They are clean, deadly, and without any unnecessary movements. Let's get to know each other formally. You can call me White Wolf."

"War correspondents also need on-the-job training, Mr. White Wolf."

"That's not important," White Wolf said, unconcerned by Wu Hen's words. He walked to the table, pulled out a photograph, and placed it in front of Wu Hen. "In this place, I only value ability and worth."

Wu Hen looked down.

It was a high-resolution satellite reconnaissance photo showing a cluster of buildings surrounded by sand dunes. Judging from the concealed ventilation shafts and vehicle tracks, it should be a fairly large underground facility.

"I want to discuss a business deal with you." White Wolf pointed at the satellite image. "This is the location of a secret arms depot hidden by the Raven Tribe militia in the east of the city. It contains a large amount of heavy equipment and NATO aid supplies that they recently looted. I need you to cooperate with us and take it down!"