Long-term salvation

Rhode looked at the five burly men and chuckled to himself—they were indeed the characters from the "The Expendables" movie series. It was just that now, besides confirming that Barney Ross was the former Rambo, the others seemed to have side hustles… With this in mind, Rhode donned his all-seeing eyepatch and walked towards the five men.

"Suicide Squad?"

The Expendables?

Barney Ross looked up at the sound and saw a young man in a gray coat standing before him. He was young, and although he wore a rather sci-fi eye mask, it was clear how popular his handsome face was among the women.

Silver-gray hair and deep blue eyes, but the scrutiny in those eyes made him feel uncomfortable, as if this young boy had seen his past, present and future.

Barney Ross said without looking up, with a touch of offended irritation and impatience:

"Are you the employer this time?"

"It's obvious."

Placing the huge suitcase next to the chair, Rhodes sat down. The Vulture Squad members standing on the side had already brought a chair for him. The unlucky guy whose chair was snatched away had no choice but to grumble and step away as he looked at the men whose muscles stretched their coats tight, and whispered about the two groups of strong men with the others in the bar.

In this tense atmosphere, the bar owner quietly retreated, ready to call the police at any time.

"Your mission is to secure the inside and outside after we enter. Prevent anything inside from escaping, and prevent anything outside from escaping. It's that simple... As for the police and townspeople, you can use non-lethal force to delay the situation. You won't have to pay for medical expenses or legal fees anyway."

As Rod spoke, he took out a cigarette box from his pocket. The Red Apple brand cigarettes made Lee Christmas, who was sitting next to him, raise his eyebrows. He looked at Rod who was lighting a cigarette and said with a little surprise:

"I heard that after this brand was bought by some unlucky guy, it became popular again in the Midwest. The same is true for Indian Motorcycle. They are now preparing to release a new model of motorcycle."

"The victim you're talking about is me. Watch your next words, Mr. Lee Christmas, from the SAS. Also, I'm very interested in your experience as a 'mechanic'. Perhaps we can discuss this in detail later." Note ①

"What?! How did you know—"

"Let's get on with it. Time waits for no one. Everything can wait until later."

Rhode took out a map of the town, not caring about the confused looks of the people around him. He pointed at the marked location of the mine and continued:

"There are seventeen still-operating mines and forty-six abandoned mines. We must inspect and search the latter. Don't go too deep into the mines, as it's dangerous. Pay special attention to the strange decorations in the mines. I'll distribute camera equipment to you later."

After receiving the task issued by the system, some fragmented memories emerged in Rhodes' mind, but he only vaguely remembered that the Wendigo-like monster lived in the mine and was related to a boy. The rest would probably take time for him to slowly remember after meeting the real owner.

“…Who is our enemy?”

"Drug dealers, if you have anything else, evacuate immediately and tell me the location of the mine." Rhodes pushed the map toward Barney Ross, and the Vulture Squad leader also distributed the photocopied map to the suicide squad members. "Don't worry about the consequences. As long as no innocent people are killed or injured, any action you take will be covered. Do you have any questions now?"

The members of the Death Squad exchanged a glance. Barney Ross closed the map in front of him, but did not put it in his arms. Instead, he asked:

"I need to know who my employer is—there's a hiring request from Atlas Corporation, and another from a private military contractor called Blackwater International, both of which directly name us. Furthermore, the names at the end of both contracts... one is Jonathan Irons, the other is Francis Hammer. Both are well-known figures, but to me, I'm just a discarded weapon, not worth remembering."

"Don't sell yourself short, Mr. John Rambo. You're famous."

"...I thought it was something else. Listen carefully, I don't know which chaebol's eldest son is."

The former Rambo, now Barney Lance, leaned back, his muscular body causing the wooden chair to creak, and a hint of sarcasm appeared on his face:

"I don't care how you know my past, but I have no interest in your penchant for justice, nor in certain 'forces' in this town that may have taken away your family's business. Let's part ways. We cannot accept this mission."

