Breaking Through the Siege

Zhang Li had already aimed at a gunman, but before he could pull the trigger, he felt a chill on the back of his neck. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw the thick branch nearby slowly moving. Its rough, uneven bark formed sharp angles, and the alternating deep gray and pale gray stripes became increasingly distinct. Overcome by terror, Zhang Li couldn't hold back and turned his head suddenly. A triangular snakehead, tongue flicking, and cold, menacing eyes were staring right at him.

Realizing it was the fer-de-lance, one of the ten deadliest creatures in the South American jungle, Zhang Li almost dropped his gun in panic. The snake and Zhang Li locked eyes, each uneasy about the other's sudden presence. Just as Zhang Li steadied himself and attempted to pull the trigger, his M4 jammed. The movement startled the snake, and it lunged, its venomous fangs aimed directly at Zhang Li's hand. In a desperate instant, Zhang Li thrust his rifle at the snake's head. Both the gun and the snake tumbled to the ground below.

Yue Yang's grip on his gun tightened as he focused on the enemy gunman ahead, who was peeking out cautiously within his line of fire. Yet Yue Yang hesitated, unable to bring himself to pull the trigger. As a former scout praised for his tracking skills, he struggled to reconcile the purpose of this sudden and inexplicable battle. Was it to protect themselves? To fight crime? To bring justice? He needed a valid reason to shoot.

Suddenly, something fell from above, and Zhang Li's panicked shout followed: "Watch out! Poisonous snake!" Without hesitation, Yue Yang fired, riddling the snake with bullets until it was motionless.

But in doing so, both Zhang Li and Yue Yang exposed their positions. Bullets from the enemy followed immediately. Zhang Li dodged behind a tree, but the thin branch he was perched on couldn't withstand the gunfire. It snapped, and Zhang Li plummeted from a height of five or six meters, landing awkwardly. Yue Yang rolled to evade the bullets, ending up in a similarly disheveled state.

Basang roared angrily, "What are you two doing?!" Switching his Steyr rifle to automatic fire, he unleashed a burst of bullets, hitting an enemy's grenade. The explosion sent shrapnel flying, narrowly missing Basang himself.

The enemies, realizing that Basang was the group's most formidable fighter, focused their fire on him. A grenade landed accurately in the tree fork where Basang was hiding. He was forced to leap from the tree, crashing into a thorny bush below.

One of the remaining gunmen aimed his weapon at the fallen Basang. From his left side, a hunting knife flew through the air, striking his wrist and causing him to misfire. The bullets missed Basang entirely. Regaining his composure, Basang unleashed a volley of shots, riddling the man with bullets until his magazine was empty. His ragged appearance—torn clothes, blood, and sweat streaming down—made him look like a vengeful spirit. Even Zhang Li and Yue Yang felt a chill at his ferocity.

"Enough!" one of them urged. "We've eliminated all the enemies here. Let's retreat before reinforcements surround us."

As Zhang Li and Yue Yang emerged from the bushes, covered in dirt and sweat, Basang scolded them furiously: "You two! A mess like this—do you even look like trained soldiers?"

The entire skirmish lasted less than five minutes. Except for the one subdued by Tashi Danba, Zhang Li and Yue Yang had struggled, far from their usual proficiency in training.

Tashi Danba walked over to Basang and said, "Even with special training, we've never had to actually kill before. Don't be too harsh on them."

Basang glared at him but said nothing. Just then, he shoved Tashi Danba aside with force. A gunshot rang out, and blood spurted from Basang's shoulder as he fell. Without hesitation, Basang threw a knife, hitting the shooter in the throat. The enemy collapsed, choking on his own blood.

"How bad is it?" Tashi Danba tried to help Basang up, but Basang shoved him away roughly, snarling, "Damn it! Kill them or don't. What kind of leader are you?"

Tashi Danba fell silent, unwilling to escalate the tension further. Basang tore off his tattered shirt to press against the wound. Looking at the snake that Yue Yang had riddled with bullets, Basang sneered, "Good aim." The underlying implication was clear—Yue Yang had only managed to hit a snake.

Faced with Basang's anger, Yue Yang could only swallow his pride. Checking the bodies of the fallen enemies, he noted that their clothing lacked military insignias or standard uniforms. "They're not guerrillas," Yue Yang said.

Basang yanked open the shirt of another corpse and froze. "They're cartel members." The twin-headed snake tattoo was unmistakable, identifying them as members of an organization linked to one of the infamous drug lords. Unlike the guerrillas, who primarily clashed with government forces, the cartel operated seamlessly in the jungle, treating it as their home turf. They had deep connections with local tribes and were far more unpredictable and dangerous.

But why were the cartel members also after them? Before they could piece it together, gunfire erupted again.

Yue Yang screamed as bullets ripped through his backpack, grazing his hip. Luckily, the pack absorbed most of the impact, sparing him a more serious injury. The four realized they were dealing with more than one group—the first wave had merely flushed them out. Swearing under their breaths, they scattered into the jungle, pursued by unseen enemies.