Mercenary's War

The plane has already entered Yemeni airspace; it will take a little more time to reach Sana’a, but it won’t be long.

The atmosphere is relaxed. Most people have just woken up. Although we’re entering a danger zone and need to stay vigilant, everyone is chatting and laughing.

Topics come and go, only a few recurring ones really. We’ve spent so much time together, we’re too familiar with each other, making fresh conversation topics hard to come by. However, after a not-too-long-or-short vacation, everyone’s vacation experiences have become new discussion points among the Satan Group members.

"I spent a few days at the New York Yankees’ training ground, it was amazing. I even got a few autographs. We got along really well. Do you know Derek Jeter? He’s the Yankees’ captain and the star player but had no airs. He gave me several signed baseballs and gloves to pass on to family and friends. Does anyone want one?"

Albert shouted, "I do! I do! I have a son who loves baseball."

Eileen scoffed, "They got along well with you because they know you’ll definitely end up playing for the Yankees, and you’ll become a big star. You’re not a rookie, get it straight. Yankees training is something their big boss invited you to."

Frey tossed a baseball in the air and caught it, chuckling a few times before proudly saying, "Even if I were to play, I’d rather go to the Texas Rangers first. Hey, it’s not certain when. Considering these things now is premature. Rabbit! Why are you giggling to yourself over there?"

Cui Bo raised his head, confused, "Huh, are you calling me?"

Frey replied crabbily, "Yeah, I’m talking to you. What are you grinning about alone? It seems you’ve gotten sillier after a trip to Ukraine."

Cui Bo chuckled sleazily, "Ah, have I?"

Li Jinfang, sitting next to Cui Bo, reached over and patted him on the head, teasingly saying, "Look at that silly face. The touch of love really does make a difference."

Eileen deadpan, "What touch of love? More like the touch of flesh, right? That stupid rabbit looks like he’s been overindulging. Crow! Be careful, don’t let him drag you down!"

Phoenix responded casually, "Oh."

Cui Bo hurriedly said, "Eileen! What did I get touched with is none of your business. Are you on your period? Why so bad-tempered?"

Eileen turned her head, snorting coldly but didn’t refute Cui Bo.

Listening to the ruckus in the cabin, Gao Yang suddenly felt annoyed.

Gao Yang wasn’t disturbed by the noise; quite the opposite, he enjoyed being with his brothers. His annoyance stemmed from not understanding why he continued in his mercenary lifestyle.

The mercenary life was initially for money, but now he can’t even spend it all, yet the battles continue. Every time Gao Yang goes to the battlefield, he weighs the risks, but when he seriously considers quitting entirely, he finds he can’t abandon this life at all.

He says it’s not for fighting, yet now isn’t it exactly for fighting?

Gao Yang felt helpless, ashamed of himself, but couldn’t solve his dilemma.

"Stop the chatter, hear me out, after this battle..."

Gao Yang abruptly interrupted the others’ noise. He was about to announce a decision made in a moment of impulse: After this battle, he’d go home.

But halfway through his words, Gao Yang felt it was too inauspicious; it was like setting a flag for the Satan Group. He immediately corrected himself: "After this battle, we’ll keep going!"

His timely correction stirred a burst of laughter. Glolov laughed hard and said, "You believe that too? Don’t tease; you’re too petty."

Andy He loudly said, "Exactly! Boss, you actually believe this meaningless, silly notion. You’re too timid."

The reactions were strong, not because people disregarded the notion of setting flags, but because of their underlying worries and fears. Despite many people teasing Gao Yang, everyone was careful not to utter taboo words.

Eileen groused, "What else to do after this battle but keep fighting? I love warfare. I love being a mercenary."

After some laughter, everyone resumed chatting, yet everyone tacitly avoided what had just happened.

Namely, the matter of Cerberus. Normally, after dealing with Cerberus, the matter should be discussed well. However, Cerberus met an unfortunate end, and they were to be used further until death. Living under the gun, Cerberus’s fate inevitably evoked a sense of sympathy for the fallen.

Moreover, Cerberus’s matter is a taboo, so nobody mentions it.

To ever leave the battlefield permanently, it’s something to discuss only after leaving the battlefield. With the battle looming, such topics should be avoided.

Feeling internally criticized for his own instability, Gao Yang told Glolov beside him, "This time... we still need to be careful."

Glolov nodded and replied, "Of course, we need to be cautious."

With nothing to say, Gao Yang simply stopped talking and began pondering how to truly withdraw, to enjoy a wealthy man’s blissful life.

Satan has already carved out a domain, and Gao Yang also carved out a vast sky. But all he’s achieved is built on strong military might. Without his power, what value does he have left?

Morgan, Grand Ivan, and Justin, compounding the Black Demon relying on Satan’s presence. Gao Yang brought Satan to establish this territory, thanks to Satan’s formidable combat strength.

Hence, Satan can disband, Gao Yang can retire, but only if sufficiently strong military power remains as the foundation.

Gao Yang had vaguely thought about these issues before but never deeply, as he resisted the concept of retirement. Elderly people who hit the retirement age don’t want to retire, especially those with identity and status; they never want to vacate their positions. Let alone a young person like Gao Yang.

But now that Gao Yang started genuinely contemplating retirement, he found he first needed to find a suitable successor, and he must keep him firmly under control.