"..."

"Boss, do you want to teach this wild dog of war a lesson?" The Vulture Squad's captain suddenly spoke up, surprising Rhode. He'd expected the grumpiest Number 4 to jump out... but he was held down by the two teammates behind him. The result was the same:

Rhodes was hoping for a conflict between the two sides, otherwise it would be difficult for him to deal with this group of arrogant and strong men. When talking to them, strength is far more important than words.

Just as both sides slammed the table and everyone in the bar fled, seeing that the situation was not good, Rhodes slammed the huge silver suitcase on the table and opened it.

A stack of green US dollar bills instantly caught everyone's eyes - Rhodes installed a row of high-lumen small lights in the box, but the effect was very good.

"I've anticipated this," Rod said, pulling out a stack of US dollars and stuffing it into Santa's hand. Santa glanced at it and nodded. Then, Rod challenged Barney Ross, "Let's have a fight. Any fight you want. If I win, you work for me. If I lose, all this money, including the deposit I've already paid, is yours. We'll have nothing to do with each other going forward."

Looking at the box of banknotes, Barney Ross, who had just opened the team, thought for a moment and asked the others:

"What do you think?"

"...We can give it a try." / "I think it's okay." / "It would be nice to teach those arrogant people behind that kid a lesson." / "We can give it a try. At least we have plane tickets back home."

Although the suicide squad is made up of brave and skilled fighters, they are all poor and unlucky guys who have just formed the team... No one can go against US dollars!

"Yes, we agree."

"very good."

Rhodes twisted his neck, stretched his body, and signaled the members of the Vulture Squad to move the tables and chairs away. The anger on their faces had gradually faded, turning into gloating and a little bit of pity.

"Which of you comes first?"

"Wait, you want to compete with us?"

"It's obvious," Rhodes repeated his initial conversation with Barney Ross. Facing the surprised and mocking looks of the suicide squad, he also smiled.

"Don't cry later."

Outside the noisy bar, a thin boy took a look with a hint of curiosity, then walked home in silence.

Chapter 159: The Past (3K, contains a book club number)

Ten minutes later.

Rhodes and Barney Ross were already walking side by side on the town's streets, the dim light of the street lamps casting long shadows on them. The members of the Vulture Squad and the Suicide Squad had already dispersed to investigate the abandoned mines. Adding the agents who had been lurking there earlier, it was estimated that it would take about two days to complete the investigation.

"Are you really human?"

Rubbing his bruised face, Barney Ross hesitated for a few seconds before asking Rod, who was holding a hot dog. Rod, his mouth full, rolled his eyes, clearly not wanting to answer this stupid question.

"That was the first time I saw Gunnar get beaten up like that - he was a pretty good boxer (from Rocky IV)! And Christmas, that guy had learned his knife throwing skills during his time in the SAS... I could see you were a novice, but that's what happened, and you won! I know what it was like to watch that box of money being taken away, and the brothers under you having to be laughed at by your own people."

"They won't laugh at me," Rhode said calmly after swallowing his food. "Because I beat them like this on a daily basis—I mean 'training' them. That's how I train them on a daily basis. Those who gossip will only be despised and spitted upon by us."

"you……"

Barney was about to say something when he heard a shrill siren behind him, and a police car stopped in front of them with a long brake sound.

Rhodes immediately noticed that Barney Ross's side was tense, and long-forgotten memories and names immediately rushed into his mind, causing him to move his palm to the revolver holster at his waist - there was a .45 caliber Colt M1873 single-action revolver tucked there, which could almost instantly put a shot through the head of the sheriff who was walking towards them.

"Calm down, Barney. Don't let fear and darkness dominate you again," Rhodes said calmly. His voice seemed to have some kind of magic, which gradually relaxed the burly man with throbbing veins. He removed his fingers from the holster and took a half step back.

"Well... I don't know your name yet, so I'll just call you Boss like they do. I'll leave it to you, Boss."

