Farming Life Starting in Africa

After confirming that the vehicle was undamaged and there was no risk of a tire blowout or malfunction, Rosen did not linger. He straightened up, quickly returned to the car, picked up the walkie-talkie, and said, "Turn around and go back the way you came. Your pickup truck has thick tires; ordinary infantry mines can't do anything to it."

The giant off-road tires of the Bigfoot are specially reinforced, with a thickness and hardness far exceeding that of ordinary tires. Unless it encounters a powerful anti-tank mine, the damage from such a conventional infantry mine is at most a tickle to it.

Leng Feng's calm voice quickly came through the walkie-talkie, "Is there any anti-tank mine buried in this area?"

Before he could even finish speaking, and before Rosen could respond, Zhou Weijie's impatient voice came through the walkie-talkie, "Hey! Can you shut your mouth? If you can't speak properly, then say less! Anti-tank mines are only buried on main roads controlled by the rebels. Who would be crazy enough to bury one in this desolate wilderness?"

Rosen listened to the bickering on the walkie-talkie, shook his head helplessly, chuckled, and then maneuvered his vehicle to turn around and slowly retreat behind the pickup truck.

Miao Feng, who had been watching the whole thing with a tense expression, finally calmed down and asked curiously, "Who are those people in the pickup truck behind? Were they your hired help?"

Rosen pulled out a cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke. "What else can I do? If I try to rescue you all from these guys by myself, I'll most likely end up collecting your corpses."

The two vehicles slowly drove along the dirt road along the edge of the river, avoiding rugged terrain and suspected minefields, until evening when they finally reached the outer perimeter of the target mine.

The group found a secluded, steep hollow in the hillside, where the mountain provided cover and they were unlikely to be noticed, making it a perfect spot for a quiet rest. Once the vehicle was stopped and running, everyone got out and gathered around to rest, replenish their food and water.

Rosen distributed the bread and bottled water he carried with him to everyone, saying, "Have something to eat first. We'll launch the drone later to scout the terrain, find the main entrance to the mine, and figure out what's inside."

Zhou Weijie took the water and bread, then carefully scanned the surrounding mountain terrain. After a moment of contemplation, he added, "Finding only the main entrance isn't enough. These illegal mines almost always have a separate evacuation exit; there won't be just one. As is customary, evacuation routes are usually hidden in caves or ravines in the surrounding mountains. If we search carefully, we're sure to find them."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Rosen turned to Leng Feng beside him, "Do you know how to operate a drone?"

"Yes, I can, but the model is different, so I'll need to get used to it a little. I didn't practice with this model before," Leng Feng answered truthfully.

"It's alright, no big problem." Rosen turned to Miao Feng. "Old Miao, you show him around and familiarize him with the operation later. I brought plenty of batteries, enough for us to explore this area. Besides, the ground will cool down after dark, making the thermal imager even more effective."

For this trip, nearly a third of the space in Lawson's supply box was filled with fully charged spare batteries. Last time, during the hostage chase, the lack of batteries caused the problem, which led to Ma Xiao being taken away. This time, he had learned his lesson and made thorough preparations.

After resting, Rosen took the lead in controlling the drone to take off. The machine, with a slight hum, slowly flew into the sky, surveying the layout of the entire area from above.

The mine was situated in the center of a basin, with a large pool of murky, stagnant water at the bottom. Several hundred workers were toiling away inside, all seemingly ordinary people forced into labor, while only about fifty armed guards stood watch around the perimeter.

"Old Zhou, come take a look." Rosen handed over the tablet screen, pointing to the scattered garrison troops on the screen. "Do you know how many people the Iron Army has?"

Zhou Weijie leaned closer to the screen, his gaze carefully sweeping over the mine pit and the surrounding caves. "According to the intelligence I have, their numbers are definitely no more than three hundred, but they are certainly not all here. I estimate there are at least a hundred people in this mining area, and there are definitely many sentries and other personnel hiding in these surrounding mine pits and caves."

After saying that, he took out a yellowed photo from his pocket. The photo showed a man wearing a black headscarf, with a completely white beard in the middle of his chin, making him highly recognizable.

"This person is Hassud," Zhou Weijie said in a deep voice, pointing to the photo. "As long as we can capture him, we can safely evacuate with everyone."

Listening from the side, Miao Feng couldn't help but retort, "Would capturing him even work? He has so many henchmen, doesn't anyone want to kill him and seize power?"

Zhou Weijie shook his head slightly, his tone resolute: "This group of people relies on extreme beliefs to win people's hearts and bind the team. Hasud is the core figure. As long as he doesn't agree or give his consent, the vast majority of his underlings will not recognize the new leader."

"Alright, let's divide the work. You guys search for the back door of the mine, and I'll check the situation inside first," Rosen instructed in a deep voice.

The group was so engrossed in their investigation that they were completely unaware that not far from them, on a slope completely shrouded in the shadow of the mountain, a wooden door was covered in a thick layer of mud, blending perfectly with the color and texture of the surrounding mountain. From a distance, it was difficult to tell that there was a door hidden there.

Behind the wooden door, in the dimly lit space, an armed man wearing a turban was holding binoculars, staring intently at the group of people in the hollow of the mountain, taking in their every move.

…………

The Republic of Ivia is currently experiencing just as much commotion as Uller. After capturing the Ivia capital and its surrounding areas, General Sharaf felt it was time to launch a full-scale offensive. They contacted Zaka's forces to reinforce the capital, and the conflict was about to escalate from a localized conflict into a full-scale war.

Foreign ministries and embassies of various countries issued emergency evacuation notices, and Ivia became increasingly chaotic.

At Green Valley Energy Company, the evacuation order has been issued. Local staff have all left, and most of those remaining are foreign employees. Everyone can only obediently wait for the evacuation vehicles provided by the government.

William Parsons sat in his office, his brows furrowed in a deep frown.

"Dr. William, stop rushing me! Look at the news, soldiers are everywhere. A full-scale war is imminent!"

William Parsons interrupted his reasoning, "I don't want to hear excuses. You took the money, so you have to do the work. You promised me you'd get the goods out within a week, otherwise I won't be the only one in trouble. You're the highest-ranking general in Ivia now; this is no problem for you."