Rhodes nodded slightly in response and stood there waiting for the town's sheriff, Paul Meadows, to come up to him. The sheriff was a slightly fat man with brown-gold hair and a beard, and his eyes were wary and scrutinizing.

Walking up to Rhodes, Sheriff Paul first glanced at Barney Ross, who was looking away, before asking:

"I heard some outsiders were causing trouble in the bar."

"I think the bar owner was too nervous and called the wrong police," Rod shrugged. "We were just a traveling rock band who accidentally broke his bottle of beer. If I remember correctly, he should have received compensation, a lot of it."

“It’s so much that it makes me sad.”

Barney raised his head to look at the deep night sky, and added with regret - the money that should have been given to him and his brothers, although only a small part was given, was enough to make people indignant.

“Are rock bands coming in Humvees?”

"Maybe it was someone from the FBI, CIA, or the US military who had a sudden idea," Rhodes said. He then changed his tone and said meaningfully, "It's better than someone from the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), isn't it?"

“…Don’t cause trouble.”

After saying this, Sheriff Paul returned to the police car and hurried away, just like when he came to Rhodes and the others a few minutes ago.

Looking at the lights of the police car going away, Barney Ross tilted his head slightly and asked in a low voice:

"There's something wrong with this sheriff. Is he connected to drug dealers? I noticed he seemed a little flustered after hearing about the DEA."

"Yes, but his affairs will not be dealt with now."

Rhode sighed, no longer in the mood to continue eating his half-eaten hot dog. He planned to throw it into the trash can beside the street. The trash can was filled with a mess of garbage, making it difficult for him to stuff the half-eaten hot dog. After stuffing it in, he spoke out loud about the business:

"I know you fought in Afghanistan after the Vietnam War. I have some questions I need answers to, very important ones. If you can answer them, you can take the money and go back now."

"Now that you've said that, okay, Afghanistan... Yes, in Afghanistan, it was there that I was abandoned again," Barney's face showed some sadness and anger, but these emotions gradually disappeared in his already scarred heart:

"It was at this time that I realized I wasn't truly seeking an end to the war or peace. I was simply angry at the huge disparity between my experiences during the war and returning home afterward. I've never been a hero—those people were right. I was indeed a 'baby killer.' Even more tragic was that besides killing, I couldn't do anything else. I could only fall asleep holding a gun. Now things are better; all I need is a revolver."

"Don't expect me to wipe your tears with a handkerchief," Rhodes said with a smile, "but if you don't mind, I can lend you a shoulder. Please continue talking, I'm listening."

Barney forced a smile, exhaled slowly, and dug out the painful and sad memories from the depths of his mind - strangely, he didn't hate the young man next to him, as if the latter was a highly respected priest, no, even more noble than that... and was just confessing and enlightening him.

Suppressing this strange feeling, the warrior once known as "Rambo" continued:

"I was in Afghanistan helping the mujahideen – the Muslims – fight the Soviets, and I encountered some bad things there. Not so much bad things as weird things... I could feel something coming out of some of the guys who were more extreme than the most extreme Muslims. It was torture. Believe me, I was tortured by the Vietnamese, I know what it feels like."

Barney said, glancing at Rhodes. He saw his deep blue eyes staring back at him, but this time, there was no scrutiny in them, only calmness. As if encouraged, the burly man continued:

"It's like dead bodies imprisoning the souls of the living. They can speak, eat, and fight, but I've never seen them rest, as if they don't need to. Even people from the United States don't care much, and some even get very close to them. I remember there was a doctor named..."

"Richard Powell, who worked at the Salem Township Hospital in his hometown after returning to the United States."

Rhodes frowned, feeling vaguely uneasy—some kind of threat was lurking in the shadows, staring at human civilization with malicious and mocking eyes. What was worse was that neither Rhodes nor Atlas Corporation could extend their hands into the Middle East!

Wait, if the Gulf War were to happen smoothly, this might be an opportunity.

"How do you know?" Barney looked at Rhodes in surprise, then said with some emotion, "That doctor was a good man. He saved many lives, both soldiers and civilians. He was very respected. I wonder how he is doing now."

"died."

"...Is that so? What a shame."

"I beat him to death."

Barney: “???”

"And they burned down his hospital," Rhodes added, "but that's another story. I'll tell you later... Do you still remember the names of those weird jihadist organizations?"

"Iblis."

Ibris is the devil in Islam, the devil Satan in Judaism and Christianity. The Quran describes him as a giant spirit created by God with fire. According to common sense, a normal Muslim organization would not call itself by this name. And judging from Barney's words, Dr. Richard in the "Void Alien World" mission obviously got some words from them, and triggered the subsequent events in the other world, but was intercepted by Bubble, which became the opportunity for his daughter to come into the world.

Rod tried to piece things together, but when he failed, he could only continue to listen to Barney tell his story.

"After sensing something was wrong, I asked my superiors to return to China, and they agreed. But after I returned, I found I had received nothing... Just like when I returned from Vietnam, I didn't even get a small medal this time." Barney laughed, and this time his smile was more genuine. "But it's okay. I asked friends I met during the war in Afghanistan to destroy my files, and I changed my name!"

"Maybe someone will make a movie about your deeds, called 'First Blood' or something like that," Rod said with a smile. He opened his arms and gestured as he walked forward. "In the second part, we go back to Vietnam, and in the second part, we go to Afghanistan, and then you go kill some corrupt military governments and drug cartels."

"Then at the end of the first part, I should have perished together with the sheriff, or been beaten to death by my old boss, to avoid continuing to live such a humiliating and miserable life, becoming a tool for making money." [Original novel ending]

"Well, the future will always get better. Maybe you can even make a movie starring the 'Suicide Squad'."

"Forget it, by that time, a bunch of old men won't be able to fight anymore," Barney said with a smile. He reached out to take the cigarette handed to him by Rod, and the two of them lit cigarettes and walked quietly along the streets of the town.

After walking for a few minutes, they arrived at a crossroads. Rhodes turned his head and looked to the side, seeing a building with only a few corridor lights on in the hazy night.

"School? Come to think of it, the boy in the movie is still in school...and the heroine is also a teacher."

Rhodes took a puff of cigarette, and some more thoughts came to his mind. He turned his head and said to Barney:

"Gather everyone tomorrow, and you and I will act together as scouts."

"……I see."

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Chapter 160: Malnourished Boy (3K)

Today is still an unpleasant cloudy day.

A morning of rain had cast a dark, damp haze over the town of Sips Falls, with the occasional drizzle drifting by—but as soon as people opened their umbrellas, the mischievous showers would cease, leaving only imaginative curses echoing beneath the sky. The town had been strung along, waiting for its moment of death, but the sparse woods and bushes surrounding it and the abandoned mines were thriving, enjoying the good times without humans.

Tightening his collar, Rod took a puff of his cigarette and blew out a round smoke ring.

"You're looking for a boy?"

Barney Ross had his hands in his pockets, a cigar swishing from General Hammer. He didn't like rainy days; they reminded him of his time in the jungles of Vietnam. Of course, he didn't like deserts or barren mountainous terrain either—he might have only liked the bar and tattoo parlor frequented by the Expendables.

"Yes, although others are investigating abandoned mines, I think this will be faster," Rhodes said. He put on his eye mask and watched the system display the general information of each student. "He is related to 'business'. To be more precise, he is related to his father... But I only have a vague impression of him. I will definitely remember more after seeing his real face."

The two were standing outside the only school, puffing on cigarettes and looking at the children who had already started to go home from school - they would now be out of school at noon so that they could go home for lunch, otherwise they would have to eat the dry biscuits distributed by the school - the decline of the town had affected all aspects, and the teachers' salaries were really average. The school could only reduce the students' school hours in disguise to save more money to keep the school going.

Because of this, the town school brings together all the classes from elementary school, middle school and high school, making the number of children seem quite large.

There will be no shortage of conflicts and bullying.